JP2006312381A - Grains for determining window washing liquid residual amount and window washing liquid residual amount determining method using the grains - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide grains for determining the window washing liquid residual amount easily applicable to an existing window washer device without requiring modification and assuring simple and convenient post-treatment, and a window washing liquid residual amount determining method using the grains. <P>SOLUTION: The grains 10 for determining the window washing liquid residual amount include a coloring material and is not soluble in a window washing liquid 12 containing at least water or alcohol. The window washing liquid residual amount determining method has a process to cast in a substance containing the grains 10 from a cast-in hole 22 to a washer tank 20 and determines the residual amount of the window washing liquid 12 through sensing the grains 10 in the liquid 12 jetted to the window after being ejected from an ejecting hole 24 provided in the lower part of the washer tank 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a granular material for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid used by spraying on a window glass of an automobile or the like, and a window washer liquid remaining amount determination method using the same. About.

  In an automobile, a window washer liquid is generally used to clean a windshield such as a windshield and a rear glass. The window washer liquid is sprayed from the washer nozzle provided near the window glass toward the window glass, and the wiper rubber slides on the surface of the window glass facing the outside of the vehicle to clean the window glass surface. It makes the visibility of glass good.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a generally used window washer liquid ejecting apparatus 200 that can employ the window washer liquid remaining amount determining method of the present invention.

  The window washer liquid injection device 200 includes a washer tank 20, a washer hose 26, a window washer liquid suction pump (not shown), and a window washer liquid injection washer nozzle. The washer tank 20 and the washer hose 26 are connected to one end of the washer hose 26 through a discharge port 24 provided in the lower part of the washer tank 20, preferably the bottom surface. A window washer fluid 32 is arranged to be sent to the nozzle.

  The window washer liquid 32 introduced from the inlet 22 at the top of the washer tank 20 is pressure-fed in the direction of arrow 16 from the outlet 24 to the washer hose 26 in accordance with the operation of a pump (not shown). When the pump is further operated, the window washer fluid 32 is continuously pumped and finally injected from a washer nozzle (not shown).

  Although the main component of the window washer liquid 32 is generally water, for example, the drying of the window washer liquid 32 on the window glass is accelerated, and the solubility of the surfactant and other additive components blended as a cleaning component is increased. Many window washer fluids 32 containing alcohol are also commercially available for various purposes such as increasing the freezing point and preventing freezing by lowering the freezing point. Examples of the alcohol herein include alcohols soluble in water such as methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol, and glycols. Other added components of the window washer liquid 32 include a colorant, a rust inhibitor, and the like.

  Unlike the fuel whose remaining amount is displayed at the driver's seat, the window washer fluid 32 often cannot recognize the remaining amount during driving. For this reason, in order to check the remaining amount of the window washer liquid 32, for example, a bonnet is opened when the vehicle stops before and after driving, and then the shadow of the liquid level reflected on the side surface of the washer tank 20 is checked. Have been taken.

  However, depending on the arrangement, shape, and material of the washer tank 20, it is often not easy to check the remaining amount of the window washer fluid 32, and there is no means for recognizing the remaining amount of the window washer fluid 32 when traveling. It was not uncommon for the first time that the washer tank 20 was emptied for the first time when it was not sprayed when attempting to spray the washer fluid 32.

  Since the window washer fluid 32 is often used to quickly secure a field of view when the front / rear field of view becomes poor, a situation where the window washer fluid 32 cannot be ejected during traveling is not very desirable. Further, if the operation of the pump is continued intermittently in a situation where the window washer liquid 32 cannot be injected or the washer tank 20 is empty, it may lead to a failure of the motor in the pump.

  Therefore, a washer liquid supply device has been proposed that can easily notify the user of the replenishment time of the window washer liquid 32.

  As shown in FIG. 3, Patent Document 1 has a plurality of tanks 40 and 42 in which washer liquids of different colors are contained, and when the remaining amount of the used washer tank 40 becomes a predetermined amount or less, There is disclosed a washer fluid supply device 300 that includes a switching mechanism for supplying washer fluids of different colors from the tank 42 and notifies the driver of the replenishment time of the washer fluid by changing the color of the washer fluid.

  However, since the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 requires a plurality of washer tanks and the apparatus itself is complicated, it has been rarely actually mounted on a vehicle until now.

  By the way, an apparatus related to an ink cartridge has been proposed as an apparatus that uses only one container and informs the user of the remaining amount of liquid with a simple structure.

  As shown in FIG. 4, Patent Document 2 discloses a case in which inks 50 and 52 having different hues are encapsulated in an ink cartridge that supplies ink for recording to an ink jet recording head, and the ink reaches a predetermined remaining amount. An ink cartridge 400 that informs the user that the ink 52 for warning is supplied to the head nozzle following the recording ink 50 and the print color on the recording paper changes and the remaining amount of ink becomes small is disclosed. Yes.

JP 2004-25922 A JP-A-2-24150

  However, when the ink cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 2 is applied to a washer tank, the following problems occur.

  When the ink cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 2 is applied to a washer tank, sealing a window washer liquid into a layer in the washer tank means that at least two kinds of liquids that can become window washer liquids having different specific gravities are required. It means to do. For example, water and alcohol, which are also used in window washer solutions, are not suitable because they have different specific gravity but are easily mixed.

  Therefore, when trying to apply fats and oils, silicon oil, etc. as liquids with different specific gravity that do not mix easily with window washer liquids containing water and alcohol, Since it cannot be easily washed away with water or alcohol, there is a risk that the vehicle body, windshield, etc. will be stained with an oil film.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a granular material for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid that can be easily used without modifying a currently used window washer apparatus and that can be easily post-processed.

  In addition, a window washer liquid remaining amount determination method using the window washer liquid remaining granular material is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the granular material for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention contains a coloring material and is insoluble in a window washer liquid containing at least water or alcohol.

  Further, the window washer of the present invention includes a solution containing at least water or alcohol, and a granular material containing a coloring material and insoluble in the liquid.

  In the window washer of the present invention, preferably, the color material includes at least one of a dye, a dye, or a pigment, and the granular material is a microcapsule.

  Moreover, the window washer remaining amount determination liquid of the present invention contains a color material and contains at least a granular material insoluble in water or alcohol, and a dispersion medium for dispersing the granular material.

  In addition, the method for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention includes a step of charging a washer tank with a granular material containing a coloring material and insoluble in a window washer liquid containing at least water or alcohol, or a dispersion liquid containing the granular material. The particulate matter is detected in the window washer liquid discharged from the lower part of the washer tank and then injected into the window, and the remaining amount of the window washer liquid is determined.

  In the window washer liquid remaining amount determining method, preferably, the granular material is injected together with the window washer liquid when the liquid remaining amount in the washer tank becomes a predetermined amount or less.

  Moreover, in the said window washer liquid residual amount determination method, Preferably, the specific gravity of the said granular material is below the specific gravity of the said window washer liquid.

  In the method for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid, preferably, the color material includes at least one of a dye, a dye, or a pigment, and the granular material is a microcapsule.

  According to the present invention, the remaining amount of the window washer liquid can be easily determined without changing the currently used window washer device, and the subsequent processing is also simple.

  The window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material and the window washer liquid remaining amount determining method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure same as the structure shown in FIG. 2 mentioned previously, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 is used in a washer tank 20 as shown in FIG.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 is insoluble in at least water or alcohol. For this reason, it is generally not dissolved in the window washer liquid 12 containing water or alcohol. Here, “insoluble” means that the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention can be recognized without being mixed with the window washer liquid 12. For example, the window washer liquid 12 is remaining in the window washer liquid remaining amount. The determination granule 10 may be impregnated and swollen.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular body 10 preferably contains a color material. As a result, the window washer liquid 12 is injected into the window glass together with the window washer liquid 12 so that the driver can visually recognize the color derived from the color material inside the window washer liquid 12. It is determined that the replenishment time is approaching. In addition, as a coloring material included in the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid according to the present invention, any color material may be used as long as it has a color, but pigments, dyes, and pigments are preferably used. It is done. At this time, the color tone of the color material of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid in the embodiment of the present invention may be any color as long as it is easily visible to the driver. Color materials of all colors such as red, brown, blue, and white may be used. In addition, when the window washer liquid 12 itself is colored, it is preferable that the color tone of the color material included in the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid is different from the color of the window washer liquid 12.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the blending amount of the color material included in the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 may be appropriately determined according to the type of color material to be used and the degree of color development due to the difference in color tone. For example, yellow dyes have a relatively low bulk density because the degree of color development is weaker than other colors such as red and blue, and the blending amount needs to be increased. I. Acid Yellow 23 (bulk density 0.55 g / ml, manufactured by Inoue Chemical Co., Ltd.) and the like are preferably used.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid may be granular, but is preferably closer to a sphere. The particle size of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid of the present invention may be any particle size as long as it is jetted without clogging in the flow path from the washer tank 20 to the washer nozzle. 1 to about 100 μm, more preferably about 15 to about 50 μm, and still more preferably about 20 μm is used. The term “particle size” as used herein refers to the dimension in the longest direction of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid. By using the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid as described above, the spray is appropriately performed without clogging the washer hose 26 and the washer nozzle. In addition, when the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention is swellable, this particle size refers to the particle size in a swollen state.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 is injected together with the window washer liquid 12 when the liquid remaining amount in the washer tank 20 becomes a predetermined amount or less. For this reason, it is determined that the remaining amount of the window washer liquid 12 in the washer tank 20 has become a predetermined amount or less by the driver visually recognizing the injection of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 charged into the washer tank 20 is less than 10% with respect to the capacity of the washer tank 20, more specifically, about 5 to about About 10% is preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the generally used window washer liquid ejecting apparatus 100, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 and the window washer liquid 12 are disposed at the lower outlet of the washer tank 20. 24, after which it is injected from a washer nozzle. Therefore, it is preferable that the specific gravity of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid of the present invention is not more than the specific gravity of the window washer liquid 12. By setting the specific gravity of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid to be equal to or less than the specific gravity of the window washer liquid 12, when the remaining amount of the window washer liquid 12 in the washer tank 20 exceeds a predetermined amount, only the window washer liquid 12 is present. Is sprayed toward the window glass, and when the remaining amount of the window washer liquid 12 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the window washer liquid remaining granular material 10 is sprayed toward the window glass together with the window washer liquid 12. The window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 remaining on the surface of the window glass is destroyed by shearing in the gap between the wiper rubber sliding on the surface of the window glass and the window glass. Since the driver can visually recognize the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid that has been broken or sprayed on the surface of the window glass, the remaining amount of the window washer liquid can be determined thereby, so that no other device is required. It is.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the specific gravity of the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular body 10 is set to be equal to or lower than the specific gravity of the window washer liquid 12 to thereby determine the injected window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular body 10. The detection on the surface of the windshield can be a determination that the remaining liquid amount in the washer tank 20 has become a predetermined amount or less. In the embodiment of the present invention, the specific gravity of the granular material 10 for determining the amount of remaining window washer liquid is preferably about 0.8 to about 1, but how much the predetermined amount is with respect to the remaining amount of the window washer liquid 12. You may adjust suitably according to whether it sets to. At this time, if the specific gravity of the window washer liquid 12 is 1, the specific gravity of the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid is, for example, about 0.99 to about 1, and the specific gravity of the window washer liquid 12 is 0.9. If so, the specific gravity of the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 may be, for example, about 0.89 to about 0.9.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular body 10 may be obtained as a single body, or the obtained window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular body 10 may be a single body, for example. When it is not stable, etc., it may be used as a window washer liquid remaining amount determination liquid dispersed in a suitable dispersion medium in advance. Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 may be mixed with the window washer liquid 12 in advance and used as a window washer as it is.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the window washer liquid remaining amount determining granular material 10 is preferably a microcapsule containing a coloring material, for example. A microcapsule is a granular material with a diameter of about a few micrometers to about a few millimeters, with a coating called a capsule material as an outer wall and an inclusion called a core material, and is currently used in various fields. Yes.

  Various methods such as an interfacial polymerization method, an in-situ polymerization method, a coacervation method, a submerged drying method, and a submerged cured film method are known as methods for producing the microcapsules.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of the window washer liquid needs to be insoluble in the window washer liquid 12. For this reason, the encapsulant material including the coloring material, which is a microcapsule, is preferably a polymer compound insoluble in the window washer fluid 12. The polymer compound may be a polymer or a natural polymer compound. The polymer may be, for example, a homopolymer or a copolymer, and for example, polystyrene, nylon, polyurethane, and combinations thereof are preferably used. Moreover, as a natural high molecular compound, an alginate, gelatin, a corn starch, glucomannan etc. are used suitably, for example.

  As described above, the microcapsule may be manufactured by any method. For example, the microcapsule may be manufactured as in the following example.

<Example 1>
A surfactant (for example, sorbitan trioleate) and a coloring material (for example, CI Acid Yellow 23) are added to an oil-soluble polymer (for example, styrene) and emulsified. To do).

  Next, a polymerization initiator (for example, benzoyl peroxide) is dissolved in an oil-soluble polymer (for example, styrene) (this is two liquids).

  2 liquids are added to the said 1 liquid, and it is made to melt | dissolve (this is made into 3 liquids). Moreover, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is dissolved in water (this is made into 4 liquids).

  3 liquids are added to said 4 liquids, and after emulsification, it hold | maintains at 80 degreeC, a polymerization reaction is performed for about 8 hours, and a desired microcapsule is obtained.

<Example 2>
A surfactant (for example, sorbitan trioleate) and a coloring material (for example, CI Acid Yellow 23) are added to an oil-soluble polymer (for example, styrene), and the mixture is emulsified or suspended. 5 liquids).

  Next, water is added to the above-mentioned 5 liquids, and stirring is further continued (this is 6 liquids).

  A polymerization initiator (for example, benzoyl peroxide) is added to the above six liquids, and the polymerization reaction is carried out for about 5 hours while maintaining the temperature at 60 ° C. to obtain desired microcapsules.

<Example 3>
A water-soluble or uncharged coloring material is dissolved or dispersed in an aqueous sodium alginate solution, and this is dropped into an aqueous calcium chloride solution to obtain a gel polymer. This is air-dried to obtain a desired microcapsule.

  Since the granular material 10 for determining a remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention described above can be easily washed away by a car wash such as water washing after being sprayed from a washer nozzle, post-processing is also simple.

  The granular material 10 for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid and the method for determining the remaining amount of window washer liquid according to the present invention are not limited to automobiles, and can be used for any apparatus provided with a window washer device. is there.

It is the schematic which showed the general structure of the window washer liquid injection apparatus 100 to which this invention is applied. It is the schematic which showed the general structure of the window washer liquid injection apparatus 200 which can apply this invention. It is the schematic which showed the conventional washer liquid supply apparatus 300 shown by patent document 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a conventional ink cartridge 400 shown in Patent Document 2.

Explanation of symbols

10 Granules for determining remaining amount of window washer fluid, 12, 32 window washer fluid, 16 Flow direction of window washer fluid (arrow), 20, 40, 42 Washer tank, 22 inlet, 24 outlet, 26 washer hose, 50 , 52 ink, 100, 200 window washer liquid ejecting apparatus, 300 washer liquid supplying apparatus, 400 ink cartridge.

Claims (8)

  A granular material for determining the remaining amount of window washer fluid that contains a colorant and is insoluble in a window washer fluid containing at least water or alcohol. A solution containing at least water or alcohol;
A window washer containing a color material and a granular material insoluble in the liquid. The window washer according to claim 2,
The colorant includes at least one of a pigment, a dye, or a pigment,
The granule is a window washer that is a microcapsule. A granular material that contains a colorant and is at least insoluble in water or alcohol;
A window washer remaining amount determination liquid comprising a dispersion medium for dispersing the granular material. Including the step of charging the washer tank with a granular material containing a coloring material and insoluble in a window washer liquid containing at least water or alcohol, or a dispersion containing the granular material,
A window washer liquid remaining amount determining method for detecting the granular material in the window washer liquid ejected from a lower part of the washer tank and then sprayed into a window to determine the remaining amount of the window washer liquid. In the window washer liquid remaining amount judging method according to claim 5,
The granular material is ejected together with the window washer liquid when the liquid remaining amount in the washer tank becomes a predetermined amount or less. In the window washer liquid remaining amount judging method according to claim 5 or 6,
The specific gravity of the said granular material is a window washer liquid residual amount determination method which is below the specific gravity of the said window washer liquid. In the window washer liquid remaining amount determination method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The colorant includes at least one of a pigment, a dye, or a pigment,
The method for determining a remaining amount of window washer liquid, wherein the granular material is a microcapsule.

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