JP2511608Y2 - Oil level sensor - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to an oil level sensor, and in particular, directly detects whether or not the level of oil in an oil tank is within an appropriate amount range, for example, by directly using visual inspection. The present invention relates to an oil level sensor.

[Prior art and its problems]

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, an oil level sensor for directly detecting the oil level in the oil tank by direct visual inspection has an oil level detecting section having an oil passage 25 communicating with the oil tank.
29, and a visual detection unit 30 having an oil passage 28 which also communicates with the oil tank.

The oil level detector 29 is separated in the horizontal direction,
Light emitting element 21 and light receiving element 23 located at the upper limit of the appropriate oil amount range
And a light emitting element 22 and a light receiving element 24 located at the lower limit of the appropriate oil amount range.

Further, the light emitting elements 21 and 22 are connected to a power source 33 through a circuit section 26 located between the oil level detection section 29 and the visual detection section 30, and the light receiving elements 23 and 24 are connected to the circuit section 26. It is connected to the display unit 32 via.

The visual detection unit 30 has an oil passage 28 formed inside a transparent case 31 having openings at its upper and lower portions.

In such an oil level sensor, the light receiving elements 23, 24
The presence or absence of oil interposed between the pair of upper and lower light emitting elements 21 and 22 and light receiving elements 23 and 24 is determined by the output voltage difference between the display unit 32 and whether or not there is oil in an appropriate oil amount range. The visual detection unit 30 is designed to detect it directly with the naked eye.

However, since the conventional oil level sensor has a configuration in which the oil level detection unit 29, the circuit unit 26, and the visual detection unit 30 are arranged in a line, it is difficult to reduce the thickness and size of the oil level sensor. Since the oil passages 25 and 28 are provided in the oil level detection unit 29 and the visual detection unit 30, respectively, the structure is complicated, and miniaturization and simplification are required.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional one, and an object thereof is to provide a miniaturized and simplified oil level sensor.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an oil passage communicating with an oil tank with an oil level detection unit for detecting an oil level position of oil, and at one end of the oil path, the oil level detection unit. A detection unit provided with a visual detection unit for visually observing the portion of the oil passage detected by the unit, and a circuit provided at the peripheral portion of the detection unit is adopted.
Further, the oil level detection unit adopts a means including a light emitting element and a light receiving element.

[Action]

This invention adopts the above-mentioned means, and judges the presence or absence of oil interposed between the upper and lower light emitting elements and the light receiving element by the output voltage difference between the upper and lower light receiving elements, and determines whether there is oil in the appropriate oil amount range. Whether or not it is displayed on the display unit via the circuit unit.

It can also be confirmed directly with the naked eye at the visual detection unit.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of an oil level sensor according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the oil level sensor, and FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the oil level sensor.

This oil level sensor has an annular case 11,
A detection unit 10 having an oil passage 5 communicating with the inside of the oil tank 7 is disposed in the hollow portion of the case 11,
A circuit section 6 made of an HIC substrate or the like is arranged inside the detection section 10 inside the detection section 10, and a display section 8 and a power source 9 are connected to the circuit section 6.

The detection unit 10 is separated in the horizontal direction and is located at the upper limit of the appropriate oil amount range.
And an oil level detecting section 10a provided with a light emitting element 2 and a light receiving element 4 located at the lower limit of an appropriate oil amount range, and a visual detecting section formed by closing one end of the oil passage 5 with a transparent plate or the like. Ten
It has b and.

The light emitting elements 1 and 2 are connected to a power source 9 via a circuit section 6, and the light receiving elements 3 and 4 are connected to a display section 8 via the circuit section 6.
It is connected to the.

When the oil level sensor configured as described above is attached to the oil tank 7 via a screw so that the oil passage 5 is oriented in the vertical direction, a pair of upper and lower light emitting elements 1 is provided due to the output voltage difference between the light receiving elements 3 and 4. 2, the presence / absence of oil interposed between the light receiving elements 3 and 4 is determined, and the display unit 8 displays whether or not there is oil in an appropriate amount range.

Further, in the visual detection section 10b, the portion of the oil passage detected by the oil level detection section 10a can be directly detected by the naked eye.

The circuit section 6 is provided on the outer periphery of the detection section 10, and the oil level detection section 10a and the visual detection section 10b are integrally formed under the same oil passage, that is, the oil level detection section 10
By making the part of the oil passage 5 detected by a directly visible, it is smaller than the conventional structure in which the oil level detection part, the circuit part, and the visual detection part are provided in a line. And it became possible to simplify.

In the embodiment, the oil level detection unit 10a includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is configured to detect the oil level by the output voltage difference of the light receiving element, but the invention is not limited to this, and other optical It may be an oil level detection unit that electrically or other means is adopted.

[Effect of device]

With this configuration, the circuit portion is provided on the outer periphery of the detection portion, so that the present invention is thinner and smaller than the conventional structure in which the circuit portion and the detection portion are provided in a line. Can be realized.

In addition, since the oil level detection unit and the visual detection unit are integrally provided under the same oil passage, the structure is simplified and the size can be further reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of an oil level sensor according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the oil level sensor, and FIG. 2 is an oil level sensor attached to an oil tank. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional oil level sensor is attached to an oil tank. 1, 2, 21, 22 ... Light emitting element 3, 4, 23, 24 ... Light receiving element 5, 25, 28 ... Oil passage 6, 26 ... Circuit section 7, 27 ... Oil tank 8, 32 ... Display unit 9, 33 …… Power supply 10 …… Detection unit 10a, 29 …… Oil level detection unit 10b, 30 …… Visual detection unit 11, 31 …… Case

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An oil passage (5) communicating with an oil tank (7).
Is provided with an oil level detection unit (10a) for detecting the oil level position of the oil, and at one end of the oil path (5), the portion of the oil path detected by the oil level detection unit (10a) is visually checked. An oil level sensor, comprising: a detection section (10) provided with a visual detection section (10b) and a circuit section (6) provided on the periphery of the detection section (10). 2. The oil level detector (10a) is a light emitting element (1).
The oil level sensor according to claim 1, comprising (2) and a light receiving element (3) (4).