JP3418326B2 - Tank equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tank device, and more particularly to a tank device capable of reliably detecting the amount of residual liquid in a tank at low cost.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to detect the remaining amount of the cleaning liquid for a window washer stored in a tank mounted on an automobile, a float is conventionally put in the tank.

Since the float is soft, it is necessary to prevent the deformation of the float in the tank in order to surely fulfill the function as the residual liquid amount detecting means. For this reason, conventionally, a float guide for preventing deformation of the float was provided in the tank integrally with the tank by injection molding (Actual No. 4-66533).

However, in the case of injection molding,
Mold costs are higher than in the case of blow molding. Therefore, there has been a problem that the manufacturing cost of the tank and the like is increased and the advantage of using the inexpensive float is lost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a tank device capable of reliably detecting the residual liquid amount in the tank at low cost.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 communicates with the inside through a tank body to be blow-molded and a communication port provided in the upper part of the tank body. A tank having a tubular portion that forms a liquid inlet above the communication port, and a tank that is inserted from the liquid inlet into the tank and moves up and down in the tank main body and the tubular portion according to the transition of the liquid level. A vertically elongated flat float for moving liquid amount detection, a pair of protrusions projecting on the inner peripheral wall so as to narrow the inner diameter of the tubular portion near the communication port, and another inside the tank body. A float guide region which is vertically continuous inside the tank body and is provided to project from a pair of side walls so as to form a float insertion region having a narrower interval than the region below the communication port; and the float, The pair of protrusions The upper end is wider than the interval between the parts and the other part is narrower than the interval between the parts, and the lower end contacts the inner bottom of the tank body when the liquid amount is the lowest, and the upper end is caught by the protruding part in the tubular part. The float guide has a length to be locked, and the float guide is formed by recessing the pair of side walls from the outside to the inside at a position facing the surface of the float arranged so as to be locked to the protrusion. It is characterized by

According to the first aspect of the invention, since there is a float that moves up and down in the tank according to the transition of the liquid level, the amount of liquid in the tank can be easily detected by this float.

Here, the tank has a pair of protrusions for narrowing the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion, the upper end of the float is wider than the distance between the protrusions, and the upper end can be locked to the protrusions. Since the float is placed in the tank in the state,
The lower end of the float is regulated at a fixed position by the upper end being locked to the protrusion. Since the float has such a length that the lower end is hooked and locked by the projecting portion before contacting the inner bottom portion of the tank body when the liquid amount is the minimum, collision between the float and the inner bottom portion of the tank body is prevented. To be prevented.

Further, there is a pair of float guides below the communication port, and since the float guides are formed at positions facing the surface of the float arranged so as to be engageable with the projecting portion, the inside of the tank main body. The deformation of the float is prevented. That is, the flat float is more likely to bend in the surface direction than in the side end direction. Since the float guide is provided in the direction in which the flat float easily bends, the float is prevented from bending in the tank body. Further, since the float guide is continuous in the vertical direction, bending of the float in the surface direction is prevented at any time before and after the vertical movement or during the vertical movement.

Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the bending of the float in the tank main body in the surface direction and the deformation such as the bending due to the collision with the inner bottom portion.

Further, since the projecting portion is formed inside the tubular portion in the vicinity of the communication port where the tank body and the tubular portion communicate with each other, the tubular portion protects the float projecting outside the tank body. Functions as a float cover. Therefore, the deformation of the float outside the tank body is prevented.

As described above, since the deformation of the float in the tank is prevented, it is possible to accurately detect the liquid amount by the float.

Further, since the float guide is formed by denting the pair of side walls of the tank body, the float guide can be easily formed during blow molding of the tank body. Therefore, the tank having the float guide inside can be realized at low cost.

Further, since such a tank and an inexpensive float are combined, the cost of the tank device capable of accurately detecting the liquid amount can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the tank device according to the first aspect, the projecting portion projects in a direction intersecting with a projecting direction of the float guide.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the projecting portion projects in a direction intersecting with the projecting direction of the float guide, the surface of the float is covered with the upper end portion when the projecting portion is locked. It is possible to surely face the float guide.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the tank apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the float is extended from a side end in a portion avoiding the upper end portion, and a longitudinal axis is provided in the float insertion region. It has a rotation regulation part which collides with the side surface of the float guide when rotating around the center and regulates the rotation operation.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the float centering on the longitudinal axis can be prevented because there is a rotation restriction that collides with the float guide and restricts the rotation of the float. Therefore, the upper end of the float does not come off from the pair of protrusions due to the rotation of the float, and does not fall and collide with the inner bottom of the tank body. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the deformation of the float due to the collision.

Further, since the float does not rotate at the time of injecting the liquid, it becomes easy to perform the liquid injecting work. Therefore, an easy-to-use tank device can be obtained.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the tank apparatus according to the third aspect, the float is extended from the side end between the upper end portion and the rotation restricting portion, and the rotation is performed when the liquid amount is maximum. In the state where the restricting portion is located between the pair of float guides, the restricting portion has an ascending restricting portion that is caught on the peripheral portion of the communication port or the lower surface of the protruding portion and restricts the ascending operation.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, since the float has the rising restricting portion in the form of a convex piece which is locked to the peripheral portion or the protruding portion of the communication port in the tank body, the float is at the maximum amount of liquid. It does not fall out of the tank body. Also,
This rising restricting part is between the locking part and the rotation restricting part,
Since the rotation restricting portion is formed at the position where it is locked between the float guides, the float is prevented from being deformed. That is, since the rotation restricting portion is located between the float guides, the function of the rotation restricting portion is ensured even when the liquid amount is maximum. Further, since the rotation restricting portion does not move above the float guide, the rotation restricting portion collides with the upper part of the float guide when the float descends,
It is possible to prevent the situation where the float comes out of the float insertion area.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the tank apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the tubular portion is integrally blow-molded with the tank main body,
The projecting portion is formed by recessing the peripheral wall of the tubular portion so as to project from the outer surface to the inner surface.

According to the invention of claim 5, the entire tank including the tubular portion and the protruding portion is blow-molded,
It is possible to further reduce the cost of the tank. Therefore, a tank device capable of accurately detecting the liquid amount can be realized at a lower cost.

Since the protrusion is formed by recessing the peripheral wall, the protrusion can be easily formed by blow molding.

[0025]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the tank device is a vehicle-mounted washer tank for storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the windshield of a vehicle, and has a tank 10 and a float 30 inserted into the tank 10.

More specifically, the tank 10 includes a tank body 12 for storing a liquid and an upper portion 12 of the tank body 12.
and a tubular portion 22 provided in c, the whole is integrally formed by blow molding. And the tank body 1
2 and the tubular portion 22 communicate with each other through the communication port 18, and the liquid injection port 20 is formed above the communication port 18. Tank 1
The size of 0 is arbitrarily set in consideration of the amount of cleaning liquid to be stored and the mounting space inside the vehicle body.

The tank main body 12 has a pair of float guides 16 which continuously project vertically inside to face each other.
Is provided on the pair of side walls 12a and 12b. The float guide 16 has a shape in which a part of the region other than the upper end portions of the side walls 12a and 12b is continuously depressed vertically, and is formed together with the tank body 12 during blow molding. As shown in FIG. 2, the float guide 14 forms a float insertion region 14 below the communication port 18 with a narrower interval than the other regions in the tank body. Float guide 16
Is determined in consideration of the size of the float insertion region 14 to be formed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

The float insertion area 14 has a liquid inlet 20.
The float 30 inserted into the inside of the tank main body 12 through the communication port 18 is a region located inside the tank main body 12, and its size is determined in consideration of the width and thickness of the float 30 to be used. Then, the float 30 is arbitrarily set within a range in which the float 30 can be moved up and down.

The tubular portion 22 has a cylindrical shape formed so as to rise upward from the peripheral portion of the communication port 18. The tubular portion 22 forms the liquid injection port 20 and also the float 30 protruding from the communication port 18 to the outside of the tank body 12.
It is provided to protect the. Then, the tubular portion 22
In the vicinity of the communication port 18, a pair of projecting portions 26 that project from the inner peripheral wall 24 in a direction intersecting the projecting direction of the float guide 16 and narrow the inner diameter is formed inside.

The protrusion 26 is provided with a float 30 when the amount of the cleaning liquid stored inside the tank body 12 becomes the minimum.
It is provided to lock and to lower the lowering operation. Each of the protrusions 26 has a shape in which the peripheral wall of the tubular portion 22 is recessed from the outside to the inside, and is also formed at the time of blow molding the tubular portion 22. A float 30 can be inserted between the pair of protrusions 26, and a space is formed so as not to interfere with the injection of the cleaning liquid. The size of each projecting portion 26 is formed so that at least such a space can be secured and the float 30 can be reliably hooked.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the projecting direction of the projecting portion 26 and the projecting direction of the float guide 16 are substantially orthogonal to each other. However, the projecting direction and the specific shape of the projecting portion 26 are not limited to this, as long as the upper end can be reliably locked while the surface of the float faces the float guide. For example, the protruding portion 26 may be formed so as to make one round around the inner peripheral wall 24 and narrow the entire inner diameter uniformly.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing this embodiment.

The float 30 is a vertically long float main body 32.
And a rotation restricting part 36 and an ascending restricting part 38 formed on the lower end part 32b of the float body 32, and the whole is in a flat and substantially square shape. Further, the float 30 is integrally formed of the same material as a whole. As the material of the float 30, a material usually used for a float for detecting a liquid amount may be used. Furthermore, the maximum width of the float 30 is
The diameter is set to be narrower than the diameter of the liquid injection port 20 and the long diameter of the communication port 18. Therefore, the float 30 can be easily inserted into the tank 10 from the liquid injection port 20 after the tank 10 is completed.

More specifically, the float body 32 is a vertically long portion in which the upper end 32a is formed wider than the other portions. Here, the width of the upper end portion 32a is wider than the distance between the pair of protruding portions 26, and the width of the other portions is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance between the pair of protruding portions 26 and the float insertion. It is set to be narrower than the interval between the regions 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the length of the portion of the float main body 32 excluding the upper end portion 32a is such that when the upper end portion 32a is locked to the projecting portion 26, the lower end portion 32b is the inner bottom portion 12d of the tank main body 12. It is set so that it does not come in contact with the sliding surface.

4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional views showing the internal structure of this embodiment.

The rotation restricting portions 36 form a pair of rectangular convex pieces and extend from both side ends of the lower end portion 32b of the float body 32. The size of the rotation restricting portion 36 is set to a size that impinges on the side surface of the float guide portion 14 to prevent rotation when the float body 32 rotates about the longitudinal axis according to the arrow shown in FIG. Further, in the present embodiment, the length from one end to the other end of the pair of rotation restricting portions 36 is set shorter than the major diameter of the communication port 18.

The pair of rotation restricting portions 36 may be formed so that their heights are different from each other, or a plurality of pairs may be formed. Further, its shape is not particularly limited as long as it can collide with the float guide 16 during rotation and regulate the rotation.

The rising restricting portion 38 is provided between the upper end portion 32a of the float body 32 and the rotation restricting portion 36 and extends from both side ends of the float body 32 in the form of a pair of rectangular convex pieces. As shown in FIG. 5, the size of each of the rising restricting portions 38 is set so as to project in the minor axis direction of the communication port 18 inside the tank body 12 and to be caught by the peripheral edge portion 19. Further, as shown in the figure, the specific position of the rising restricting portion 38 is a position where the upper end of the float main body 32 does not project outside from the liquid injection port 20 when locked to the peripheral edge portion 19.

In the present embodiment, the rising restricting portion 38 and the rotation restricting portion 36 are formed to have substantially the same size. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lift restricting portion 38 can also function as the rotation restricting portion 36.

The float 30 having such a structure is
It is inserted into the tank main body 12 from the liquid injection port 20 through the communication port 18, and the upper end 32a of the float main body 32 has the protrusion 2
It is placed in the float insertion area 14 with the surface facing the float guide 16 so that it is locked in 6. Here, since the space is not narrowed at all in the area between the communication port 18 and the float insertion area 14, the float 30 is moved when the portion having the rotation restricting portion 36 and the rising restricting portion 38 reaches this area. By rotating, a predetermined arrangement can be easily realized.

Next, the operation of such a tank device will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, when the amount of liquid stored in the tank 10 decreases, as shown in FIG.
Although it descends according to the descent of 0, when the liquid amount becomes the minimum, the upper end portion 32a is locked by the projecting portion 26 of the tank 10 and stops before the lower end contacts the inner bottom portion 12d of the tank body 12. Then, when the cleaning liquid is injected into the inside of the tank 10 from the liquid injection port 20, the float 30 rises as the liquid level 40 rises as shown in FIG. 38 is locked to the peripheral edge portion 19 of the communication port 18 and its upward movement is restricted.

In this way, the float 30 moves up and down according to the transition of the liquid level inside the tank body 12. The amount of the cleaning liquid stored in the tank 10 is detected by utilizing the vertical movement of the float 30.

Since the insertion portion 32 is located in the float insertion area 14 before, during, or after the vertical movement of the float 30, the float 30 inside the tank body 12 is located.
Is prevented from being deformed. In other words, the pair of float guides 16 forming the float insertion region 14 obstruct the bending of the float 30 in the direction of the float guide 16. Further, since the float guide 16 is vertically continuous, before and after or during the vertical movement of the float 30, the bending of the float 30 toward the float guide 16 is reliably prevented. In addition, the upper end portion 32a has the tubular portion 2
Since the float 30 is locked inside the protrusion 2 inside the container 2 and prevents the descending operation of the float 30 before coming into contact with the inner bottom portion 12d of the tank body 12, deformation of the float 30 due to collision with the inner bottom portion 12d is prevented. .

Further, since the tank 10 has the cylindrical portion 22, the float 30 is protected outside the tank body 10 and deformation is prevented.

Since the float body 32 located in the float insertion area 14 has the rotation restricting portion 36,
When the float 30 tries to rotate about the longitudinal axis, the rotation restricting portion 36 collides with the side surface of the float guide 16. This prevents rotation of the float 30 inside the tank 10. Therefore, the upper end portion 32a is disengaged from the protruding portion 26, and the float body 32 is
It is prevented that the lower end portion 32b collides with the inner bottom portion 12d by falling inside. In addition, since the float 30 does not rotate when the cleaning liquid is injected into the tank 10, the liquid injection port 2
It is easy to do injection work from 0 quickly.

Furthermore, since the tank 10 is blow-molded, the tank 10 can be obtained at a lower cost than in the case of injection molding. Here, the float guide 16 has a shape in which the side walls 12a and 12b are recessed from the outside to the inside, and the projecting portion 26 also has a shape in which the peripheral wall of the tubular portion 22 is recessed from the outside to the inside. The protrusion 26 can be easily formed by blow molding.

Furthermore, by using the blow-molded product tank 10 and the inexpensive float 30 in combination, it is possible to realize a tank device capable of accurately detecting the liquid amount at low cost.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the tank device according to the present invention.

In the figure, the tank device is a vehicle-mounted tank device for storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the windshield of a vehicle, and includes a tank 50 and a float 30 inserted into the tank 50.

More specifically, the tank 50 is formed by joining the blow-molded tank main body 52 and the injection-molded tubular portion 62. Then, the tank body 52 and the tubular portion 62 communicate with each other through the communication port 58.

Here, the tank body 52 has a pair of float guides 56 projecting inward from the pair of side walls 52a so as to form a float insertion area 54 below the communication port 58.
And a rising portion 57 that is bent and extended so as to rise upward from the peripheral edge of the communication port 58.

The float guide 56 has the same structure as the float guide 16 in the first embodiment described above. Therefore, detailed description is omitted here.

The rising portion 57 extends substantially vertically upward from the peripheral edge of the communication port 58 in order to facilitate the attachment of the tubular portion 62, and the upper end portion extends approximately 90 ° outward.
It is formed by bending.

The upper and lower ends of the tubular portion 62 are open,
In addition, it has a tubular shape that is slightly tapered from the upper end to the lower end, and has a pair of projecting portions 66, a first connecting portion 67, and a second connecting portion 64.

A pair of protrusions 66 are provided on the inner peripheral wall 64 near the lower end of the tubular portion 62 so as to narrow the inner diameter of the float 62 while leaving a space in which the float 72 can be inserted. The protruding portion 66 is formed at the same time as the injection molding of the tubular portion 62. Further, the protrusion 66 in the present embodiment
Is formed so that the form viewed from the liquid injection port 60 is similar to the form viewed from the tubular portion 22 shown in FIG.

The first connecting portion 67 corresponds to a portion of the lower end of the tubular portion 62 below the protruding portion 66. The first joint portion 62 is formed in a shape and size that can be fitted between the rising portions 57.

The second connecting portion 68 has a brim shape having a size to be caught by the rising portion 57, and is provided so as to project from the outer peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 62 in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal axis. The projecting position is a position where the first connecting portion 67 does not project into the tank main body 52 when locked to the rising portion 57.

In the tubular portion 62 having such a structure, the first connecting portion 67 is fitted between the rising portions 57,
The second connecting portion 68 is fixed to the tank body 52 while being locked to the upper end of the rising portion 57.

The rest of the configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Also in this second embodiment, the tank 5
Collision between the float 30 and the inner bottom portion 52d in 0 and rotation of the float 30 about the longitudinal axis are prevented, and the float 30 can accurately detect the liquid amount. Further, the ease of the liquid injection work is ensured. Further, the tank 50 exhibiting such actions and effects can be realized at a lower cost than in the case where the whole is injection-molded, and the merit of using the inexpensive float 30 can be utilized. Therefore, it is possible to realize a tank device that can accurately detect the liquid amount at a relatively low cost.

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, but can be variously modified within the scope of the invention.

For example, the float guides may be formed so as to be completely continuous from the top to the bottom in the tank body, or one or more pairs may be formed. When the float is formed using a material having elasticity, the maximum width of the float may be set wider than the inner diameters of the liquid injection port and the communication port. Alternatively, the tank may be formed by including the liquid discharge port and other components. Regarding the float, by forming only one pair of convex pieces that also serve as both the rotation restricting portion and the rising restricting portion, or setting the width of the portion of the float body to be inserted into the float inserting area wider than the width of the float inserting area. It is also possible to omit either or both of the rotation restricting part and the rising restricting part.

[0067]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 50 tanks 12,52 Tank body 12a, 12b, 52a Side wall 12c, 52c upper part 12d, 52d inner bottom 14,54 Float insertion area 16,56 float guide 18,58 Communication port 19,59 Perimeter 20, 60 Liquid inlet 22,62 Cylindrical part 24, 64 inner wall 30,70 float 32a upper end 32b lower end 36 Rotation restriction part 38 Rise Control Department 40 liquid level

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-291097 (JP, A) JP-A-9-89636 (JP, A) Actually opened 4-66533 (JP, U) Actually opened 56- 37017 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01F 23/58 G01F 23/76 B60S 1/50 B65D 90/48

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tank body to be blow-molded, and a tubular portion which communicates with the inside through a communication port provided in an upper portion of the tank body and forms a liquid injection port above the communication port.
And a vertically long flat float for liquid amount detection that is inserted into the tank from the liquid injection port and moves up and down in the tank body and in the tubular portion according to the transition of the liquid level, and the communication port. A pair of protrusions protruding from the inner peripheral wall so as to narrow the inner diameter of the tubular portion in the vicinity thereof and a float insertion region having a narrower interval than other regions inside the tank body are formed below the communication port. Thus, the float guide is vertically continuous inside the tank main body and is provided to project from a pair of side walls, and the float has an upper end portion wider than an interval between the pair of projecting portions and another portion. Is narrow, and has a length in which the upper end is hooked and locked by the protrusion in the tubular portion before the lower end contacts the inner bottom of the tank body when the liquid amount is the lowest, and the float guide is , The bump Locked are as the pair of side walls at a position facing the placement surface of the float to be formed by depressing from the outside to the inside part, a tank apparatus according to claim. 2. The tank device according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion projects in a direction intersecting with a projecting direction of the float guide. 3. The tank device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the float is extended from a side end at a portion avoiding the upper end and is rotated about a longitudinal axis in the float insertion region. And a rotation restricting portion that restricts a rotation operation by colliding with a side surface of the float guide. 4. The tank device according to claim 3, wherein the float is extended from the side end between the upper end portion and the rotation restricting portion, and the rotation restricting portion is provided between the upper end portion and the rotation restricting portion when the liquid amount is highest. A tank device comprising: a rising restricting portion that is caught between a peripheral portion of the communication port or a lower surface of the projecting portion and is positioned between the float guides to restrict a rising operation. 5. The tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular portion is blow-molded integrally with the tank body, and the protruding portion is formed of the tubular portion. A tank device, wherein the peripheral wall is formed so as to project from the outer surface to the inner surface.