JPH0445974Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] A. Purpose of the invention (1) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a reservoir attached to a master cylinder for supplying pressure oil to the brake equipment of vehicles such as automobiles, and in particular, The present invention relates to a master cylinder reservoir equipped with an oil level sensor that detects when the oil level of hydraulic oil has fallen below a specified level.

(2) Prior Art Such a master cylinder reservoir is already known as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-24617.

As shown in FIG. 5, the reservoir 01 disclosed in this publication has a filter 0 inside the main body 02.
3, and an oil level sensor 05, which is integrally fixed to a cap 04, is disposed inside the filter 03. The oil level sensor 05 consists of a reed switch 07 housed in a cylindrical body 06, a float 09 that fits into the cylindrical body 06 so as to be movable up and down and has a magnet 08, and a lead wire 010 connected to the reed switch 07. . Therefore, the reservoir 01 is configured such that the oil level sensor 05 can detect that the oil level of the hydraulic oil has fallen below a specified level.

However, in such a reservoir 01,
When the cap 04 is removed to inject hydraulic oil into the main body 02, the cylindrical body 06 and the lead wire 0
10 will also be removed together with cap 04. For this reason, the reed switch 07 may be damaged due to the cylindrical body 06 hitting other members, or the lead wire 01 may be damaged.
There is a risk that 0 may be disconnected.

Therefore, a reservoir that solves this problem by providing a reed switch on the reservoir body is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 141826/1983.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in this reservoir 011, the reed switch 01
A cylindrical body 013 containing 2 is provided in the main body 014. Then, a guide tube 0 is attached to this cylindrical body 013.
15 is formed, and a float 017 having a magnet 016 is housed in this guide tube 015 and guided in vertical movement.

According to such a reservoir 011, when the cap 018 is removed, the reed switch 012
Since the parts are not removed together, the above-mentioned problem does not occur.

(3) Problems to be solved by the invention By the way, in this reservoir 011, when the cap 018 is removed, the float 017
is not removed together with the main body 0
Stay on the 14th side. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, the float 017 is equipped with a stopper pawl 019, and when the float 017 floats a predetermined amount in the hydraulic oil, this pawl 019 touches the abutting portion of the guide tube 015. Due to the contact, further floating is restricted and the oil is kept submerged in the oil. This prevents the float 017 from vertically vibrating due to ripples in the surface of the hydraulic oil when the vehicle is running.

However, in this configuration, in order to inspect the float 017, the float 01
7 cannot be removed easily even if one attempts to do so. Therefore, there is a problem that inspection work for the float 017 becomes troublesome.

The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to prevent electrical circuits such as reed switches and lead wires from being damaged when the cap is removed, and to facilitate float inspection work. The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a reservoir for a master cylinder that can be used in a master cylinder.

B. Structure of the device (1) Means for solving the problem In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a reservoir body that is integrally equipped with a switch tube protruding into the interior that stores hydraulic oil, and a reservoir body that is attached to the upper end of the reservoir body. A cap removably attached to the fuel filler port, an electric circuit including a reed switch housed in the switch cylinder, and a cap that is housed in the reservoir body through the fuel filler port and is detachably latched to the reservoir body. a filter, a float housed in the filter and capable of actuating the reed switch when it approaches the reed switch; A first feature is that the filter is provided with a stopper means provided on the filter so as to be immersed and held in the hydraulic oil against buoyancy at a height position where the filter is not operated.

Further, in addition to the first feature, the present invention has a second feature that the filter is formed with a columnar protruding guide portion, and the float is fitted into the protruding guide portion so as to be movable up and down. do.

Furthermore, in addition to the first feature, the present invention has a third feature that a guide tube is formed in the filter, and the float is fitted into the guide tube.

Furthermore, in addition to the first, second, or third feature, the present invention has a fourth feature that the filter is locked to a hydraulic pressure feeding jig abutting portion formed on the reservoir main body. do.

Furthermore, in addition to the first, second, or third feature, the present invention has a fifth feature that the filter is locked to the switch barrel.

(2) Effect According to the first feature of the present invention, the reed switch is installed in the reservoir body, so even if the cap is removed for replenishment of hydraulic oil, the reed switch and electrical circuits such as lead wires remain intact. remains in the reservoir body. Therefore, the reed switch will not be damaged by hitting other members, and the electric circuit will not be disconnected.

In addition, the float is housed in the filter, and when sufficient hydraulic oil is stored in the reservoir body, the float is moved into the hydraulic oil by the stopper means at a height that does not activate the reed switch, against buoyancy. Since the float is kept immersed, it will not vibrate up and down due to ripples in the oil surface while the vehicle is running. Moreover, since the filter is locked to the reservoir main body, the filter will not swing due to ripples in the oil surface and will be reliably held at its normal position. Therefore, the float accurately operates the reed switch when the hydraulic oil drops below a specified level.

Furthermore, in order to inspect the float, if the cap is removed and then the filter is removed, the float will be separated from the reservoir body along with the filter. Therefore, since the float can be removed from the removed filter, the work of removing the float is not troublesome. As a result, float inspection work becomes extremely easy.

According to the second feature, the float can be moved up and down smoothly by the guiding action of the protruding guide portion.

Furthermore, according to the third feature, the vertical movement of the float is performed smoothly by the guiding action of the guide tube, and the shape of the float is relatively simple.

Furthermore, according to the fourth and fifth features, since the filter is supported by the hydraulic pressure feeding jig abutting portion or the switch cylinder, there is no need to provide a member to support the filter in the reservoir body. Therefore, the shape of the reservoir body can be made simpler.

(3) Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a master cylinder reservoir according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG.

1 and 2, a tandem-type master cylinder M for automobile brakes has a cylinder body 1, and a cylinder hole 2 in the cylinder body 1 has a pair of front pistons ₃₁ slidably fitted therein.
A front hydraulic chamber 4 ₁ and a rear hydraulic chamber 4 ₂ which are independent from each other are defined by the rear piston 3 ₂ , and these hydraulic chambers are respectively connected to two brake hydraulic circuits in the automobile. Front and rear pistons 3 ₁ ,
3 ₂ is biased to the retreat position by return springs 5 ₁ and 5 ₂ , respectively, and the rear piston 3 ₂ has its rear end connected to an output rod of a negative pressure booster (not shown).

A reservoir R is provided on the upper side of the cylinder body 1 to store hydraulic oil therein. This reservoir R is connected to a cylindrical auxiliary oil reservoir 6 integrally protruding from the upper side of the cylinder body 1 adjacent to the front hydraulic chamber ₄₁ , and a lower end thereof is fitted and connected to the outer periphery of this auxiliary oil reservoir 6. A main oil reservoir 7, which is a reservoir body made of synthetic resin, is provided, and a single cap 8 is disposed at the oil supply port at the upper end of the main oil reservoir 7. A diaphragm 9 is interposed between the upper end of the main oil reservoir 7 and the cap 8 to isolate the interior of the cap 8 from the interior of the main oil reservoir 7. The inside of the cap 8 is communicated with the atmosphere through an air vent (not shown), and a diaphragm 9 can be expanded and contracted up and down to allow the oil level in the main oil reservoir 7 to rise and fall. This prevents the atmosphere from coming into contact with the hydraulic oil in the main oil reservoir 7, thereby preventing moisture from entering the oil.

The inside of the auxiliary oil reservoir 6 is partitioned into a front oil reservoir chamber 6 ₁ and a rear oil reservoir chamber 6 ₂ by a partition wall 10 that is integrated with the cylinder body 1, and both the volume oil reservoir chambers 6 ₁ and 6 ₂ are It communicates with the main oil reservoir 7. The front oil reservoir chamber 6 ₁ is the front piston 3 ₁
The relief port 11 ₁ and the supply port 12 ₁ of the front hydraulic chamber 4 1 are located directly above the front hydraulic chamber 4 ₁ on its bottom wall.
is drilled. On the other hand, the thick side wall 1a of the cylinder body 1 continues behind the auxiliary oil reservoir 6, and the side wall 1a
An oil passage 13 is bored in the rear oil reservoir chamber 6 ₂ to communicate with the relief port 11 ₂ and supply port 12 ₂ of the rear hydraulic chamber 4 ₂ .

A switch cylinder 14 is integrally formed on the lower inner wall of the main oil reservoir 7 so as to project into the main oil reservoir 7 in a horizontal position. A reed switch 15 is housed within the switch tube 14, and the reed switch 15 is connected to an alarm 17 and a power source 18 installed in the automobile via a lead wire 16 drawn out of the switch tube 14. Ru. The reed switch 15, lead wire 16, alarm 17, and power source 18 constitute the electric circuit of the present invention.

Further, on the upper inner wall of the main oil reservoir 7, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 19, 19, . . . extending in the vertical direction are protruded at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction.

A filter 20 is housed in the main oil reservoir 7.
The filter 20 has a flange portion 21 at its upper end, and as shown in FIG. 2, the flange portion 21 is formed with a filter positioning notch 22 that engages with the rib 19. The filter 20 is housed in a predetermined position by the engagement between the rib 19 and the notch 22, and its rotation is prevented.
Further, an elastic locking pawl 23 is provided at the lower end of the filter 20, and this locking pawl 23 is attached to a hydraulic pressure feeding jig abutting portion 24 formed in the main oil reservoir 7.
is elastically locked. This allows filter 2
0 is supported by the main oil reservoir 7 so that it cannot float against the buoyancy of the float 27.

Furthermore, a float storage chamber 25 is formed at the lower end of the filter 20 . This float storage room 2
A column-shaped protruding guide portion 26 is formed on 5, and a hole 28 provided at the center of the float 27 fits into this protruding guide portion 26. Therefore, the float 27 is guided by the protruding guide portion 26 and moves up and down smoothly. A stopper 29 is provided at the upper end of the protruding guide portion 26, and when the flange portion 30 at the center of the float 27 engages with this stopper 29,
Further upward movement of the float 27 is prevented. That is, the stopper 29 constitutes the stopper means of the present invention. A magnet 31 is embedded in the lower end of the float 27 . This magnet 31 closes the reed switch 15 when the float 27 descends to its lower limit where it contacts the upper surface of the switch cylinder 14.

A relatively large opening 32 is bored in the side wall 20a forming the float storage chamber 25 of the filter 20, and a mesh member 33 is stretched over the opening 32, thereby preventing oil from flowing down to the auxiliary oil reservoir 6. Filter the hydraulic fluid. Further, the lower part of the space between the side wall 20a and the float 27 serves as a dirt reservoir 34.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. When the brake hydraulic circuit is normal and a specified amount of hydraulic oil is stored in the main oil reservoir 7, the float 27 is held immersed in the hydraulic oil at the raised position where it contacts the stopper 29. Therefore, at this time, the float 27 does not vibrate up and down even if the oil level of the hydraulic oil is rippled due to running of the vehicle or the like. Also reed switch 1
5 is opened and the alarm 17 is not activated.

When a negative pressure booster (not shown) is activated to move the front and rear pistons 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ forward (leftward in FIG. 1), these pistons 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ close the relief ports 10 ₁ , 10 _{2 .} front, rear hydraulic chamber 4
Hydraulic pressure is generated at ₁ and 4 ₂ , and these oil pressures are transmitted to the corresponding brake hydraulic circuits to operate each wheel brake.

If the front and rear pistons ₃₁ and ₃₂ are moved backward by the elastic force of the return springs ₅₁ and ₅₂ , the pressure in the front and rear hydraulic chambers ₄₁ and ₄₂ will be reduced, and the operation of each wheel brake will be released. can do. In this case, hydraulic oil is supplied to the front and rear hydraulic chambers 4 ₁ and 4 ₂ from the front and rear oil reservoir chambers 6 ₁ and 6 ₂ through the supply ports 12 ₁ and 12 ₂ as usual, When the relief ports 11 ₁ and 11 ₂ are opened, these excess supplies are returned to the front and rear oil sump chambers 6 ₁ and 6 ₂ through them.

Next, the brake hydraulic circuit of the rear hydraulic chamber ₄₂ system was damaged, and the hydraulic oil in the main oil sump 7 and the rear oil sump chamber ₆₂ leaked from the damaged part, and the hydraulic oil only entered the front oil sump chamber ₆₁ . Assume that there is a storage of

Even in such a case, if both pistons 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ are moved forward, hydraulic pressure will be generated in the front hydraulic chamber 4 ₁ .
Hydraulic pressure can be transmitted to the normal brake hydraulic circuit.

In this case, the float 27 descends following the drop in the oil level of the hydraulic oil. At this time, the float 27 is guided by the protruding guide portion 26, so that it smoothly descends to the lower limit. Then,
The magnet 31 of the float 27 closes the reed switch 15 by its magnetic force, and the alarm 17 is activated to notify that the brake hydraulic circuit is damaged. At this time, since the filter 20 is locked to the hydraulic pressure feed jig abutment part 24 of the reservoir body, it is accurately held at the normal position without swinging due to ripples in the hydraulic oil surface. be done. Therefore, float 2
7 operates the reed switch 15 accurately.

Similarly, the brake hydraulic circuit of the front hydraulic chamber 4 ₁ system was damaged, and the hydraulic oil in the main oil sump 7 and the front oil sump chamber 6 ₁ leaked from the damaged area, causing the rear oil sump chamber 6 ₂ to leak.
Even if hydraulic oil is stored only in the brake cylinder, if both pistons 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ are moved forward, hydraulic pressure will be generated in the rear hydraulic chamber 4 ₂ and transmitted to the normal brake hydraulic circuit. be able to.

In this case, as the float 27 descends, the reed switch 15 closes and the alarm 17 is activated.

By the way, when the cap 8 is removed for work such as replenishing hydraulic oil, only the cap 8 and diaphragm 9 are removed, and the lead wire 16 and switch tube 14 remain in the main oil reservoir 7. Therefore, even if the cap 8 is removed, the lead wires 16 and the switch tube 14 will not be damaged. In addition, when inspecting the float 27, remove the cap 8 and then
Remove 0. In that case, since the filter 20 is elastically locked to the hydraulic pressure feed jig abutting portion 24, the filter 20 can be easily removed by pulling it up. Therefore, since it is only necessary to remove the float 27 from the filter 20 that has been removed from the main oil reservoir 7, the float 27 can be easily inspected.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the master cylinder reservoir according to the present invention.

Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements as those of the above-described embodiment, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the protruding guide portion 2 of the previous embodiment is
6 is replaced with a guide tube 26'. Therefore, in this case, the hole 28 of the float 27, which was necessary in the above-described embodiment, is not required, so the shape of the float 27 becomes simple. Further, a stopper 29' replacing the stopper 29 of the previously described embodiment is provided on the guide tube 26', and a flange-like protrusion 30' is provided at the lower end of the outer periphery of the float 27.
When this flange-like protrusion 30' comes into contact with the stopper 29', the float 27 is prevented from floating any further.

Since the operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the previous embodiment, the explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment of the master cylinder reservoir according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to a cross section of a line.

Similarly, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements as those of the previous embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the filter 20 is engaged with and supported by a switch cylinder 14 provided in the main oil reservoir 7. That is, a recess 35 in which the switch cylinder 14 can be accommodated is formed at the lower end of the filter 20, and this recess 3
5. A retaining protrusion 36 is formed at the opening end. Then, the filter 20 is supported by the switch tube 14 by housing the switch tube 14 in the recess 35 and engaging the retaining protrusion 36 with the switch tube 14. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the filter 20 can be attached to a reservoir that is not provided with the hydraulic pressure feed jig abutting portion 24.
Further, since there is no need to provide a member for attaching the filter 20 to the main oil reservoir 7, the shape of the main oil reservoir 7 becomes simpler.

In this embodiment as well, the operation is almost the same as that of the previously described embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

C. Effects of the invention As described above, according to the first feature of the invention, the reed switch is provided on the reservoir body side, so even if the cap is removed for replenishment of hydraulic oil, etc., the electric circuit such as the reed switch can be removed. remains on the reservoir body side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reed switch from colliding with other members and being damaged, or from breaking the electric circuit.

Further, since the float is housed in the filter and the filter is detachably locked to the reservoir body, the filter can be reliably held in the correct position. Therefore, the float can accurately operate the reed switch when the hydraulic oil drops below the specified level. Moreover, when the filter is removed after removing the cap to inspect the float, the float also separates from the reservoir body along with the filter. Therefore, since it is sufficient to remove the float from the removed filter, the work of removing the float does not become troublesome. As a result, float inspection work becomes extremely easy.

Further, according to the second feature of the present invention, the vertical movement of the float is smoothly performed by the protruding guide portion, and the reed switch can be operated accurately when the oil amount decreases.

Furthermore, according to the third feature of the present invention, the vertical movement of the float is performed smoothly by the guide cylinder, and there is no need to provide a guide hole in the float, so the shape of the float is simplified.

Furthermore, according to the fourth and fifth features of the present invention, since the filter is supported by the hydraulic pressure feeding jig abutment part or the switch cylinder, there is no need to provide a member to support the filter in the reservoir body. The shape of the reservoir body can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of the master cylinder reservoir according to the present invention together with the master cylinder, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the master cylinder reservoir according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 1 shown in FIG. side view,
FIG. 6 is another conventional vertical sectional view, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 6. M...Master cylinder, R...Reservoir, 7...
...Main oil reservoir as reservoir body, 8...Cap, 14...Switch tube, 15...Reed switch, 16...Lead wire, 17...Alarm, 18...
...power supply, 20...filter, 24...operating hydraulic feed jig abutting section, 26...protruding guide section, 26'...
...Guide tube, 27...Float, 29...Stopper as stopper means, 29'...Stopper as stopper means, 31...Magnet.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A reservoir body that is integrally equipped with a switch tube that protrudes into the interior for storing hydraulic oil, a cap that is removably attached to the oil filler port at the upper end of the reservoir body, and the switch tube. an electric circuit including a reed switch housed in the reservoir body; a filter housed in the reservoir body through the fuel filler port and detachably latched to the reservoir body;
A float is housed in the filter and can be activated when approaching the reed switch, and when a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is stored in the reservoir body, the float is placed at a height that does not activate the reed switch. and stopper means provided on the filter to hold the reservoir immersed in the hydraulic oil against buoyancy. (2) The reservoir for a master cylinder according to item (1), wherein a columnar protruding guide portion is formed on the filter, and the float is fitted into the protruding guide portion so as to be vertically movable. (3) The reservoir for a master cylinder according to item (1), wherein a guide cylinder is formed in the filter, and the float is fitted into the guide cylinder. (4) Item (1), item (2), or item (3), wherein the filter is locked to an abutting portion of an operating hydraulic feed jig formed on the reservoir main body. Reservoir for master cylinder. (5) Item (1), item (2), or item (2), wherein the filter is locked to the switch cylinder.
Reservoir for the master cylinder described in (3).