JPS62175623A - Liquid volume gauge apparatus for fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost with a simplified construction, by changing the resistance value of a resistor corresponding to the turning of two float arm by floating and sinking thereof according to a liquid volume of two chambes of a fuel tank to obtain a correct liquid quantity display. CONSTITUTION:When a fuel tank 10 fills to the full capacity, floats 21 and 22 and float arms 31 and 32 are as shown in the fig. (a). Here, a variable resistor 40 shows a resistance value of a resistor 41 sandwitched between contacts 34 and 45 with the interval da and a display meter 53 does F. Thereafter, before the liquid surface (g) goes up to the same height as the bottom surface 17 of a distribution section 11, the arms 31 and 32 turn downward almost evenly and the meter 53 deflects to E side as the interval of the contacts 34 and 35 expands gradually, because they are symmetrical horizontally with the center of the resistor 41 as reference. Then, when the liquid surface (g) is lower than the bottom surface 17 of the passage section 11, the height of the liquid surface (g) is sometimes different between both chambers 12 and 13 of a tank 10. However, when the size of both the chambers is equal, the arm 31 and 32 are in symmetry and the total liquid volume in the tank 10 is the same, the interval of the contacts 34 and 35 is constant. The resistor 40 gives a fixed resistance value and the meter 53 shows the liquid volume in the tank 10 accurately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a liquid level gauge device that is used in automobiles and the like and displays the level of liquid in a fuel tank whose interior is divided into two chambers.

(Prior Art) As a conventional fuel gauge device used in a fuel tank divided into two chambers, for example, the one shown in FIG. It is being

The device shown in FIG. 4 includes a float 01 and a variable resistor 02.
was provided only in one chamber 04 of the fuel tank 03, and the total amount was derived by measuring the amount of liquid in one chamber 04.

In the figure, 05 is the other chamber, 06 is the communication section, 07 is the tsuyuel pump, and 08 is the tsuyuel pump wiring.

The device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-94819 has a float and a variable resistor provided in each of two chambers of a fuel tank, and the variable resistor is connected to a control unit. In the unit, the liquid volume in both chambers was added together using a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor in each of the two chambers, and the total liquid volume was displayed on a display meter.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional device as described above has the following problems.

The device shown in FIG. 4 is inaccurate because it measures only the amount of liquid in one chamber of the fuel tank to determine the total amount.

Furthermore, the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-94819 requires two variable resistors and resistors, and also requires a control unit, etc. for adding up the liquid volumes in both chambers. The equipment tends to be complicated and expensive.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, in the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the fuel tank is divided into two chambers via a communication part, and
Each chamber is provided with a float that floats on the fuel liquid level and is attached to the tip of a float arm, the base ends of both float arms are rotatably attached to a communicating part, and a single float is attached to the communicating part. A resistor is fixed to the float arm, and the float arm has a contact part that slides in contact with the resistor when it rotates, and is connected to a display part that displays the amount of liquid in the fuel tank. A current-carrying portion is formed, and the resistor is formed such that a resistance value between both contact portions is approximately proportional to the pointer of the display portion and the amount of liquid in the fuel tank.

(Function) The fuel tank liquid level gauge device of the present invention operates as described below.

The two floats rise and fall depending on the amount of liquid in the two chambers of the fuel tank, and both float arms are rotated, respectively. Corresponding to the rotation of both float arms, the distance between the two contact points on the resistor opens or narrows, thereby changing the resistance value, and based on this resistance value, the liquid level in the fuel tank is displayed on the display circuit. be done.

(Example) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be explained.

The fuel tank fluid gauge device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel tank 10, floats 21 and 22, and a float arm 3.
1, 32, a variable resistor 40, and a display circuit 50 are the main components.

The fuel tank IO is provided at the bottom of an automobile (not shown) so as to straddle the propeller shaft 101, and is divided into a first chamber 12 and a second chamber 13 with a communicating portion 11 having a raised bottom in between. Note that the first chamber 12 and the second chamber 13 are formed to have exactly the same size.

Further, an opening 14 is formed in the upper part of the fuel tank 10. This opening 14 includes a support bracket, which will be described later.
The float and the float arm are formed to have a large diameter so that they can be easily inserted into the fuel tank 10.

Note that FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the automobile as seen from the rear. Further, 17 in the figure is the bottom surface of the communication portion 11.

The floats 21 and 22 are made of resin and float on the liquid surface g of the fuel G, and these floats 21 and 22 are supported by the tips of the float arms 31 and 32, respectively, and are connected to the first chamber 12 of the fuel tank 10. It is arranged in the second chamber 13.

The float arms 31 and 32 are attached to a rotation shaft 33 on a support bracket 15 provided in the communication portion 11 of the fuel tank 10.
The above-mentioned flow) 21,
The float arms 31 and 32 are both formed in the same shape, approximately in the shape of a rectangle, and have a contact point near the base end supported by the rotation shaft 33. 34.35 are provided.

The contacts 34 and 35 are respectively provided at the tips of current-carrying parts 38 and 39 that can be energized, and the base ends of the current-carrying parts 38 and 39 are connected to the display circuit 5 by harnesses 36 and 37, respectively.
Connected to 0.

The support bracket 15 is a thin metal plate, and is attached to a lid member 16 that closes the opening 14 in a hanging state.

The variable resistor 40 is composed of the contacts 34 and 35 and a resistor 41 provided on the support bracket 15.

The resistor 41 has a thin plate shape, and has contacts 34.
It is formed in a semicircular shape that matches the locus of No. 35, and is also formed to have a uniform resistance value.

As shown in FIG. 2, the contacts 34 and 35 are connected at one end to the arm side and at the other end to the display meter 53 side.

The display circuit 50 displays the amount of liquid in the fuel tank 10 in accordance with the resistance value of the variable resistor 4o, and includes an in-vehicle battery 51, an accessory switch 52, a display meter (display section) 53, and a variable resistor 40. are connected in series.

The display meter 53 is formed to indicate the current flowing through the display circuit 5o, and when the float arms 31 and 32 are in the position shown by a in FIG.
．． 35 interval is the narrowest interval da and the resistance value of the variable resistor 40 is the minimum), point F at one end to indicate full, and the float arms 31 and 32 are indicated by b in Fig. 1. position (when the resistance of the variable resistor 40 is at its maximum resistance value), the empty state is indicated by pointing to E on the other end side.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be explained.

First, when the fuel tank 10 is full, the float 21.22 and the float arm 31.32 are in the state shown in FIG.
This is the resistance value of the resistor 41 held between the contacts 34 and 35, and the display meter 53 indicates F.

After that, until the liquid level g becomes the same height as the bottom surface 17 of the communication part 11, both the float arms 31 and 32 rotate downward almost equally, and the contacts 34 and 35 also touch the center of the resistor 41. As a reference, the interval (Pn-Qn
) gradually expands, and as a result, the display meter 53
will swing to the E side.

Next, when the liquid level g becomes lower than the bottom surface 17 of the communication portion 11 as shown by the solid line in FIG. .

In this case, the sizes of the first and second chambers 12, 13 are equal, and both the float arms 31, 32 are formed symmetrically, so even if the total amount of liquid in the fuel tank 10 is the same, For example, no matter what the height of the liquid level g in both chambers 12.13 is, the distance between the contacts 34.35 will be constant, the variable resistor 40 will have a constant resistance value, and the display meter 53 will indicate the height of the liquid level g. Accurately indicates the amount of liquid in the fuel tank IO regardless of the condition.

When the fuel tank 10 is empty, the floats 21 and 22 are lowered to the bottom, and the float arm 31.32 is rotated downward to the position already shown in FIG. The total length Po-Qo of the resistor 41 becomes approximately equal to the maximum resistance value of the variable resistor 40. As a result, the 1 display meter 53 displays E.

Next, a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3 will be described. still,
In describing the second embodiment, the same components as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted, and the explanation of the same operations as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

This second embodiment device has float arms 231 and 232.
As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. This is an example in which floats 221 and 222 are placed diagonally across the variable resistor 40.

Therefore, even when the fuel tank 10 is tilted in the front-rear direction, the pointer of the display meter (not shown) is unlikely to swing.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention may be modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. included.

For example, the 1 display circuit is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and the P display circuit shown in FIG. 2 can automatically switch the current flow.

-Pn, and the resistance value between Qo and Qn. The amount of liquid in the second chamber may also be individually measured.

In addition, in the example, two wooden float arms were installed coaxially, but they do not have to be coaxial, and in the example, the shape of the float arm was such that the contact part opened when the float settled. However, the shape may be such that when the float sinks, the distance between the two contacts narrows.

In addition, although the resistor was formed in a semicircular shape in the example, it is not limited to this, and in the example, a resistor that can provide uniform resistance over the entire body was used. When the two chambers are different in size, a capacitor with a different resistance value is used in accordance with the difference in capacity between the two chambers.

In addition, a material with almost no resistance and extremely high conductivity may be used for the central portion of the resistor that is not in contact with the contacts.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, in the fuel tank liquid level gauge device of the present invention, since the resistance value changes according to the liquid level in the two chambers, accurate liquid level indication can be obtained. Since there is only one resistor, the structure is simpler with fewer parts compared to the one using two resistors, and the manufacturing cost is lower due to less wiring effort. The effect is that the variation in overall resistance is reduced and more accurate display can be performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a fuel tank liquid level gauge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the main parts of the device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example device, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional example. 10... Fuel tank 11... Communication part 12... First chamber 13... Second chamber 21.22, 221, 222... Float 31.32
, 231, 232... float arm 34, 35...
...Contact (contact part) 38.39...Electrifying part 41...Resistor 53...Display meter (display part) Patent application Nissan Shatai Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) The fuel tank is divided into two chambers via a communication portion, and each of the two chambers is provided with a float floating on the fuel liquid level and attached to the tip of a float arm, The base ends of both float arms are rotatably connected to the communication portion, one resistor is fixed to the communication portion, and the float arm is in contact with the resistor when rotating. A current-carrying part is formed, the current-carrying part having a contact part that slides on the surface of the fuel tank, and connected to a display part that displays the amount of liquid in the fuel tank, and the resistor has a resistance value between both contact parts that corresponds to the pointer of the display part. A liquid level gauge device for a fuel tank, characterized in that the liquid level gauge device is formed so as to be approximately proportional to the amount of liquid in the fuel tank.