KR20080073702A - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a plastic fuel tank comprising an outer tank (2) and a splash baffle (3) which is arranged in the interior of said outer tank (2). In said plastic fuel tank, the edge of the splash baffle (3) and an opening (13) of the fuel tank (1) are connected in a form-fitting manner.

Description

Fuel Tank {FUEL TANK}

The present invention relates to a fuel tank for a vehicle, in particular a fuel tank for a passenger car.

The fuel tank is made from two sheet material shells including an upper shell and a lower shell. In addition, additional components, such as a swirl pot, for example separation into a surge pot as well as a labyrinth wall to reduce the flow rate of fuel in the intake region of the fuel pump can be fitted into the lower shell. The upper and lower walls are then welded to each other.

At the same time, the fuel tank consists mainly of plastic material, in particular in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle. Such fuel tanks are generally produced by blow molding or extrusion blow molding. Additional components, such as a swirl pot, may then enter the upper fuel tank region through the opening.

DE 197 23 923 A1 discloses a tank system comprising a swirl pot arranged in a main tank. The contents of the swirl pot form a reserve volume that can be used when the minimum fill level is reached in the main tank, such as reserve fuel.

DE 198 27 944 A1 describes a fuel tank containing the main chamber and remaining reservoir. The fuel tank may be made of plastic material and the remaining volume reservoir is fixed to the base of the fuel tank in a simple manner. In the technical content of DE 198 27 944 A1, the aim is to provide a fuel system that allows the driver to know the exact amount of residual information at the final empty state.

It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved fuel tank.

This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous refinements of the invention are reflected by the features of the dependent claims.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a fuel tank made of plastic material having a swirl pot arranged therein. This fuel tank has an opening, an edge of the opening, and an edge of the swirl pot connected to each other in a material-bonded manner.

The material-uniting connection of the swirl pot and the fuel tank is meant to be carried out in the framework, in particular the two parts being fixed to each other by atomic or molecular forces. But above all, the "material-bonded connection" according to the invention means a connection that can only be separated by breaking.

In this embodiment, the cohesion can be formed by mixing the two parts materially in the transition region, for example using soldered or welded connections. Another embodiment of a material-bonded connection in the prior art is adhesion, which bonds with functional groups of the surfaces of two connection partners and breaks the chemical connections to separate these groups. Should be.

The material bonding shape means that the fuel tank can be prefabricated to a significant extent such that the assembly of the swirl pot is removed from the outer tank. Accordingly, the fuel tank can be manufactured more quickly and economically. The size and shape of the swirl pot can be chosen more freely because the restrictions imposed by the assembly are removed. For example, the size and shape of the swirl pot is no longer limited by the assembly openings introduced into the upper fuel tank region. Thus, it is possible to select large swirl pots, such as swirl pots with large vertical dimensions and / or volumes of liters.

In addition, simplified manufacturing and assembly possibilities for the functional modules provided in the fuel tank are produced by this type of shape. The weight of the fuel tank is not lowered by the selected material, plastic material.

As the swirl pot is separated into the outer and inner fuel tanks or the volume of the fuel tank is separated by the swirl pot, a rough resolution fuel measuring system is provided in the outer region and a high resolution accuracy (in the inner region). A second fuel measurement system with a resolution accuracy is provided. In the case of a swirl pot, the above-mentioned free choice of shape means that the geometry can be selected to more accurately display the fuel contained and to facilitate sensing. The hydraulic decoupling involved in accordance with the above-mentioned division from one internal fuel tank to two external fuel tanks allows for a substantially complete use and display of fuel located in a swirl pot or inner vessel.

The volume of the fuel tank is divided into two and the flexible potable size and shape of the swirl pot allows the operator to display very large residual fuel volumes, for example several liters. The residual fuel volume is formed by the volume of the swirl pot. For example, a vehicle's trip computer can display the amount of fuel that can be used from a relatively long drive distance to substantially 0 km.

Since substantially acceptable fuel volume is used reliably, the initial filling of the fuel tank can be reduced when the vehicle is moved.

In one embodiment, the fuel tank consists of one part, and according to a further embodiment, a fuel tank is provided which can be produced or manufactured in a blow molding or extrusion blow molding process, or the outer tank and the swirl pot are blow-molded. Units must be formed. Within a fuel tank formed in a blow-molded single-part, such fuel tank is manufactured in a simple manner in a single manufacturing process and does not require an assembly step.

Embodiments of the blow molding process include a) extruding a plastic material lake. Extrusion of this plastic material is carried out in the vertical downward direction. And b) moving the insert of the blow molding tool transversely from the outside relative to the extruded plastic material to form a swirl pot. The direction of movement of the insert is formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extrusion direction. The interior of the swirl pot is determined by an insert, for example an insert in the upper shell announcement of the blow molding apparatus. The process includes transversally moving the prefabricated swirl pot from the outside relative to the extruded plastic material as an alternative to step b). The process also includes d) forcing the compressed air into a plastic material lake, whereby the plastic material is pressed against a blow molding tool that forms the outer shape of the fuel tank.

As an alternative to the one-part configuration, according to a further embodiment the swirl pot and the outer tank must be joined in the region of the edge of the opening. Such modifications include joining the swirl pot to an outer tank blow-molded around it. That is, firstly the swirl pot is prefabricated from plastic material, fitted on the mandrel of the blow molded device, and then the rest of the fuel tank is produced by the blow molding process. The blow molding process is therefore performed around a prefabricated swirl pot.

In both embodiments, relatively free selectability is realized for the materials used for the outer tank and the swirl pot. Thus, the swirl pot and the outer tank may be composed of the same or different materials, which may select the material matrix such that the thermal expansion capacity is selected in an optimal state with high mechanical stability. The prefabricated swirl pot may be a device such as fastening means for receiving a functional module of a fuel tank, for example. When the swirl pot is injection molded, for example such devices may already be molded during the manufacturing process.

In a further embodiment, the base of the swirl pot is joined at one or more points to the lower side of the outer tank. Accordingly, the swirl pot has a maximum size in the vertical direction, and a large swirl pot is provided, and the volume of the swirl pot can be used to accurately determine the remaining range of the vehicle. In addition, the fuel tank is reinforced in the region of the swirl pot. This reinforcement in the vertical direction facilitates the adherence to tolerances during manufacture. The fuel tank is thus formed in a more stable structure during operation. In addition, there are less signs of fatigue in the fuel tank and the service life is increased.

In a further embodiment, the fuel tank has a labyrinth wall connected in a material-bonded manner and arranged around the swirl pot. If fuel flows through the opening to the labyrinth system, it is sucked by the pump and transported to the swirl pot even when the vehicle moves along the slope at low fuel levels. The fuel tank is also reinforced by the labyrinth wall, thus making it more mechanically stable.

In further embodiments, the swirl pot has a volume of approximately 2-5 liters. Thus, a relatively large amount of fuel can be used depending on the fuel volume, which can be reliably available and accurately displayed.

The upper side of the swirl pot is formed with an opening of the fuel tank. In a further embodiment, the flange is connected with the fuel tank or opening and the flange is connected by means for conveying liquid fuel to the internal combustion engine. Mechanical fixation of the means to the flange instead of the swirl pot represents a simplified assembly of such means because the interior of the swirl pot is more difficult to access due to geometrical causes. Such fixing, such as additionally suspended functional units, allows for easy removal of the means from the interior of the fuel tank for repair purposes.

The fuel conveying means mentioned in the last paragraph may for example comprise a fuel pump, a fuel filter, an electrical connection for the fuel pump and / or a connection for the fuel recovery pipe and a venturi tube.

In a further embodiment, the flange is connected to the tank sensor. This facilitates assembly and replacement of the tank center during repair and maintenance.

In a further embodiment, the fuel transfer module is provided on the base of the swirl pot. The fuel transfer module is used to transfer fuel from the outer tank to the swirl pot. The fuel transfer module allows the filling level in the swirl pot to be higher than in the external tank. The fuel transfer module may include venturi tubes, lift pipes, valves (eg, mushroom valves), offflow, tank sensors for swirl pots and external tanks, communication pipes, and fuel prefilte.

Further features and advantages of the invention may be disclosed from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are presented in the following non-limiting examples. Use of reference numerals in the drawings should not be understood as limiting the protection scope of the present invention.

1 shows a fuel tank according to a first embodiment of the invention.

2 shows a fuel tank according to a second embodiment of the invention.

3 shows a fuel tank according to a third embodiment of the invention.

4 shows a fuel tank according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

5 shows a fuel tank according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

* Drawing symbol *

1: fuel tank 2: outer tank

3: swirl port 4: axis of symmetry

5: flange 6: base of swirl pot

7: fixing point 8: base

9: bevel 10: platu

11, 12: functional module 13: opening

14: fuel transfer module 15: venturi tube

16: fuel filter 17: labyrinth wall

18: junction point 19: upper side of the outer tank

1 shows a side view of a blow-moulded fuel container 1. The fuel container 1 is divided into two and has an outer tank 2 and a swirl pot 3. The fuel tank 1 has an opening 13. The shape of the swirl pot 3 can be chosen differently from having a high degree of freedom, and in the embodiment of FIG. The swirl pot 3 is sealed at the top by the flange 5 and is terminated.

The outer tank 2 and the swirl pot 3 are made of plastic material and are joined at the sides of the opening 13 of the swirl pot 3 located under the flange 5. The swirl pot 3 is only fuel-connected (not shown) to the outer tank 2 in the base area so that fuel can be transferred from the swirl pot to the internal combustion engine. An overflow valve (not shown) in which excess fuel can flow back to the outer tank 2 is located in the upper region of the swirl pot 3.

The size of the swirl pot 3 depends on the vehicle model or its fuel consumption, such as the size of the fuel tank 1, and may range from single-digit liters, for example about 2 liters to about 5 liters. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the diameter of the swirl pot 3 is approximately 200 mm at a height of 200 mm, so that the volume of the swirl pot is formed to be approximately 6 liters.

As mentioned above, the shape of the swirl pot 3 may be selected to have a high degree of freedom. If a simple shape is chosen, such as a cylindrical symmetrical form, the filling level in the swirl pot 3 indicates very precisely the amount of fuel contained therein. This is more difficult to implement only due to the shape which forms the multiple angles of the outer tank 2.

The swirl pot 3 has a base area relatively smaller than that of the outer tank 2, so that the same amount of fuel in the swirl pot 3 is formed at a relatively high filling height, so that it can be detected more precisely. It can indicate the amount of fuel. It can also be used when the volume of the swirl pot is several liters. As described in detail below, the fuel transfer means can transfer fuel from the outer tank 2 to the swirl pot 3 during the driving operation, during which the total remaining amount of fuel is lowered in the swirl pot 2. It is possible to empty the external fuel tank 2 substantially at the fuel level. This residual amount can be precisely displayed and determined or a trip computer can calculate the residual range of the vehicle for this. For example it evaluates the consumption signal provided by the engine control unit. Since the size of the swirl pot 3 can be selected to have a high degree of freedom, it can be used for a quantity of fuel of several liters, thus informing the driver before and when the fuel is low.

The fuel tank of FIG. 1 consists of a single part and is manufactured by a blow molding process. In the lower region, the base 6 of the swirl pot 2 is joined to the base 8 of the outer tank 2 at one or more fixing points 7. This conjugation is used as a so-called "kiss-point".

The base of the swirl pot 3 may be formed at a level as shown. The base can be tilted in a downward direction to facilitate fuel transfer when the vehicle is in an inclined position. The base is thus formed, for example, in truncated cone-shaped formed at an angle of 20 ° to the horizontal line.

2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the swirl pot 2 has a bevel 9 which contrasts with the first embodiment so that fuel can be transferred to the swirl pot 2 when the vehicle is moving or standing in a slope. Can be.

The fixing point 7 is constructed in a flat manner and used as a flat kiss-point. The plateau 10 is intended to be connected to a functional module including, for example, a Venturi unit. In addition, fuel can be reached from the outer tank 2 to the swirl pot, for example by a mushroom valve, via a fuel-supply opening (not shown) located in this area.

3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. First of all this can be provided in all embodiments, and the functional modules 11, 12 are fixed with flanges 5. The functional module may be a means for transferring the liquid fuel to the internal combustion engine. For example, functional module 12 may be a fuel filter, and functional module 11 may be a fuel pump or tank module. Other functional modules may be secured with flanges 5, for example electrical connections to fuel pumps, connections to fuel recovery pipes, venturi tubes and / or fuel pump driver modules. However, the functional module may be a tank sensor, by which the amount of fuel in the outer tank 2 and optionally in the swirl pot 3 is measured.

In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has a fuel transfer module 14 under the plate 10. In addition, the fuel transfer module 14 spaced apart from the platform 10 may be provided in other embodiments. The fuel transfer module 14 is used to transfer fuel from the outer tank 2 to the swirl pot 3. Venturi tube 15 and fuel filter 16 may be included as fuel transfer module 14. Return valves such as fuel sensors, connections for fuel recovery lines, overflow from swirl pot 3 to external tank 2 and / or mushroom valves (not shown) It may be included as a module 14. The fuel transfer module 14 may be detachably connected to the swirl pot 3, for example by an annular closure, or alternatively welded to the swirl pot.

The outer tank 2 and the swirl pot 3 consist of two parts in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. It is produced by a blow molding process. Firstly, individual swirl pots 3 are produced by injection molding. The fuel tank 1 is then produced by blow molding and the swirl pot 3 is fitted transversely on the blow mold. During the blow molding process, the swirl pot 3 has plastic material blow-molded around it. The outer tank is thus produced by cooling the plastic material at the wall of the blow molding tool. According to this procedure a functional mold prepared during the pre-production of the swirl pot 3 can be accommodated, for example by providing a corresponding retainer. In addition, the swirl pot 3 can be processed, for example, by providing an opening. Such openings can be used for fuel supply openings, for example, for the connection of fuel filling pipes or in the base region for the return line from the upper region of the swirl pot to the outer tank.

4 shows a fuel tank 1 in which a prefabricated swirl pot 3, for example an injection-molded swirl pot, is integrated into the fuel tank 1 by a blow molding process. do. The swirl pot 3 is received by an insert of the blow molding apparatus and is moved transversely with respect to the material extruded downward in the vertical direction. The base 6 of the swirl pot 3 here is in contact with the extruded plastic material lake and a kiss-point 7 is formed.

According to a fifth embodiment of the invention, the fuel tank of FIG. 4 has a system of labyrinth walls 17. The labyrinth wall 17 is connected by a joining point 18 to the upper side 19 of the outer tank and the base 8 of the outer tank 2. This junction is made as a kiss-point.

In addition, in the fifth and other embodiments, a fuel measuring unit 19 such as, for example, a floater is provided. The fuel measuring unit is connected by means of a supply line 20 to an evaluation unit 21, such as an electronic module fitted to the inner edge of the swirl pot 3. This fuel measuring unit 19 measures the fuel in the outer tank 2.

Claims (15)

In a fuel tank 1 made of a plastic material comprising a swirl pot 3 and an opening 13 arranged therein, the edge of the opening is connected to the edge of the swirl pot in a material-uniting manner. A fuel tank, characterized in that connected. 2. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the swirl pot formed by the remaining portion of the fuel tank and the outer tank (2) consist of a single portion. 3. The fuel tank of claim 2, wherein the outer tank and the swirl pot form a blow-molded unit. 2. A fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the swirl pot and the outer tank are joined to each other in the region of the edge of the opening. 5. The fuel tank of claim 4, wherein the swirl pot is joined to an outer tank blow-molded around it. 6. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the base of the swirl pot is joined with a fuel tank, the joining being used as a kiss-point. 7. 7. A fuel tank according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a labyrinth wall connected material-bonded and arranged around the swirl pot. 8. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the swirl pot has a volume of approximately 2 to 5 liters. 9. 9. The fuel according to claim 1, wherein the flange 5 is connected to the opening and the electrical and / or hydraulic means for conveying the liquid fuel to the internal combustion engine is fixed on the flange. Tank. 10. A fuel tank according to claim 9, wherein the fuel transfer means comprises a fuel pump, a fuel filter, an electrical connection for the fuel pump, a connection for the fuel return pipe and / or a venturi tube. 10. The fuel tank of claim 9, wherein the flange is connected to a tank sensor. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein the fuel transfer module is provided on the base of the swirl pot. 9. The fuel transfer module of claim 8, wherein the fuel transfer module comprises a venturi tube, an ascending pipe, a valve, an overflow, a tank sensor for an external tank and a swirl pot, a communicating pipe and a fuel filter. Fuel tank. 2. A fuel tank according to claim 1, which can be manufactured or produced by a blow molding process. The method of claim 14, further comprising: a) extruding the plastic material lake, b) moving the prefabricated swirl pot transversely from the outside relative to the extruded plastic material or transversely from the outside relative to the extruded plastic material. Moving the insert of the blow molding tool and c) forcing the compressed air into a lake of plastic material.

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