WO2017115221A1

WO2017115221A1 - Device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2017115221A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/057833
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonardo Liberati
Original assignee: Leonardo Liberati
Priority date: 2015-12-30
Filing date: 2016-12-20
Publication date: 2017-07-06
Also published as: CN106926307A; ITUB20159745A1

Abstract

A device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles, comprising at least one tank (10) for containing the wiper fluid (3), which can be positioned inside an engine compartment of the respective vehicle; a delivery duct (4) in fluidic communication with the tank for conducting the fluid from the tank to at least one fluid delivery nozzle (5); and an inlet duct (6) in fluidic communication with the tank for feeding the fluid into said tank; said inlet duct having at least one condensed water recovery channel (7) for putting said tank in fluidic communication with at least one air conditioning system (8) of the vehicle.

Description

DEVICE FOR CONTAINING WIPER FLUID FOR VEHICLES

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles.

In particular, the present invention relates to a device for containing and collecting wiper fluid used in vehicles for cleaning the windscreen, the rear window, and possibly also the headlight protection glass.

As is known, the wiper fluid is contained in tanks arranged inside the engine compartment of the vehicles, in a dedicated area where the fluid will be protected against overheating caused by the engine.

Such tanks, which may have any shape and size depending on the type of vehicle and on the specific application thereof (off-road or road use), are equipped with an inlet for manual supply of water or detergent/antifreeze fluid, whether pure or diluted with water, and one or more intake pumps for conveying the fluid to respective delivery nozzles via suitable connection ducts.

The inlet is preferably provided with a cap positioned in an easily accessible area, so that water and/or detergent can be simply and quickly poured in or topped up.

Depending on the vehicle type/model, the nozzles may be arranged near the windscreen, the rear window, and possibly also the headlights. The intake pumps are activated by means of suitable controls located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle in order to deliver the fluid onto the respective surfaces that need to be cleaned. Furthermore, still depending on the type of application of the vehicle (off -road or road use) and also on the environmental conditions, the liquid solution is formed by using an appropriate detergent concentration.

Therefore, in conditions wherein the vehicle is more subject to fouling, a higher concentration of detergent fluid in water will be used in order to facilitate the cleaning of the transparent surfaces. Moreover, when the vehicle is used in particularly cold environments, an antifreeze substance is added to the fluid, such substance usually also having detergent properties, for the purpose of preventing the water contained in the tank and in the ducts from freezing. In this case as well, a higher concentration of antifreeze fluid in water is used as the estimated temperature decreases.

Notwithstanding the good capacity of the tank (generally in the range of 2.5 to 4 litres), the level of the fluid must be frequently checked and topped up as necessary to ensure that the glassy surfaces can be cleaned.

Especially in the summer, when many insects hit the windscreen, for example, the latter needs to be cleaned very often, resulting in frequent water and detergent fluid refilling operations. Note that the high summer temperatures can cause the water to evaporate, leading to even more frequent refilling.

It should be noted that the condition of total fluid exhaustion also implies, in addition to the impossibility of cleaning the windscreen with obvious consequences on safety, that visibility will be impaired due to the wipers moving on the windscreen with no water or only a few drops of fluid. In such a situation, considering that the wiper fluid can become exhausted with no preventive warning, it is necessary to check the level of the wiper fluid in the tank very frequently.

This check requires the operator to gain access the engine compartment in order to refill the tanks with water and detergent/antifreeze fluids in appropriate concentrations determined according to the intended use of the vehicle. Such tasks are particularly disadvantageous both in terms of time necessary for frequently checking the fluid level and in terms of practicality, since it is necessary to gain access to the engine compartment and to correctly dilute the water and the detergent and antifreeze fluids.

Another important drawback of the devices known in the art is that the tanks are often refilled with very hard water, which implies the inevitable formation of calcareous deposits in the ducts and in the delivery nozzles, resulting in clogged fluid channels.

In this frame, the technical tasks at the basis of the present invention is to propose a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles which can eliminate or at least reduce the water checking and refilling operations.

More in detail, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device for containing wiper fluid which can recover the water coming from other systems of the vehicle while the latter is in operation. It is another object of the present invention to propose a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles which will recover demineralized water only, which will not be detrimental to the wiper system as a whole.

Finally, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for containing wiper fluid which is structurally simple, economical and usable with all kinds of vehicles. The technical task and the objects mentioned herein are substantially achieved through a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles which comprises the technical features set out in one or more of the appended claims. In particular, the present invention provides a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles, which comprises: at least one tank for containing the wiper fluid, which can be positioned inside an engine compartment of the respective vehicle; a delivery duct in fluidic communication with the tank for conducting the fluid from the tank to at least one fluid delivery nozzle; and an inlet duct in fluidic communication with the tank for feeding the fluid into said tank. The inlet duct has at least one condensed water recovery channel for putting said tank in fluidic communication with at least one air conditioning system of the vehicle.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following non-limiting, explanatory description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of a device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles as shown in the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a device for containing wiper fluid in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; and

- Figure 2 is a schematic view of a device for containing wiper fluid in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to the annexed drawings, 1 designates as a whole a device for containing wiper fluid 3 for vehicles. More in detail, the device 1 finds application in any type of vehicle (such as, for example, cars, buses, vans, trucks, trailer-trucks, semitrailers, trolley line vehicles, agricultural machines, construction machinery, locomotives, railway coaches, etc..) equipped with a system for cleaning at least one transparent surface (windscreen and/or rear window and/or headlights).

Therefore, in the following description the term "vehicle" will be generally used to refer to any type of vehicle suitable to include said device 1 of the present invention. It must however be pointed out that the Applicant has found the present invention to be especially advantageous in cars.

In detail, the device 1 comprises at least one tank 2 for containing detergent/antifreeze fluid and/or water 3, which can preferably be positioned inside an engine compartment of the respective vehicle. The tank 2 may have any shape and size (capacity) according to specific requirements and, most importantly, to the type of vehicle with which the device 1 is to be associated.

According to a first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the tank 2 comprises a first chamber 10 for containing water, and a second chamber 1 1, separate from the first one 10, for containing detergent/antifreeze fluid and/or water 3. Condensed water coming from the air conditioning system is conveyed into the first chamber 10 through a channel 7 and an inlet 6 without requiring human intervention, while the second chamber 11 is intended to contain detergent/antifreeze fluid or simple water or an appropriate mixture of such different fluids, and must be topped up manually by the user as necessary.

As far as the first chamber 10 is concerned, the inlet duct 6 advantageously has at least one condensed water recovery channel 7 for putting the first tank 10 in fluidic communication with at least one air conditioning system 8 of the vehicle (depicted schematically in the drawing).

In other words, the channel 7 allows the water vapour that has condensed in said air conditioning system 8 to flow into the first chamber 10.

For this purpose, the recovery channel 7 has a first end 7a arranged in a radiator of said air conditioning system and a second end 7b arranged in the first chamber 10. In this manner, the condensed water in liquid form is collected in the first end 7a of the channel 7 and is then conducted into the tank 10. A valve 12 allows condensed water to escape in case of excessive supply.

Preferably, the condensed water is fed by gravity into the first end 7a and along the channel 7. Alternatively, a delivery pump (not shown) may be provided along the channel 7 in order to convey the condensed water collected at the first end 7a towards the first chamber 10, should the path be an ascending one. In fact, the presence of the pump will be determined according to the position of the first chamber 10 with respect to the air conditioning system 8, and hence according to the path that the water will have to follow in the channel 7 in order to reach the tank 2. The fluids contained in both chambers 10 and 11 will then flow together, through first and second lines 14a and 14b, into a third line 14c. Such lines constitute a delivery duct 4 for feeding the wiper fluid to respective delivery nozzles 5 (depicted schematically in the drawing). The wiper fluid intake pumps may be of any kind, and are arranged downstream of the third line 14c to convey the fluid towards a respective glassy surface to be cleaned. The number of pumps is determined according to which glassy surfaces need to be reached by the fluids (e.g. rear window, windscreen, headlights). Preferably, a plurality of nozzles 5 (not illustrated in detail because they are not a part of the present invention) are arranged at the windscreen, the rear window and the headlights for delivering the wiper fluids onto the respective transparent surfaces.

The confluence of the lines 14a and 14b into the third line 14c allows mixing the fluids coming from the two separate chambers 10 and 11. The mixing is calibrated by the manufacturer by selecting appropriate diameters for the two lines 14a and 14b. When either chamber becomes empty, the fluid in the tank still containing some water and/or detergent/antifreeze fluid can be used at 100%.

In other words, the third line 14c comprises the first line 14a in communication with the first containment chamber 10 for water intake, and a second line 14b in communication with the second containment chamber 11 for detergent and/or antifreeze fluid intake.

As an alternative, both the first and second lines 14a, 14b may also be equipped with respective suction pumps 15 adapted to take in predefined and adjustable amounts of fluid and deliver them to the third line 14c. The amount of fluid and the required proportions are predetermined as a function of various requirements and of the necessity of obtaining a wiper fluid 3 having a specific concentration of detergent in water. Both chambers have an inlet for manual refilling; the first chamber 10 has an inlet 9 and a cap 9a, while the second tank 11 has an inlet 13 and a cap 13a. The inlet 9 can be used by the user for refilling the first chamber 10, which is anyway mainly intended for containing condensed water coming, as previously described, from the air conditioning system of the vehicle. The inlet 9 and the cap 9a are therefore considered to be optional elements.

Advantageously, as will be further explained below, the possibility of recovering condensed water for feeding the tank 10 allows reducing the check and refill operations as well as the number of interventions in the engine compartment and the stops that may be necessary for this very purpose. According to a second embodiment, shown in Figure 2, the tank 2 comprises a first chamber 16 for containing water and possibly also antifreeze fluid, and a second chamber 17 for containing water and detergent and/or antifreeze fluid. This solution also employs means of communication 18 between the first 16 and the second chamber 17 for feeding the fluid contained in the first chamber 16 into the second chamber 17.

In particular, the means of communication 18 consist of a valve 18a associated with a float 18b arranged in the second chamber 17 for detecting the level of the fluid in the second chamber 17. Advantageously, the valve 18 is switchable between a first closed condition, in which the chambers 16, 17 are not in fluidic communication, and a second open condition, in which the fluid contained in the second chamber 17 is close to exhaustion and the fluid contained in the first chamber 16 is fed into the second chamber 17.

The float 18b can detect when the quantity of fluid in the second chamber gets close to exhaustion (e.g. 10% or even 5% of the capacity of the second chamber 17), in which case it will switch the valve 18a into the second open condition.

The first chamber 16 has the second end 7b of the recovery channel 7, an optional external antifreeze fluid supply channel 19, and a water drainage valve 20 operating in the event of an overflow condition (max. water level).

The external supply channel 19 allows manual refilling of the first chamber 16. This inlet is regarded as optional. In fact, the chamber 16 is mainly intended for containing condensed water coming, as previously described, from the air conditioning system of the vehicle.

The second chamber 17 also includes a water and/or detergent/antifreeze fluid supply channel 9 with a respective cap 9a. Through the supply channel 9, the second chamber can be filled with wiper fluid 3 with appropriate concentrations of detergent fluid and possibly also antifreeze fluid.

A valve 20 is also present inside the second chamber 17 for completely draining the liquid contained in the second chamber 17. This valve allows draining the chamber 17 completely, so that it can then be refilled with predefined concentrations of detergent and/or antifreeze fluid in water as desired by the user (this device is optional as well). For example, when the vehicle is used in particular environmental conditions, the fluid 3 can be completely removed from the chamber 17 by manually operating the valve 20, and the chamber can then be refilled manually with amounts and concentrations more suited to the conditions in which the vehicle will be used.

The second chamber 17 is also provided with an expansion space 21 for containing the wiper fluid should it freeze (increased volume thereof). The expansion space 21 may also be provided in the first embodiment (this detail is not shown in the corresponding Figure 1) to allow the volume of the liquid in the tank 2 to grow in freezing conditions.

Finally, in this embodiment the delivery duct 4 comprises only one communication line 22 connected to the second chamber 17 for taking in the wiper fluid coming from the chamber 17, consisting of predetermined percentages of water and detergent and/or antifreeze fluid. In other words, the communication line 22 takes in the fluid through a suitable pump (not shown) in order to deliver the fluid to at least one nozzle 5.

In this embodiment, the wiper fluid is taken, as aforesaid, from the second chamber 17, which is suitably filled through the duct 9. If the fluid becomes exhausted (or gets close to exhaustion), the valve 18a will be automatically activated to allow automatic refilling with water contained in the first chamber 16. This water will be automatically fed into the first chamber 16 by collecting condensed water coming from the recovery duct 7.

In addition, through the use of a level sensor 23 arranged in the second chamber 17 it is possible to monitor the empty condition of the system for manually refilling the second chamber 17. Likewise, the first chamber 16 of the second embodiment (Figure 2) and the first chamber 10 of the first embodiment (Figure 1) can both be equipped with level sensors for turning on the air conditioning system in order to carry out the refilling operation with condensed water and ensure a predefined minimum water level. The automatic switching on/off of the air conditioning system may be configured by the user via specific settings in the electronic control unit already present in the vehicle for other purposes.

The present invention solves the problems observed in the prior art and offers numerous advantages. In the first place, the condensed water produced by the air conditioning system is recovered in order to avoid, or at least reduce, the number of checks and refilling operations required by the wiper system.

Depending on the percentage of humidity in the air, refilling may be ensured in a short time, thus allowing partial restoration of the fluid level, which may turn out to be very important in many circumstances, especially when there are no service stations around. It has been estimated that refilling can be so effective as to provide ¾ of a litre per hour, of course depending on the percentage of humidity in the air.

Therefore, even in the absence of any wiper fluid, it will still be possible to produce water for immediately rinsing the glassy surfaces of the car.

A further advantage lies in the fact that demineralized water will be available, which will be beneficial for the whole wiper system.

In addition, the system will be prevented from getting completely empty, or at least it will be completely drained less often, thus reducing the risk of a failure of the electric pump, which might be caused by the absence of liquid at the pump's intake.

One should also take into account the environmental impact due to recovery of the water resource.

Claims

1. Device for containing wiper fluid for vehicles, comprising:

at least one tank (2) for containing wiper fluid (3), which can be positioned inside an engine compartment of the respective vehicle;

a delivery duct (4) in fluidic communication with the tank (2) for conducting the fluid from the tank (2) to at least one fluid delivery nozzle (5); and

an inlet duct (6) in fluidic communication with the tank (2) for feeding the fluid into said tank (2);

characterized in that

said inlet duct (6) has at least one condensed water recovery channel (7) for putting said tank (2) in fluidic communication with at least one air conditioning system (8) of the vehicle.

2. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said recovery channel (7) has a first end (7a) arranged in a radiator of said air conditioning system (8) and a second end (7b) arranged in said collection tank (2); said condensed water in liquid form being collected in the first end (7a) of the channel (7) to be conducted into said tank (2).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said inlet duct (6) further comprises at least one channel (9) for external supply of water and/or detergent fluid and/or antifreeze fluid.

4. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said tank (2) comprises a first water containment chamber (10) and a second detergent and/or antifreeze fluid containment chamber (11); said water mixed with said fluid defining said wiper fluid (3).

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said first chamber (10) has the second end (7b) of the recovery channel (7), an external water supply channel (9), and a water drainage valve (12) operating in the event of an overflow condition.

6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said second chamber (11) has a channel (13) for detergent and/or antifreeze fluid supply.

7. Device according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that said delivery duct (4) comprises:

a first line (14a) in communication with the first containment chamber (10) for water intake;

a second line (14b) in communication with the second containment chamber (11) for detergent and/or antifreeze fluid intake; and

a third line (14c) in communication with said first and second lines (14a, 14b) for mixing the water with the detergent fluid; said third line (14c) feeding the wiper fluid to said at least one delivery nozzle (5).

8. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said delivery duct (4) comprises at least one suction pump for mixing predefined amounts of water and fluid in said third line (14c).

9. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said tank (2) comprises: a first chamber (16) for containing water and antifreeze fluid;

a second chamber (17) for containing water and detergent and/or antifreeze fluid;

- means of communication (18) between the first chamber (16) and the second chamber (17) for feeding the fluid contained in the first chamber (16) into the second chamber (17).

10. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said means of communication (18) comprise a valve (18a) switchable between a first closed condition, in which the chambers (16,17) are not in fluidic communication, and a second open condition, in which the fluid contained in the second chamber (17) is close to exhaustion and the fluid contained in the first chamber (16) is fed into said second chamber (17).

11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said first chamber (16) has the second end (7b) of the recovery channel (7), an external antifreeze fluid supply channel (19), and a water drainage valve (20) operating in the event of an overflow condition.

12. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 1 1, characterized in that said second chamber (17) has a water and/or detergent and/or antifreeze fluid supply channel (9) and a valve (20) for completely draining the fluid contained in the second chamber (17).

13. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that said delivery duct (4) comprises a line (22) in communication with the second chamber (17) for taking in the wiper fluid consisting of predetermined percentages of water and detergent and/or antifreeze