Device for storage and delivery of an additive for catalytic denitrification of exhaust gasses on a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for storage and delivery of an additive for catalytic denitrification of exhaust gasses on a motor vehicle. The device comprises a storage container (1) of thermoplastic material, with at least one component selected from a group comprising a delivery pump (7), a heating device, a filter element, a quality sensor and a fill level sensor, wherein the component is arranged inside the storage container (1) above an opening (9) and/or above an outer recess in a container floor (3).

Claims

1. A device to store and deliver an additive for catalytic denitrification of exhaust gasses on a motor vehicle, comprising: a storage container formed of thermoplastic material, the storage container having a container floor, at least one component arranged inside the storage container, the at least one component comprising at least one of a delivery pump, a heating device, a filter element, a quality sensor and a fill level sensor, wherein a housing formed separate from the storage container is disposed within the storage container and is connected fluid-tight to the container floor inside the storage container, wherein the component is assembled with the housing so as to be arranged inside the housing above an opening in the container floor and optionally above an outer recess in the container floor, wherein the housing has a housing opening which overlies the opening in the container floor, wherein the at least one component is removable from the housing from outside the container through the housing opening and the opening in the container floor and insertable into the housing from outside the container through the opening in the container floor and the housing opening, and wherein the at least one component resides within the housing when the housing opening and the opening in the container floor are each open to access of the at least one component.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a metering line, and wherein at least the metering line is guided out through the opening in the container floor.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a metering line, and wherein at least the metering line is guided out of the storage container through a further opening or passage in a container wall.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cavity which is arranged above the opening of the container floor, wherein the at least one component comprises the delivery pump and the delivery pump communicates with the storage container via sealed passages in the cavity.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a metering line, and wherein in the container floor includes at least one groove channel which extends from the opening of the container floor to a peripheral wall and which receives at least the metering line.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the groove channel is formed by at least one rib of the container floor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing is arranged on a plinth formed by the container floor.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one groove channel comprises a plurality of groove channels, and wherein the plurality of groove channels each form a rib in the container floor, of which at least one of the ribs serves to guide and/or receive the metering line from outside the container.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cavity, and the cavity is open to access through the housing opening.

Description

(1) The invention is now explained below with reference to various embodiment examples shown in the drawings.

(2) These show:

(3) FIG. 1 a highly diagrammatic section view through a device for storage and delivery of an additive according to a first variant of the invention, wherein for simplification reasons only part of the storage container is shown;

(4) FIG. 2 a section view corresponding to FIG. 1 through a second variant of the device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 3 a simplified section view of a third variant of the invention;

(6) FIG. 4 a detailed view along arrow IV in FIG. 3, and

(7) FIG. 5 an internal view from above into the open storage container according to the variant in FIG. 3.

(8) Reference is made first to FIG. 1. The device shown in parts there, for storage and delivery of an additive for catalytic denitrification of exhaust gasses, comprises a storage container 1 of thermoplastic material to receive a urea solution or another additive. The storage container 1 is composed of two shells which for example were obtained by injection molding of thermoplastic material, and of which in the figures only the lower shell 2 is shown. This forms a container floor 3 which in the installation position forms the underside of the storage container 1 and, as indicated in the figures, is arranged at approximately the height of the ground clearance line 4 of the motor vehicle.

(9) Within the storage container 1, a delivery module 5 is mounted on the container floor 3 from the inside and comprises a module housing 6 and a delivery pump 7 as a subassembly. The module housing 6, which also preferably comprises thermoplastic material, is welded peripherally from the inside to the container floor 3 of the lower shell 2 of the storage container 1. The weld seam 8 is indicated in the figures.

(10) The storage container 1 in the embodiment examples described has an approximately circular cross section. The invention should however be understood such that the cross section of the storage container 1 is not critical for the invention and can be arbitrary.

(11) The delivery module 5 is arranged inside the storage container 1 above an opening 9 in the container floor 3. The module housing 6 on the side facing the container floor 3 is welded peripherally around the opening 9 so that the opening 9 with the module housing 6 is sealed against the volume of the storage container 1.

(12) Within the module housing 6, the delivery pump 7 is inserted as a subassembly so that this can be inserted exchangeably in the delivery module 5 through the opening 9 of the container floor 3.

(13) For this in the module housing 6 a pump cavity is provided which is open in the direction of the opening 9 and sealed to the collection volume 10 defined by the module housing 6. From the delivery pump 7, an electric line 11 and a metering line 12 are guided out of the storage container 1 through the opening 9.

(14) FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 1, wherein there the same components carry the same reference numerals.

(15) The arrangement in FIG. 2 differs from that in FIG. 1 in that the metering line 12 and the electric line 11 are guided to the outside through a peripheral wall 13 of the storage container 1. For this sealed passages 14 are provided in the peripheral wall 13.

(16) The metering line 12 is furthermore surrounded by a resistance heating element 15.

(17) The resistance heating element 15 can for example be a wire helix in a plastic casing which surrounds the metering line 12.

(18) A further variant of the device for storage of an additive according to the invention is shown as an example in FIG. 3. There the same components carry the same reference numerals.

(19) This variant of the device according to the invention differs from the preceding variants in particular in that the container floor 3 of the storage container 1 has a topography such that a weld fixing plane 16 between the delivery module 5 and container floor 3 inside the storage container 1 is arranged higher than the lowest extraction plane 17. For this the delivery module 5 is welded on a plinth forming the weld fixing plane in the container floor 3, wherein the delivery module 5 can be adapted completely on the underside to the topography of the container floor 3 as shown in FIG. 3.

(20) As in the preceding embodiment example, the delivery pump 7 is formed as a subassembly which can be exchanged through the opening 9.

(21) A delivery pump module provided for this can for example communicate with the collection volume 10 with corresponding plug connections through sealed passages in a pump cavity of the module housing 6.

(22) In the module housing 6 can be integrated one or more filter units which guarantee a filtered supply of additive from the volume of the storage container 1 to the collection volume 10.

(23) In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 3, the metering line 12 with a resistance heating element 15 and an electric line 11 are connected to the delivery pump 7 outside the storage container 1 and laid below the container floor 3 in a groove channel 18 of the container floor 3.

(24) The groove channel 18, as shown in FIG. 4 which indicates a cross section through the groove channel 18, is approximately U-shaped in cross section and embossed as a radially extending rib in the volume of the storage container 1.

(25) The metering line 12 and electric line 11 are laid or clipped in the groove channel 18 from the outside.

(26) As shown in FIG. 5, starting from the plinth-like weld fixing plane 16, in total three groove channels 18 are provided in the container floor 3 which extend in approximately a star pattern from the middle towards the outside. (In FIG. 3 the longitudinal section through the storage container 1 runs precisely through one groove channel 18).

(27) The groove channels 18 can each receive lines, although ideally only a single groove channel 18 serves to receive lines, whereas the other groove channels simultaneously form ribs stabilizing the container floor 3. This serves to stabilize the container floor in particular against any freezing pressure because of the expanding fluid in the storage container 1.

(28) In all variants described above the delivery module 5 comprises a heating device for melting of additive and/or for heating of additive within the collection volume 10. This heating device is not shown. The delivery module 5 can in addition comprise at least one leak sensor/quality sensor for the additive and at least one fill level sensor. Such a quality sensor generally means a sensor which allows detection of incorrect filling of the storage container 1, for example by detecting the density of the fluid contained.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(29) 1 Storage container 2 Lower shell 3 Container floor 4 Ground clearance line 5 Delivery module 6 Module housing 7 Delivery pump 8 Weld seam 9 Opening 10 Collection volume 11 Electrical line 12 Metering line 13 Peripheral wall 14 Passage 15 Resistance heating element 16 Weld fixing plane 17 Lowest extraction plane 18 Groove channel