Secondary liquid container for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a secondary liquid container (1) for a motor vehicle, in particular a washing liquid container, with a filler pipe (3) and a filling bleed line (4). The filler pipe (3) and the filling bleed line (4) are connected via one common connection cross section to the secondary liquid container (1) at a single filling and bleeding connection (8) of the latter and are preferably produced in one piece.

Claims

1. A liquid container for a motor vehicle, comprising: a secondary liquid container configured to contain a liquid and provide the liquid therein to the motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle, a filler pipe connected to the secondary liquid container and with a filling bleed line running approximately parallel to the filler pipe, the secondary liquid container arranged downstream of the filler pipe such that, when the liquid is provided to the liquid container, the liquid will flow from the filler pipe downstream to the secondary liquid container, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the secondary liquid container via a single filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container, filling and bleeding being provided via one common connection cross section; wherein the filler pipe comprises a connection piece configured to fit cross-sectionally into the filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container and connect with the filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container; wherein the connection piece forms a convergence of the filler pipe and of the filling bleed line to the one common connection cross section; wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the connection piece and routed in the connection piece, wherein the filler bleed line is routed in the connection piece separately from the filler pipe and extends as far as a mouth cross section of the connection piece, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the connection piece on a side remote from the mouth cross section, and the mouth cross section issues into the secondary liquid container; and wherein the secondary liquid container is connectable to at least one downstream operating fluid line of a system of the motor vehicle to provide the liquid from the secondary liquid container downstream to the motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are provided in one piece.

3. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the filling and bleeding connection comprises a leadthrough orifice of round cross section in the secondary liquid container.

4. The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein the connection piece of the filler pipe is releasably plugged into the leadthrough orifice.

5. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are blow-moulded in one piece from thermoplastic.

6. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the connection piece is injection-moulded from thermoplastic.

7. The liquid container according to claim 6, wherein the connection piece is provided with at least one integrally formed seal.

8. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the connection piece has a diametral step from an entry diameter to a connection diameter.

9. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are not routed into a common mouth cross section of the connection piece.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the filling and bleeding connection is provided by an annular collar.

11. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein the connection piece is configured to fit cross-sectionally into a leadthrough orifice in the annular collar.

12. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein the annular collar has a conical annular portion disposed outside the secondary liquid container.

13. The liquid container according to claim 12, wherein the conical annular portion defines a conical portion of a leadthrough orifice extending through the annular collar.

14. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein the annular collar has a cylindrical annular portion disposed inside the secondary liquid container.

15. The liquid container according to claim 14, wherein the cylindrical annular portion defines a cylindrical portion of a leadthrough orifice extending through the annular collar.

16. A liquid container for a motor vehicle, comprising: a secondary liquid container configured to contain a liquid and provide the liquid therein to the motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle, a filler pipe connected to the secondary liquid container and with a filling bleed line running approximately parallel to the filler pipe, the secondary liquid container arranged downstream of the filler pipe such that, when the liquid is provided to the secondary liquid container, the liquid will flow from the filler pipe downstream to the secondary liquid container, at least one fluid line connection spaced apart from the filler pipe and the filling bleed line, the at least one fluid line connection connectable with at least one downstream operating fluid line of a system of the motor vehicle such that, when the liquid is in the secondary liquid container, the liquid is providable to the motor vehicle downstream of the secondary liquid container; wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the secondary liquid container via a single filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container, filling and bleeding being provided via one common connection cross section; wherein the filler pipe comprises a connection piece configured to fit cross-sectionally into the filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container and connect with the filling and bleeding connection of the secondary liquid container; wherein the connection piece forms a convergence of the filler pipe and of the filling bleed line to the one common connection cross section; wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the connection piece and routed in the connection piece, wherein the filler bleed line is routed in the connection piece separately from the filler pipe and extends as far as a mouth cross section of the connection piece, wherein the filler pipe and the filling bleed line are connected to the connection piece on a side remote from the mouth cross section, and the mouth cross section issues into the secondary liquid container.

Description

FIGURES

(1) The invention is explained below by means of two exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a secondary liquid container according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a section along the lines II-II in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view, in the form of a detail, of the part in FIG. 2 identified by the arrow III,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of the connection piece according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the connection piece according to the invention which shows the outflow-side end of the latter, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a part-section through an alternative embodiment of the filler pipe according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Reference is made first to FIG. 1 which shows a first exemplary embodiment of the secondary liquid container 1 according to the invention. The secondary liquid container 1 is designed as a washing liquid container for a motor vehicle 15. In the exemplary embodiment described, it is extrusion blow-moulded in one piece from thermoplastic. Inside the secondary liquid container 1 is arranged a feed pump, not illustrated, for example for washing liquid, which is connected via the lines 2 to a windscreen cleaning system for a motor vehicle 15.

(9) A filler pipe for the secondary liquid container is designated by 3, a filling bleed line 4 being formed in one piece on the said filler pipe. The filler pipe 3 with the integrally formed filling bleed line may have been produced, for example, as what is known as a 3D blow moulding by what is known as low-waste extrusion blow-moulding, for example by suction blow-moulding. An end piece 6 surrounding the filler orifice 5 is placed onto the filler pipe 3 and the filling bleed line 4 on the inflow side/filling side, and a connection piece 7, which is adapted cross-sectionally to a filling and bleeding connection 8 of the secondary liquid container 1, is attached to the filler pipe 3 and the filling bleed line 4 on the outflow side. The filling and bleeding connection 8 is designed as a leadthrough orifice with a circular cross section and with a leadthrough seal 9. The leadthrough seal 9 forms a sleeve-shaped (annular) sealing collar 10 (having a conical annular portion 10a disposed outside the secondary liquid container 1 defining a conical portion 13a of the leadthrough orifice 13 and a cylindrical annular portion 10b disposed inside the secondary liquid container 1 defining a cylindrical portion 13b of the leadthrough orifice 13) which cooperates with a sealing seat 11 of the connection piece 7. Instead of the sealing seat 11, the connection piece 7 may also be provided with a peripheral sealing lip or with an integrally formed peripheral sealing collar.

(10) The connection piece 7 is preferably injection-moulded from thermoplastic and is connected to the filling bleed line 4 and the filler orifice 5 on the side facing away from the secondary liquid container 1, for example is welded to the filling bleed line 4 and the filler pipe 3 in this region.

(11) As will be gathered particularly from FIG. 5, the filling bleed line 4 is continued inside the connection piece 7 into the mouth cross section 12 of the connection piece 7.

(12) The end piece 6, which may likewise be injection-moulded from thermoplastic, is likewise welded to the filling bleed line 4 and the filler pipe 3. The said end piece can be covered by a closing flap, not illustrated, or by a closing plug.

(13) In the variant to the connection piece 7, as illustration in FIG. 6, the filler pipe and the filling bleed line 4 are connected to the connection piece 7 on its side remote from the mouth cross section 12. The connection piece 7 is designed as an adapter from the non-round overall cross section/enveloping curve of the filler pipe 3 and of the filling bleed line 4 to the cross section of the filling and bleeding connection 8, the filler pipe 3 and the filling bleed line 4 not being routed separately from one another into the mouth cross section 12 of the connection piece 7. Instead, the connection piece 7 defines an adaptation of diameter from the filling bleed line 4 to the cross section of the filling and bleeding connection 8. The filling bleed line 4 is arranged in the connection piece 7 in the region of a flow deadzone in the liquid passing through the filler pipe 3, so that the bleed stream escaping during the filling of the secondary liquid container 1 can nevertheless emerge, parallel to the inflowing liquid, out of the filling bleed line 4.

(14) In this case, the connection piece may have been produced in one piece with the filler pipe 3 and also in one piece with the filler pipe 3 and the connection piece 7. It is likewise conceivable that the connection piece 7 has two nipples, to which the filler pipe 3 and the filling bleed line 4 are connected in each case.

(15) As will be gathered particularly from FIG. 1, the filler pipe 3 and the filling bleed line 4 are connected approximately in the upper third of the secondary liquid container 1 in the installation position of the latter, specifically in a region which is arranged slightly below the maximum permissible liquid level inside the secondary liquid container 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(16) 1 Secondary liquid container 2 Lines 3 Filler pipe 4 Filling bleed line 5 Filler orifice 6 End piece 7 Connection piece 8 Filling and bleeding connection 9 Leadthrough seal 10 Sealing collar 11 Sealing seat 12 Mouth cross section