SUCTION DEVICE

Abstract

A suction device may include a suction channel, a first valve, and a second valve. The suction channel may include a first suction portion and a second suction portion disposed opposite one another in a transverse direction. The first valve may be arranged in the first suction portion. The first valve may include a first valve seat and a moveable first valve body. The second valve may be arranged in the second suction portion. The second valve may include a second valve seat and a moveable second valve body. When a transverse acceleration is equal to or greater than a predefined transverse acceleration, one of the first valve and the second valve may close while the other one of the first valve and the second valve remains open. When the transverse acceleration is less than the predefined transverse acceleration, the first valve and the second valve may both be open.

Claims

1. A suction device, comprising: a suction channel including a first suction portion and a second suction portion disposed opposite one another in a transverse direction; a first valve arranged in the first suction portion, the first valve including a first valve seat and a moveable first valve body interacting with the first valve seat; a second valve arranged in the second suction portion, the second valve including a second valve seat and a moveable second valve body interacting with the second valve seat; and wherein the first valve and the second valve are configured such that: when a transverse acceleration is equal to or greater than a predefined transverse acceleration, one of the first valve and the second valve closes while the other one of the first valve and the second valve remains open; and when the transverse acceleration is less than the predefined transverse acceleration, the first valve and the second valve are both open.

2. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first valve body and the second valve body is a sphere.

3. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the first valve is arranged in a bent end portion of the first suction portion.

4. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the second valve is arranged in a bent end portion of the second suction portion.

5. The suction device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of: a first guide cage arranged on the first valve for at least one of guiding the first valve body and pre-filtering a liquid to be suctioned; and a second guide cage arranged on the second valve for at least one of guiding the second valve body and pre-filtering a liquid (14) to be suctioned is arranged.

6. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the suction channel is formed in one piece with the first suction portion and the second suction portion.

7. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the suction device is an oil suction device.

8. A motor vehicle, comprising a suction device according to claim 1.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a liquid reservoir, wherein the first suction portion and the second suction portion project into the liquid reservoir.

10. A suction device, comprising: a suction channel body defining a suction channel, the suction channel body including a first suction portion and a second suction portion disposed opposite one another in a transverse direction; the first suction portion including a first valve, the first valve including a first valve seat and a moveable first valve body configured to interact with the first valve seat to seal a first end of the suction channel; the second suction portion including a second valve, the second valve including a second valve seat and a moveable second valve body configured to interact with the second valve seat to seal a second end of the suction channel; and wherein the first valve and the second valve are configured such that: when a transverse acceleration is equal to or greater than a predefined transverse acceleration, one of the first valve and the second valve closes while the other one of the first valve and the second valve remains open; and when the transverse acceleration is less than the predefined transverse acceleration, the first valve and the second valve are both open.

11. The suction device according to claim 10, wherein the suction channel body further includes an intermediate portion disposed between and connecting the first suction portion and the second suction portion.

12. The suction device according to claim 11, wherein the first suction portion and the second suction portion project transversely from the intermediate portion.

13. The suction device according to claim 10, wherein: the first valve body is a first spherical valve body; the first valve seat is a first spherical segment surface complimentary to the first spherical valve body; the second valve body is a second spherical valve body; and the second valve seat is a second spherical segment surface complimentary to the second spherical valve body.

14. The suction device according to claim 10, wherein: the first suction portion includes a first guide cage having a closed end and an open end; the first valve seat is connected to the open end of the first guide cage; the first valve body is disposed in the first guide cage and is movable within the first guide cage via the transverse acceleration; the second suction portion includes a second guide cage having a closed end and an open end; the second valve seat is connected to the open end of the second guide cage; and the second valve body is disposed in the second guide cage and is movable within the second guide cage via the transverse acceleration.

15. The suction device according to claim 14, wherein: the first guide cage is removably connected to the first suction portion; and the second guide cage is removably connected to the second suction portion.

16. The suction device according to claim 14, further comprising a first-half shell and a second-half shell that are connected to one another to define the suction channel body, the first guide cage, and the second guide cage.

17. The suction device according to claim 16, wherein: the first-half shell is a one-piece component that defines a first half of the suction channel body, a first half of the first guide cage, and a first half of the second guide cage; and the second-half shell is a one-piece component that defines a second half of the suction channel body, a second half of the first guide cage, and a second half of the second guide cage.

18. The suction device according to claim 10, wherein: when the transverse acceleration is in a first direction and is equal to or greater than the predefined transverse acceleration, the second valve closes while the first valve remains open; and when the transverse acceleration is in a second direction opposite the first direction and is equal to or greater than the predefined transverse acceleration, the first valve closes while the second valve remains open.

19. A suction device, comprising: a suction channel body defining a suction channel, the suction channel body including a first suction portion and a second suction portion disposed opposite one another in a transverse direction; the first suction portion including a first valve, the first valve including: a first guide cage having a closed end and an open end; a first valve seat connected to the open end of the first guide cage; and a moveable first valve body disposed in the first guide cage and configured to interact with the first valve seat to seal a first end of the suction channel; the second suction portion including a second valve, the second valve including: a second guide cage having a closed end and an open end; a second valve seat connected to the open end of the second guide cage; and a moveable second valve body disposed in the second guide cage and configured to interact with the second valve seat to seal a second end of the suction channel; wherein the first valve and the second valve are configured such that: when a transverse acceleration is less than a predefined transverse acceleration, the first valve and the second valve are both open; when the transverse acceleration is in a first direction and is equal to or greater than the predefined transverse acceleration, (i) the second valve is closed and (ii) the first valve is open; and when the transverse acceleration is in a second direction opposite the first direction and is equal to or greater than the predefined transverse acceleration, (i) the first valve is closed and (ii) the second valve is open.

20. The suction device according to claim 19, wherein: the first valve body is a first spherical valve body; the first valve seat is a first spherical segment surface complimentary to the first spherical valve body; the second valve body is a second spherical valve body; and the second valve seat is a second spherical segment surface complimentary to the second spherical valve body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] There it shows, in each case schematically,

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a sectional representation through a suction device according to the invention,

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a detail view from FIG. 1 in the region of a first valve,

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a detail view from FIG. 1 in the region of a second valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] According to FIG. 1, a suction device 1 according to the invention, which can be arranged for example for suctioning oil in a motor vehicle 2, comprises a suction channel 3 which comprises a first suction portion 4 and a second suction portion 6 located opposite in the transverse direction 5. By way of the two suction portions 4, 6, the suction device 1, in its state mounted in the motor vehicle 2, projects into a liquid reservoir 7, for example an oil pan.

[0019] In the first suction portion 4, a first valve 8 (see also FIG. 2) with a first valve seat 9 and a moveable first valve body 10 interacting with the former is provided. In the second suction portion 6, a second valve 11 (see also FIG. 3) having a second valve seat 12 and a moveable second valve body 13 interacting with the former is provided. The two valves 8, 11 are now designed in such a manner that from a predefined transverse acceleration a ≥ a.sub.D one of the two valves 8, 11 closes while the other valve 11, 8 remains open. This state is shown according to the FIGS. 1 to 3. Below this predefined transverse acceleration a, i.e. at a < a.sub.D, both valves 8, 11 remain open.

[0020] Viewing FIGS. 1 to 3 it is noticeable that a transverse acceleration a ≥ a.sub.D is present there, wherein the centrifugal forces that occur detach the first valve body 10 from the first valve seat 9 so that the first valve 8 is opened while the second valve body 13 is supported on the associated second valve seat 12 and closes the second valve 11.

[0021] The situation shown according to FIG. 1 occurs for example in a right-hand curve in the case of which the liquid 14, for example the oil, is forced towards the outside due to the transverse acceleration or due to the centrifugal force. A liquid level is thus higher at an outer edge 19 of the liquid reservoir 7 than at an inner edge 20, which can result in that when suctioning the liquid 14 on both sides via both suction portions 4, 6, the second suction portion 6, here the inner suction portion, would suction air, which has to be avoided at all cost. Because of the valves 8, 11 designed according to the invention it can be ensured however that from a predefined transverse acceleration a ≥ a.sub.D merely the outer valve, according to FIG. 1 the first valve 8, is opened, while the second valve 11, here the inner valve, remains closed.

[0022] The first and/or second valve body 10, 13 can be formed as a sphere, as a result of which lower requirements in terms of fits and tolerances are made possible. Here, the first valve 8 is arranged in a bent first end portion 15, while the second valve 11 is arranged in a bent end portion 16 of the second suction portion 6. The bent end portions 15, 16 can be bent downwards in order to make possible a reliable suctioning of liquid 14.

[0023] In addition, a first guide cage 17 (see also FIG. 2) for guiding the first valve body 10 and for pre-filtering the liquid 14 to be suctioned is arranged on the first valve 8. Analogously to this, a second guide cage 18 for guiding the second valve body 13 and if applicable for pre-filtering the liquid 14 to be suctioned can be arranged on the second valve 11.

[0024] The suction channel 3 with the first suction portion 4 and the second suction portion 6 can be formed in one piece, in particular as a plastic injection moulding, wherein an embodiment formed as a half shell in each case is also conceivable, so that the two valve bodies 10, 13 can be inserted prior to joining the two half shells. The suction device 1 can be designed as an oil suction device, wherein obviously further embodiments are also still conceivable.