TANK FOR STORAGE AND DELIVERY OF FLUIDS INCLUDING FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS DISPOSED ON THE TANK WALL

Abstract

A tank for motor vehicle includes a tank wall, a fill opening, an outlet opening, a plurality of functional components, and a plurality of attachment formations. The tank wall forms an outermost casing of the tank. The fill opening passes through the tank wall for inlet of operating fluid into the tank. The outlet opening passes through the tank wall for outlet of the operating fluid. The plurality of functional components are designed for pumping and/or for cleaning and/or for detecting a property and/or for changing a property of the operating fluid. The plurality of attachment formations are designed as being integral with the tank wall for positioning of a plurality of functional components on the tank wall. The functional components are disposed on segments of the tank wall, which are arranged at an incline to each other.

Claims

1. Tank for motor vehicle operating fluid for accommodating of a fluid, comprising: a tank wall forming an outermost casing of the tank, the tank wall having an inner side bordering a tank interior, and having an outer side bordering the external environment of the tank, a fill opening passing through the tank wall for inlet of the operating fluid into the tank, an outlet opening passing through the tank wall for outlet of the operating fluid from the tank, a plurality of functional components, wherein the functional components are designed for pumping and/or for cleaning and/or for detecting a property and/or for changing a property of the operating fluid, and a plurality of attachment formations designed as being integral with the tank wall for the positioning of a plurality of functional components on the tank wall, wherein the plurality of functional components of the tank are disposed on segments of the tank wall which are disposed at an incline to each other.

2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the tank wall comprises a top wall, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall, and a side wall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall, wherein the top wall, the bottom wall and the side wall form tank wall segments arranged at an incline to each other.

3. The tank according to claim 1, wherein at the tank wall, preferably at the outer side of the tank wall, as one functional component a pumping device is arranged for pumping of operating fluid, wherein the pumping device features a suction side for the intake of operating fluid and a pressure side for the ejection of operating fluid.

4. The tank according to claim 1, wherein at the tank wall, as one functional component a filter device is arranged for filtering of operating fluid.

5. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the filter device is connected to the pumping device by a first line extending into the interior of the tank for guiding the operating fluid, wherein the first line features an inlet end nearer to the filter device, and an outlet end nearer to the pumping device, wherein the first line with its outlet end is connected to the suction side of the pumping device.

6. The tank according to claim 5, wherein the pumping device is connected to the outlet opening of the tank by means of a second line for guiding operating fluid leading out of the tank, wherein the second line features an inlet end nearer to the pumping device nearer to the outlet opening of the tank, wherein the second line at least at its outlet end leads out of the tank and its inlet end is connected to the pressure side of the pumping device.

7. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening of the tank is not arranged at the geodetically lowest point of the tank wall.

8. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the filter device has a labyrinthine structure.

9. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the tank wall is produced by an injection molding process.

10. The tank according to claim 9, wherein the tank wall is formed from at least two tank shells.

11. The tank according to claim 9, wherein at least one anti-slosh baffle protruding into the tank interior are designed as being integrated with the tank wall.

12. The tank according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of attachment formations designed integrally with the tank wall are produced jointly and simultaneously with the tank wall in an injection molding process.

13. The tank according claim 1, wherein at the tank wall, as a functional component a heating device is arranged as a flexible heating element, which covers the inner side of the bottom wall at least partially, and most preferably covers it essentially entirely.

14. The tank according to claim 13, wherein the filter device and the heating device overlap at the segment of the tank wall supporting them.

15. The tank according to claim 1, wherein an insulating unit is arranged at the outer side of at least one of the tank wall segments.

16. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of functional components is selected from a group which comprises: a pressure sensor to detect the pressure in the tank, a fill-level sensor to detect the fill level of operating fluid located in the tank a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of operating fluid and/or the temperature of the outside environment, a quality sensor to detect the quality of the operating fluid, a heating device for heating of the operating fluid, a pumping device for pumping of the operating fluid, a filter device for filtering of the operating fluid, and a sensor for detecting of cavities in frozen operating fluid located in the interior of the tank.

17. The tank according to claim 1, wherein at the inner side of the tank wall, as one functional component a filter device (38) is arranged for filtering of operating fluid.

18. The tank according to claim 6, wherein the second line also at its inlet end leads out of the tank when there is a pumping device arranged on the outer side of the tank wall.

19. The tank according to claim 7, wherein the inlet end of the first line and/or the filter device is arranged at the geodetically lowest point of the tank wall.

20. The tank according to claim 9, wherein preferably the tank wall has a thickness of 3 mm to 3.5 mm.

21. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the tank wall is formed from exactly two tank shells.

22. The tank according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of functional components is arranged on a single one of the tank shells.

23. The tank according claim 1, wherein at the tank wall, as a functional component a heating device is arranged as a flexible heating element, which covers essentially entirely the inner side of the bottom wall.

24. The tank according to claim 1, wherein an insulating unit is arranged at the outer side of at least one of the tank wall segments at least on the bottom wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0042] The present invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1. shows a rough schematic, cross-sectional view of a motor vehicle tank for operating fluid according to the invention, with functional components arranged on the tank wall.

[0044] In FIG. 1, the motor vehicle tank for operating fluid according to the invention is depicted in a roughly schematic form and is designated by the general reference number 10. The tank 10 is depicted in a longitudinal cross section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] The tank 10 comprises a tank wall 12 with an interior side 14 and an exterior side 16. The tank wall 12 comprises a tank interior space 18 and has a fill opening 20 for filling of operating fluid into the tank 10, and an outlet opening 22 for drainage of operating fluid from the tank 10. The tank wall 12 is formed from a top wall 24, a bottom wall 26 located opposite the top wall 24, and a side wall 28 which connects the top wall 24 with the bottom wall 26. The tank wall segments of the tank wall 12: Top wall 24, bottom wall 26 and side wall 28, form an outer casing of the tank 10. The interior side 14 of the tank wall 12 seals against the tank interior 18 and the outer side 16 of the tank wall seals against the outside environment 30 of the tank 10.

[0046] Furthermore, in the depicted exemplary embodiment, the tank wall 12 produced by an injection molding method features an upper tank shell 12b and a lower tank shell 12a, which are securely joined together when the tank 10 is in the mounted state. The terms upper and lower pertain to the install position of the final mounted tank 10 in a horizontally standing motor vehicle.

[0047] The functional components of the tank 10 on the interior side 14 of the bottom wall 26 are: a fill level sensor 32, a temperature sensor 34, a pressure sensor 44 and a filter device 38. The interior side 14 of the bottom wall 26 is covered essentially entirely by a flexible heating element 40. The flexible heating element 40 and the filter device 38 overlap on their supporting tank wall segment. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment the filter device 38 is attached by screws 42 to the bottom wall, and each of the screws 42 has a self-cutting thread and is screwed into a blind hole formed in the bottom wall 26 and used as attachment formation. The pressure sensor 44 for example, can be used to detect the fill level of the operating fluid in the tank, using a hydrostatic measurement of fill level. The pressure sensor 44 can also be set up to detect a pressure increase in the tank 10 as an indication of a possible plugging of any existing ventilation line, and thus as an indication of a pending loss of functionality.

[0048] As additional functional components of the tank 10, a quality sensor 36 and a pump 46 as pumping device are arranged on the side wall 28. The pumping device 46 is secured to the outer side 16 of the side wall 28 by means of a flange 48 and screws 50. Similar to the screws 42 of the filter device 38, each of the screws 50 has a self-cutting thread which is screwed into a blind hole formed in the side wall 28 and acting as attachment formations. The quality sensor 36 is arranged at the interior side 14 of the side wall 28.

[0049] Each of the functional components: Fill level sensor 32, temperature sensor 34, quality sensor 36, heating element 40, pressure sensor 44 and pumping device 46, is supplied with power via a connector 32, 34, 36, 40, 44 and 46. In addition, contact surfaces are provided on the tank wall 12 as attachment formations for the fill level sensor 32 and for the filter device 38. The heating element 40 is produced jointly and simultaneously with the tank wall 12 in an injection molding process and is attached to the tank wall 12 with clips. The contact surfaces formed with the tank wall 12 for the fill level sensor 32 and the filter device 38, and also the clips for the heating element 40, are not depicted in FIG. 1. From FIG. 1 it is evident that all functional components are arranged in the lower tank shell 12a. The upper tank shell 12b features anti-slosh baffle walls 52 protruding into the interior 18 of the tank; these baffles are produced simultaneously and jointly with the tank shell.

[0050] To insulate the tank 10 against the environment 30, the outer shell 16 of the bottom wall 26 is provided with an insulation element 54. An air gap (not depicted in FIG. 1) can be provided between the outer side 16 of the bottom wall 26 and the insulation element 54.

[0051] The pumping device 46 is connected via a first line 56 leading from the tank 10 to a filter device 38 in a fluid-mechanics method. The first line 56 features an inlet end 56a near the filter unit 38, and an outlet end 56b near the pumping device 46. At its outlet end 56b the first line 56 leads out from the tank 10. The outlet end 56b of the first line 56 is connected to the vacuum side of the pumping device 45.

[0052] Furthermore, the pumping device 46 is connected via a second line 58 to the outlet opening 22 in the tank wall 12 in a fluid-mechanics method. Similar to the first line 56, the second line 58 also leads out of the tank 10 and features an inlet end 58a near the conveyance device 38, and an outlet end 58b near the outlet opening 22. Both the inlet end 58a and also the outlet end 58b of the second line 58 lead out of the tank 10. The inlet end 58a of the second line 58 is connected to the pressure side of the conveyance device 46. A pressure sensor 45 to detect the pressure in the second line 58 is disposed at the outlet end 58b of the second line 58 at the interior side 14 of the tank wall 12.

[0053] Both the first line 56 and also the second line 58 divide the tank interior space 18 into a line volume and a residual tank volume. The first line 56 and the second line 58 comprise connection tubes 57b and 59a and 59b, respectively.

[0054] The flow path of the operating fluid is as follows: Operating fluid filtered in the filter device 38 flows into the inlet end 56a of the first line 56 connected to the filter unit 38, and from there to the outlet end 58b of the first line 56 connected to the suction side of the conveyance device 46. The operating fluid pulled in by the conveyance device 46 is then pumped from the suction side to the pressure side of the conveyance device 46 and flows into the inlet end 58a of the second line 58. The conveyance device 46 pumps the operating fluid to the outlet end 58b of the second line 58 connected to the outlet opening 22, and finally through the outlet opening 22 of the tank 10.

[0055] The invention provides a motor vehicle tank for operating fluid, with functional components arranged thereon, wherein the functional components can be arranged on the tank with considerable design flexibility, in that the functional components are arranged on segments of the tank wall which are disposed at an incline to each other.