Container For Automotive Service Liquids With Local Thermal Insulation Integrated In The Tank Wall

Abstract

An automotive service liquid tank for receiving a service liquid of a motor vehicle, in particular an aqueous urea solution, has a tank wall that encloses a tank volume on the inside of the tank, wherein the tank has locally, by comparison with at least one other tank region, at least one region with enhanced thermal insulation, in order to influence a freezing behavior of the service liquid received in the tank in such a way that the service liquid, when the outside temperature drops, freezes later in the tank region with enhanced thermal insulation than in the at least one other tank region without enhanced thermal insulation. According to the invention it is provided that the enhanced thermal insulation is formed integrally with the tank wall.

Claims

1-10 (canceled)

11. An automotive service liquid tank for receiving a service liquid for a motor vehicle, in particular an aqueous urea solution, the automotive service liquid tank comprising a tank wall that encloses a tank volume on an inside tank space of the tank, the tank having at least one first tank region, compared to at least one other tank region, the at least one first tank region having enhanced thermal insulation in order to influence a freezing behavior of an associated service liquid received in the tank in such a way that, when the outside temperature drops, the associated service liquid freezes in the at least one first tank region with the enhanced thermal insulation later than the associated service liquid freezes in the at least one other tank region without the enhanced thermal insulation, the enhanced thermal insulation being formed integrally with the tank wall.

12. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall has tank wall regions of different thicknesses, wherein the tank wall is thicker in the at least one first tank region with the enhanced thermal insulation than in the at least one other tank region without the enhanced thermal insulation.

13. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall has different thermal conductivity values, wherein the tank wall has, in the at least one first tank region with the locally enhanced thermal insulation, a lower thermal conductivity value than the at least one other tank region without the enhanced thermal insulation.

14. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall has different degrees of foaming, wherein the tank wall in the at least one first tank region with the locally enhanced thermal insulation is foamed to a greater degree than the at least one other tank region without the enhanced thermal insulation.

15. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall is formed with a multi-walled structure of different degrees, wherein the tank wall in the at least one first region with the locally enhanced thermal insulation has a larger number of sub-walls located at a distance from each other in the direction of the tank wall thickness than the at least one other tank region without the enhanced thermal insulation.

16. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall in the at least one first region is formed by a different number of materials than the tank wall in the at least one other tank region.

17. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the enhanced thermal insulation, when viewing the tank in an assembled condition in an associated motor vehicle, is provided in a first tank section having a first tank section cross-sectional area of the inside tank space, the tank further including a second tank section without the enhanced thermal insulation having a second tank section cross-sectional area, the first tank section cross-sectional area being greater orthogonally to a free liquid surface of the associated service liquid filled into the tank than the second tank section cross-sectional area and being parallel thereto.

18. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tank wall has a protrusion which increases the tank volume, and the enhanced thermal insulation is provided in the region of the protrusion.

19. The automotive service liquid tank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the enhanced thermal insulation, when viewing the tank in an assembled condition in the associated motor vehicle, is provided in a geodetically top half of the tank.

20. A motor vehicle having an automotive service liquid tank, in particular with an assembly for a selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxides in the exhaust gas, the component of which is the automotive service liquid tank of claim 11.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view through a first embodiment of an automotive service liquid tank according to the invention,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view through a second embodiment of an automotive service liquid tank according to the invention,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view through a third embodiment of an automotive service liquid tank according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment according to certain aspects of the invention of an automotive service liquid tank that is generally identified with 10. In the example shown, the service liquid tank 10 comprises a top tank shell 12 and a bottom tank shell 14, which are joined together in a manner per se known to form the tank 10 by means of radially outwardly extending flanges 16 and 18 whilst forming a joining surface 20. The flanges 16 and 18 are preferably integrally formed with the top tank shell 12 or the bottom tank shell 14.

[0035] The tank 10 is schematically shown in FIG. 1 in a longitudinal sectional view, namely in a reference condition that corresponds to a condition in which the tank 10 is fully assembled on a vehicle standing on a horizontal ground. The direction of the gravity effect, which in FIG. 1 is parallel to the drawing figure, is identified with g in FIG. 1.

[0036] The tank 10 comprises a tank top 22 that is located opposite a tank bottom 24 in the direction of the gravity effect g. The tank top 22 and the tank bottom 24 are connected to each other via lateral tank walls 26, 28 and 30. A further lateral tank wall is located in front of the figure plane of FIG. 1 and is therefore not shown.

[0037] The tank 10 delimits a reception space 32 which, in the reference condition shown in FIG. 1, is delimited towards the top by the tank top 22, towards the bottom by the tank bottom 24 and towards the sides by the lateral tank walls 26, 28 and 30 as well as by the further lateral tank wall (not shown), which is located in front of the figure plane.

[0038] The tank 10 may be filled with a service liquid B through a filling opening 34, which is preferably located in the tank top 22, up to a filling level F. To this end, service liquid B may flow into the reception space 32 in the filling direction I through the filling opening 34.

[0039] Similarly, service liquid B stored in the reception space 32 may be removed through a removal opening 34 that is preferably formed in the tank bottom 24. In this case, the service liquid B flows out of the tank 10 in the removal direction A through the removal opening 36. To this end, a removal module (not shown in FIG. 1) may be provided in the removal opening 36, which contains functional elements such as a delivery pump, a filling level sensor, a heater and the like. The removal module may then have a tap opening, to which a liquid line may be connected that leads to an injection device, in order to inject liquid, here an aqueous urea solution, removed from the tank 10, for a selective catalytic reduction into an exhaust gas jet of the motor vehicle carrying the tank 10.

[0040] A top tank shell 12 preferably has a local protrusion 38, in which preferably also the filling opening 34 is located. In the region of this protrusion 38, a cross-sectional area Q1 in a first cross-sectional plane E1, which is oriented orthogonal to the surface of the liquid level S of the service liquid B, is greater than the cross-sectional area Q2 in a cross-sectional plane E2 outside of the protrusion 38, which is parallel to the first cross-sectional plane E1. Therefore, the distance a between the liquid level S and the tank top 22 is greater in the region of the protrusion 38 than outside of the protrusion 38.

[0041] The protrusion 38 is used to locally provide a volume reservoir 40 in the reception space 32, into which any freezing surface liquid may expand without placing an excessive mechanical load on the tank walls 26, 28, 30, the tank top 22 or the tank bottom 24.

[0042] In order to ensure that the service liquid B in the region of the protrusion 38 freezes last in the case of consistent external ambient temperatures, the tank 10 or more accurately the top tank shell 12 has, in the region of the protrusion 38, a locally enhanced thermal insulation 42.

[0043] In the embodiment example of FIG. 1, the locally enhanced thermal insulation 42, which is formed integrally in sections with the top tank shell 12 and thus with the tank walls—the tank top 22, the lateral tank walls 26 and 30, is realized by forming the wall thickness of the top tank shell 12 with an enhanced thickness dimension D, whilst the remaining walls of the service liquid tank 10 have a thickness dimension d that is reduced by comparison therewith. The flanges 16 and 18 are not to be regarded as a tank wall that is thicker in sections.

[0044] As a result of the increased thickness, in spite of the fact that otherwise the same material is used for producing the tank wall, an enhanced resistance to the amount of heat penetrating the tank wall is provided, so that the region of the protrusion 38 with the locally enhanced thermal insulation 42 remains warm for longer than the remaining region of the tank 10. Thus, in particular in the particularly critical case in which the service liquid B has been filled into the tank 2 up to its nominal filling level F, the formation of a liquid bubble completely enclosed by already frozen service liquid B may be prevented, which then freezes under further heat output and may thus destroy the tank 10.

[0045] Instead, the locally enhanced thermal insulation 42, which is provided, at least in sections, beyond the nominal filling level F up to the tank bottom 24, ensures that the service liquid B, in the region of the protrusion 38, will freeze last at its liquid surface S. Moreover, in the region of the protrusion 38, the volume reservoir 40 is provided above the section of the service liquid B that freezes last, into which the then freezing service liquid B may expand.

[0046] In this way, a destruction of the tank 10 by expanding freezing service liquid B may be prevented.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a tank according to the invention. Same and functionally identical sections and component sections compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 have been provided with the same reference numerals in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, however increased by the number 100.

[0048] The second embodiment will therefore be explained below only insofar as it differs from the first embodiment, to the description of which reference is expressly made for an explanation of the second embodiment.

[0049] Unlike the first embodiment, in FIG. 2 the locally enhanced thermal insulation 142 is not formed by a greater thickness dimension of the tank wall, but by a different structure of the tank wall in the region of the locally enhanced thermal insulation 142 compared with the remaining region of the tank wall of the tank 110.

[0050] For example, the locally enhanced thermal insulation 142 of the second embodiment example may be formed by a local foaming of the material of the tank wall in the region 142 compared to the tank wall of the remaining tank 110, in which the material of the tank wall is not foamed, i.e. is solid, or may be present with a reduced degree of foaming. Such a result may be achieved by using a two- or multi-component injection molding method. As a result of the gas bubbles present only in the region of locally enhanced thermal insulation 142, or present in this region to an increased extent, in the foamed wall material, the thermal conductivity of the material of the foamed or more strongly foamed material compared to the otherwise used unfoamed or less foamed material is reduced, so that again a thermal insulation effect is achieved.

[0051] The measure of using different material structures according to the second embodiment may be combined with the measure of the first embodiment, namely the use of wall sections of different thicknesses, in order to enhance the local thermal insulation effect even further.

[0052] In addition or as an alternative to different degrees of foaming, the material of the tank wall may be filled, in the region 142 of locally enhanced thermal insulation, with a filling material with a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the matrix material of the wall, whereas the remaining tank 110 is formed from an unfilled material or from a material with a different filling material or with a lower degree of filling. By this means, too, a lower thermal conductivity may be achieved in the region of the locally enhanced thermal insulation 142 compared to the remaining tank 110 without enhanced thermal insulation.

[0053] Further, in addition or as an alternative, an altogether different material or different matrix material in the case of a filled material may be used compared to the region of the remaining tank wall without enhanced thermal insulation. The different material chosen for the region with locally enhanced thermal insulation 142 then has a lower thermal conductivity than that of the remaining tank 110. In case the different materials are not compatible, which is however not preferred, the corresponding tank wall sections may be produced as prefabricated tank components and may be glued together.

[0054] These last-mentioned measures may be combined with the use of different wall thicknesses as known from the first embodiment example.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a tank according to the invention. In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, same and functionally identical sections and component sections compared to the ones shown in the first and second embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2 have been provided with same reference numerals, however increased by the number 100 or 200, respectively.

[0056] The third embodiment will be explained below only insofar as it differs from the first and second embodiments, to the description of which reference is expressly made for an explanation of the third embodiment.

[0057] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a first part 242a of the locally enhanced thermal insulation 242 is realized by a multi-walled, here double-walled embodiment of a section of the tank wall. Here, a second tank wall 244 extends radially within the outer wall of the protrusion 238, which tank wall preferably extends parallel to the outer wall of the protrusion 238 at a constant distance therefrom. In sections, the inner sub-wall 244 of the double-walled tank wall section may project beyond the outer part of this section into the reception volume 232.

[0058] As will clearly be easily understood, as a result of the double-walled design, the diminished thermal conductivity or a decreased heat transfer coefficient will again be achieved in the region of the section 242a of the locally enhanced thermal insulation 242, by comparison with a tank wall section of the tank 210 without enhanced thermal insulation.

[0059] In a second section 242b with the locally enhanced thermal insulation 242, which in the third embodiment example shown is formed in the region of the tank top 222, the thickness of the tank wall is again increased.

[0060] In addition, in this region an insulation element 246 may be received in the section 242b, for example by insert molding or overmolding during an injection molding operation.

[0061] In the example shown above, the additional insulation element 246 may be an annular element that surrounds for example the filling opening 234 in a region of the tank wall that is located closer to the reception volume 232.

[0062] The insulation component 246 may be inserted into the injection mold as a prefabricated component with a low thermal conductivity, for example due to foaming and/or a corresponding material selection, and may then be insert-molded to the remaining tank wall during an injection operation. Thus, a locally enhanced thermal insulation may be realized also by using locally several different materials.

[0063] While considerable emphasis has been placed on the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that other embodiments, and equivalences thereof, can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined to form yet other embodiments of the invention of this application. Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.