MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATING FLUID CONTAINER MADE OF THERMOPLASTIC

Abstract

A motor vehicle operating fluid container is made of thermoplastic. The container is composed of two shells forming a substantially closed hollow body. A first shell forms an upper base of the container, and a second shell forms a lower base of the container. The container includes at least one line which is designed as an integral part of a container wall over at least one sub-length, where the line is designed as a channel which runs in the container wall over said sub-length. The channel has an open trough-shaped profiled cross-section which forms a part of the line cross-section, and the channel is closed by at least one cover which complements the trough-shaped profiled cross-section so as to form a closed cross-section.

Claims

1. An operating fluid container for a motor vehicle, made of thermoplastic material, comprising: two shells that form a substantially closed hollow body, wherein a first shell forms a top of the container and a second shell forms a bottom of the container, at least one line formed as an integral component part of a container wall over at least a partial length, wherein the line is formed as a channel in the container wall, wherein the channel has an open, trough-shaped profile in cross section, and at least one cover that closes the channel, wherein the cover complements the trough-shaped profile.

2. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is welded to the container wall.

3. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel extends in the top of the container.

4. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel extends from a first connection point in the top of the container to a second connection point at an outer edge of the top, and wherein the first connection point is arranged preferably approximately in a centroid of an area of the top.

5. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second connection point is a connection fitting integrally formed on the top.

6. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the line is a ventilation line of the container.

7. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the line extends between a filling ventilation valve and the second connection point.

8. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the container wall has thickened portions, which form an edge-side surround of the channel.

9. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover has an integrally formed valve housing receptacle.

10. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from an electrically conductive thermoplastic material.

11. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is an electrical heating element.

12. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover has integrally formed baffle elements as a droplet separator.

13. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover has at least one integrally formed connection fitting.

14. The operating fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an electrical heating element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The invention will be explained hereinbelow on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an operating fluid container according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a perspective bottom view of a top of the operating fluid container according to the invention;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of section III shown in FIG. 2;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a view of the cover of the channel, wherein the figure shows the visible outer side of the cover,

[0049] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the bottom side of the cover shown in FIG. 4, and

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the operating fluid container without a cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0051] Reference is made firstly to FIG. 1, which shows a plan view of the top 2 of the operating fluid container 1 according to the invention. The operating fluid container 1 according to the exemplary embodiment consists of two shells made of thermoplastic material, specifically an upper shell and a lower shell, of which only the upper shell 3 which forms a top 2 is visible in the drawings. Just like the lower shell (not shown), the upper shell 3 has preferably been produced by injection molding thermoplastic material. The upper shell 3 and the lower shell are welded to one another at the edge so as to form the closed operating fluid container 1.

[0052] The operating fluid container 1 can comprise functional installation parts in the volume enclosed by the operating fluid container 1. These are not discussed in further detail hereinbelow.

[0053] As is visible from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the upper shell 3 of the operating fluid container 1 comprises an integrally formed first connection fitting 4, which forms a filler opening of the operating fluid container 1. The first connection fitting 4 is formed on an enclosure wall 5 of the upper shell 3. A second connection fitting 6, provided in addition to the first connection fitting 4, forms a ventilation connection to a ventilation line 7 of the operating fluid container 1. The ventilation line 7 is provided as a line in the sense of the invention, which is formed as an integral component part of the container wall of the operating fluid container 1.

[0054] As can be gathered in particular from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the ventilation line 7 is formed by a channel 8 running in the container wall of the top 2 and integrally formed with the container wall, wherein the channel 8 has a groove-shaped or U-shaped, outwardly open, trough-shaped cross-sectional profile. The channel 8 is covered to the outside by the cover 9 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, wherein the cover is welded to the container wall of the upper shell 3 from the outside. The cover 9 is formed in a manner so as to follow the curved progression of the channel 8 in the top 2 of the operating fluid container 1 and is provided at one end with a receptacle 10 for a valve housing.

[0055] The cover 9 brings about complete circumferential sealing of the channel 8. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an inner view of the upper shell 3 without the cover 9 closing the channel 8. The channel 8 extends from the second connection fitting 6 to an opening 11, which is provided centrally in the top 2 and is formed as a circular cutout of the container wall of the upper shell 3.

[0056] Reference sign 14 in FIG. 5 denotes baffle elements, which are formed on the cover 9 and which act as a droplet separator, since they form a labyrinth in the channel 8.

[0057] The opening 11 forms the first central connection point in the top 2 of the container, whereas the second connection fitting 6 defines the second connection point on the outer edge of the top 2.

[0058] A valve housing inserted into the receptacle 10 of the cover 9 is introduced into the opening 11 from the outside, to be precise in such a manner that the channel 8 can issue into the valve housing.

[0059] The cover 9 closes the opening 11 and also the channel 8 at the edge, wherein the cover may have been welded onto the container wall of the top 2 or of the upper shell 3.

[0060] The closed configuration of the channel 8 with the cover 9 welded to the upper shell 3 is shown in FIG. 1.

[0061] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the receptacle 10 at the cover 9 defines an operational ventilation path separate from the refueling ventilation path. To this end, a third connection fitting 12 is provided on the cover 9 and has a fir-tree profile onto which a hose line can be positioned.

[0062] A filler tube or a filler hose can be positioned onto the first connection fitting 4, wherein the filler tube or the filler hose can be routed to a filler head (not shown) with a correspondingly formed orifice connector for receiving a refilling nozzle. A ventilation line installed outside the operating fluid container 1 and routed to said filler head can be connected to the second connection fitting 6.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows the top 2 of the operating fluid container 1 without the cover 9. As is shown as an indication in the figure, the channel 8 is encompassed at the edge by a thickened portion 13, which serves as a welding allowance for the purpose of welding on the cover 9.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 1 Operating fluid container 2 Top 3 Upper shell 4 First connection fitting 5 Enclosure wall 6 Second connection fitting 7 Ventilation line 8 Channel 9 Cover 10 Receptacle 11 Opening 12 Third connection fitting 13 Thickened portion 14 Baffle elements