Anti-freezing system and method for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank and storage medium thereof

Abstract

The anti-freezing system is characterized in that a liquid storage tank used for storing windshield washer fluid is arranged on an automobile, a water pump is arranged in the liquid storage tank, a water outlet of the water pump is connected with a windshield washer fluid pipe and an indirect pipe through a three-way valve, and the other end of the indirect pipe is connected with a temporary storage bag; the bottom of the temporary storage bag is connected to a water inlet in the top of the liquid storage tank through a liquid discharging pipe, and an electromagnetic valve is arranged on the liquid discharging pipe. The device has the advantages that the windshield washer fluid can be automatically discharged to the temporary storage device in the low-temperature environment by monitoring the environment, waste of the windshield washer fluid can be avoided, freezing damage of the fluid storage tank can be avoided, the device is particularly suitable for extremely cold areas, and after a vehicle is started, the windshield washer fluid can be heated according to needs to be matched with the windshield washer fluid conveniently.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile intelligent electronic control. Background Art

[0002] Being a car driver is no longer simply a profession. However, with the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, knowledge of vehicle maintenance has not been commensurately adopted. Most users lack understanding of the structure and principles of electric vehicles, resulting in a lack of necessary vehicle maintenance. Windshield washer fluid, a crucial component of car window cleaning, is often overlooked, with many owners even using tap water for convenience and economy. In winter, especially in northern China, drivers often encounter freezing and inability to spray when using electric vehicle spray systems. Current vehicle thermal management systems lack devices or systems for detecting or preventing freezing of windshield washer fluid. When the ambient temperature suddenly drops below the freezing point of windshield washer fluid, it can easily freeze, causing the spray system to fail or even damage components like the windshield washer fluid reservoir. This can impair cleaning effectiveness and compromise driving safety.

[0003] Currently, there are also automatic control devices that automatically discharge glass liquid according to the ambient temperature. For example, the public document with the authorization announcement number CN214138461 U, the authorization announcement date is 2021-09-07, and the patent name is "A Glass Washer Intelligent Antifreeze and Discharge Device", which discloses an intelligent glass washer antifreeze and discharge device, including a detection device composed of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor, an alarm device composed of a buzzer and an LED display, a discharge device composed of a liquid storage tank, a water spray motor, a solenoid valve, a nozzle, and three water pipes, and a single-chip microcomputer that controls these devices. Under the control of the single-chip microcomputer, this utility model device can use the alarm device to sound an alarm when the glass wash is close to 5°C above the freezing point, prompting the car owner to replace the antifreeze glass wash water in time. At the same time, the discharge device can automatically discharge the existing glass wash water, automatically stop the water spray motor after discharge, and prompt the car owner.

[0004] Similar devices will cause waste of glass liquid, and the discharged glass liquid will also pollute the environment. Therefore, a more economical, environmentally friendly and reliable system and method for preventing automobile windshield washer fluid storage tanks from freezing and damaging is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to realize a system and method for preventing a car windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing and being damaged.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automobile windshield washer tank anti-freeze damage system, a liquid storage tank for storing windshield washer is provided on the automobile, a water pump is provided in the liquid storage tank, the water outlet of the water pump is connected to the windshield washer pipe and the indirect pipe through a three-way valve, the other end of the indirect pipe is connected to a temporary storage bag, the bottom of the temporary storage bag is connected to the water inlet at the top of the liquid storage tank through a drain pipe, and a solenoid valve is provided on the drain pipe.

[0007] The system is provided with a pressure component, which is connected to the temporary storage bag through an air pressure tube.

[0008] The bag opening of the temporary storage bag is provided with a fixing plug, which is mounted on the support plate. The indirect pipe, the drainage pipe and the air pressure pipe all extend into the temporary storage bag through the fixing plug.

[0009] A mesh cage is arranged in the temporary storage bag, and the ends of the indirect pipe and the air pressure pipe extending into the temporary storage bag are both extended into the mesh cage.

[0010] An electric heating wire is provided on the inner wall of the mesh cage, and a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are fixed inside the mesh cage. The wiring harness connecting the electric heating wire, the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor is connected to the controller via a fixing plug. The controller is connected to the three-way valve, the solenoid valve, the pressure component and the water pump through the wiring harness.

[0011] The temporary storage bag is placed on a placement plate above the liquid storage tank, the fixing plug is fixed on the placement plate, the placement plate is provided with a downwardly inclined water diversion groove, the end of the water diversion groove is provided with a water diversion hole, and the water diversion hole is connected to the water diversion pipeline.

[0012] The method for preventing a car windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing includes the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Determine whether the requirements for executing the antifreeze program are met. If so, proceed to the next step.

[0014] Step 2: Check whether the liquid storage bag meets the temporary storage requirements. If so, proceed to the next step.

[0015] Step 3: Pump all the glass water in the storage tank into the storage bag;

[0016] Step 4: After starting the vehicle, heat the windshield washer fluid in the storage bag and then return the windshield washer fluid to the storage tank.

[0017] The antifreeze program in step 1 must be executed when: the vehicle is turned off or powered off, the parking time exceeds the set time, the ambient temperature outside the vehicle is lower than the set temperature, and the amount of glass liquid stored in the liquid storage tank is greater than the set value; in step 2, the solenoid valve and the three-way valve are closed, and the pressure component is controlled to suck the temporary storage bag into a negative pressure. After maintaining the pressure in the temporary storage bag for the set time, it remains unchanged, and the temporary storage requirements are met.

[0018] In step 2, when the temporary storage requirements are met, the three-way valve is controlled to connect the glass water pipe and the indirect pipe, and the small amount of glass liquid remaining in the glass water pipe is adsorbed into the temporary storage bag by negative pressure.

[0019] A storage medium is provided, which is a computer-readable storage medium for storing software program codes, and the software program codes are used to execute the method for preventing freezing damage of a car windshield washer fluid storage tank.

[0020] The advantage of the present invention is that it can automatically discharge the windshield washer fluid to a temporary storage device in a low-temperature environment through environmental monitoring, which can avoid waste of windshield washer fluid and prevent freezing damage to the liquid storage tank. It is particularly suitable for extremely cold areas. After the vehicle is started, the windshield washer fluid can be heated as needed, which is convenient for preparing windshield washer fluid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The following is a brief description of the contents and marks in each figure in the specification of the present invention:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid tanks;

[0023] The marks in the above figure are: 1. Liquid storage tank; 2. Three-way valve; 3. Temporary storage bag; 4. Pressure component; 5. Solenoid valve; 6. Placement plate; 7. Net cage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, through the description of the embodiments, the specific implementation methods of the present invention, such as the shape, structure, relative positions and connection relationships of the various components involved, the functions and working principles of the various components, the manufacturing process and operating methods, etc., are further explained in detail to help those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate and in-depth understanding of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention.

[0025] The present invention provides a control system and method for preventing automobile windshield washer fluid from freezing. This system detects freezing of the windshield washer fluid and regulates its temperature, preventing freezing from damaging the windshield washer fluid storage tank, impairing glass cleaning performance, and impacting driving safety. A temperature sensor or other sensor can be used to detect the freezing state of the windshield washer fluid, and a heating wire can be used to regulate the water temperature for optimal cleaning. Combined with an auxiliary temporary storage mechanism, this system effectively prevents the tank from cracking or breaking due to changes in liquid form. The system is particularly suitable for outdoor parking in extremely cold regions and is applicable to gasoline-powered, electric, and hybrid vehicles.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, the device needs to design a temporary storage bag 3 that can temporarily store windshield washer fluid. The temporary storage bag 3 is preferably a bag made of elastic rubber or plastic material, which can be conveniently designed into the front cabin of the vehicle without taking up too much space and can be swung into any shape as needed. The temporary storage bag 3 is used to store the windshield liquid after parking. Because the bag itself has a certain elasticity (ductility), it has strong antifreeze energy and is not easy to be frozen. Even if it is frozen, since it is only a bag, the replacement cost is low.

[0027] The liquid storage tank 1 is a long-term storage container for glass water, which is generally designed above the front cabin of the car, so that users can add glass water by themselves. The capacity of the temporary storage bag 3 is slightly larger than the liquid storage tank 1. When the glass liquid is full, it is necessary to fully store and accommodate all the glass liquid. The temporary storage bag 3 can be designed on one side of the liquid storage tank 1, and its overall shape is slightly higher than the liquid storage tank 1. In this way, the glass liquid can flow back into the liquid storage tank 1 without power, and it is also convenient to replace and repair the liquid storage bag. The liquid storage bag is placed on a placement board 6 as a whole. The placement board 6 not only has the function of supporting the temporary storage belt, but also can As a partition plate, it prevents the overheated front cabin environment from affecting the temporary storage bag 3. At the same time, after the temporary storage bag 3 is damaged, the glass liquid will spill into the front cabin, causing damage to the electronic devices, batteries, etc. in the front cabin. Therefore, the edge of the placement plate 6 is provided with an upward flap structure to prevent the leaked glass water from flowing away from the edge. A downwardly inclined water diversion groove is provided on the placement plate 6, which is a downwardly concave groove, mainly used to collect leaked glass water. A water diversion hole is provided at the end of the water diversion groove, and the water diversion hole is connected to the water diversion pipeline. The leaked glass water is drained to the required position through the water diversion pipeline, such as draining it to the top of the chassis.

[0028] In order to facilitate the replacement of the temporary storage bag 3 and the fixation of the temporary storage bag 3, a protruding fixing plug can be provided on the placement plate 6. The fixing plug is a cylindrical structure. In this way, it is only necessary to provide a hole on the temporary storage bag 3 and put it on the fixing plug to complete the installation and fixation. In order to improve the reliability of its fixation, a cable tie can be used to firmly fix the opening of the temporary storage bag 3 on the fixing plug, and all pipelines, circuits, etc. can be extended into the interior of the temporary storage bag 3 through the fixing plug.

[0029] The windshield washer fluid is pumped out of the windshield through the water pump and a three-way valve 2 is installed at the bottom of the windshield washer fluid tank 1. One end of the three-way valve 2 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, and the other two ends are connected to the windshield washer fluid pipe and the indirect pipe respectively. The windshield washer fluid pipe is the existing pipe that transports the windshield washer fluid to the front windshield and the rear windshield. The indirect pipe is a pipe connecting the liquid storage tank 1 and the temporary storage bag 3. The indirect pipe is extended into the temporary storage bag 3 by a fixed plug. By controlling the three-way valve 2, the windshield washer fluid pipe, the indirect pipe and the water pump can be selectively connected. They can be connected according to the conditions. For example, when the windshield washer fluid pipe and the indirect pipe are connected, negative pressure can be used to suck away a small amount of windshield washer fluid temporarily stored in the windshield washer fluid pipe to avoid freezing damage to the windshield washer fluid pipe. When the indirect pipe and the water pump are connected, the glass liquid in the liquid storage tank 1 can be pumped out into the temporary storage bag 3. Under normal circumstances, the glass water pipe and the water pump are connected to form a conventional windshield washer fluid output passage.

[0030] The bottom of the temporary storage bag 3 is connected to the water inlet at the top of the liquid storage tank 1 through a drain pipe. The drain pipe is provided with a solenoid valve 5. The solenoid valve 5 is closed under normal circumstances and will only be opened when the glass water in the temporary storage bag 3 needs to be drained. In order to drain the glass water in the temporary storage bag 3, the end of the drain pipe is embedded in the fixed plug instead of protruding from the fixed plug. When the solenoid valve 5 is opened, the glass liquid will be affected by gravity and automatically discharged into the liquid storage tank 1.

[0031] The system is provided with a pressure component 4, which is a component that can increase or decrease the pressure of the temporary storage bag 3. It can be replaced by existing components on the vehicle, such as a vacuum pump of an air spring. The pressure component 4 is connected to the temporary storage bag 3 through an air pressure tube, and the air pressure tube extends into the temporary storage bag 3 through a fixed plug. The air pressure tube needs to protrude from the fixed plug as much as possible to prevent the glass liquid from entering the air pressure tube, especially when the negative pressure adsorbs the residual glass liquid in the glass water tube. Under normal circumstances, there is air in the air pressure tube. Even if the liquid level of the glass liquid is higher than the air pressure tube, the glass liquid will not penetrate into the air pressure tube.

[0032] A mesh cage 7 is provided in the temporary storage bag 3. The size of the mesh cage 7 is larger than the opening of the temporary storage bag 3. However, since the temporary storage bag 3 is elastic, its fixing opening must also be elastic. Therefore, the mesh cage 7 can be placed into the temporary storage bag 3 by expanding the fixing opening. Of course, other methods can also be used.

[0033] The mesh cage 7 is a spherical hollow structure, the bottom of which can be fixed on a fixed plug. Its function is to maintain the internal space under negative pressure, protect the internal components, and facilitate the use of negative pressure to suck out the residual glass liquid in the glass water pipe. It can also serve as a protective cover for electronic components. The indirect pipe and the air pressure pipe ends extending into the temporary storage bag 3 extend into the mesh cage 7. After the pressure component 4 sucks the temporary storage bag 3 into a negative pressure, the various pipe openings are relatively sharp. Through the protection of the mesh cage 7, the various pipe openings can also be prevented from contacting the temporary storage bag 3. Because the mesh cage 7 needs to have a supporting function, the material of the mesh cage 7 can be metal or plastic with a certain strength. The edges of the hollow area are rounded to avoid damaging the temporary storage bag 3. An electric heating wire is provided on the inner wall of the mesh cage 7 to facilitate heating the frozen glass liquid. At the same time, the pressure is transmitted The sensor and temperature sensor are also fixed on the inner wall of the mesh cage 7. The wiring harness connecting the electric heating wire, pressure sensor and temperature sensor is connected to the controller through a fixing plug. The controller is the core of controlling the operation of the entire system. An independent chip can be set for control, or its function can be integrated into an existing automotive chip, such as using VCU to complete system control. The controller is connected to the three-way valve 2, solenoid valve 5, pressure component 4 and water pump through a wiring harness. The controller controls the operation of the entire system through the acquired signals and stored programs. The control program is pre-stored in a storage medium. The controller operates the entire system according to the stored control program, wherein the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium for storing software program code, and the software program code is used to execute the following method for preventing automobile windshield water storage tanks from freezing.

[0034] The method for preventing a car windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing includes the following steps:

[0035] Step 1: Determine whether the requirements for executing the antifreeze program are met. If so, proceed to the next step.

[0036] The following requirements must be met simultaneously to implement the antifreeze program:

[0037] 1. The vehicle is turned off or powered off; therefore, there is no need to activate this function when the vehicle is started;

[0038] 2. The parking time exceeds the set time; even if the car is parked for a short time, ice will not form, so as to avoid the situation where the function is repeatedly executed when the car is parked for a short time;

[0039] 3. The ambient temperature outside the vehicle is lower than the set temperature. The temperature can be set as needed, and can even be set by the owner through the vehicle computer. For example, if it is lower than 0 degrees Celsius, the system will be activated, because some owners may use tap water as windshield liquid.

[0040] 4. The amount of glass liquid stored in liquid storage tank 1 is greater than the set value; generally, there is no need to activate this function below the glass liquid alarm level. Even if there is too little glass liquid and it freezes, it will not affect liquid storage tank 1.

[0041] After the above four conditions are met, proceed to step 2;

[0042] Step 2: Check whether the liquid storage bag meets the temporary storage requirements. If so, proceed to the next step.

[0043] This is a self-checking procedure to avoid continuing to execute the procedure after the liquid storage bag is damaged. The operation steps are to close the three-way valve 2 and the solenoid valve 5 to make the temporary storage bag 3 a sealed space, and then use the pressure control component 4 to suck the temporary storage bag 3 into a negative pressure or positive pressure. After maintaining the pressure in the temporary storage bag 3 for a set time, if it remains unchanged, the temporary storage requirements are met. It is preferred to use a negative pressure test method because after the negative pressure test is qualified, the three-way valve 2 can be controlled to connect the glass water pipe and the indirect pipe, and the negative pressure can be used to absorb the small amount of glass liquid remaining in the glass water pipe into the temporary storage bag 3, directly completing the extraction of the glass liquid from the pipeline, avoiding damage to the glass water pipe due to the residual glass liquid in the pipeline, and further improving the function of the system;

[0044] If the self-test fails, the program ends and an alarm is activated (generally using a fault light to sound an alarm), so that the user can learn about the situation in time after getting on the car next time and go to the maintenance station to replace the temporary storage bag 3 in time.

[0045] Step 3: Pump all the glass water in the liquid storage tank 1 into the liquid storage bag. At this time, it is necessary to control the three-way valve 2 to connect the water pump with the indirect pipe. When the water pump is working, the existing glass water level sensor can be used to obtain the glass liquid remaining in the liquid storage tank 1. When the glass liquid is drained, turn off the water pump, and the work of temporarily storing the glass liquid is completed.

[0046] Step 4: After the vehicle is started, the windshield washer fluid in the storage bag is heated and then returned to the storage tank 1. After heating, the temperature sensor can obtain the temperature of the glass liquid in real time. When the temperature reaches the set value, such as 5 degrees Celsius, the heating device can be turned off and the solenoid valve 5 can be opened to allow the glass liquid to automatically flow back to the storage tank 1.

[0047] In addition, the heating temperature can be controlled to 20 degrees Celsius, so that glass water can be used to help remove frost on the front windshield.

[0048] The freezing point of windshield washer fluid gradually decreases during vehicle use. If the driver fails to replace the windshield washer fluid in a timely manner or replaces it with water, the windshield washer fluid can easily freeze, causing the glass spray device to fail or even damaging the windshield washer fluid reservoir 1 and other devices due to freezing, thereby reducing the glass cleaning effect and affecting driving safety. The present invention prevents freezing of the windshield washer fluid reservoir 1 by transferring the windshield washer fluid. It can also heat the windshield washer fluid after starting, using the warm windshield washer fluid to remove frost on the front windshield. Moreover, since there is no residual glass liquid in the windshield washer fluid pipe, the possibility of pipe blockage is greatly reduced, and windshield washer fluid can be sprayed when the vehicle is started.

[0049] The entire system also has the function of measuring the ambient temperature in real time to avoid the possibility of frostbite caused by the high ambient temperature when parking and the temperature dropping at night. This function can be combined with the network to obtain the temperature difference between morning and evening, and perform anti-freeze operations at regular intervals. It can also measure the temperature (ambient temperature) at regular intervals or in real time, and execute the system function when the conditions are met.

[0050] The present invention is described above by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned method. As long as various non-substantial improvements are made using the method concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the concept and technical solution of the present invention are directly applied to other occasions without improvement, they are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank. The automobile is provided with a storage tank for storing windshield washer fluid. The storage tank is provided with a water pump. The characteristics are: The water outlet of the water pump is connected to the glass water pipe and the indirect pipe through a three-way valve. The other end of the indirect pipe is connected to the temporary storage bag. The bottom of the temporary storage bag is connected to the water inlet at the top of the liquid storage tank through a drainage pipe. The drainage pipe is provided with a solenoid valve.

2. The anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The system is provided with a pressure component, which is connected to the temporary storage bag through an air pressure tube.

3. The anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bag opening of the temporary storage bag is provided with a fixing plug, which is mounted on the support plate. The indirect pipe, the drainage pipe and the air pressure pipe all extend into the temporary storage bag through the fixing plug.

4. The anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: A mesh cage is arranged in the temporary storage bag, and the ends of the indirect pipe and the air pressure pipe extending into the temporary storage bag are both extended into the mesh cage.

5. The anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: An electric heating wire is provided on the inner wall of the mesh cage, and a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are fixed inside the mesh cage. The wiring harness connecting the electric heating wire, the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor is connected to the controller via a fixing plug. The controller is connected to the three-way valve, the solenoid valve, the pressure component and the water pump through the wiring harness.

6. The anti-freeze system for automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank according to claim 5, characterized in that: The temporary storage bag is placed on a placement plate above the liquid storage tank, the fixing plug is fixed on the placement plate, the placement plate is provided with a downwardly inclined water diversion groove, the end of the water diversion groove is provided with a water diversion hole, and the water diversion hole is connected to the water diversion pipeline.

7. A method for preventing automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Determine whether the requirements for executing the antifreeze program are met. If so, proceed to the next step. Step 2: Check whether the liquid storage bag meets the temporary storage requirements. If so, proceed to the next step. Step 3: Pump all the glass water in the storage tank into the storage bag; Step 4: After starting the vehicle, heat the windshield washer fluid in the storage bag and then return the windshield washer fluid to the storage tank.

8. The method for preventing automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing according to claim 7, characterized in that: The antifreeze program in step 1 must be executed when: the vehicle is turned off or powered off, the parking time exceeds the set time, the ambient temperature outside the vehicle is lower than the set temperature, and the amount of glass liquid stored in the liquid storage tank is greater than the set value; in step 2, the solenoid valve and the three-way valve are closed, and the pressure component is controlled to suck the temporary storage bag into a negative pressure. After maintaining the pressure in the temporary storage bag for the set time, it remains unchanged, and the temporary storage requirements are met.

9. The method for preventing automobile windshield washer fluid storage tank from freezing according to claim 8, characterized in that: In step 2, when the temporary storage requirements are met, the three-way valve is controlled to connect the glass water pipe and the indirect pipe, and the small amount of glass liquid remaining in the glass water pipe is adsorbed into the temporary storage bag by negative pressure.

10. A storage medium, wherein the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium for storing software program code, characterized in that: The software program code is used to execute the method for preventing the automobile windshield washer tank from freezing as described in claim 7, 8 or 9.

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