Urea solution tank assembly

Abstract

A tank for storing urea solution and a tank assembly for storing disparate fluids, such as diesel fluid and urea solution, are disclosed. The tank may further include a filler assembly and / or a sensor assembly, either of which are adapted to be connected to the tank without the use of separate fasteners, The tank assembly may include a reservoir and a sensor for automatically diverting non-conforming urea solution to the reservoir. A recess may be defined in the tank body in order to accommodate a strap for securing the tank to the frame of vehicle. The tank may include parallel sidewalls that include a projection on one and a corresponding indentation on the other in order to allow the tanks to be easily stacked during assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to commonly-assigned, U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 012,484, filed Dec. 10, 2007 by applicants Robert H. Versaw Jr. et al. entitled UREA SOLUTION TANK ASSEMBLY, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to tanks for storing urea solution, and more particularly to tanks that may be utilized in conjunction with a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system that reduces the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of a motorized vehicle.[0003]Nitrogen oxides are one of the main components responsible for the generation of ground level ozone. They also contribute to the formation of acid rain, and have other deleterious side effects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks the emissions of nitrogen oxides, along with five other common pollutants, and sets national ambient air quality standards for NOx. NOx ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present invention relates to an improved container assembly for storing the urea solution that may be used in an SCR system for reducing NOx emissions. The SCR system may be part of a motorized vehicle, or it may be an SCR system used to reduce the NOx emissions of a stationary source. In at least one aspect, the container assembly of the present invention provides an economical system for storing urea solution that is durable enough to withstand the rigors of motorized vehicle transport, and that may be incorporated into the design of existing motorized vehicles with little or no disruption to the vehicle manufacturer's existing design.

[0007]According to another aspect of the present invention, a tank assembly for storing urea solution is provided. The tank assembly includes a tank having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a perimeter wall. The second sidewall is spaced from the first sidewall, and the first and second sidewalls each generally define a first and second plane, respectively, wherein the first and second planes are parallel to each other. The perimeter wall connects the first and second sidewalls together. The first wall further includes an indentation having a first shape, and the second wall includes a projection having a second shape. The second shape substantially matches the first shape such that the projection on a first one of the tanks may be inserted into the indentation on a second one of the tanks when a plurality of the tanks are stacked on top of each other. This stacking arrangement helps resist movement of the stacked tanks in any direction parallel to the first plane.

Problems solved by technology

They also contribute to the formation of acid rain, and have other deleterious side effects.

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