Sensor joint assembly of expansion kettle

Abstract

The utility model provides a sensor connector assembly of an expansion kettle, the sensor connector assembly comprises an insertion part and a signal transmission piece, and a sensor interface and the signal transmission piece are arranged in an integrated injection molding manner; the connecting part is fixedly connected with the expansion kettle, and the inserting part is suitable for being installed on the connecting part so that the signal transmission piece can penetrate through the connecting part to enter a liquid discharging cavity of the expansion kettle. The signal transmission piece is a PIN, and the insertion part is obtained by injection molding based on the bent PIN, so that a tolerance gap does not exist between the PIN and the insertion part, the risk that cooling liquid leaks from the connection part of the insertion part and the PIN is effectively avoided, and meanwhile, through the arranged connection part, the cooling liquid can be effectively prevented from leaking from the connection part of the insertion part and the PIN. The connection between the sensor connector assembly and the box body is tighter, and the arrangement of the connecting part can prevent the cooling liquid from leaking through the joint of the box body and the sensor connector assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of automotive parts, and more particularly to a sensor connector assembly for an expansion water tank. Background Art

[0002] With the development of automotive parts, automotive parts are each unit that constitutes an entire vehicle and a product that serves the vehicle. At the same time, with the improvement of people's living standards, people's consumption of automobiles is increasing, which makes the market for automotive parts become larger and larger.

[0003] Among them, the expansion water tank is an important part of the cooling system of motor vehicles; when the coolant in the cooling system expands and flows back, it provides a storage space for the coolant; when the cooling system lacks coolant, it can replenish the coolant back into the cooling system; at the same time, it can also remove the gas in the cooling circulation system, achieve gas-liquid separation, ensure that only the coolant participates in the cooling cycle, and avoid uneven local heat dissipation of the engine caused by the presence of gas.

[0004] At the same time, a liquid level sensing device for detecting and outputting feedback on the coolant at the water replenishing port in the water tank body is installed on the water tank body of the expansion water tank in the related art. Through the detection and output of feedback by the liquid level sensing device, in the existing expansion water tank, due to the manufacturing process of integrally molding and injecting the sensor connector with the water tank body, the PIN pins are set in a straight line, and an opening is left in the sensor connector for the PIN pins to be inserted into the expansion water tank. Since the injection molded part at the insertion part and the PIN pins are connected by a pre-opened hole, the sealing performance of the formed sensor connector assembly is poor, resulting in that the bent sensor connector assembly is prone to leaking antifreeze vapor through the PIN pins, leading to the leakage of antifreeze in the water tank assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a sensor connector assembly for an expansion water tank to avoid the leakage of the refrigerant from the sensor connector assembly.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: A sensor connector assembly for an expansion water tank is provided, including an insertion part and a signal transmission part, the sensor interface and the signal transmission part are integrally injection molded; a connecting part, the connecting part is fixedly connected to the expansion water tank, and the insertion part is adapted to be installed on the connecting part so that the signal transmission part passes through the connecting part and enters the liquid discharge cavity of the expansion water tank.

[0007] As another preference, the connecting part includes an assembly cavity, and the assembly cavity is recessed toward the side of the liquid discharge cavity.

[0008] More preferably, the connecting portion further includes a limiting retaining ring, which is integrally formed with the assembly cavity and protrudes from the surface of the expansion water kettle; wherein, the insertion portion is inserted into the limiting retaining ring to the assembly cavity to complete the assembly of the insertion portion and the connecting portion.

[0009] Furthermore, the insertion portion further includes: an interface end and a fixed end, the interface end and the fixed end are integrally formed, and the interface end is bent relative to the fixed end. The interface end is externally connected to a sensor, and the fixed end is used to connect to the connecting portion.

[0010] Furthermore, the fixed end and the connecting portion are fixedly connected through a positioning component.

[0011] Furthermore, the positioning component includes: a first rib, which is provided on the fixed end and protrudes from the outer wall of the fixed end; a second rib, which is provided on the connecting portion. The fixed end and the connecting portion are in abutment with each other through the first rib and the second rib to produce an interference fit of the flange, so that the insertion portion is fixedly arranged relative to the connecting portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the first rib is provided with an abutting surface and a guiding surface. The abutting surface is perpendicular to the surface of the fixed end, and the guiding surface is inclined relative to the surface of the fixed end; wherein, the guiding surface guides the first rib to cross over the second rib so that the abutting surface abuts against the second rib.

[0013] Furthermore, a limiting boss is protrudingly provided at the bottom of the assembly cavity. The limiting boss abuts against the insertion portion, and the signal transmission member enters the liquid discharge cavity through a through hole opened in the limiting boss; a limiting moving portion is provided on the fixed end, and the limiting moving portion protrudes towards the limiting boss and can move within the through hole.

[0014] Furthermore, the sensor connector assembly further includes: a retaining ring, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the signal transmission member and abuts against the insertion portion; wherein, when the sensor connector assembly is connected to the connecting portion, the retaining ring is embedded in the limiting boss, and at the same time, the peripheral edge of the boss extending to the through hole of the limiting boss is provided with a rounded corner structure.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: This embodiment provides a sensor connector assembly for an expansion water kettle, which separates the insertion part from the box body, and integrally forms the insertion part and the signal transmission part. Similarly, the signal transmission part is a PIN needle. Therefore, during the manufacturing process, the structure of the PIN needle can be bent at a certain arc first. Based on the bent PIN needle, the insertion part adapted to the arc of the PIN needle is integrally formed by injection molding with the PIN needle to form the sensor connector assembly. Since the insertion part is obtained by injection molding based on the bent PIN needle, there is no tolerance gap between the PIN needle and the insertion part, effectively avoiding the risk of coolant leakage from the connection between the insertion part and the PIN needle. At the same time, through the provided connecting part, the connection between the sensor connector assembly and the box body is made more tight, and the setting of the connecting part can prevent coolant from leaking through the connection between the box body and the sensor connector assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an expansion water kettle in the related art;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the expansion water kettle in the present application document;

[0018] Figure 3 is another view of the expansion water kettle in the present application document;

[0019] Figure 4 is Figure 3 the sectional view taken along A-A in

[0020] Figure 5 is Figure 4 the enlarged partial view at B in

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the insertion part;

[0022] Figure 7 is another view of the insertion part;

[0023] Figure 8 is the partial sectional view of the assembly place of the insertion part and the connecting part;

[0024] Figure 9 is another view of the expansion water kettle in the present application document;

[0025] Figure 10 is Figure 9 the enlarged partial view at C in

[0026] In the figure: 1', water tank; 10', sensor connector; 1, expansion water tank; 10, tank body; 11, connecting part; 111, assembly cavity; 112, limiting retaining ring; 113, auxiliary limiting boss; 12, liquid discharge cavity; 13, kettle body; 14, cover plate; 20, sensor connector assembly; 21, insertion part; 211, interface end; 212, fixed end; 22, signal transmission part; 30, positioning component; 31, first rib; 311, abutting surface; 312, guiding surface; 32, second rib; 33, gap; 40, limiting boss; 41, retaining ring; 42, through hole; 43, fillet structure; 50, liquid inlet end; 51, liquid outlet end; 60, limiting moving part; 70, first groove; 71, second groove; 72, third groove; 80, relief space. Specific embodiments

[0027] Next, in combination with specific embodiments, the present application will be further described. It should be noted that, on the premise of no conflict, the following described embodiments or technical features can be arbitrarily combined with each other to form new embodiments.

[0028] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that for orientation terms, such as terms "center", "transverse", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., the indicated orientation and position relationships are based on the orientation or position relationships shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of the present application.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily have to be used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0030] The terms "including" and "having" in the description and claims of the present application, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, specifically refer to Figures 2 to 10, this application provides a sensor connector assembly 20 for an expansion water kettle 1. The sensor connector assembly 20 includes a plugging portion 21 and a signal transmission member 22. The sensor interface and the signal transmission member 22 are integrally injection molded; a connecting portion 11, the connecting portion 11 is fixedly connected to the expansion water kettle 1, and the plugging portion 21 is adapted to be installed on the connecting portion 11 so that the signal transmission member 22 passes through the connecting portion 11 and enters the liquid discharge cavity 12 of the expansion water kettle 1.

[0032] It should be noted that, referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The structure of a water tank 1' provided in a related art is shown in. Since the tank body 10 is a large-volume structure, the tank body 10 and the sensor connector 10' are integrally injection molded during the production and manufacturing stage. The signal transmission member 22 is a PIN needle. Therefore, when assembling the PIN needle and the sensor connector 10', the PIN needle needs to be embedded into the sensor connector 10'. After assembly, during the actual use of the water tank 1', due to the certain tolerance at the connection between the PIN needle and the sensor connector 10' and the vertical setting of the PIN needle, the coolant in the water tank 1' is likely to leak through the connection between the sensor connector 10' and the PIN needle, resulting in the leakage of the coolant.

[0033] Therefore, this embodiment provides a sensor connector assembly 20 for an expansion water kettle 1. The plugging portion 21 and the tank body 10 are separately provided, while the plugging portion 21 and the signal transmission member 22 are integrally molded. Similarly, the signal transmission member 22 is a PIN needle. Therefore, during the production and manufacturing process, the structure of the PIN needle can be bent at a certain radian first. The bent PIN needle can facilitate the external sensing device and does not affect the wiring. At the same time, taking the bent PIN needle as a reference, the plugging portion 21 adapted to the radian of the PIN needle and the PIN needle are integrally injection molded to form the sensor connector assembly 20. Since the plugging portion 21 is injection molded with reference to the bent PIN needle, there is no tolerance gap between the PIN needle and the plugging portion 21, effectively avoiding the risk of coolant leakage from the connection between the plugging portion 21 and the PIN needle. At the same time, by providing the connecting portion 11, the connection between the sensor connector assembly 20 and the tank body 10 is made more tight, and the setting of the connecting portion 11 can prevent the coolant from leaking through the connection between the tank body 10 and the sensor connector assembly 20.

[0034] As a preference, the tank body 10 further includes: a kettle body 13, the liquid discharge cavity 12 is opened in the kettle body 13, and the connecting portion 11 is provided on the kettle body 13; a cover plate 14, the cover plate 14 is cooperatively connected with the kettle body 13 to prevent the coolant in the liquid discharge cavity 12 from overflowing.

[0035] Among them, the connecting part 11 in this embodiment is arranged at the kettle body 13. Similarly, the liquid inlet end 50 of the coolant is arranged adjacent to the connecting part 11, and the liquid outlet end 51 is located on the other side of the kettle body 13 relative to the liquid inlet end 50. Since the connecting part 11 is arranged on the outer wall surface of the kettle body 13, the sensor connector assembly 20 is also connected to the kettle body 13. When it is necessary to conduct a risk check or other operations on the internal structure of the kettle body 13, only the cover plate 14 needs to be opened. The operation of opening the cover plate 14 will not affect the sensors connected to the kettle body 13 and devices such as the sensor connector assembly 20, thereby reducing the operation difficulty.

[0036] As another preference, the connecting part 11 includes an assembly cavity 111, and the assembly cavity 111 is recessed towards the liquid discharge cavity 12.

[0037] Among them, the assembly cavity 111 is a square groove structure, and the setting of the assembly cavity 111 facilitates the embedding and fixing of the insertion part 21.

[0038] Further preferably, the connecting part 11 further includes a limiting retaining ring 112. The limiting retaining ring 112 is integrally formed with the assembly cavity 111 and protrudes from the surface of the box body 10. Among them, the insertion part 21 is embedded into the limiting retaining ring 112 to the assembly cavity 111 to complete the assembly of the insertion part 21 and the connecting part 11.

[0039] Furthermore, the insertion part 21 further includes: an interface end 211 and a fixed end 212. The interface end 211 and the fixed end 212 are integrally formed, and the interface end 211 is bent relative to the fixed end 212. The interface end 211 is externally connected to the sensor, and the fixed end 212 is used to connect to the connecting part 11.

[0040] Among them, the bending injection molding radian of the fixed end 212 and the interface end 211 is adapted to the bending radian of the PIN needle, and the bending radian of the fixed end 212 and the interface end 211 is adjusted adaptively based on the bending radian of the PIN needle. Under different product requirement working conditions, due to the different bending radians of the PIN needle, the bending radians of the fixed end 212 and the interface end 211 are different.

[0041] At the same time, the setting of the limiting retaining ring 112 can further extend the depth of the assembly cavity 111 to further improve the stability after the fixed end 212 is embedded into the assembly cavity 111.

[0042] Furthermore, the fixed end 212 and the connecting part 11 are fixedly connected through a positioning component 30.

[0043] It should be noted that the positioning component 30 includes: a first rib 31, the first rib 31 is arranged at the fixed end 212, and the first rib 31 protrudes from the outer wall of the fixed end 212; a second rib 32, the second rib 32 is arranged at the connecting portion 11, and the fixed end 212 and the connecting portion 11 are abutted against each other through the first rib 31 and the second rib 32 to generate an interference fit of the flange, so that the insertion portion 21 is fixedly arranged relative to the connecting portion 11.

[0044] Among them, the first rib 31 and the fixed end 212 are integrally formed by injection molding, and the second rib 32 and the connecting end are also integrally formed by injection molding. Preferably, the second rib 32 is arranged at the peripheral part of the inner wall of the limiting retaining ring 112. There are two first ribs 31, which are arranged on the opposite sides of the fixed end 212. Correspondingly, there are also two second ribs 32, and the two second ribs 32 are arranged on the opposite sides of the inner wall of the limiting retaining ring 112. Through the interference fit between the multiple first ribs 31 and the second ribs 32, the connection strength between the sensor connector assembly 20 and the connecting portion 11 is further improved.

[0045] Furthermore, the first rib 31 is provided with an abutting surface 311 and a guiding surface 312. The abutting surface 311 is perpendicular to the surface of the fixed end 212, and the guiding surface 312 is inclined relative to the surface of the fixed end 212. Among them, the guiding surface 312 guides the first rib 31 to cross over the second rib 32 so that the abutting surface 311 abuts against the second rib 32.

[0046] Specifically, the first rib 31 is a wedge-shaped structure. The inclined guiding surface 312 guides the first rib 31, which is convenient for the first rib 31 to squeeze over the second rib 32 and then abut against the second rib 32. After the interference abutting fit is completed, the fixed end 212 is restricted from being disengaged from the connecting portion 11 through the abutting surface 311 provided on the first rib 31.

[0047] It should be noted that the limit ring 112 is arranged on the surface of the kettle body 13, and the assembly cavity 111 is recessed in the kettle body 13. The limit ring 112 and the assembly cavity 111 are integrally formed by injection molding, so that the connecting part 11 as a whole has a higher toughness strength, and a clearance space 80 is arranged between the limit ring 112 protruding from the surface of the kettle body 13 and the side of the kettle body 13, so that when the first rib 31 and the second rib 32 are interference fit, the limit ring 112 can have enough clearance space 80 to complete the interference deformation. At the same time, the assembly cavity 111 in the connecting part 11 is recessed into the surface of the kettle body 13, which can prevent the connecting part 11 from being too deformed, limit the deformation of the limit ring 112 to a certain extent, ensure the connection strength and stability of the connecting part 11, and reduce the shaking of the connecting part 11 and the plug-in part 21 after assembly, so as to improve the connection accuracy. If the assembly cavity 111 is also protruding from the surface of the kettle body 13, the deformation and connection stability of the connecting part 11 cannot be guaranteed.

[0048] Furthermore, in order to effectively prevent the coolant from overflowing from the connection between the connecting part 1111 and the sensor connector assembly 2020, a limit boss 40 is provided on the bottom protrusion of the assembly cavity 111, and the limit boss 40 abuts against the plug-in part 21, and the signal transmission component 22 enters the drain cavity 12 through the through hole 42 opened by the limit boss 40; at the same time, a limit movable part 60 is provided at the fixed end 212, and the limit movable part 60 is also a boss structure, and the limit movable part 60 protrudes toward the limit boss 40, and the limit movable part 60 can be located in the through hole 42 and move.

[0049] Among them, after the first rib 31 and the second rib 32 are interference fit, there is a gap 33 between the first rib 31 and the second rib 32 to reduce the fitting fatigue between the ribs. At the same time, the gap 33 cooperates with the limiting movable part 60, so that even if the fixed end 212 has a certain slight up and down movement, the limiting movable part 60 can be located in the through hole 42 to perform a certain movement stop, thereby preventing the coolant from overflowing from the through hole 42.

[0050] Preferably, the fixed end 212 of the plug-in portion 21 is further provided with a first groove 70, a second groove 71 and a third groove 72. The first groove 70 facilitates the fixed end 212 to be inserted into the connecting portion 11 to avoid collision between the fixed end 212 and the protruding second rib 32. That is, the setting of the second groove 71 plays a certain role in giving way during the assembly process of the plug-in portion 21 and the connecting portion 11. The second groove 71 is set deeper than the surface of the first groove 70. The third groove 72 and the second groove 71 are set on opposite sides of the first rib 31. The second groove 71 and the third groove 72 are set to reduce the wall thickness of the plug-in portion 21 to a certain extent, provide a certain deformability for the interference fit between the first rib 31 and the second rib 32, and reduce the difficulty of assembly.

[0051] Preferably, the distance D2 between the first ribs 31 on the opposite sides is 10.94 mm, the distance D1 between the second ribs 32 on the opposite sides is 7.75 mm, and the distance ratio between the first ribs 31 arranged oppositely and the second ribs 32 arranged oppositely is preferably 1.4 to achieve a better interference fit effect.

[0052] The limiting boss 40 is a cylindrical structure, and the limiting boss 40 protrudes relative to the bottom of the assembly cavity 111. When the fixed end 212 of the plugging part 21 is embedded in the assembly cavity 111, the limiting boss 40 is in contact with the bottom of the fixed end 212 at this time, and the PIN needle passes through the limiting boss 40 and enters the liquid discharge cavity 12.

[0053] Further, the expansion water tank 1 further includes: a stop ring 41, the stop ring 41 is sleeved on the outer peripheral edge of the signal transmission member 22, and the stop ring 41 abuts against the plugging part 21; wherein, when the sensor connector assembly 20 is connected to the connecting part 11, the stop ring 41 is embedded in the limiting boss 40.

[0054] Wherein, the stop ring 41 is a rubber ring structure. By cooperating the stop ring 41 with the limiting boss 40, it further avoids the leakage of the coolant from the connection between the connecting part 11 and the plugging part 21.

[0055] Further, the peripheral edge of the boss of the limiting boss 40 extending to the through hole 42 is provided with a rounded corner structure 43. The setting of the rounded corner structure 43 can, to a certain extent, prevent the stop ring 41 from being cut by the flange of the boss when entering the through hole 42, facilitating the stop ring 41 to enter the through hole 42 and avoiding the influence on the limiting effect of the stop ring 41.

[0056] Meanwhile, an auxiliary limiting boss 113 is convexly arranged at the bottom of the assembly cavity 111. The auxiliary limiting boss 113 cooperates with the limiting boss 40, which improves the connection stability between the fixed end 212 of the plugging part 21 and the assembly cavity 111 to a certain extent, and reduces the shaking of the plugging part 21 and the connecting part 11 after assembly.

[0057] The above describes the basic principle, main features and advantages of the present application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present application is not limited by the above embodiments. What is described in the above embodiments and the specification is only the principle of the present application. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, the present application will have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present application claimed. The scope of protection claimed by the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A sensor connector assembly for an expansion kettle, characterized in that: include: The plug-in part and the signal transmission part, the sensor interface and the signal transmission part are integrally formed by injection molding; A connecting part, wherein the connecting part is fixedly connected to the expansion kettle, and the plug-in part is suitable for being installed on the connecting part so that the signal transmission component passes through the connecting part and enters the liquid discharge chamber of the expansion kettle.

2. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The connecting portion comprises an assembly cavity, and the assembly cavity is arranged concavely toward one side of the liquid discharge cavity.

3. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The connecting portion further comprises a limit retaining ring, the limit retaining ring is integrally formed with the assembly cavity, and the limit retaining ring protrudes from the surface of the expansion kettle; The plug-in portion is embedded in the limit retaining ring into the assembly cavity to complete the assembly of the plug-in portion and the connecting portion.

4. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The plug-in portion also includes: The interface end and the fixed end are integrally formed and bent relative to the fixed end. The interface end is externally connected to a sensor, and the fixed end is used to connect to the connecting portion.

5. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The fixed end is fixedly connected to the connecting portion via a positioning assembly.

6. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning component comprises: A first rib, wherein the first rib is disposed at the fixed end and the first rib protrudes from an outer wall of the fixed end; The second rib is arranged on the connecting portion, the fixed end and the connecting portion abut against each other through the first rib and the second rib, generating a flange interference fit, so that the plug-in portion is fixedly arranged relative to the connecting portion.

7. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The first rib is provided with an abutting surface and a guiding surface, the abutting surface is vertically arranged relative to the surface of the fixed end, and the guiding surface is inclined relative to the surface of the fixed end; The first rib is guided to pass over the second rib by the guide surface, so that the abutment surface and the second rib abut against each other.

8. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The bottom protrusion of the assembly cavity is provided with a limiting boss, the limiting boss abuts against the plug-in portion, and the signal transmission component enters the liquid discharge cavity through a through hole formed by the limiting boss; The fixed end is provided with a limited movable portion, the limited movable portion protrudes toward the limited boss, and the limited movable portion can be located and moved in the through hole.

9. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 8, wherein: Also includes: A stop ring, the stop ring is sleeved on the periphery of the outer wall of the signal transmission member, and the stop ring abuts against the plug-in portion; Wherein, when the sensor joint assembly is connected to the connecting portion, the stop ring is embedded in the limiting boss.

10. The sensor connector assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The limiting boss extends to the through hole and the boss periphery is arranged in a rounded structure.

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