Fuel tank device of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Fuel tank device of a motor vehicle, comprising a fuel tank (20) which defines a tank interior (22) and a vehicle-side automatic shut-off trigger device (30) for triggering an automatic shut-off device of a fuel pump (100), comprising a detection device (40) for detecting the type of fuel and / or the fuel level in the fuel tank, a trigger unit (50) and a control unit (60), wherein the trigger unit (50) is actively controlled by the control unit (60) such that when a preset fuel level is reached in the fuel tank (20) and / or when an impermissible fuel flowing into the fuel tank (20) is detected, the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump (100) is triggered.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a fuel tank device of a motor vehicle.

[0002] Fuel tank devices are generally known in motor vehicles with an internal combustion engine, wherein fuel filled into a tank interior of the fuel tank is used to operate the internal combustion engine. The fuel tank is usually filled by a refueling process, wherein the fuel tank has a tank inlet channel which is fluidly connected to the tank interior at a first end and adjoins a body opening of the motor vehicle at a second end such that a fuel nozzle of a fuel pump can be coupled to the tank inlet channel, in particular can be inserted into the tank inlet channel. When a fuel nozzle is coupled to the tank inlet channel and an actuating lever of the fuel nozzle is actuated, fuel flows from the fuel pump or fuel nozzle via the tank inlet channel into the tank interior.

[0003] Fuel pumps and fuel nozzles typically have an automatic shutoff device that serves as an overflow protection when the fuel tank is completely full. In addition to the fuel line, the nozzle also has an air or gas line through which air or gas flows during the refueling process. When the fuel tank is completely full, the air or gas line is closed due to the maximum fill level of the fuel, preventing air flow in the air line. Based on the interruption of the air or gas flow, the fuel supply to the nozzle is stopped. This prevents fuel from overflowing during the refueling process.

[0004] During a refueling process, the person performing the refueling may not always want to completely fill the fuel tank, for example, because the fuel price is relatively high at the time, but the fuel level is insufficient for a planned trip. In such a case, the person must perform the refueling process entirely manually, observing the fuel level display on the fuel pump.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a risk of using the wrong fuel during refueling, which would prevent the combustion engine from operating properly. Furthermore, refueling with the wrong fuel could damage at least one of the fuel-carrying components. For vehicles with combustion engines designed to run on synthetic fuels, so-called eFuels, to reduce pollutant emissions, there is also the problem that incorrect refueling with a conventional fuel, i.e., gasoline or diesel, can significantly increase pollutant emissions. Such incorrect refueling could lead to the loss of the vehicle's registration.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a fuel tank device of a motor vehicle by means of which partial refueling can be simplified and / or incorrect refueling with a fuel that is not permitted for the motor vehicle can be reliably prevented.

[0007] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1 and claim 4.

[0008] The fuel tank device comprises a fuel tank and an automatic shut-off triggering device. The fuel tank defines a tank interior that can be filled with fuel. The automatic shut-off triggering device is provided on the motor vehicle and designed such that an automatic shut-off of a fuel pump or nozzle, which generally serves exclusively as an overflow protection device when the fuel tank is completely full, can be actively triggered at any fuel level in the fuel tank and / or in the event of incorrect refueling. The shut-off triggering device comprises a detection device, a triggering unit, and a control unit.

[0009] According to claim 1, the triggering unit has a pump which is fluidically connected to the fuel chamber by a suction side. By actuating the pump, a negative pressure can be generated in the fuel tank as required. The control unit is signal-connected to the detection device and the triggering unit, wherein the control unit determines the fuel fill level and / or the type of fuel from the information from the detection device and, based thereon, actively controls the triggering unit or the pump in such a way that when a fuel fill level in the fuel tank preset before the refueling process is reached and / or when the pump detects a fuel which deviates from a preset reference fuel, such a negative pressure is created in the fuel tank that the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump is triggered or activated.

[0010] The automatic shut-off is based on the functional principle already explained, whereby if an air or gas flow through an air or gas line of the fuel pump nozzle is interrupted, the fuel supply to the fuel pump nozzle is stopped.

[0011] For example, the preset fuel level for a 50-liter tank can be 20, 30, or 40 liters. This allows the user to actively adjust the fuel level the tank should have after refueling. Alternatively, the user could enter a desired range. Using vehicle data, such as average fuel consumption, the required fuel level can be determined within certain tolerances. The automatic shutdown is triggered based on this.

[0012] For this purpose, the detection device preferably comprises a fill level sensor, which is, for example, optical and interacts with a float located in the fuel tank. This allows the fuel level to be determined at any time.

[0013] During the refueling process, the fuel level is monitored by the detection device or level sensor, and as soon as the preset level of, for example, 20I is reached, the pump is activated by the control unit.

[0014] The pump creates such a negative pressure inside the tank that the fuel pump or nozzle is tricked into thinking the fuel tank is completely full and, based on this, the automatic shut-off system is activated.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the detection device can detect the type of fuel flowing into the fuel tank during the refueling process, and based on this, the pump can be controlled by the control unit. The control unit compares the detected fuel type with a preset fuel type, particularly one preset at the factory for the motor vehicle. If there is a discrepancy between the fuel type detected by the detection device and the preset fuel type stored in the control unit, the pump is controlled in such a way that a negative pressure is created inside the tank, which triggers the automatic shutoff of the fuel nozzle or fuel pump.

[0016] This makes it easy to set a desired fill level and avoid incorrect refueling, while existing fuel pumps or nozzles can remain unchanged and the function described can be used on all existing fuel pumps.

[0017] Preferably, the fuel sensor is arranged on a tank inlet channel. The tank inlet channel is fluidically connected to the tank interior on the one hand and can be fluidically connected to the fuel nozzle on the other. During refueling, the fuel flowing from the fuel nozzle first flows through the tank inlet channel and then into the tank interior. By arranging the fuel sensor on the tank inlet channel, impermissible fuel can be detected as early as possible, and the pump can be activated. This can reduce the amount of impermissible fuel flowing into the tank interior.

[0018] According to claim 4, the triggering unit comprises a shut-off element arranged in a tank inlet channel and adjustable by an actuator between a closed position, closing the tank inlet channel, and an open position, releasing the tank inlet channel. In the closed position, the tank inlet channel is completely closed by the shut-off element, preventing fuel from flowing into the tank interior. In the open position, the tank inlet channel is released, allowing fuel to flow into the tank interior.

[0019] The detection device has a fuel sensor for detecting the fuel type. The fuel sensor is arranged on the tank inlet channel, i.e., the fuel sensor protrudes into the tank inlet channel in such a way that the fuel type can be detected. The fuel sensor is arranged upstream of the shut-off element in the direction of fuel flow during a refueling process, such that the fuel type can be determined by the fuel sensor even when the shut-off element is in the closed position.

[0020] During a refueling process, the electric actuator for adjusting the shut-off element is controlled by the control unit, which is connected to the detection device and the triggering unit via signals, in such a way that the shut-off element is initially arranged in the closed position, i.e. in a first refueling time period, and is adjusted to the open position when a preset and permissible fuel has flowed into the tank inlet channel is detected from the information of the fuel sensor. The decisive factor is that in the first refueling time period, i.e. immediately after the coupling of the fuel nozzle to the tank inlet channel, the shut-off element is arranged in the closed position and only when released, i.e. in a second refueling time period and when the permissible fuel is detected, is the shut-off element adjusted to the open position. As a result, during a refueling process, i.e.In the first refueling period, the tank inlet channel fills with fuel and becomes backed up. At the same time, the detection device detects the type of fuel and the control unit compares it with a preset fuel type. If the detected fuel type corresponds to the preset fuel type, the shut-off element is moved to the open position by a corresponding control of the actuator. If an impermissible fuel is detected in the tank inlet channel, the shut-off element remains in the closed position, causing the fuel to back up in the tank inlet channel to such an extent that the air or gas line of the fuel nozzle is blocked by the backed-up fuel, which triggers the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump or fuel nozzle.

[0021] This fundamentally prevents misfueling and, above all, prevents unauthorized fuel from entering the tank. In the event of misfueling, only the full tank inlet channel needs to be emptied. A complex extraction process for the incorrect fuel from the tank interior is not necessary.

[0022] The tank inlet channel preferably has a drain opening which is arranged upstream of the shut-off element in the flow direction of the incoming fuel, wherein the volume flow through the drain opening can be adjusted by a closure element. This allows fuel that has accumulated in the tank inlet channel in the event of incorrect refueling to be easily drained. A drain channel can be connected to the drain opening so that the fuel can be directed to a predefined location that is easily accessible to a person. Otherwise, a hose can be connected to the drain opening as required to drain the fuel from the tank inlet channel. The drain opening is arranged, if possible, at the lowest point and immediately upstream of the shut-off element.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the closure element is a manually removable cap, a pivotably mounted flap, or a valve. The pivotable flap and the valve are preferably adjustable by an electric actuator.

[0024] Preferably, the shut-off element is a pivotably mounted flap or a valve, so that the shut-off element can be designed simply and cost-effectively and the tank inlet channel can be reliably closed in a fluid-tight manner in the closed position.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the detection device comprises a fill level sensor, wherein the actuator of the shut-off element can be actively controlled by the control unit in the open position of the shut-off element in such a way that, upon reaching a preset fuel level in the fuel tank, the shut-off element is moved from the open position to the closed position in such a way that the fuel accumulates in the tank inlet channel and the automatic shut-off is triggered. Alternatively, the triggering unit comprises a pump and a fill level sensor, wherein the pump can be controlled by the control unit in the open position of the shut-off element in such a way that, upon reaching a preset fuel level in the fuel tank, a negative pressure is generated in the tank interior to trigger an automatic shut-off of a fuel pump. In this regard, reference is made to the preceding explanation of claim 1.In this way, in addition to preventing incorrect refueling, the refueling process can also be stopped at any adjustable fuel tank level.

[0026] Preferably, the fuel sensor is an optical sensor, whereby the optical sensor provides a contactless operation, thus preventing contact with the fuel. This ensures a relatively long service life and reliable operation.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit has a first communication interface for coupling to an operating unit of the motor vehicle, wherein a fuel level that can be specified via the operating unit and / or the type of fuel to be refueled can be transmitted via the communication unit. In this way, a person can easily specify the desired fuel level during each refueling process using the operating unit and the communication unit. Otherwise, the fuel type can be varied, if permitted.

[0028] Preferably, the control unit has a second communication interface for transmitting a warning signal to a warning element. This allows, in particular, a warning to be issued in the event of incorrect refueling, signaling the incorrect refueling to the person performing the refueling process. In this way, the person is clearly informed that an impermissible fuel was added and that the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump was not triggered due to a preset fill level being reached. Additionally or alternatively, the detected incorrect refueling could be transmitted to an engine control unit. Based on this, the engine can be prevented from starting to prevent faulty operation of the combustion engine and / or damage to a component.

[0029] This provides a fuel tank device for a motor vehicle by means of which partial refueling can be simplified and / or incorrect refueling with a fuel that is not permitted for the motor vehicle can be prevented.

[0030] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 A first embodiment of a tank device in schematic representation Fig. 2 A second embodiment of a tank device in schematic representation Fig. 3 A third embodiment of a tank device in schematic representation

[0031] The Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. The embodiments shown in Figure 3 comprise a fuel tank device 10 of a motor vehicle. The fuel tank device 10 comprises a fuel tank 20 having a tank interior 22. A fuel can be stored in the tank interior 22, wherein the fuel is pumped to the combustion engine during driving of the motor vehicle and during operation of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and is injected into the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine. For filling or refueling the fuel tank 20, the fuel tank 20 has a tank inlet channel 24, which is fluidly connected to the tank interior 22 at a first end and is open at a second end. A fuel nozzle 102 of a fuel pump 100 can be coupled to the second end, in particular inserted into the tank inlet channel 24. During the refueling process, the fuel flows from the fuel nozzle 102 into the tank inlet channel 24 and via the tank inlet channel 24 into the tank interior 22.

[0032] The fuel pump 100 or the fuel nozzle 102 has an automatic shut-off mechanism that prevents fuel from overflowing when the fuel tank 20 is completely full. For this purpose, the fuel nozzle 102 has, in addition to a fuel channel, an air or gas line through which an air flow is present during the refueling process. When the fuel tank 20 is completely full, the air or gas line is closed due to the maximum fill level and the fuel backing up to the fuel nozzle 102, thereby preventing the air or gas flow and, based on this, stopping the fuel supply to the fuel nozzle 102. Thus, the automatic shut-off mechanism known from the prior art is triggered automatically and exclusively when the fuel tank 20 is completely full.

[0033] According to the invention, the fuel tank device 10 has an automatic shut-off triggering device 30, by which the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump 100 or the fuel nozzle 102 can be actively and as needed. The automatic shut-off triggering device 30 has a detection device 40, a triggering unit 50, and a control unit 60.

[0034] The trigger unit 50 of the Fig. The first embodiment of the automatic shutdown triggering device 30 shown in Figure 1 has a pump 52, which is signal-connected to the control unit 60 and fluidly connected on the suction side to the tank interior 22 via a gas line 54. Thus, the pump 52 can suck air or gas out of the tank interior 22, causing a pressure change in the tank interior 22.

[0035] The detection device 40 comprises a fuel sensor 42 and a fill level sensor 44, wherein the fill level sensor 44 interacts with a float element 46 arranged in the tank interior 22. The float element 46 has such a low density relative to the fuel that the float element 46 floats on the surface of the fuel. By detecting the position of the float element 46 by the fill level sensor 44, the fill level of the fuel tank 20 can be determined. The fuel sensor 42 serves to detect the type of fuel flowing into the tank interior 22 through the fuel nozzle 102. The fuel sensor 42 is designed as an optical sensor, wherein various fuel characteristics, such as density, calorific value, cetane and octane numbers, sulfur content, or viscosity, can be determined by the optical sensor. Based on this, the fuel can be uniquely identified.The fuel sensor 42 is arranged on the tank inlet channel 24, whereby the type of incoming fuel can be determined as early as possible.

[0036] The automatic shut-off triggering device 30 can detect incorrect refueling, i.e. the filling of an impermissible fuel, during the refueling process and interrupt the refueling process, wherein the interruption of the refueling process occurs by triggering an automatic shut-off device already present on the fuel pump 100. In this case, in the control unit 60, the sensor signals of the fuel sensor 42 transmitted to the control unit 60 are compared with reference values ​​of a permissible fuel during the refueling process. If a deviation is detected between the fuel actually flowing in and the permissible fuel stored in the control unit 60, the pump 52 is activated by the control unit 60, whereby a negative pressure is created in the tank interior 22 and in the tank inlet channel 24, which is not completely filled with fuel, such that an air or gas flow through the air or gas channel of the fuel nozzle 102 orFuel pump 100 is prevented and the automatic shutoff of fuel pump 100 or fuel nozzle 102 is triggered. Additionally, a warning signal is transmitted via a second communication interface 66 to a warning element 68, for example, a visual or acoustic warning element, to inform the person performing the refueling process of the incorrect refueling. The improper fuel poured into the tank interior 22 can be drained through a drain opening 70, wherein the drain opening 70 is generally closed by a drain closure element 72.

[0037] In addition, the automatic shut-off triggering device 30 can interrupt the refueling process when a preset fill level of the fuel tank 20 is reached. The desired fill level can be set before the refueling process via an operating element 64 of the motor vehicle, which is connected to the control unit 60 via a first communication interface 62, whereby any desired fill level can be set. During the refueling process, the fill level is detected by the fill level sensor 44 and transmitted to the control unit 60. As soon as the fill level detected by the fill level sensor 44 corresponds to the preset fill level, the pump 52 is controlled by the control unit 60 in such a way that such a negative pressure is created in the tank interior 22 and in the talc inlet channel 24 that the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump 100 or the fuel nozzle 102 is triggered, thereby stopping the refueling process.

[0038] Alternatively, the automatic shutdown trigger device 30 can only be used to prevent incorrect refueling or only to refuel up to different fill levels, in which case the fill level sensor 44 or the fuel sensor 42 is omitted.

[0039] The Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the tank device 10, wherein in particular the trigger unit 50 is shown in Fig. 1 is modified. Instead of the pump 52, the trigger unit 50 has a shut-off element 56, which is arranged on the tank inlet channel 24 and can be adjusted between a closed position and an open position by an actuator 58. The actuator 58 is connected to the control unit 60 via signals. The shut-off element 56 is designed as an adjustable flap 561 and is arranged downstream of the fuel sensor 42 in the flow direction of the fuel flowing into the tank inlet channel 24.

[0040] During the refueling process, fuel flows from the fuel nozzle 102 into the tank inlet channel 24, wherein the fuel is backed up in the tank inlet channel 24 during a first refueling period because the actuator 58 is controlled by the control unit 60 such that the shut-off element 56 is arranged in the closed position. During the first refueling period, no fuel flows into the tank interior 22. At the same time, the fuel backed up in the tank inlet channel 24 is detected by the fuel sensor 42 and compared with the permitted fuel by the control unit 60. Only when the backed-up fuel corresponds to the permitted fuel stored in the control unit 60 is the actuator 58 controlled by the control unit 60 and the shut-off element 56 moved to the open position so that the fuel can flow into the tank interior 22.If there is a discrepancy between the accumulated fuel and the permitted fuel, the shut-off element 56 remains in the closed position, with the tank inlet channel 24 filling up to the fuel nozzle 102 coupled to the tank inlet channel 24. As a result, the air or gas line of the fuel nozzle 102 is covered by the fuel, and the interruption of the air or gas line stops the refueling process. Such a design of the fuel tank device 10 can prevent impermissible fuel from flowing into the tank interior 22, thereby simplifying the removal of the impermissible fuel. For this purpose, a drain opening 26 is provided on the tank inlet channel 24, which is generally closed by a closure element 28, in this case by a valve 281.In the event of incorrect refueling, the valve 281 can be opened after the refueling process has been aborted and the fuel accumulated in the tank inlet channel 24 can be drained via the drain opening 26.

[0041] Even in the second version after Fig. 2, the refueling process can be interrupted by the automatic shut-off triggering device 30 when a preset fill level of the fuel tank 20 is reached, wherein the desired fill level can be set before the refueling process via an operating element 64 connected to a first communication interface 62 of the control unit 60. During the refueling process, the fill level is detected by the fill level sensor 44 and transmitted to the control unit 60. As soon as the fill level detected by the fill level sensor 44 corresponds to the preset fill level, the actuator 58 is controlled by the control unit 60 such that the shut-off element 56, which is arranged in an open position, is moved to the closed position and the automatic shut-off of the fuel pump 100 is triggered by the fuel backing up in the tank inlet channel 24.

[0042] All other components of the fuel tank device 10 of the second embodiment, not explicitly mentioned, correspond to the components of the first embodiment according to Fig. 1.

[0043] The Fig. Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of the fuel tank device 10, wherein the third embodiment is a combination of the first embodiment Fig. 1 and the second version from Fig. 2. Here, the trigger unit 50 comprises both the pump 52 and the shut-off element 56, with the pump 52 serving to trigger the automatic shutdown based on the information from the fill level sensor 44, and the shut-off element 56 serving to trigger the automatic shutdown in the event of incorrect refueling, i.e., based on the information from the fuel sensor 42. For the functionality, please refer to the previous sections. List of reference symbols 10 Fuel tank device 20 Fuel tank 22 Tank interior 24 Tank inlet channel 26 Drain opening 28 Closure element 281 Valve 30 Automatic shutdown trigger device 40 Detection device 42 Fuel sensor 44 Level sensor 46 Float element 50 trip unit 52 Pump 54 Gas pipeline 56 Shut-off element 561 flap 58 Actuator 60 control unit 62 first communication interface 64 Control unit 66 second communication interface 68 Warning element 70 Drain opening 72 Drain closure element 100 fuel pumps 102 fuel nozzle

Claims

[1] Fuel tank device of a motor vehicle, with a fuel tank (20) which delimits a tank interior (22), and a vehicle-side automatic shutdown triggering device (30) for triggering an automatic shutdown of a fuel pump (100), comprising a detection device (40) for detecting the type of fuel and / or the fuel level in the fuel tank, a trigger unit (50) having a pump (52) which is fluidly connected to the fuel chamber (22) by a suction side, and a control unit (60) which is signal-connected to the detection device (40) and the triggering unit (50), wherein the pump (42) can be controlled by the control unit (50) in such a way that the fuel fill level in the fuel tank (20) and / or the type of fuel flowing into the fuel tank (20) is determined from the information of the detection device (32), and when a preset fuel fill level in the fuel tank (20) is reached and / or when a fuel deviating from a preset fuel is detected, the pump (52) of the triggering unit (50) is actively controlled in such a way that a negative pressure is generated in the tank interior (22) to trigger the automatic switch-off of the fuel pump (100). [2] Fuel tank device according to claim 1, characterized by that the detection device (40) has a fill level sensor (44) and / or a fuel sensor (42). [3] Fuel tank device according to claim 2, characterized by that the fuel sensor (42) is arranged on a tank inlet channel (24) of the fuel tank (20). [4] Fuel tank device of a motor vehicle, with a fuel tank (20) which delimits a tank interior (22) and has a tank inlet channel (24), wherein the tank inlet channel (24) is fluidically connected to the tank interior (22) at a first end and a fuel nozzle (102) of the fuel pump (100) can be coupled to a second end, and a vehicle-mounted automatic shutdown triggering device (30) for triggering an automatic shutdown of a fuel pump, comprising a triggering unit (50) which has a shut-off element (56) which is arranged in the tank inlet channel (24) and is adjustable by an actuator (58) between a closed position closing the tank inlet channel (24) and an open position releasing the tank inlet channel (24), a detection device (40) with a fuel sensor (42) for detecting the type of fuel, wherein the fuel sensor (42) is arranged on the tank inlet channel (24) and in the flow direction of the fuel during a refueling process upstream of the shut-off element (56), and a control unit (60) which is signal-connected to the detection device (40) and the triggering unit (50), wherein the actuator (58) can be controlled by the control unit (60) such that the shut-off element (56) is initially arranged in the closed position and is moved into the open position when a preset fuel is detected from the information of the fuel sensor (42). [5] Fuel tank device according to claim 4, characterized byin that the tank inlet channel (24) has an outlet opening (26) which is arranged in front of the shut-off element (56) in the flow direction of the inflowing fuel, wherein the fuel volume flow through the outlet opening can be adjusted by a closure element (28). [6] Fuel tank device according to claim 5, characterized by that the closure element (28) is a manually removable cap, a pivotably mounted flap or a valve (281). [7] Fuel tank device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by that the shut-off element (56) is a pivotably mounted flap (561) or a valve. [8] Fuel tank device according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized byin that the detection device (40) has a fill level sensor (44), wherein the actuator (58) in the open position of the shut-off element (56) can be controlled by the control unit (60) in such a way that when a preset fuel fill level is reached in the tank interior (22), the shut-off element (56) is adjusted from the open position to the closed position in such a way that the fuel builds up in the tank inlet channel (24) to trigger the automatic switch-off of the fuel pump. [9] Fuel tank device according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized by in that the triggering unit (50) has a pump (52) and a fill level sensor (44), wherein the pump (52) can be controlled by the control unit (60) in the open position of the shut-off element (56) in such a way that when a preset fuel fill level is reached in the fuel tank (20), a negative pressure is generated in the tank interior (22) to trigger the automatic switch-off of the fuel pump (100). [10] Fuel tank device according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized by that the fuel sensor (42) is an optical sensor. [11] Fuel tank device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that the control unit (60) has a first communication interface (62) for coupling to an operating unit (64) of the motor vehicle, wherein a fuel fill level that can be specified via the operating unit (64) and / or the type of fuel to be refueled can be transmitted via the first communication unit (62). [12] Fuel tank device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control unit (60) has a second communication interface (66) for transmitting a warning signal to a warning element (68).

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