Level Sensor Assembly

Abstract

A level sensor assembly capable of suppressing electrical corrosion of a current-carrying part is provided. [Solution] A level sensor assembly 100 is used in a level sensor that detects the liquid level inside a tank. The level sensor assembly 100 includes a plate 1 fixed to the tank, a current-carrying part electrically connected to a covered electric wire 220 extending from the body of the level sensor, an insulating member 3 provided on an inner part 11 of the plate 1 and having a housing chamber 30 that opens toward the inside of the tank and houses the current-carrying part, and an insulating sealant 4 filled in the housing chamber 30.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assembly for a level sensor. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a level sensor (detection device in the same document) that detects the liquid level inside a tank. The level sensor described in Patent Document 1 is provided inside a fuel tank of a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-93907 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In some cases, this type of level sensor employs a structure in which wiring extending from the body of the level sensor is connected to an electrical conductor inside the tank, and electrical continuity is established with the outside of the tank via this electrical conductor. If the fuel contained in the tank has characteristics that make it prone to absorbing moisture, there is a risk of electrical corrosion of the electrical conductor unless some measures are taken to protect the electrical conductor.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide a level sensor assembly that can suppress electrical corrosion of a current-carrying part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the level sensor assembly according to the present disclosure comprises: A level sensor assembly used in a level sensor that detects a liquid level inside a tank, comprising: a plate fixed to the tank, the plate having an inner side facing the inside of the tank and an outer side facing the outside of the tank; a conductive portion electrically connected to a coated electric wire extending from the body of the level sensor; an insulating member provided on the inner portion, the insulating member having an accommodation chamber that opens toward the inside of the tank and accommodates the conductive part; and a sealing material having insulating properties that is filled in the storage chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, electrical corrosion of the current-carrying portion can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembly for a level sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a level sensor applicable to the level sensor assembly according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the level sensor assembly according to the embodiment, and is a view for mainly explaining the accommodation chamber and the conductive portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the level sensor assembly according to the embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] A level sensor assembly 100 (hereinafter also simply referred to as assembly 100) shown in Fig. 1 is used in a level sensor 200 shown in Fig. 2. First, the level sensor 200 will be described.

[0011] The level sensor 200 is provided in a tank (not shown) that stores fuel for a vehicle such as a car, and detects the liquid level of the fuel. The type of fuel may be any, but the assembly 100 is suitable for ethanol fuel and methanol fuel, which have the property of absorbing water more easily than gasoline and diesel.

[0012] As the level sensor 200, various known structures can be adopted, such as the structure described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2023-93907), but an example configuration of the level sensor 200 will be briefly described with reference to Figure 2.

[0013] (Level Sensor 200) The level sensor 200 includes a main body 210 and a covered electric wire 220 extending from the main body 210. The main body 210 includes a float 211, an arm 212, a rotating part 213 that rotates together with the arm 212, and a case 214 that rotatably supports the rotating part 213.

[0014] The float 211 floats on the liquid (fuel) contained in the tank. The arm 212 connects the float 211 to the rotating part 213, and rotates the rotating part 213 in response to the displacement of the float 211.

[0015] Rotating portion 213 is configured to be rotatable about shaft portion 214a provided on case 214. Rotating portion 213 includes a magnet (not shown) and holder 213a that holds the magnet. For example, holder 213a holds a pair of magnets.

[0016] Inside the case 214, there are provided components (not shown) including a magnetic detection element that detects a magnetic field that changes in response to the rotation of the rotating part 213, and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) electrically connected to the magnetic detection element. For example, the magnetic detection element is a Hall IC (Integrated Circuit) that is provided inside the shaft part 214a. The magnetic detection element outputs a detection signal corresponding to the strength of the detected magnetic field to the PCB. This detection signal indicates a value corresponding to the magnetic field that changes in response to the rotation of the rotating part 213, and therefore indicates a value corresponding to the fuel level.

[0017] The insulated electric wires 220 are cords or cables for transmitting detection signals from the magnetic detection elements to a target device located outside the tank, and are configured by covering a conductor with an insulator. The target device is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of a vehicle. In this embodiment, there are three insulated electric wires 220, including a signal line for transmitting the detection signal. The three insulated electric wires 220 are electrically connected to a PCB inside the case 214 and are drawn to the outside of the main body 210 through grommets 215 provided at the end of the case 214. The assembly 100, which will be described next, is configured to ensure a conductive structure from the insulated electric wires 220 located inside the tank to the outside of the tank.

[0018] (Assembly 100) As shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 or Figure 4, the assembly 100 includes a plate 1, an electrically conductive portion 2 having a first conductive portion 21 and a second conductive portion 22, an insulating member 3, a sealing material 4, an outer conductive portion 5 and an outer insulating member 6 located outside the tank, and a gasket 7.

[0019] Plate 1 is a plate-like member fixed to the tank in a manner that closes an opening formed in the tank. Plate 1 has an inner portion 11 facing the inside of the tank and an outer portion 12 facing the outside of the tank. As shown by the arrows in Figures 1 and 3, "In" is the direction toward the inside of the tank, and "Out" is the direction toward the outside of the tank.

[0020] For example, a connecting member (not shown) that connects the main body 210 of the level sensor 200 to the plate 1 is provided on the inner portion 11 of the plate 1. The level sensor 200 is disposed inside the tank by fixing the plate 1, which supports the level sensor 200, to the tank via the connecting member.

[0021] The current-carrying unit 2 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is configured to be electrically connected to the insulated electric wires 220 extending from the main body 210 of the level sensor 200, and is made of, for example, metal. Three current-carrying units 2 are provided corresponding to the three insulated electric wires 220 (Figure 3 shows one of these current-carrying units 2). Since the three current-carrying units 2 have the same configuration, the following mainly describes one current-carrying unit 2 shown in Figure 3 and the configuration related to that one current-carrying unit 2.

[0022] The current-carrying portion 2 includes a first conductive portion 21 and a second conductive portion 22. The first conductive portion 21 is a metal terminal to which a coated electric wire 220 is connected and has a generally L-shaped cross section. The tip of the coated electric wire 220 connected to the first conductive portion 21 has its coating removed. The tip and the first conductive portion 21 are connected by a well-known electrical connection method, such as soldering or crimping. The second conductive portion 22 penetrates the plate 1 and has a first portion 22a that protrudes from the inner portion 11 toward the interior of the storage chamber 30 (described below) and a second portion 22b that protrudes from the outer portion 12 toward the outside of the tank. The second conductive portion 22 is columnar and penetrates the plate 1 via a cylindrical inner packing N provided between the insulating member 3 and the plate 1, as shown in FIG. 3 . For example, the inner packing N is fitted into a recess formed in the bottom surface of the insulating member 3. The inner packing N is made of an insulating elastomer such as rubber, and surrounds the outer periphery of the first portion 22a of the second conductive portion 22. For example, a flange-shaped portion is formed on the outer periphery of the first portion 22a to press against the inner circumferential surface of the inner packing N. The inner packing N may be formed integrally with the packing 7 described below.

[0023] The insulating member 3 is provided on the inner portion 11 of the plate 1, and specifically, is provided so as to stand from the inner portion 11 toward the inside of the tank. For example, the insulating member 3 is formed from an insulating resin. The insulating member 3 has a housing chamber 30 that opens toward the inside of the tank and houses the current-carrying part 2. Specifically, the housing chamber 30 houses the first conductive part 21 and the first part 22a of the second conductive part 22.

[0024] The insulating member 3 has three accommodating chambers 30 corresponding to the three current-carrying parts 2, respectively. Each of the three accommodating chambers 30 is a cylindrical portion with a bottom in the insulating member 3. Figure 3 shows two of these accommodating chambers 30 and also shows a cross section of the configuration corresponding to one of the accommodating chambers 30.

[0025] The sealing material 4 shown in FIG. 1 is an insulating material filled in the accommodation chamber 30. In reality, all three accommodation chambers 30 are filled with the sealing material 4, but FIG. 1 shows an example in which only one accommodation chamber 30 is filled with the sealing material 4. For example, the sealing material 4 is formed by hardening a resin such as epoxy resin that is poured into the accommodation chamber 30 after the coated electric wire 220 is connected to the first conductive portion 21 of the current-carrying unit 2. As a result, the first conductive portion 21 and the first portion 22a of the second conductive portion 22 accommodated in the accommodation chamber 30 are covered with the sealing material 4.

[0026] The outer conductive portion 5 is a metal terminal that is electrically connected to the second portion 22b of the second conductive portion 22 that protrudes toward the outside of the tank. The outer conductive portion 5 is connected to the target device via wiring (not shown), thereby achieving electrical connection between the level sensor 200 located inside the tank and the target device located outside the tank. The target device calculates the remaining amount of fuel in the tank based on the detection signal obtained from the level sensor 200 using a known method.

[0027] The outer insulating member 6 is provided on the outer portion 12 of the plate 1, surrounds the second portion 22b of the second conductive portion 22, and houses the outer conductive portion 5. The outer insulating member 6 is formed, for example, from an insulating resin, and is provided to insulate the outer conductive portion 5 from the plate 1.

[0028] The packing 7 is formed into a cylindrical shape from an insulating elastomer such as rubber, and is provided to surround the outer periphery of the second portion 22b of the second conductive portion 22. The packing 7 seals the gap between the second portion 22b and the outer insulating member 6.

[0029] In the assembly 100 described above, the sealing material 4 filled in the storage chamber 30 of the insulating member 3 achieves a liquid-tight structure that prevents fuel in the tank from entering the storage chamber 30. This prevents the current-carrying part 2 housed in the storage chamber 30 from coming into contact with the fuel, thereby suppressing electrical corrosion of the current-carrying part 2. This assembly 100 can also be used for tanks that store gasoline or diesel, but is particularly suitable for tanks that store ethanol fuel or methanol fuel, which have the property of easily absorbing moisture.

[0030] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings, and modifications (including the omission of components) can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Although the above example shows three insulated electric wires 220, the number of insulated electric wires 220 is arbitrary, and the number of components such as the conductive section 2, the accommodating chamber 30, etc. provided in a number corresponding to the insulated electric wires 220 is also arbitrary.

[0032] The type of the level sensor 200 in which the assembly 100 is used is not limited to the above example and may be any type. For example, the level sensor 200 may be a sliding type as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-59132 or the like.

[0033] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 100...Level sensor assembly 1...plate, 11...inner part, 12...outer part 2... Current conducting part, 21... First conducting part, 22... Second conducting part, 22a... First part, 22b... Second part 3...insulating member, 30...accommodating chamber, N...inner packing 4...Sealing material 5…Outside conduction part 6...Outer insulating member 7...Gasket 200...Level sensor 210...Main unit 211...float, 212...arm, 213...rotating part, 213a...holder 214...case, 214a...shaft portion, 215...grommet 220...Insulated wire

Claims

1. A level sensor assembly used in a level sensor that detects a liquid level inside a tank, comprising: a plate fixed to the tank, the plate having an inner side facing the inside of the tank and an outer side facing the outside of the tank; a conductive portion electrically connected to a coated electric wire extending from the body of the level sensor; an insulating member provided on the inner portion, the insulating member having an accommodation chamber that opens toward the inside of the tank and accommodates the conductive part; a sealing material filled in the storage chamber and having insulating properties; Level sensor assembly.

2. The current-carrying unit is a first conductive portion to which the coated electric wire is connected; a second conductive portion that includes a first portion that protrudes from the inner portion toward the inside of the storage chamber and a second portion that protrudes from the outer portion toward the outside of the tank, and that penetrates the plate; the first conductive portion and the first portion are accommodated in the accommodation chamber and covered with the sealing material; 10. The level sensor assembly of claim 1.

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