Reserve tank

Abstract

To provide a reserve tank that can suppress the mixing of air into the coolant regardless of the vehicle's driving conditions or road surface conditions, thereby improving gas-liquid separation performance. [Solution] The reserve tank 7 is equipped with front partitions 12A, rear partitions 12B, left partition 12C, and right partitions 12D that divide the inside of the reserve tank body 21 into a front left separation chamber 13A, a front right separation chamber 13B, a rear left separation chamber 13C, and a rear right separation chamber 13D for gas-liquid separation of the cooling water. Communication ports 12a, 12b, and 12c are formed in the front partitions 12A, rear partitions 12B, and right partitions 12D to allow cooling water to flow to the adjacent front left separation chamber 13A, front right separation chamber 13B, rear left separation chamber 13C, and rear right separation chamber 13D, and the inlet 14 and outlet 15 are provided in the bottom wall 10A of the reserve tank body 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reserve tank.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to adjust the pressure of the cooling water in the radiator and the amount of the cooling water, a reserve tank provided in a cooling water circuit between an internal combustion engine and a radiator is known, and a plurality of gas-liquid separation structures are provided inside the reserve tank (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The conventional gas-liquid separation structure has a plurality of partitions provided inside the reserve tank, and through holes are formed in each partition. While the liquid introduced into the reserve tank is sequentially discharged from the reserve tank through the through holes, the gas contained in the liquid is separated. Vortex generation suppressing means for suppressing the generation of vortices is provided adjacent to the through holes on the rear surface of the partition.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the gas-liquid separation structure of the conventional reserve tank, an inflow pipe for introducing cooling water into the reserve tank is provided on the side surface (side wall) of the reserve tank. That is, the inflow pipe is provided above the bottom surface (bottom wall) of the reserve tank.

[0006] As a result, depending on the driving state such as sudden acceleration or sudden stop of the vehicle, or the road surface state such as an uphill road or a downhill road, when the water surface of the cooling water in the reserve tank tilts, an air bite occurs between the inflow pipe and the water surface in the reserve tank, and there is a risk that air is mixed into the cooling water.

[0007] As a result, the gas-liquid separation performance may deteriorate, potentially leading to a decrease in the cooling performance of the radiator.

[0008] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a reserve tank that can suppress the mixing of air into the coolant regardless of the vehicle's driving conditions or road surface conditions, and can improve gas-liquid separation performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a reserve tank comprising a reserve tank body, an inlet provided in the reserve tank body for introducing cooling water supplied from an internal combustion engine into the reserve tank body, an outlet provided in the reserve tank body for supplying cooling water from the reserve tank body to the internal combustion engine, and a plurality of partitions dividing the inside of the reserve tank body into a plurality of separation chambers for separating gas and liquid from the cooling water, wherein one or more of the plurality of partitions are provided with a communication port for allowing cooling water to flow between adjacent separation chambers, and the inlet and outlet are provided in the bottom wall of the reserve tank body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the mixing of air into the coolant regardless of the vehicle's driving conditions or road surface conditions, thereby improving gas-liquid separation performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a cooling water circuit of an internal combustion engine equipped with a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the cooling water circuit from the left side. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a left side view of a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 2. It is a front view of an internal combustion engine equipped with a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inlet side hood of a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the VI-VI line in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the outlet side hood portion of a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another shape of the inlet side hood and outlet side hood of a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows another shape of the inlet side hood portion of a reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the IV-IV arrow in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a reserve tank body, an inlet provided in the reserve tank body for introducing cooling water supplied from an internal combustion engine into the reserve tank body, an outlet provided in the reserve tank body for supplying cooling water from the reserve tank body to the internal combustion engine, and a plurality of partitions dividing the inside of the reserve tank body into a plurality of separation chambers for separating the gas and liquid of the cooling water, wherein one or more of the plurality of partitions are formed with a communication port for allowing cooling water to flow between adjacent separation chambers, and the inlet and outlet are provided in the bottom wall of the reserve tank body.

[0013] As a result, the reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention can suppress the mixing of air into the coolant regardless of the vehicle's driving conditions or road surface conditions, thereby improving gas-liquid separation performance. [Examples]

[0014] A reserve tank according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 9 are diagrams showing a reserve tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] In Figures 1 to 9, the vertical, front-rear, and left-right directions are based on the internal combustion engine disposed in the vehicle. The front-rear direction of the vehicle is the front-rear direction, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle is the left-right direction, and the vertical direction (height direction) of the vehicle is the vertical direction. <​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ As shown in Figure 3, the reserve tank body 10 is provided with a front partition wall 12A, a rear partition wall 12B, a left partition wall 12C, and a right partition wall 12D. The front partition wall 12A, rear partition wall 12B, left partition wall 12C, and right partition wall 12D extend from the upper end to the lower end of the front wall 10B, rear wall 10C, left wall 10D, and right wall 10E.

[0021] The front bulkhead 12A extends forward from the central axis O of the reserve tank 7. The rear bulkhead 12B extends rearward from the central axis O of the reserve tank 7 and is connected to the front bulkhead 12A.

[0022] The left bulkhead 12C extends to the left from the central axis O of the reserve tank 7. The right bulkhead 12D extends to the right from the central axis O of the reserve tank 7 and is connected to the front bulkhead 12A, the rear bulkhead 12B, and the left bulkhead 12C.

[0023] The front bulkhead 12A, the rear bulkhead 12B, the left bulkhead 12C, and the right bulkhead 12D are formed in a cross shape when viewed from above the reserve tank 7.

[0024] The interior of the reserve tank body 10 is divided into a front left separation chamber 13A, a front right separation chamber 13B, a rear left separation chamber 13C, and a rear right separation chamber 13D by a front bulkhead 12A, a rear bulkhead 12B, a left side bulkhead 12C, and a right side bulkhead 12D.

[0025] A communication port 12a is formed in the front bulkhead 12A, and the front left separation chamber 13A and the front right separation chamber 13B are connected by the communication port 12a.

[0026] A communication opening 12b is formed in the right-side bulkhead 12D, and the front right separation chamber 13B and the rear right separation chamber 13D are connected by the communication opening 12b.

[0027] A communication port 12c is formed in the rear bulkhead 12B, and the rear left separation chamber 13C and the rear right separation chamber 13D are connected by the communication port 12c.

[0028] Communication port 12a is located on the front wall 10B side with respect to the central axis O of the reserve tank 7, communication port 12b is located on the right wall 10E side with respect to the central axis O of the reserve tank 7, and communication port 12c is located on the rear wall 10C side with respect to the central axis O of the reserve tank 7. In other words, communication ports 12a, 12b, and 12c are located at positions away from the central axis O of the reserve tank 7.

[0029] The bottom wall 10A of the reserve tank body 10 is provided with pipe-shaped inlet 14 and outlet 15 (see Figures 4 and 6). The inlet 14 and outlet 15 are located near the central axis O of the reserve tank 7, that is, in the center of the bottom wall 10A, and are positioned on the side of the central axis O of the reserve tank 7 relative to the communication ports 12a and 12c.

[0030] In this embodiment, the inlet section 14 is composed of a pipe section 14A and an opening 14a that opens into the bottom wall 10A (see Figure 4), and the outlet section 15 is composed of a pipe section 15A and an opening 15a that opens into the bottom wall 10A (see Figure 6).

[0031] The front left isolation chamber 13A is positioned alongside the front right isolation chamber 13B in the left-right direction, and alongside the rear left isolation chamber 13C in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The front right isolation chamber 13B is positioned alongside the rear right isolation chamber 13D in the front-to-back direction, and the rear right isolation chamber 13D is positioned alongside the rear left isolation chamber 13C in the left-to-right direction.

[0033] In other words, the separation chambers in this embodiment are arranged around the central axis O of the reserve tank body 10 in the order of front left separation chamber 13A, front right separation chamber 13B, rear right separation chamber 13D, and rear left separation chamber 13C.

[0034] The front left separation chamber 13A has an inlet 14, and the front left separation chamber 13A constitutes the upstream separation chamber in the direction of cooling water flow. The rear left separation chamber 13C has an outlet 15, and the rear left separation chamber 13C constitutes the downstream separation chamber in the direction of cooling water flow.

[0035] Upstream and downstream refer to the direction in which the cooling water flows. The front left separation chamber 13A, located at the uppermost position, is upstream of the rear left separation chamber 13C, located at the lowermost position, and the rear left separation chamber 13C, located at the lowermost position, is downstream of the front left separation chamber 13A, located at the uppermost position.

[0036] The uppermost front left separation chamber 13A and the lowermost rear left separation chamber 13C are located adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction via a left-side partition wall 12C, and no communication opening is formed in the left-side partition wall 12C.

[0037] In this embodiment, the front left separation chamber 13A, the front right separation chamber 13B, the rear left separation chamber 13C, and the rear right separation chamber 13D constitute separation chambers.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, a reserve tank inlet pipe 8 is connected to the inlet section 14. As a result, the cooling water flowing through the reserve tank inlet pipe 8 is introduced from the inlet section 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A (see cooling water W1 in Figure 3).

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the cooling water W1 introduced into the front left separation chamber 13A collides with the left side wall 10D and changes direction towards the front bulkhead 12A (see cooling water W2 in Figure 3), and then flows through the communication port 12a to the front right separation chamber 13B (see cooling water W3 in Figure 3).

[0040] The cooling water W3 that flows into the front right separation chamber 13B collides with the right side wall 10E, changes direction towards the right bulkhead 12D, and flows through the communication port 12b into the rear right separation chamber 13D (see cooling water W4 in Figure 3).

[0041] The cooling water W4 that flows into the rear right separation chamber 13D collides with the rear wall 10C, changes direction towards the rear bulkhead 12B, and flows through the communication port 12c into the rear left separation chamber 13C (see cooling water W5 in Figure 3).

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, a reserve tank outlet pipe 9 is connected to the outlet section 15. As a result, the cooling water W5 that flows into the rear left separation chamber 13C collides with the left side wall 10D and changes direction towards the rear bulkhead 12B (see cooling water W6 in Figure 3), and is discharged from the outlet section 15 into the reserve tank outlet pipe 9.

[0043] In this way, the cooling water introduced from the inlet 14 to the front left separation chamber 13A flows in a swirling manner through the front right separation chamber 13B, the rear right separation chamber 13D, and the rear left separation chamber 13C, thereby enabling efficient gas-liquid separation.

[0044] The communication openings 12a, 12b, and 12c extend downward from the upper ends of the front bulkhead 12A, the rear bulkhead 12B, and the right bulkhead 12D (see communication opening 12b in Figure 4), and the lower ends 12m of the communication openings 12a, 12b, and 12c are located above the bottom wall 10A. In other words, the communication openings 12a, 12b, and 12c extend in a long length in the vertical direction.

[0045] Figure 4 shows the shape of the communication opening 12b, but the height position and shape of the communication openings 12a and 12c are the same as those of the communication opening 12b.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an inlet-side hood section 16 is provided at the inlet section 14. The inlet-side hood section 16 is located below the lower end 12m of the communication openings 12a, 12b, and 12c, and above the inlet section 14, covering the inlet section 14.

[0047] An entrance-side opening 16a is formed in the entrance-side hood section 16. The entrance-side opening 16a opens towards the left-side wall 10D and connects the front left separation chamber 13A and the entrance section 14.

[0048] The entrance-side hood section 16 has an entrance-side peripheral wall section 16A and an entrance-side upper wall section 16B. The entrance-side peripheral wall section 16A extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the entrance section 14 (the outer peripheral edge of the opening 14a), and a part of the entrance-side peripheral wall section 16A is composed of the front partition wall 12A. In other words, the front partition wall 12A constitutes a part of the entrance-side peripheral wall section 16A.

[0049] The entrance-side upper wall portion 16B is connected to the upper end of the entrance-side peripheral wall portion 16A, extends horizontally, and covers the upper part of the entrance portion 14.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, when the reserve tank 7 is viewed from above, the inlet-side upper wall portion 16B completely covers the upper part of the inlet portion 14, and the inlet portion 14 is obscured by the inlet-side upper wall portion 16B and cannot be seen from above.

[0051] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the outlet section 15 is provided with an outlet-side hood section 17. The outlet-side hood section 17 is located below the lower end 12m of the communication openings 12a, 12b, and 12c, and above the outlet section 15, covering the outlet section 15.

[0052] An outlet-side opening 17a is formed in the outlet-side hood section 17. The outlet-side opening 17a opens towards the left-side wall 10D and connects the rear left separation chamber 13C and the outlet section 15. In other words, the inlet-side opening 16a and the outlet-side opening 17a open in the same direction (towards the left-side wall 10D).

[0053] The outlet-side hood portion 17 has an outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A and an outlet-side upper wall portion 17B. The outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet portion 15 (the outer peripheral edge of the opening 15a), and a part of the outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A is composed of the rear partition wall 12B. In other words, the rear partition wall 12B constitutes a part of the outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A.

[0054] The outlet-side upper wall portion 17B is connected to the upper end of the outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A, extends horizontally, and covers the upper part of the outlet portion 15.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, when the reserve tank 7 is viewed from above, the outlet-side upper wall portion 17B completely covers the upper part of the outlet portion 15, and the outlet portion 15 is obscured by the outlet-side upper wall portion 17B and cannot be seen from above.

[0056] As shown in Figure 2, the reserve tank body 10 is provided with horizontally extending scales 18A and 18B, with scale 18A located above scale 18B.

[0057] Scale 18A indicates the upper limit of the coolant level that can be stored in the reserve tank 7, and scale 18B indicates the lower limit of the coolant level that can be stored in the reserve tank 7. The user visually checks the coolant level (see coolant W in Figure 2) using scales 18A and 18B as a reference and determines whether the amount of coolant stored in the reserve tank 7 is appropriate.

[0058] The markings 18A and 18B may be linear bulges extending outward from the main body of the reserve tank 10, or they may be colored lines. In short, anything that can serve as a guide for measuring the water level of the cooling water stored in the reserve tank 7 is acceptable.

[0059] Next, the effects of the reserve tank 7 in this embodiment will be explained. The reserve tank 7 in this embodiment includes a reserve tank body 21, an inlet 14 for introducing cooling water supplied from the internal combustion engine 2 into the reserve tank body 21, and an outlet 15 provided on the reserve tank body 21 for supplying cooling water from the reserve tank body 21 to the internal combustion engine 2.

[0060] Furthermore, the reserve tank 7 is equipped with front partitions 12A, rear partitions 12B, left partition 12C, and right partitions 12D that divide the inside of the reserve tank body 21 into a front left separation chamber 13A, a front right separation chamber 13B, a rear left separation chamber 13C, and a rear right separation chamber 13D for separating the gas and liquid of the cooling water.

[0061] The front bulkhead 12A, the rear bulkhead 12B, and the right bulkhead 12D are formed with communication ports 12a, 12b, and 12c that allow cooling water to flow to the adjacent front left separation chamber 13A, the front right separation chamber 13B, the rear left separation chamber 13C, and the rear right separation chamber 13D, respectively. The inlet 14 and outlet 15 are provided on the bottom wall 10A of the reserve tank body 10.

[0062] This prevents a gap from forming between the inlet 14 and the coolant surface in the reserve tank 7, even if the liquid level tilts due to driving conditions such as sudden acceleration and braking of the vehicle, or road surface conditions such as uphill and downhill roads, thereby preventing air from mixing with the coolant.

[0063] In other words, the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment can suppress the mixing of air into the coolant regardless of the vehicle's driving conditions or road surface conditions, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation performance of the reserve tank 7.

[0064] Furthermore, in the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the inlet portion 14 and the outlet portion 15 are located in the center of the bottom wall 10A of the reserve tank body portion 10.

[0065] In this way, by concentrating the inlet 14 and outlet 15 in the center of the bottom wall 10A of the reserve tank body 10, it is possible to more effectively suppress the mixing of air into the inlet 14 and outlet 15, even when the water level of the cooling water is significantly tilted, compared to a configuration where the inlet 14 and outlet 15 are located at the ends of the bottom wall 10A.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the multiple separation chambers are configured to include the uppermost front left separation chamber 13A, which has an inlet 14 and through which cooling water introduced from the inlet 14 flows, and the lowermost rear left separation chamber 13C, which has an outlet 15 and through which cooling water is discharged.

[0067] The front left separation chamber 13A and the rear left separation chamber 13C are located adjacent to each other via a left-side partition wall 12C, and no communication opening is formed in the left-side partition wall 12C.

[0068] As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the cooling water W1 introduced from the inlet 14 to the uppermost front left separation chamber 13A flows from the front left separation chamber 13A to the front right separation chamber 13B, the rear right separation chamber 13D, and the lowermost rear left separation chamber 13C, and is discharged from the outlet 15 (see cooling water W2 to cooling water W6).

[0069] In other words, the path of the cooling water flowing inside the reserve tank 7 can be made as long as possible, allowing for efficient separation of cooling water and air, and thus more effectively improving gas-liquid separation performance.

[0070] Furthermore, since there is no communication opening in the left partition wall 12C that separates the upstream front left separation chamber 13A and the downstream rear left separation chamber 13C, it is possible to reliably prevent the cooling water introduced into the front left separation chamber 13A from the inlet 14 from flowing into the rear left separation chamber 13C and being discharged from the outlet 15.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the uppermost front left separation chamber 13A is located below the lower end 12m of the communication port 12a and above the inlet 14, and has an inlet-side hood portion 16 that covers the inlet 14, and the inlet-side hood portion 16 has an inlet-side opening 16a that connects the inlet 14 and the front left separation chamber 13A.

[0072] If the inlet side hood 16 is not provided at the inlet 14, the cooling water introduced from the inlet 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A will flow vigorously upward and reach the surface of the cooling water, disturbing (fluttering) the water surface and potentially causing bubbles to form in the cooling water.

[0073] According to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the cooling water flowing upward from the inlet 14 collides with the inlet-side hood 16, changing the direction of the cooling water from vertical to horizontal, and introducing it into the front left separation chamber 13A from the inlet-side opening 16a.

[0074] This prevents the cooling water introduced from the inlet 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A from reaching the water surface, thereby suppressing disturbance of the water surface and preventing the generation of bubbles associated with disturbance. As a result, the gas-liquid separation performance can be improved more effectively.

[0075] On the other hand, if the outlet hood 17 is not provided at the outlet 15, the cooling water introduced from the communication port 12c into the rear left separation chamber 13C flows almost perpendicularly toward the outlet 15. Because this cooling water forms a vortex, there is a risk that air may be mixed into the cooling water discharged from the rear left separation chamber 13C to the outlet 15.

[0076] According to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the rear left separation chamber 13C at the downstream end is located below the lower end 12m of the communication port 12c and above the outlet 15, and has an outlet-side hood portion 17 that covers the outlet 15, and the outlet-side hood portion 17 has an outlet-side opening 17a that connects the outlet 15 and the rear left separation chamber 13C at the downstream end.

[0077] As a result, when the cooling water, which is introduced into the rear left separation chamber 13C from the communication port 12c located above the outlet hood section 17 and flows generally vertically toward the outlet section 15, is discharged from the outlet opening 17a to the outlet hood section 17, the outlet upper wall section 17B changes the flow of the cooling water to a horizontal direction before it is discharged to the outlet section 15.

[0078] Therefore, the generation of vortices in the cooling water above the outlet 15 can be suppressed, and the mixing of air into the cooling water discharged to the outlet 15 can be suppressed. As a result, the gas-liquid separation performance can be improved more effectively.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the inlet-side hood portion 16 includes an inlet-side peripheral wall portion 16A that extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the inlet portion 14 and has an inlet-side opening 16a formed therein, and an inlet-side upper wall portion 16B that is connected to the upper end of the inlet-side peripheral wall portion 16A and covers the upper part of the inlet portion 14.

[0080] This allows the cooling water flowing vertically through the inlet 14 to collide with the inlet-side upper wall 16B, changing its flow to a horizontal direction, and then introducing it into the front left separation chamber 13A from the inlet-side opening 16a. In other words, the direction of the cooling water introduced from the inlet 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A can be reliably changed from vertical to horizontal.

[0081] Furthermore, the outlet-side hood portion 17 includes an outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A that extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet portion 15 and has an outlet-side opening 17a formed therein, and an outlet-side upper wall portion 17B that is connected to the upper end of the outlet-side peripheral wall portion 17A and covers the upper part of the outlet portion 15.

[0082] This allows the cooling water flowing roughly vertically from the rear left separation chamber 13C to the outlet opening 17a to collide with the outlet upper wall 17B, thereby reliably converting it into a horizontal flow.

[0083] Furthermore, in the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, the inlet opening 16a and the outlet opening 17a are open in the same direction.

[0084] This allows the cooling water W1 introduced from the inlet 14 through the inlet-side opening 16a into the front left separation chamber 13A, and the cooling water W6 discharged from the rear left separation chamber 13C through the outlet-side opening 17a into the outlet 15, to flow in the same direction in the left-right direction, but in opposite directions.

[0085] Therefore, the path from cooling water W1 to cooling water W6 flowing from the front left separation chamber 13A to the rear left separation chamber 13C can be lengthened without increasing water flow resistance. As a result, gas-liquid separation performance can be improved more effectively.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the reserve tank 7 of this embodiment, a portion of the inlet side peripheral wall 16A is composed of a front partition wall 12A located in the front left separation chamber 13A, and a portion of the outlet side peripheral wall 17A is composed of a rear partition wall 12B located in the rear left separation chamber 13C.

[0087] This reduces the number of parts in the inlet-side hood section 16 and the outlet-side hood section 17, thereby making the reserve tank 7 lighter and lower in cost.

[0088] In this embodiment, the reserve tank 7 has four separation chambers 13A through 13D, but the number and arrangement of the separation chambers are not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0089] Furthermore, although the inlet opening 16a and the outlet opening 17a in this embodiment are opened in the same direction, as shown in Figure 8, the inlet opening 19a of the inlet hood portion 19 and the outlet opening 20a of the outlet hood portion 20 may be opened so that they face each other in the front-to-back direction.

[0090] In Figure 8, the entrance-side hood section 19 has an entrance-side peripheral wall section 19A and an entrance-side upper wall section 19B, and a portion of the entrance-side peripheral wall section 19A is made up of the front partition wall 12A.

[0091] The outlet-side hood section 20 has an outlet-side peripheral wall section 20A and an outlet-side upper wall section 20B, and a portion of the outlet-side peripheral wall section 20A is made up of a rear-side partition wall 12B.

[0092] In this way, as shown in Figure 8, the cooling water W7 introduced from the inlet section 14 through the inlet-side opening 19a to the uppermost front left separation chamber 13A flows from the front left separation chamber 13A to the front right separation chamber 13B, the rear right separation chamber 13D, and the rear left separation chamber 13C in that order, and can be discharged from the outlet section 15 through the outlet-side opening 20a (see cooling water W8 to cooling water W14).

[0093] In this case, two additional paths can be added: one for the cooling water W7 introduced from the inlet 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A, which collides with the left partition wall 12C and flows along the left partition wall 12C (see cooling water W8 in Figure 8); and another for the cooling water W12 introduced from the communication port 12c into the rear left separation chamber 13C, which collides with the left partition wall 12C and flows along the left partition wall 12C (see cooling water W13 in Figure 8).

[0094] Therefore, the path from cooling water W7 to cooling water W14 flowing inside the reserve tank 7 can be made longer than the path from cooling water W1 to cooling water W6 shown in Figure 3, thereby more effectively improving the gas-liquid separation performance.

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the inlet-side upper wall portion 16B of the inlet-side hood portion 16 may be inclined downward from the front partition wall 12A. In this way, the opening area of ​​the inlet-side opening 16a can be reduced, thereby suppressing the force of the cooling water introduced from the inlet portion 14 into the front left separation chamber 13A, and making it even more difficult for air to be mixed into the cooling water.

[0096] Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained by inclining the outlet-side upper wall portion 17B of the outlet-side hood portion 17 downward from the rear-side bulkhead 12B.

[0097] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the inlet-side upper wall portion 16B of the inlet-side hood portion 16 may be inclined upward from the front partition wall 12A. This would increase the opening area of ​​the inlet-side opening 16a and reduce the resistance of the cooling water introduced from the inlet portion 14 to the front left separation chamber 13A.

[0098] Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained by inclining the outlet-side upper wall portion 17B of the outlet-side hood portion 17 upward from the rear-side bulkhead 12B.

[0099] Furthermore, the shapes of the inlet-side hood portion 16 and the outlet-side hood portion 17 are not particularly limited. For example, the inlet-side upper wall portion and the outlet-side upper wall portion may be formed in a dome shape that bulges upward. Alternatively, the inlet-side upper wall portion and the outlet-side upper wall portion may be formed in a box shape with a larger area than the inlet-side upper wall portion 16B and the outlet-side upper wall portion 17B when viewed from above the reserve tank 7.

[0100] While embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 2 Internal Combustion Engine 7. Reserve Tank 10A Bottom wall (bottom wall of the reserve tank body) 12A Front bulkhead (bulkhead, part of the surrounding wall on the entrance side) 12a,12b,12c communication port 12B Rear bulkhead (bulkhead, part of the peripheral wall on the exit side) 12C Left side bulkhead (bulkhead) 12D Right side bulkhead (bulkhead) 13A Front left separation chamber (separation chamber, uppermost separation chamber) 13B Front right separation room (separation room) 13C Rear left separation chamber (separation chamber, furthest downstream separation chamber) 13D Rear right separation chamber (separation chamber) 14 Entrance 15 Exit section 16 Entrance side hood section 16A Inlet side peripheral wall 16a Inlet side opening 16B Entrance side upper wall 17. Outlet side hood section 17A Outlet side peripheral wall 17a Outlet side opening 17B Exit side upper wall 21. Reserve Tank Body

Claims

1. The reserve tank body and The reserve tank body is provided with an inlet for introducing cooling water supplied from the internal combustion engine into the reserve tank body, The reserve tank body is provided with an outlet for supplying cooling water from the reserve tank body to the internal combustion engine, The reserve tank body is equipped with multiple partitions that divide the interior into multiple separation chambers for separating the gas and liquid of the cooling water, A reserve tank having a communication port formed in one or more of the plurality of partition walls for flowing cooling water between adjacent separation chambers, A reserve tank characterized in that the inlet and outlet are provided on the bottom wall of the reserve tank body.

2. The reserve tank according to claim 1, characterized in that the inlet and outlet portions are located in the center of the bottom wall.

3. The plurality of separation chambers are configured to include an upstream separation chamber in which the inlet is located and cooling water introduced from the inlet flows, and a downstream separation chamber in which the outlet is located and cooling water is discharged to the outlet, The uppermost separation chamber and the lowermost separation chamber are located adjacent to each other, separated by one of the multiple partition walls. The reserve tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the partition wall separating the uppermost separation chamber and the lowermost separation chamber does not have the communication opening formed therein.

4. The plurality of separation chambers are configured to include an upstream separation chamber in which the inlet is located and cooling water introduced from the inlet flows, and a downstream separation chamber in which the outlet is located and cooling water is discharged to the outlet, The uppermost separation chamber is located below the lower end of the communication opening and above the inlet, and has an inlet-side hood that covers the inlet. The inlet-side hood section has an inlet-side opening that connects the inlet section and the upstreammost separation chamber. The downstream separation chamber is located below the lower end of the communication opening and above the outlet, and has an outlet-side hood that covers the outlet. The reserve tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet-side hood portion has an outlet-side opening that connects the outlet portion and the downstream separation chamber.

5. The inlet-side hood portion comprises an inlet-side peripheral wall portion extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the inlet portion and having the inlet-side opening formed therein, and an inlet-side upper wall portion connected to the upper end of the inlet-side peripheral wall portion and covering the upper part of the inlet portion. The reserve tank according to claim 4, characterized in that the outlet-side hood portion comprises an outlet-side peripheral wall portion extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the outlet portion and having the outlet-side opening formed therein, and an outlet-side upper wall portion connected to the upper end of the outlet-side peripheral wall portion and covering the upper part of the outlet portion.

6. The reserve tank according to claim 4, characterized in that the inlet opening and the outlet opening are open in the same direction.

7. The reserve tank according to claim 5, characterized in that the inlet opening and the outlet opening are open in the same direction.

8. A portion of the inlet-side peripheral wall is composed of a partition wall located in the uppermost separation chamber. The reserve tank according to claim 5, characterized in that a portion of the outlet-side peripheral wall is composed of a partition wall located in the downstream separation chamber among the plurality of partition walls.

9. A portion of the inlet-side peripheral wall is composed of a partition wall located in the uppermost separation chamber. The reserve tank according to claim 7, characterized in that a portion of the outlet-side peripheral wall is composed of a partition wall located in the downstream separation chamber among the plurality of partition walls.

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