Reserve tank

Abstract

To achieve a reserve tank capable of adapting to a difference of a vehicle body fastening configuration and a routing configuration.SOLUTION: A reserve tank is a cylindrical reserve tank 10 provided in the middle of a route through which a cooling liquid circulates, and includes a tank body part 12 for storing the cooling liquid and a bracket 14 for fastening the tank body part 12 to a vehicle body side. The tank body part 12 has a protrusion part 18 on an outer peripheral surface. The bracket 14 includes a bracket body part 20 for covering an outside surface of the tank body part 12, and bracket end parts 22 extending so as to project radially from the outer peripheral surface of the tank body part 12. The bracket body part 20 has an engagement part for tank 24. The engagement part for tank 24 is engaged with the protrusion part 18. The tank body part 12 is fastened and held by the bracket 14 by fastening at least one of the bracket end parts 22 by a fastener 26 in a proximity and separation possible manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reserve tank, and more particularly to a bracket for a reserve tank that fastens a reserve tank body to a vehicle body side.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle, there may be a water-cooled cooling mechanism that circulates a coolant for cooling a power generation source (e.g., a gasoline engine or an electric motor). Due to an increase in the temperature of a radiator, which is one of the components of such a cooling mechanism, the coolant that has expanded or contains bubbles may cause problems such as a decrease in cooling efficiency and instability of the pressure within the cooling mechanism if left unattended. Therefore, a reserve tank, which is an auxiliary tank, is utilized as a escape route for the coolant whose temperature has risen. Conventionally, various shapes and configurations have been proposed for this reserve tank to more smoothly circulate the coolant

[0003] For example, there is a cylindrical reserve tank that generates a swirling flow in the coolant within the reserve tank in order to enhance the cooling efficiency by the coolant. The reserve tank disclosed in Patent Document 1 is cylindrical, and further provided with a protruding portion that protrudes upward from the bottom surface inside the reserve tank. With such a configuration, it is said that it is easier to generate a swirling flow in the coolant within the reserve tank, and by utilizing the swirling flow to perform gas-liquid separation, the burden on a pump that pumps the coolant can be reduced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, when there are reserve tanks of various shapes and configurations, it is necessary to accommodate the external shape of each reserve tank at the point where it is fastened to the vehicle body. On the other hand, if the routing of the hoses that circulate the coolant differs depending on the vehicle model, it may be necessary to change the shape and configuration of the reserve tank to accommodate the routing layout. In other words, it may not be possible to use a common reserve tank in order to accommodate the fastening points when fastening the reserve tank to the vehicle body and the routing of the hoses. As a result, the problem of increased production costs arises.

[0006] Therefore, this specification aims to realize a reserve tank that can accommodate differences in vehicle body fastening configurations and cable routing configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The reserve tank disclosed herein is a cylindrical reserve tank provided in the middle of a path through which coolant circulates, comprising a tank body for storing the coolant and a bracket for fastening the tank body to the vehicle body, wherein the tank body has a protrusion on its outer surface, and the bracket has a bracket body covering the outer surface of the tank body and a bracket end extending radially from the outer circumferential surface of the tank body, wherein the bracket body has a tank engagement portion, the tank engagement portion and the protrusion engage, and at least one of the bracket ends is fastened by a fastener so as to be able to move closer to and further away from the tank, thereby the bracket fastens and holds the tank body.

[0008] With the above configuration, since the bracket body covers the outer surface of the tank body, the cylindrical tank body can be rotated when fastening the tank body to the vehicle body via the bracket, accommodating differences in the wiring configuration of each vehicle. Therefore, a common bracket can be used, and since there is no need to replace the bracket when fastening the tank body to the vehicle body, increases in production costs and manufacturing man-hours can be suppressed. In addition, since at least one end of the bracket is fastened by a fastener that can be moved closer to and further away from it (i.e., it is openable), the bracket can be easily replaced. With this configuration, differences in vehicle body fastening can be accommodated while using a common reserve tank.

[0009] Furthermore, the reserve tank is characterized in that the bracket includes two semicircular half-bracket body portions and half-bracket ends extending from each end of the two half-bracket body portions, and the portions where the respective half-bracket ends overlap are fastened together by the fastener.

[0010] The above configuration makes it easier to replace the bracket.

[0011] Furthermore, the reserve tank is characterized in that the bracket is made of a single component, the bracket body is circular with one side open along the outer surface of the tank body, and the portions where the bracket ends, provided at both open ends of the bracket, overlap are fastened by the fastener.

[0012] With the above configuration, since the bracket is made of a single component, costs can be reduced by eliminating the need for fasteners. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The reserve tank disclosed herein can accommodate differences in vehicle body fastening configurations and cable routing configurations while using a common reserve tank, thereby suppressing increases in production costs and manufacturing man-hours. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the reserve tank in a side view. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the AA cross-section of the reserve tank in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the reserve tank. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the reserve tank in the modified version, viewed from above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The reserve tank will be described below with reference to the drawings. To facilitate understanding of the explanation, the same reference numerals will be used for identical components in each drawing whenever possible, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a reserve tank in a side view. The reserve tank 10 shown in Figure 1 is part of a cooling mechanism mounted on a vehicle (not shown), and is a cylindrical component located in the middle of the path through which the coolant circulates. As shown in Figure 1, the reserve tank 10 comprises a tank body 12 and brackets 14 and 16.

[0017] The tank body portion 12 is the main body of the reserve tank 10 and is formed in a cylindrical shape to store coolant. The tank body portion 12 is formed from, for example, a resin material. As shown in Figure 1, the tank body portion 12 has a protrusion 18 on its outer surface. The protrusion 18 is provided to engage the tank body portion 12 with each bracket 14, 16. In Figure 1, only one protrusion 18 that engages with the bracket 14 is shown, but multiple protrusions 18 may be provided. The position of the reserve tank 10 is defined by the protrusions 18 with respect to each bracket 14, 16. In addition, the protrusions 18 support the brackets 14, 16 from below, which prevents the tank body portion 12 from moving downwards. The outer circumference of the tank body portion 12 may be tapered so that the diameter is slightly smaller towards the bottom, and the inner circumferences of the brackets 14, 16 may also be tapered in a corresponding way.

[0018] Brackets 14 and 16 are components that fasten the tank body 12 to the vehicle body. In this example, brackets 14 and 16 are semicircular in shape when viewed from above. Furthermore, when fastening the reserve tank 10 to the vehicle body, brackets 14 and 16 are components that are fixed to the vehicle body in advance. In Figure 1, for ease of viewing, bracket 14 is shown as a dark gray area and bracket 16 is shown as a diagonally sloping area. The same applies to Figure 3 below. In the following explanation, we will mainly refer to and explain bracket 14. Since bracket 16 is the same as bracket 14, its explanation will be omitted as appropriate.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the bracket 14 has a bracket body portion 20 and bracket end portions 22. In a side view, the bracket 14 has a roughly rectangular bracket body portion 20 with the bracket end portions 22 joined to both ends, giving it a roughly U-shape overall. In this example, the shape of the bracket 14 is sufficient if it is a semicircular shape in a top view, as described above.

[0020] The bracket main body portion 20 is a portion covering the outer surface of the tank main body portion 12. When the tank main body portion 12 is clamped and held by the bracket 14, the inner surface of the bracket main body portion 20 and the outer surface of the tank main body portion 12 are in close contact. As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket main body portion 20 has a tank engaging portion 24. The tank engaging portion 24 is a portion that engages with the convex portion 18 of the tank main body portion 12, and its shape is not particularly limited as long as the two engage. In FIG. 1, the tank engaging portion 24 is a notch provided in the bracket main body portion 20, but for example, it may be a hole provided in the bracket main body portion 20.

[0021] The bracket end portions 22 are joined to both ends of the bracket main body portion 20 and extend so as to project radially from the outer peripheral surface of the tank main body portion 12. The bracket end portions 22 are provided with fastening holes (not shown) through which the fasteners 26 pass. Similarly, in the bracket 16, fastening holes through which the fasteners 26 pass are provided in the bracket end portions. That is, the portions where the fastening holes of the bracket end portions 22 of the brackets 14 and 16 overlap are fastened by the fasteners 26, whereby the tank main body portion 12 is clamped and held by the brackets 14 and 16. Note that the fasteners 26 are provided at both ends of the bracket 14 in FIG. 1, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that at least one of the bracket end portions 22 is fastened by the fasteners 26 so as to be able to approach and separate.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the reserve tank 10 further includes an injection port 28, an inlet portion 30, and an outlet portion 32. The injection port 28 is provided at the upper part of the reserve tank 10, that is, on the upper surface of the tank main body portion 12. The injection port 28 is provided for injecting the coolant into the tank main body portion 12 and is normally closed by a lid. The inlet portion 30 is a part that receives the coolant circulating in the cooling mechanism and supplies the coolant into the internal space of the reserve tank 10. In this example, the inlet portion 30 is a cylindrical member formed to extend linearly along the horizontal direction. The outlet portion 32 is a part that discharges the coolant from the internal space of the reserve tank 10 to the outside. In this example, the outlet portion 32 is a cylindrical member formed to extend linearly along the vertical direction. Regarding the injection port 28, the inlet portion 30, and the outlet portion 32, since they are the same as the respective members of the conventional reserve tank, the details are omitted here.

[0023] Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the configuration of the brackets and their effects will be further described. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an A-A cross section of the reserve tank in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the reserve tank in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the brackets 14 and 16 in FIG. 1 in a top view, making the semi-circular shape more visually understandable. Therefore, the brackets shown in FIG. 2 are the same as those in FIG. 1, but will be described with reference numerals 14a and 16a for the brackets. The bracket 14a has a semi-circular semi-bracket main body portion 20a and a semi-bracket end portion 22a in a top view. The semi-bracket main body portion 20a and the semi-bracket end portion 22a are corresponding members to the bracket main body portion 20 and the bracket end portion 22 shown in FIG. 1, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the semi-bracket end portion 22a is provided with a fastening hole (not shown) through which a bolt 34, which is a part of the fastener 26, penetrates. The bracket 14a and the bracket 16a are fixed by bolt fastening with a bolt 34 and a nut 36 at a portion where the fastening holes of the respective semi-bracket end portions 22a overlap. In other words, the bracket 14a and the bracket 16a are configured to sandwich the tank main body portion 12 of the reserve tank 10 from the side.

[0024] Referring to the diagrams to the left and right of the arrows in Figure 2, brackets 14a and 16a are identical and in the same arrangement, but the arrangement of the reserve tank 10 is different. More specifically, Figure 2 shows that, for example, even if the vehicle models to the left and right of the arrows in Figure 2 are different and the wiring configurations of each vehicle are different, the same brackets 14a and 16a can be used simply by rotating the reserve tank 10. Thus, in this example, the half-bracket body 20a is configured to cover the outer surface of the tank body 12. As a result, when fastening the tank body 12 to the vehicle body via brackets 14a and 16a, it is possible to rotate the cylindrical tank body to accommodate the differences in the wiring configurations of each vehicle.

[0025] Next, referring to Figure 3, the shape of the bracket 14a differs in the diagrams to the left and right of the arrow. The bracket 14a shown to the left of the arrow is roughly U-shaped overall, similar to the bracket 14 shown in Figure 1. On the other hand, the bracket 14a shown to the right of the arrow has a different shape, with one end extending upwards and the other extending downwards. This illustrates a case where, for example, when fastening the reserve tank 10 to the vehicle body, it becomes necessary to change the shape of the bracket 14a that is already fixed to the vehicle body in order to fasten it to the vehicle body. Specifically, it is shown that if a roughly U-shaped bracket like the bracket 14a shown to the left of the arrow cannot accommodate the fastening point between the bracket 14a and the vehicle body, it is possible to accommodate differences in fastening configurations by using a bracket in which, for example, one of the half-bracket ends 22a is rotated and joined to the half-bracket main body 20a.

[0026] As described above, the reserve tank 10, as explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3, can accommodate differences in the vehicle body fastening configuration and cable routing configuration by rotating the reserve tank 10 or by replacing the openable brackets 14a and 16a, while using a common reserve tank.

[0027] Next, a modified example will be explained using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the modified reserve tank in a top view. As shown in Figure 4, the bracket 14b covering the outer surface of the tank body 12 is made of a single piece. The bracket body 20b is circular with one side open in a top view. In Figure 4, the open end is shown as the open portion 38 and enclosed by a dashed line. The open portion 38 includes bracket ends 22b provided at both ends of the bracket 14b, which extend radially from the outer circumferential surface of the tank body 12, similar to the bracket end 22 shown in Figure 1. The bracket ends 22b are fastened together by fasteners (specifically, bolts 34 and nuts 36) at the points where the fastening holes (not shown) of the bracket ends 22b overlap. With this configuration, the reserve tank of this modified example can reduce the number of fasteners, i.e., the number of parts, compared to the reserve tank shown in Figure 1-3.

[0028] It should be noted that the above description is merely an example, and in the reserve tank disclosed herein, the reserve tank is not provided with a vehicle body fastening portion, but rather the tank body is fastened to the vehicle body by a bracket having fastening holes to the vehicle body (for example, the portion indicated by reference numeral 40 in Figure 1). The bracket body covers the outer surface of the tank body, and at least one end of the bracket is fastened by a fastener so as to be able to move closer to and further away from it. Therefore, other components of the reserve tank may be modified as appropriate.

[0029] For example, in Figure 4, the end of bracket 14b opposite to the open portion 38 is shaped to protrude radially from the outer surface, but this is not limited to this. Also, for example, in Figure 1, the fastening hole 40 to the vehicle body may be provided in only one of brackets 14 or 16. That is, when two brackets are used to fasten the tank body to the vehicle body, one bracket may be fastened to the vehicle body while the other is not. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10 Reserve tank, 12 Tank body, 14, 16 Bracket, 18 Protrusion, 20 Bracket body, 22 Bracket end, 24 Tank engagement part, 26 Fastener.

Claims

1. A cylindrical reserve tank installed in the middle of a path through which coolant circulates, The tank body for storing the aforementioned coolant, A bracket for fastening the tank body to the vehicle body, Equipped with, The tank body is, A cylindrical cylindrical part, Multiple protrusions formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion, The cooling liquid inlet portion protrudes radially from the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion, It has, The aforementioned bracket is Two semicircular semi-bracket main body parts, Half-bracket ends extending from each of the two half-bracket main bodies, The bracket body is formed with a plurality of tank engagement portions that engage with the plurality of protrusions, Includes, Two semicircular semi-bracket body parts function as bracket body parts that cover the outer surface of the tank body part. The aforementioned half-bracket end functions as a bracket end that extends radially from the outer circumferential surface of the tank body, With the bracket body covering the outer circumferential surface of the tank body, the overlapping portions of the two half-bracket body portions are fastened together with fasteners so that they can be brought closer together and separated from each other, thereby fixing the tank body to the vehicle body. When the bracket body covers the outer circumferential surface of the tank body, the direction of the inlet relative to the vehicle body can be changed by rotating the tank body relative to the bracket around the cylindrical axis. A reserve tank characterized by the following features.

2. The tank body is attached to the vehicle body in a position where the axial direction of the cylindrical portion is in the vertical direction. The cylindrical portion is tapered, with its diameter decreasing as it goes downwards. The inner surface of the bracket is tapered, corresponding to the taper of the cylindrical portion. The reserve tank according to feature 1.

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