Fuel Tank Sensor Cover Edge Reinforcement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Filling level sensors incorporated into plastic fuel tank preforms during manufacturing are exposed to high pressures, leading to deformations and potential fracture of the ceramic mounting plate and cover, compromising the housing's tightness and durability.

Innovation Solution

Strengthening the edge area of the cover with a thicker wall thickness or additional metal components, such as frames or strips, and applying fillet joints to enhance mechanical rigidity and resistance to deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a thin-walled metal cover is used to achieve liquid-tight design and dimensional stability under normal pressures, then the housing is protected against aggressive media and maintains stability under 70-100 mbar pressures, but the mounting plate fractures under high pressures of 8-12 bar during fuel tank manufacturing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing tightnessVSAvoidresistance to high pressure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is designed with non-uniform wall thickness, featuring a strengthened edge area with greater wall thickness than the upper plane area. This local reinforcement provides the necessary strength resistance against high manufacturing pressures while maintaining the overall thin-walled design for liquid-tightness and cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The filling level sensor housing combines a metal cover with a ceramic mounting plate, creating a composite structure. The metal cover provides mechanical strength and pressure resistance, while the ceramic mounting plate offers chemical resistance to aggressive media, achieving both requirements through material composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If the cover wall thickness is increased to resist high pressures, then the mounting plate is better protected from deformation and fracture, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly increasing the cover wall thickness throughout, the design applies greater wall thickness only to the edge area where pressure stresses are concentrated. This localized approach provides the necessary pressure resistance while minimizing material usage and manufacturing costs compared to a fully thick-walled cover.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If additional strengthening components are added to the cover edge, then the housing resistance to deformation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveedge area strengthVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The strengthening of the cover edge is achieved by integrating the reinforcement directly into the cover structure itself, forming a unified component. This eliminates the need for separate strengthening components or attachments, reducing device complexity while maintaining the necessary edge strength against pressure deformations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS7513153B2Filling level sensor

Publication Date: 2009.04.07 VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

AI summary

The invention relates to a filling level sensor for a fuel tank 2, comprising a ceramic mounting plate 5 with a resistance network 6 arranged thereon and a contact structure 8 for the detection of an electrical filling level signal, and a cover 9 connected to the mounting plate 5, the cover 9 and the mounting plate 5 forming a housing 10. The cover 9 is strengthened in its edge area.