Oil Level Detector Guide Tube Branch Portion Air Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oil level detection methods in utility vehicles suffer from accuracy deterioration due to air mixing with oil when an oil level gauge is inserted into a guide tube, causing fluctuations in the oil level.
Innovation Solution
The oil level detector design includes a guide tube with a branch portion inserted higher than the oil level gauge, which directs air away from the oil level, and a stopper member to distinguish between seal and detection positions, ensuring accurate oil level measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the oil level gauge is inserted to the guide tube by a large amount to ensure proper sealing, then the seal position is achieved, but air in the guide tube mixes with the oil causing fluctuation in oil level and deterioration in detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube is segmented into a main body and a branch portion. The branch portion is inserted to the case at a position higher than the insert portion of the main body, creating separate zones for air venting and oil level detection. This segmentation allows air to be discharged through the branch portion while the main body maintains proper sealing for accurate oil level measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The branch portion acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the air in the guide tube and the external environment. It provides a dedicated pathway for air to escape, preventing air from mixing with the oil in the detection zone and thus maintaining measurement precision while allowing the gauge to be properly sealed.
2Measurement precision
If the branch portion is inserted at a high position to vent air effectively, then air mixing is prevented, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The branch portion serves multiple functions: it vents air from the guide tube, prevents air-oil mixing, and maintains structural integrity of the guide tube assembly. By combining these functions into a single structural element, the design achieves improved measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The branch portion is integrated into the guide tube structure in a nested manner, where the branch is formed as part of the guide tube assembly rather than as a completely separate component. This nesting approach minimizes the increase in device complexity while achieving the desired air venting and measurement precision improvements.
Data Source
AI summary
An oil level detector configured to detect a level of oil in a case includes: a guide tube inserted to the case; and an oil level gauge inserted to the guide tube to detect the level of the oil in the case. The guide tube includes a main body having a distal end portion and an insert portion inserted to the case, and a branch portion provided between the distal end portion and the insert portion and branching from the main body, and the branch portion is inserted to the case at a position higher than the insert portion.