Patent Application
20240001898
The present invention relates to a filter for a brake fluid reservoir, as well as to a brake fluid reservoir for a vehicle brake system.
Brake fluid reservoirs for vehicle brake systems are known.
The fluid chamber 132 may be filled via vacuum filling. Vacuum filling often requires an automatic filling unit (not shown) having an adapter part which forms a seal with the fluid inlet port 134, and one or more tubes that extend into the fluid inlet port for providing brake fluid F, for vacuuming/siphoning out a predetermined amount of brake fluid, and for providing air for pressure-balancing.
As can be seen in
According to an aspect of the invention, alone or in combination with any other aspect, a filter for a brake fluid reservoir includes a side wall. A flange extends from the side wall at a first end of the side wall. A flange aperture extends through the flange. An end wall is at a second end of the side wall. An end aperture extends through the end wall. A first filter mesh covers the flange aperture and prevents contaminants from passing through the flange aperture. A second filter mesh covers the end aperture and prevents contaminants from passing through the end aperture.
According to another aspect, alone or in combination with any other aspect, a brake fluid reservoir for a vehicle brake system is provided. The brake fluid reservoir includes a housing that defines a fluid chamber and has a fluid inlet port. A filter is inserted into the housing. The filter is supported on an inner shoulder of the fluid inlet port via the flange.
The foregoing and other features of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
A first filter mesh 420 is on the first flange surface 416. The first filter mesh 420 is ring-shaped and covers each of the flange apertures 414. Alternatively, the filter 400 may include a plurality of first filter meshes 420, each covering at least one of the flange apertures 414.
The second end 410 of the side wall 406 includes an end wall 422. The end wall 422 and the side wall 406 collectively define a filter chamber 424 of the filter 400. A plurality of end apertures 426 extend in the filling/siphoning direction X through the end wall 422. Although only two end apertures 426 are shown, the end wall 422 is designed having four end apertures. The end wall 422, however, may have any number of end apertures 426.
A second filter mesh 428 is on the end wall 422 inside the filter chamber 424. The second filter mesh 428 is circular-shaped and covers each of the end apertures 426. The filter 400 may, however, include a plurality of second filter meshes 428, each covering at least one of the end apertures 426.
During manufacture of the filter 400 via an injection-molding process, the first and second filter meshes 420, 428 may be placed in a mold and the remainder of the filter may be formed around the first and second filter meshes such that the flange 412 is integrally molded onto the first filter mesh and the end wall 422 is integrally molded onto the second filter mesh. The side wall 406, flange 412 and end wall 422 thus may be integrally formed in the injection-molding process, while the first and second filter meshes 420, 428 are formed prior to the formation of the remainder of the filter 400. The first and second filter meshes 420, 428 may be formed from a separate or the same material as the remainder of the filter 400. In one example, the first and second filter meshes 420, 428 may be formed from a polyamide or nylon (such as, for example, polyamide 6.6), while the side wall 406, flange 412 and end wall 422 may be formed from a polypropylene copolymer (such as, for example, a heat stabilized polypropylene copolymer). In another example, the first and second filter meshes 420, 428 may be formed from the same material as the side wall 406, flange 412 and end wall 422 and formed in a single molding process with the side wall, flange and end wall.
Although the side wall 406 is depicted as being cylindrical, the side wall may have any desired shape, with the flange 412 and/or the end wall 422 corresponding to the shape of the side wall. The first filter mesh 420, although shown as being ring-shaped, may have any desired shape and/or may be configured to correspond to the shape of the flange 412. Similarly, the second filter mesh 428, although shown as being circular-shaped, may have any desired shape and/or may be configured to correspond to the shape of the end wall 422.
The side wall 406 may include at least one retaining protrusion 538 (here, a plurality of retaining protrusions) thereon for securing the filter 400 to the housing 530. Each retaining protrusion 538 has a first portion 540 formed to slantingly extend from the side wall 406 and a second portion 542 formed to perpendicularly extend from the side wall. With this retaining protrusion 538 configuration, insertion of the filter 400 into the housing 530 may be relatively easy. However, an unintended removal of the filter 400 may be substantially prevented by an engagement between the inner shoulder 536 and one or more of the second portions 542. The retaining protrusions 538 may be formed from an elastically deformable material allowing for the retaining protrusions to be deformed by the inner shoulder 536 as the filter 400 is inserted into the housing 530. Once the retaining protrusions 538 are inserted past the inner shoulder 536, they may move or “snap” back to a pre-deformed state, thus securing the filter 400 to the housing 530.
During a filling process (e.g., a vacuum filling process), a filling unit (e.g., an automatic filling unit) pours brake fluid F through the fluid inlet port 534. The brake fluid F flows primarily through the end apertures 426, but also through the flange apertures 414, into the fluid chamber 532. The brake fluid F that flows through the flange apertures 414 enters the fluid chamber 532 without passing through the filter chamber 424. The first and second filter meshes 420, 428 prevent contaminants carried by the brake fluid F from passing through the apertures 414, 426 into the fluid chamber 532 during filling.
As shown in
As a result of the brake fluid F being siphoned through only the end apertures 428, and the flange apertures 414 providing venting and pressure-balancing functions, the brake fluid inside the filter chamber 424 remains substantially level with the brake fluid inside the fluid chamber 532 during siphoning. By remaining substantially level with one another, the filling unit is able to siphon the brake fluid F in the brake fluid reservoir 502 down to the maximum filling level ML during an allotted siphoning period, as is shown in
From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. For example, although the filter 400 is configured to be used in the brake fluid reservoir 502 of the vehicle brake system 504, the filter make be configured for use in any other system to filter contaminants. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
