Patent Application
20100059344
Water may naturally accumulate in hydrocarbon fuels through a number of known mechanisms. For example, water vapor may condense in fuel stored in a closed tank or vessel for an extended period of time. Water may also accumulate in hydrocarbon fuels during transportation from refineries to service stations. The accumulation of water in a hydrocarbon fuel is problematic for internal combustion engines, and especially diesel engines, as it may cause corrosion and/or growth of microorganisms that can damage engine components.
Various methods have been developed for removing accumulated water from hydrocarbon fuels. However, water collected from hydrocarbon fuels typically must be stored on board a vehicle until the water can be removed. If water is not removed regularly, water removal systems can become backlogged, inhibiting further collection of accumulated water from the fuel system.
Sensors may be provided in a reservoir that notify a vehicle operator when the reservoir is full. However, such systems generally add complexity to the reservoir that increases assembly and service/replacement costs of the water removal system. For example, the sensors are generally required to be mounted on a bottom portion of a reservoir in order to accurately determine an amount of water contained within the reservoir. Assembly of sensors to a bottom portion of the reservoir is generally inconvenient, as assembly operators must reach underneath an installed reservoir to make the connections necessary to allow the sensors to communicate with a display that notifies a vehicle operator that the reservoir is full.
Accordingly, there is a need for a reservoir for accumulating water removed from a hydrocarbon fuel supply that allows for monitoring an amount of water accumulated within the reservoir, and yet is relatively simple to assemble and install in a vehicle.
Various exemplary illustrations of a vessel or tank for accumulating water removed from a hydrocarbon fuel supply are disclosed herein. According to one exemplary illustration, a vessel may include a base member and a cover cooperating with the base member to define a reservoir for receiving a liquid. The cover defines a pocket that may be integrally formed with the cover, the pocket generally preventing ingress of the liquid in the reservoir. The vessel further includes a liquid level sensor, including a switch received in the pocket, and an actuator configured to activate the switch when the fluid within the reservoir reaches a predetermined level.
Another exemplary illustration of a vessel includes a base member and a cover cooperating with the base member to define a reservoir for receiving a liquid. The cover may include a housing and a pocket disposed outside the reservoir that is configured to generally prevent intrusion of liquid contained in the reservoir. The vessel further includes a liquid level sensor, including a switch received in the pocket, and an actuator configured to activate the switch when the fluid within the reservoir reaches a predetermined level.
While the claims are not limited to the illustrated embodiments, an appreciation of various aspects is best gained through a discussion of various examples thereof. Referring now to the drawings, illustrative embodiments are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent the embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain an innovative aspect of an embodiment. Further, the embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limiting or restricting to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail by referring to the drawings as follows.
Reference in the specification to “an exemplary illustration”, and “example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the exemplary approach is included in at least one illustration. The appearances of the phrase “in an illustration” or similar type language in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same illustration or example.
Turning now to
Vessel 100 includes a base member 102 and a cover 104. Base member 102 and cover 104 may be formed by any known plastic forming processes, e.g., molded or blow molded from a plastic material. For example, in one example, base member 102 and cover 104 are formed from PA66, a polyamide nylon material. Base member 102 and cover 104 cooperate to generally define reservoir R of vessel 100. In other words, base member 102 and cover 104 cooperate to define a generally enclosed volume that accumulates water removed from the diesel fuel supply. Base member 102 and cover 104 are secured together, and may define complementary threads 105a, 105b, respectively as shown in
As best shown in
Liquid level sensor 108 may generally include a switch 110, and an actuator 112. As shown in
Switch 110 may include one or more electrical contacts 116 that allow electrical communication between switch 110 and, for example, a display (not shown) that indicates that the water level within reservoir R has reached a predetermined level to a vehicle operator. Electrical contacts 116 are advantageously provided on a top side of base member 102. In other words, after cover 104 is assembled to base member 102 from a generally top side of base member 102, electrical contacts 116 may be connected with wiring on the same side of base member 102, i.e., the top side of base member 102. The provision of electrical contacts 116 on the same top side of base member 102 thereby simplifies assembly of vessel 100, as the electrical connections for vessel 100 are easily accessible to an assembly operator. Further, the cover 104 may be removed from the base member 102 without removing electrical contacts 116 from the cover 104. As shown in
Turning now to
As best seen in
Cover 204 further includes a liquid level sensor 208, including switch 210 and actuator 212. Switch 210 is generally disposed within pocket 206. For example, as generally similar to switch 110 described above, switch 210 may be a reed switch or other switch configured to respond to the inducement of an electromagnetic field. Actuator 212 is generally configured to activate switch 210 according to changes in a level of fluid contained within reservoir R. For example, actuator 212 may generally open or close switch 210 when fluid reaches a predetermined level, thereby moving actuator 212 in close proximity to switch 210. Actuator 212 may include a magnet 215 and a float 217. Actuator 212 is generally retained within a cavity 222 that is in operational communication with liquid contained within reservoir R. In other words, actuator 212 is generally responsive to changes in the liquid level contained within reservoir R. For example, float 217 may be formed of a buoyant material, generally rising or falling with the level of water contained within reservoir R. As actuator 212 rises within cavity 222, magnet 215 is brought in proximity to switch 110, thereby inducing a magnetic field about switch 210 that may open or close switch 210, initiating an electrical signal at electrical contacts 216. Cavity 222 may be provided with an undercut lip 224, as best seen in
As briefly described above, cover 204 includes one or more electrical contacts 216 that are in electrical communication with switch 210. Electrical contacts 216 may be provided on a generally top side of cover 204, such that any wiring assemblies or connectors (not shown) used to connect switch 210 to a display (not shown) may be secured to electrical contact 216 on the top side of cover 204. Further, cover 204 may be assembled to a base member (not shown) that is secured to a vehicle from a top side of the base member (not shown), similar to cover 104 described above. Accordingly, cover 204 may be assembled from a same side of the base member as that from which the electrical connection 216 is provided. Accordingly, assembly of a tank or vessel employing a cover 204 is relatively simple, as an assembly operator need not reach around the base member to make the electrical connections for the vessel.
With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain approaches, examples or embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claimed invention.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.
