The present invention relates to a liquid storage tank. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid storage tank used in a cooling system.
The conventional cooling system employed a passive supplement method. Therefore, when the liquid storage tank is set at different orientations, it is necessary to set the outlet pipe at a location in a center of the liquid storage tank to ensure that the coolant can flow out from the outlet pipe.
Furthermore, due to the position of the outlet pipe is located at the center of the liquid storage tank, the liquid supplement device that may fail to supplement the coolant when the volume of the coolant is less than half of the volume of the tank. As a result, the pump may fail to pump the coolant and the cooling system idle.
Accordingly, how to overcome the limitation of the setting orientation, the position of the outlet and increase the available volume of the coolant becomes an important issue to be solved.
One aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid storage tank.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank includes a housing, a piston, a lower cover, an elastic element, and an outlet pipe. The piston is located in the housing. The lower cover is attached to the housing and has a support post extending toward the piston. The piston, the housing, and the lower cover define a tank chamber. The elastic element is connected with the tank hosing and the piston. The outlet pipe communicates with the tank chamber.
In some embodiments, a length of the support post is greater than a distance between the outlet pipe and the lower cover.
In some embodiments, the housing further includes a column, the piston further includes a rod, and two ends of the elastic element are connected with the column and the rod, respectively.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank further includes an inlet pipe communicating with the tank chamber.
In some embodiments, the housing further includes an upper portion opposite to the lower cover, and the upper portion has an air vent therein.
In some embodiments, the lower cover and the housing each includes a screw thread, and the two screw threads are engaged with each other.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank further includes an o ring surrounding the piston and located between the housing and the piston.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid storage tank.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank includes a housing, a piston, a lower cover, an elastic element, and an outlet pipe. The lower cover is attached to the housing. The piston is in the housing and includes a support post that extends toward the lower cover. The piston, the housing, and the lower cover define a tank chamber. The elastic element is connected with the housing and the piston. The outlet pipe communicates with the tank chamber.
In some embodiments, the outlet pipe is connected with a sidewall of the housing.
In some embodiments, a length of the support post is greater than a distance between the outlet pipe and the lower cover.
In some embodiments, the outlet pipe is connected with the lower cover.
In some embodiments, the lower cover and the housing each includes a screw thread, and the two screw threads are engaged with each other.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank further includes a retaining element passing through the lower cover and fixed to the housing.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid storage tank.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank includes a housing, a piston, a lower cover, an elastic element, and an outlet pipe. The housing includes a protrusion. The lower cover is attached to the housing. The piston is in the housing. The piston, the housing, and the lower cover define a tank chamber. The elastic element is connected with the housing and the piston. The outlet pipe communicates with the tank chamber.
In some embodiments, a distance between the protrusion and the lower cover is greater than a distance between the lower cover and the outlet pipe.
In some embodiments, the lower cover and the housing each comprises a screw thread, and the two screw threads are engaged with each other.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank further includes a retaining element passing through the lower cover and fixed to the housing.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid storage tank.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank includes a housing, a piston, a lower cover, an elastic element, and an outlet pipe. The lower cover is attached to the housing. The piston is in the housing. The piston, the housing, and the lower cover define a tank chamber. The elastic element is connected with the housing and the piston. When the elastic element is not compressed, a distance between the piston and the lower cover is greater than a distance between the lower cover and the outlet pipe. The outlet pipe communicates with the tank chamber.
In some embodiments, the housing further includes a column, the piston further includes a rod, and two ends of the elastic element are connected with the column and the rod, respectively.
In some embodiments, the lower cover and the housing each includes a screw thread, and the two screw threads are engaged with each other.
In the aforementioned embodiments, by pairing the elastic element and the piston so as to continuously compress the tank chamber, the coolant can be keep at a side close to the outlet pipe. In other words, the liquid storage tank of the present disclosure can supplement the coolant automatically. Thus, the setting orientation of the liquid storage tank will not be limited. Furthermore, the liquid storage tank of the present disclosure can increase the available volume of the coolant in the liquid storage tank, such that it is not necessary to set the outlet pipe in a center of the housing.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
In the following description, structures of the liquid storage tank in multiple embodiments will be described in detail. It is noted that, the liquid storage tank may have an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connecting two ducts (see
The piston 120, the housing 110, and the lower cover 130 define a tank chamber 102 for storing coolant. Specifically, the lower cover 130 has a surface 134 facing the piston 120, and the piston 120 has a surface 124 facing the lower cover 130. The tank chamber 102 is defined by the surface 134 of the lower cover 130, the surface 124 of the piston 120, and the inner side wall 112 of the housing 110. The outlet pipe 150 communicates the tank chamber 102. The tank chamber 102 and the piston 120 partially occupy the space formed by the housing 110 and the lower cover 130. In the present embodiment, the side wall of the housing 110 has an opening OP1, the outlet pipe 150 is connected with the side wall of the housing 110 through the opening OP1. In the present embodiment, the outlet pipe 150 may alternatively be connected with a duct 500 of which two sides are connected with any two of the cold plate 200, the radiator 400 and the pump 300, respectively.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the lower cover 130 has a support post 132 extending toward the piston 120. In other words, the support post 132 is located in the tank chamber 102. As shown in
In other words, as long as the volume of the coolant in the tank chamber 102 is greater than a product of the distance D1 and the cross-sectional area (that is the cross-sectional area of the cylinder formed by the inner side wall 112 in the
In the present embodiment, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the housing 110 further includes an air vent 118 communicating the space formed by the housing 110 and the lower cover 130. When the piston 120 is gradually close to the lower cover 130 and the tank chamber 102 is compressed, the pressure between the upper portion 110T of the housing 110 and the piston 120 is gradually decreased, which make it difficult for the elastic element 140 to push the piston 120. Therefore, by setting the air vent 118, the pressure in the housing 110 can be balanced, such that the elastic element 140 can continuously push the piston 120 by the elastic recovery force. In the present embodiment, the air vent 118 is located at the upper portion 110T, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard, as long as the air vent 118 can balance the pressure of the space between the upper portion 110T of the housing 110 and the piston 120.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage tank 100 further includes an o ring 170. The O ring 170 surrounds the piston 120 and is located between the housing 110 and the piston 120, such that the o ring 170 can fill the gap between the piston 120 and the inner side wall 112 of the housing 110. In the present embodiment, the number of the o ring is two, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.
The piston 120a, the housing 110, and the lower cover 130a define a tank chamber 102 for storing coolant. Specifically, the lower cover 130a has a surface 134 facing the piston 120a, and the piston 120a has a surface 124 facing the lower cover 130a. The tank chamber 102 is defined by the surface 134 of the lower cover 130a, the surface 124 of the piston 120a, and the inner side wall 112 of the housing 110. The outlet pipe 150 communicates the tank chamber 102. In the present embodiment, the side wall of the housing 110 has an opening OP1, the outlet pipe 150 is connected with the side wall of the housing 110 through the opening OP1. The piston 120a includes a body portion 128 and a support post 126a extending toward the lower cover 130a. In other words, the support post 126a protrudes from the body portion 128 and is located in the tank chamber 102. As shown in
In the present embodiment, the housing 110 has an upper portion 110T opposite to the lower cover 130a and a column 114, and the column 114 extends from the upper portion 110T toward the housing 110. The piston 120a further includes a rod 122, and the rod 122 extends toward the upper portion 110T of the housing 110. Two sides of the elastic element 140 are connected with and fixed on the column 114 and the rod 122, respectively. In the present embodiment, the elastic element 140 is a spring, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. When the liquid storage tank 100c is fully filled with water, the elastic element 140 is compressed, and the piston 120 may be close to the upper portion 110T of the housing 110. After the coolant circulates in the cooling system 10 for a long time, the coolant may reduce due to evaporation. The elastic recovery force of the elastic element 140 may push the piston 120a toward the lower cover 130a and compress the tank chamber 102 so that the coolant can be pushed out from the tank chamber 102 to the outlet pipe 150. In other words, the liquid storage tank 100c can supplement the coolant automatically and continuously, and the setting orientation of the liquid storage tank 100c will not be limited.
When the support post 126a of the piston 120 is abutted against the lower cover 130a, the distance between the surface 124 of the piston 120a and the surface 134 of the lower cover 130a is equal to the length L of the support post 126a, and the volume of the tank chamber 102 is in a minimal value. In some embodiments, when the support post 126a of the piston 120a is abutted against the lower cover 130a, the body portion 128 of the piston 120a would not block the opening OP1 and the outlet pipe 150. In some other embodiments, the body portion 128 of the piston 120a may block a part of the opening OP1, but not obstruct the outlet pipe 150 so that the coolant can flow therein. That is, the support post 126a may limit the range of the movement of the body portion 128 of the piston 120a to prevent the body portion 128 from being too close to the lower cover 130a, thereby prevent the piston 120a from blocking off the outlet pipe 150 to maintain the communication between the tank chamber 102 and the outlet pipe 150.
In other words, as long as the volume of the coolant in the tank chamber 102 is greater than a product of the distance D1 and the cross-sectional area (that is the cross-sectional area of the cylinder formed by the inner side wall 112), then the liquid storage tank 100c can continuously supplement the coolant. In comparison with the conventional passive liquid supplement device that may fail to supplement the coolant when the volume of the coolant is less than half of the volume of the tank, the liquid storage tank 100c of the present disclosure can increase the available volume of the coolant in the liquid storage tank 100c, such that it is not necessary to set the outlet pipe 150 in a center of the housing 110.
The lower cover 130a has a screw thread 136, the housing 110 has a screw thread 116. The screw thread 136 of the lower cover 130 and the screw thread 116 of the housing 110 are engaged with each other to fix the lower cover 130a to the housing 110, so that the lower cover 130a and the housing 110 can form a space that can receive the piston 120a and the elastic element 140. The housing 110 further includes an air vent 118 communicating the space formed by the housing 110 and the lower cover 130a. The liquid storage tank 100c further includes an o ring 170. The O ring 170 surrounds the piston 120a and is located between the housing 110 and the piston 120a. The description and the advantages of those structures are the same as described about the liquid storage tank 100 shown in
The piston 120, the housing 110d, and the lower cover 130 define a tank chamber 102 for storing coolant. Specifically, the lower cover 130 has a surface 134 facing the piston 120, and the piston 120 has a surface 124 facing the lower cover 130. The tank chamber 102 is defined by the surface 134 of the lower cover 130, the surface 124 of the piston 120, and the inner side wall 112 of the housing 110. The outlet pipe 150 communicates the tank chamber 102. In the present embodiment, the side wall of the housing 110d has an opening OP1, the outlet pipe 150 is connected with the side wall of the housing 110 through the opening OP1. The protrusion 1122 and the surface 134 of the lower cover 130 has a distance D2 therebetween, the outlet pipe 150 and the surface 134 of the lower cover 130 has a distance D1 therebetween, and the distance D2 is greater than the distance D1.
As shown in
In some embodiment, the protrusion 1122 can be a annular structure protruding along the inner side wall 112, or multiple independent protrusions, as long as the piston 120 can be stopped by the protrusion. When the piston 120 is abutted against the protrusion 1122, the distance between the surface 124 of the piston 120 and the surface 134 of the lower cover 130 is equal to the distance D2, and the volume of the tank chamber 102 is in a minimal value. In some embodiments, when the piston 120 is abutted against the protrusion 1122, the piston 120 would not block the opening OP1 and the outlet pipe 150. In some other embodiments, the piston 120 may block a part of the opening OP1, but not obstruct the outlet pipe 150 such that the coolant can flow therein. That is, the protrusion 1122 may limit the range of the movement of the piston 120 to prevent the piston 120 from being too close to the lower cover 130, thereby prevent the piston 120 from blocking off the outlet pipe 150 to maintain the communication between the tank chamber 102 and the outlet pipe 150.
In other words, as long as the volume of the coolant in the tank chamber 102 is greater than a product of the distance D1 and the cross-sectional area (that is the cross-sectional area of the cylinder formed by the inner side wall 112), then the liquid storage tank 100f can continuously supplement the coolant. In comparison with the conventional passive liquid supplement device that may fail to supplement the coolant when the volume of the coolant is less than half of the volume of the tank, the liquid storage tank 100f of the present disclosure can increase the available volume of the coolant in the liquid storage tank 100f, such that it is not necessary to set the outlet pipe 150 in a center of the housing 110d.
The lower cover 130 has a screw thread 136, the housing 110d has a screw thread 116. The screw thread 136 of the lower cover 130 and the screw thread 116 of the housing 110 are engaged with each other to fix the lower cover 130 to the housing 110d, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard, as long as the lower cover 130 and the housing 110d can form a space that can receive the piston 120 and the elastic element 140. The housing 110d further includes an air vent 118 communicating the space formed by the housing 110d and the lower cover 130. The liquid storage tank 100f further includes an o ring 170. The O ring 170 surrounds the piston 120 and is located between the housing 110d and the piston 120. The description and the advantages of those structures are the same as described about the liquid storage tank 100 shown in
In the present embodiment, the elastic element 140a is a spring, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. When the liquid storage tank 100 is fully filled with water, the elastic element 140a is compressed, and the piston 120 may be close to the upper portion 110T of the housing 110. After the coolant circulates in the cooling system 10 for a long time, the coolant may reduce due to evaporation. The elastic recovery force of the elastic element 140a may push the piston 120 toward the lower cover 130 and compress the tank chamber 102 such that the coolant can be pushed out from the tank chamber 102 to the outlet pipe 150.
The surface 124 of the piston 120 and the surface 134 of the lower cover 130 have a distance D3 therebetween, the surface 134 of the lower cover 130 and the outlet pipe 150 have a distance D1 therebetween, and the distance D3 is greater than the distance D1. In the present embodiment, the elastic element 140a is specially designed to keep a gap between the piston 120 and the lower cover 130 greater than the distance D1 when the elastic element 140a is not compressed. That is, when the volume of the tank chamber 102 is in a minimal value, the elastic recovery force of the elastic element 140a is equal to zero. The advantages of the liquid storage tank 100g shown in
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/878,576, filed Jul. 25, 2019, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62878576 | Jul 2019 | US |