This U.S. patent application claims the benefit of French Application No. 2202642 filed with the French Patent Office on Mar. 24, 2022, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a pressure damping device for a fluid circuit, and in particular for a fuel circuit for a vehicle.
The technical background comprises in particular the documents FR-A1-2 721 354, FR-A1-3 012 849 and WO-A1-2011/097124.
A pressure damping device for a fluid circuit, in particular a fuel circuit, is a device that allow for damping the pressure variations of a fluid in a circuit. In the case of a motor vehicle fuel circuit, this type of device allows to attenuate the pressure peaks of the fuel which are likely to generate vibratory and acoustic nuisances in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
The document EP-A1-3 532 722 describes a pressure damping device for a fuel circuit, which comprises:
The elastic deformation capability of the membrane allows to attenuate the pressure peaks of fuel flowing through the chamber from the inlet port towards the outlet port.
In this device, the damping of the pressure is only achieved by this deformation capacity. This device can be used for a low pressure (typically less than 2 bar) or even high pressure (typically equal to or greater than 2 bar) fuel circuit.
When a damping device is intended for equipping a high-pressure circuit, it usually also comprises a spring which is housed in the cavity of the cover and which is supported on the membrane by means of a cup.
In this configuration, the stiffness of the spring and the deformability of the membrane together contribute to the damping of the pressure, allowing the device to be used in high-pressure circuits.
The present invention proposes an improvement to the current technique, which in particular allows to improve the damping efficiency of the device while limiting its overall dimension.
The invention relates to a pressure damping device for a fluid circuit, the device comprising:
One of the particularities of the device according to the invention is its body, which is formed in one single piece with a support member for supporting the membrane. The height of this member is determined so that the membrane adopts a particular shape in the deformed state when it is supported on the upper end of this member. The membrane is supported by its lower face on the member and the cup is supported on the upper face of the membrane. The shape of the member is further determined to be simple and not bulky, which facilitates the manufacturing of the body and thus the device and limits the impact on the overall dimension of the device.
Another particularities of the invention concerns the ratio between the transverse dimensions of the member and the cup, on the one hand, and the transverse dimension of the membrane, and in particular its central portion, on the other. This ratio is determined so that a significant portion of the membrane is not supported on the member or the cup during operation and can freely deform elastically during operation, thereby allowing to optimise the damping of the pressure peaks. The larger the deformable area of the membrane, the greater the pressure damping can be.
When a low or high pressure fluid circulates through the device, a pressure is exerted on the membrane which will deform. The deformation of this membrane is limited by the spring. The spring compresses according to the pressure applied to the membrane. The effect of the deformation of the membrane and the spring allows a constant and autonomous regulation of the pressure variations within the circuit by punctual increase of the fluid volume, which implies a reduction of the noise present in the circuit.
The device according to the invention has the advantage of being compact and autonomous and of being able to operate at low temperature and high pressure.
The device according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination with each other:
The present invention also relates to a fuel circuit for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising at least one device as described above.
Further characteristics and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment of the invention with reference to the appended drawings in which:
The device 10 comprises a lower body 12, an upper cover 14, and a membrane 16 interposed between the body 12 and the cover 14.
The body 12 is formed in one single piece and comprises a fluid inlet port 12a and a fluid outlet port 12b. The body 12 is, for example, injection-moulded from plastic.
The body 12 further comprises an internal chamber 18 which is connected to the ports 12a, 12b. The chamber 18 comprises a bottom 18a at its lower end with its upper end open.
In the example shown, the body 12 comprises a generally circular or cylindrical median portion with a main axis marked A (see
Each of the ports 12a, 12b comprises a tubular portion forming a male portion and configured to be sleevingly engaged into a female portion such as the free end of a pipe. Each of the ports 12a, 12b may comprise anchoring ribs 20 at their external periphery, in particular in the aforementioned pipe. Each of the ports 12a, 12b may be equipped with a seal 22 of the O-ring type for example.
The chamber 18 is generally circular or cylindrical in shape and has an internal diameter D1 (
The tooth 28 is centred on the axis A. The tooth 28 extends upwardly in a direction parallel to the axis A. The tooth 28 extends in the extension of the aforementioned surface 18b.
The tooth 28 has an internal diameter D1. Furthermore, the tooth 28 has a height H1 which is measured from the bottom 18a in a direction parallel to the axis A.
Advantageously, the tooth 28 comprises at its internal periphery an internal peripheral edge 28a which is convexly curved and has a radius of curvature greater than 0.1 mm and which is for example 0.3 mm.
The rim 30 is centred on the axis A. The rim 30 extends upwardly in a direction parallel to the axis A.
The rim 30 has an external diameter D2. Furthermore, the rim 30 has a height H2 which is measured from the bottom 18a in a direction parallel to the axis A.
In the example shown, H2 is greater than H1. Furthermore, D2 is greater than D1.
The body 12 further comprises a support member 32 for supporting the membrane 16. This member 32 projects from the bottom 18a and comprises a lower end connected to the bottom and an upper free end on which the membrane 16 is able to be supported.
The member 32 has a circular outline and has an external diameter D3 measured with respect to the axis A.
Advantageously, as in the example shown, the member 32 has a generally tubular shape centred on the axis A. The member 32 comprises a tubular wall 32a having a radial thickness E1. E1 is preferably less than 2 mm, and more preferably less than or equal to 1.5 mm.
The tubular wall 32a here comprises two radial notches 34. It can be seen in
The member 34 has a height H3 measured from the bottom 18a in a direction parallel to the axis A. In
It can also be seen in
The upper end of the member 32 extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis A.
The cover 14 of the device 10 can be seen in
The cover 14 is formed in one single piece. For example, it is made by injection moulding in plastic.
The cover 14 comprise an internal cavity 36 which is separated from the chamber 18 by the membrane 16.
The cavity 36 has an internal diameter D4 measured from the axis. Preferably: 0.8×D1<D4<1.2×D1.
The cavity 36 comprises a bottom 36a which is oriented towards the bottom 18a of the chamber 18.
The cover 14 is generally circular or cylindrical in shape in the example shown. The cavity 36 is defined by a cylindrical surface 36b of the cover 14.
The tooth 40 is intended to be centred on the axis A. The tooth 40 extends downwardly in a direction parallel to the axis A. The tooth 40 extends in the extension of the aforementioned surface 36b.
The tooth 40 has an internal diameter D4. Furthermore, the tooth 40 here has a height H4 which is measured from the bottom 36a in a direction parallel to the axis A.
Advantageously, the tooth 40 comprises at its internal periphery an internal peripheral edge 40a which is convexly curved and has a radius of curvature greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and preferably greater than or equal to 0.8 mm.
The rim 42 is centred on the axis A. The rim 42 extends downwards in a direction parallel to the axis A.
The rim 42 has an internal diameter D2. Furthermore, the rim 42 has a height H5 which is measured from the bottom 36a in a direction parallel to the axis A.
In the example shown, H5 is greater than H4.
Advantageously, D1 and D4 are close, identical or similar.
When mounting the cover 14 on the body 12, the cover 14 is centred on the axis A and the rim 42 of the cover 14 is mounted around the rim 30 of the body 12. These rims 30, 42 are then attached together for example by welding, and in particular heat welding or laser welding. After heat welding, the gorges 26, 38 can be partially or completely filled with molten material by welding. The laser welding allows the rims 30, 42 to be secured together without filling in the gorges 26, 38.
The membrane 16 is elastically deformable and is preferably made of fluorosilicone and for example FVMQ which is a particularly advantageous material as it allows the membrane 16 to retain its elastic properties over a wide temperature range and in particular at temperatures below 0° C. The temperature range is, for example, from −40° C. to 150° C.
The membrane 16 is interposed between the body 12 and the cover 14. It has a general circular shape centred on the axis A.
The membrane 16 comprises a central portion 16a which has a constant thickness E2 and a peripheral portion 16b which is clamped between the body 12 and the cover 14 to ensure a seal between the chamber 18 and the cavity 36. E2 is for example greater than or equal to 1 mm, preferably greater than or equal to 1.5 mm, and more preferably greater than or equal to 2 mm.
The annular allowance 44 has an internal diameter D5 and an external diameter D6.
In addition, the peripheral portion 16b of the membrane 16 comprises lugs 46 projecting radially outwards with respect to the axis A. These lugs 46 are distributed around this axis A, preferably regularly, and are advantageously configured to be supported on the rim 30 of the body 12 so as to centre the membrane 16 on the axis A.
The central portion 16a of the membrane 16 comprises a first portion 16al in the centre and a second portion 16a2 around the first portion 16a. The first portion 16a has an external diameter D7 and the second portion has an external diameter D8.
Furthermore, the central portion 16a comprises two opposite and parallel circular faces, respectively upper and lower.
Looking at
The device 10 further comprises a spring 48 and a cup 50 which are housed in the cavity 36.
The spring 48 is centred on the axis A and is here a helical spring. The spring 48 has an upper end 48a which is supported on the bottom 36a of the cavity 36 and which can be centred on the bottom 36a by form-fitting cooperation with a complementary segment of this bottom 36a. The spring 48 further comprises a lower end 48b which is supported on the cup 50 which is interposed between the spring 48 and the upper face of the membrane 16. The cup 50 is centred on the axis A and may also comprise a complementary segment of the lower end 48b of the spring 48 to centre it on the axis A.
The spring 48 has an external diameter D9 and the cup 50 has an external diameter D10. Preferably 0.8×D9<D10<1.2×D9 and/or 0.8×D3<D9<1.2×D3 and/or 0.8×D3<D10<1.2×D3.
It can be seen in
According to the invention, D1 is greater than 1.5×D3, preferably D1 is greater than 1.8×D3, more preferably D1 is greater than 2×D3. For example, D1 is equal to 2.2×D3. This allows the membrane 16 to have a good elastic deformation capacity because a large portion of it is free to deform elastically without being supported on a part or biased by a part.
In the example shown, this slide system 52 is located under the body 12, just below the bottom 18a of the chamber 18. This slide system 52 comprises, for example, two parallel lateral hooks 54 which are generally L- or C-shaped and which define openings 56 facing each other.
The device 10 further comprises a connection element 58 shown alone in
The second attachment portion 58b comprises one or more elastic snap-fit tabs 62.
The device 10 can thus be mounted in environments with high integration constraints.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2202642 | Mar 2022 | FR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2407761 | McPherson | Sep 1946 | A |
2577967 | Hughes | Dec 1951 | A |
3379406 | Greer | Apr 1968 | A |
3628573 | Loliger | Dec 1971 | A |
3762681 | McKinney | Oct 1973 | A |
3948288 | Mayer | Apr 1976 | A |
4043332 | Metcalf | Aug 1977 | A |
4163461 | Jacobellis | Aug 1979 | A |
4175590 | Grandclement | Nov 1979 | A |
4221361 | Weingarten | Sep 1980 | A |
4370102 | Sasaki | Jan 1983 | A |
4373872 | Kemmner | Feb 1983 | A |
4596219 | Kemmner | Jun 1986 | A |
4625695 | Tuckey | Dec 1986 | A |
4630642 | Detweiler | Dec 1986 | A |
4649884 | Tuckey | Mar 1987 | A |
4679537 | Fehrenbach | Jul 1987 | A |
4683864 | Bucci | Aug 1987 | A |
4936342 | Kojima | Jun 1990 | A |
4996963 | Fehrenbach | Mar 1991 | A |
5076320 | Robinson | Dec 1991 | A |
5161864 | Cardenas | Nov 1992 | A |
5435345 | Robinson | Jul 1995 | A |
5458104 | Tuckey | Oct 1995 | A |
5469829 | Kleppner | Nov 1995 | A |
5505181 | McRae | Apr 1996 | A |
5509390 | Tuckey | Apr 1996 | A |
5520215 | Haboush | May 1996 | A |
5542453 | Gabas | Aug 1996 | A |
5590631 | Tuckey | Jan 1997 | A |
5794597 | Schwegler | Aug 1998 | A |
5967120 | Blanton | Oct 1999 | A |
6032651 | Field | Mar 2000 | A |
6135092 | Schaenzer | Oct 2000 | A |
6295918 | Simmons | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6336442 | Kilgore | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6430928 | Iyer | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6843232 | Keesee | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6901964 | Kippe | Jun 2005 | B2 |
7581712 | Yoshino | Sep 2009 | B2 |
7789071 | Akita | Sep 2010 | B2 |
7870871 | Hanjagi | Jan 2011 | B1 |
8397696 | Hanjagi | Mar 2013 | B2 |
8517050 | Akagi | Aug 2013 | B2 |
8695571 | Suzuki | Apr 2014 | B2 |
9964026 | Schumnig | May 2018 | B2 |
10570968 | Kim | Feb 2020 | B2 |
10890145 | Pujol | Jan 2021 | B2 |
11137080 | Williams | Oct 2021 | B2 |
20050034710 | Crary | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050139277 | Baltes | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050205815 | Frenkel | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20060039812 | Agui | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20150219233 | Ringer | Aug 2015 | A1 |
20150369378 | Umeyama | Dec 2015 | A1 |
20170350354 | Ostrosky | Dec 2017 | A1 |
20190271285 | Benanti | Sep 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
102006061690 | Jul 2008 | DE |
3532722 | Sep 2019 | EP |
2721354 | Dec 1995 | FR |
3012849 | May 2015 | FR |
WO-2004022994 | Mar 2004 | WO |
2011097124 | Aug 2011 | WO |
2018078504 | May 2018 | WO |
Entry |
---|
French Search Report received for French Serial No. 2202642 on Nov. 3, 2022, 2 pgs. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20230323844 A1 | Oct 2023 | US |