Tank component, in particular for exhaust-gas treatment system of internal-combustion engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906390-B2
Application number	US-201615773384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2016
Priority date	Nov 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

Component of tank of liquid additive of system for treating exhaust gases of internal combustion engine, has body positioned in fluid-tight way at opening of the tank and incorporates plurality of functional devices for managing liquid additive to be delivered to treatment system. Body of tank component is moulded using plastic material chemically resistant to liquid additive and is provided with at least one passageway for liquid additive. The plurality of functional devices comprises pump and pressure sensor having pressure-sensitive element. Passageway comprises delivery path for the liquid additive, which is defined at least in part in first wall of body of tank component and has inlet end configured for connection to delivery duct of the pump. Defined at outer side of first wall is at least one seat for positioning at least one part of pressure sensor. Moreover defined in the first wall is at least one passage for setting delivery path for liquid additive in fluid communication with sensitive element of pressure sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A component of a tank of a liquid, the tank component having a body designed to be positioned in a fluid-tight way at an opening of the tank, the tank component incorporating a plurality of functional devices for management of the liquid to be delivered from the tank,
wherein the body of the tank component is a body moulded with a plastic material chemically resistant to the liquid and is provided with at least one passageway for the liquid;
wherein the plurality of functional devices comprises a pump and a pressure sensor having a pressure-sensitive element;
wherein the at least one passageway comprises a delivery path for the liquid, which is defined at least in part in a first wall of the body of the tank component and has an inlet end configured for connection to a delivery duct of the pump;
wherein defined at an outer side of the first wall is at least one positioning seat for at least one part of the pressure sensor;
wherein moreover defined in the first wall is at least one passage for setting the delivery path for the liquid in fluid communication with the pressure-sensitive element of the pressure sensor;
wherein the pressure-sensitive element has a deformable membrane, and the at least one positioning seat comprises a first positioning seat for the pressure-sensitive element; and
wherein set between a surface of the first positioning seat for the pressure-sensitive element and the pressure-sensitive element is at least one of a scaling element and an elastic supporting element.

2. The tank component according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor has a casing body, and the at least one positioning seat comprises a second positioning seat for an end portion of the casing body.

3. The tank component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one from among a part of the body in contact with the liquid, a stretch of the passageway and the at least one passage defines a seat for a compensation insert that comprises at least one compressible body designed to be in contact with the liquid and configured for compensating possible volume variations thereof.

4. The tank component according to claim 3 , wherein the seat for the compensation insert has two portions having different perimetral dimensions, for housing corresponding portions of the at least one compressible body.

5. The tank component according to claim 3 , wherein the compensation insert comprises a positioning body made of a material that is substantially rigid and chemically resistant to the liquid, associated to which is the at least one compressible body.

6. The tank component according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one compressible body, designed to be in contact with the liquid and configured for compensating possible volume variations thereof, which is mounted or moulded on a body of one of said plurality of functional devices.

7. The tank component according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater device having at least one heating element, wherein the at least one heating element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a material having a PTC effect set at least in part between the first and second electrodes.

8. The tank component according to claim 7 , wherein:
the first electrode is generally set parallel to and facing the second electrode;
the material having the PTC effect comprises a plastic-based or polymeric-based material overmoulded between facing surfaces of the first and second electrodes; and
at least a part of the body of the tank component is overmoulded at least in part on the at least one heating element.

9. The tank component according to claim 1 , further comprising a level sensor, wherein the body of the tank component has an opening or a seat that is shaped so as to define at least one of:
at least part of a housing or of a casing for a sensing support of the level sensor; and
a positioning seat for a hollow body of the level sensor.

10. The tank component according to claim 9 , wherein at said opening of the body of the tank component, and fixed in a fluid-tight way to the body of the tank component, is a casing for a sensing support of the level sensor, that projects axially from the corresponding hollow body.

11. The tank component according to claim 1 , wherein defined in the first wall of the body of the tank component is at least one of an intake path and a delivery path of the liquid.

12. The tank component according to claim 11 , wherein said intake path or said delivery path has an end shaped for providing a coupling seat for a respective intake duct or delivery duct, respectively, of a body of the pump.

13. The tank component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of functional devices comprises a first device having at least one delicate part potentially subject to damage caused by an increase in volume of the liquid due to a freezing thereof, the first device having a protection arrangement configured for compensating possible volume variations of the liquid and thereby preventing an ensuing damage to said at least one delicate part, the protection arrangement including at least one compressible body that is to come into contact with the liquid.

14. A system for treating exhaust gases of an internal-combustion engine, comprising a tank of a liquid reducing agent, said tank including the tank component according to claim 1 .

15. A component of a tank of a liquid, the tank component having a body designed to be positioned in a fluid-tight way at an opening of the tank, the tank component incorporating a plurality of functional devices for management of the liquid to be delivered from the tank,
wherein the body of the tank component is a body moulded with a plastic material chemically resistant to the liquid and is provided with at least one passageway for the liquid;
wherein the plurality of functional devices comprises a pump and a pressure sensor having a pressure-sensitive element;
wherein the at least one passageway comprises a delivery path for the liquid, which is defined at least in part in a first wall of the body of the tank component and has an inlet end configured for connection to a delivery duct of the pump;
wherein defined at an outer side of the first wall is at least one positioning seat for at least one part of the pressure sensor;
wherein moreover defined in the first wall is at least one passage for setting the delivery path for the liquid in fluid communication with the pressure-sensitive element of the pressure sensor;
wherein at least one from among a part of the body in contact with the liquid, a stretch of the passageway and the at least one passage defines a seat for a compensation insert that comprises at least one compressible body designed to be in contact with the liquid and configured for compensating possible volume variations thereof;
wherein the pressure-sensitive element has a deformable membrane, and the at least one positioning seat comprises a first positioning seat for the pressure-sensitive element, and
wherein the seat for the compensation insert comprises a positioning element for supporting said at least one compressible body, the positioning element being defined at the first positioning seat for the pressure-sensitive element and being axially hollow for defining a corresponding portion of the at least one passage.

16. A component of a tank of a liquid, the tank component having a body designed to be positioned in a fluid-tight way at an opening of the tank, the tank component incorporating a plurality of functional devices for management of the liquid to be delivered from the

Assignees

• Eltek Spa

Inventors

• Barbano Alberto
• Bizzarro Marco
• Zorzetto Mauro
• Gadini Costanzo
• Pizzi Marco
• Merlano Piercarlo

Classifications

• F01N2570/14

  Nitrogen oxides · CPC title

• F01N3/24

  characterised by constructional aspects of converting apparatus (filtering in combination with catalytic reactors F01N3/035) · CPC title

• Y02A50/20

  Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters · CPC title

• F01N2610/1413

  Inlet and filling arrangements therefore · CPC title

• B60K2015/03243

  characterised by special pumps, the mounting thereof · CPC title