Liquid storage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345514-B2
Application number	US-202017109949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid storage container which has an inspection window to check the completely filled state of the liquid storage container with a liquid injected thereinto and inhibit occurrence of a detection error of an optical concentration sensor due to light flowing into the liquid storage container through the inspection window. The liquid storage container includes a container main body configured to store the liquid, an inlet configured to inject the liquid into the container main body therethrough, the inspection window installed on the container main body and to confirm the completely filled state of the container main body with the liquid, a concentration sensor configured to detect the concentration of the liquid in the container main body, and a light blocking device installed in the container main body to block light entering through the inspection window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid storage container comprising:
a container main body configured to store a liquid;
an inlet configured to inject the liquid into the container main body therethrough;
an inspection window installed on the container main body, and configured to allow to check a completely filled state of the container main body with the liquid;
a concentration sensor configured to detect a concentration of the liquid in the container main body; and
a light blocking device installed in the container main body, and configured to block light entering through the inspection window.

2. The liquid storage container of claim 1 , wherein:
the concentration sensor is an optical concentration sensor configured to radiate light to the liquid in the main body and then to measure the concentration of the liquid using light that has passed through the liquid; and
the light blocking device is configured to block light traveling towards the concentration sensor in the main body after entering through the inspection window.

3. The liquid storage container of claim 1 , wherein:
the liquid is a urea solution used in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system of a vehicle;
the main body is a urea solution tank main body configured to store the urea solution in the vehicle; and
the concentration sensor is a urea quality sensor configured to detect a concentration of urea in the urea solution.

4. The liquid storage container of claim 1 , wherein the light blocking device comprises a stationary blinder fixed in a state in which one end thereof is coupled to the inspection window, and configured to extend toward an inside of the container main body and block the light entering through the inspection window.

5. The liquid storage container of claim 4 , wherein:
the stationary blinder is a plate having a shield panel structure,
the shield panel structure includes: one end fixed to a lower portion of the inspection window, and an upper surface having a semicircular or circular arc-shaped cross-section, and
the stationary blinder is configured to block light traveling downwards after entering through the inspection window.

6. The liquid storage container of claim 5 , wherein liquid passage holes are formed through the stationary blinder and the liquid passes through the liquid passage holes.

7. The liquid storage container of claim 6 , wherein shield panels are installed on the stationary blinder and configured to cover the liquid passage holes and inhibit the light entering through the inspection window from passing through the liquid passage holes.

8. The liquid storage container of claim 4 , wherein the light blocking device further comprises:
a rotary blinder having a float configured to move upwards and downwards along a surface of the liquid in the container main body while floating on the surface of the liquid,
wherein the rotary blinder is rotatably installed on the stationary blinder and configured to: be rotated by the float based on an angle of inclination and a height of the surface of the liquid in the container main body, and block the light entering through the inspection window.

9. The liquid storage container of claim 8 , wherein the stationary blinder comprises:
an inclined part configured to be inclined and have one end coupled to the inspection window; and
a horizontally extending part extending horizontally from the inclined part,
wherein the rotary blinder is rotatably coupled to one end of the horizontally extending part.

10. The liquid storage container of claim 8 , wherein the rotary blinder comprises:
a first blinder configured to have one end rotatably hinged to the stationary blinder and to extend from the stationary blinder towards the inside of the main body such that the first blinder blocks light traveling through an upper space of the stationary blinder; and
a second blinder formed integrally with the first blinder and configured to extend downwards from the first blinder such that the second blinder blocks light passing through an inner passage space of the stationary blinder and light passing under the first blinder.

11. The liquid storage container of claim 10 , wherein:
the first blinder has a plate shape having one side bent at a designated angle, and is configured to extend upwards from a hinge coupling part to the stationary blinder and then to extends laterally; and
the second blinder is configured to extend downwards from a laterally extending part of the first blinder.

12. The liquid storage container of claim 10 , wherein
the second blinder is configured to come into contact with an end section of the stationary blinder, and
when the rotary blinder is rotated relative to the stationary blinder,
the second blinder comes into contact with the end section of the stationary blinder and closes an end of the inner passage space of the stationary blinder,
the second blinder is spaced apart from the end section of the stationary blinder and opens the end of the inner passage space of the stationary blinder.

13. The liquid storage container of claim 12 , wherein the float is provided integrally with the first blinder.

14. The liquid storage container of claim 10 , wherein a stopper is formed at an end of the first blinder that is dose to a hinge coupling part, regulation grooves are formed at a remaining end of the stationary blinder, and when the first blinder is rotated, the stopper is inserted into the regulation grooves, and
wherein when the rotary blinder is rotated at a predetermined angle relative to the stationary blinder, the stopper is inserted into the regulation grooves and is then engaged with inner ends of the regulation grooves.

15. The liquid storage container of claim 10 , wherein a liquid passage hole, configured to pass the liquid therethrough, is formed through the second blinder to pass.

16. The liquid storage container of claim 15 , wherein the second blinder is in parallel to an upwardly extending part configured to extend upwards from a hinge coupling part of the first blinder, and
the liquid passage hole is formed at a position of the second blinder, wherein the position is blocked by the upwardly extending part of the first blinder.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Moon Kee Hoon

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• Y02A50/20

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

• F01N2610/02

  the substance being ammonia or urea · CPC title

• F01N2900/1814

  Tank level · CPC title

• G01F23/02

  by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid · CPC title