GB2337235A

GB2337235A - Fluid reservoir module

Info

Publication number: GB2337235A
Application number: GB9810533A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Burt
Original assignee: Textron Automotive U K
Current assignee: Textron Automotive U K
Priority date: 1998-05-15
Filing date: 1998-05-15
Publication date: 1999-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2018-05-15
Also published as: GB9810533D0; GB2337235B

Abstract

A fluid reservoir module 1 has one or more fluid reservoirs 5, 6 therein and a void area 7 in which a vehicle's battery 3 can be received such that the battery 3 is surrounded on at least three sides so that the module 1 forms a cover for the battery 3.

Description

2337235 FLUID RESERVOIR MODULE.

This invention relates to a fluid reservoir module.

Screen wash and other refillable reservoirs have been traditionally located in the engine compartment of most automotive vehicles, particularly cars and small to medium sized vans. With modern car and like construction, the space in the engine compartment has become more and more limited because of increasing demands to be made of it in the way of additional components such as turbochargers and air conditioning systems. Also, it is necessary, due to the restricted room available to make each reservoir a custom shape for each vehicle. Therefore it is eminently desirable to move whatever components can be located in a position which takes up less of the available room.

One such item is the various fluid reservoirs, particularly those used for holding wash liquid for washing windscreens or headlights but also reservoirs which hold expansion water from the cooling system and reservoirs for clutch fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and air conditioning fluid.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a fluid reservoir which can be situated in an otherwise unused space.

According to the invention, fluid reservoir module has one or more fluid reservoirs therein and a void area in which a vehicle's battery can be received such that the battery is surrounded on at least three sides so that the module forms a cover for the battery.

Preferably the module has at least two reservoirs.

The module may have a reservoir for wash liquid and a reservoir forming a vehicle cooling system expansion tank.

The void in the module for receiving the battery may be such that, in use, four sides and the top of the battery are substantially covered and the upper surface of the module may have two through apertures extending through to the void and through which the battery terminal screws can be accessed.

The fluid reservoir module may contain one or more recesses for mounting fluid distribution pumps and may contain outlets aligned with the pump inlets.

The module may be equipped with lifting handles to enable it to be lifted off the battery for access thereto.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fluid reservoir module with ancillary equipment, in accordance with the invention and a vehicle battery with which the module is intended to be associated.

Figure 2 is a side view of the fluid reservoir module of figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view through the fluid reservoir module shown in figures 1 and 2-, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle showing the fluid reservoir module of figures 1 in situ within the engine compartment; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the fluid reservoir module showing the electrical component layout; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a car body showing the layout of the pipework from the fluid pumps of the fluid reservoir to the respective jet locations, and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of an overcentre snap arrangement suitable for retaining components on the fluid reservoir module.

In the embodiment shown, the invention is applied to a fluid reservoir module having a first reservoir for containing screen wash liquid for washing the front and rear windscreens and optionally the head lights of a car and a reservoir forming an expansion tank for the vehicle cooling system, the whole being arranged to be mounted over the battery of the vehicle so as to form a cover therefore.

Referring firstly to figures 1 to 3, the fluid reservoir module 1, can be seen, together with the vehicle battery 3 over which the module 1 is intended to be located together with ancillary equipment shown in an exploded view (figure 1), in side view (figure 2) and sectional view (figure 3).

The fluid reservoir module 1 comprises two specially designed fluid reservoirs 5 and 6. The reservoir 5 is used for screen and headlight wash liquid and often referred to as a "wash bottle" while the reservoir 6, in the embodiment shown, constitutes the cooling system expansion tank of the vehicle.. To enable the module to fit over the battery 3, it is of generally hollow shape and defines-a void 7 therein in which the battery 3 sits as can be particularly seen in figure 3.

The module is basically in two parts connected together by a hinge arrangement. The top 9, rear 11 and sides 13 and 15 of the module form the reservoir 5 while the front 17, which is hinged at 21, forms the expansion tank 6. In the arrangement shown, the reservoirs 5 and 6 are moulded together with the reservoir 6 being moulded at 90 to the position it takes up in use and is connected to the main moulding by a seem which forms the hinge 21. This 9W position is shown in figure 2. As can be seen from figure 1, in its position of use, the reservoir 6 lies between the front ends of the sides 13 and 15 and has lower sideways extending projections 23 which snap into cut outs 25 moulded into the side walls 13 and 15. Inlet and outlet bosses 27 and 29 are moulded into the reservoir 6 and are so located that straight forward connection to the vehicle cooling system can be achieved.

The reservoir 6 can be filled using a filler neck 31 which is moulded across the top 9 of the module and is closed off by a suitable filler cap 33. The neck 31 is connected to the reservoir 6 by a corrugated portion 35 which allows the round shape of the filler neck to be retained once the reservoir 6 has been snapped into its use position.

The reservoir 5 is filled from a filler neck 37, closed by a suitable cap 39, and is located at the rear of the top 9 of the module 1 The module 1 has been shaped to fit the available space around the battery in the engine compartment and therefore covers the battery 3 pretty completely. However, it is desirable for some access to the battery without the need to remove the module 1 for the purpose of being able to detach and connect the battery 3 to the electrical system of the vehicle and to enable the use of jumper leads to assist in starting the vehicle's engine when the battery charge is low. To this end, two apertures 41 are provided in the top 9 of the module 1 which give access to the battery terminals 43.

A handle 47 is provided at the font of the module 1 to assist lifting of the module 1 off the battery as required. A similar handle (not shown) may also be provided at the rear of the module 1. Wedge locators 49 are suitably provided on the sides 13 and 15 of the module 1. These can be used with corresponding wedge cups placed inside the engine compartment so as to locate and support the module 1. The module 1 may be still further retained by the electrical connectors 51 fitted to the battery terminals 43 by the traditional nut and bolt system.

The reservoir 5 carries two fluid pumps 53 and 55 located in recesses 57 and 59 on the side 15 of the module 1. A third pump, not shown, may also be provided if desired. The pumps 53 and 55 may be secured in the recesses 57 and 59 by any suitable method such as the snap fitting arrangement shown in figure 7.

To enable connection of the pumps 53 and 55 to be connected to the reservoir 5, the recesses 57 and 59 have apertures 61 which are aligned, with the interspersion of sealing grommets, with inlet apertures (not shown) on the pumps 53 and 55, In the present example, pump 53 feeds jets for washing the front windscreen of the vehicle, and pump 55 feeds jets for washing the rear screen. Where facilities for washing the headlamps is required, the third, optional pump will be used as will be described hereafter in connection with figure 5. The pumps 53 and 55 are located at the lowest positions on the reservoir 5 so as to ensure that maximum fluid capacity can be used.

Provision is also made for the retention of a composite electrical connector 61. This provision comprises a recess 63 as will be described in greater detail in figure 5..

Figure 4 shows clearly the location of the fluid reservoir module 1 in the engine compartment 71 of the vehicle. It also shows how the filler necks 31 and 37 for both reservoirs 5 and 6 are located beneath the cowl top 73, the cowl top 73 being provided with a flap 75 through which the fillers can be accessed.

Figure 5 shows a detail of the side 15 of the reservoir module 1 showing the arrangement of the electrical components and pump assemblies. The power supplied to the fluid pumps 53 and 55 is channeled through a two part composite connector 61 which allows a single operation to connect the power of the vehicle to the pumps. The female half 77 of the composite connector 61 is connected to the respective pumps 53 and 55 prior to the assembly of the fluid reservoir module 1 onto the vehicle.

The male part 79 of the composite connector 61 is fixed to the fluid reservoir module 1 by sliding it upwards in the recess 63 which is in the form of an undercut groove, the connector 61 being retained in position in the recess 63 by means of the locating boss 81 which mates with a corresponding recess (not shown) in the main body of the male connecting part 79. The male connecting part 79 is connected to the vehicle wiring harness indicated at 83.

In figure 5, the electrical connections of the pump 53 to the power supply from the composite connector 61 is shown at 85 and its pipework connection is shown at 87. The electrical connections of the pump 55 are shown at 89 and its pipework connection is shown at 91. A further electrical connection for connection to the third, optional pump is shown at 93.

Figure 6 shows an example of the paths which may be followed by the pipework supplying washing fluid to the washer nozzles. As shown, three separate paths are provide. One, shown in full lines at 95, feeds the nozzle 97 for the rear windscreen 99. A second, shown in dotted lines at 101, feeds the two nozzles 103 for the front windscreen 105 while a third, shown in dotted lines at 107, and which is the optional line, feeds two nozzles 109 for the head lamps. Each of these paths is fed by a single one of the pumps as detailed earlier.

Thus, the pipework 95 for the rear screen 99 runs from its pump to the bulkhead, through the bulkhead and up the adjacent A post. It then proceeds behind the roof lining to the rear of the vehicle. The pipework 95 then passes to the rear door 111 and so to the spray jet 97.

-5 The front windscreen pipework 101 is fed from its pump along the outside of the engine compartment 71 to the bulkhead. From here it passes beneath the cowl 73 to the spray jets 103.

The pipework 107 for the headlights is fed from its pump around the periphery of the engine compartment 71 avoiding close proximity to the engine 72. The pipework is routed under the cross vehicle beam front upper panel 113 and is split into two to run down adjacent body members 115 to the jet units 109.

Figure 7 shows a suitable form of overcentre snap connector 1.21 which can be used both for mounting the pumps 53 and 55, and, in a different size, for retaining the pipework 95, 101 and 107. Thus the connector 121 is in the form of a resiliently formed strap 123 having a loop 125 to surround the member 127 being held thereby. As can be seen, the loop 125 has an opening 129 which is somewhat smaller than the member 127 so that it can be snapped onto the member 127, thus retaining it in the loop 125. the strap 123 itself is fastened, suitably by its ends, to the structure to which the member 127 is to be secured.

It will be appreciated that the above describes only one embodiment of a fluid reservoir module and many other possibilities exist within the sope of the appended claims. For example, the routing of the various pipework will depend an the particular construction of the vehicle on which the invention is used. In some cases, only two of the pumps will be needed where, for example, no headlamp washers are provided. On a saloon car, which does not have a rear wash wipe system only one pump may be required.

In a further alternative one pump may carry out more than one function. Thus the function of front windscreen washer and headlamp washer may be combined.

It will also be understood that while the fluid reservoir module described has been for the windscreen and headlight washing fluid and for overflow from the engine cooling system, the individual reservoirs, particularly the reservoir 6, could be used for any other suitable liquids which may be required to be topped up. Such liquids include brake fluid, clutch fluid, automatic gearbox fluid or power steering fluid.

It is even feasible to imagine that in some circumstances, more than two fluid reservoirs could be provided, each containing a fluid for different purposes. Thus, the fluid reservoir module could be divided into a number of sealed compartments, each with its own filling arrangements and, where required, its own pump(s). Furthermore, the filling arrangements may be located in any suitable position, such as outside the vehicle, suitably under a panel in one of the wings.

While the fixing arrangement shown in figure 7 is highly desirable, other forms of fixing such as welding, the use of adhesives or other suitable mechanical devices.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fluid reservoir module having one or more fluid reservoirs therein and a void area in which a vehicle's battery can be received such that the battery is surrounded on at least three sides so that the module forms a cover for the battery.

2. A reservoir module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the module has at least two reservoirs.

3. A reservoir module as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the module has a reservoir for wash liquid and a reservoir forming a vehicle cooling system expansion tank.

4. A reservoir module as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the void in the module for receiving the battery is of generally cuboid shape and open on one face such that in use, four sides and the top of the battery are substantially covered.

5. A reservoir module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper surface of the module has two through apertures extending through to the void and through which the battery terminal screws can be accessed.

6. A reservoir module as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fluid reservoir module contains one or more recesses for mounting fluid distribution pumps.

7. A reservoir module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fluid reservoir module contains outlets aligned with the pump inlets.

8. A fluid reservoir module substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

8. A reservoir module as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein the module is equipped with lifting handles to enable it to be lifted off the battery for access thereto.