JP3560738B2 - Vehicle fuel gauge - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle in which a meter indicates the remaining amount of fuel according to a detection signal of a rotation angle sensor attached to a rotatable support shaft that supports a base end portion of an arm having a distal end connected to a float. It relates to a fuel gauge for use.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 shows a fuel gauge of this type, in which a fuel tank 1 has a float 2 floating in fuel and a rotatable support shaft for supporting a base end portion of an arm 3 having a distal end connected to the float. 4 and are attached. As a result, when the float 2 moves up and down following the liquid level fluctuation in the fuel, the support shaft 4 is rotated and interlocked via the arm 3, and a meter pointer or the like is detected by a detection signal of a rotation angle sensor 4a attached to the support shaft. Indicates the remaining amount.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the float 2 is not limited to the case where the fuel tank 1 has an irregular shape as shown in the figure, and even in the case of a rectangular parallelepiped, the float 2 simply rotates about the support shaft 4 with the arm 3 as a radius. However, there is a problem that does not correspond to the rotation amount of the support shaft 4. Therefore, when the scale of the meter is set to coincide with, for example, 100%, 50%, and 0%, the scale is not set at equal intervals between them, or the rotation angle sensor is set at equal intervals. An additional circuit for correcting the detection signal of 4a was required.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle fuel gauge of the type described at the beginning, in which the amount of rotation of the support shaft with respect to a change in the unit remaining amount of fuel can be equalized.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, according to claim 1, a base end portion of an arm having a front end connected to a float floating in a fuel tank is supported by a support shaft rotatably supported on the fuel tank side. In a vehicular fuel gauge adapted to indicate the remaining amount of fuel according to a detection signal of a rotation angle sensor attached to the support shaft, the center hole of the ring-shaped float is inserted through the float guide rod and the arm The distal end is hinged to the float, the base end of the arm is slidably inserted into a guide hole formed in the support shaft in the transverse direction, and the vertical shape of the float guide rod is set so that the unit of fuel remains. The unit is set so that the amount of rotation of the support shaft is equalized by sliding the base end of the arm with the guide hole against the unit liquid level change depending on the shape of the fuel tank with respect to the amount change. And wherein the are.
[0006]
When the ring-shaped float moves up and down according to the liquid surface, the float is guided in the direction along the liquid surface by the float guide rod, and at this time, the base end of the arm rotates the support shaft while sliding the guide hole vertically. Let it. Therefore, the rotation angle sensor outputs an angle signal proportional to the change in the unit remaining amount, and the meter pointer can be driven as it is to indicate it on a scale at equal intervals, or it can be displayed numerically as it is.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A vehicle fuel gauge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 7 denotes a rectangular parallelepiped fuel tank. The arm 15 is supported by a support shaft 21 which is rotatably mounted on a case 20 mounted on the upper wall thereof and protrudes in a sealed state. A rotation angle sensor 21a that outputs a detection signal according to the rotation angle is housed.
[0008]
Reference numeral 10 denotes a donut-shaped float, and a float guide rod 9 erected so as to reach the vicinity of the upper surface on the floor of the fuel tank 7 is inserted into a center hole 11 of the float. The distal end of the arm 15 connecting the float 10 and the support shaft 21 is hinged by connecting the ring portion 15a to the pin 12 which is cut out of the float 10 and is rotatably mounted. The base end portion is inserted into a guide hole 25 formed across the support shaft 21 so as to be slidably guided. The gap 10 a of the float 10 is for mounting the float guide bar 9.
[0009]
The shape of the float guide rod 9 in the vertical direction is set so that the rotation amount of the support shaft 21 with respect to a change in the unit remaining amount of fuel is substantially equal in the range of 100% to 0%. That is, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the rotation path of the distal end of the arm 15 with respect to the rotation center O of the support shaft 21 is closer to the support shaft 21 than the arc shown by the dotted line, and is the closest at the same height level. Then, the rotation amount of the support shaft 21 becomes equal to the unit remaining amount change of 12.5% shown in the figure. Naturally, it is possible to correspond to the rotation angle with a finer pitch regardless of whether or not the scale is provided. By the way, when the float is simply attached to the tip of the arm, the float moves up and down in an arc shape as shown by the dotted line, and the amount of rotation with respect to the unit remaining amount change at the height level of the support shaft 21 becomes small. It must be corrected or the meter scale must be unevenly spaced.
[0010]
In the fuel gauge configured as described above, when the fuel in the fuel tank 1 decreases from 100%, the float 10 gradually descends, and the float 10 has a semicircular cross-section around the center hole 11 of the float 10. While being smoothly displaced in the direction along the liquid surface by the guide rod 9, it is guided according to the liquid surface. At this time, the arm 15 rotates the support shaft 21 while sliding the guide hole 25 in the vertical direction. The amount of protrusion of the arm 15 from the guide hole 25 becomes maximum at the rotation position where it is aligned with the height of the support shaft 21, and gradually decreases again toward 0%. As a result, an equal scale interval is indicated only by driving the meter pointer in proportion to the angle indicated by the detection signal of the rotation angle sensor 21a. Further, the detection signal can be directly converted into a numerical value.
[0011]
In the above-described embodiment, it is preferable that the cross section of the float is formed in a curved shape at least on the center hole side for smooth guiding together with the float guide rod 9. The tip of the arm may be fixed to the pin 12 and the pin itself may be rotatably supported by the float.
[0012]
3 and 4 show another embodiment, in which the fuel tank 7a is not a rectangular parallelepiped but a non-rectangular parallelepiped having an inclined surface whose upper surface is gradually lowered. Note that parts that are the same as or the same as those in the above-described embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. In this case, the shape of the float guide rod 9a in the vertical direction is larger as the float guide rod 9 moves toward the bottom because the remaining amount change per unit liquid level change becomes larger as the liquid level goes downward. It is set in a curved shape approaching the support shaft 21. That is, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, the rotation path of the tip end of the arm 15 with respect to the rotation center O of the support shaft 21 causes the float 10 to gradually approach the support shaft 21 as the remaining amount decreases. . Similarly, the detection signal of the rotation angle sensor 21a indicates an angle proportional to the remaining amount.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the rotation angle of the arm connected to the float can be made proportional to the remaining amount of fuel regardless of the shape of the fuel tank, so that the detection signal of the rotation angle sensor is not corrected, and the rotation angle of the arm is equal. The meter pointer can be driven as it is on the scale, and accurate numerical display can be performed as it is. Even if the shape of the fuel tank changes, the fuel gauge can be used in common simply by replacing the float guide rod.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicular fuel gauge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the vehicle fuel gauge.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fuel meter according to another embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the fuel gauge according to FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional fuel meter.
[Explanation of symbols]
7, 7a Fuel tank 9, 9a Float guide rod 10, Float 15 Arm 21 Support shaft 21a Rotation angle sensor 25 Guide hole

Claims (1)

The base end of the arm whose tip is connected to the float floating in the fuel tank is supported on a support shaft rotatably supported on the fuel tank side, and the fuel is supplied according to the detection signal of the rotation angle sensor attached to this support shaft. In the fuel gauge for vehicles which came to indicate the remaining amount of
The center hole of the ring-shaped float is inserted through the float guide rod, the tip of the arm is hinged to the float, and the base end of the arm is slidable in a guide hole formed in the support shaft in the transverse direction. together is inserted, the longitudinal shape of the float guide rod, with respect to the unit liquid level change depends on the shape of the fuel tank to the unit remaining change in the fuel, sliding the arm proximal portion in said guide hole A fuel gauge for a vehicle, wherein the amount of rotation of the support shaft is set to be equal to each other .

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