Level sensor

• US 6,267,007 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Günther, Klaus-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOO, DENNIS S
• Application Number:
  US09/529,508
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 733/17, 733/18, 733/13, 733/14, 733/08, 733/05, 732/90.R, 340/625, 361/284, 116/109, 702/55
• US Class Current: 73/317
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/32 using rotatable arms or other pivotable transmission elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/36 using electrically actuated indicating means G01F23/38 takes precedence

Abstract

A filling level sensor has a carrier part (1) having a lever wire (3) which is attached to a bracket (2) and is axially guided by a bar-shaped apron (11). The bracket (2) has webs (9, 10) which protrude radially with respect to its pivotable and axially nondisplaceable bearing and over which flange elements (7, 8) of the carrier part (1) engage. As a result, the bracket (2) is at a constant distance from the carrier part (1) and is additionally of particularly simple design.

Claims

1. A filling level sensor for generating electrical signals as a function of a filling level of a fluid in a container, having a bracket which is mounted on a carrier part in a pivotable and axially nondisplaceable fashion and which activates a regulator as a function of its adjustment angle, the bracket having at least two radially protuding webs and the carrier part having flange elements which engage over the webs and are spaced apart from one another in accordance with the dimensions of the webs, the sensor having a lever wire attached to the bracket and fitted with a float, and having an axial guide arranged at a distance from the pivot axis of the bracket, characterized in that the guide has an apron (11, 28) which is arranged on the carrier part (1) and engages over the lever wire (3).

2. The filling level sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apron (11, 28) is of bar-shaped design.

3. The filling level sensor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the regions of the apron (11, 28) and of the carrier part (1) which are facing the lever wire (3) each have a narrow guideway (14, 15, 30, 31) for guiding the lever wire (3).

4. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 3, wherein the guideways (30, 31) are spaced apart in the direction of the lever wire (3).

5. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 3, wherein a guideway (30) of the carrier part (1) is arranged on a web (29) which is inclined in the direction of the pivot axis of the bracket.

6. The filling level sensor as defined in at claim 1, wherein the apron (11) is connected to the carrier part (1) by means of arms (12, 13), and wherein the arms (12, 13) are designed so as to delimit the pivoting range of the lever wire (3).

7. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the apron (11, 28) is produced in one piece with the carrier part (1).

8. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the apron (11, 28) is attached to the carrier part (1) by means of a latching connection.

9. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the apron (28) is of bow-shaped design corresponding to the pivoting range of the bracket (2).

10. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the bracket (2) has at least two radially protruding webs (9, 10), and the carrier part (1) has flange elements (7, 8) which engage over the webs (9, 10) and are spaced apart from one another corresponding to the dimensions of the webs (9, 10).

11. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the webs (9, 10) have sliding elements (22, 23) which bear on the flange elements (7, 8) and/or the carrier part (1).

12. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the bracket (2) has a drilled hole (18) and the carrier part (1) has a spigget (19) which penetrates the drilled hole (18).

13. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein a latching element (6) of the bracket (2) for holding the lever wire (3) is arranged in a lateral region.

14. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 12, wherein the spigget (19) of the carrier part (1) has a drilled hole (21) for receiving an angled portion (20) of the lever wire (3).

15. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the bracket (2) has a recess (24) which extends from the angled portion (20) of the lever wire (3) to above one of the webs (9, 10).

16. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein a sliding contact (27) or a magnet (17) of the regulator (5, 25) is arranged in the center between the apron (11, 28) and the pivot axis of the bracket (2).

17. The filling level sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein the bracket (2) or the carrier part (1) is produced from the plastic PK, and the respective other component is produced from POM.