System for detecting remaining amount of liquid in tank

• US 6,857,314 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Unisia Automotive, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ogiwara, Yutaka, Ohhashi, Hironori, Mashimo, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELLAMY, TAMIKO D
• Application Number:
  US10/747,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 733/13, 733/14, 733/17, 733/05, 733/225
• US Class Current: 73/313
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/36 using electrically actuated indicating means G01F23/38 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid remaining-amount detecting system includes a displacement transmitting part for transmitting displacement of a float to a rotation-angle sensor and including a bracket mounted to the bottom of a tank, an arm having a base end mounted to the bracket and a front end mounted to the float, and a link mechanism for coupling the rotation-angle sensor and the base end of the arm. The link mechanism serves to cancel displacement of the float resulting from vertical displacement of the bottom of the tank.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a remaining amount of liquid in a tank, comprising:

a float which produces a displacement with a level of liquid;

a sensor part mounted to the tank at a position above a bottom thereof, the sensor part sensing the remaining amount of liquid in accordance with the displacement of the float; and

a displacement transmitting part which transmits the displacement of the float to the sensor part, the displacement transmitting part comprising a support member mounted to the bottom of the tank, an arm having a base end mounted to the support member and a front end mounted to the float, and a link mechanism which couples the sensor part and the base end of the arm.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link mechanism serves to cancel the displacement of the float resulting from a vertical displacement of the bottom of the tank.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member of the displacement transmitting part comprises a stationary portion mounted to the bottom of the tank and a movable portion mounted to the base end of the arm.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the movable portion is horizontally movably mounted to the stationary portion.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link mechanism comprises a parallel link.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sensor casing provided to the tank, the sensor casing accommodating the sensor part.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensor casing is arranged in the tank to hermetically be isolated from liquid therein.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a non-contact coupling for coupling the link mechanism and the sensor part in the sensor casing.

9. A system for detecting a remaining amount of liquid in a tank, comprising:

a float which produces a displacement with a level of liquid;

a sensor part mounted to the tank at a position above a bottom thereof, the sensor part sensing the remaining amount of liquid in accordance with the displacement of the float;

a displacement transmitting part which transmits the displacement of the float to the sensor part, the displacement transmitting part comprising a support member mounted to the bottom of the tank, an arm having a base end mounted to the support member and a front end mounted to the float, and a link mechanism which couples the sensor part and the base end of the arm, the link mechanism canceling the displacement of the float resulting from a vertical displacement of the bottom of the tank;

a sensor casing arranged in the tank to hermetically be isolated from liquid therein, the sensor casing accommodating the sensor part; and

a non-contact coupling which couples the link mechanism and the sensor part in the sensor casing.

10. An arrangement, comprising:

a tank having a remaining amount of liquid;

a float which produces a displacement with a level of liquid;

a sensor part mounted to the tank at a position above a bottom thereof, the sensor part sensing the remaining amount of liquid in accordance with the displacement of the float; and

a displacement transmitting part which transmits the displacement of the float to the sensor part, the displacement transmitting part comprising a support member mounted to the bottom of the tank, an arm having a base end mounted to the support member and a front end mounted to the float, and a link mechanism which couples the sensor part and the base end of the arm, the link mechanism canceling the displacement of the float resulting from a vertical displacement of the bottom of the tank.