Liquid level detector

• US 7,377,163 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Miyagawa, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rogers; David A.
• Application Number:
  US11/004,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 732/90.R, 73305-322
• US Class Current: 73/317
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/38 using magnetically actuated indicating means

Abstract

Two pairs of regulating means, that is, the first stopper and the second stopper, which regulate a rotary angle range of the magnet holder when the first stopper and the second stopper come into contact with the stopper of the arm integrally fixed to the magnet holder, are provided in the body which is a fixing member, and the rotary angle range of the magnet holder regulated by one pair of stoppers is made to be different from the rotary angle range of the magnet holder regulated by the other pair of stoppers. Due to the foregoing, when the expensive body is made to be a common part and a plurality of types of inexpensive arms are manufactured, the fuel level gauge can be provided, an increase in the manufacturing cost of which is suppressed, which can cope with rotary angle ranges of the plurality of types of arms.

Claims

1. A liquid level detector comprising:

a float floating on the liquid, the level of which is an object to be measured;

a magnet holder for holding a magnet and having a hole portion;

an arm for connecting the float with the magnet holder so as to convert a vertical motion of the float into a rotary motion of the magnet holder;

a main body portion having a shaft portion, for pivotally holding the magnet holder so that the magnet holder can be freely rotated around the shaft portion when the shaft portion is engaged in the hole portion; and

a magnetoelectric conversion element fixed to the main body portion so that the magnetoelectric conversion element can cross a magnetic flux of the magnet, wherein

a magnetic flux density of the magnetic flux, which crosses the magnetoelectric conversion element, is detected by the magnetoelectric conversion element, and a rotary angle of the magnet holder, that is, a liquid level is detected according to this detection signal, the shaft portion including;

a large diameter portion engaging in the hole portion;

a small diameter portion formed at a forward end portion of the large diameter portion concentrically with the large diameter portion;

a first protruding portion provided at a forward end portion of the small diameter portion so that the first protruding portion can extend in the radial direction of the small diameter portion in a portion of the outer circumference of the small diameter portion;

a second protruding portion provided at a forward end side end portion of the shaft portion of the inner wall of the hole portion so that the second protruding portion can extend in the radial direction of the hole portion; and

a stopper provided in the main body portion, coming into contact with an end portion of the arm on the opposite side to the float so as to regulate a rotary range of the magnet holder around the shaft portion, wherein

a contour line of the first protruding portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion is included in a contour line of the large diameter portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion,

the second protruding portion provided on the inner wall of the hole portion is formed so that the first protruding portion of the shaft portion can pass through, and

when the magnet holder is at least in the rotary range, the second protruding portion comes into contact with the first protruding portion so that the second protruding portion can not be moved being separated from the main body portion of the magnet holder.

2. A liquid level detector according to claim 1, wherein the magnet holder includes an engaging portion having a groove, and the arm is held by and fixed into the groove by an elastic force of the engaging portion.

3. A liquid level detector according to claim 1, wherein the groove includes an opening portion and holding portion, a cross sectional shape of the holding portion perpendicular to the axial direction is rectangular or circular, the width or the inner diameter of the cross sectional shape is set smaller than the outer diameter of the arm, and the width of the opening portion perpendicular to the axial direction is set smaller than the width or the inner diameter of the holding portion.

4. A liquid level detector according to claim 1, wherein the magnet holder has a through-hole parallel with the hole portion, and the arm is engaged in the through-hole.

5. A liquid level detector according to claim 1, comprising:

a terminal built in the main body portion, for electrically connecting the magnetoelectric conversion element with the outside, wherein

one end of the terminal is connected to the magnetoelectric conversion element and the other end of the terminal is extended outside from the end portion of the main body,

the magnetoelectric conversion element detects a magnetic flux density of the magnetic flux crossing the magnetoelectric conversion element and a rotary angle of the magnet holder, that is, the liquid level is detected according to the detection signal,

the main body portion is made of resin material,

a rubber member is arranged between the end portion and the magnetoelectric conversion element so that the rubber member can be closely contacted with the entire circumference of the terminal,

the rubber member is integrated with the terminal into one body when the rubber member is molded by means of injection molding in which the terminal is inserted, and

the rubber member, which is integrated with the magnetoelectric conversion element and the terminal into one body, is subjected to injection molding into the main body portion at the time of molding.

6. A liquid level detector according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the rubber member is exposed from the end portion to the outside of the main body portion.