Measuring and testing – Liquid level or depth gauge
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2004-12-28
Cygan, Michael (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Liquid level or depth gauge
C073S30400R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06834545
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a structure for a fuel tank for automobiles, more particularly, a structure for installing a thermistor as a fuel level sensor for detecting the amount of fuel in a fuel tank, which can be applied as a common use regardless of the shape of the fuel tank and the model of a car and can prevent malfunctions of a warning light of a fuel level sensor caused by abrupt braking, abrupt accelerating, and cornering.
BACKGROUND ART
As shown in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
, a general fuel tank comprises a fuel gauge unit sensor
6
having a variable resister plate VR
2
and a float
3
installed on one end of a rod and the other end of the rod is installed on the variable resister plate VR
2
pivotally.
The operation of the fuel gauge having above structure is as follows.
The float
3
and the rod move pivotally with respect to the level of fuel in fuel tank
1
by the buoyancy, so the resistance of the variable resister plate VR
2
varies according to the displacement of the float
3
and the rod.
Therefore, a driver knows the amount of the remaining fuel in the fuel tank
1
from the indicator of the fuel gauge
7
operated by a voltage.
However, because it is possible that a driver is confused by the breakdown of the fuel gauge unit and the float when depending on only the fuel gauge unit, it further comprises a fuel level sensor
4
for alarming a driver when amount of fuel in the fuel tank is less than a predetermined level.
The fuel level sensor
4
comprises a thermistor VR
1
installed on one end of a post
5
connected with the fuel gauge unit body
6
.
When fuel level is over a predetermined level, because the thermistor VR
1
is immersed in the fuel, the resistance has high value, so a warning light
8
is not turned on. Whereas the warning light
8
is turned on in case the thermistor VR
1
comes out of the fuel when the fuel level is below a predetermined level, because the resistance has low value.
However the shape of the fuel tank is different according to a design of a car, the fuel gauge unit and the fuel level sensor having above structure must be newly designed.
Moreover, there is a problem in that the position and the height of the fuel level sensor must be changed according to the capacity of the fuel tank and a fuel consumption of each design of a car.
Also, it is possible that the warning light works badly when a driver puts on a brake or accelerates a car abruptly and corners a car. That is because the position of the fuel level sensor is nearer to base of the fuel tank than that of the fuel gauge unit in above structure, so the fuel level sensor is immersed and comes out of the fuel according to the slopping of the fuel from side to side.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for installing a fuel level sensor in a fuel tank for automobiles, which can be applied as a common use regardless of the shape of the fuel tank and the model of a car and can prevent malfunctions of a warning light of the fuel level sensor caused by abrupt braking, abrupt accelerating, and cornering.
According to the aspect of the above object, there is provided a structure for installing a fuel level sensor in a fuel tank for automobiles, the structure comprising:
a post fixed upright on a drain plug of a fuel tank by a screw fit; a fuel level sensor that is installed on the end portion of the post.
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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition, 1998 no month, p. 811.
Cygan Michael
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kia Motors Corporation
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