Tank for storage and delivery of fluids including functional components disposed on the tank wall

Abstract

A tank for motor vehicle includes a tank wall, a fill opening, an outlet opening, a plurality of functional components, and a plurality of attachment formations. The tank wall forms an outermost casing of the tank. The fill opening passes through the tank wall for inlet of operating fluid into the tank. The outlet opening passes through the tank wall for outlet of the operating fluid. The plurality of functional components are designed for pumping and/or for cleaning and/or for detecting a property and/or for changing a property of the operating fluid. The plurality of attachment formations are designed as being integral with the tank wall for positioning of a plurality of functional components on the tank wall. The functional components are disposed on segments of the tank wall, which are arranged at an incline to each other.

1 . Tank for motor vehicle operating fluid for accommodating of a fluid, comprising:
 a tank wall forming an outermost casing of the tank, the tank wall having an inner side bordering a tank interior, and having an outer side bordering the external environment of the tank,   a fill opening passing through the tank wall for inlet of the operating fluid into the tank,   an outlet opening passing through the tank wall for outlet of the operating fluid from the tank,   a plurality of functional components, wherein the functional components are designed for pumping and/or for cleaning and/or for detecting a property and/or for changing a property of the operating fluid, and   a plurality of attachment formations designed as being integral with the tank wall for the positioning of a plurality of functional components on the tank wall,   
       wherein the plurality of functional components of the tank are disposed on segments of the tank wall which are disposed at an incline to each other. 
     
     
         2 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the tank wall comprises a top wall, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall, and a side wall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall, wherein the top wall, the bottom wall and the side wall form tank wall segments arranged at an incline to each other. 
     
     
         3 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein at the tank wall, preferably at the outer side of the tank wall, as one functional component a pumping device is arranged for pumping of operating fluid, wherein the pumping device features a suction side for the intake of operating fluid and a pressure side for the ejection of operating fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein at the tank wall, as one functional component a filter device is arranged for filtering of operating fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The tank according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the filter device is connected to the pumping device by a first line extending into the interior of the tank for guiding the operating fluid, wherein the first line features an inlet end nearer to the filter device, and an outlet end nearer to the pumping device, wherein the first line with its outlet end is connected to the suction side of the pumping device.   
     
     
         6 . The tank according to  claim 5 , wherein the pumping device is connected to the outlet opening of the tank by means of a second line for guiding operating fluid leading out of the tank, wherein the second line features an inlet end nearer to the pumping device nearer to the outlet opening of the tank, wherein the second line at least at its outlet end leads out of the tank and its inlet end is connected to the pressure side of the pumping device. 
     
     
         7 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening of the tank is not arranged at the geodetically lowest point of the tank wall. 
     
     
         8 . The tank according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the filter device has a labyrinthine structure.   
     
     
         9 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the tank wall is produced by an injection molding process. 
     
     
         10 . The tank according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the tank wall is formed from at least two tank shells.   
     
     
         11 . The tank according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein at least one anti-slosh baffle protruding into the tank interior are designed as being integrated with the tank wall.   
     
     
         12 . The tank according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of attachment formations designed integrally with the tank wall are produced jointly and simultaneously with the tank wall in an injection molding process. 
     
     
         13 . The tank according  claim 1 ,
 wherein at the tank wall, as a functional component a heating device is arranged as a flexible heating element, which covers the inner side of the bottom wall at least partially, and most preferably covers it essentially entirely.   
     
     
         14 . The tank according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the filter device and the heating device overlap at the segment of the tank wall supporting them.   
     
     
         15 . The tank according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an insulating unit is arranged at the outer side of at least one of the tank wall segments.   
     
     
         16 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functional components is selected from a group which comprises:
 a pressure sensor to detect the pressure in the tank,   a fill-level sensor to detect the fill level of operating fluid located in the tank   a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of operating fluid and/or the temperature of the outside environment,   a quality sensor to detect the quality of the operating fluid,   a heating device for heating of the operating fluid,   a pumping device for pumping of the operating fluid,   a filter device for filtering of the operating fluid, and   a sensor for detecting of cavities in frozen operating fluid located in the interior of the tank.   
     
     
         17 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein at the inner side of the tank wall, as one functional component a filter device ( 38 ) is arranged for filtering of operating fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The tank according to  claim 6 , wherein the second line also at its inlet end leads out of the tank when there is a pumping device arranged on the outer side of the tank wall. 
     
     
         19 . The tank according to  claim 7 , wherein the inlet end of the first line and/or the filter device is arranged at the geodetically lowest point of the tank wall. 
     
     
         20 . The tank according to  claim 9 , wherein preferably the tank wall has a thickness of 3 mm to 3.5 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the tank wall is formed from exactly two tank shells. 
     
     
         22 . The tank according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of functional components is arranged on a single one of the tank shells. 
     
     
         23 . The tank according  claim 1 , wherein at the tank wall, as a functional component a heating device is arranged as a flexible heating element, which covers essentially entirely the inner side of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         24 . The tank according to  claim 1 , wherein an insulating unit is arranged at the outer side of at least one of the tank wall segments at least on the bottom wall.