An electrical liquid level sensor for an internal combustion engine

Abstract: Conventional electrical resistance fluid level sensors have a sensor unit and a remotely mounted detector circuit connected by a wire along which signals are transmitted between the sensor unit and the detector. In consequence the sensor is vulnerable to interference. Accordingly an electrical resistance oil level sensor is proposed having a cylindrical hollow sensor body (1) and a elongate inner electrode (4) provided in the sensor body (1) spaced from the inner wall of the sensor body (1). The sensor body (1) and the inner electrode (4) are made of conductive resin including carbon particles. An oil level detector circuit is provided in the sensor body.

Description: The present invention relates to a liquid level sensor suitable for detecting a level of lubricating oil in an internal combustion engine. If the engine is operated without sufficient lubricating oil, the engine is damaged. Consequently, an oil level sensor is provided for monitoring the level of the lubricating oil at all times. When the oil level sensor detects a lower level of the oil than the sufficient level, the engine is stopped or an alarm is turned on. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 62-93417 discloses an oil sensor having a pressure switch and JP-A-62-93417 discloses an oil level sensor having, a reed switch. The reed switch oil sensor consists of various components such as a float and a magnet in addition to the reed switch, so that the oil sensor is complicated in construction. Also, the sensor must be installed in a crankcase before assembling the engine. The oil pressure switch sensor can not be used in an engine without an oil pump. Sensors which detect an amount of liquid (e.g. oil) by measuring its electrical resistance are known. The liquid level sensor comprises a centre electrode and an outer electrode surrounding the centre electrode at a predetermined distance. The liquid level sensor detects the volume and concentration of the liquid, in accordance with the variation of the resistance between the centre electrode and the outer electrode. The variation of the resistance is detected by measuring a current flowing in the liquid level sensor. However, the current representing the variation of the resistance of the oil is very small, because the resistance is large. A shielded wire must therefore be employed for a signal line in order to alleviate the problem of interference generating noise. However, it is difficult to completely eliminate the noise. The shielded wire must be connected to a control unit by a connector. The readers attention is drawn to the applicant's parallel application EP-A-0 399 686, which is directed to other features of an oil level sensor. The citations AT-B-383 677 discloses a liquid level sensor having a sensor body which provides a hollow outer electrode and an inner electrode mounted within the outer electrode and insulated from each other. The electrodes are connected to a liquid level detector circuit to detect the presence of a liquid in between the inner and outer electrodes from the electrical resistance between the electrodes. US-A-4 322 713 discloses an electronic dipstick to sense the oil level in a vehicle and having a construction broadly similar to the liquid level sensor in AT-B-383 677. US-A-4 806 847 discloses a level of a liquid via its capacitance in order to obviate the effects of temperature variation on resistance effect sensors such as those mentioned previously. The object of the present invention is to provide a liquid level sensor of simple construction, capable of accurately indicating a level of oil in an oil pan and substantially immune to the influence of noise. According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical resistance liquid level sensor comprising a sensor body which provides a hollow outer electrode, an inner electrode mounted within the outer electrode by an insulating inner electrode guide and spaced from the inner surfaces of the outer electrode, the sensor body and the inner electrode being made of electrically conductive material, and a liquid level detector circuit arranged to communicate electrically with the electrodes, the detector circuit including a comparator (OP) to produce an output signal having a logic level, characterised the electrically conductive material is a resin having a low heat conductivity, and in that the detector circuit is mounted within the sensor body, and includes a thermistor to compensate for the effects of temperature variations. Because the detector circuit is provided in the body, the communicating wire required by conventional detectors is not necessary and the affects of interference are substantially eliminated. In an aspect of the invention, the inner electrode has a flange at a base portion thereof and a connecting portion projected from the flange, and a circuit board is secured to the connecting portion. The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an oil level sensor according to the present invention, a part of which is shown in section; Figs. 2 is a sectional view showing the oil level sensor; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the oil level sensor taken along a line III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a circuit of an oil level detector; and Fig. 5 is a graph showing characteristic of insulation resistance and temperature of oil. Referring to Fig. 1, an oil level sensor A is provided in an oil pan 19 of an engine (not shown) by engaging a threaded opening 19a formed in the oil pan through a packing 20. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the oil sensor A has a cylindrical sensor body 1 served as an outer electrode, which is made of conductive resin including carbon particles molded by injection molding. The sensor body 1 comprises a screw head 1a, a flange 1b adjacent to the screw head 1a, an outer thread 1c adjacent to the flange 1b. The sensor body 1 has a cylindrical hollow portion 1e and air vents 1f formed in the body, communicated with the hollow portion 1e. A stepwise portion 1g is formed on an inside wall of the sensor body 1. In the hollow portion 1e, an inner electrode guide 2 is securely mounted. The guide 2 is made of high-resistance insulation resin with heat proof. The guide 2 has a shoulder portion 2a engaged with the stepwise portion 1g of the sensor body 1, a cylindrical body portion 2a′ and a taper portion 2c formed on an end of the cylindrical portion 2a′. The guide 2 has an axial hole formed along the axis, opening at both ends. An annular groove 2b is formed on the cylindrical body portion 2a′ for engaging an O-ring 3a. An entire outer surface of the guide 2 or at least an outer surface of the taper portion 2c is coated with such material as fluororesin having heat proof, electrical resistivity and oil repelling characteristic for preventing the oil from adhering to the guide 2. The guide 2 has a recess 2d formed on the shoulder portion 2a at a predetermined depth in the axial direction of the guide and a groove 2e formed on the bottom of the recess 2d for engaging an O-ring 3b. An inner electrode 4 is made of conductive resin including carbon particles and formed by injection molding. The inner electrode 4 is engaged in the axial hole of the guide 2 at an end portion thereof. The inner electrode 4 has a flange 4a provided on the axially inner upper end thereof to be engaged with the bottom of the recess 2d and a connecting portion 4b projected from the flange 4a in the hollow portion 1e. The end portion of the flange 4a is sealed by the O-ring 3b. The connecting portion 4b has a semicircular cross section. An insulator washer 5 is mounted on the connecting portion 4a and abutted on the flange 4a. A rectangular printed board 7 is mounted in the hollow portion 1e and abutted on the washer 5 at an end thereof. The printed circuit board 7 has an oil level detector circuit 6 mounted thereon and is secured to a flat surface of the projected connecting portion 4b by a screw 8. A pair of conductive metallic clamps 9 are mounted on the opposite corners of the printed board 7 and engaged with the inside wall of the sensor body 1. Wires 10 for a source line and a signal line are connected to the printed board 7. An annular conductive washer 11 having a bent flange is attached to the clamps 9. The bent flange of the washer 11 engages with the inside wall of the sensor body 1. Thus, the ground of the printed board 7 is electrically connected to the sensor body 1 through the clamps 9 and washer 11. An insulation cap 12 is engaged in the sensor body 1. The space between the washer 5 and 11 surrounding the printed board 7 is filled with epoxiresin. Fig. 4 shows the oil level detector circuit 6 mounted on the printed board 7. The circuit 6 has a comparator OP and a voltage divider comprising resistors R1, R2 and a thermistor RTh connected in series between a source V (for example, +5V) in a source circuit 14 of an engine control unit 13 and the ground. The inner electrode 4 of the oil sensor A is connected to the source V through a resistor R3. An inverting terminal of the comparator OP is connected between the resistors R1 and R2 and a non-inverting terminal is connected between the electrode 4 and the resistor R3. If the resistance between the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4 is RDUT, potential Va at a point a is represented as and potential Vb at a point b is Resistances 5 of the resistors R1, R2 and R3 and the thermistor RTh are determined such that the potentials become Va < Vb when oil exists between the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the resistance of oil reduces with an increase of temperature of oil. The thermistor RTh is arranged to have a negative characteristic RTh which coincides with the variation of the resistance, so that the relation of the voltages Va and Vb may be Va < Vb. When the oil resistance between the electrodes is detected, the comparator OP produces a low level signal from an output terminal thereof. If the level of the oil in the oil pan 19 lowers to expose the sensor body 1 from the oil, the resistance RDOU between the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4 becomes large. Consequently, the potential Va becomes higher than Vb (Va > Vb). Thus, the comparator OP produces a high level signal. The output terminal of the comparator OP is connected to the engine control unit 13 through wires 10 and a connector 17 as shown in Fig. 1. The engine control unit 13 is provided with the source circuit 14, an auxiliary timer 15 and an engine stopping circuit 16. The auxiliary timer 15 is provided for preventing an erroneous detection caused by the movement of the surface of oil. When the high level signal is applied from the detector circuit 6 to the unit 13, the auxiliary timer 15 operates to measure a generating time of the high level signal. If the generating time exceeds a predetermined time, the timer 15 produces a trigger signal which is applied to the engine stopping circuit 16. The engine stopping circuit 16 operates to ground a primary winding of an ignition coil (not shown) of a gasoline engine or to position a control rack of a fuel injection pump of a diesel engine to a close position. Thus, the engine stops and an alarm lamp 18 of light emitting diode is turned on. As shown in Fig. 1, the oil sensor A is inserted into the threaded opening 19a of the oil pan 19 and the outer thread 1c of the sensor body 1 is screwed in the threaded opening 19a, interposing the packing 20. Thus, the oil level sensor A is attached to the oil pan 19. Describing the operation, when a key switch (not shown) of the engine is turned on to start the engine, a battery voltage is applied to the control unit 13 and the constant voltage V is applied to the oil level detector circuit 6 in the oil level sensor A. During the operation of the engine, if the oil pan 11 is sufficiently filled with the oil, both the lower portions of the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4 are soaked in the oil of the oil pan 19. The sensor detects the resistance of oil between the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4. As hereinbefore described, potentials Va and Vb between the points a and b are Va < Vb. The comparator OP produces a low level signal. If the level of the oil in the oil pan 19 lowers to expose the sensor body 1 from the oil, the resistance between the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode becomes large. The potential Va applied to the non-inverting terminal of the comparator OP becomes higher than the potential Vb applied to the inverting terminal. The comparator OP produces accordingly a high level signal. In accordance with the present invention, the oil level detector circuit 6 is mounted in the oil level sensor A, and hence the low and high level signals are directly applied to the engine control unit without a shielded wire. Accordingly, the oil level detecting system becomes simple in construction, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the system. Since the oil level sensor A produces a signal having a high or low level in accordance with the oil level, the process in the control unit 13 becomes simple and a system for preventing noise is simplified. The oil level sensor can be easily used for various types of the control circuits. Since the sensor body 1 is made of conductive resin including carbon, the resistance of the sensor body is very small compared with the oil resistance. Accordingly, the resistance of the sensor body has a value within a detecting error of the sensor. Since the sensor body 1 and the inner electrode 4 are made of resin having a low heat conductivity, heat of the oil and heat of the crankcase of the engine are hardly transmitted to the oil level detector circuit 6 in the oil level sensor A. Thus, the deterioration of the detector 6 caused by heat is eliminated. If the vertical position of the oil sensor A is set at a higher position, the shortage of oil is indicated without stopping the engine. The level of the oil in the oil pan is accurately detected without the influence of the noise. The number of parts of the oil level sensor are reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. Thus, the oil level sensor having a high reliability and operability is provided.

Claims: An electrical resistance liquid level sensor comprising a sensor body (1) which provides a hollow outer electrode, an inner electrode (4) mounted within the outer electrode by an insulating inner electrode guide (2) and spaced from the inner surfaces of the outer electrode, the sensor body (1) and the inner electrode (4) being made of electrically conductive material, and a liquid level detector circuit (6) arranged to communicate electrically with the electrodes, the detector circuit (6) including a comparator (OP) to produce an output signal having a logic level, characterised in that the electrically conductive material is a resin having a low heat conductivity, and in that the detector circuit (6) is mounted within the sensor body (1), and includes a thermistor (RTh) to compensate for the effects of temperature variations. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inner electrode (4) has a flange (4a) formed at a base portion thereof and a connecting portion (4b) projecting from the flange (4a) whereby the detector circuit (6) is mounted. A sensor according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the detector circuit (6) is mounted to communicate directly with the electrodes. A sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the comparator is connected to a voltage divider consisting of first and second resistors (R1, R2) connected in series with the thermistor (RTh) and a voltage source (V), the inner electrode is connected to the source through a third resistor (R3), an inverting terminal of the comparator (OP) is connected to the first and second resistors (R1, R2), and a non-inverting terminal of the comparator is connected between the third resistor (R₃) and the inner electrode (4) and the resistances (R₁ R₂ R₃ RTh) are selected such that the voltage (Va) at the inverting terminal (a) is less than the voltage (Vb) at the non-inverting terminal, when oil is present between the inner and the outer electrodes to soak both lower portions of the sensor body (1) and the inner electrode (4) and the inverting terminal voltage (Va) exceeds the non-inverting terminal voltage (Vb) when oil is not present between the inner electrode (4) and the outer electrode.

Inventors: KUBOTA YOSUKE C O FUJI JUKOGYO, SASAKI ASAO C O FUJI JUKOGYO K, KUBOTA, YOSUKE C/O FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SASAKI, ASAO C/O FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Applicants: FUJI HEAVY IND LTD, FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G01F23
IPC codes: G01F23, F01M11, G01V3