Abstract:
Disclosed is a level sensor ( 7 ) for a fuel tank ( 1 ), comprising a holding part ( 11 ) that can be mounted in different positions on a support ( 13 ). The support ( 13 ) is fastened to a swirl pot ( 4 ) while the holding part ( 11 ) bears a lever arm ( 8 ) that supports a float ( 9 ). The inventive level sensor ( 7 ) can be adjusted to different fuel tank dimensions by mounting said level sensor ( 7 ) differently on the support ( 13 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a level sensor for determining a fuel level in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, with a support provided for fastening in the fuel tank, with a holding part connected to the support, with a mounting, which is arranged on the holding part, for a lever arm supporting a float, and with fastening means arranged on the holding part and the support. Furthermore, the invention relates to a kit for such a level sensor. 
     In the case of fuel tank level sensors known from practice, the support is fastened to a swirl pot prestressed against the base of the fuel tank. The holding part is latched to the support during installation. The problem exists in this case of keeping in stock, for differently shaped fuel tanks, different level sensors, in which, for example, the lever arm can be fitted to the left or to the right. This requires a high multiplicity of parts to be kept in stock for different level sensors. 
     The invention is based on the problem of designing a level sensor of the type mentioned at the beginning, in such a manner that it can be fitted with particularly few components in differently designed fuel tanks. Furthermore, the invention is based on the problem of providing a kit for such a level sensor, which kit can be used with as few components as possible in different fuel tanks. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The first-mentioned problem is solved according to the invention in that the fastening means of the holding part correspond with the fastening means of the support in positions of the holding part in which it is rotated about a horizontal axis and about a vertical axis. 
     By means of this design, the holding part, if it serves for fastening to the support, is of symmetrical design and can be fitted in a simple manner to the support in four different positions. Therefore, the holding part and therefore the mounting of the lever arm can be fitted in the appropriate alignment to the support as a function of the particular dimensions of the fuel tanks. This results in a sharp reduction in the number of components of the level sensor according to the invention that are to be kept in stock. The components of the level sensor can therefore be used in differently shaped fuel tanks without reworking. Owing to the invention, the components of the level sensor according to the invention are designed as identical parts for different fuel tanks and can therefore be manufactured particularly cost-effectively in the large batch customary for fuel tanks. 
     In the very simplest case, the fastening means of the holding part could be holes which pass through the holding part and which correspond in every position to the fastening means designed, for example, as latching hooks. However, according to an advantageous development of the invention, continuous holes can be avoided in a simple manner if a front side and a rear side of the holding part each have identical fastening means. 
     A potentiometer or magnetically active position sensor of the level sensor according to the invention is reliably protected against damage if the holding part has two housing parts which can be connected to each other, with one of the housing parts according to choice forming the front side and the other of the housing parts according to choice forming the rear side of the holding part. 
     According to another advantageous development, the lever arm is reliably guided in the holding part if the lever arm has a clip of plastic and a lever wire which is fastened to the clip and supports the float, and if the clip is mounted in both housing parts of the holding part. 
     According to another advantageous development, contact breakers on a potentiometer or fluctuating distances of a magnet of the magnetically active position sensor can be reliably avoided if one of the housing parts of the holding part has a receptacle for a resistance network of a magnetically active position sensor or a thick-film network of a potentiometer and the other housing part has a slideway for the lever arm. 
     A high resistance of the level sometimes indicates an empty fuel tank and sometimes a filled fuel tank. The level sensor according to the invention permits a simple adaptation to the fuel tank provided if the receptacle is formed symmetrically with respect to the rotatable installation of the resistance network of the magnetically active position sensor or of the thick-film network of a potentiometer. 
     An angled portion of the lever wire could be designed, for example, as a bearing spindle of the lever arm. However, according to another advantageous development of the invention, friction due to different swelling behavior between the metal of the lever wire and the clip manufactured from plastic and the holding part can be avoided in a simple manner if the lever wire has an angled portion which is introduced into a recess of the clip, and if the recess of the clip is arranged outside the housing parts of the holding part and at a distance from the mounting of the clip. A further advantage of this design is that the lever wire can be fitted and removed together with the float from the outside. The level sensor according to the invention does not have to be dismantled for this. 
     According to another advantageous development of the invention, the installation of the holding part on the support is simplified if the support of the two housing parts of the holding part has arms at least partially engaging around it and a stop for supporting the holding part. 
     The level sensor according to the invention can be fitted in a particularly simple manner if the fastening means of the support and of the holding part are designed as latching hooks and latching recesses. 
     The installation of the level sensor according to the invention is further simplified if the housing parts have latching means for their connection to one another. 
     The level sensor according to the invention turns out to be particularly compact if the lever wire is guided via the holding part. 
     The second-mentioned problem, namely the provision of a kit for the above mentioned level sensor which can be used with as few components as possible in different fuel tanks is solved, according to the invention, in that two clips are provided, one of the clips having, on its side facing away from a magnet of the position sensor or a contact of the potentiometer, a bent portion for securing the lever wire, and the other clip having the bent portion on the opposite side. 
     By means of this design, in the case of specially shaped fuel tanks the clip can be exchanged in a simple manner and the lever arm can be guided away from the holding part in the designated direction. Owing to the invention, in addition to the housing parts of identical construction and identical potentiometers or magnetically active position sensors and the two clips, only the lever wire has to be matched to the different dimensions of the fuel tank. The kit therefore requires particularly few components for different fuel tanks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention permits numerous embodiments. To further clarify its basic principle, one of these is illustrated in the drawing and is described below. In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows, diagrammatically, a sectional illustration through a fuel tank with a level sensor according to the invention arranged therein, 
         FIG. 2  shows an enlarged sectional illustration through the level sensor from  FIG. 1  along the line II-II, 
         FIG. 3  shows the level sensor from  FIG. 1  in a perspective illustration. 
         FIGS. 4-6  a perspective illustrations of the level sensor in different installation positions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a fuel tank  1  with two half-shells  2 ,  3  welded to each other and a swirl pot  4  prestressed against the base region of the half-shell  2 . The upper half-shell  3  has an opening  6  provided for introducing a fuel pump  5  into the fuel tank  1 . The fuel pump  5  is prestressed against the base of the fuel tank  1  and sucks up fuel from the swirl pot  4 . Furthermore, the fuel tank I has a level sensor  7  with a float  9  fastened to a lever arm  8 . The lever arm  8  is mounted pivotably in a clip  10 , which is manufactured from plastic, on a holding part  11 , which is fastened to the outside of the swirl pot  4 , and supports the float  9  by means of a lever wire  12 . The float  9  follows a fuel level in the fuel tank  1  and pivots the lever arm  8 . The holding part  11  is latched to a support  13  fastened on the swirl pot  4 . The support part  13  has lateral arms  14  engaging around the holding part  11  and a stop  15  for supporting the holding part  11 . To install the level sensor  7 , the holding part  11 , which is pre-assembled with the lever arm  8 , is pushed into the support  13  from above and is latched therein. 
       FIG. 2  shows, on an enlarged scale, the level sensor  7  from  FIG. 1  in a sectional illustration along the line II-II. The holding part  11  has two housing parts  16 ,  17  which are connected to each other via latching means  18 . The housing parts  16 ,  17  of the holding part  11  have fastening means  19  which are designed as recesses and correspond to fastening means  20 , designed as latching hooks, of the support  13 . The fastening means  19 , designed as recesses, of the holding part  11  are arranged at a total of four points on the housing parts  16 ,  17 . The holding part  11  can therefore be rotated about its horizontal axis and about its vertical axis and can therefore be fastened to the support  13  in four different positions. 
     The pivoting angle of the lever arm  8  is detected by a magnetically passive position sensor  21 . One of the housing parts  16  has a receptacle  22  for a resistance network  23  of the position sensor  21 . The clip  10  supports a magnet  24  of the position sensor  21 . On its side facing away from the magnet  24 , the clip  10  is at a short distance opposite a slideway  25 . A mounting  26  of the clip  10  is arranged in the vicinity of an edge of the two housing parts  16 ,  17  and supports the clip  10  in its central region. Furthermore,  FIG. 2  shows that, at its end protruding out of the holding part  11 , the clip  10  has a recess  27  for receiving an angled portion  28  of the lever wire  12  and a bent portion  29  with a clip connection  30  for securing a section of the lever wire  12  which is guided parallel to the clip  10 . 
     A second embodiment of the clip  10 ′ permitting the lever wire  12  to be fastened on the inside of the swirl pot  4  is illustrated by chain-dotted lines in  FIG. 2 . This clip  10 ′ has a bent portion  29 ′ for securing the lever wire  12  on the side facing the resistance network  23  of the position sensor  21 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the level sensor  7  from  FIG. 1  in a perspective illustration. Contacts  31  for connection with the position sensor  21  illustrated in  FIG. 2  are arranged on the rear housing part  16 . 
     The holding part  11  of the level sensor  7  can be fastened rotated about its vertical axis on the support  13 , so that the housing part  16  which has the contacts  31  of the position sensor  7  is at the front. This position is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the level sensor  7  from  FIG. 3  after the holding part  11  is installed, rotated about its horizontal axis, on the support  13 . The housing parts  16 ,  17  are thereby rotated in such a manner that contacts  31  for connecting the position sensor  21  are arranged on the rear of the housing part  16  and point upward. 
       FIG. 6  shows the level sensor  7  from  FIG. 5  after the holding part  11  has been installed, rotated about the vertical axis, on the support  13 . It can be seen here that the contacts  31  for connecting the position sensor  21  are arranged on the front housing part  16  and point upward. 
       FIGS. 3 to 6  therefore illustrate four different possibilities for installing the level sensor  7  as a function of the dimensions of the fuel tank  1  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . To further increase the possibilities of installing the level sensor  7 , the clip  10  can be replaced by the clip  10 ′ illustrated by chain-dotted lines in  FIG. 2 . By exchanging the clip  10 ,  10 ′, the number of possible alignments of the level sensor  7  rises to a total of eight.