Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a brake fluid reservoir comprising at least two lateral mounting lugs ( 10, 11 ) designed to be placed either side of a central mounting lug ( 20 ) of a brake master cylinder. Collinear holes ( 12, 13, 21 ) traverse these lugs and are designed to receive a mounting pin ( 3 ). The said lugs include at least one device for the axial immobilization of the mounting pin ( 3 ). Applications: brake fluid reservoir mounting.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a reservoir and a system for mounting this reservoir on a support part. The invention is especially applicable to a brake fluid reservoir and the system for mounting it on a brake master cylinder.  
         [0002]     In a motor vehicle braking system, a brake fluid reservoir is mounted on the upper portion of a brake master cylinder in order to provide a reserve of fluid with a view to compensating for any reduction in the volume of fluid in the hydraulic braking circuit of the vehicle. The brake master cylinder is itself mounted on a braking assistance servo which is controlled by the brake pedal.  
         [0003]     There are various methods for mounting a reservoir on a brake master cylinder. In particular, some reservoirs are mounted using one or more mounting elements, such as pins or bolts, which pass through mounting lugs provided in the lower portion of the reservoir and mounting lugs which are provided on the upper portion of the brake master cylinder.  
         [0004]     However, these mounting elements must be immobilized using, for example, nuts for the bolts. The fitting and removing of the reservoir therefore require tools and a certain amount of time.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention relates to a mounting system that facilitates the fitting and removing of the reservoir.  
         [0006]     The invention therefore relates to a brake fluid reservoir comprising at least two lateral mounting lugs designed to be placed either side of a central mounting lug of a support device. These lateral lugs include two collinear holes designed to receive a mounting pin, itself designed to pass through a central lug of the support part. According to the invention, it is envisaged that the mounting lugs include at least one device for the axial immobilization of the pin.  
         [0007]     Advantageously, it is in particular envisaged that the holes in the lateral lugs include wider sections located on the side of the faces of the lateral lugs which are designed to be in contact with the central lug of the support part. These wider sections are designed to confine the mounting pin placed in the said holes.  
         [0008]     The invention also relates to a mounting device attaching the reservoir hereby designed. It includes a spring device pressing both on a lower face of the reservoir and designed to press on an upper face of the support part so as to move the reservoir away from the support part in a specific direction of movement. The pin placed in the said holes is then designed to have its ends placed inside the wider sections.  
         [0009]     The depth of the wider sections measured along the axis of the holes is such that the sum of the depths of the wider sections in the two lateral lugs plus the distance between these two lateral lugs is greater than the length of the pin.  
         [0010]     It is envisaged that each wider section is located at least on the side opposite to the said direction of movement in relation to the axis of the holes.  
         [0011]     According to a beneficial embodiment of the inventive system, the spring device includes a spring washer placed between the reservoir and the support part.  
         [0012]     In order to produce this embodiment, it can be envisaged that the reservoir include a stud located under the lower face of the reservoir and going into a hole in the support part and that the washer include a sleeve placed around the stud, the said sleeve ending in a deformable elastic flange which is designed to be in contact with the lower face of the reservoir.  
         [0013]     The invention is more particularly applicable to the mounting of a brake fluid reservoir on a brake master cylinder. The support part is then a brake master cylinder including, on its upper portion, a central mounting lug located on the longitudinal axis of the master cylinder.  
         [0014]     In such an application, it can be envisaged that the said washer be placed around a reservoir outlet and around a brake master cylinder inlet.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The various objectives and features of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0016]      FIGS. 1   a  to  1   c  illustrate a simplified embodiment of a system according to the invention;  
         [0017]      FIGS. 2   a  to  2   c  illustrate a detailed embodiment of a mounting system according to the invention; and  
         [0018]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate an example of a spring device for rendering the system in  FIGS. 2   a  to  2   c  operational. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     With reference to  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   c , a simplified embodiment according to the invention will first be described.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates a brake master cylinder allowing the invention to be used. This master cylinder  2  includes two inlets  27  and  28  for connecting with the inside of the master cylinder and introducing brake fluid with a view to filling the vehicle&#39;s hydraulic braking circuit. A mounting lug  20  including a hole  21  is provided in the upper portion of the master cylinder. Studs  25 ,  25 ′ including blind holes  24 ,  24 ′ are also provided, the use of which will be explained later.  
         [0021]     The lower portion of  FIG. 1   b  illustrates a brake master cylinder  2  such as the one in  FIG. 1   a  and the upper portion of  FIG. 1   b  illustrates a brake fluid reservoir  1  designed to be mounted on the master cylinder  2 .  
         [0022]     The reservoir  1  includes outlets  31  and  32  designed to be fitted into the inlets  27  and  28  of the brake master cylinder so as to connect the inside of the reservoir with the inside of the master cylinder. Two mounting lugs  10  and  11  provided on the lower portion of the reservoir are designed to be placed either side of the master cylinder central mounting lug  20  as illustrated in  FIG. 1   c . Two studs  17  and  17 ′ are also provided on the lower portion of the reservoir and are designed to fit into the holes  24 ,  24 ′ in the studs  25 ,  25 ′ on the master cylinder.  
         [0023]     As indicated by the dotted-line arrows on  FIG. 1   b , the reservoir  1  is placed on the brake master cylinder  2  so as to obtain the assembly in  FIG. 1   c.    
         [0024]     The holes, such as the hole  12 , in the reservoir lugs are aligned with the hole  21  in the lug  20  of the master cylinder and a pin is inserted in these holes (see  FIG. 1   c ).  
         [0025]      FIGS. 2   a  to  2   c  illustrate a method for mounting a reservoir on a brake master cylinder using a pin.  
         [0026]     In these figures is shown the master cylinder central lug  20  and the lateral lugs  10  and  11  of the reservoir disposed on either side of the lug  20 . The holes  12  and  13  in the lugs  10  and  11  and  21  in the lug  20  are put essentially into alignment.  
         [0027]     The holes  12  and  13  include wider sections  14  and  15  located toward the faces of the lugs  10  and  11  which are near or even in contact with the central lug  20 .  
         [0028]     In  FIG. 2   a , a pin  3  is engaged in the holes  13  and  21 .  
         [0029]     In  FIG. 2   b , the pin is put in place at the center of the device.  
         [0030]     In  FIG. 2   c , the lateral lugs  10  and  11  (that is to say the reservoir) have been displaced upward in the direction of the arrow F. The pin is then located in the wider sections  14  and  15  of the holes in the lugs  10  and  11 , and the pin cannot come out of the holes in which it has been placed.  
         [0031]     The length L of the pin is less than the sum of the depths P 1  and P 2  of the wider sections plus the distance E separating the two lugs  10  and  11 .  
         [0032]     It should be noted that, in order to facilitate the insertion of the pin in the hole  21  in the lug  20 , the ends of the hole  20  are countersunk, at an angle of 45 20  for example, so that the pin can be put in place even if the hole  21  is not perfectly in alignment with the holes  12  and  13 .  
         [0033]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate a system making it possible to push the reservoir  1  in the direction of the arrow F. The studs  17  and  17 ′ ( FIG. 1   b ) are fitted with sleeves made of elastic material. Thus in  FIG. 3   a , a seal  4  generally cylindrical in shape having a sleeve  40  which is placed around the stud  17 . This sleeve has at its upper portion an elastic flange  40 .  
         [0034]     During the fitting of the reservoir on the brake master cylinder, the studs such as  17  are inserted in the holes such as  24  in the master cylinder. We therefore have the situation illustrated in  FIG. 3   a.    
         [0035]     The upper flange  40  of the sleeve  4  has at its upper portion, a larger diameter so that by pressing on the reservoir in the opposite direction to the arrow F, the upper portion of the flange is compressed by the lower face of the reservoir and moves away from the axis of the stud  17 . This situation is illustrated in  FIG. 3   b . This upper portion of the flange  40  offers resistance to the pressure exerted on the reservoir from the top toward the bottom. In the situation illustrated in  FIG. 3   b , the pin  3  can be inserted in the holes  12 ,  21  and  13  as previously described. When the pressure on the reservoir is released, the flange  40 , due to its elasticity, pushes the reservoir upward in the direction of the arrow F and the pin is confined in the wider sections  14  and  15  according to the situation illustrated in  FIG. 2   c.    
         [0036]     In a variant embodiment not illustrated in the figures, the sleeves, such as the sleeve  4 , can be fitted into the master cylinder inlets  27  and  28 . The reservoir outlets  31  and  32  are designed to be placed in these sleeves. As previously, during the fitting of the reservoir on the master cylinder, the upper portion of the flange  40  of each sleeve is compressed by the lower face of the reservoir and moves away from the axis of the corresponding outlet  31 ,  32 .  
         [0037]     The upper portion of the flange  40  offers resistance to the pressure exerted on the reservoir from the top toward the bottom and when the pressure on the reservoir is released, the flange  40 , due to its elasticity, pushes the reservoir upward in the direction of the arrow F and a pin placed in the holes  12 ,  13 ,  21  is confined in the wider sections  14  and  15 .  
         [0038]     In this variant embodiment, the studs  17  and  17 ′ of the reservoir and the blind holes  24  and  24 ′ provided in the master cylinder and designed to receive the studs  17  and  17 ′ are not required.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1