JP2006292224A - Fuel tank and liquid fuel combustion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to check the amount of liquid fuel even in use when a fuel tank is mounted on an oil fan heater in a dark environment.
A display unit for displaying the amount of liquid fuel is provided on an upper surface of a fuel tank. The display unit includes a pointer 22 that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate 23 with a scale, and a back plate 24, at least one of which is made of a phosphorescent material. When the fuel tank is attached to the oil fan heater, the display unit is exposed to the outside. The phosphorescent material is stored by a light source such as an electric lamp, and when the surroundings become dark, by emitting light, the position of the pointer 22 relative to the scale can be visually confirmed, and the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable fuel tank, and more particularly to a fuel tank used in a liquid fuel combustion apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel tank in a liquid fuel combustion apparatus such as an oil fan heater or an oil stove that can be easily replenished without reversing the fuel tank upside down when liquid fuel such as kerosene is replenished. It is disclosed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the fuel tank includes a tank portion 1 and an upper plate 2 that covers the upper portion of the tank portion 1. A replenishing port 3 is provided on the upper surface of the tank portion 1, and an outer lid 4 for closing the replenishing port 3 is attached to the upper plate 2 so as to be freely opened and closed, so that the replenishing port 3 is not exposed to the outside except during replenishment. . Moreover, the handle 5 for carrying is attached to the upper board 2 so that opening and closing is possible. A fuel display window 6 is provided on the side surface of the tank unit 1 so that the amount of liquid fuel in the tank can be confirmed from the outside.

Then, when removing the fuel tank from the housing of the liquid fuel combustion device and replenishing the liquid fuel, a phosphorescent material is applied to a part of the members constituting the display unit so that the amount of the liquid fuel can be confirmed even when the surroundings are dark. The use is disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4.
JP 2002-372231 A JP-A-9-159508 JP-A-11-108338 JP 2001-21138 A

  In the above fuel tank, when the liquid fuel is replenished, the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed even in a dark environment such as at night or in a dark place. However, when the fuel tank is attached to the casing, the display section enters the casing, and the display section cannot be seen during use.

  Therefore, if a display window for viewing the display unit is formed in the housing, the display unit can be visually recognized even during use. In this case, it becomes difficult for light to hit the phosphorescent material of the display unit, and the phosphorescent material cannot be sufficiently accumulated. For this reason, the light emission time is shortened or the light emission itself is weakened. Therefore, it becomes difficult to check the amount of liquid fuel when the surroundings become dark during use.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel tank capable of confirming the amount of liquid fuel not only when refueling but also in use in a dark environment.

  The present invention is a portable fuel tank provided with a replenishing port on an upper surface and mounted on a casing of a liquid fuel combustion device so that the upper surface is exposed to the outside, and the amount of liquid fuel in the tank is on the upper surface. Is provided, and a part of the display unit is constituted by a self-luminous body that emits light.

  The self-luminous body is made of a phosphorescent material that accumulates light energy emitted from a light source such as an electric lamp or the sun and emits light by the accumulated energy when the light irradiation is stopped. Or light emitting elements, such as LED and EL element which light-emit with the supplied electrical energy, may be sufficient.

  In particular, since the display portion is provided on the upper surface exposed to the outside, a phosphorescent material may be used for the self-luminous body. During use with the fuel tank mounted on the housing, the self-luminous body can store light. For this reason, the light emission time of the self-illuminator becomes longer, and the luminance becomes higher.

  Therefore, when the surroundings are dark, not only during use but also when refueling with the fuel tank removed from the housing, part of the display unit emits light so that the display unit can be seen and the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed. Can do.

  The display unit includes a pointer that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate on which a scale is displayed, and a back plate disposed behind the scale plate. Here, at least one of the display unit, that is, the pointer, the scale plate, and the back plate is made of a self-luminous body. That is, any one of these three members, a combination of any two members, or all three members are made of a self-luminous body. Moreover, when a display part has a pointer and a scale plate, any one or both of a pointer and a scale plate consists of a self-light-emitting body.

  When the pointer is a self-luminous body, the pointer emits light, and the approximate position of the pointer with respect to the scale can be visually recognized. On the contrary, when the scale plate or the back plate is a self-luminous body, the pointer blocks the light from the rear, so that the position of the pointer can be visually recognized.

  When the pointer, the scale plate, and the back plate are made of a self-luminous body, each self-luminous body emits a different color. In addition, when the display unit has a pointer and a scale plate, self-luminous elements that emit different colors may be used. Thereby, each member can be clearly identified, and the position of the pointer relative to the scale can be easily visually confirmed.

  The scale plate is arranged behind the pointer, the back plate is arranged behind the scale plate, and the scale plate is formed of a translucent material. At least the back plate is made of a self-luminous body. That is, since the back plate is formed larger than the other members, the light emission area is increased when the back plate is made a self-luminous body. Accordingly, light emission for a long time or light emission with high luminance is possible, and visibility is improved. In particular, when the self-luminous body is made of a phosphorescent material, the above-mentioned effect becomes remarkable because the phosphorescent area is increased. Here, when other members are also used as the phosphorescent material, the phosphorescent material used for the back plate is the phosphorescent material having the best luminous performance. This increases the visibility over a long period of time.

  According to the present invention, the display unit provided on the upper surface of the fuel tank emits light by itself, so that the display unit can be visually recognized when used in a dark environment or when fuel is supplied, and the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed. . In particular, when the self-luminous material is made of a phosphorescent material, the display unit is exposed to the outside during use, so that the phosphor can sufficiently store light while the surroundings are bright. Therefore, it is possible to emit light with high luminance for a long time when it becomes dark, and the visibility of the display portion can be improved.

  The oil fan heater of this embodiment is shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 10 denotes a box-shaped housing formed by the front plate 10 a, the top plate 10 b and the back plate, and is placed on the mounting table 11. The casing 10 includes a burner, a fan, an ion generator, and the like. A housing chamber 13 for housing the portable fuel tank 12 is formed in the housing 10. An opening leading to the storage chamber 13 is formed in the top plate 10b, and the storage chamber 13 is open on the top surface. In the figure, 15 is an operation unit, 16 is a hot air outlet, 17 is a positive / negative ion outlet, 18 is a temperature sensor, 19 is a combustion state confirmation window, and 20 is a liquid fuel remaining amount warning lamp.

  The basic structure of the fuel tank 12 is the same as that of the conventional one shown in FIG. 9, and is composed of a tank portion 1 and an upper plate 2, and is configured to deliver and replenish liquid fuel from the top. The upper plate 2 is provided with a display unit 21 for displaying the amount of liquid fuel in the tank.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display unit 21 includes a pointer 22 that moves according to the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate 23 that is marked with a scale, and a back plate 24 that is arranged behind the scale plate 23. Have. The pointer 22, the scale plate 23, and the back plate 24 are provided in the holder.

  The pointer 22 is three-dimensionally formed so as to protrude upward. Specifically, the pointer 22 is an L-shaped bar member whose front end portion 22a is bent upward. The pointer 22 rotates around the base end portion 22b.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pointer 22 has an elastic shape and can be elastically deformed. The proximal end portion 22b of the pointer 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the distal end portion 22a is formed in a thick flat plate shape, and rises perpendicularly to the proximal end portion 22b. An intermediate portion 22c that connects the base end portion 22b and the tip end portion 22a is formed in a straight line, and is a flat plate that is thinner than the base end portion 22b and the tip end portion 22a. A cylindrical portion 22d is formed at the center of the intermediate portion 22c and is thick only here.

  The holder includes a base 25 attached to the upper plate and a cover 26 that covers the base 25. A plurality of claws 27 are formed on the cover 26. When the claws 27 are hooked on the periphery of the base 25, the base 25 and the cover 26 are integrally engaged, and a space for turning the pointer 22 is formed. Is done.

  The cover 26 is formed in a fan shape in plan view, and its front side is raised to form a window portion 28. The window portion 28 is formed from the front surface to the upper surface and has a three-dimensional shape. The rear side of the window portion 28 of the cover 26 is covered with the upper plate 2 and is not exposed to the outside. The cover 26 is formed of a translucent resin so that the inside of the holder can be seen from the outside through the window portion 28. Note that only the window portion 28 may be formed of a translucent resin.

  A scale vertical wall 30 is formed inside the cover 26. The vertical wall 30 is vertically formed on the window portion 28 toward the lower side, and has an arcuate curved surface so that it can be seen from the side. As shown in FIG. 4, a back plate 24 is attached to the front surface of the vertical wall 30 by adhesion or the like. The back plate 24 is a flat plate curved in an arc shape in accordance with the vertical wall 30. A scale plate 23 is arranged on the front surface of the back plate 24.

  Like the back plate 24, the scale plate 23 is a flat plate that is curved in an arc shape and has translucency, and is attached to the back plate 24 by adhesion or the like. This flat plate may be a translucent film. Then, characters and the like are printed on the surface of the scale plate 24, which becomes the side scale 35. Similarly, a film on which characters or the like are printed is attached to the upper surface of the window portion 28, and this becomes the upper surface scale 36. The top scale 36 may be drawn directly on the window portion 28.

  A base end portion 22 b of the pointer 22 is fitted into the support shaft 31. The support shaft 31 is inserted into a through hole 32 formed in the base 25 and is supported rotatably. Between the vertical wall 30 and the front surface of the window portion 28, the distal end portion 22 a of the pointer 22 is positioned, and the pointer 22 rotates along the vertical wall 30. When the window 28 is viewed from the outside, the side scale 35 and the top scale 36 are seen together with the pointer 22. Reference numeral 33 denotes a stopper for restricting the rotation of the pointer 22. The stoppers 33 are respectively provided on the empty side and the full side of the scale 23 and define the movement range of the pointer 22. When the pointer 22 rotates beyond the moving range, the pointer 22 comes into contact with the stopper 33 and elastically deforms.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the fuel tank 12 includes a liquid level detection device that detects the amount of liquid fuel in the tank, a fuel remaining amount detection device that detects that the remaining amount of liquid fuel has decreased, and a tank. And a water detection device for detecting the presence or absence of water in the inside.

  A base 41 is fixed to an opening 40 formed on the upper surface of the tank portion 1, and a lower portion of the base 25 is fitted into the base 41 via a sealing material. An opening 42 is formed on the bottom surface of the tank portion 1, and a water tray 43 is provided so as to close the opening 42. The water receiving tray 43 is attached to the outside of the bottom surface of the tank portion 1 via a rubber packing 44. The water receiving tray 43 is made of a stainless steel plate, and is electrically insulated from the tank portion 1 by a packing 44.

  The liquid level detection device conveys the liquid level position to the display unit 21 in conjunction with the float 45 that moves up and down according to the liquid level of the liquid fuel, the guide rod 46 that guides the float 45 in the vertical direction, and the float 45 up and down. And a spiral plate 47 for the purpose. The guide rod 46 passes through the float 45, and the upper end of the guide rod 46 is inserted and held in a holding cylinder 48 formed in the base 25. The lower end of the guide rod 46 is bent into an L shape, is engaged with the support base 49, and is supported so as not to rotate. The support base 49 is attached in the water tray 43.

  The spiral plate 47 is an elongated flat plate twisted in a spiral shape, and is inserted into the vertical groove 50 of the float 45. The upper end of the spiral plate 47 is fitted into the groove of the support shaft 31, and the spiral plate 47 and the pointer 22 are mechanically connected. The lower end of the spiral plate 47 is formed in a needle shape and is placed on the support base 49. Thereby, the spiral plate 47 is rotatably supported in the tank, the support shaft 31 rotates with the rotation of the spiral plate 47, and the pointer 22 rotates along the scale plate 23.

  The fuel remaining amount detection device uses a non-contact type sensor including a magnet 51 and a reed switch 52 that reacts to the magnet 51. The magnet 51 is held by a hook 53 attached to the lower part of the float 45 and is suspended below the float 45. The reed switch 52 is installed on a tank base 54 on which the fuel tank 12 is placed so as to face the tank unit 1.

  When the liquid fuel in the fuel tank 12 decreases and the float 45 descends, the magnet 51 is positioned in the water receiving tray 43 and close to the reed switch 52. Then, the reed switch 52 is turned on, it can be detected that the remaining amount of liquid fuel has decreased, and the remaining amount warning lamp 20 is turned on. Here, the timing at which the reed switch 52 is turned on can be determined by the distance between the magnet 51 and the float 45. The length of the hook 53 may be adjusted according to the remaining amount of liquid fuel to be notified.

  Thus, by using the float 45 of the liquid level detection device as a constituent member of the remaining fuel amount detection device, the constituent members of each device can be shared and the number of parts can be reduced.

  The water detector electrically detects the presence or absence of water using the difference in electrical conductivity between the liquid fuel and water. Since water having a specific gravity higher than that of the liquid fuel is collected in the water tray 43, a first electrode 60 that contacts the water tray 43 and a second electrode 61 that contacts the tank unit 1 are provided. The first electrode 60 protrudes from the tank base 54 toward the water tray 43, and the second electrode 61 protrudes from the tank base 54 toward the bottom surface of the tank unit 1.

  Both electrodes 60 and 61 are connected to a power source, and a closed circuit is formed by the first electrode 60, the water tray 43, the water and liquid fuel in the tank unit 1, the bottom surface of the tank unit 1, and the second electrode 61. The presence or absence of water is detected from the minute current flowing in If there is water in the fuel tank 12, water having a high specific gravity is collected in the water tray 43. Then, the resistance of the closed circuit changes, and the current flowing through this circuit also changes, so that the presence of water can be detected.

  Since the fuel tank 12 is structured to deliver liquid fuel from the top, even if water is mixed in, it accumulates at the bottom of the fuel tank 12 and water is not supplied together when liquid fuel is delivered. Therefore, even if the presence of water is detected during operation, the operation can be continued as it is. The water can be drained after the liquid fuel is reduced, and there is no need to dispose of the liquid fuel unnecessarily for draining water.

  Here, in the liquid level detection device, the spiral plate 47 is kept substantially parallel to the float 45 in order to accurately detect the amount of liquid fuel in the tank. That is, the spiral plate 47 is inserted into a slit provided in the vertical groove 50 of the float 45, and the spiral plate 47 is held so as not to rattle. Accordingly, since the spiral plate 47 rotates without rattling with respect to the vertical movement of the float 45, the pointer 22 can be prevented from being shaken, and the scale can be accurately pointed.

  In the above oil fan heater, the float 45 floats in the liquid fuel in the fuel tank 12 during use in which the fuel tank 12 is accommodated in the housing 10, and the float 45 also moves up and down as the liquid level changes. To do. As the float 45 moves up and down, the spiral plate 47 rotates. Then, the pointer 22 rotates via the support shaft 31 to indicate the side scale 35 and the top scale 36 according to the liquid level position.

  During use, the upper plate 2 of the fuel tank 12 is exposed to the outside of the housing 10 and constitutes a part of the upper surface of the housing 10. The display unit 21 provided on the upper plate 2 is also exposed to the outside, and the display can be visually recognized. Moreover, since the display unit 21 protrudes from the upper plate 2, the pointer 22 and the scales 35 and 36 can be seen not only from above but also from the front or side. Therefore, the amount of liquid fuel in the tank can be easily confirmed from any direction.

  When the liquid fuel is low, the fuel tank 12 is removed from the housing 10 and the liquid fuel is replenished. When replenishing from the replenishing port 3 on the upper surface of the fuel tank 12, the person's viewpoint is above the fuel tank 12, but since the display unit 21 is on the upper surface of the fuel tank 12, it can be seen from above. Therefore, the replenishment amount can be confirmed, the liquid fuel can be prevented from being excessively added, and the liquid fuel does not overflow.

  Here, the backplate 24 which comprises the display part 21 consists of a self-light-emitting body. A phosphorescent material is used as the self-luminous material. A phosphorescent material is one that emits light by accumulating light energy from a light source such as an electric lamp or the sun, and releasing the accumulated energy to the outside. For example, a phosphorescent material such as an aluminate compound or zinc sulfide is used. After being kneaded into a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin, it is molded into a predetermined shape. This molded member is referred to as a back plate 24. Alternatively, the back plate 24 may be formed by applying a paint containing a phosphorescent substance to the surface of the flat plate.

  When used in a bright environment, light enters the back plate 24 and is stored. If the surroundings are dark because they are turned off or carried to a dark place, the incident light is lost and the back plate 24 emits light. At this time, the scale plate 23 and the pointer 22 do not emit light, but the side scale 35 can be visually recognized by light from the rear. The pointer 22 blocks light from the rear. When such a display unit 21 is viewed from the outside, the pointer 22 becomes a shadow, and the position of the pointer 22 with respect to the scale plate 23 can be visually recognized. Therefore, the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed even when the surroundings are dark.

  As another form, the pointer 22 is formed from a phosphorescent material, and the scale plate 23 is also formed from a phosphorescent material. The back plate 24 is made of a normal material having no phosphorescence. When the surroundings are dark, the pointer 22 emits light and the entire scale plate 23 also emits light. Therefore, the position of the pointer 22 with respect to the scale plate 23 can be visually confirmed, and the amount of liquid fuel can be confirmed in a dark environment. Instead of forming the entire scale plate 23 from the phosphorescent material, only the scales 35 and 36 may be used as the phosphorescent material. That is, letters and the like are printed with phosphorescent ink to form the side scale 35 and the top scale 36. Also by this, the position of the pointer 22 with respect to the scales 35 and 36 can be visually recognized.

  When the pointer 22 is formed of a phosphorescent material in this way, the position of the pointer 22 can be confirmed, so that it is not necessary to provide the back plate 24. That is, the display unit 21 includes the pointer 22 and the scale plate 23.

  As another form, the pointer | guide 22, the scale plate 23, and the backplate 24 are each formed from a luminous material. This also makes it possible to visually recognize the position of the pointer 22. If the same phosphorescent material is used as each phosphorescent material, the phosphorescent material emits the same color, but the phosphorescent material may be selected so as to emit a different color for each phosphorescent material. By emitting light in different colors, the pointer 22, the scale plate 23, and the back plate 24 can be clearly identified, and the visibility of the position of the pointer 22 is enhanced.

  In this case, the phosphorescent material forming the back plate 24 is the one having the best luminous performance. For example, a phosphorescent material that emits green light has higher luminance than other colors, and is used for the back plate 24. Since the back plate 24 is a member larger than the pointer 22 and the scale plate 23, the light emission area is also increased. Therefore, the display unit 21 can be clearly conspicuous in a dark environment, and the light emission can be continued for a long time, so that the visibility of the display unit 21 can be further improved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. Although the fuel tank is used in a liquid fuel combustion apparatus such as an oil fan heater, it may be used as a portable fuel tank or a liquid container.

  Instead of using a phosphorescent material as the self-luminous material, a light emitting element such as an LED or an EL element may be used. That is, the light emitting element is arranged behind the back plate and the scale plate, and light is emitted from the back, or the pointer and scale plate are illuminated from the front and side. Further, the pointer is formed by an optical fiber, and the light of the light emitting element is sent into the optical fiber. The power source of the light emitting element may be a battery, but a solar cell may be attached to the cover of the display unit, the back plate, etc., and this may be used as the power source. Then, an illuminance sensor for detecting surrounding brightness is provided, and the light emitting element is driven when it becomes dark.

The perspective view of the oil fan heater of the present invention Oil fan heater perspective view with fuel tank removed The figure which shows the example of a display in a display part Cross section of display Top view of the base that supports the pointer in a freely rotatable manner (A) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view, and (c) is a plan view. Cross section of fuel tank Cross section near the bottom of the fuel tank A perspective view of a conventional fuel tank

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tank part 2 Upper plate 3 Supply port 10 Housing | casing 12 Fuel tank 13 Storage chamber 21 Display part 22 Pointer 23 Scale plate 24 Back plate

Claims (8)

A portable fuel tank which is provided with a replenishing port on the upper surface and is mounted on the casing of the liquid fuel combustion apparatus so that the upper surface is exposed to the outside, the display displaying the amount of liquid fuel in the tank on the upper surface The fuel tank is characterized in that a part is provided and a part of the display part is constituted by a self-luminous body that emits light. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the self-luminous body is made of a phosphorescent material. The display unit includes a pointer that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate on which a scale is displayed, and a back plate disposed behind the scale plate, and includes the pointer, the scale plate, and the back plate. 3. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein at least one is made of a self-luminous body. The display unit includes a pointer that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel and a scale plate on which a scale is displayed, and at least one of the pointer and the scale plate is made of a self-luminous body. Or the fuel tank of 2. The display unit includes a pointer that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate on which a scale is displayed, and a back plate disposed behind the scale plate, and the pointer, scale plate, and back plate are self-supporting. 3. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein each of the self-light emitters emits a different color. The display unit includes a pointer that moves in accordance with the amount of liquid fuel, a scale plate disposed behind the pointer, and a back plate disposed behind the scale plate, and the scale plate is translucent. 3. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank is made of a material, and at least the back plate is made of a self-luminous body. The fuel tank according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the self-luminous body is made of a phosphorescent material, and the phosphorescent material used for the back plate is the phosphorescent material having the best luminous performance. A housing chamber having an upper surface opened is formed in the housing, and a portable fuel tank having a replenishing port provided on the upper surface is detachably mounted on the housing, and the housing is externally attached to the upper surface of the fuel tank. A liquid fuel combustion apparatus characterized in that a display unit for displaying the amount of liquid fuel in the fuel tank is provided so that the display unit can be visually recognized, and a part of the display unit is constituted by a self-luminous body.

Images