Protecting device

Abstract

A protecting device for a reservoir ( 2 ) disposed on a vehicle ( 1 ) and intended to contain a medium. The device includes an arrangement ( 5 ) disposed inside the reservoir ( 2 ) and which takes the form of at least one solid body that deters relative movement, given the presence of the medium in frozen form in the reservoir ( 2 ), between the frozen medium and the reservoir during transport of the vehicle ( 1 ).

1 . A protecting device for a reservoir ( 2 ) disposed on a vehicle ( 1 ) and configured to contain an at least partially liquid-state medium, said device comprising: 
 an arrangement ( 5 ) disposed inside the reservoir ( 2 ) and comprising at least one body element composed of a substantially continuous material that deters relative movement between a frozen state medium mass contained within the reservoir ( 2 ) and the reservoir during transport of the reservoir on a vehicle ( 1 ).    
   
   
       2 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is configured to have at least one position ( 6 ) for the freezing of said medium to said at least one position.  
   
   
       3 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) has a plurality of positions ( 6 ) for the freezing of said medium to these positions.  
   
   
       4 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) comprises a grid ( 7 ,  8 ) network.  
   
   
       5 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said body element is at least partially composed of a porous material having a volume ratio Vh/Vtot greater than 0.5, in which Vh is equal to a combined volume of cavities in the body element and Vtot is the total volume constituting the sum of said cavities and solid matter of the body element.  
   
   
       6 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) comprises at least one elongated element ( 11 ).  
   
   
       7 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is configured to extend into the reservoir ( 2 ) from an opening ( 13 ) in the reservoir.  
   
   
       8 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is suspended in the reservoir ( 2 ) from a component ( 14 ) disposed in the opening ( 13 ).  
   
   
       9 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said suspension component ( 14 ) is configured and has a flexibility such that said arrangement ( 5 ) can move in relation to the reservoir ( 2 ) by flexion of the suspension component ( 14 ) when said arrangement ( 5 ) is subjected to load as a result of transport on a vehicle ( 1 ).  
   
   
       10 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said suspension component ( 14 ) has a high elasticity in relation to the material of said arrangement ( 5 ).  
   
   
       11 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said opening ( 13 ) is disposed in an upper part of the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       12 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is configured to deter displacement of frozen medium from a first part-volume ( 19 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ) to a second part-volume ( 20 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       13 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is designed to deter displacement of frozen medium from the first part-volume ( 19 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ) to the second part-volume ( 20 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ), said second part-volume ( 20 ) containing a member ( 4 ) disposed inside the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       14 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said member ( 4 ) is configured to warm medium in the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       15 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the first part-volume ( 19 ) is positioned above the second part-volume ( 20 ).  
   
   
       16 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) further comprises at least one counter-stay ( 18 ).  
   
   
       17 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said at least one counter-stay ( 18 ) is disposed close to a wall ( 17 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       18 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one counter-stay ( 18 ) is created by the configuration of a wall ( 17 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       19 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) comprises a resilient layer ( 15 ) disposed along at least a part of an inner limit face ( 16 ) of the reservoir ( 2 ).  
   
   
       20 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) has sufficient flexibility to accommodate movement of said arrangement ( 5 ) relative to the reservoir ( 2 ) by flexion of said arrangement ( 5 ) when said arrangement ( 5 ) is subjected to load as a result of transport of the vehicle ( 1 ).  
   
   
       21 . The protecting device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arrangement ( 5 ) is disposed in a reservoir ( 2 ) configured to contain a medium for cleaning exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine.  
   
   
       22 . A reservoir containing a protecting device and being configured to be disposed on a vehicle ( 1 ) and further being configured to contain an at least partially liquid-state medium, said device comprising an arrangement ( 5 ) disposed inside the reservoir ( 2 ) and comprising at least one body element composed of a substantially continuous material that deters relative movement between a frozen state medium mass contained within the reservoir ( 2 ) and the reservoir during transport of the reservoir on a vehicle ( 1 ).  
   
   
       23 . A vehicle carrying a reservoir containing a protecting device and said reservoir being configured to contain an at least partially liquid-state medium, said device comprising an arrangement ( 5 ) disposed inside the reservoir ( 2 ) and comprising at least one body element composed of a substantially continuous material that deters relative movement between a frozen state medium mass contained within the reservoir ( 2 ) and the reservoir during transport of the reservoir on a vehicle ( 1 ).