TECHNICAL AREA The present invention relates to an electrical connection for feeding current to a fluid level transmitter, compri¬ sing a rod-shaped carrier for two parallel resistance wi¬ res wound spirally around the rod and a float, displace¬ able along the rod by the fluid level variations, having a contact device for creating a current circuit through the wires, whereby the resistance will vary depending on the position of the float along the carrier.

STATE OF THE ART Through US 5 020 366, a fluid level transmitter according to the above description is known, which is primarily used in vehicle fuel tanks.

The rod wires, usually consisting of a nickel alloy are, according to the known technique, connected through sol¬ dering of the loose ends to contact devices subsequently connected to the vehicle wire harness for current supply and for measurement of the float level related re¬ sistance. The soldering is manual, and cumbersome and ti- me-consuming as the wire is not wet by tin solder. Bad connections, so called dry joints, are the primary cause of malfunction on these instrument transmitters.

THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM One purpose of the present invention is therefore to ob-

tain a reliable connection which does not create such high demands on the manual assembly work.

THE SOLUTION This is achieved, according to the invention, by a socket made of an electrically insulating material for holding one rod end, which socket comprises two oblong connector plates made of an electrically conductive material, loca¬ ted one on each side of the rod, right across the long- itudinal direction of the rod, each of them being separa¬ tely fixed by at least two holding points so as to press against one each of the two resistance wires.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are shown in the below patent claims.

FIGURE DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the enclosed drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows a fluid level transmitter according to the invention, seen from below, Fig .2 is a section along the line II-II in Fig.l, and Fig. 3 is a section along the line III-III in Fig.l.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The fluid level transmitter for which the invention is intended to be used has been described in US 5 020 366 and therefore needs no detailed presentation here.

In short, the fluid level transmitter comprises a rod 10 and, not shown in the figures, a float encircling the rod, which is vertically mobile along the rod in depen¬ dence of fluid level variations within the vessel wherein the transmitter is mounted. The float is manufactured from an insulating material, e. g. plastic. The rod has

an oval cross section which co-operates with a non-round opening in the float, to prevent the float from rotating around the rod. The latter forms a carrier for two paral¬ lel resistance wires 11, 12. wound spirally around the rod surface.

One wire runs recessed in the surface of one rod side while the other wire runs recessed in the surface of the other rod side. A contact device having resilient connec- tor plates is used to obtain electrical connection bet¬ ween the two wires, whereby the the wire length, i. e. the float position along the rod, can be detected by mea¬ suring the resistance of the electrical circuit. The re¬ sistance value is used to show the fluid level by means of a not shown indicating device.

One end of the rod 10 is held without play in a socket 13 made of an electrically insulating material, e. g. plas¬ tic, and forming an attachment for two oblong connector plates 14, 15, made of an electrically conductive materi¬ al, e. g. stainless steel. The connector plates are iden¬ tically shaped and located one on each side of the rod 10, so as to reach right across the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the rod, each of them being fixed in a manner to press against one each of the two resistance wires. This is ensured by the wires running with sufficiently large pitch past the connector plates. Due to the contact between the respective wire and shield occurring along a relatively short portion of the wire in the area of half the height of the shield, a satisfactory security distan¬ ce is maintained, such that the shields cannot come into contact with the two wires 11, 12 simultaneously.

Both ends of the connector plates 14, 15 are inserted in- to sockets 16, 17, fixing said ends without play in the

cross-direction of the plates and separating them by means of partition walls 18, 19. The sockets 16, 17 are open downwards and thus makes it possible to mount the plates by guiding them upwards past four angular shoul- ders 20 arranged in pairs on each side of the rod.

For assembly of the wire-holding rod the connector plates 14, 15 are parted somewhat, until the rod can be entered between them. The angular shoulders 20 will now form stops for the connector plates, preventing them from mo¬ ving in the downwards direction of Fig. 2.

A part of each connector plate 14, 15 is shaped like a flat pin connector 21. The pin is adapted for direct con- nection of a female connector belonging to a cable har¬ ness. Thus, the connector plates are functioning as con¬ nectors both for the vehicle harness and for the trans¬ mitter resistance wires. This secures a high cost effi¬ ciency.

The invention is not limited to to the above described embodiment example, but several variants are conceivable within the frame of the following claims. As an example, the connector plates may be fixed in the socket 13 in a different way than the one shown.