Freeze expansion surface profile

An automotive windscreen washer bottle configured for installation within an engine compartment and for use with an automotive windscreen-washing system, the automotive windscreen washer bottle comprising:

• a primary holding tank defining a fluid reservoir of the automotive windscreen washer bottle, the primary holding tank configured to be installed within an engine compartment of a vehicle;
• and
• a volume expansion feature incorporated into a wall structure of said primary holding tank, said volume expansion feature having a recessed surface profile, a central recess, a raised feature, and a plurality of recessed channels radially extending relative to said central recess, wherein each of the plurality of recessed channels has an inward end, which is separated from said central recess by a respective portion of the raised feature, and an outward end,
• wherein said central recess and a portion of each of said recessed channels are positioned and recessed within, and recessed relative to, said recessed surface profile, wherein at least the outward end of each recessed channel is disposed beyond a perimeter of the recessed surface profile, said recessed surface profile being configured to provide a repeatable reversible movement between a first inwardly directed configuration relative to said wall structure to define a first volume of the primary holding tank and a second outwardly directed configuration relative to said wall structure to define a second volume of the primary holding tank, said second volume being greater than said first volume, and
• wherein said central recess and said recessed channels are configured to impart an inward bias to maintain said recessed surface profile in said first inwardly directed configuration under standard loading of the primary holding tank, and wherein upon increased pressure within the primary holding tank said recessed surface profile extends to said second outwardly directed configuration, wherein when said recessed surface profile is in said second outwardly directed configuration said central recess and said recessed channels remain recessed relative to said recessed surface profile, and
• wherein upon reduction of the increased pressure within the primary holding tank, said inward bias provided by said central recess and said recessed channels returns said recessed surface profile from said second outwardly directed configuration to said first inwardly directed configuration.

A fluid reservoir configured for use with an automotive windscreen-washing system, the fluid reservoir comprising:

• a wall structure having a volume expansion feature, the volume expansion feature having
• a first surface recessed relative to the wall structure and forming a recessed surface profile of the volume expansion feature,
• a second surface recessed within, and recessed relative to, the first surface and forming a central recess of the volume expansion feature recessed within, and recessed relative to, the recessed surface profile, and
• a plurality of third surfaces at least partially recessed within, and recessed relative to, the first surface and separated from the second surface, the plurality of third surfaces forming a plurality of channels of the volume expansion feature, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of channels is recessed within, and recessed relative to, the recessed surface profile, and the plurality of channels extend radially relative to the central recess of the volume expansion feature, wherein at least an outward end of each channel is disposed beyond a perimeter of the recessed surface profile,
• wherein the recessed surface profile of the volume expansion feature permits a repeatable and reversible volume change of the fluid reservoir,
• such that upon increased pressure within the fluid reservoir the recessed surface profile of the volume expansion feature extends to a second outwardly directed configuration relative to the wall structure to thereby increase a volume of the fluid reservoir, and
• such that upon reduction of the increased pressure within the fluid reservoir an inward bias provided by the central recess and the plurality of channels of the volume expansion feature returns the recessed surface profile from the second outwardly directed configuration to a first inwardly directed configuration, and
• wherein at least the volume expansion feature of the fluid reservoir is formed of a thermoplastic material having a memory behavior to facilitate the repeatable and reversible movement of the recessed surface profile between the first inwardly directed configuration and the second outwardly directed configuration.