VEHICLE PUMP DEVICE FOR PUMPING A LIQUID AND METHOD FOR HANDLING LEAKED LIQUID IN THE VEHICLE PUMP DEVICE

Abstract

A vehicle pump device for pumping a liquid, the vehicle pump device including a pump housing having a dry region for arranging electrical and/or electronic components and having a wet region for sucking in and discharging a liquid. An absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus for receiving and/or storing the leaked liquid is arranged in the dry region

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A vehicle pump device for pumping a liquid, comprising: a pump housing having a dry region for arranging electrical and/or electronic components and having a wet region for sucking in and discharging a liquid; and, an absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus for receiving and/or storing a leaked liquid penetrating from the wet region into the dry region is arranged in the dry region.

17. The vehicle pump device according to claim 16, wherein the absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus is configured as at least one sponge, foam part, stopper, bag or as at least one washer.

18. The vehicle pump device according to claim 16, wherein the absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus comprises liquid-absorbing polymers.

19. The vehicle pump device according to claim 16, wherein a collecting chamber for receiving the leaked liquid is arranged in the dry region, the collecting chamber forming a portion of the dry region and the collecting chamber being enclosed in a liquid-tight manner with respect to another portion of the dry region and with respect to external surroundings of the vehicle pump device.

20. The vehicle pump device according to claim 19, wherein the liquid-receiving apparatus is arranged in the collecting chamber.

21. The vehicle pump device according to claim 19, wherein the pump housing comprises a circular-cylindrical housing portion in the dry region, the housing portion forming a bearing seat for a shaft and surrounding a sealing chamber adjoining the bearing seat in an axial direction, the housing portion being surrounded radially by the collecting chamber.

22. The vehicle pump device according to claim 21, wherein the shaft extends through the sealing chamber into the wet region, the vehicle pump device further comprising a sealing apparatus that seals the sealing chamber with respect to the wet region, at least one drainage channel for the leaked liquid being introduced into the housing portion, which leaked liquid penetrates from the wet region into the sealing chamber due to a leak in the sealing apparatus, the at least one drainage channel leading from the sealing chamber into the collecting chamber.

23. The vehicle pump device according to claim 22, wherein three drainage channels, which are arranged offset from one another by 120 degrees about the shaft, are introduced in the housing portion.

24. The vehicle pump device according to claim 21, wherein the liquid-receiving apparatus is arranged adjoining the housing portion and/or surrounds the housing portion at least partially.

25. The vehicle pump device according to claim 24, wherein the liquid-receiving apparatus surrounds the housing portion completely.

26. The vehicle pump device according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle pump device is an electrical coolant pump for pumping coolant of a vehicle.

27. A vehicle having the vehicle pump device according to claim 16.

28. A method for handling leaked liquid in a vehicle pump device according to claim 16, comprising the step of sucking up, receiving, taking into storage and/or storing, using the absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus, leaked liquid penetrating from the wet region into the dry region.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the liquid-receiving apparatus is arranged in the collecting chamber.

30. The method according to claim 28, including discharging the leaked liquid into the collecting chamber.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the leaked liquid remains permanently in the collecting chamber.

Description

[0038] Further features, advantages and effects of the invention are set out in the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a part of a vehicle pump device having a pump housing and having a shaft.

[0040] FIG. 1 depicts a part of a vehicle pump device 1 in a cross-section, the intersecting line of which runs perpendicular to an axis of rotation D of a shaft 2 of the vehicle pump device 1.

[0041] The vehicle pump device 1 is configured to pump a liquid as a glanded pump. The liquid to be pumped and/or the liquid pumped by the vehicle pump device 1 can, e.g., be a water-based coolant. For example, the vehicle pump device 1 is configured as a coolant pump in a vehicle, e.g., in a car or truck. In particular, in the case of a vehicle driven with an electric motor, the power electronics, an electric motor and a battery of the vehicle can be cooled via a cooling system, in which the vehicle pump device is integrated as a coolant pump.

[0042] The vehicle pump device 1 has an indicated motor apparatus 3, in particular an electric motor, for generating a torque. It can also have further electrical and/or electronic components such as, e.g., printed circuit boards or a control unit. The vehicle pump device 1 comprises a shaft 2 driven by the motor apparatus 3, which rotates and/or can rotate about an axis of rotation D. An impeller 4, which rotates and/or can rotate with the shaft 2, is arranged in a non-rotational manner at the end of the shaft 2.

[0043] The vehicle pump device 1 has a pump housing 5. The pump housing 5 has a wet region N and a dry region T. The dry region T is spatially separated from the wet region N by a separating wall 8 of the pump housing 5.

[0044] The wet region N is configured to receive and pass through the liquid to be pumped and/or the pumped liquid. It comprises at least one guide channel 6, in particular an axially running suction pipe 6a, in which the liquid is sucked in by means of the rotating impeller 4 and is pressed in a radial flow direction S into a drain pipe 6b, through which the liquid can drain to outside the pump device 1 into a collecting vessel.

[0045] The dry region T serves to receive the motor apparatus 3 and the further electrical and/or electronic components, e.g., the printed circuit boards and/or the control unit. In order to avoid damage, these have to be protected from contact with the liquid to be pumped and/or the pumped liquid and are therefore arranged in the dry region T.

[0046] The shaft 2 is coupled to an output of the motor apparatus 3 and extends axially through the dry region T. The shaft 2 projects into the wet region N through a recess in the separating wall 8. The impeller 4 for sucking in and displacing the liquid in the at least one guide channel 6 is arranged at the end of the shaft 2.

[0047] A sealing apparatus 13 configured as a mechanical seal is arranged on the shaft 2 in the recess of the separating wall 8. The sealing apparatus 13 is intended to seal the wet region N with respect to the dry region T and to prevent the liquid to be pumped and/or the pumped liquid from penetrating from the wet region N into the dry region T. The sealing apparatus 13 is provided to protect the motor apparatus 3 and the other electrical and/or electronic components from contact with the liquid to be pumped and/or the pumped liquid in order to avoid damage. However, signs of wear and/or contamination and, ultimately, also a function-related leak at the sealing apparatus 13 can occur during the operation of the vehicle pump device 1. A sealing effect of the sealing apparatus 13 is impaired by the leak, so that leaked liquid can penetrate from the wet region N into the dry region T.

[0048] The pump housing 5 has an axially running hollow cylindrical housing portion 7 in the dry region T. The housing portion 7 forms a bearing seat 15 for a rotating mounting of the shaft 2. A sleeve is positively received in the bearing seat 15, within which sleeve the shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on two roller bearing apparatuses, the roller bearings of the shaft 2 roll on an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve in order to reduce friction. The roller bearings can be configured as ball or roller bearings.

[0049] In the drying chamber T, the housing portion 7 also surrounds a hollow cylindrical sealing chamber 16 which is directly joined to the bearing seat 15 in the axial direction. The bearing seat 15 is sealed with respect to the sealing chamber 16 by a further sealing apparatus 17 which is configured as a sealing ring. The sealing chamber 16 is sealed with the sealing apparatus 13 with respect to the wet region N.

[0050] A collecting chamber 10 is arranged in the dry region T adjoining the housing portion 7. The collecting chamber 10 surrounds the housing portion 7 completely radially. Consequently, the dry region T comprises the collecting chamber 10 as the first portion and the remaining part of the dry region T as the remaining portion. The collecting chamber 10 is closed in a liquid-tight manner with respect to the remaining portion of the dry region T with a closure lid 12. No connection to the external surroundings of the vehicle pump device 1, in particular outside of the pump housing 5 and a motor housing 14 of the motor apparatus 3 is provided either, the motor housing 14 being able to form an integral part of the pump housing 5. In particular, the collecting chamber 10 is enclosed in a liquid-tight manner with respect to the external surroundings and with respect to the remaining portion of the dry region T.

[0051] The collecting chamber 10 is fluidically connected to the sealing chamber 13 via at least one drainage channel 9, e.g., via three drainage channels 9, which are each arranged offset from one another by 120 degrees about the axis of rotation D. The at least one drainage channel 9 is provided to discharge the leaked liquid, which finds its way from the wet region N into the dry region T, in particular into the sealing region 13, due to the leak in the sealing apparatus 13, into the collecting chamber 10.

[0052] An absorbent liquid-receiving apparatus 11 for absorbing and storing the leaked liquid is arranged in the collecting chamber 10. The liquid-receiving apparatus 11 comprises liquid-absorbing polymers, in particular so-called superabsorber polymers (SAP), which are plastic granules which have extensive liquid absorption capacities. The polymers can absorb and store a weight of liquid which is many times, in particular 50 to 300 times, their own weight, by means of osmotic pressure as a function of the free ionic content, by forming a hydrogel.

[0053] The liquid-receiving apparatus 11 is configured as a circular sponge, foam part or washer equipped with the polymers, which completely surrounds the housing portion 7 and/or rests on the latter. Alternatively, the liquid-receiving apparatus 11 can be configured as at least one bag filled with the polymers, preferably as multiple bags, which are arranged in a scattered manner in the collecting chamber 10. In addition, the configuration of the liquid-receiving apparatus 11 as at least one stopper equipped with the polymer is possible, which stopper can be arranged, e.g., in a mouth of the at least one drainage channel 9.

[0054] Consequently, the liquid leak can be sucked up and/or absorbed directly by the liquid-receiving apparatus 11.

[0055] It is advantageous that the liquid leak does not have to be discharged outside of the pump housing 3. Consequently, it is possible to dispense with the arrangement of a discharging apparatus and/or a collecting vessel outside of the vehicle pump device 1. In particular, this can save installation space, weight and/or costs. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the possibility of dispensing with the discharge of the leaked liquid into the external surroundings of the vehicle pump device 1 means that pollution of the environment by the leaked liquid can be prevented.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0056] 1 Vehicle pump device [0057] 2 Shaft [0058] 3 Motor apparatus [0059] 4 Impeller [0060] 5 Pump housing [0061] 6 Guide channel [0062] 6a Suction pipe [0063] 6b Drain pipe [0064] 7 Housing portion [0065] 8 Separating wall [0066] 9 Drainage channel [0067] 10 Collecting chamber [0068] 11 Liquid-receiving apparatus [0069] 12 Closure lid [0070] 13 Sealing apparatus [0071] 14 Motor housing [0072] 15 Bearing seat [0073] 16 Sealing chamber [0074] 17 Sealing apparatus [0075] D Axis of rotation [0076] N Wet region [0077] S Flow direction [0078] T Dry region