FLUID PUMP

Abstract

A fluid pump, in particular an oil pump, for supplying a clutch actuator, a gearbox actuator, a lubrication system, and/or a cooling system of a drive train, includes a pump unit, an electrical drive unit, and a one-piece sealing element. The pump unit is arranged in a first housing part of the fluid pump, and the electrical drive unit is arranged in a second housing part of the fluid pump. The one-piece sealing element seals the first housing part against the second housing part, and seals the first housing part against a housing cover arranged on a side opposite the second housing part. Furthermore, a method for producing such a fluid pump includes arranging a pump unit in a first housing part of the fluid pump and moulding a sealing element onto the first housing part.

Claims

1. A fluid pump for supplying at least one of a clutch actuator, a gearbox actuator, a lubrication system, and a cooling system of a drive train, comprising: a pump unit, an electrical drive unit, and a one-piece sealing element, wherein the pump unit is arranged in a first housing part of the fluid pump, the electrical drive unit is arranged in a second housing part of the fluid pump which is separate from the first housing part, and the one-piece sealing element seals the first housing part against the second housing part and seals the first housing part against a housing cover arranged on a side opposite the second housing part.

2. The fluid pump according to claim 1, comprising: at least one of a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet of the fluid pump provided on the housing cover.

3. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has a first annular sealing portion, which is positioned between the first housing part and the second housing part and seals the first housing part against the second housing part.

4. The fluid pump according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the sealing element has a second annular sealing portion, which is positioned between the first housing part and the housing cover and seals the first housing part against the housing cover, and the first annular sealing portion and the second annular sealing portion run substantially parallel to one another.

5. The fluid pump according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the sealing element has at least one connecting portion which connects the first annular sealing portion to the second annular sealing portion, and the connecting portion extends substantially perpendicularly to sealing planes defined by the first annular sealing portion and the second annular sealing portion.

6. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has at least one sealing lip pointing in the direction of the second housing part.

7. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has at least one sealing lip pointing in the direction of the housing cover.

8. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing element is made of an elastic mixture, and the sealing element is injection-moulded into a space on the fluid pump.

9. A method for of producing a fluid pump for supplying at least one of a clutch actuator, a gearbox actuator, a lubrication system, and a cooling system of a drive train, comprising: arranging a pump unit in a first housing part of the fluid pump, and moulding a sealing element onto the first housing part, wherein the sealing element is configured to at least one of seal the first housing part against a second housing part, which is separate from the first housing part and configured to house an electrical drive unit, and seal against a housing cover.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the moulding step forms a first sealing portion of the sealing element configured to seal against the second housing part, and a second sealing portion of the sealing element configured to seal against the housing cover.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising at least one of: arranging the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion on opposite sides of the first housing part, and arranging the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion to run substantially parallel.

12. The method according to claim 9, comprising: vulcanizing the sealing element after moulding.

13. The method according to claim 9, comprising at least one of: integrally forming the sealing element, and cohesively forming the sealing element by injection moulding.

14. The method according to claim 9, comprising at least one of: placing the housing cover onto the first housing part with the sealing element moulded thereon, and placing the second housing part on the first housing part with the sealing element moulded thereon.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pump is an oil pump.

16. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump is an oil pump.

17. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has two sealing lips pointing in the direction of the second housing part.

18. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has two sealing lips pointing in the direction of the housing cover.

19. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing element is made of a rubber mixture, and the sealing element is injection-moulded into a space on the fluid pump.

20. The fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing element is made of a fluorocarbon rubber, and the sealing element is injection-moulded into a space on the fluid pump.

Description

[0025] The invention is explained below with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings. The drawings show:

[0026] FIG. 1 a fluid pump according to the invention which is produced by means of a method according to the invention, in a perspective external view,

[0027] FIG. 2 a longitudinal section through a part of the fluid pump from FIG. 1 in a side view,

[0028] FIG. 3 a further longitudinal section through a part of the fluid pump from FIG. 1 in a perspective depiction, wherein parts of a pump unit have been omitted,

[0029] FIG. 4 a side view of the illustration from FIG. 3, and

[0030] FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 different variants of a sealing element of the fluid pump from FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a fluid pump 10 which, in the embodiment shown, is formed as an oil pump for supplying a clutch actuator.

[0032] At the same time, the fluid pump 10 is also suitable for supplying oil to a gearbox actuator, a cooling system and/or a lubrication system of a drive train.

[0033] The fluid pump 10 is designed as an annular gear pump. It thus comprises a pump unit 12 which works on the principle of an annular gear pump.

[0034] By means of the pump unit 12, fluid provided to the fluid pump 10 via a fluid inlet 14 is conveyed to a fluid outlet 16 of the fluid pump 10. The fluid is pressurised, so the fluid inlet 14 may be described as the suction side and the fluid outlet 16 as the pressure side.

[0035] The pump unit 12 is driven by means of an electric drive unit 18 which is controlled by a control unit 20.

[0036] The pump unit 12 is here received in a first housing part 22 of the fluid pump, and the electrical drive unit 18 in a second housing part 24.

[0037] The first housing part 22 and the second housing part 24 are separate components which are mounted on each other during production of the fluid pump 10.

[0038] The fluid inlet 14 and the fluid outlet 16 are provided in a housing cover 26. This is another component which is separate from the first housing part 22 and second housing part 24. The housing cover 26 is thus also mounted on the first housing part 22 during production of the fluid pump.

[0039] The fluid pump 10 is also equipped with a one-piece sealing element 28.

[0040] This has a first annular sealing portion 28a, which is positioned between the first housing part 22 and the second housing part 24 and in particular seals the first housing part 22 against the second housing part 24.

[0041] For this, a total of two sealing lips 28b, 28b, pointing in the direction of the second housing part 24, are provided on the first annular sealing portion 28a.

[0042] The one-piece sealing element 28 furthermore has a second annular sealing portion 28d, which is positioned between the first housing part 22 and the housing cover 26 and in particular seals the first housing part 22 against the housing cover 26.

[0043] The first annular sealing portion 28a and the second annular sealing portion 28d run substantially parallel to one another.

[0044] Also, a total of two sealing lips 28e, 28f, pointing in the direction of the housing cover 26, are provided on the second annular sealing portion 28d and serve for sealing the first housing part 22 against the housing cover 26.

[0045] The two sealing portions 28a, 28d are furthermore connected together via several connecting portions 28g.

[0046] The connecting portions 28g extend substantially perpendicularly to the sealing planes defined by the first sealing portion 28a and the second sealing portion 28d.

[0047] FIGS. 5 to 8 show a non-definitive number of variants of the one-piece sealing element 28.

[0048] From these examples, it is evident firstly that a distance between the first annular sealing portion 28a and the second annual sealing portion 28d may be set via a length of the connecting portions 28g.

[0049] Secondly, it is clear from the examples of FIGS. 5 to 8 that the radial positions of the connecting portions 28g on the annular sealing portions 28a, 28d may differ.

[0050] In this context, for example the connecting portions 28g which also carry reference sign 30 are offset radially inwardly relative to the other connecting portions 28g.

[0051] In all variants, the one-piece sealing element 28 is made of fluorocarbon rubber.

[0052] The sealing element 28 is moulded onto the first housing part 22 during production of the fluid pump 10.

[0053] During the moulding, the first sealing portion 28a and the second sealing portion 28d are also formed. The sealing portions 28a, 28d are arranged on opposite sides of the first housing part 22.

[0054] The sealing element 28 is preferably cohesively and integrally moulded onto the first housing part 22, i.e. the moulding takes place in one process.

[0055] The sealing element 28 is then vulcanized. This gives it elastic properties.

[0056] This results in a component which comprises the first housing part 22 and the sealing element 28.

[0057] Both the second housing part 24 and the housing cover 26 are placed on this component at the respective assigned opposite sides. Thus the sealing element 28, or more precisely the sealing portions 28a, 28d, is compressed so as to create a reliable seal of the first housing part 22 against the second housing part 24 and against the housing cover 26.