Pump drive for conveying a reducing agent for motor vehicle exhaust gas systems, modular motor and pump family for forming different pump drives with several such electric motors

Abstract

A pump drive for conveying a reducing agent for motor vehicle exhaust gas systems, with an electronically commutated direct current motor, a positive displacement pump, and a freezing compensation structure. Also, a modular motor and pump family for forming different pump drives with several such electric motors and pumps. It is the aim of the invention to ensure, in the simplest and most robust manner possible, the integration of a hydraulic unit (gear pump) into an electrical unit (electric motor), a sealing of a wet region from a dry region, an integration of a freezing compensation into the wet region, and a mechanical attachment on the customer side. A modular construction of the electric motor and of the positive displacement pump, which, without a large modification cost, via simple combination of assemblies or modules, can be used for different requirements, is important for this.

Claims

1. A pump drive for conveying fluids, the pump drive comprising: an electronically commutated direct current motor having a permanent magnet rotor arranged within a wound stator core; a positive displacement pump; a multi-part pump housing forming part of the positive displacement pump; a metallic elastic means arranged between the stator assembly and the multi-part pump housing; a plastic material forming a coating around the wound stator core, the plastic material being extruded; the wound stator core forming a stator assembly that is sealed against the fluid to be conveyed, and the positive displacement pump being accommodated axially relative to the permanent magnet rotor in the stator assembly, and being attached to the stator assembly, wherein the stator assembly includes a rotor accommodation space with a first internal diameter and a pump accommodation space with a second internal diameter, wherein the second internal diameter is larger than the first internal diameter, whereby a shoulder is formed.

2. The pump drive according to claim 1, further comprising a wet region surrounding the magnet rotor; wherein the elastic means is an undulating washer which is arranged in the wet region between the stator assembly and the positive displacement pump, and wherein the undulating washer is supported on the shoulder of the stator assembly.

3. The pump drive according to claim 1, further comprising a wet region; a pump housing including a pump head; and screws for securing the pump head as part of the pump housing, wherein the elastic means is arranged between the screws and the positive displacement pump, outside of the wet region.

4. The pump drive according to claim 3, further comprising means for installing the positive displacement pump at an arbitrary angle position in relation to the stator assembly.

5. The pump drive according to claim 1, further comprising at least one screw, wherein the positive displacement pump is screwed to the stator assembly so that the at least one screw is screwed into the plastic material of the stator assembly.

6. The pump drive according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material of the stator assembly is a thermosetting plastic.

7. The pump drive according to claim 1, wherein the stator core comprises attachment projections which are provided with feedthroughs.

8. The pump drive according to claim 1, further comprising a pump head of a pump housing; a wet region; a dry region; and a seal ring for separating the dry region from the wet region, the seal ring being arranged between the stator assembly and the pump head of the pump housing.

9. The pump drive according to claim 8, wherein the seal ring is an annular cord seal.

10. The pump drive according to claim 8, wherein the permanent magnet rotor and part of the positive displacement pump are arranged in the wet region, wherein the wet region is bounded by the stator assembly and by the pump head.

11. The pump drive according to claim 1, wherein the pump housing of the positive displacement pump comprises a pump head, a middle part, and a pump cover, the middle part being arranged between the pump head and the pump cover.

12. The pump drive according to claim 1, further comprising sensors arranged axially, relative to the permanent magnet rotor in the plastic material of the stator assembly.

13. A pump drive for conveying fluids, the pump drive comprising: an electronically commutated direct current motor having a permanent magnet rotor arranged within a wound stator core; a positive displacement pump; and a plastic material forming a coating around the wound stator core, the plastic material being extruded; the wound stator core forming a stator assembly that is sealed against the fluid to be conveyed, and the positive displacement pump being accommodated axially relative to the permanent magnet rotor in the stator assembly, and being attached to the stator assembly, wherein the positive displacement pump includes a freezing compensation structure.

14. The pump drive according to claim 13, wherein the freezing compensation structure is made of a rubber material.

15. The pump drive according to claim 13, wherein the freezing compensation structure is connected in a positive fit to the pump housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in detail in the following, using an exemplary embodiment. The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a first embodiment of the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an undulating washer,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment,

(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a fluid inlet,

(6) FIG. 5 is a sectional view through an SCR pumping system,

(7) FIG. 6 is a spring element in section,

(8) FIG. 7 is the spring element in plan view, and

(9) FIG. 8 is a spatial representation of a wound stator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. The reference numbers with apostrophe and the corresponding reference numbers without apostrophe refer to details with the same name in the drawings and the drawing description. This reflects use in another embodiment, the prior art, and/or where the detail is a variant. The reference number list contains only reference numbers without apostrophe for the sake of simplicity.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a section view through a first embodiment of a pump drive 1, with an electronically commutated direct current motor 3 consisting of a wound stator assembly 6; a permanent magnet rotor 7; a central axle 18; and a gear pump 4 having a first gear 19 which is integrally formed with a hollow shaft 46 protruding into the gear pump 4 and a second gear 20 driven by the first gear 19, which second gear 20 is accommodated on an axle 42; and a fluid inlet 12. The gears 19, 20 here consist of PEEK (Polyetheretherketone). The axle 42 is arranged in a pump housing 15, wherein the pump housing 15 is executed in three parts; it consists of a pump head 43, a middle part 44, and a pump cover 45. The central axle 18 and the axle 42 are fixed in the pump head 43 and are radially supported directly or via the hollow shaft 46 in the pump cover 45. The pump head 43 is provided with an axial projection 48 which ensures a sufficiently long attachment region for the central axle 18 and holds this at one side. At the opposite end of the central axis 18, this is supported neither radially nor axially, and freely protrudes into a rotor accommodation space 49. The pump housing parts 43, 44, and 45 rest radially on the stator assembly 6 (this fact is covered in FIG. 1 due to a drawn dashed line). The permanent magnet rotor 7 consists of a PPS-bound ferrite and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the hollow shaft 46, and is borne on the axle 42 via a bearing bushing 47. The bearing bushing 47 is extrusion-coated with the permanent magnet material of the permanent magnet rotor 7. The connection between the permanent magnet rotor 7 and the hollow shaft 46 is provided via a hexagonal contour. Here, a fluid outlet 13 is occluded by the fluid inlet 12 (see in this regard FIG. 3).

(12) A freezing compensation structure 5 is connected to the positive displacement pump/gear pump 4 via master forming; for this purpose, this is held in a positive fit by peg-like connection projections 26 of the pump housing 15. The pump housing 15 consists of a plastic material that can be processed via an injection molding technique, and the freezing compensation structure 5 consists of an elastic and yielding material. An elastic means 10 in the form of an undulating washer is supported on a shoulder 27 of the stator assembly 6, and on the pump housing 15 near the freezing compensation structure 5. The elastic means 10 serves as a balance of play between the gear pump 4 and the stator assembly 6. The pump housing parts 43, 44, and 45 are held together by the elastic means 10. The elastic means 10 may additionally serve as a compensation means in the event of freezing.

(13) The stator assembly 6 comprises a stator core 31 in the form of a laminated core that is radially extended at multiple locations, and, at these locations, forms attachment projections 16 in which is respectively provided a feedthrough 17 for an attachment element. The stator core 31 has stator slots 40 into which insulation bodies 33 are placed and which are wound with a winding 32. A dividing line 28, which is represented by a dashed line, indicates a sealed separation between the stator assembly 6 and the permanent magnet rotor 7 as well as the positive displacement pump 4; it is thereby the dividing line between a wet region 53 and a dry region 54 outside of the pump drive 1. A guide contour 36 serves for radial, positive-fit accommodation of the gear pump 4 in an axially projecting extension 37 of the stator assembly 6. A pump flange 38 of the pump housing 15 serves as an axial stop for the gear pump 4. The pump flange 38 has openings 39 for screws 14. The pump drive 1 also comprises sensors 50 that, in the plastic material of the stator assembly 6, are embedded axially to the permanent magnet rotor 7. A sensor connection line 51, indicated in dashes, shows its course within the stator assembly 6. The sensor connection line 51 is executed as a baffle plate which is embedded in the plastic material of the stator assembly 6 and connects the sensors 50 to the wiring unit 30.

(14) FIG. 2 shows an elastic means 10 in the form of an undulating washer that serves for the placement of the pump cover 45 on the middle part 44 and the pump head 34 (see FIG. 1). The undulating washer is a standard component.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional depiction of the first embodiment, with the stator assembly 6, the attachment projections 16, the gear pump 4, the fluid inlet 12, the fluid outlet 13, and the wiring unit 30. Fluid inlet 12 and fluid outlet 13 are depicted only in a stylized manner.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a customer-side hydraulic connection 29 to the fluid inlet 12. The same connection is provided for the fluid outlet 13. A mold contour 56 serves for the mechanical fixation of the hydraulic connection 29. A connection seal 35 is inserted into a groove 34 of the hydraulic connection and seals against the fluid inlet 12.

(17) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view through a second embodiment of a pump drive 1, with a tank 2, an electronically commutated direct current motor 3, a gear pump 4, and a freezing compensation structure 5. The electronically commutated direct current motor 3 consists of a wound stator assembly 6 and a permanent magnet rotor 7. The permanent magnet rotor 7 is in a rotationally fixed connection to a first gear 19 via a central axle 18. A second gear 20 is moved as well by the first gear 19. Arranged between the gear pump 4 and the stator assembly 6 is a seal ring 8 in a stepped annular space 9 molded over the entire circumference at the inner circumference of the stator assembly 6 and on its face side. The gear pump 4 is attached to the stator assembly 6 with the aid of an elastic means 10, wherein the elastic means 10 is fixed by means of screws 14. The gear pump 4 possesses a fluid inlet 12 and a fluid outlet 13. The electronically commutated direct current motor 3 and the gear pump 4 form a compact module that is arranged in a recess within the tank 2 and there is fixed by means of attachment screws 11. For this, the stator assembly 6 has attachment projections 16 with feedthroughs 17. The stator assembly 6 consists of a stator core 31 extrusion-coated by a thermosetting plastic material.

(18) FIG. 6 shows the elastic means 10 from FIG. 5 as a single component in section. In its basic form, the elastic means 10 has a pot shape with collar that serves as an attachment flange 21 and is provided with multiple attachment eyes 22. The pot floor is pierced in the middle region. The remaining outer part consists of a plurality of spring arms 24 which respectively have a kink 25. A pot wall 23 that is somewhat inclined relative to a hollow cylinder extends between the attachment flange 21 and the spring arms 24.

(19) FIG. 7 shows the elastic means 10 from FIG. 6 in plan view, with the attachment flange 21, the attachment eyes 22, the pot wall 23, the spring arms 24, and the kinks 25.

(20) FIG. 8 shows a spatial depiction of a wound stator assembly 6 which, in the exemplary embodiments according to the invention, can be used for a pump drive. The stator assembly 6 comprises a stator core 31 in the form of a laminated core, attachment projections 16 with feedthroughs 17, an insulation body 33, a winding 32 which consists of nine individual coils 52, and a wiring unit 30 to which coil wires 41 are connected and which forms a plug terminal. The wiring unit 30 additionally provides for a wiring of the individual coils 52 of the winding 32. Here, the winding 32 is executed as a delta connection with, respectively, three individual coils 52 in series. It is a three-phase winding, wherein each individual coil 52 of one phase is spatially separated from, respectively, two individual coils 52 of another phase.

(21) In the first embodiment in FIG. 1, it is provided that the stator assembly 6 have a rotor accommodation space 49 with a first internal diameter d1 and a pump accommodation space 55 with a second internal diameter d2, wherein the second internal diameter d2 is larger than the first internal diameter d1, whereby a shoulder 27 is formed. The stator assembly 6 is designed so that the components of the positive displacement pump 4 can be joined without an undercut.

(22) The installation of a metallic elastic means 10 (FIG. 2) between the stator assembly 6 and a multi-part pump housing 15 allows a necessary balance of play between the stator assembly 6 and the positive displacement pump 4. This elastic means 10 is preferably an undulating washer, which is very simple in design and available at any time. The elastic means 10 ensures that the housing parts of the positive displacement pump 4 rest upon one another. With low temperatures and freezing fluid, the elastic means 10 may additionally prevent destruction of the pump housing 15 in the event that the ice pressure is greater in a pump chamber than in a wet region 53 outside of the pump chamber.

(23) Alternatively as shown in FIG. 5, the elastic means 10 may serve as an attachment means which is arranged between one or more screws 14 and the positive displacement pump 4, outside of a wet region 53. For this, a crown-shaped metallic spring may be installed at the stator assembly 6 with the aid of screws 14. With a symmetrical design, the positive displacement pump 4 may thereby assume an arbitrary angle position in relation to the stator assembly 6. The elastic means 10 preferably consists of spring steel. In this second embodiment as well, the elastic means 10 may compensate for an increasing ice pressure at low temperatures.

(24) The positive displacement pump 4 may, advantageously, be screwed to the stator assembly 6 in such a way that the screw or screws 14 is/are screwed into the plastic material of the stator assembly 6. For this, it is reasonable to select a material with high strength as a plastic material for the stator assembly 6. Self-tapping screws are preferably used, whereby it is sufficient to shape threadless cylindrical cavities. This allows a simpler design of an injection molding tool and a simpler removal of the workpieces from the injection molding tool with whose help the stator assembly 6 is manufactured.

(25) It is provided for thermosetting plastic material for the stator assembly 6 to be used, because this may satisfy high sealing requirements and high strength requirements.

(26) With reference to FIGS. 1-5, according to a further aspect of the invention, it is provided that the stator core 31 comprise attachment projections 16 which are provided with feedthroughs 17. The attachment projections 16 serve for the attachment, in particular, screwing, of the stator assembly 6, and therefore of the pump drive 1, to a tank 2 of an SCR system, for example. Since the attachment projections 16 are essentially formed by the material of the stator core 31, these allow a very robust attachment of the pump drive 1.

(27) Alternatively, attachment projections 16 may also be formed by the plastic material of the stator assembly 6, or by a combination of plastic material and stator core material.

(28) In order to seal the wet region 53 from a dry region 54 outside of the pump drive 1, a seal ring 8 is arranged between the stator assembly 6 and the pump housing 15. The seal ring 8 is preferably a radial seal ring, in particular, an annular cord seal (O-ring). It is thereby a standard component. The seal ring 8 is placed into an annular space 9 which is formed, on one side, by a third internal diameter d3 of the stator assembly 6 which is larger than the second internal diameter d2, and, on the other side, by an axially-recessed annular region of a pump head 43. At the stator assembly 6 and at the pump head 43, the seal ring 8 respectively rests radially on cylinder shell surfaces, which may, advantageously, be executed without mold release in the shown design.

(29) It is further provided that the permanent magnet rotor 7 and the greater part of the positive displacement pump 4 be arranged in the wet region 53, wherein the wet region 53 is bounded by the stator assembly 6 and by a pump head 43. A single seal ring 8 is thereby sufficient for sealing the pump drive 1.

(30) The positive displacement pump 4 may have a pump housing 15 that is formed in two or three parts (See FIG. 1). Preferably, a three-part pump housing 15 is provided, wherein the pump head 43, a middle part 44, and a pump cover 45 are provided. The middle part 44 is arranged, sandwich-like, between the pump head 43 and the pump cover 45. The three pump parts 43, 44, 45 are held together by the elastic means 10 and screws 14 which attach the pump head 43 in the stator assembly 6.

(31) The positive displacement pump 4, expediently, comprises a freezing compensation structure 5. This consists of an elastic and yielding, in particular, rubber-like-material. The freezing compensation structure 5 serves to form a compressible compensation space which to compensate for a volume increase due to the freezing pumping medium, for example, aqueous urea solution.

(32) A simple installation possibility consists in the freezing compensation structure 5 being positively connected to the pump housing 15 via master forming. For this, connection projections 26 which hold the freezing compensation structure 5 in a positive fit are injected with the pump cover 45. The pump housing 15 preferably consists of a thermosetting plastic material, or, alternatively, of a sintered metal material.

(33) It is also provided that, in the plastic material of the stator assembly 6, sensors 50 be arranged axially, relative to the permanent magnet rotor 7. These are thereby sensors for detecting the magnetic field surrounding the permanent magnet rotor 7. In particular, Hall effect sensors or GMR sensors are therefore suitable here. The signal quality is best if the sensors 50 are arranged near the permanent magnet rotor 7. It is thereby additionally advantageous that no metallic separating can is present, which might attenuate the detectable magnetic field of the permanent magnet rotor 7. The sensors 50 serve as rotor position sensors, and are electrically connected to a wiring unit 30 via baffle plates embedded into the plastic material of the stator assembly 6. The wiring unit 30 essentially consists of a plug terminal, which additionally serves as a wiring means for individual coils 52 of the winding 32.

(34) The second aim is achieved via a modular pump drive family for covering different delivery pressure ranges and/or discharge rate ranges, wherein the wound stator core 31 is extrusion-coated by a plastic material that can be processed via injection molding, said wound stator core 31 thereby forming a stator assembly 6 that is compact and sealed against the fluid to be conveyed; the positive displacement pump 4 is accommodated axially relative to the permanent magnet rotor 7 in the stator assembly 6 and is attached to said stator assembly 6; and wherein the individual pump drives 1 differ from one another via different stator lengths, stator diameters, rotor lengths, rotor diameters, and/or different positive displacement pumps 4, and/or equipment variants; wherein the equipment variants have the following equipment features: control electronics for activating windings 32 of the stator assembly 6, and/or at least one position sensor integrated into the electronically commutated electric motor.

(35) The pump drive family is characterized by standardized components, whereby a high flexibility is provided in the product offering, as well as a large number of product variants. This relates to the electronically commutated direct current motor 3, on the one hand, and the positive displacement pump 4, on the other. Both the motor and the pump may be quickly and simply adapted to new conditions. The combination of motor and pump variants even further increases the possible number of variations.

(36) For example, the motor properties can via lengthening of the motor, thus of the stator core 31 and of the permanent magnet rotor 7. This has the advantage that the pump geometry is normally not influenced by this. A variation in the diameter of the motor is also conceivable. Various motor speeds and torques can also be achieved via adaptation of the winding 32. The mechanical interface to the positive displacement pump 4 and the seal ring 8 thereby remain unchanged.

(37) To adapt to different requirements, it is provided that the positive displacement pumps 4 have different gear diameters and/or gear heights/gear widths. Different discharge rates and different delivery pressures thereby result. The middle part 44 is thereby likewise to be adapted.

(38) In order to achieve a high parts commonality, it is proposed that the diameter and/or the wall thickness of the pump head 43 in its axial direction be designed for a maximum discharge and/or a maximum delivery pressure. In this way, the external diameter of the pump parts and the internal diameter of the stator assembly 6 may remain the same, and nevertheless a high variability of the pump capacity and/or of the delivery pressure may be achieved by exchanging the middle part 44 and gears 19, 20 accommodated therein.

(39) Control electronics integrated into the pump drive 1 may be completely omitted. In this instance, the control tasks are reasonably taken on by an external control module which is, for example, a component of a system controller. The electrical interface is formed by a wiring unit 30 which comprises the line terminals and the control signal terminalsfor example, in the form of a plug terminal.

(40) Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention are possible, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

(41) TABLE-US-00001 LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 pump drive 2 tank 3 direct current motor 4 positive displacement pump 5 freezing compensation 6 stator assembly 7 permanent magnet rotor 8 seal ring 9 annular space 10 elastic means 11 attachment screw 12 fluid inlet 13 fluid outlet 14 screw 15 pump housing 16 attachment projection 17 feedthrough 18 central axle 19 first gear 20 second gear 21 attachment flange 22 attachment eyes 23 pot wall 24 spring arm 25 kink 26 connection projection 27 shoulder 28 dividing line 29 hydraulic connection 30 wiring unit 31 stator core 32 winding 33 insulation body 34 groove 35 connection seal 36 guide contour 37 extension 38 pump flange 39 opening 40 stator slot 41 coil wire 42 axis 43 pump head 44 middle part 45 pump cover 46 hollow shaft 47 bearing bushing 48 protrusion 49 rotor accommodation space 50 sensor 51 sensor connection line 52 single coil 53 wet region 54 dry region 55 pump accommodation space 56 mold contour