RADIAL PISTON PUMP, AND PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A RADIAL PISTON PUMP

Abstract

Radial piston pump and a method of assembly of the radial pump in particular radial piston pump, including a drive shaft having an eccentric and at least one piston-and-working-chamber combination, wherein the piston-and-working-chamber combination comprises a cylinder bore and a piston, wherein the cylinder bore has a fluid outlet duct, the cylinder bore is closed with a cover, wherein the cover is received in a cover receptacle bore, the cylinder bore has a longitudinal axis, and the cover receptacle bore has a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cylinder bore and the longitudinal axis of the cover receptacle bore are not congruent, in particular are displaced in parallel.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A radial piston pump comprising: a drive shaft having at least one piston-and-working-chamber combination, wherein the piston-and-working-chamber combination comprises a cylinder bore and a piston, wherein, the cylinder bore has a fluid outlet duct, the cylinder bore is closed with a cover, wherein the cover is received in a cover receptacle bore, the cylinder bore has a longitudinal axis, and the cover receptacle bore has a longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal axis of the cylinder bore and the longitudinal axis of the cover receptacle bore are not congruent, in particular are displaced in parallel.

15. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the cover receptacle bore is disposed so as to be eccentric in relation to the cylinder bore.

16. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cylinder bore in terms of the longitudinal axis of the cover receptacle bore is displaced in the direction of the fluid outlet duct, or away from the fluid outlet duct.

17. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein a step is provided between the cylinder bore and the cover receptacle bore, which step forms the bearing face for a peripheral region of the cover.

18. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the cylinder bore and the cover receptacle bore have different diameters.

19. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the radial piston pump, includes a fluid inlet duct having an inlet valve and the fluid outlet duct having an outlet valve, wherein the fluid inlet duct is aligned radially in relation to the drive shaft, and the fluid outlet duct is aligned axially.

20. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the fluid inlet duct is provided in the cover or the piston.

21. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the inlet valve bears on the step.

22. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the inlet valve is fastened to the cover by means of at least one securing element, in particular by means of a groove pin.

23. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the at least one securing element is disposed between the cover and the step.

24. The radial piston pump of claim 14, wherein the step is at least one clearance for at least partially receiving the at least one securing element, in particular the groove pin, in the step.

25. A method for assembling the radial piston pump of claim 17 comprising: placing the inlet valve on the cover; fixing the inlet valve to the cover by means of at least one securing element, preferably by means of a groove pin; placing the cover on the step by way of the valve side, wherein the at least one securing element is disposed between the cover and the step; and fixing the cover in the cover receptacle bore.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, the at least one securing element is received in portions in at least one clearance of the step.

Description

[0023] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become evident by means of the description hereunder of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended images in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a radial piston pump in a perspective illustration;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a radial piston pump having a radial inlet valve and an axial outlet valve;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged illustration of a region of a radial piston pump;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of a region of a radial piston pump according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a view from above of a piston-and-working-chamber combination, in particular a cover of a radial piston pump according to the invention;

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a detail of a radial piston pump according to the invention, in particular a groove pin;

[0030] FIG. 7 shows an exploded illustration of a cover, a seal, a valve and a groove pin of a radial piston pump according to the invention.

[0031] The following reference signs are used in the images: [0032] L Longitudinal axis [0033] F Fluid [0034] 1 Drive shaft [0035] 2(a-e) Piston-and-working-chamber combination [0036] 3 Pump main body [0037] 4 Housing [0038] 5 Retaining ring [0039] 6 Securing element, in particular groove pin [0040] 11 Eccentric [0041] 21 Cylinder bore [0042] 22 Piston [0043] 23(a-e) Cover [0044] 24 Inlet valve [0045] 25 Outlet valve [0046] 26 Seal [0047] 27 Cover receptacle bore [0048] 31 Step/bearing face [0049] 211 Symmetry axis/Longitudinal axis (cylinder bore) [0050] 241 Fluid inlet duct [0051] 251 Fluid outlet duct [0052] 271 Symmetry axis/Longitudinal axis (cover receptacle bore) [0053] 311 Clearance for securing element

[0054] Features and details herein which are described in the context of a method of course also apply to the device according to the invention and vice versa, so that reference is always made, or may be made, in a reciprocating manner between the disclosures pertaining to the individual aspects of the invention. Moreover, a method according to the invention potentially described can be carried out by the device according to the invention.

[0055] The terminology used herein serves merely the purpose of description of certain embodiments and is not intended to restrict the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms a/an and the are also intended to comprise the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, it will become clear that the expressions has and/or having, when used in this description, specify the presence of the indicated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not rule out the presence or the addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups. As used herein, the expression and/or comprises every arbitrary element and all combinations of one or more of the associated, listed elements.

[0056] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0057] A radial piston pump comprises substantially a drive shaft 1 having an eccentric 11 and at least one piston-and-working-chamber combination 2. A longitudinal axis L of the drive shaft 1 is plotted in FIG. 1 for defining the axial direction. The combination of the drive shaft 1 and the eccentric 11 can also be referred to as an eccentric shaft. The present eccentric shaft preferably comprises a circular eccentric, offering the advantage that a roller bearing can be pushed onto the circular eccentric, which reduces contact friction and contact speed (between the circular eccentric and the piston).

[0058] The piston-and-working-chamber combination 2 comprises substantially a cylinder bore 21 and a piston 22. The cylinder bore 21 at the head-end is closed by a cover 23. With a view to the drive shaft 1, the cylinder bore 21 and the cover 23 are in this way preferably disposed behind one another in the radial direction.

[0059] The cylinder bore 21 is preferably designed so as to be circular-cylindrical. The cylinder bore 21 accordingly has a symmetry axis, or longitudinal axis 211, in the direction of the movement of the piston.

[0060] The radial piston pump typically comprises at least two piston-and-working-chamber combinations 2, 2a, 2b, . . . , which extend radially from the drive shaft 1. The radial piston pump preferably comprises at least three, preferably six, piston-and-working-chamber combinations 2, 2a, 2b, . . . , which correspondingly extend in a star-shaped manner from the drive shaft 1. Accordingly, each cylinder bore 21 of the piston-and-working-chamber combinations 2, 2a, 2b, . . . is provided with a cover 23, 23a, . . . .

[0061] The cylinder bore, or the cylinder bores 21, is/are preferably received by a pump main body 3, or formed by the latter. Accordingly, the pump main body 3 is preferably a casting. The pump main body 3 in turn can at least be partially enclosed by a housing 4.

[0062] The cover or covers 23, 23a, . . . , here by way of example, are fixed to the pump main body 3, or above the cylinder bore or cylinder bores 21, by means of a retaining ring 5. In principle however, any other suitable type of fastening such as, a screw connection for example, or else a retaining ring integrated in the housing, can also be considered. The housing 4 engages across the retaining ring 5.

[0063] Furthermore provided in the cover 23, or at the head-end of the cylinder bore 21, is a fluid inlet duct 241. The fluid inlet duct 241 is equipped with an inlet valve 24 which can selectively close or release the fluid inlet duct 241. The fluid inlet duct 241 can also be provided in the piston 22, for example. The fluid inlet duct 241 is preferably disposed radially.

[0064] The cover 23 is preferably designed so as to be circular. The cover 23 is received in a corresponding, preferably likewise circular, cylindrical cover receptacle bore 27 provided for this purpose. The cover receptacle bore 27 is preferably provided in the pump main body 3. Accordingly, the cover receptacle bore 27 has a symmetry axis, or a longitudinal axis 271. With a view to the production costs and the functional requirement in terms of the tightness of the cover 23 in relation to the cylinder bore 21, or in relation to the pump main body 3, a circular shape is preferable for the geometry of the cover 23 and the cover receptacle bore 27.

[0065] The cover receptacle bore 27 for the cover 23 preferably has a larger diameter than the cylinder bore 21 so that a step 31 results between the two bores. This step serves at least indirectly as a bearing face 31 for the cover 23. It is provided in particular that an inlet valve 24, preferably designed as a spring plate valve, first rests on the step 31, and the cover 23 having the fluid inlet duct then rests on the spring plate valve 24.

[0066] A fluid outlet duct 25 is also provided in the cylinder bore 21, preferably in the wall of the cylinder bore 21. The fluid outlet duct 251 is equipped with an outlet valve 25 which can selectively close or release the fluid outlet duct 251. The fluid outlet duct 251 is preferably disposed axially.

[0067] As is illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, the fluid F to be compressed flows, by way of the fluid inlet duct 241, or the inlet valve 24, into the cylinder bore 21, is there compressed by the stroke movement of the piston 22, and exits the cylinder bore 21 through the outlet valve 25, or the fluid outlet duct 251. The design embodiment of the valves, for example as a spring plate valve, is well known to the person skilled in the art and does not require any further explanation. Various design possibilities or variations, in particular in terms of the number of inlet/outlet valves, in particular also per piston-and-working-chamber combination 2, are also conceivable.

[0068] It is provided according to the invention that the longitudinal axis 211 of the cylinder bore 21 and the longitudinal axis 271 of the cover receptacle bore 27 are not congruent. In other words, it is preferably provided that the longitudinal axis 271 of the cover receptacle bore 27 is displaced in parallel to the longitudinal axis 211 of the cylinder bore 21, or the cover receptacle bore 27 is disposed so as to be eccentric in relation to the cylinder bore 21. Such an arrangement can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example. It can furthermore be seen here that the cover 23 is likewise disposed so as to be displaced in parallel, or eccentrically, in relation to the cylinder bore 21, and thus ultimately in relation to the piston 22.

[0069] It is preferably provided to this end, that the longitudinal axis 211 of the cylinder bore 21 with a view to the longitudinal axis 271 of the cover receptacle bore 27 is displaced in the direction, or counter to the direction, of the fluid outlet duct 251. As a result, the fluid outlet duct 251 can be adapted, in particular designed so as to be shortened, as can be seen in particular by comparing FIGS. 3 and 4. It is shown in principle that the bearing contact becomes larger on the side facing away from the high-pressure duct, the cover thus tending to be re-positioned away from the high-pressure region. Furthermore shown is the relative re-positioning of the inlet region in the cover in relation to the cylinder. The version away from the high-pressure region is preferable.

[0070] While an axial re-positioning (eccentricity) of the cover 23 in the axial direction in relation to the cylinder bore 21 is illustrated in the images, a displacement of the longitudinal axis 271 of the cover receptacle bore 27 in the direction offset by 90? in relation to the abovementioned direction, or any direction in between, is also conceivable, thus also into the drawing plane or out of the latter, for example.

[0071] FIG. 4 furthermore shows a fragment of a radial piston compressor having an axially aligned outlet duct 251. The position of the piston 1 is illustrated as a partial stroke.

[0072] Further details of the present invention are derived from the description of an advantageous assembly of the radial piston pump, in particular of the combination of the cover 23 and the inlet valve 24.

[0073] The assembling of the cover module on the pump main body 3 preferably is performed as an overhead assembly for the inlet valve 24. It is therefore advantageous for the inlet valve 24 in a pre-assembly step to be captively fastened to the cover 23. At least one securing element, hereunder illustrated as groove pins 6, can be provided for this purpose, which in the process are to be disposed such that their release during operation either cannot take place or does not have any negative influence on the function of the radial piston pump.

[0074] It is provided to this end that the securing elements 6 are accommodated between the cover and the step. In this way, the securing elements, in particular groove pins, cannot enter the cylinder bore 21 if released. For this purpose, at least one clearance 311 is preferably provided in the step 31, into which the securing elements 6, in particular the groove pins, or their heads, can plunge.

[0075] With a view to a preferred assembly method, the assembly in the case of a radial piston pump, comprising an inlet valve, preferably a spring plate valve, and a cover 23 having a fluid inlet duct 241, and a step 31 provided between the cylinder bore 21 and the cover receptacle bore 27, preferably takes place as follows: [0076] placing the inlet valve 24 on the cover 23; [0077] fixing the inlet 24 to the cover 23 by means of at least one securing element 6, preferably by means of a groove pin; [0078] placing the cover 23 on the step 31 by way of the valve side, wherein the securing elements 6 are disposed between the cover 23 and the step 31; [0079] fixing the cover 23 in the cover receptacle bore 27.

[0080] The assembly method can preferably likewise comprise the assembly of the seal 26 on the cover (O-ring).

[0081] It can preferably be provided here that the securing elements, in particular the groove pins, are in portions received in clearances 311 of the step 31.

[0082] The radial piston pump proposed here can preferably be used as an air conditioning compressor, or a refrigerant compressor, preferably having an electric motor as a drive. Accordingly, the fluid is preferably a refrigerant.