MULTIPLE-PUMP DEVICE

Abstract

A multiple-pump device for a vehicle may include a housing. The housing may include at least a first drive device for driving a first drive shaft with a first impeller, and a second drive device for driving a second drive shaft with a second impeller. The multiple-pump device may include a bearing shield penetrated by the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft. The beating shield may separate a wet region with the first impeller and the second impeller from a dry region with the first drive device and the second drive device. The multiple-pump device may include power electronics arranged in the dry region and connected with the bearing shield to transfer heat.

Claims

1. A multiple-pump device including a housing, the housing including at least a first drive device for driving a first drive shaft with first impeller and a second drive device for driving a second drive shaft with second impeller, the multiple-pump device comprising: a bearing shield, the bearing shield penetrated by the first drive shafts and the second drive shaft and separating a wet region with the first impeller and the second impellers, and a dry region with the first drive device and the second drive device; and power electronics arranged in the dry region and connected with the bearing shield to transfer heat.

2. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: at least one drive device of the first drive device and the second drive device includes an electric motor having a rotor and a stator; and the at least one stator includes at least one holding contour, via which the power electronics are secured.

3. The multiple-pump device according to claim 2, wherein: the at least one stator preloads the power electronics against the bearing shield via the at least one holding contour.

4. The multiple-pump device according to claim 2, wherein: the at least one holding contour of the stator engages through an associated opening of a printed circuit board of the power electronics in a positive-locking manner.

5. The multiple-pump device according to claim 4, wherein: the at least one holding contour of the stator is at least one of glued and heat-staked to the printed circuit board.

6. The multiple-pump device according to claim 2, wherein: the stator includes a laminated core over-moulded with plastic, and the at least one holding contour is formed by a plastic over-moulding of the laminated core.

7. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: the bearing shield includes at least one positioning contour and the power electronics includes at least one counter-positioning contour, the at least one positioning contour and the at least one counter-positioning contour formed complementarily thereto, together forming a poka-yoke system.

8. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: the power electronics control at least the first drive device and the second drive devices.

9. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: the first impeller and the second impellers in the wet region are fluidically separated from one another.

10. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: the bearing shield is aluminium at least in regions.

11. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: at least one of the housing and a spiral housing are at least partially plastic.

12. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: at least one of: the bearing shield and the spiral housing delimit the wet region and the bearing shield in the region of at least one of the first impeller and the second impeller includes a recess, in which the associated impeller of the at least one first impeller and second impeller is at least partially arranged.

13. The multiple-pump device according to claim 1, wherein: at least one of the first impeller and the second impeller includes an opening; and at least one of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft is hollow and is fluidically connected with the wet region via the associated opening of the at least one first impeller and the second impeller.

14. A motor vehicle comprising a multiple-pump device, the multiple-pump device including: a housing including at least a first drive device for driving a first drive shaft with a first impeller, and a second drive device for driving a second drive shaft with a second impeller; a bearing shield penetrated by the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, the bearing shield separating a wet region with the first impeller and the second impeller, from a dry region with the first drive device and the second drive devices; and power electronics arranged in the dry region and connected to the bearing shield.

15. A multiple-pump device, comprising: a housing including a first drive device and a second drive device, the first drive device for driving a first drive shaft with a first impeller, and the second drive device for driving a second drive shaft with a second impeller; a bearing shield separating the housing into a wet region and a dry region, the wet region including the first impeller and the second impeller, and the dry region including the first drive device and the second drive device; and power electronics for controlling the first drive device and the second drive device, the power electronics arranged in the dry region and connected to the bearing shield.

16. The multiple-pump device of claim 15, further comprising a spiral housing, wherein: the housing is connected to the spiral housing via a seal; and the spiral housing includes a first spiral channel corresponding to the first impeller and a second spiral channel corresponding to the second impeller.

17. The multiple-pump device of claim 16, wherein: the spiral housing includes a first inlet and a second inlet for delivering a fluid to the wet region and a first outlet and a second outlet for discharge the fluid.

18. The multiple-pump device of claim 17, wherein: the fluid flows in the wet region of the housing, the power electronics are connected to the bearing shield in the dry region, and the fluid cools the power electronics via the bearing shield.

19. The multiple-pump device of claim 15, wherein: at least one of the first drive device and the second drive device includes an electric motor, the electric motor having a rotor and a stator; the stator includes at least one holding contour; and the power electronics are connected to at least one of the first drive device and the second drive device via the at least one holding contour.

20. The multiple-pump device of claim 19, wherein: the at least one holding contour preloads the power electronics against the bearing shield, forming a flat and heat-transferring contact with the bearing shield.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] It shows, in each case schematically:

[0026] FIG. 1 is an exploded representation of the multiple-pump device according to the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 is a sectional representation through the multiple-pump device according to the invention,

[0028] FIG. 3 is a detail representation for illustrating a connection of the power electronics to the bearing shield and at the same time its support by way of holding contours of the stator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] According to the FIGS. 1 to 3, a multiple-pump device 1 according to the invention, which can be employed for example as coolant pump in a motor vehicle 2, in particular in an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprises a housing 3 in which at least one first drive device 4 for driving a first drive shaft 5 with an associated first impeller 6 and a second drive device 7 for driving a second drive shaft 8 with an associated second impeller 9 are arranged.

[0030] In the following, only the two drive devices 4, 7 are mentioned, wherein the multiple-pump device 1 according to the invention can also comprise further drive devices with further drive shafts and impellers.

[0031] The housing 3 is connected via a seal to a spiral housing 10 with a number of spiral channels 11, 12 corresponding to the number of the impellers 6, 9. Generally, the spiral housing 10 need not necessarily be part of the multiple-pump device 1, but can obviously also be realised by a screwed-on part (module or similar). Here, suctioning of a fluid to be delivered takes place via a first inlet 13 and a second inlet 14 and a discharge of the fluid to be delivered via a first outlet 15 and a second outlet 16. According to the invention, a bearing shield 17 (see in particular also the FIGS. 2 and 3) is now provided, which is penetrated by the drive shafts 5, 8 and also mounts these and additionally separates a wet region 18 with the impellers 6, 9 from a dry region 19 with the drive devices 4, 7. Alternatively it is obviously also conceivable that a bearing for the drive shafts 5, 8 can also be part of a stator over-moulding.

[0032] For controlling at least the two drive devices 4, 7, power electronics 20 with a printed circuit board 21 and electronic components 22 arranged thereon is provided, which are arranged in the dry region 19 and at the same time are heat-transferringly connected with the bearing shield 17. By way of this it is possible to cool the power electronics 20 by way of the fluid, for example coolant, flowing in the wet region 18, by way of which it is possible to employ more cost-effective electronic components 22 since these, because of the active cooling via the fluid flowing in the wet region 18, are no longer subjected to such a high temperature load. Indirectly, a cooling of the drive devices 4, 7 via the bearing shield 7 is even possible with the arrangement according to the invention, as a result of which the efficiency of the same can also be increased.

[0033] At least one of the drive devices 4, 7 comprises an electric motor having a rotor 23 and a stator 24, wherein the stator 24 of at least one drive device 4, 7 comprises at least one holding contour 25, via which the power electronics 20 is secured or can be secured. The holding contour 25 can bring about a stiff or resilient preload. Here, at least one stator 24 via its holding contours 25 preloads the power electronics 20 against the bearing shield 17 and thereby ensures a preferentially flat, heat-transferring contact which favours a cooling of the power electronics 20. In order to be able to additionally improve a heat transfer between the bearing shield 17 and the power electronics 20 and thus a cooling of the power electronics 20, a heat-conducting paste can be additionally arranged, purely theoretically, between the power electronics 20 and the bearing shield 17.

[0034] Viewing the FIGS. 1 to 3 it is noticeable that at least one holding contour 25 of the stator 24 engages through or engages into an associated opening 26 of the printed circuit board 21, wherein the holding contour 25 in its portion engaging through the opening 25 is formed complementarily to the opening 26 and thereby makes possible a positive-locking connection. In order to be able to additionally secure this positive-locking connection, the at least one holding contour 25 of the stator 24 can be additionally glued and/or heat-staked to the printed circuit board 21. Here, the stator 24 can comprise a laminated core over-moulded with plastic, wherein at least one holding contour 25 is formed by the plastic over-moulding.

[0035] On the bearing shield 17, at least one positioning contour 27 and on the power electronics 20 at least one counter-positioning contour 28 formed complementarily thereto can be additionally provided on the bearing shield 17, which together form a poka-yoke system and merely allow a single installation position. Because of this an incorrect assembly is virtually impossible.

[0036] The power electronics 20 can be formed for controlling the at least two drive devices 4, 7 and in addition to this also for controlling further components, in particular external components, such as for example actuators, fans, auxiliary units, wherein additionally a signal processing by the power electronics 20, for example of external sensors, is possible.

[0037] With the multiple-pump device 1 according to the invention, merely one fluid can be pumped wherein it is obviously also conceivable that the two impellers 6, 9 in the wet region 18 are fluidically separated from one another, as a result of which a delivery of different fluids via the first impeller 6 and the second impeller 9 is possible. By way of the power electronics 20 an individual control of the two drive devices 4, 7 and thus an individual regulation of the pump output is additionally possible as well.

[0038] In order to make possible as optimal a cooling of the power electronics 20 as possible, the bearing shield 17 is formed from aluminium at least in regions and thus from a material with a high heat conductivity. In addition, aluminium offers the great advantage that a mounting of the drive shafts 5, 8 is comparatively easily and precisely possible via suitable bearings. The housing 3 and/or the spiral housing 10 can be at least partially formed from plastic, as a result of which a manufacture that is not only cost-effective but also weight-optimised is possible. The bearing shield 17 and the spiral housing 10 delimit the wet region 18 and thereby make possible omitting??? further components required in the past, such as for example cover, seals, etc.

[0039] Viewing the FIGS. 2 and 3 further, it is noticeable that the bearing shield 17 in the region of at least one impeller 6, 9 comprises a recess 29 in which the associated impeller 6, 9 is at least partially arranged. Such recesses 30 are also provided in the region of the spiral housing 10, as a result of which an arrangement of blades 31 of the impellers 6, 9 aligned in the real direction with respect to the associated spiral channels 11, 12 is possible.

[0040] In order to be able to additionally better cool the drive devices 4, 7, the respective impeller 6, 9 can comprise an opening 32 and the drive shafts 5, 8 can be formed hollow, as a result of which an internal rotor cooling is made possible.

[0041] By way of the fluid flowing in the wet region 18 that can be achieved for the first time an altogether higher efficiency and/or the use of cost-effective electronic components 22 on the printed circuit board 21 of the power electronics 20 can be achieved with the multiple-pump device 1 according to the invention and the active cooling of the power electronics 20.