U.S. patent application number 15/808900 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-17 for water pump.
This patent application is currently assigned to MYUNG HWA IND. CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is MYUNG HWA IND. CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yu Man WON.
Application Number | 20180135500 15/808900 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60293880 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180135500 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WON; Yu Man |
May 17, 2018 |
WATER PUMP
Abstract
A water pump includes a driving shat configured to be rotated by
an external driving force; an impeller configured to be rotated by
being connected to the driving shaft; and a cover frame comprising
a main frame having an accommodation space in which the impeller is
accommodated, formed therein, a suction pipe, which communicates
with one side of the main frame and through which a fluid is
suctioned into the accommodation space, and a barrier wall that
extends from the suction pipe and disposed at one side between the
main frame and the impeller.
Inventors: |
WON; Yu Man; (Suwon-si,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MYUNG HWA IND. CO., LTD. |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
MYUNG HWA IND. CO., LTD.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
60293880 |
Appl. No.: |
15/808900 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/2266 20130101;
F01P 5/10 20130101; F04D 29/22 20130101; F04D 29/2294 20130101;
F04D 29/2255 20130101; F04D 29/708 20130101; F05D 2260/607
20130101; F04D 29/4293 20130101; F04D 29/167 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01P 5/10 20060101
F01P005/10; F04D 29/42 20060101 F04D029/42; F04D 29/22 20060101
F04D029/22 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 11, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0150353 |
Claims
1. A water pump comprising: a driving shat configured to be rotated
by an external driving force; an impeller configured to be rotated
by being connected to the driving shaft; and a cover frame
comprising a main frame having an accommodation space in which the
impeller is accommodated, formed therein, a suction pipe, which
communicates with one side of the main frame and through which a
fluid is suctioned into the accommodation space, and a barrier wall
that extends from the suction pipe and disposed at one side between
the main frame and the impeller.
2. The water pump of claim 1, wherein the impeller comprises: a
disc-shaped base having a center to which the driving shaft is
connected; a plurality of blades coupled to a top surface of the
base and extending from the center of the base in a radial form; a
disc-shaped shroud coupled to a top end of each of the plurality of
blades; and an introduction pipe, which communicates with one side
of the shroud and through which the fluid is introduced into the
impeller, and the barrier wall extends toward an inside of the
introduction pipe.
3. The water pump of claim 2, wherein the cover frame comprises a
pair of protrusion pieces that protrude respectively from the
inside of the main frame, are disposed at outer circumferential
surfaces of the shroud and the base and form a discharge port
through which the fluid introduced into the impeller is
discharged.
4. The water pump of claim 3, wherein an outer end of the base is
inclined so that the base guides the fluid toward a center of the
discharge port.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2016-0150353, filed on Nov. 11, 2016, in the
Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a water pump, and more
particularly, to a water pump in which cooling water is suctioned
to be circulated into an engine and which is used in a cooling
system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] A water pump is a pump that forcibly circulates cooling
water into an engine and a product that cools electronic equipment
inside a vehicle. In general, an engine that attains power using an
explosive force of a fuel, like an engine of an automobile,
generates high-temperature heat during operating. When
high-temperature heat is not properly controlled, not only the
engine itself but also other adjacent engines have a bad influence.
Thus, the cooling water is necessarily used as a unit for cooling
such heat.
[0004] In general, a water pump for an internal combustion engine
is forcibly driven by a belt connected to a crankshaft of the
engine so as to rotate an impeller inside the pump.
[0005] In case of a green car, such as an electric vehicle, a
hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle, a
cooling water (water) pump is installed to cool an inverter, a
hemispherical grain (HSG), a stack or the like.
[0006] Such a cooling water pump is generally configured to be
driven in line with the engine or to be autonomously driven by an
additionally-supplied power.
[0007] A rotating impeller suctions the cooling water into the
center thereof and applies a centrifugal force to the suctioned
cooling water so that the cooling water can be circulated into the
engine.
[0008] There are many cases where a small amount of foreign
substances are included in the cooling water introduced into the
water pump. When the foreign substances are introduced into the
water pump, driving of the water pump may be stopped. Thus,
circulation of the cooling water is not performed so that the
engine and the inverter may be severely damaged due to
overheat.
[0009] In order to reduce an influence of the water pump by the
foreign substances, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1635538 is
devised. Referring to FIG. 1, Korean Patent Registration No.
10-1635538 discloses an apparatus for removing foreign substances
of a pump that is capable of discharging the foreign substances
interposed between an impeller 1 and a casing 2, and more
particularly, an apparatus for removing foreign substances of a
pump that has a main component of a scraper ring 3 that slides in a
direction in which a fluid is suctioned and scrapes foreign
substances introduced between the impeller 1 and the casing 2.
[0010] In this case, according to Korean Patent Registration No.
10-1635538, the foreign substances cannot be prevented from being
introduced between a frame of a top end of the impeller 1 and a
frame of a top end of the water pump. That is, the introduced
foreign substances can be easily removed. However, introduction of
the foreign substances itself cannot be fundamentally
prevented.
[0011] Also, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1635538 does not
disclose any method of preventing the foreign substances introduced
into the impeller 1 from being introduced into the water pump. That
is, there are many subsidiary equipment such as a bearing, a seal
unit, and the like, between a rotation shaft and a water pump
frame. The foreign substances cannot be prevented from being
introduced into the equipment.
[0012] Thus, a water pump having an additional structure for
minimizing introduction of the foreign substances included in
cooling water into the water pump is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides a water pump having a
structure in which introduction of foreign substances into an
impeller and a main frame of the water pump is minimized. The
present invention also provides a water pump having a structure in
which foreign substances introduced into the impeller can be easily
discharged.
[0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a water pump including: a driving shat configured to be
rotated by an external driving force; an impeller configured to be
rotated by being connected to the driving shaft; and a cover frame
including a main frame having an accommodation space in which the
impeller is accommodated, formed therein, a suction pipe, which
communicates with one side of the main frame and through which a
fluid is suctioned into the accommodation space, and a barrier wall
that extends from the suction pipe and disposed at one side between
the main frame and the impeller.
[0015] The impeller may include: a disc-shaped base having a center
to which the driving shaft is connected; a plurality of blades
coupled to a top surface of the base and extending from the center
of the base in a radial form; a disc-shaped shroud coupled to a top
end of each of the plurality of blades; and an introduction pipe,
which communicates with one side of the shroud and through which
the fluid is introduced into the impeller, and the barrier wall may
extend toward an inside of the introduction pipe.
[0016] The cover frame may include a pair of protrusion pieces that
protrude respectively from the inside of the main frame, are
disposed at outer circumferential surfaces of the shroud and the
base and form a discharge port through which the fluid introduced
into the impeller is discharged.
[0017] An outer end of the base may be inclined so that the base
guides the fluid toward a center of the discharge port.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The above and other features and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent by describing in detail
exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached
drawings in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a water pump according
to the related art;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a water pump according
to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of movement of cooling
water and foreign substances introduced into the water pump
according to the related art, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view
of movement of cooling water and foreign substances introduced into
the water pump according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary
embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited to the
embodiments illustrated hereinafter and are just exemplary
embodiments of the invention, and there may be various
modifications that may replace the embodiments of the present
specification and the drawings. Accordingly, all such modifications
are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.
[0023] Although a water pump according to an embodiment of the
present invention is installed inside an automobile and suctions
cooling water to circulated into an automobile engine and an
inverter, this is just an exemplary embodiment, and the structure
of the water pump according to the present invention may be applied
to all pumps having a structure in which a fluid is suctioned and
discharged using a rotational force of an impeller. Thus, even
though hereinafter, descriptions will be provided using the terms
such as cooling water, a water pump, and the like, it will be
preferable that it is interpreted that the terms mean all fluids
including the cooling water and all types of pumps including the
water pump.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, a water pump 100 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a driving shaft 110,
an impeller 120, and a cover frame 130.
[0025] The driving shaft 110 is rotated by an external driving
force supplied. Although not shown, the external driving force may
be transferred to the driving shaft 110 by using a driving motor
separately provided or by being forcibly driven by a belt connected
to a crankshaft of an engine.
[0026] The impeller 120 is rotated by being connected to the
driving shaft 110. In more detail, the impeller 120 may include a
disc-shaped base 121 having the center to which the driving shaft
110 is connected, a plurality of blades 122 coupled to a top
surface of the base 121 and extending from the center of the base
121 in a radial form, a disc-shaped shroud 123 coupled to a top end
of each of the plurality of blades 122, and an introduction pipe
124 which communicates with one side of the shroud 123 and through
which a fluid is introduced into the impeller 120.
[0027] The cover frame 130 includes a main frame 131 having an
accommodation space 131a in which the impeller 120 is accommodated,
formed therein, a suction pipe 132, which is formed to communicate
with one side of the main frame 131 and through which the fluid is
suctioned into the accommodation space 131a, and a barrier wall 133
that extends from the suction pipe 132 and disposed at one side
between the main frame 131 and the impeller 120.
[0028] In this case, the barrier wall 133 may extend toward an
inside of the introduction pipe 124. The introduction pipe 124 and
the barrier wall 133 form a double wall so that foreign substances
can be prevented from being introduced into a space between the
shroud 123 and an upper portion of the main frame 131.
[0029] The cover frame 130 may include a pair of protrusion pieces
134 that protrude respectively from the inside of the main frame
131, are disposed at outer circumferential surfaces of the shroud
123 and the base 121 and form a discharge port 134a through which
the fluid introduced into the impeller 120 is discharged.
[0030] The discharge port 134a is an outlet through which cooling
water is discharged from the water pump 100 so that the cooling
water introduced into the impeller 120 and discharged from the
impeller 120 by a rotational force transferred from the blades 122
can be introduced into an engine and an inverter. Transferring of
the cooling water into the engine from the discharge port 134a may
be designed in various ways, and this is a well-known art and thus
detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.
[0031] Because an outer end of the base 121 is inclined, the base
121 may guide the fluid toward the center of the discharge port
134a. This is to prevent the foreign substances from being
introduced into a bottom end of the base 121.
[0032] Preferably, an outer end of the base 121 is curved upward so
that a velocity vector of the cooling water discharged from the
impeller 120 faces the top end of the base 121. Thus, the foreign
substances may not flow into the bottom end of the base 121 but may
be discharged to the discharge port 134a. However, this is just an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and the base 121 for
guiding the fluid toward the center of the discharge port 134a may
have various shapes according to a designer's selection.
[0033] The water pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present
invention may further include a shaft frame 140, a seal unit 150,
and a bearing 160.
[0034] The top end of the shaft frame 140 is coupled to the cover
frame 130, and the shaft frame 140 accommodates the driving shaft
110, the seal unit 150, and the bearing 160 therein.
[0035] The seal unit 150 is a mechanical element for preventing the
cooling water from being introduced into the shaft frame 140.
Although, in FIG. 2, the seal unit 150 is directly coupled to the
driving shaft 110, this is just an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention. The seal unit 150 may have a structure in which
an inside surface thereof is rotated and an outside surface thereof
is fixed to an external object, like the bearing, or a structure in
which an additional bearing is coupled to a shaft and then the seal
unit 150 is coupled to an outside of the bearing.
[0036] The inside surface of the bearing 160 is coupled to the
driving shaft 110, and the outside surface of the bearing 160 is
coupled to the shaft frame 140 so that the bearing 160 supports the
driving shaft 110. The bearing 160 is a mechanical element that
fixes a rotating shaft in a predetermined position, supports a
weight of the shaft and a load applied to the shaft and rotates the
shaft. In FIG. 2, a ball bearing is shown. However, this is just an
exemplary embodiment, and a variety of types of bearings may be
used.
[0037] Features of the invention can be clearly understood by
referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B in a comparative manner. FIG. 3A
illustrates a movement path of cooling water and foreign substances
introduced into a water pump according to the related art, and FIG.
3B illustrates a movement path of cooling water and foreign
substances introduced into the water pump 100 according to an
embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3A, the
water pump according to the related art does not include a barrier
wall, and no inclination is formed at an outer end of an impeller
base so that the foreign substances permeate between a water pump
impeller and a main frame. However, referring to FIG. 3B, the water
pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention
includes the barrier wall 133, and an inclination is formed at an
outer end of the impeller base 121 so that the foreign substances
do not permeate between the impeller 120 and the main frame 131 but
is directly discharged to the discharge port 134a. Thus, the water
pump 100 is prevented from being damaged by the foreign substances
and may circulate the cooling water smoothly into the engine, the
inverter, or the like.
[0038] As described above, in a water pump according to the present
invention, a barrier wall is added between a main frame and an
impeller so that foreign substances can be prevented from being
introduced between the impeller and the main frame. Also, in the
water pump according to the present invention, an outer end of an
impeller base is inclined so that a flow path is configured in such
a way that the foreign substances can be smoothly discharged from
the water pump.
[0039] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by
the following claims.
* * * * *