Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Patent
1996-09-27
2000-08-01
Thorpe, Timothy S.
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
137554, 92 1351, F04B 1704
Patent
active
060957697
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to pumps for pumping fluids and in particular liquids. The invention will be described in relation to an oil pump for an internal combustion engine although it is to be appreciated that other applications are also envisaged.
It was proposed in the Applicant's Australian Patent Application No. 79820/87 to provide an oil pump for an internal combustion engine wherein the electrical components of the pump which control the actuation of the pump mechanism and the pump mechanism itself are disposed within a common pump body.
The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the electrical components may be exposed to any vacuum induced by the operation of the pump mechanism. There is therefore a potential for oil, water or other foreign matter to be drawn in through any cracks or gaps within the pump body. This can lead to the malfunctioning and even damage of the electrical components due, for example, to the potential short circuiting of the components.
Furthermore, the manufacturer of such a prior art pump requires both the electrical and mechanical pump components to be assembled in the same manufacturing facility. As electrical components should preferably be manufactured within a relatively clean environment with minimal oil and solvents present, the above pump may need to be assembled in an environment which is less than ideal for the more sensitive electrical components thereof. This can result in greater rejection rates for the completed pumps and the increased possibility of reliability problems.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the above problems.
With this in mind, there is provided in one aspect a pump including a first enclosure and a second enclosure, a pumping mechanism and an electromotive means operable to drive the pumping mechanism, the electromotive means including a solenoid assembly having a solenoid coil, and an armature assembly, the solenoid coil being sealed within the first enclosure, the pump mechanism being supported within the second enclosure, the armature assembly being in operational relationship with the pumping mechanism, wherein a diagnostic sensor is sealed within the first enclosure for detecting flow within a flow path of the second enclosure. The electrical components of the pump, including the solenoid coil and the diagnostic sensor are therefore sealed within the first enclosure of the pump such that protection is provided for these components.
A flow responsive member may be supported within the flow path, the flow responsive member being displaceable when there is flow through the flow path, the diagnostic sensor detecting displacement of said member. A flow control valve may control the flow through the flow path. The flow responsive member may be supported adjacent to a valve member of the flow control valve and movable therewith. It is also envisaged that the flow responsive member may be the valve member of the flow control valve or may be formed integrally with the valve member of the flow control valve. Displacement of the flow responsive member can be sensed by the diagnostic sensor. To this end, the flow responsive member can be formed of a magnetic material and the diagnostic sensor may be a "Hall Effect" sensor. The flow control valve conveniently controls the inlet flow to the pump. The flow responsive member may be shaped such that the clearance between the flow responsive member and the flow path varies in the direction of movement thereof to vary the pressure gradient thereacross as the flow responsive member is displaced.
The Hall Effect sensor conveniently senses any displacement of the flow responsive member above a particular selected threshold value. Any displacement of a magnitude less than this threshold value will not be sensed by the sensor or will be ignored. The Hall Effect sensor conveniently provides a signal to a control system when displacement of the flow responsive member above said threshold value is sensed, the control system conveniently controlling a period of energisation of
REFERENCES:
patent: 2481320 (1949-09-01), Madorsky
patent: 2832296 (1958-04-01), Saalfrank
patent: 3044401 (1962-07-01), Sawyer
patent: 3592565 (1971-07-01), Kofnik
patent: 3958902 (1976-05-01), Toyoda et al.
patent: 4699044 (1987-10-01), Riggs
patent: 4838763 (1989-06-01), Kramer et al.
patent: 4838771 (1989-06-01), Kikuchi
patent: 5032058 (1991-07-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5154107 (1992-10-01), Morin et al.
patent: 5244002 (1993-09-01), Frederick
patent: 5275539 (1994-01-01), Custer, Jr. et al.
patent: 5564470 (1996-10-01), Denmark et al.
patent: 5904126 (1999-05-01), McKay et al.
Gartenberg Ehud
Orbital Engine co. (Australia) Pty Limited
Thorpe Timothy S.
LandOfFree
Two section pump does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Two section pump, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Two section pump will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-657724