Electric pump

Abstract

An electric pump is provided with a pump body, an annular elastic member disposed on the outer periphery of the pump body, and a locking member attached to the elastic member, a part of the elastic member in the circumferential direction is cut, and a pair of through-holes along the axial direction of the elastic member are provided at both ends facing each other due to the cutting in the circumferential direction. The locking member is inserted into the pair of through holes so that the elastic member is in close contact with the pump body and holds the pump body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric pump provided with an elastic member for holding a pump body. Background Art

[0002] An electric pump is used in a vehicle to circulate cooling water and the like. When such an electric pump is installed in a vehicle, it is necessary to suppress the vibration of the electric pump from being transmitted to the vehicle while maintaining the quietness of the vehicle during driving. In addition, it is necessary to suppress the vibration transmitted to the electric pump from the outside while making the electric pump operate stably.

[0003] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a structure in which an annular elastic component is installed on the pump body of an electric pump to suppress vibration. Patent Document 3 discloses a structure in which a plate-shaped elastic component is wound on the pump body of an electric pump, and both ends of the elastic component are engaged with a convex portion provided on one side of the pump. In addition, Patent Document 4 discloses a structure in which an annular elastic component is arranged on the pump body of an electric pump at a portion in the circumferential direction and formed with a gap, and the annular elastic component is fixed to the pump body by tightening the annular elastic component in the circumferential direction. Specifically, in the structure described in Patent Document 4, a pair of fastening portions protruding radially outward are provided at both ends of the annular elastic component separated by the gap, and the annular elastic component is tightened and fixed to the pump body by radially embedding an annular ring on the pair of fastening portions. Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-533341 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-121522 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-53756 Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-139376 Summary of the invention

[0005] In the structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the elastic component of the ring is embedded and installed in the pump body of the electric pump, the elastic component needs to be stretched. However, the elastic component may be permanently deformed due to being stretched significantly. On the other hand, when the stretching amount of the elastic component is set to a small amount, although the possibility of the above-mentioned problem occurring in the elastic component is reduced, the operability of assembling the elastic component of the ring to the pump body may be reduced, or the fixed state after being assembled to the pump body may become insufficient.

[0006] In the structure described in patent document 3, since the plate-shaped elastic component wound on the pump body of the electric pump is retained by the convex portion engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pump body, when the engagement force between the convex portion of the pump body and the plate-shaped elastic component is insufficient, the elastic component may be separated from the convex portion of the pump body due to vibration from the pump body or the outside, so that the pump body cannot be stably maintained by the elastic component. In addition, in the structure described in patent document 4, since the annular ring is embedded in the radial direction, in order to stably maintain the elastic component, it is necessary to make the fastening portion protrude significantly to the radial outer side of the annular elastic component, thereby forming a larger fastening portion. As a result, the electric pump equipped with the elastic component will be enlarged, and thus the carrying property of the vehicle will be deteriorated. In addition, since the fastening portion is located on the radial outer side of the annular elastic component, the annular elastic component may not be tightened enough on the pump body, and the holding force on the pump body generated by the annular elastic component may be reduced.

[0007] Therefore, an electric pump is required that can appropriately suppress vibration and has good assembly properties of an elastic member and good mountability on a vehicle or the like.

[0008] The characteristic structure of the electric pump involved in the present invention lies in the following aspects: it is equipped with a pump body, an annular elastic component and a locking component, the elastic component is arranged on the outer periphery of the pump body, the locking component is assembled to the elastic component, a part of the circumferential direction of the elastic component is cut off, and a pair of through holes along the axial direction of the elastic component are provided at the two opposite ends due to the circumferential cutting, and the locking component is inserted into the pair of through holes so that the elastic component is in close contact with the pump body and holds the pump body.

[0009] According to this structure, in the electric pump, a ring-shaped elastic member with a portion cut off in the circumferential direction is arranged on the outer periphery of the pump body, and a locking member is inserted into a pair of through holes formed at both ends of the elastic member along the axial direction. Thus, in the electric pump, the ring-shaped elastic member is assembled in a state of close contact with the pump body, so that the pump body can be stably held.

[0010] In order to assemble the annular elastic component whose part in the circumferential direction is cut off to the outer periphery of the pump body, a locking component for holding the annular elastic component to the outer periphery of the pump body is required. Here, in the case of arranging the locking component along the radial direction of the annular elastic component, it is necessary to adopt a structure that makes the fastening part protrude to the radial outer side of the annular elastic component or to constitute the locking component by two parts such as bolts and nuts, and other countermeasures, and the electric pump will be large-scale. On the other hand, by arranging a pair of through holes along the axial direction in the annular elastic component as in this structure, and inserting the locking component in the pair of through holes, even in the case of enlarging the locking component in order to stably hold the pump body by the elastic component, since the locking component is inserted along the axial direction, it will not protrude significantly in the radial direction. That is, there is no need to make the fastening part protrude to the radial outer side to set the fastening part, and the annular elastic component can be formed into a compact structure. As a result, the carrying property of the electric pump held by the elastic component to the vehicle is improved.

[0011] Another characteristic structure of the electric pump is that the locking member has a U-shape consisting of a pair of retaining parts extending in the axial direction and a connecting part connecting the pair of retaining parts, and the pair of retaining parts are inserted into the pair of through holes.

[0012] According to this structure, since the locking component has a simple and plain structure having a U-shape composed of a pair of retaining parts and a connecting part connecting the pair of retaining parts, the locking component can be easily manufactured. In addition, in the locking component, since the pair of retaining parts extend in the axial direction, the pair of retaining parts can be easily inserted into the pair of through holes of the elastic component. As a result, in the electric pump, the assembly performance of the elastic component is further improved.

[0013] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the annular elastic component has a notch portion formed radially inward in the area between the pair of through holes in the circumferential direction, in the area from the extended end side of the retaining portion to the midway position along the axial direction, and is formed so that a part of the locking component can be visually identified from the outside through the notch portion.

[0014] In order to stably assemble the annular elastic component to the pump body by the locking component, relative to the axial direction of a pair of through holes, a pair of retaining parts are preferably inserted to a length that spans more than half of the length of the elastic component along the axial direction. However, since a pair of retaining parts of the locking component are inserted into a pair of through holes, as long as the length of the retaining part is not longer than the length of the elastic component along the axial direction, it is usually impossible to confirm the insertion state of a pair of retaining parts relative to a pair of through holes from the outside of the annular elastic component. Therefore, in this structure, the annular elastic component has a notch formed in the region between a pair of through holes in the circumferential direction, in the region from the extended end side of the retaining part to the midway position along the axial direction, and is formed to be able to visually identify a part of the locking component from the outside through the notch. Thus, it is possible to easily confirm whether the position of a pair of retaining parts of the locking component is appropriate through the notch, and by adjusting the position of the locking component based on the confirmation result, the locking component can be reliably configured in the appropriate position of the annular elastic component and assembled.

[0015] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the pump body has a pair of protrusions protruding radially outward at positions on the outer circumferential surface opposite to the two end portions of the elastic component, the elastic component has a pair of recesses engaged with the pair of protrusions, and the circumferential distance between the pair of recesses is shorter than the circumferential distance between the pair of through holes.

[0016] The annular elastic component is elastically deformed in the direction of the two ends approaching each other through the locking component inserted in the pair of through holes in the circumferential direction continuous with the pair of through holes. However, in the part of the annular elastic component closer to the inner circumference of the pump body than the pair of through holes, the elastic deformation caused by the locking component is difficult to play a role, and sometimes the part of the inner circumference is subjected to the reaction force in the direction of the two ends of the annular elastic component separating from each other and forms an open state. Therefore, in this structure, the pump body has a pair of convex parts protruding radially outward at the position relative to the two ends of the elastic component in the outer circumferential surface, and the elastic component has a pair of concave parts engaged with the pair of convex parts, and the distance of the pair of concave parts in the circumferential direction is shorter than the distance of the pair of through holes in the circumferential direction. Thus, the annular elastic component can bear the reaction force in the direction of the two ends separating from each other through the pair of convex parts of the pump body engaged with the pair of concave parts. As a result, in the annular elastic component, the opening of the part closer to the inner circumference than the pair of through holes can be suppressed. Furthermore, by engaging a pair of recesses of the elastic component with a pair of protrusions of the pump body, positioning of the elastic component relative to the pump body becomes easy, and by temporarily fixing the elastic component to the pump body, the elastic component can be arranged on the periphery of the pump body as early as possible in the electric pump.

[0017] Another characteristic structure of the electric pump is that each of the pair of through holes has a relief portion expanding radially inward and radially outward on a side closer to the other through hole in the circumferential direction of the elastic member.

[0018] In an electric pump, a locking component inserted into a pair of through holes of an elastic component can be manufactured by, for example, performing press working on a metal material. In this case, burrs are sometimes generated at the end of the collapsed angle surface side of the locking component. The locking component is hindered from being inserted into a pair of through holes due to the presence of burrs at the end. In addition, due to the burrs, cracks may also be generated in the through holes, causing the elastic component to break. Therefore, when manufacturing the locking component, in order to prevent the burrs from abutting against the through holes, it is necessary to perform a burr removal process. However, it takes time to remove the burrs. Therefore, in this structure, in the elastic component, a pair of through holes are each formed to have a retreat portion that expands radially inward and radially outward on one side close to another through hole in the circumferential direction of the elastic component. Thus, even if there are burrs on the locking component, the presence of the burrs of the locking component can be allowed in the retreat portion formed in the pair of through holes, and the burrs can be prevented from abutting against the through holes. As a result, since there is no need to perform a burr removal process, the locking component can be manufactured simply. In addition, in a pair of through holes, since the relief portions are formed at two locations, the radial inner side and the radial outer side, assembly can be performed without distinguishing whether the collapsed angle surface of the locking component that has been subjected to press processing is located on the front surface or the back surface.

[0019] Another characteristic structure of the electric pump is that the annular elastic member is formed so that both ends can be locked to each other in the circumferential direction.

[0020] According to this structure, the annular elastic component is formed so that the two ends can be locked with each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, even if the annular elastic component is subjected to a reaction force in the opening direction, the two ends of the elastic component will not separate, so it is easy to make the annular elastic component and the pump body close. In addition, in the elastic component, by locking the two ends with each other in the circumferential direction, the elastic component can be temporarily fixed to the pump body. Therefore, in the electric pump, the elastic component can be arranged on the outer periphery of the pump body as early as possible.

[0021] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the elastic component has an annular portion including the two end portions, and an extension portion connected to the annular portion, the pump body has a cylindrical portion tightly attached to the annular portion, the extension portion extends from a portion of the outer periphery of the annular portion to the radially outer side of the cylindrical portion, and has an opening.

[0022] According to this structure, in the electric pump, since the annular portion of the elastic member is in close contact with the barrel portion of the pump body, the pump body can be reliably held by the elastic member. In addition, by inserting, for example, a bracket into the opening of the extension portion connected to the annular portion, the electric pump can be easily held by the bracket.

[0023] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the elastic component has an annular portion including the two end portions, the pump body has a cylindrical portion in close contact with the annular portion, and in the annular portion, the two end portions are formed to protrude radially outward from the cylindrical portion.

[0024] According to this structure, in the electric pump, since the annular portion of the elastic member is in close contact with the barrel of the pump body, the pump body can be reliably held by the elastic member. In addition, in the electric pump, since both ends of the annular portion are formed to protrude radially outward from the barrel of the pump body, the locking member can be easily inserted into the through hole by, for example, forming a through hole with a wide width at both ends.

[0025] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the elastic component has an annular portion, the pump body has a cylindrical portion tightly attached to the annular portion, the cylindrical portion has a pair of convex portions protruding radially outward at positions on the outer circumferential surface opposite to the two end portions of the annular portion, the annular portion has a pair of concave portions engaged with the pair of convex portions, and is arranged in a manner along the cylindrical portion of the pump body, and the pair of concave portions are engaged with the pair of convex portions.

[0026] According to this structure, in the electric pump, since the annular portion of the elastic component is in close contact with the barrel of the pump body, the pump body can be reliably held by the elastic component. In addition, the annular portion of the elastic component can bear the reaction force in the direction of separation of the two ends from each other through a pair of convex portions of the barrel of the pump body engaged with a pair of concave portions. As a result, in the annular portion of the elastic component, the opening of the portion closer to the inner circumference than the pair of through holes can be suppressed. In addition, by making the pair of concave portions of the annular portion engage with the pair of convex portions of the barrel of the pump body, the positioning of the annular portion relative to the barrel becomes easy, and by temporarily fixing the annular portion to the barrel of the pump body, in the electric pump, the elastic component can be arranged on the outer periphery of the pump body as early as possible.

[0027] Other characteristic structures of the electric pump are as follows: the elastic component has an annular portion, the pump body has a cylindrical portion tightly attached to the annular portion, and a pair of flanges at both ends of the annular portion in the cylindrical portion in the axial direction, and the pair of flanges are configured to limit the movement of the annular portion in the axial direction.

[0028] According to this structure, in the electric pump, since the annular portion of the elastic member is in close contact with the barrel portion of the pump body, the pump body can be reliably held by the elastic member. In addition, by providing a pair of flanges on the barrel portion of the pump body, the annular portion of the elastic member can be prevented from moving in the axial direction of the barrel portion and falling off the pump body. As a result, in the electric pump, the elastic member can be more reliably held on the pump body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A perspective view of an electric pump. Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of the pump body in the direction of the rotating axis. Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the electric pump. Figure 4 A top sectional view of an electric pump. Figure 5 This is a partial front view of the electric pump. Figure 6 This is a partial front sectional view of the electric pump. Figure 7 It is a partial top sectional view of the electric pump. Figure 8 It is a partial top cross-sectional view of the electric pump according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 A top view of an elastic component in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The electric pump involved in the present invention is provided in a cooling water supply system in, for example, an automobile. However, the use of the electric pump is not limited to automobiles, and can also be used to supply fluids other than cooling water.

[0031] [First embodiment] like Figure 1 to Figure 7 As shown, the electric pump 1 includes a pump unit 2, a motor 3 driving the pump unit 2, a pump body 40 accommodating the pump unit 2 and the motor 3, an elastic member 50 surrounding the pump body 40, and a locking member 60 assembled to the elastic member 50. Figure 2 As shown, the pump body 40 is formed by connecting a pump housing 41 that accommodates the pump unit 2 and a motor body 42 that accommodates the motor 3 .

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, a cylindrical suction port 21 and a discharge port 22 are formed in the pump housing 41. The suction port 21 and the discharge port 22 are connected to an impeller chamber 23 (see FIG. 2 ) formed inside the pump housing 41. Figure 2) are connected respectively. An impeller 24 is housed in the impeller chamber 23. When the impeller 24 rotates, fluid is sucked into the impeller chamber 23 from the suction port 21, and fluid is discharged from the impeller chamber 23 to the discharge port 22.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the stator 31 is integrally arranged inside the motor body 42 by insert molding. The rotor 32 in which the magnet is embedded is arranged on the radial inner side of the stator 31 in a manner that there is a gap between the stator 31 and the rotor 32 in the radial direction. The end of the rotating shaft 33 is buried in the motor body 42, and the rotating shaft 33 is formed into a structure that cannot rotate relative to the motor body 42. The rotating component 34 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rotating shaft 33 through the bearing component 36, and is configured to be rotatable around the rotating shaft 33. The rotor 32 in which a magnet (not shown) is inserted is arranged at one end of the rotating component 34, and the impeller 24 is formed at the other end of the rotating component 34. With this structure, the rotor 32 rotates by the magnetic force generated between it and the stator 31, and the rotating component 34 and the impeller 24 rotate integrally with the rotor 32.

[0034] The pump body 40 includes a driver box 43 for accommodating a driver for controlling the motor 3. The driver box 43 is connected to the motor body 42 and is located on both sides of the pump housing 41 across the motor body 42. The motor body 42 is provided with a connector 35 for connecting to a power source and control system of the motor 3.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the motor body 42 is cylindrical as a whole, and a flange 42a is provided at the end on the pump housing 41 side, and a flange 42c is provided at the end on the drive box 43 side. The drive box 43 is set in a cover shape relative to the motor body 42. In this way, the pump body 40 has a cylindrical portion 42b on which the annular portion 51 of the elastic component 50 described later is configured, and a pair of flanges 42a, 42c are provided on both end sides of the annular portion 51 of the cylindrical portion 42b in the axis X direction, and the pair of flanges 42a, 42c are set to be able to limit the movement of the annular portion 51 in the axis X direction. Therefore, the electric pump 1 can prevent the annular portion 51 of the elastic component 50 described later from moving in the axis direction of the cylindrical portion 42b and falling off the pump body 40 through the pair of flanges 42a, 42c.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the elastic member 50 is formed in an annular shape and is arranged along the circumferential direction relative to the outer periphery (cylindrical portion 42b) of the pump body 40 (see Figure 1 , Figure 4 In this embodiment, the elastic member 50 is disposed on the outer periphery of the motor body 42 in the pump body 40 (see Figure 2 , Figure 4). The elastic component 50 has an annular portion 51 and an extension portion 52 connected to the annular portion 51, and the annular portion 51 is arranged on the barrel 42b of the motor body 42. The annular portion 51 is arranged in a manner to fit closely against the barrel 42b of the pump body 40. The extension portion 52 extends from a portion of the outer periphery of the annular portion 51 to the radially outer side of the barrel 42b, and is formed with an opening 52a for mounting on a bracket not shown. Thus, by inserting, for example, a bracket into the opening 52b formed in the extension portion 52 connected to the annular portion 51, the electric pump 1 is held by the bracket. The elastic component 50 is made of a rubber material such as ethylene, propylene, diene rubber (EPDM), etc. As Figure 3 As shown, the inner circumferential surface 51a of the annular portion 51 abutting against the motor body 42 is formed into a shape corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the cylindrical portion 42b of the motor body 42. The inner circumferential surface 51a may also be provided with a concave thinned portion that does not abut against the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 42b of the motor body 42.

[0037] Regarding the elastic member 50, a portion of the annular portion 51 in the circumferential direction is cut off. The annular portion 51 is cut off in the circumferential direction to form end portions 53, 53, and the end portions 53, 53 are opposite to each other. The end portions 53, 53 have a pair of through holes 54, 54 along the axis X direction of the annular portion 51 (elastic member 50). Hereinafter, the end portions 53, 53 are also collectively referred to as the two end portions 53.

[0038] like Figure 7 As shown, each of the pair of through holes 54, 54 is formed into a long hole shape that is longer in the circumferential direction when viewed from above. In each of the pair of through holes 54, 54, a first hole portion 54a having a width W1 that is substantially the same as the thickness of the locking component 60 and a second hole portion 54b having a width W2 that is greater than the width W1 of the first hole portion 54a are continuously provided along the circumference of the annular portion 51. In the pair of through holes 54, 54, the first hole portions 54a, 54a are opposite in the circumferential direction of the annular portion 51. If the width W1 of the first hole portion 54a is substantially the same as the thickness of the locking component 60, the locking component 60 will be stably held by the first hole portion 54a. In addition, the width W2 of the second hole portion 54b is greater than the width W1 of the first hole portion 54a, so it is easy to insert the locking component 60 into the pair of through holes 54, 54.

[0039] In addition, since the two end portions 53 of the annular portion 51 protrude radially outward from the cylindrical portion 42 b of the pump body 40 , for example, by forming wide through holes 54 , 54 at the two end portions 53 , the locking member 60 can be easily inserted into the through holes 54 , 54 .

[0040] The locking member 60 is inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54, and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 is in close contact with the cylindrical portion 42b of the motor body 42 of the pump body 40, and the annular portion 51 is closely attached to the cylindrical portion 42b. In this way, by making the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 closely attached to the cylindrical portion 42b of the pump body 40, the pump body 40 can be reliably held by the elastic member 50 in the electric pump 1. Figure 3 As shown, the locking member 60 has a U-shape consisting of a pair of retaining portions 61 extending in the axis X direction and a connecting portion 62 connecting the pair of retaining portions 61. In the present embodiment, the locking member 60 is formed in a flat plate shape. The locking member 60 can be manufactured, for example, by press working of a metal material or forming of a hard resin or the like. The pair of retaining portions 61, 61 of the locking member 60 are inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54.

[0041] like Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, the retaining portion 61 of the locking component 60 has a foot 63 and an anti-slip portion 64. The foot 63 extends in the axis X direction, and the anti-slip portion 64 is connected to the front end side of the foot 63. The anti-slip portion 64 protrudes toward the opposite foot 63 and is formed into a triangular shape having a bottom surface 64a and an inclined surface 64b. The bottom surface 64a extends from the middle part of the axis X direction of the foot 63 toward the opposite foot 63. The inclined surface 64b is provided from the end 64c of the bottom surface 64a to the extended end 61a of the retaining portion 61. The inclined surface 64b in the anti-slip portion 64 acts as a guide when the locking component 60 is inserted into the through hole 54. With respect to the locking component 60, the retaining portion 61 can be pushed and inserted into the through hole 54 while the end 64c of the anti-slip portion 64 abuts against the inner surface of the through hole 54. The locking member 60 is set so that the distance between the pair of leg portions 63 , 63 is less than the distance between the pair of through holes 54 , 54 .

[0042] In the annular portion 51, a hole portion 55 capable of accommodating the connecting portion 62 of the locking member 60 is formed in a region 53A, 53A between a pair of through holes 54, 54 at one end side in the axis X direction (the side where the holding portion 61 of the locking member 60 is inserted). Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7As shown, a hole portion 56 communicating with a pair of through holes 54, 54 is formed on the other end side of the annular portion 51 in the axis X direction (the side where the extended end 61a of the retaining portion 61 of the locking member 60 is located). The pair of retaining portions 61, 61 of the locking member 60 are inserted relative to the pair of through holes 54, 54 along the axis X direction until the end 64c of the anti-detachment portion 64 is located in the hole portion 56. Thus, the locking member 60 is inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54 in a state where it is prevented from falling off relative to the through hole 54 by the anti-detachment portion 64, and the two end portions 53 of the annular portion 51 are maintained in a state of being stretched in a manner close to each other. As a result, in the electric pump 1, the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 is assembled in a state of being in close contact with the pump body 40, so that the pump body 40 can be stably held. It should be noted that at this time, the extended ends 61a, 61a of the locking member 60 do not protrude from the hole portion 56 in the axis X direction.

[0043] In order to assemble the annular portion 51, a portion of which is cut off in the circumferential direction, to the outer periphery of the pump body 40, a locking component is required for holding the annular portion 51 to the outer periphery of the pump body 40. Here, in the case where the locking component is arranged along the radial direction of the annular portion 51, it is necessary to adopt a structure in which the fastening portion protrudes radially outward from the annular portion 51 or to constitute the locking component by two components such as a bolt and a nut, and the electric pump 1 will be enlarged. On the other hand, by providing a pair of through holes 54, 54 along the axis X direction in the annular portion 51 as in the present embodiment, and inserting the locking component 60 into the pair of through holes 54, 54, even in the case where the locking component 60 is enlarged in order to stably hold the pump body 40 through the annular portion 51, since the locking component 60 is inserted along the axis X direction, it will not protrude significantly in the radial direction. That is, there is no need to provide the fastening portion so that the fastening portion protrudes radially outward, and the annular portion 51 can be formed into a compact structure. As a result, the mountability of the electric pump 1 held by the elastic member 50 on a vehicle or the like is improved.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the locking member 60 has a simple and plain structure having a U-shape composed of a pair of holding portions 61, 61 and a connecting portion 62 connecting the pair of holding portions 61, 61, the locking member 60 can be easily manufactured. In addition, since the pair of holding portions 61, 61 of the locking member 60 extends in the axis X direction, the pair of holding portions 61, 61 can be easily inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54 of the annular portion 51. As a result, in the electric pump 1, the assembly performance of the elastic member 50 is further improved.

[0045] In order to stably hold the annular portion 51 on the pump body 40 by the locking member 60, the pair of retaining portions 61, 61 are preferably inserted to a length that spans, for example, more than half of the length of the elastic member 50 along the axis X direction with respect to the pair of through holes 54, 54. However, since the pair of retaining portions 61, 61 of the locking member 60 are inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54, as long as the length of the retaining portions 61 is not longer than the length of the elastic member 50 along the axis X direction, the insertion state of the pair of retaining portions 61, 61 with respect to the pair of through holes 54, 54 cannot be confirmed from the outside of the annular portion 51.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, if Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 7 As shown, in the elastic member 50, the annular portion 51 has a notch portion 57 formed radially inward in the region from the extended end 61a side of the retaining portion 61 to the midway portion in the region 53A, 53A between the pair of through holes 54, 54 in the circumferential direction, and is formed so that a part of the locking member 60 can be visually recognized from the outside through the notch portion 57. Specifically, the notch portion 57 is connected to the hole portion 56, and the anti-detachment portion 64 of the locking member 60 can be visually recognized from the outside through the notch portion 57. The notch portion 57 is formed in the annular portion 51, for example, starting from the extended end 61a side of the retaining portion 61 along the axis X direction and being less than half of the length of the annular portion 51 in the axis X direction. According to this structure, it is possible to easily confirm whether the position of the pair of retaining parts 61, 61 of the locking member 60 is appropriate through the notch 57, and by adjusting the position of the locking member 60 based on the confirmation result, the locking member 60 can be reliably arranged at the appropriate position of the annular portion 51 and assembled. In this embodiment, the notch 57 is set to be less than half of the area of ​​the annular portion 51 in the axis X direction.

[0047] The annular portion 51 is elastically deformed in the direction in which the two end portions 53 are brought closer to each other due to the locking member 60 inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54 in the circumferential direction continuous with the pair of through holes 54, 54. However, in the portion of the annular portion 51 that is closer to the inner circumference of the pump body 40 than the pair of through holes 54, 54, the elastic deformation caused by the locking member 60 is difficult to take effect, and sometimes the portion on the inner circumferential side is subjected to a reaction force in the separation direction of the annular portion 51 and forms an open state (a state in which the inner circumferential side portions of the end portions 53, 53 are separated from each other in the circumferential direction). Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 7As shown, the pump body 40 has a pair of protrusions 44, 44 protruding radially outward at positions opposite to the ends 53, 53 of the elastic member 50 on the outer peripheral surface 42ba of the cylinder portion 42b of the motor body 42. The pair of protrusions 44, 44 are each formed into a rib shape that is long in the longitudinal direction along the direction of the rotating shaft 33. On the other hand, the inner peripheral surface 51a of the annular portion 51 has a pair of recesses 58 that engage with the pair of protrusions 44, 44.

[0048] like Figure 7 As shown, the annular portion 51 is formed into a structure in which when the distance in the circumferential direction of the pair of through holes 54, 54 is D1 and the distance in the circumferential direction of the pair of recesses 58, 58 is D2, the distance D2 is shorter than the distance D1. Thus, the annular portion 51 can receive the reaction force in the direction in which the end portions 53, 53 are separated from each other by using the convex portion 44 of the motor body 42 engaged with the pair of recesses 58, 58 of the inner circumferential surface 51a. As a result, in the annular portion 51, it is possible to suppress the opening of the portion closer to the inner circumference side than the pair of through holes 54, 54. In addition, by engaging the pair of recesses 58, 58 of the annular portion 51 with the pair of convex portions 44, 44 of the motor body 42, the positioning of the annular portion 51 (elastic member 50) relative to the pump body 40 becomes easy, and by temporarily fixing the annular portion 51 to the pump body 40, in the electric pump 1, the elastic member 50 can be arranged on the outer circumference of the pump body 40 as early as possible.

[0049] As described above, the locking component 60 inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54 can be manufactured by press working of metal materials or molding of hard resins. In this case, burrs are sometimes generated at the end of the collapsed surface side of the locking component 60. The presence of burrs at the end of the locking component 60 hinders its insertion into the pair of through holes 54, 54. In addition, due to the burrs, cracks may occur in the through holes 54, 54, causing the annular portion 51 to break. Therefore, in order to prevent the burrs from abutting against the through holes 54, 54 when manufacturing the locking component 60, a burr removal process is required. However, it takes time to remove the burrs. Therefore, in this embodiment, if Figure 7 As shown, in the annular portion 51, each of the pair of through holes 54, 54 has a relief portion 59 that expands radially inward and radially outward on the side close to the other through hole 54 in the circumferential direction of the annular portion 51. Thus, even if there are burrs on the locking component 60, the burrs of the locking component 60 can be allowed to exist in the relief portion 59 formed in the pair of through holes 54, 54, and at the same time, the burrs can be prevented from abutting against the through holes 54, 54. As a result, since there is no need to perform a burr removal process on the locking component 60, the locking component 60 can be easily manufactured. Figure 7In the example shown, in each of the pair of through holes 54, 54, two relief portions 59 are set to be circular, and the two relief portions 59 are arranged on one side of the radial inner side and one side of the radial outer side of the through hole 54, and expand to a position closer to the other through hole 54 than the portion 54a1 abutted by the locking member 60 in the first hole portion 54a. In addition, in the pair of through holes 54, 54, the relief portions 59 are formed at both the radial inner side and the radial outer side, so that it is possible to assemble without distinguishing whether the collapsed angle surface of the locking member 60 subjected to press processing is located on the front surface or the back surface.

[0050] The following is a description of a method for attaching the elastic member 50 to the motor body 42 (pump body 40). First, the ends 53, 53 of the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 are opened, and the annular portion 51 is arranged along the cylindrical portion 42b of the motor body 42 from the side of the pump body 40, and the pair of concave portions 58 are engaged with the pair of convex portions 44 of the motor body 42. As a result, the two ends 53 of the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 are positioned at a specified position on the outer periphery of the motor body 42.

[0051] Next, the locking member 60 is inserted into a pair of through holes 54 provided at both ends 53 of the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50. The locking member 60 is inserted into the pair of through holes 54 until the anti-detachment portion 64 is located at the hole portion 56. In the elastic member 50, the locking member 60 cannot be inserted into the through hole 54 in the initial state, and the pair of retaining portions 61, 61 are inserted into the through holes 54, 54 in a state where they are elastically deformed in a direction away from each other. After the anti-detachment portion 64 passes through the through hole 54, the pair of leg portions 63, 63 abut against the regions 53A, 53A between the pair of through holes 54, 54 due to the restoring force, thereby the annular portion 51 is retained in a state where the both ends 53 are close to each other.

[0052] [Second Embodiment] like Figure 8 As shown, the elastic member 50 may also be formed into a structure in which the ends 53, 53 of the annular portion 51 can be locked with each other in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the following structure is formed: one of the two ends 53 has a locking portion 53b, and the other end has a locking portion 53c, and the locking portions 53b and 53c are formed with concave and convex portions that are locked with each other when viewed from above, and the locking portions 53b and 53c are repeated in the radial direction of the annular portion 51. In the second embodiment, the pair of convex portions 44 are not provided on the motor body 42, and the pair of concave portions 58 are not provided on the annular portion 51. The other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0053] According to the second embodiment, the annular portion 51 is formed into a structure in which the end portions 53, 53 can be locked to each other in the circumferential direction by the locking portion 53b and the locking portion 53c. Therefore, even if a reaction force in the separation direction is applied to the end portions 53, 53 in the area closer to the inner circumference than the pair of through holes 54, 54 in the annular portion 51, the annular portion 51 can suppress the opening of the portion closer to the inner circumference than the pair of through holes 54, 54. In addition, in the elastic component 50, the annular portion 51 can be temporarily fixed to the pump body 40 by locking the end portions 53, 53 of the annular portion 51 to each other in the circumferential direction. Thus, for the electric pump 1, the elastic component 50 can be arranged on the outer periphery of the pump body 40 as early as possible. It should be noted that the structure in which the end portions 53, 53 of the annular portion 51 can be locked to each other is not limited to Figure 8 In the example shown, as long as the end portions 53 , 53 overlap each other in the radial direction of the annular portion 51 , other structures may be adopted.

[0054] [Other embodiments] (1) Fig. 9 As shown, the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 may be formed as a whole in a circular ring shape, and the two end portions 53 do not protrude radially outward, but have the same radial thickness as other parts of the elastic member 50. According to this structure, the elastic member 50 becomes more compact than the above-mentioned embodiment, so the mounting performance of the electric pump 1 is further improved. Fig. 9 In the example shown, the elastic member 50 is composed only of the annular portion 51. Fig. 9 A modified example of the example shown may be a structure in which the elastic member 50 has an extending portion 52 .

[0055] (2) In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which a pair of convex portions 44, 44 are provided on the outer peripheral surface 42ba of the pump body 40, and a pair of concave portions 58, 58 are provided on the inner peripheral surface 51a of the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50, but a concave portion may be provided on the outer peripheral surface 42ba of the pump body 40, and a convex portion engaging with the concave portion may be provided on the inner peripheral surface 51a of the annular portion 51. In addition, in the first embodiment, the electric pump 1 may be formed in a structure in which the concave portion 58 on the inner peripheral surface 51a of the annular portion 51 and the convex portion 44 on the outer peripheral surface 42ba of the pump body 40 are not provided.

[0056] (3) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the locking member 60 inserted into the pair of through holes 54, 54 is composed of a single U-shaped member, but the locking member 60 may be composed of a combination of multiple members. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the locking member 60 is composed of a pair of recesses 58, 58 and a pair of protrusions 44, 44, but it may be formed so that more than three recesses 58 and protrusions 44 are provided.

[0057] (4) In the above embodiment, the annular portion 51 of the elastic member 50 has the hole portion 55 for accommodating the connecting portion 62 of the locking member 60 and the hole portion 56 for accommodating the anti-detachment portion 64 of the locking member 60, but a structure may be formed in which one or both of the hole portion 55 and the hole portion 56 are not provided. In addition, the electric pump 1 may be formed in a structure in which the notch portion 57 is not provided in the annular portion 51.

[0058] The present invention can be widely applied to electric pumps including an elastic member for holding a pump body. Explanation of symbols

[0059] 1: Electric pump 40: Pump body 42: Motor body 42a, 42c: flange 42b: barrel 42ba: Outer surface 44: convex part 50: Elastic parts 51: Ring 51a: Inner circumference 52: Extension 52a: Opening 53: End 53b,53c: Carding part 54: Through hole 57: Notch 58: Concave 59: Concession Department 60: Locking parts 61: Maintaining Department 61a: Extension end 62: Connection 63: Feet 64: Anti-slip part D1: The distance between a pair of through holes D2: The distance between a pair of convex parts X: axis.

Claims

1. An electric pump comprising: Pump body; an annular elastic member, the elastic member being disposed on the outer periphery of the pump body; and a locking component, the locking component being assembled to the elastic component, A portion of the elastic member in the circumferential direction is cut off, and a pair of through holes along the axial direction of the elastic member are provided at two ends facing each other due to the cut off in the circumferential direction. The locking member is inserted into the pair of through holes so that the elastic member is in close contact with the pump body and holds the pump body.

2. The electric pump according to claim 1, wherein: The locking member has a U-shape formed by a pair of holding portions extending in the axial direction and a connecting portion connecting the pair of holding portions, and the pair of holding portions are inserted into the pair of through holes.

3. The electric pump according to claim 2, wherein: The annular elastic member has a notch portion formed radially inwardly in a region between the pair of through holes in the circumferential direction and in a region from the extending end side of the retaining portion to a midway portion along the axial direction. Furthermore, the notch portion is formed so that a part of the locking member can be visually recognized from the outside.

4. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The pump body has a pair of convex portions projecting radially outward at positions on the outer peripheral surface thereof that are opposite to the two ends of the elastic member. The elastic member has a pair of recessed portions engaged with the pair of protruding portions. A distance between the pair of recessed portions in the circumferential direction is shorter than a distance between the pair of through holes in the circumferential direction.

5. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Each of the pair of through holes has a relief portion that expands radially inward and radially outward on a side closer to the other through hole in the circumferential direction of the elastic member.

6. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The annular elastic member is formed so that the two end portions can be locked with each other in the circumferential direction.

7. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The elastic member includes an annular portion including the two end portions, and an extending portion connected to the annular portion. The pump body has a cylindrical portion that is in close contact with the annular portion. The extending portion extends from a portion of the outer circumference of the annular portion toward the radially outer side of the cylindrical portion and has an opening.

8. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The elastic member has an annular portion including the two end portions. The pump body has a cylindrical portion that is in close contact with the annular portion. In the annular portion, the two end portions are formed to protrude radially outward from the cylindrical portion.

9. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The elastic member has an annular portion including the two end portions. The pump body has a cylindrical portion that is in close contact with the annular portion. The cylindrical portion has a pair of convex portions projecting radially outward at positions on the outer peripheral surface thereof that are opposite to the two end portions of the annular portion. The annular portion has a pair of recessed portions engaged with the pair of projecting portions, is arranged along the cylindrical portion of the pump body, and the pair of recessed portions engage with the pair of projecting portions.

10. The electric pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The elastic member has an annular portion including the two end portions. The pump body includes a cylindrical portion in close contact with the annular portion, and a pair of flanges provided at both ends of the annular portion in the cylindrical portion in the axial direction. The pair of flanges are provided so as to restrict movement of the annular portion in the axial direction.

Images