Fluid pump and valve change-over switch

Abstract

An assembly includes a housing having first and second fluid inlets for directing fluid to a pump chamber. A valve change-over switch located within the housing is arranged to selectively switch fluid flow between the second fluid inlet and the pump chamber. A fluid outlet is fluidly connected to the pump chamber, and an impeller housed within the pump chamber is arranged to be rotated on demand by a motor to accelerate fluid within the pump chamber out of the fluid outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to pumps and more particularly to a fluid pump and valve switch assembly, wherein the fluid pump can be selectively energized to pump fluid from the pump and the valve can be switched / opened and closed to control the flow of fluid to the pump. Background Art

[0002] In motor vehicles, in order to circulate the coolant in the coolant circuit between the vehicle radiator and the internal combustion engine, a mechanically driven coolant pump is usually used. The coolant pump is arranged between the vehicle radiator and the internal combustion engine, and is driven by the driving force of the internal combustion engine through a belt. The current vehicle design in the automotive industry is aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. For this purpose, for example, a start-stop system is used, and the internal combustion engine in the vehicle is temporarily shut down when the vehicle stops at a red light, a railway guardrail, etc. Once the parking situation is over and the vehicle operator steps on the accelerator pedal, the internal combustion engine will restart. In this start-stop system, the operation of the coolant pump is also stopped because the internal combustion engine is shut down for system reasons. Specifically, because the internal combustion engine is shut down, the belt drive no longer transmits the driving force to the mechanical coolant pump, so that its operation stops, so there is no coolant circulation in the coolant circuit. In the case where the external temperature is high and the engine or coolant temperature is correspondingly high, the circulation of the coolant flowing in the coolant circuit due to the engine shutdown may cause the engine temperature to rise above the safe allowable level.

[0003] Additionally, in a conventional coolant loop, most of the thermal energy in the circulating coolant is typically dissipated into the air through a heat exchanger, such as a radiator, heater core, or transmission oil cooler. Under normal operating conditions, the engine and transmission may only require nominal coolant flow to maintain proper temperatures for internal components. However, under severe operating conditions, the engine may require increased coolant flow to maintain proper component temperatures. If a high-flow coolant pump is used to provide high coolant flow rates to prevent overheating under severe conditions, the coolant flow under normal operating conditions will be excessive, resulting in parasitic energy losses within the engine and transmission. Under cold start conditions, the engine and transmission may also require increased coolant flow to achieve and maintain proper temperatures for internal components.

[0004] In currently known coolant circuits for use in engine driven vehicles, separate auxiliary pumps and inlet switching valves are used with branched coolant circuit lines to provide auxiliary fluid pump flow and switch coolant flow to heat dissipating components of the vehicle, which results in high component costs. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fluid pump and valve switching switch wherein the fluid pump can be selectively energized to pump fluid from the pump as needed, and the valve is switched / opened and closed to control fluid flow to the pump using a minimal set of components. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention relates to an assembly of a fluid pump and a valve switching switch / member, wherein the fluid pump can be selectively energized to pump fluid from the pump and the valve can be switched / opened and closed to control the flow of fluid to the pump.

[0006] The assembly includes a housing having at least a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet for directing fluid to a pump chamber. A valve switch located in the housing is arranged to selectively switch the fluid flow between the second fluid inlet and the pump chamber. The fluid outlet is fluidly connected to the pump chamber. An impeller in the pump chamber is arranged to be rotated on demand by an electric motor to accelerate the fluid in the pump chamber to flow out of the fluid outlet.

[0007] The valve switch is arranged to be rotated by the actuator to a first position in which the opening is aligned with the second fluid opening. The alignment causes fluid to flow from the second fluid opening through the opening into the pump chamber. The valve switch is also arranged to be rotated by the actuator to a second position in which the opening is moved away from the second fluid inlet, thereby preventing fluid from flowing to the pump chamber. The motor and actuator receive control signals and electrical energy from an external controller, which energizes the motor to rotate the impeller to accelerate the fluid in the pump chamber, and rotates the actuator to position the valve switch.

[0008] Those skilled in the art can easily see other technical features based on the following drawings, description and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

[0010] In the figure:

[0011] Figure 1 A perspective view showing an integrated fluid pump and valve switching switch assembly of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2 It shows that the present invention Figure 1 a cross-sectional perspective view of an assembly of;

[0013] Figure 3 A cross-sectional perspective view of a motor section of the present invention is shown;

[0014] Figure 4 A cross-sectional perspective top view of a pump section of the present invention is shown;

[0015] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view through a valve section of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 6 A perspective view showing a valve switching switch and an actuator motor of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view showing the valve switching switch and actuator motor of the present invention; and

[0018] Figure 8 A perspective cross-section through the upper housing of the assembly of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The accompanying drawings discussed below and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the present invention can be implemented in any type of appropriately arranged device or system.

[0020] The assembly of the integrated fluid pump and valve switching switch of the present invention is arranged to be used in a coolant circuit for managing thermal energy in a vehicle powertrain. The vehicle powertrain generally includes an engine and a transmission. The thermal energy generated by the engine is absorbed from the engine by a coolant circulating through a series of coolant channels (including an engine coolant inlet and an engine coolant outlet) in the vehicle engine. The coolant circuit may include a pump driven by the engine machinery, a first control valve, a second control valve, a radiator, a heater core, and a transmission oil heat exchanger. A mechanical pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet is used to supply coolant to the engine via the coolant circuit. The pump outlet is in fluid communication with the engine coolant inlet. The coolant flow to the radiator is controlled by a first control valve having a first control valve inlet and a first control valve outlet. The first control valve inlet is in fluid communication with the engine coolant outlet. The heat energy is released from the coolant by passing the coolant through the radiator, and the radiator has a coolant inlet in fluid communication with the outlet fluid of the first control valve and a radiator outlet in fluid communication with the mechanical pump inlet.

[0021] Thermal energy can also be released from the coolant by passing the coolant through a heater core having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet of the heater core is in fluid communication with the outlet of the mechanical pump. A transmission oil heat exchanger can also be used to exchange thermal energy between the coolant and the transmission oil. The transmission oil lubricates the transmission and exchanges thermal energy with the transmission. The transmission oil heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet, and the inlet of the transmission oil heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the outlet of the mechanical pump. The flow of coolant through the transmission oil heat exchanger is controlled by a second control valve. Thermal energy generated by the engine is transferred to the radiator and the heater core by control of the first control valve, and is transferred from the transmission oil heat exchanger to the second inlet of the first control valve through the outlet of the second control valve.

[0022] Figure 1-8An exemplary assembly 10 of an integrated fluid pump and valve switching switch of the present invention is shown. Assembly 10 includes an electric auxiliary fluid pump powered by a stored energy source (e.g., a battery). When the mechanical pump is not working, such as when the engine is in a temporarily stopped state, the auxiliary fluid pump is selectively operated to drive the fluid from the fluid outlet to the coolant circuit of the vehicle. Once the stop condition ends, the mechanical pump resumes its operation when the engine is restarted, and the auxiliary fluid pump operation stops. The assembly also includes at least a first and a second fluid input. One of the first or second fluid inputs is arranged to be switched to allow fluid to flow to the fluid outlet through the switched fluid input. It is understood that the assembly 10 of the present invention can also be used in other non-vehicle applications that require an assembly of a selectively energized auxiliary pump for transferring fluid through a pump integrated with an inlet valve that can be switched to control fluid flow to the pump.

[0023] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary assembly 10 of an integrated fluid pump and valve switching switch of the present invention is shown. The assembly 10 includes a motor section 12, a valve section 16, and a pump section 14. A first fluid inlet 20 extends outwardly from the pump section 14, thereby providing a non-switched fluid inlet to the pump section 14 through a channel 21 extending through the valve section 16. The first fluid inlet 20 can be connected to a vehicle heat exchanger via a coolant line (not shown). The second fluid inlet 22 includes a channel 26 extending into the valve section 16 and extending into the valve switching switch 80. The valve switching switch 80 is arranged to be switchable to an open or closed position to allow or prevent fluid from flowing from the second fluid inlet 22 to the pump section 14. The second fluid inlet 22 is connected to another of the vehicle heat exchangers, such as a transmission oil heat exchanger, via a coolant line (not shown). The actuator motor 50 is housed in an actuator cover 23 mounted on the valve section 16. The actuator motor 50 is arranged to rotate the valve switch 80 to position the valve switch in an open or closed position when the actuator motor 50 is energized by the vehicle control circuit.

[0024] The valve section 16, the first inlet port 20, the second inlet port 22, the pump section 14 and the outlet port 18 are integrated into a single upper housing 25 formed of a suitable glycol and high temperature resistant thermoplastic material. An actuator cover 23 housing the actuator motor 50 is attached to the upper housing by suitable fasteners, such as screws (not shown).

[0025] The motor section 12 includes a lower housing 27 and an intermediate cover member 29. The top surface of the intermediate cover member 29 forms the bottom plate of the pump section 14. The impeller 60 is rotatably mounted above the bottom plate and is enclosed in a pump chamber 62 formed inside the pump section 14. The chamber 48 extends from the bottom surface of the intermediate cover member 29. The chamber 48 accommodates the motor shaft 43, which can be attached to the rotor of the motor. In order to clearly show the motor shaft 43, Figure 2 The motor is not shown, however, it will be combined with Figure 3 The motor shaft 43 is attached to the impeller 60. The motor is arranged to rotate the motor shaft 43, thereby rotating the impeller 60.

[0026] The intermediate cover member 29 and the lower housing 27 are attached to the upper housing 25 using threaded fasteners 30. The threaded fasteners 30 extend through complementary holes located through a plurality of mounting flanges 31 and complementary holes in mounting flanges 35 of the intermediate cover member 29, which are located along a lower peripheral portion of the lower housing. Each threaded fastener 30 engages an associated screw hole formed in an attachment member 37 located along an upper peripheral portion of the lower housing 27. An elastomeric sealing gasket 38 is placed between the intermediate cover member 29 and the lower housing to provide fluid isolation between the electrical components in the pump section 14 and the motor section 12. The actuator cover 23, the intermediate cover member 29 and the lower housing 27 are all composed of the same glycol and high temperature resistant thermoplastic material that constitutes the upper housing 25.

[0027] Figure 3 An example of the interior of the motor section 12 is shown. The motor section 12 is shown to be configured to accommodate a brushless DC motor (BLDC), however, the motor section 12 can also accommodate a conventional brushed motor. The motor section 12 includes a cylindrical interior space 42 defined by a circular inner wall 44 and a bottom plate 46. The intermediate cover member 29 has an annular stepped top surface including a first portion 45 and a second portion 47. The first portion 45 forms the bottom plate of the pump section 14. The second portion 47 provides a surface that is appropriately arranged so that the bottom portion 13 of the upper housing 25 rests on the second portion 47 when the upper housing and the intermediate cover member are attached to the lower housing 25. The opening 75 extends through the first portion 45 to the cylindrical chamber 48. The chamber 48 extends from the bottom side of the intermediate cover member 29 into the interior space 42.

[0028] The chamber 48 is arranged to accommodate a permanent magnet subassembly, which includes a rotor 148 of a BLDC motor. The rotor 148 is attached to the motor shaft 43. The motor shaft 43 includes a first end, which is rotatably attached to a support member 146 located on the bottom plate of the chamber 48, and a second end, which is attached in any convenient manner to a cylindrical attachment member 68 located on the bottom surface of a circular base member 61 of the impeller 60. A plurality of blades 65 extend from the top surface of the base member 61 from a position near the center of the base member 61 to the outer edge of the base member. The rotor 148 of the BLDC motor rotates within the chamber 48, thereby causing the motor shaft 43 to rotate the impeller 60.

[0029] The BLDC motor also includes a subassembly of laminated steel sheets, in which copper windings form a stator 142 of the BLDC motor. The stator 142 is located in the interior space 42 surrounding the chamber 48 and the rotor 148. The copper winding laminations of the stator 142 are electrically connected to a set of terminals 72 extending from an external connector housing 70 into the interior space 42 in a three-phase arrangement (not shown). The terminals 72 provide control signals and electrical energy from an external BLDC controller to drive the BLDC motor. The electrical energy is provided, for example, by a battery of a vehicle. The stator subassembly 142 and the interior space 42 are isolated from the fluid in the pump section 14 by the wall forming the chamber 48. Fluid that may migrate into the chamber 48 will not penetrate into the interior space 42.

[0030] An electrical connector housing 70 extends from the exterior of the lower housing 27 through the base plate 46 into the interior space 42. A set of electrical terminals 72 extend through the connector housing 70. The connector housing 70 is arranged to accommodate an electrical connector (not shown) to connect the terminals 72 to a BLDC controller that provides control signals as electrical pulses of current to the winding stack to control the speed and torque of the BLDC motor. It will be appreciated that the three-phase DC signal to the winding stack may also be generated internally by an appropriate control circuit that may be located on a circuit substrate mounted on the base plate 46 of the motor section 12. A circular elastomeric sealing gasket 38 is placed between the intermediate cover member 29 and the lower housing 27 to further provide fluid isolation for the stator assembly 142 of the BLDC motor and the electrical terminals 72 located in the motor section 12.

[0031] The auxiliary fluid pump is formed from a plurality of parts of the pump section 14 of the upper housing 25. Figure 4As shown, the auxiliary fluid pump includes an impeller 60 rotating in a cylindrical pump chamber 62 formed by an annular wall 64. The impeller 60 is mounted slightly off-center in the pump chamber 62, so that a vortex flow path is formed between the outer edge of the impeller blade 65 and the wall 64. The vortex flow path is arranged to accelerate the flow of fluid from the pump chamber 62. The vortex flow path has a narrower fluid path at a position 63 between the outer edge of the impeller blade 65 and the wall 64, and the narrower fluid path expands to a wider fluid path at a position 66 near the channel 67. The vortex flow path leads to the channel 67 and the fluid outlet 18. The motor shaft 43 rotates the impeller 60, causing the fluid contained in the pump chamber 62 to be discharged from the fluid outlet 18 through the channel 67 at an accelerated flow rate.

[0032] When the engine operates the mechanical pump, coolant is pumped through the coolant circuit and will flow from the first fluid inlet 20 into the pump chamber 62. If the second fluid inlet 22 is switched to the open position by the valve switching switch 80, the coolant will also flow into the pump chamber 62, otherwise, only the coolant delivered by the fluid inlet 20 will flow into the pump chamber 62. Due to the flow through the coolant circuit provided by the mechanical pump, the coolant in the pump chamber 62 will leave the pump chamber 62 from the fluid outlet 18 and return to the coolant circuit. However, if the engine is caused to be in a stopped state, the BLDC motor will be energized, thereby rotating the impeller 60 to drive the coolant delivered to the pump chamber 62 into the channel 67 and out of the fluid outlet 18. In the stopped state, the mechanical pump driven by the engine stops, and the coolant circulates in the coolant circuit only at the flow rate provided by the auxiliary fluid pump of the pump section 14. Once the stopped state ends, the mechanical pump resumes its operation when the engine is restarted, and the operation of the auxiliary fluid pump stops.

[0033] Figure 5-8 An exemplary valve switching switch 80 of the present invention is shown installed in the valve housing 16. The valve switching switch 80 is installed in a chamber 121 of the valve housing 16. The chamber 121 extends through the upper housing 25 parallel to the passage 21. The valve switching switch 80 is arranged to rotate within the chamber 121 and cause the coolant flowing through the inlet 22 to be switched to either be directed to the pump chamber 62 or be blocked from reaching the pump chamber.

[0034] Figure 6 and Figure 7, an exemplary valve switching switch 80 and an actuator motor 50 are shown in isolation from the upper housing 25 and the actuator cover 23 of the valve section 16. The exemplary valve switching switch 80 includes a cylindrical valve body 181 having an outer wall 184. The lower portion 182 of the valve body 181 includes an opening 186 that passes through the outer wall 184 into the interior of the lower portion 182, which is formed by a cylindrical inner surface 189. A circular lower support member 183 extends around the edge of the outer wall 184 of the lower portion 182 just below the opening 186. The central portion of the valve body 181 includes a cylindrical outer sealing section wall 185, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the wall 184 of the lower portion 182. The outer sealing section wall 185 includes an outer sealing assembly consisting of a first resilient sealing member 192 and a second resilient sealing member 194 separated by a spacer 193, and an outer circular flange 195 extending around the outer sealing assembly. The outer circular flange 195 is located around the circumference of the sealing section wall 185 and is arranged to be received in a cavity 327 formed in the chamber 121 of the upper shell 25.

[0035] The interior of the valve body 181 also includes an internal sealing assembly consisting of a third sealing member 198 and a fourth sealing member 199 separated by a spacer 197. The internal sealing assembly is located on a shoulder area 188 extending from the cylindrical inner surface 189 to the interior of the valve body 181. The internal sealing assembly is positioned parallel to and directly opposite to the external sealing assembly. The internal annular flange 191 extends around the internal sealing assembly. The internal annular flange 191 is arranged to fit in the recessed cavity 423 in the channel 21. The external sealing assembly and the internal sealing assembly are used to provide a fluid seal between the valve section 16 and the valve switching switch 80 when the valve switching switch 80 rotates. The sealing members 192, 194 and 198, 199 are composed of, for example, O-rings, which are made of elastic materials such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.

[0036] The upper portion 187 of the valve body 181 also includes an upper support member 196 that is attached to the upper portion 187 and rests on the shoulder 209. The actuation ring 201 includes a splined toothed belt 202 that is attached to the upper portion 187 by press fitting the actuation ring 201 to the outer surface of the upper portion 187. Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the teeth of the toothed belt 202 are arranged to be mechanically received and meshed with a gear set / gear pair, the gear set having a first gear 205 meshing with the toothed belt 202 and a second gear 206 attached to the first gear 205, the second gear meshing with a worm 203 attached to a rotatable actuator motor shaft of the actuator motor 50. When the actuator motor 50 is energized, the worm 203 is rotated by the actuator motor shaft. The rotation of the worm 203 is mechanically transmitted to the gear set 206, 205 and the toothed belt 202, thereby rotating the valve body 181 about the axis A. The valve body 181 can rotate in direction b or direction c based on the rotation direction of the actuator motor shaft. The actuator motor 50 is electrically controlled to rotate the actuator motor shaft and the worm 203, thereby rotating the valve body 181 in a selected direction.

[0037] Reference again Figure 5 , the valve body 182 of the valve switching switch 80 is arranged to be rotated by the actuator motor 50 to a first position, which aligns the opening 186 with the passage 26. This alignment allows the coolant to flow from the passage 26 through the opening 186 and into the interior of the lower body and the pump chamber 62. The valve switching switch member 80 is also arranged to be rotated by the actuator motor 50 to a second position, which moves the opening 186 away from the passage 26, thereby preventing the coolant from flowing from the passage 26 to the interior of the lower body and the pump chamber 62.

[0038] like Figure 8 As shown, the valve switching switch 80 is arranged to be assembled in a stepped annular chamber 121 formed inside the upper housing 25 of the valve section 16. The chamber 121 includes a lower chamber 321 having a first cylindrical wall surface 324. The lower chamber 321 has a diameter capable of receiving the lower portion 182 of the valve body 181, wherein the front face of the lower support member 183 contacts the first cylindrical wall surface 324. An elastic sealing member 325 is installed in the chamber 321. The sealing member 325 is placed in the lower chamber 321 aligned with the channel 26 to prevent coolant from leaking into the interior of the lower body when the valve switching switch member 80 is placed in the second position that moves the opening 186 away from the channel 26. When the valve switching switch 80 is rotated by the actuator motor 50, the front face of the lower support member 183 travels against the surface 324, thereby keeping the valve switching switch member 80 centered in the chamber 121 and the channel 21. The upper chamber 323 is formed by a second cylindrical wall surface 326. The surface 326 also includes a cylindrical recess 327 that is sized to receive the outer circular flange 195 therein. The front face of the upper support member 196 is received on the second cylindrical wall surface 326. When the actuator motor 50 rotates the valve switch 80, the front face of the upper support member 196 rides against the second cylindrical wall surface 326, thereby also helping to keep the valve switch member 80 centered within the chamber 121 and the passage 21.

[0039] The passage 21 includes a cylindrical wall 421 extending parallel to the chamber 121 into the upper housing 25. The cylindrical wall 421 includes a cylindrical cavity 423, the size of which is selected to receive the circular flange 191 in the cavity 423. The coolant flowing into the passage 21 from the fluid inlet 20 flows into the lower portion 182 of the valve body 181 and flows into the pump chamber 62. Figure 8 As shown, the actuator motor 50 is received in the actuator housing 23 along with the gear sets 206 and 205 which in turn mesh with the worm 203 .

[0040] The upper housing 25 of the valve section 16 may also include an electronics section 427 that may house electronics (not shown) for driving the actuator motor 50. Control signals to the actuator may be applied to the electronics using an external connector (not shown) electrically connected to the electronics of the electronics section 427. Control signals may also be sent to the actuator motor 50 using electrical conductors connected to terminals 72 of the external connector 70. The electrical connector may be communicatively connected to the external connector 70 and the terminals 72 to couple integrated control signals from an external controller for energizing and regulating the motor, and also controlling the position of the actuator motor 50. The external controller is arranged to send control signals using only one set of conductors to control both the motor driving the auxiliary fluid pump and the actuator driving the valve switching switch, such as the apparatus and method taught in the applicant's co-pending patent application serial number US17 / 828,767.

[0041] It may be advantageous to clarify the definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term "connected" and its derivatives cover direct and indirect connections. The terms "include" and "comprises" and their derivatives mean inclusion rather than limitation. The term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase "associated with..." and its derivatives may mean including, included within, interconnected with, contained within, connected to or connected with, connected to or connected with, communicable with, coordinated with, interlaced, juxtaposed, close to, bound to or bound with, having, having a property of, having a relationship with, etc. The phrase "at least one of...", when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be required. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any combination of A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0042] The description in this application should not be construed as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential or critical element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patented subject matter is limited only by the claims that are approved. In addition, unless the exact words "means for..." or "step for..." are expressly used in a particular claim, followed by a participle phrase identifying the function, no claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) for any subsequent claim or claim element. The use of terms such as (but not limited to) "mechanism", "module", "device", "unit", "component", "element", "member", "device", "machine", "system", or "controller" in the claims should be understood and intended to refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art that are further modified or enhanced by the features of the claims themselves and are not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

[0043] Although the present invention has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, the changes and arrangements of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description of the exemplary embodiments does not define or restrict the present invention. Other changes, substitutions and variations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A component comprising: an upper housing having at least a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet; a first fluid passage, the first fluid passage being located in the upper housing and configured to deliver fluid from the first fluid inlet to the pump chamber without switching; a valve switching switch for selectively switching the delivery of fluid from the second fluid inlet to the pump chamber; a fluid outlet fluidly connected to the pump chamber; an impeller located within the pump chamber; and The motor is used to rotate the impeller as required to accelerate the fluid in the pump chamber to flow out of the fluid outlet.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein The valve switching switch includes a cylindrical valve body having an outer wall and a valve body opening extending through the outer wall to an interior of the valve body, the interior of the valve body being in fluid communication with the first fluid passage and the pump chamber.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The valve switching switch includes an actuation ring mounted to the valve body, the actuation ring including a toothed belt.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, further comprising: an actuator having a shaft; a worm screw attached to the shaft; a gear set mechanically meshing the worm and the toothed belt, wherein the actuator rotates the shaft and the worm and the gear set drives the toothed belt to rotate the valve body.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The upper housing comprises: an annular chamber having a lower chamber defined by a first cylindrical wall surface and an upper chamber defined by a second cylindrical wall surface; and The valve body further includes a lower support member extending from an outer wall of the valve body near the valve body opening and an upper support member extending from the valve body near the actuating ring. When the valve body rotates, the front face of the lower support member moves on the first cylindrical wall surface, and the front face of the upper support member rotates and moves on the second cylindrical wall surface.

6. A component comprising: an upper housing having at least a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet for directing fluid to the pump chamber; a valve switching switch for selectively switching fluid flow between the second fluid inlet and the pump chamber; an external seal assembly positioned circumferentially about an outer periphery of the cylindrical seal segment wall; an inner seal assembly positioned circumferentially about a periphery of an inner shoulder region extending to an interior of the valve switching switch, the inner seal assembly being positioned parallel to the outer seal assembly; a fluid outlet fluidly connected to the pump chamber; an impeller located within the pump chamber; and A motor is used to rotate the impeller to accelerate the fluid in the pump chamber to flow out of the fluid outlet.

7. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The actuator selectively rotates the valve body to a first open position in which the valve body opening is positioned in alignment with the second fluid inlet, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the second fluid inlet to the pump chamber.

8. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: The actuator selectively rotates the valve body to a second closed position in which the valve body opening is positioned out of alignment with the second fluid inlet, thereby preventing fluid from flowing from the second fluid inlet to the pump chamber.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: The impeller includes a base plate and a plurality of impeller blades extending from the base plate.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The pump chamber is surrounded by a circular annular wall, and the base plate of the impeller is eccentrically positioned in the pump chamber so that a spiral flow path is formed between the outer edge of the impeller blades and the wall of the pump chamber.

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