Pump unit for a lubricant pump

Abstract

A pump unit (4) for a lubricant pump (100) is disclosed, comprising a pump housing (6) designed to be connected to a lubricant reservoir (2), the pump housing (6) having a lubricant receiving chamber (12) with at least one lubricant outlet (20), wherein at least one pump element (14) can be arranged in the lubricant receiving chamber (12) designed to pump lubricant from the lubricant reservoir (2) via the lubricant receiving chamber (12) to the lubricant outlet (20), the pump housing (6) further comprising an integrally formed base plate (10) designed to seal the lubricant receiving chamber (12) against an external environment, and the pump unit (4) further comprising a pump drive motor (28), in particular an electric motor, designed to drive the pump element (14).wherein a motor support (60) is arranged between the base plate (10) and the pump drive motor (28), which is designed to attach the pump drive motor (28) to the pump housing (6), in particular to the base plate (10).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a pump unit for a lubricant pump according to the preamble of claim 1, as well as a method for providing such a pump unit. Technical background

[0002] Lubrication systems for supplying mechanical components such as bearings, gears, etc. with lubricant typically include one or more lubricant pumps that transport the lubricant from a reservoir to the mechanical components. Such lubricant pumps can deliver the lubricant either to an intermediate delivery device, such as an injection nozzle, or directly to the mechanical component via hoses or fluid lines. In most lubricant pumps, the reservoir is detachably or permanently connected to a pump unit, particularly a pump housing, which contains the actual pump components.

[0003] The pump components are typically standardized assemblies used in various applications. The pump housing generally comprises at least one pump element that delivers the lubricant and a pump drive motor that drives the pump element. The pump element is typically a piston pump capable of delivering lubricant in one direction at high pressure through the translational movement of a piston and an internal valve arrangement.

[0004] The piston stroke can be described as having two phases. During the intake phase, the piston is at least partially open toward the lubricant reservoir, and the internal valve arrangement creates a pressure differential so that the pressure in the piston chamber is lower than in the reservoir or in a lubricant receiving chamber of the pump housing, thereby sucking lubricant into the piston chamber. During the discharge phase, the piston is pushed into a shaft or body of the pump element, forcing the lubricant out of the piston chamber and into the lubrication system.

[0005] Typically, the piston is moved by an eccentric disc, which is driven in rotation by the pump drive motor. The eccentric disc converts the rotational movement into translational movement.

[0006] The pump drive motor of the lubricant pump is therefore one of the most important components. Typically, an electric motor is used as the pump drive motor, but these usually have a limited service life and must be replaced after a certain period of use. Nevertheless, the pump drive motors are usually tightly integrated into the lubricant pump and are among the first components to be installed. In most lubricant pumps, the motor is mounted from below with screws through the pump housing, as the motor types used and their mounting flanges (worm gear motors) are standard. With this design, the mounting screws in the pump housing must be sealed.Another disadvantage is that replacing the pump drive motor requires removing all the lubricant from the pump housing to gain access to the screws and to prevent leaks during disassembly or lubricant contamination. All of this makes replacing the pump drive motor a lengthy, complicated, and very time-consuming process.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pump unit for a lubricant pump which enables easy replacement of the pump drive motor. Summary of the invention

[0008] This object is achieved by a pump unit according to patent claim 1.

[0009] The following presents a pump unit for a lubricant pump, wherein the pump unit is equipped with a pump housing designed to be connected to a lubricant reservoir. Furthermore, the pump housing has a lubricant receiving space with at least one lubricant outlet, wherein at least one pump element can be arranged in the lubricant receiving space, which is designed to convey lubricant from the lubricant reservoir via the lubricant receiving space to the lubricant outlet. Furthermore, the pump housing has an integrally formed base plate designed to seal off the lubricant receiving space from the external environment. Furthermore, the pump unit has a pump drive motor, in particular an electric motor, designed to drive the pump element.

[0010] To facilitate easy replacement of the pump drive motor, it is proposed to arrange a motor mount between the base plate and the pump drive motor, designed to secure the pump drive motor to the pump housing, particularly to the base plate. This separate motor mount ensures that the motor mount, together with the pump drive motor, can be easily removed from the base plate and replaced without the risk of lubricant leakage.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the motor mount has at least one, preferably several, first fastening means receptacles that cooperate with first fastening means to fasten the pump drive motor to the motor mount. This allows for the creation of a preassembled unit comprising the motor mount and pump drive motor, which can be easily fastened to the pump housing.

[0012] It is particularly preferred if the first fastening means receptacles are designed such that the motor is fastened from a side of the motor mount facing the pump housing, in particular the base plate. This enables particularly good fastening of the pump drive motor and also allows the use of standardized pump drive motors, which only allow fastening on the pump housing side.

[0013] According to a further preferred embodiment, the motor support has at least one, preferably several, second fastening means receptacles which cooperate with second fastening means in order to fasten the motor support to the pump housing, in particular to the base plate.

[0014] This makes it possible for the motor mount and pump drive motor to be attached to the pump housing as a pre-assembled unit.

[0015] It is particularly preferred if the second fastening means receptacles are designed such that the motor support is fastened to the pump housing, in particular to the base plate, from a side of the motor support facing the pump drive motor.

[0016] This provides a separate motor mount onto which the pump drive motor is pre-mounted, and this assembly can then be attached to the pump casing from the bottom (dry area) without requiring access from the top (wet area) of the pump casing, which in turn greatly simplifies installation and replacement.

[0017] Furthermore, the motor mount is advantageously designed as a plate-like element. This allows the motor mount to be used even in pump units with limited space.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment, the motor mount further comprises, on its side facing the pump drive motor, a motor mounting structure adapted to the shape of the pump drive motor. This allows for optimal support of the pump drive motor. Electric motors, in particular, typically have a heavy, cylindrical drive body that houses the rotor and stator and can be optimally supported and secured with the aid of the motor mounting structure. It is particularly advantageous if the motor mounting structure is designed such that it can support a cylindrical body. This also ensures that the pump drive motor is optimally supported even in the event of strong shocks and vibrations.

[0019] It is further advantageous if the motor mounting structure has third fastening receptacles designed to interact with third fastening means with which the motor or the corresponding motor component can be fastened to the motor mounting structure. In particular, one or more cable ties can be used as the fastening element, which are guided through corresponding slots on the motor mounting structure.

[0020] The engine mount itself is preferably made of plastic, especially fiber-reinforced plastic. This provides a particularly lightweight yet sturdy component. Of course, the engine mount can also be made of metal, such as aluminum.

[0021] In particular, it is preferred that the motor mount be injection-molded. This allows for simple production of even more complex structures. Furthermore, the motor mount can be easily adapted to different pump drive motors, so that a custom-made motor mount can be provided for each type of pump drive motor, which in turn can always be attached to the same pump housing. This allows for easy adaptation to different motor designs or hole patterns without having to modify the pump housing itself.

[0022] In particular, existing pump housings can be equipped or retrofitted with alternative pump drive motors.

[0023] The engine mount may also have stiffening ribs that provide a lightweight construction while maintaining high load-bearing capacity.

[0024] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for providing the pump unit described above, wherein fastening the pump drive motor to the pump housing is carried out with the following steps: - Providing a motor support having one side facing the base plate of the pump housing and one side facing the pump drive motor; - Attaching the pump drive motor to the side of the motor support facing the pump drive motor, whereby a pre-assembled unit comprising the pump drive motor and the motor support is provided, - Fasten the pre-assembled unit consisting of pump drive motor and motor mount to the pump housing.

[0025] Furthermore, it is advantageous in this method if the pump drive motor is fastened to the motor support from the side facing the base plate of the pump housing and / or wherein the pre-assembled unit comprising pump drive motor and motor support is fastened to the pump housing from the side facing the pump drive motor.

[0026] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are set forth in the description, the drawings, and the claims. In particular, the combinations of features set forth in the description and the drawings are purely exemplary, so the features may also be present individually or in other combinations. Short character description

[0027] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of the invention. This scope is defined solely by the appended claims.

[0028] They show: Fig. 1: a schematic sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a lubricant pump Fig. 2: a schematic view of the pump unit from Fig. 1 Fig. 3: a schematic view of the pump drive unit from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Fig. 4: various embodiments of the pump drive unit Detailed description of the invention

[0029] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are identified by the same reference symbols.

[0030] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a sectional view through a lubricant pump 100. The lubricant pump 100 has a reservoir 2, which is designed to contain lubricant, and a pump unit 4, which is designed to deliver lubricant from the reservoir 2 to corresponding consumers. The reservoir 2 can be detachably or permanently connected to the pump unit 4. The pump unit 4 is shown in more detail in the sectional view of Fig. 2 shown.

[0031] The pump unit 4 further comprises a pump housing 6, which is designed to separate a wet area I, namely the area in which lubricant is located, from a dry area II, the area in which, for example, electronics or drive motors are located. For this purpose, the pump housing is designed as a pot-shaped element and has side walls 8 and a base plate 10 that define a lubricant receiving space 12. The side walls 8, in turn, can be connected directly or indirectly to the lubricant reservoir 2.

[0032] Furthermore, as Fig. 1, a pump element 14 is arranged in the lubricant receiving chamber 12. In the illustrated embodiment, this pump element is designed as a piston pump driven by a pump drive motor 28, in particular an electric motor. Such a pump element 14 has a metering piston 16 with a working chamber 17, which is movable by means of an eccentric 18 and has a suction phase or position and a discharge phase or position. The eccentric 18 serves to convert the rotary movement of the pump drive motor 28 into a translatory movement of the metering piston. When actuated by the eccentric 18, the piston 16 moves from the suction position to the discharge position, so that lubricant located in the working chamber 17 can be discharged from a lubricant outlet 20.With the aid of a return element, in the embodiment shown here a spring 22, the piston 16 is returned to its first position, while the lubricant is sucked from the lubricant receiving chamber 12 into the working chamber 17.

[0033] The eccentric 18 is therefore arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a drive shaft 24, which in turn extends through a recess 26 in the base plate 10 of the pump housing. The drive shaft 24 can be directly an output shaft 30 of a pump drive motor 28. However, this would mean that when replacing the pump drive motor 28, the entire lubricant pump would have to be freed of lubricant, since the shaft extends into the wet area I of the lubricant pump.

[0034] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, it is therefore proposed that the drive shaft 24 is not identical to the output shaft 30 of the electric motor 28, but that the drive shaft 24 is merely connectable to the output shaft 30 of the electric motor 28.

[0035] Furthermore, the embodiment of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, that the drive shaft 24 is designed as a hollow shaft, which is closed on one side, namely towards the wet area I, and thus has a blind hole 25 in which the output shaft 30 of the electric motor 28 can be received. For a torque-transmitting connection, it is further advantageous if the drive shaft 24 and the output shaft 30 each have corresponding connecting structures that can engage with each other in order to transmit the torque. In the illustrated embodiment of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the drive shaft 24 has an internal toothing 32, while the output shaft 30 has an external toothing 34 (see in particular Fig. 3 and Fig. 4), wherein the internal toothing 32 and the external toothing 34 engage with each other when the output shaft 30 is connected to the drive shaft 24 in order to transmit a torque from the output shaft 30 to the drive shaft 24.

[0036] Thus, as in particular Fig. 2 shows the pump housing 6 together with the drive shaft 24 a pre-assembled unit that separates the wet area I from the dry area II. Furthermore, the sectional view of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 that an intermediate plate 36 is arranged on the pump housing 6, which delimits the lubricant receiving area 12 in the direction of the reservoir 2. In order to transfer lubricant from the reservoir 2 evenly into the lubricant receiving space 12 despite the intermediate plate 36, the intermediate plate 36 further has a plurality of preferably evenly distributed lubricant passage openings 37. The intermediate plate 36 also has a recess 38 through which the drive shaft 24 extends.

[0037] By providing the intermediate plate 36 and the base plate 10 of the pump housing 6, the drive shaft 24 can be supported wobble-free by means of two bearing units 38, 40. Furthermore, the sectional view of Fig. 2 that the drive shaft 24 is sealed from the recess 26 by means of a sealing element 42, so that the wet area I is reliably separated from the dry area II. Both the intermediate plate 36 and the base plate 10 can have cylindrical sections 44, 46, 48, which are designed as bearing seats for the bearing units 38 and 40, respectively, or as sealing seats for the sealing element 42. Preferably, the bearing seats or the sealing seat are designed as step-shaped configurations in the cylindrical sections.

[0038] As mentioned above, in order to drive the drive shaft 24, the drive shaft 24 is connected to the output shaft 30 of the pump drive motor 28. This pump drive motor 28 is also connected to the pump housing 6 in the pump unit 4, but in the dry area II. For this purpose, the pump housing 6 has fastening receptacles 52, which are preferably designed as cylindrical extensions that are closed off towards the wet area I (blind hole). Fastening elements 56, such as screws, can be screwed into these fastening receptacles 52, by means of which the electric motor 28 can be fastened to the pump housing 6. However, the electric motors 28 can often not be fastened from below, but only from above, so that in the prior art, the pump drive motor 28 had to be fastened from the wet area I of the pump housing.For this purpose, however, the fastening receptacles 52 must be designed as through holes, which in turn must be sealed to seal off the wet and dry areas II. Furthermore, when replacing the electric motor 28, the entire lubricant pump 100 had to be de-lubricated to enable replacement and to prevent contamination of the lubricant when replacing the pump drive motor 28.

[0039] In order to use pump drive motors 28 which are fastened from above, it is further proposed to install a motor support 60 (see Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) which is fastened on the one hand to the pump housing 6 and on the other hand carries the electric motor 28. The motor support 60 is preferably designed as a plate-shaped element 61, as in particular the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. The plate-shaped element 61 has an upper side 62 facing the base plate 10 or the pump housing 6 and a lower side 64 facing the electric motor 28. Furthermore, the motor support 60 comprises a plurality of first fastening means receptacles 66, with which the motor support 60 can be fastened to the pump housing 6 (in Fig. 1 by means of screws 56) and several second fastening means receptacles 68 which serve to fasten the electric motor (by means of screws 58).

[0040] In particular, Fig. 3 shows, it is possible that the second fastening means receptacles 68 are designed in such a way that the electric motor 28 is fastened to the motor support 60 from the side 62 facing the pump housing 6, while the fastening means receptacles 66 enable the motor support 60 to be fastened to the base plate 10 or generally to the pump housing 6 from the side 64 facing the electric motor (see also fastening means 56 and 58 from Fig. 1).

[0041] As continued in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the motor mount 60 further includes, in the illustrated embodiment, a motor support structure 70 designed to support the cylindrical, heavy element 29 of the electric motor 28, which houses the rotor and stator. This allows for a secure mounting of the electric motor 28, even in the presence of strong vibrations and shocks.

[0042] As further shown in the example in Fig. 3 or Fig. As can be seen from Figure 4, the motor support structure 70 can further comprise third fastening means recesses 72 in which a fastening means 74, for example, a cable tie, can be received. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastening means 74 is a cable tie that is fastened to the motor mount circumferentially around the heavy drive part 29 of the electric motor 28. Of course, instead of the cable tie 74, another fastening means can also be selected, which enables the drive motor 28 to be fastened to the motor support structure 70, for example, also through circumferential support.

[0043] As shown in the figures a, b and c of the Fig. 4, the engine support structure 74 can be positioned centrally (see Fig. 4c), output shaft side (see Fig. 4b) or end-side (see Fig. 4a) be arranged on the heavy drive part 29 of the electric motor. It is also possible for multiple support structures 70 to be provided; for example, such a structure 70 can be provided both on the drive shaft side and at the end of the heavy drive part 29.

[0044] Also clearly visible in Fig. 3 is that the output shaft 30 of the electric motor 28 is provided with the external toothing 34 which can engage with the internal toothing 32 of the drive shaft 24.

[0045] In addition to the improved attachment option for the pump drive motors 28 using the motor mount 60, the motor mount 60 can also be used to attach different types of electric motors or different designs of electric motors to the same pump housings. For example, the hole and screw patterns of the various electric motors 28 vary, so that when the electric motor 28 was attached directly to the pump housing 6, a separate pump housing 6 had to be provided for each type of electric motor 28 in the prior art. With the help of the motor mount 60, however, it is possible for only the motor mount 60 to be manufactured individually for the respective electric motors 28, while the pump housing 6 can remain the same as a standard component for all electric motors 28. This reduces inventory and also enables the replacement of existing electric motors with new electric motors that, for example, have a different hole or screw pattern.This means that existing pumps can also be easily equipped with innovative electric motors.

[0046] The motor mount 60, as well as the pump housing 6, can be formed as injection-molded plastic components, for example, made of fiber-reinforced plastic, but it is also possible to provide them from metal, for example, as die-cast aluminum or injection-molded aluminum elements. Of course, other materials are also possible. Likewise, it is possible for the pump housing and motor mount to be made of different materials.

[0047] Although the combination of motor mount 60 and two-piece drive shaft 24; 30 is preferred, the motor mount 60 can also be used with one-piece drive shafts. Thus, the electric motor 28 can be attached to the pump housing using the motor mount 60, even if the output shaft 30 of the motor extends into the wet area I and no additional drive shaft 24 is provided.

[0048] Overall, the above-described configurations make it possible to completely replace the motor in dry area II without having to empty the pump housing 6 or lubricant reservoir 2. Furthermore, the motor mount 60 can be easily adapted to the different hole patterns of various pump drive motors 28, allowing one motor type to be replaced with another without making changes to the pump housing 6. Furthermore, by dividing the drive train into two interconnected shafts (a drive shaft 24 in the pump housing and an output shaft 30 from the motor), the motor can be mounted at a later time, and the pump housing 6 can be pre-assembled without the motor or motor mount. Furthermore, this also allows for later variant creation based on the motor type.

[0049] This allows for easy assembly and disassembly of the motor 28 and improved maintenance, reducing the risk of leaks and counteracting contamination during motor maintenance. Furthermore, the motor mount's attachment to the pump housing has been significantly improved to withstand even strong shocks and vibrations. The two-piece shaft allows for later production of variants using different motor types. This also provides greater flexibility for the use of different motor types with different hole patterns. List of reference symbols 100 Lubricant pump 2 reservoirs 4 Pump unit 6 Pump housing 8 Side wall 10 Base plate 12 Lubricant storage chamber 14 Pump element 16 dosing pistons 17 Workspace 18 eccentric 20 Lubricant outlet 22 spring 24 Drive shaft 25 blind hole drilling 26 recess 28 Pump drive motor (electric motor) 29 elements 30 Output shaft 32 internal gearing 34 external gearing 36 intermediate plate 38, 40 storage unit 37 Lubricant passage opening 42 Sealing element 44, 46, 48 cylindrical sections 56, 58 Fastening element 60 engine mounts 61 plate-shaped element 62 top 64 subpage 52, 66, 68 Fastener holder 70 Engine support structure (engine mounting structure) 72 Fastener recess 74 fasteners

Claims

[1] Pump unit (4) for a lubricant pump (100) with a pump housing (6) designed to be connected to a lubricant reservoir (2), wherein the pump housing (6) has a lubricant receiving space (12) with at least one lubricant outlet (20), wherein at least one pump element (14) can be arranged in the lubricant receiving space (12), which is designed to convey lubricant from the lubricant reservoir (2) via the lubricant receiving space (12) to the lubricant outlet (20), wherein the pump housing (6) further has an integrally formed base plate (10) designed to close off the lubricant receiving space (12) from an external environment, and wherein the pump unit (4) further has a pump drive motor (28), in particular an electric motor, designed to drive the pump element (14), characterized bythat a motor support (60) is arranged between the base plate (10) and the pump drive motor (28), which motor support is designed to fasten the pump drive motor (28) to the pump housing (6), in particular to the base plate (10). [2] Pump unit (4) according to claim 1, wherein the motor support (60) has at least one, preferably a plurality of, first fastening means receptacles (52; 66; 68) which cooperate with first fastening means (74) in order to fasten the pump drive motor (28) to the motor support (60). [3] Pump unit (4) according to claim 2, wherein the first fastening means receptacles (52; 66; 68) are designed such that the motor is fastened from a side of the motor support (60) facing the pump housing (6), in particular the base plate (10). [4] Pump unit (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor support (60) has at least one, preferably several, second fastening means receptacles (52; 66; 68) which cooperate with second fastening means (74) in order to fasten the motor support (60) to the pump housing (6), in particular to the base plate (10). [5] Pump unit (4) according to claim 4, wherein the second fastening means receptacles (52; 66; 68) are designed such that the motor support (60) is fastened to the pump housing (6), in particular to the base plate (10), from a side of the motor support (10) facing the pump drive motor (28). [6] Pump unit (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor support (60) is designed as a plate-like element (61). [7] Pump unit (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor support (60) further comprises, on its side facing the pump drive motor (28), a motor receiving structure (70) adapted to a shape of the pump drive motor (28). [8] Pump unit (4) according to claim 7, wherein the motor receiving structure (70) has at least one third fastening receptacle (52; 66; 58) which is designed to cooperate with a third fastening means (74) with which the pump drive motor (28) or a pump drive motor part can be fastened to the motor receiving structure (70). [9] Pump unit (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor support (60) is made of plastic, in particular a fiber-reinforced plastic, wherein advantageously the motor support (60) is injection-molded. [10] Method for providing a pump unit (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein fastening of the pump drive motor (28) to the pump housing (6) is carried out with the following steps: - Providing a motor support (60) with one side facing the base plate (10) of the pump housing (6) and one side facing the pump drive motor (28); - fastening the pump drive motor (28) to the side of the motor support (60) facing the pump drive motor (28), whereby a pre-assembled unit comprising the pump drive motor (28) and the motor support (60) is provided, - Fasten the pre-assembled unit consisting of pump drive motor (28) and motor mount (60) to the pump housing (6). [11] Method according to claim 10, wherein the pump drive motor (28) is fastened to the motor support (60) from the side facing the base plate (10) of the pump housing (6) and / or wherein the pre-assembled unit comprising pump drive motor (28) and motor support (60) is fastened to the pump housing (6) from the side facing the pump drive motor (28).

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