Method for manufacturing a pumping device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a pump device (1) which has a metal housing (2) and a further component (3). A simplified, cost-effective, weight-reduced and environmentally friendly manufacturing of the pump device (1) is achieved by the component (3) having plastic (5) at least on one outer surface (4), wherein the outer surface (4) is connected to the metal housing (2) by means of thermal joining. The invention also relates to a pump device manufactured in this manner (1).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a pump device for conveying a fluid, in particular oil. The invention also relates to a pump device produced in this way.

[0002] A pump device is used to pump a fluid. The pump device comprises several components, such as a housing, a mechanism for pumping the fluid, and a drive for driving the mechanism. To manufacture the pump device, at least some components of the pump device are mechanically connected to one another.

[0003] The present invention is concerned with the object of providing improved or at least different embodiments for a method for producing a pump device of the aforementioned type, as well as for a pump device produced in this way. In particular, the present invention is concerned with the object of providing embodiments for the method and for the pump device that are characterized by reduced manufacturing costs and / or reduced weight and / or an improved environmental impact.

[0004] This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0005] The present invention is therefore based on the fundamental idea of ​​providing a housing for a pump device as a metal housing and of forming at least one further component of the pump device, which is to be connected to the metal housing, with plastic at least on one outer side. In order to connect the component to the metal housing, the plastic is brought into contact with the metal housing and melted by means of heat, so that when the plastic finally hardens, a thermal joint is formed between the metal housing and the component. In this way, in addition to a simple mechanical connection of the component to the metal housing, separate connecting components such as screws, adhesive and the like are dispensed with. As a result, the pump device is manufactured both cost-effectively and with reduced weight.In addition, the elimination or at least reduced use of such connecting components, in particular adhesive, leads to a more environmentally friendly production and design of the pump device.

[0006] According to the inventive concept, the metal housing and the component are provided for producing the pump device. The component has plastic on at least one outer side. To connect the component to the metal housing, the outer side is brought into contact with a section of the metal housing, which is also referred to below as the connecting section. By heating the metal housing, in particular inductively, the plastic of the component is melted at the connecting section and wets the connecting section. The heating is then stopped so that the plastic hardens and the component is thermally joined to the metal housing at the connecting section. The component is therefore connected to the metal housing at the connecting section by means of a thermal joint.

[0007] In this context, "metal housing" refers to a housing made of a metal or an alloy. Preferably, at least the connecting section is made of the metal or alloy.

[0008] In principle, the component can only have plastic on the outside. This means that the component can only be made of plastic on the outside.

[0009] For example, the component can be coated with the plastic. In particular, the component can be overmolded with the plastic. In this way, the component is not entirely made of plastic. This allows the use of a variety of components to create a thermal joint of the type described.

[0010] Preferably, the component has plastic on its entire outer surface. This means that the component is made of plastic at least on its entire outer surface. This results in simplified and flexible production of the pump device and a mechanically stable thermal connection between the metal housing and the component.

[0011] Advantageously, the component and the metal housing are mechanically stressed against each other, at least during the melting of the plastic. This allows the metal housing to penetrate the molten plastic. This leads to increased mechanical stability and resilience of the thermal joint.

[0012] The pump device serves to convey a fluid. This means that the pump device conveys, in particular pumps, a fluid during operation. For this purpose, the pump device expediently has a correspondingly designed mechanism such that the mechanism conveys the fluid during drive. The mechanism can be, for example, a conveying wheel, a gear, a gerotor, and the like.

[0013] The drive is preferably electric. For this purpose, the drive advantageously comprises a stator core with a stator, which, during operation, interacts with a rotor drivingly connected to the mechanism.

[0014] The pumping device can be used to pump any fluid.

[0015] For example, the fluid is a liquid, in particular oil. The pumping device can therefore be, in particular, an oil pump.

[0016] The pumping device can be used in any application.

[0017] The pump device is used, for example, in a motor vehicle to pump a fluid, in particular oil, within the motor vehicle.

[0018] In preferred embodiments, the connecting section has elevations directed towards the component and depressions directed away from the component. This means that a metal housing with a connecting section having such elevations and depressions is provided. The elevations and depressions can be produced by roughening the connecting section. As a result, the molten plastic penetrates into the depressions. The plastic thus hardens in the depressions. The result is a mechanically more stable and resilient connection between the component and the metal housing. Advantageously, the molten plastic fills the depressions and then hardens in them. This leads to a particularly stable mechanical connection between the component and the metal housing. Preferably, the elevations simultaneously penetrate into the molten plastic and remain in the subsequently hardened plastic.This in turn leads to improved mechanical stability and load-bearing capacity of the joint.

[0019] In principle, the connecting section can be provided at any position on the metal housing. This means that the component can be connected to the metal housing at any point.

[0020] In preferred embodiments, the connecting portion is arranged on an end face of the metal housing. This means that the outer side of the component is brought into contact with an end face of the metal housing as a connecting portion. In particular, the end face can correspond to the connecting portion.

[0021] Advantageously, the component is the stator package of the pump device.

[0022] Preferably, the stator of the stator core is overmolded with plastic, so that the plastic forms the outer surface of the stator core. The stator core thus comprises the stator and the plastic, which encloses the stator like an outer shell.

[0023] Preferably, the connecting section is formed on the end face of the metal housing; in particular, the end face corresponds to the connecting section. The connecting section advantageously runs at an angle or transversely to the longitudinal center axis of the stator core, i.e., in particular, also to a rotational axis of the drive. In this way, the stator core is attached to the metal housing in a mechanically stable manner, even against rotation about the rotational axis or longitudinal center axis. The elevations and depressions are preferably parallel or inclined to the longitudinal center axis or the rotational axis.

[0024] In principle, the component can be mechanically connected to the metal housing in other ways besides the thermal joining.

[0025] Advantageously, the component is connected to the metal housing exclusively by means of the thermal joining connection.

[0026] It is conceivable to actively cool the metal housing and / or the component after the heating process has ended. This results in faster hardening of the plastic, which in particular leads to increased cycle times in the production of the pump device.

[0027] It is clear that the pump device may also comprise two or more such components, each of which is / are connected to the metal housing as described.

[0028] It is understood that in addition to the method for producing the pump device, a pump device produced in this way also belongs to the scope of this invention.

[0029] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0030] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

[0032] They show, schematically Fig. 1 an isometric view of a pump device with a metal housing and a component, Fig. 2 an isometric view of the component, Fig. 3 an isometric view of a stator of the component, Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 shows a simplified sectional view of successive steps for the manufacture of the pump device,

[0033] A pump device 1, as shown for example in Fig. 1, has a metal housing 2, for example made of aluminum. The pump device 1 also has a component 3, which has plastic 5 at least on an outer side 4. In the exemplary embodiments shown, the component 4 is a Fig. 2 separately shown stator package 6 of the pump device 1. The stator package 6 has a Fig. 3 separately shown stator 7 as a component of a drive 8 of the pump device 1, not shown otherwise. The drive 8 drives, during operation, a mechanism not shown for conveying a fluid, for example oil. As can be seen from a summary of the Fig. 2 and Fig. As can be seen from Figure 3, in the illustrated embodiments, the stator 7 in the stator core 6 is coated with plastic 5, and in the illustrated embodiments, it is overmolded. Thus, in the illustrated embodiments, the entire outer surface of the stator core 6 consists essentially of the plastic 5.

[0034] To produce the pump device 1, as shown in the Fig. 4 to 6, the outer side 4 of the component 3 is brought into contact with a section 9 of the metal housing 2 (see Fig. 4), whereby the section 9 is also referred to below as connecting section 9. In the embodiments shown, the connecting section 9 is arranged on an end face 10 of the metal housing 2, which faces the stator core 6 in the pump device 1. Subsequently, as in Fig. 5, the metal housing 2 is heated by means of heat supply, so that the plastic 5 of the component 3 melts at the connecting section 9 and wets the connecting section 9. Upon subsequent termination of the heating, as Fig. 6, leads to a hardening of the plastic 5, so that the component 3 is thermally joined to the metal housing 2 at the connecting section 9. This means that the component 3 is connected to the metal housing 2 by means of a thermal joining connection. The component 3 and / or the metal housing 2 can be actively cooled to faster hardening of the plastic 5. The connection of the component 3 to the metal housing 2 can thus be made without additional components, in particular free of screws and adhesive. This leads to a simple, cost-effective, weight-reduced and environmentally friendly production of the pump device 1. In the exemplary embodiments shown, the component 3 is connected to the metal housing 2 exclusively by means of thermal joining.

[0035] As a summary of the Fig. 4 to 6, the metal housing 2 and the component 3 are mechanically stressed against each other during production, in particular during the melting process of the plastic 5.

[0036] The connecting section 9 has in the embodiments shown, such as the Fig. 4 to 6, elevations 12 and depressions 11. The elevations 12 are directed towards the component 3 and the depressions are directed slightly away from the component 3. The elevations 12 and depressions 11 can be introduced into the connecting section 9 by roughening the connecting section 9 before the connecting section 9 is brought into contact with the outer side 4. In this case, the molten plastic penetrates, as a comparison of the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 shows, into the recesses 11. In the embodiments shown, the molten plastic, as in particular Fig. 6, the depressions 11. At the same time, the elevations 12 penetrate into the molten plastic 5. The plastic 5 and thus the outer side 4 and the metal housing 2 thus penetrate each other, so that the mechanical connection is stabilized.

[0037] As in the Fig. As indicated in Figures 4 to 6, the depressions 11 and the elevations 12 in the illustrated embodiments are directed parallel or inclined, in the illustrated embodiments parallel, to a longitudinal center axis A of the stator core 6. In the illustrated embodiments, the longitudinal center axis A runs parallel, in particular coaxially, to a rotational axis R of the drive 8. This results in a particular stabilization of the connection of the stator core 6 to the metal housing 2 with respect to rotations of the drive 8 about the rotational axis R.

Claims

[1] Method for producing a pump device (1) for conveying a fluid, in particular oil, - wherein a metal housing (2) of the pump device (1) is provided, - wherein a further component (3) of the pump device (1) is provided, which has plastic (5) at least on one outer side (4), - wherein the outer side (4) is brought into contact with a connecting portion (9) of the metal housing (2), - wherein the metal housing (2) is heated so that the plastic (5) of the component (3) melts at the connecting section (9) and wets the connecting section (9), - wherein the heating is stopped so that the plastic (5) hardens and so that the component (3) is thermally joined to the metal housing (2) at the connecting section (9). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized bythat such a metal housing (2) is provided which has a connecting section (9) with recesses (11) directed away from the component (3) into which the molten plastic (5) penetrates. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the component (3) is coated, in particular overmolded, with the plastic (5). [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the outer side (4) of the component (3) is brought into contact with an end face (10) of the metal housing (2) as a connecting section (9). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that a stator package (6) of a drive (8) of the pump device (1) is provided as component (3). [6] Method according to claim 5 and claim 3 or 4, characterized by that a stator (7) of the stator package (6) is overmolded with the plastic (5) so that the plastic (5) forms the outer side (4) of the stator package (6). [7] Method according to claims 5 and 6 and according to claims 2 and 4, characterized by , - that the outer side (4) of the stator package (6) is brought into contact with the end face (10) of the metal housing (2) as a connecting section (9), - that such a metal housing (2) is provided with such a connecting section (9), the recesses (11) of which are directed parallel or inclined to a longitudinal center axis (A) of the stator core (6). [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the component (3) is connected to the metal housing (2) exclusively by means of thermal joining. [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the metal housing (2) and / or the component (3) is actively cooled to harden the plastic (5). [10] Pump device (1) for conveying a fluid, in particular oil, with a metal housing (2) and a further component (2) which has plastic (5) at least on one outer side (4), wherein the pump device (1) is manufactured according to the method according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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