Assembly comprising a plurality of pumps for a motor vehicle

Abstract

Assembly comprising a plurality of fluid control units (2) for a motor vehicle, each comprising a body (4) and rotational axes (A) parallel to each other, and comprising a support member for said control units (2) which comprises a plate (20) forming a single part arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axes (A), and having holes passing through said plate (20), ea4ch hole receiving a body of a control unit (4).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly comprising several motor vehicle fluid control units, as well as to a motor vehicle comprising such an assembly.

[0002] Some motor vehicles may have at least two cooling fluid control units, such as pumps, each comprising an electric motor with parallel rotation axes, which are attached to the powertrain to manage the heat flows of the engine and transmission.

[0003] A known type of assembly with two pumps, presented in particular by document FR-A1-3065511, comprises a first elongated leg, and a second elongated leg fixed to the base of this first leg, these legs made of stamped metal sheet having a constant cross-section presenting two corrugations.

[0004] Each pump comprises a housing having a slot having a constant section formed in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, which extends over a length of this housing, receiving in a fitted manner one of the legs of the support inserted therein.

[0005] One problem is that it is difficult to adjust the vibration isolation between these pumps and the support, in order to avoid transmission of vibrations and noise.

[0006] In addition, this support has two metal parts that must be assembled together, requiring the management and supply of these parts, then a time for the assembly of these parts using the tools necessary to tighten this assembly.

[0007] These manipulations lead to risks of incorrect assembly, such as insufficient tightening. Manufacturing, part management and the necessary assembly time entail specific costs.

[0008] Another type of known assembly with two pumps, presented in particular by document EP-A1-3248821, comprises for each pump a plate receiving in a bore the body of this pump, these plates comprising on one side complementary shapes which allow a fitting between them in order to link them to secure the two pumps.

[0009] One side of each plate has a slot that extends axially through the plate, having a constant cross-section. A single fastener has two tabs that fit into the slots in both pump plates.

[0010] However, the connections between the two pump plates have dimensions that can limit the proximity of these pumps, resulting in a relatively large overall footprint. This assembly is more difficult to install on a powertrain, in an engine compartment that generally has limited space to optimize the vehicle's volumes.

[0011] The two plates also constitute two components involving manufacturing and supply costs, and requiring assembly time between them.

[0012] Furthermore, the state of the art is known from document EP3248821A1.

[0013] The present invention aims in particular to avoid these problems of the prior art.

[0014] To this end, it proposes an assembly comprising several motor vehicle pumps, each pump comprising a body and an axis of rotation, the axes of rotation of each pump being parallel to each other, and comprising a support for these pumps, the support comprising a plate arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axes, comprising holes passing through this plate, each receiving a body of a pump, this assembly being remarkable in that the plate forms a single piece comprising several elastomeric materials having different stiffnesses.

[0015] An advantage of this assembly is that the plate forming a single piece of the support, by bringing the holes receiving the bodies of the regulation units as close as possible, these bodies can be arranged as close as possible to each other, without having to provide connections between two parts of the plates. In this way, the size of the assembly is reduced, and its integration into the vehicle's powertrain is facilitated.

[0016] In addition, the connection between the two regulation units is secured by the single plate receiving them, the number of parts is reduced and assembly is simplified, which reduces manufacturing costs.

[0017] The assembly with control units according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, which may be combined with each other.

[0018] Advantageously, each hole has in a plane transverse to the axes a section which is constant over the length of this hole.

[0019] In this case, advantageously the cross-section of each hole forms a circle comprising regularly distributed hollows on the contour. Advantageously, one face of the plate comprises grooves on the contour of each hole, each receiving a boss extending beyond the outer contour of the regulating unit bodies.

[0020] Advantageously, the plate has slots for receiving fasteners which have a constant cross-section.

[0021] In particular, the plate may comprise three spaced slots. In addition, the slots may form holes which pass through the plate. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least two coolant pumps which are part of an assembly comprising any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0022] The invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages will appear more clearly on reading the description below given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: [ Fig. 1 ] presents a complete assembly according to the invention comprising two pumps; [ Fig. 2 ] is a view of the front face of the support plate alone of this assembly; [ Fig. 3 ] is a view of the rear face of this plate; [ Fig. 4 ] is a rear side view of the assembly attached to a powertrain; and [ Fig. 5 ] presents a complete set showing several possible angular orientations of each pump.

[0023] There figure 1 presents an assembly comprising two fluid circulation regulation units, in particular pumps 2, each having an axis of rotation A, these axes parallel to each other comprising a side conventionally called front, indicated by the arrow AV.

[0024] Each pump 2 comprises an outer body 4 comprising on the front face an axial orifice 6 and a tangential orifice 8 for the circulation of the fluid in this pump.

[0025] The rear face of each pump has electrical connectors 10 allowing them to be supplied with current on demand, to regulate the circulation of coolant in a motor vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid vehicle.

[0026] THE figures 1, 2 And 3have a support formed from a single plate 20 with two parallel faces 26, 30 perpendicular to the axes A, comprising two through holes 22 which each receive a pump body 4. The constant section perpendicular to the axes A of each hole 22 forms a circle comprising regularly distributed hollows 24 on the outline.

[0027] The body 4 of each pump 2 has a substantially circular contour comprising a series of axial teeth which fit into a bore 22 of the plate 20 so as to achieve both centering and alignment of this pump, and locking in rotation around its axis thanks to the teeth wedged in the hollows 24.

[0028] Each pump body 4 has four bosses 12 which extend axially, protruding from the substantially circular outer contour of this housing, each receiving a screw 14 parallel to the axis A making it possible to tighten together different parts of this body stacked axially.

[0029] The front face 26 of the support plate 20 comprises for each bore 22 four radially oriented grooves 28, distributed around this bore over a small thickness of the plate, each receiving one end of a boss 12 which fits slightly into this front face. The ends of the bosses 12 adjusted in the grooves 28 also avoid arranging each pump 2 with a bad angular orientation in its bore 22. The two pumps 2 are arranged as close as possible to each other, with a minimum radial distance between their two bodies 4, comprising a reduced thickness of material 32 between the two bores of this plate 22. The use of the same plate 20 receiving the two bores 22 avoids providing a connection between two separate supports. In this way, the overall size of the assembly is reduced, and its installation in the engine compartment of the vehicle is facilitated.

[0030] The rear face 30 of the support plate 20 comprises a slot with a curved section 34 having two undulations, which extends parallel to the axis over a large part of the thickness of this plate, partially opening onto the front face 26.

[0031] Two other straight slots 38 spaced from each other, and spaced from the curved slot 34, each having a straight shape aligned with the other straight slot, completely pass through the thickness of the support plate 20.

[0032] There figure 4 has a fixing 40 formed by folded sheets assembled together, fixed on a power unit 42, having three elongated legs parallel to the axes A which each fit into the curved slot 34 or into one of the straight slots 38. The spacing of the slots 34, 38 between them gives rigidity and limits the stresses in the fixing 40.

[0033] In this way, a complete assembly is produced comprising the support plate 20 receiving the two pumps 2, which can be prepared for example by a supplier. The complete assembly is then mounted on the vehicle with the aid of the fixing 40 comprising a single part, which simplifies supplies, and reduces the risks of incorrect assembly as well as assembly times on this vehicle.

[0034] The support plate 20 is advantageously produced by molding a material having a certain flexibility, calculated to dampen the vibrations emitted by the operation of each pump 2, which avoids transmitting these vibrations to the powertrain and to the body of the vehicle by preventing the propagation of noise.

[0035] The flexible material of the support plate 20 also makes it possible to prevent the transmission of vibrations coming from the powertrain to the pumps 2, by avoiding loosening, in particular of the electrical connections 10.

[0036] The support plate 20 may comprise different materials having different hardnesses or stiffnesses, in particular elastomers assembled by successive overmoldings, which make it possible to respond to mechanical strength and vibration isolation constraints depending on the shapes of the part.

[0037] Hardness is related to stiffness in the sense that as hardness increases, stiffness also increases accordingly.

[0038] For example, a support 20 may be provided having a more flexible inner side that is in contact with the pump, which could thus better dampen the vibrations of the pump, while having a peripheral outer side with a greater stiffness than that of the inner side. Thus, the support 20 would have a first portion of a first material having a first stiffness surrounding the bore 22 and a second peripheral portion surrounding the first portion of a second material having a greater stiffness than that of the first material.

[0039] There figure 5 has the same support plate 20 comprising holes 22 which can receive, thanks to the circular contour and the succession of regularly distributed hollows 24, the pump bodies 4 in different angular positions. This plate 20 forms a standard which can be used on a variety of vehicles.

[0040] In this example, three mounting positions are thus obtained for each pump 2, each having a different angular orientation of its tangential orifice 8.

[0041] Generally speaking, as a variant, more than two regulation units can be provided on the plate 20, each occupying a hole 22. These regulation units can comprise pumps 2, or other equipment used for regulating the circulation of fluids in the vehicle.

Claims

1. Set comprising several motor vehicle pumps (2), each pump comprising a body (4) and a rotation axis (A), the rotation axes rotation of each pump being parallel to each other, and comprising a support for these pumps (2), the support comprising a plate (20) arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axes (A), comprising holes (22) passing through this plate (20) each receiving a body of a pump (4), characterized in that the plate (20 forms a single piece comprising several elastomeric materials with different stiffnesses.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that each bore (22) comprises in a plane transverse to the axes (A) a section which is constant over the length of this bore.

3. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the section constant of each drilling (22) forms a circle comprising regularly distributed hollows (24) on the outline.

4. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one face (26) of the plate (20) comprises on the contour of each drilling (22) grooves (28) each receiving a boss (12) protruding from the outer contour of the regulating unit bodies (4).

5. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (20) comprises slots for receiving fasteners (34, 38) which have a constant cross-section.

6. Assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the plate (20) has three slots (34, 38) spaced apart.

7. Assembly according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the slots (34, 38) form holes which pass through the plate (20).

8. Motor vehicle comprising at least two coolant pumps (2), characterized in that these pumps (2) are part of a assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.

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