AUTOMOTIVE COOLANT ASSEMBLY WITH PUMPS MOUNTED ON A BRACKET

Abstract

An assembly comprising at least one motor vehicle coolant circulation pump (10) mounted on a support (2), each pump (10) having a substantially cylindrical outer surface (18), the support (2) having, for each pump (10), a housing receiving this cylindrical surface (18), each housing having a flexible curved arm (22) forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the pump (18) by elastic deformation increasing this curvature, this arm (22) then providing a permanent clamping force to retain the pump (10). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE COOLANT FLUID WITH PUMPS MOUNTED ON A SUPPORT

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle coolant assembly, comprising at least one pump fixed on a support, as well as a method for assembling this assembly and a motor vehicle equipped with this assembly.

[0002] Motor vehicles generally include at least one coolant circulation pump, which allows a fluid to circulate in the engine and in the passenger compartment heating circuit to transfer heat.

[0003] Certain motor vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, have two pumps fixed on the same support linked to the powertrain, allowing different fluid circulation strategies for the thermal regulation of the electric machine, power electronics and battery to optimize performance and energy consumption, and for heating or air conditioning the passenger compartment.

[0004] A known type of assembly comprising two pumps, described in particular by document FR-A1-3120570, includes a thick plate with two holes, each receiving the body of a pump having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plate. Fixing screws parallel to the axes tighten the shoulders of the pump bodies onto the plate. This provides a mounting for two pumps with parallel axes, which can be positioned close to each other.

[0005] However, this type of assembly requires the installation of several fixing screws using pumps, followed by tightening these screws with special tools, which necessitates a certain amount of assembly time to complete these operations. The supply of the fixing screws, the installation of the specific tooling, and the assembly time result in production costs for each vehicle.

[0006] Furthermore, since the fixing screws must be tightened into a resistant material of the plate receiving the pumps, this mounting with a rigid plate can pose acoustic insulation problems. The rigidity of the plate does not promote vibration isolation of the pumps, thus preventing noise transmission to the plate's support during their rotation.

[0007] Another known type of assembly comprising two cooling fluid circulation pumps fixed to a support, includes for each pump a cradle formed in the support, forming a portion of a cylinder having an arc of a circle at an angle not exceeding 180°. Each cradle securely holds a pump lying on its side. A flange forming a complementary angle, with one end fixed to the support by a pivot, covers the outer contour of the pump. A screw inserted into a hole at the other end of the flange secures the pump in its cradle.

[0008] However, this type of assembly also presents problems in the supply of flanges, pivots, and clamping screws for these flanges, and adds assembly time to these various components, resulting in increased costs. It also results in a rigid assembly that promotes the transmission of vibrations and noise to the support and the vehicle.

[0009] The present invention is specifically intended to avoid these problems of the prior art.

[0010] To this end, it proposes an assembly comprising at least one circulation pump of motor vehicle coolant fixed on a support, each pump having a substantially cylindrical external surface, the support having for each pump a housing receiving this cylindrical surface, this assembly being remarkable in that each housing has a flexible curved arm forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the pump by elastic deformation increasing this curvature, this arm then making a permanent clamping to hold the pump.

[0011] One advantage of this assembly is that it allows, simply and quickly, without clamping components or tools, each pump to be inserted into its housing by pushing it towards the bottom, which opens the arc of the arm by elastic deformation. The pump, once fitted to the bottom of the housing, is then automatically and continuously held in place by tightening the arc over a portion exceeding 180° of the cylindrical surface, thus preventing its removal.

[0012] In addition, the fixing of each pump on the support by means of the elastic arm automatically achieves, thanks to the absorption by the elastic material, acoustic insulation of vibrations emitted by the pumps in operation which are not transmitted to the system receiving this support.

[0013] The assembly comprising fluid circulation pumps according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, which may be combined with each other.

[0014] Advantageously, the entrance to each dwelling has slopes on each side facilitating the introduction of the pump into this entrance.

[0015] In this case, advantageously a free end of the flexible arms has a rounded rim turned outwards forming a slope for the introduction of the pump.

[0016] Advantageously, the flexible arms are part of the same flexible connecting plate which is fixed to the support.

[0017] In particular, the connecting plate can have a constant thickness.

[0018] Advantageously, the assembly comprises two pumps having parallel axes.

[0019] In particular, the connecting plate may include a central part having a flexible arm on each side.

[0020] In addition, advantageously each flexible arm includes a foot for fixing the plate to the support.

[0021] The invention also relates to a method of assembling the assembly comprising any one of the preceding characteristics, remarkable in that it includes a step of radially pushing the cylindrical part of each pump on the inlets of the housing of its flexible arm so as to widen this inlet by increasing the curvature of the arm, then a complete introduction of each pump to the bottom of this housing.

[0022] The invention further relates to an electric motor vehicle equipped with coolant circulation pumps, comprising an assembly including two pumps comprising any one of the preceding characteristics, which is fixed on the powertrain.

[0023] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become more apparent upon reading the following description given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0024] [Fig. 1] is a view of the front face of an assembly according to the invention comprising a support receiving two fluid circulation pumps;

[0025] [Fig.2] is a rear view of this assembly; and

[0026] [Fig.3] presents a method of assembling the pumps on the support of this assembly.

[0027] Figures 1 and 2 show a support comprising a rigid base 2 forming substantially a plane comprising several holes 4 arranged on its contour, receiving clamping screws on a powertrain of an electric vehicle, a flexible connecting plate 6 fixed to this base, and two similar coolant circulation pumps 10 held in this plate.

[0028] Each pump 10 comprises a body including a substantially cylindrical part 18, having on one end face an axial fluid inlet 12 disposed in the axis of a centrifugal turbine driven by an electric motor, and a tangential outlet of this fluid 14. The other face of the pump 10 includes an electrical connector 16 for supplying the electric machine.

[0029] A connecting plate 6 having two parallel faces, made by molding in a flexible material, has a significant thickness, between 20 and 40% of the diameter of the cylindrical part of the pump body 18.

[0030] The connecting plate 6, arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the rigid base 2, has a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane of symmetry P perpendicular to this base. The connecting plate 6, viewed from the front, has two curved arms in the shape of an arc. circle 22 arranged on each side of this plane, each having a relatively thin constant width, less than the thickness of this plate, which are connected to each other by a central part 20 having a large width.

[0031] The central portion 20 of the connecting plate 6 has a straight edge perpendicular to the plane of symmetry P, which joins the inner contour of each curved arm 22 by means of a chamfer 26, and an opposite edge with a strong concave curvature which joins the outer contour of these arms by means of a regular curve. Each arm 22 has, from the central portion 20, a constant width extending over approximately 210°, forming an inner recess, and terminates in a rounded rim facing outwards 24.

[0032] Each curved arm 22 thus forms an omega shape having, at rest, an inner diameter that is smaller than that of the cylindrical part of the pump body 18, so as to ensure permanent clamping on this body after the bridges are installed. The inner contour of each arm 22 has two entry slopes formed by the chamfer 26 connecting the central part 20 and the inner contour of the arm, and by the outwardly turned rounded edge 24 formed on the other side of this arm.

[0033] Each curved arm 22 of the connecting plate 6 has a foot 28 with a reduced thickness compared to that of the plate. The two parallel feet 28 have a rectangular cross-section terminating in an end that is fitted and fixed inside a rigid end piece formed on the base 2.

[0034] The two feet 28 of the connecting plate 6, which secures the two pumps 10 to the rigid base 2, having a reduced section formed in a flexible material, provide a flexible connection ensuring vibration decoupling which prevents the transmission of noise generated by the pumps during their operation to this base and to the powertrain which supports the base.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a method of assembling the assembly according to the invention, comprising approaching each pump 10 opposite the opening of its curved arm 22, resting its external cylindrical surface 18 on the inlet chamfer 26 and the outwardly turned rounded rim 24. Then, by a radial push on the pump to slide its cylindrical surface 18 on the inlet chamfer 26 and the rounded rim 24, the inlet is widened by increasing the curvature of the arm 22 through elastic deformation.

[0036] The pump 10 then advances after a complete insertion to the bottom of the inner housing of the curved arm 22. In the final position the arm 20 maintains a permanent elastic clamping on the cylindrical contour of the pump 10, thanks to its inner diameter which before assembly is smaller than that of the pump body.

[0037] Removing a pump 10 is done simply by pulling on the rounded edge 24 which protrudes from the contour of this pump, allowing easy gripping for opening the curved arm 22 in order to allow the pump to exit by a radial movement opposite to that of entry.

[0038] The two pumps 10 are assembled without tools, by a simple movement that can be manual or automated, and without using any fasteners such as screws. The connecting plate 6 is manufactured economically by molding an elastic material that can directly produce the finished part during this molding process.

Claims

Demands

1. Assembly comprising two motor vehicle coolant circulation pumps (10) fixed on a support (2) and having parallel axes, each pump (10) having a substantially cylindrical outer surface (18), the support (2) having for each pump (10) a housing receiving this cylindrical surface (18), characterized in that each housing has a flexible curved arm (22) forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the pump (18) by elastic deformation increasing this curvature, this arm (22) then performing a permanent clamping to retain the pump (10), the flexible arms (22) being part of the same flexible connecting plate (6) which is fixed on the support (2), the connecting plate (6) having a central part (20) having on each side a flexible arm (22).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the entrance of each housing has slopes (26) on each side facilitating the introduction of the pump (10) into this entrance.

3. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that a free end of the flexible arms (22) has an outwardly turned rounded rim (24) forming a pump (10) introduction slope.

4. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting plate (6) has a constant thickness.

5. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each flexible arm (22) has a foot (28) for fixing the plate (6) to the support (2).

6. Electric motor vehicle equipped with coolant circulation pumps (10), characterized in that it comprises an assembly including two pumps (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is fixed on the powertrain.

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