Water pump device

Abstract

A water pump device includes a water pump shell, a bearing shaft, an impeller, a belt pulley, a water seal. The water pump shell has an overflow hole and a flow-retarding channel that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole and that reduces flow rate of water flowing out of the overflow hole. The bearing shaft is rotatably mounted on and extending through the water pump shell. The impeller is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft. The belt pulley is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft that is opposite to the impeller. The water seal is mounted on the bearing shaft and located between the overflow hole and the impeller.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Application No. 114202495, filed on Mar. 13, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to a pump, and more particularly to a water pump device.BACKGROUND

[0003] In conventional water pumps used in cooling systems for internal combustion engines (ICEs), coolant water leakage is a common occurrence. The leaked coolant water will be outletted from a water channel on the water pump shell. This type of pseudo-leakage is part of the design of the conventional water pump and does not interfere with its normal operation. However, when a water seal of the water pump is damaged and non-functional, coolant water will also leak out of the water channel, thereby causing a bona fide leakage. But because both the pseudo-leakage and the bona fide-leakage occurs from the water channel, a user cannot determine which type of leakage is occurring by observing the water channel, since there would be constant leakage coming from the water channel regardless of pseudo-leakage or bona fide-leakage. Thus, when a bona fide-leakage occurs, damage to the water seal of the conventional water pump may not be detected in time, other components in the water pump that are adjacent to the water seal may become damaged, and safety of the water pump may become compromised. Accordingly, there is a need for a water pump device that can effectively alleviate the above mentioned problems of the conventional water pump.SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a water pump device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0005] According to the disclosure, the water pump device includes a water pump shell, a bearing shaft, an impeller, a belt pulley, a water seal. The water pump shell has an overflow hole and a flow-retarding channel that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole and that reduces flow rate of water flowing out of the overflow hole. The bearing shaft is rotatably mounted on and extends through the water pump shell. The impeller is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft. The belt pulley is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft that is opposite to the impeller. The water seal is mounted on the bearing shaft and located between the overflow hole and the impeller.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that various features may not be drawn to scale.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first embodiment of a water pump device according to the present disclosure, and showing a core structure of the water pump device including a flow-retarding channel for controlling coolant outflow.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the first embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of the first embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating a second embodiment of the water pump device according to the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating how a helical flow-retarding structure slows coolant discharge and aids leakage differentiation.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a third embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view showing an inclined flow-retarding structure that modifies discharge direction and prevents coolant from re-entering the pump chamber.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative design for a water pump shell of the water pump device of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another alternative design for the water pump shell of the water pump device of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating still another alternative design for the water pump shell the water pump device of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

[0018] It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1 a first embodiment of a water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure includes a water pump shell 1, a bearing shaft 2, an impeller 3, a belt pulley 4, a bearing assembly 5, and a water seal 6.

[0020] The water pump shell 1 is mounted on a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE) (not shown). The water pump shell 1 has an overflow hole 101 and a flow-retarding channel 102 that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed into a structure that reduces the flow rate of water (or coolant water) flowing out of the overflow hole 101. The bearing shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on and extending through the water pump shell 1. The impeller 3 is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft 2 and is able to be driven by the bearing shaft 2 to rotate. The belt pulley 4 is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft 2 that is opposite to the impeller 3. The belt pulley 4 is able to drive the bearing shaft 2 to rotate, which, in turn, drives the impeller 3 to rotate. The water seal 6 is mounted on the bearing shaft 2 and located between the overflow hole 101 and the impeller 3.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and 3, the flow-retarding channel 102 is an open flow channel that is open to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. The flow-retarding channel 102 has a drain hole 103 and a drain hole opening 104. The drain hole 103 is fluidly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101 and is substantially parallel to the bearing shaft 2. The drain hole opening 104 is open to an ambient region around the water pump device 100 and fluidly connects the drain hole 103 and the ambient region around the water pump device 100. In the first embodiment, the water pump shell 1 has a tubular shell body 11, a helical flow-retarding structure 12, and a cavity cover 13. The tubular shell body 11 is formed with the overflow hole 101, and a cavity section 111 fluidly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The helical flow-retarding structure 12 is located in the cavity section 111, and the helical flow-retarding structure 12 and the cavity section 111 cooperatively define the drain hole 103. The helical flow-retarding structure 12 guides the water to slowly flow out of the drain hole 103. More specifically, in this embodiment, the helical flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is an internal helical thread directly formed on an inner surface of the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. For example, the inner surface of the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11 may be machined to form the flow-retarding structure 12. The cavity cover 13 is disposed on the tubular shell body 11, defines the drain hole opening 104, and partially covers the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is smaller than that of the drain hole 103. The cavity cover 13 may be connected to the tubular shell body 11 by snap-fitting or any other suitable way, and this is not a limitation of the disclosure.

[0022] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 further has a dish-like shell portion 10 that receives the impeller 3, and the tubular shell body 11 protrudes from an outer surface of the dish-like shell portion 10 and is formed with a cavity shell 11a outside of the tubular shell body 11 in proximity to the dish-like shell portion 10. The bearing shaft 2 extends through the tubular shell body 11, and the end portion of the bearing shaft 2 extends into the dish-like shell portion 10. The overflow hole 101 extends in a radial direction through an inner surface of the tubular shell body 11 and an outer surface of the tubular shell body 11 in proximity to the dish-like shell portion 10. The cavity shell 11a has the cavity section 111. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed in the cavity shell 11a, and the drain hole 103 is defined by the cavity section 111 and fluidly connects a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 further has a drain hole opening 104 that fluidly connects a downstream end of the drain hole 103 and that opens to an ambient region around the water pump shell 1. The cavity shell 11a has the cavity cover 13 covering the downstream end of the drain hole 103 and is formed with the drain hole opening 104. The drain hole 103 has a cross section that is larger than that of the overflow hole 101. The cavity shell portion 11a further has the helical flow-retarding structure 12 formed in the cavity section 111. An inner surface of the cavity section 111 cooperates with the helical flow-retarding structure 12 to define the drain hole 103.

[0023] The flow-retarding channel 102 further has a connecting section 105 disposed between and fluidly connecting the drain hole 103 and the overflow hole 101. The connecting section 105 is directly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101.

[0024] When a pseudo-leakage (as explained in the background section of the present disclosure) occurs and a smaller amount of coolant water leaks between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6 into the overflow hole 101. The coolant water leaked into the overflow hole 101 will flow through the connecting section 105 and slowly drip into the flow-retarding structure 12 in the drain hole 103. The flow-retarding structure 12 is an internal helical thread that retards the flow rate of coolant water that drips into the flow-retarding structure 12. This causes the coolant water that is leaked into the drain hole 103 to have a slower flow rate, and the helical flow-retarding structure 12 will guide the coolant water to slowly flow inside the drain hole 103. It should be noted that the water pump shell 1 is mounted next to a cylinder of the ICE. When operating, heat from the cylinders of the ICE will be transferred to the water pump device 100, and the temperature of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 will be raised to the same temperature as that of the cylinder (which is at a high temperature under normal operation). Therefore, any coolant water left in the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 of the water pump shell 1 will be heated until it is vaporized. The vaporized coolant water will be outletted by the drain hole opening 104 to the ambient region around the water pump device 100, thereby decreasing the pressure in the water pump device 100. Furthermore, by the water pump device 100 having the design where a cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is smaller than that of the drain hole 103, the cavity cover 13 may achieve the function of blocking the coolant water that has been leaked into the drain hole 103 from seeping out, this increases the time the coolant water spends in the drain hole 103, and helps to ensures that the coolant water in the drain hole 103 will be completely vaporized.

[0025] By having the flow-retarding structure 12 to decrease the flow rate of the leaked coolant water, and by having the cavity cover 13 which blocks the coolant water, the complete vaporization of the coolant water in the drain hole 103 by the heat in the water pump device 100 may be ensured. This prevents leaked coolant water accumulating in the drain hole 103 and eventually being outletted by the drain hole opening 104. In this way, the water pump device 100 may prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring.

[0026] When the water seal 6 of the water pump device 100 is damaged and fails. A bona fide leakage will occur, and coolant water will leak out from between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6. In this case, where a bona fide leakage is occurring, the amount of coolant water leaked into the drain hole 103 from the overflow hole 101 is greater than that during the pseudo-leakage. Therefore, the leaked coolant water will be guided to flow by the flow-retarding structure 12 in the drain dole 103 and will be outletted via the drain hole opening 104 to the ambient region around the water pump device 100 before complete vaporization of the coolant water can occur. In this case, by designing the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 to be smaller than the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103, the coolant water may be evenly outletted to the ambient region around the water pump device 100. In this way, the eventuality where too much coolant water is leaked into the drain hole 103 and squirts out of the drain hole opening 104 may be prevented. It is noted that this may prevent the coolant water from being sprayed onto machinery and other components of the water pump device 100 which may result in damage to the components of the water pump device 100 and cause it to malfunction.

[0027] Because the water pump device 100 may vaporize lesser amounts of coolant water and effectively prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring, maintenance personnel may accurately predict whether a bona fide leakage has occurred in the water pump device 100 by observing the drain hole opening 104 to see whether coolant water is being outletted thereof. This prevents the misidentification of a bona fide leakage as a pseudo leakage in the water pump device 100 and allows maintenance personnel to immediately repair the water pump device 100 when a leakage has occurred, thereby increasing the safety of the water pump device 100. Because identification of leakage in the water pump device 100 is straightforward and easy to conduct, determination of leakage in the water pump device 100 is more accurate and ease of operation is higher for maintenance personnel.

[0028] Through the design of the water pump device 100 of having the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 be smaller than the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103, maintenance personnel operating the water pump device may accurately assess whether leakage has occurred. Additionally, by restricting the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104, foreign objects may be prevented from entering the drain hole 103 via the drain hole opening 104. Furthermore, because the helical flow-retarding structure 12 is located in the cavity section 111, and because the helical flow-retarding structure 12 cooperatively defines the drain hole 103, even if a foreign object is small enough to be admitted into the drain hole opening 104 and enter the drain hole 103, the flow-retarding structure 12 will block the foreign object from progressing further into the water pump device 100 via the overflow hole 101. In this way, components in the water pump device 100 such as the bearing shaft 2, the bearing assembly 5, and the water seal 6 may be protected and the service life of the water pump device 100 may be increased.

[0029] It should be noted that in a variation of the first embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 may be designed with a smaller cross sectional size. In these variations, the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103 may be small enough such that the cavity cover 13 may be omitted and the drain hole 103 may directly be fluidly communicated with the ambient region around the water pump device 100.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is generally similar to the first embodiment. However, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding structure 12.

[0031] In the second embodiment, the flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is a helical rod located in the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. In some cases, the flow-retarding structure 12 that is a helical rod may be first separately manufactured by machining, before being inserted and assembled into the cavity section 111, or in other cases, the tubular shell body 11 and the flow-retarding structure 12 may be manufactured by die cast using the same molding so that the flow-regarding structure 12 and the tubular shell body 11 is finished as one piece.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a third embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is substantially similar to the first embodiment; however, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding channel 102.

[0033] In the third embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is defined by the cavity section 111. The connecting hole section 105 that is fluidly and directly connected with the downstream end of the overflow hole 101, and an inclined hole section 106 that is fluidly communicated with a downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The inclined hole section 106 defines the drain hole 103 and is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the bearing shaft 2. More specifically, the inclined hole section 106 has an upstream end 107 and a downstream end 108 that are opposite in the extension direction. The downstream end 108 is more proximate to the bearing shaft 2 than the upstream end 107. The drain hole opening 104 fluidly connects the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106 to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is less than that of the inclined hole section 106.

[0034] When pseudo-leakage of coolant water happens between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6, the coolant water will flow into the connecting hole section 105 via the downstream end of the overflow hole 101 and flow to the inclined hole section 106 from the downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The coolant water will first begin to accumulate near the upstream end 107 of the inclined hole section 106, this will effectively retard the flow of leaked coolant water from the upstream end 107 towards the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106, and allow the coolant water to be effectively vaporized by heat from the water pump device 100 before accumulating too much in the inclined hole section 106.

[0035] It should be noted that, in addition to the configuration of the water pump shell 1 of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure may also be designed with other configurations according to requirements. In other embodiments, the flow-retarding channel may be implemented in conjunction with sensors, control units, or other diagnostic systems to further enhance leakage detection or coolant management functionality. Such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] For example, FIG. 8 shows an alternative version of a water pump shell for the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows another alternative version of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 10 shows still another alternative version of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure, where the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is radially positioned relative to the bearing shaft 2; the flow-retarding channel 102 is not provided with the connection section 105 of the first, second or third embodiments.

[0039] In summary of the above, in the various embodiments of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure, by virtue of the water pump shell 1 having the flow-retarding channel 102 that reduces the flow rate of water flowing out of the overflow hole 101, any coolant water in the drain hole 103 may be vaporized by the heat transferred from the water pump device 100. This allows the water pump device 100 to prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring, and allows maintenance personnel to accurately determine whether a bona fide leakage has occurred in the water pump device 100 by checking if any coolant water is seeping out of the drain hole opening 104.

[0040] In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects; such does not mean that every one of these features needs to be practiced with the presence of all the other features. In other words, in any described embodiment, when implementation of one or more features or specific details does not affect implementation of another one or more features or specific details, said one or more features may be singled out and practiced alone without said another one or more features or specific details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

[0041] While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is(are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Examples

first embodiment

[0019]Referring to FIG. 1 a water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure includes a water pump shell 1, a bearing shaft 2, an impeller 3, a belt pulley 4, a bearing assembly 5, and a water seal 6.

[0020]The water pump shell 1 is mounted on a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE) (not shown). The water pump shell 1 has an overflow hole 101 and a flow-retarding channel 102 that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed into a structure that reduces the flow rate of water (or coolant water) flowing out of the overflow hole 101. The bearing shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on and extending through the water pump shell 1. The impeller 3 is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft 2 and is able to be driven by the bearing shaft 2 to rotate. The belt pulley 4 is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft 2 that is opposite to the impeller 3. The belt pulley 4 is able to drive the bearing shaf...

second embodiment

[0031]In the second embodiment, the flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is a helical rod located in the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. In some cases, the flow-retarding structure 12 that is a helical rod may be first separately manufactured by machining, before being inserted and assembled into the cavity section 111, or in other cases, the tubular shell body 11 and the flow-retarding structure 12 may be manufactured by die cast using the same molding so that the flow-regarding structure 12 and the tubular shell body 11 is finished as one piece.

[0032]Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a third embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is substantially similar to the first embodiment; however, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding channel 102.

third embodiment

[0033]In the third embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is defined by the cavity section 111. The connecting hole section 105 that is fluidly and directly connected with the downstream end of the overflow hole 101, and an inclined hole section 106 that is fluidly communicated with a downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The inclined hole section 106 defines the drain hole 103 and is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the bearing shaft 2. More specifically, the inclined hole section 106 has an upstream end 107 and a downstream end 108 that are opposite in the extension direction. The downstream end 108 is more proximate to the bearing shaft 2 than the upstream end 107. The drain hole opening 104 fluidly connects the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106 to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is less than that of the inclined hole section 106.

[003...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Application No. 114202495, filed on Mar. 13, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to a pump, and more particularly to a water pump device.BACKGROUND

[0003] In conventional water pumps used in cooling systems for internal combustion engines (ICEs), coolant water leakage is a common occurrence. The leaked coolant water will be outletted from a water channel on the water pump shell. This type of pseudo-leakage is part of the design of the conventional water pump and does not interfere with its normal operation. However, when a water seal of the water pump is damaged and non-functional, coolant water will also leak out of the water channel, thereby causing a bona fide leakage. But because both the pseudo-leakage and the bona fide-leakage occurs from the water channel, a user cannot determine which type of leakage is occurring by observing the water channel, since there would be constant leakage coming from the water channel regardless of pseudo-leakage or bona fide-leakage. Thus, when a bona fide-leakage occurs, damage to the water seal of the conventional water pump may not be detected in time, other components in the water pump that are adjacent to the water seal may become damaged, and safety of the water pump may become compromised. Accordingly, there is a need for a water pump device that can effectively alleviate the above mentioned problems of the conventional water pump.SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a water pump device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0005] According to the disclosure, the water pump device includes a water pump shell, a bearing shaft, an impeller, a belt pulley, a water seal. The water pump shell has an overflow hole and a flow-retarding channel that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole and that reduces flow rate of water flowing out of the overflow hole. The bearing shaft is rotatably mounted on and extends through the water pump shell. The impeller is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft. The belt pulley is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft that is opposite to the impeller. The water seal is mounted on the bearing shaft and located between the overflow hole and the impeller.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that various features may not be drawn to scale.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first embodiment of a water pump device according to the present disclosure, and showing a core structure of the water pump device including a flow-retarding channel for controlling coolant outflow.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the first embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of the first embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating a second embodiment of the water pump device according to the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating how a helical flow-retarding structure slows coolant discharge and aids leakage differentiation.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a third embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view showing an inclined flow-retarding structure that modifies discharge direction and prevents coolant from re-entering the pump chamber.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative design for a water pump shell of the water pump device of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another alternative design for the water pump shell of the water pump device of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating still another alternative design for the water pump shell the water pump device of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

[0018] It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,”“bottom,”“upper,”“lower,”“on,”“above,”“over,”“downwardly,”“upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1 a first embodiment of a water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure includes a water pump shell 1, a bearing shaft 2, an impeller 3, a belt pulley 4, a bearing assembly 5, and a water seal 6.

[0020] The water pump shell 1 is mounted on a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE) (not shown). The water pump shell 1 has an overflow hole 101 and a flow-retarding channel 102 that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed into a structure that reduces the flow rate of water (or coolant water) flowing out of the overflow hole 101. The bearing shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on and extending through the water pump shell 1. The impeller 3 is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft 2 and is able to be driven by the bearing shaft 2 to rotate. The belt pulley 4 is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft 2 that is opposite to the impeller 3. The belt pulley 4 is able to drive the bearing shaft 2 to rotate, which, in turn, drives the impeller 3 to rotate. The water seal 6 is mounted on the bearing shaft 2 and located between the overflow hole 101 and the impeller 3.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and 3, the flow-retarding channel 102 is an open flow channel that is open to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. The flow-retarding channel 102 has a drain hole 103 and a drain hole opening 104. The drain hole 103 is fluidly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101 and is substantially parallel to the bearing shaft 2. The drain hole opening 104 is open to an ambient region around the water pump device 100 and fluidly connects the drain hole 103 and the ambient region around the water pump device 100. In the first embodiment, the water pump shell 1 has a tubular shell body 11, a helical flow-retarding structure 12, and a cavity cover 13. The tubular shell body 11 is formed with the overflow hole 101, and a cavity section 111 fluidly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The helical flow-retarding structure 12 is located in the cavity section 111, and the helical flow-retarding structure 12 and the cavity section 111 cooperatively define the drain hole 103. The helical flow-retarding structure 12 guides the water to slowly flow out of the drain hole 103. More specifically, in this embodiment, the helical flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is an internal helical thread directly formed on an inner surface of the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. For example, the inner surface of the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11 may be machined to form the flow-retarding structure 12. The cavity cover 13 is disposed on the tubular shell body 11, defines the drain hole opening 104, and partially covers the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is smaller than that of the drain hole 103. The cavity cover 13 may be connected to the tubular shell body 11 by snap-fitting or any other suitable way, and this is not a limitation of the disclosure.

[0022] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 further has a dish-like shell portion 10 that receives the impeller 3, and the tubular shell body 11 protrudes from an outer surface of the dish-like shell portion 10 and is formed with a cavity shell 11a outside of the tubular shell body 11 in proximity to the dish-like shell portion 10. The bearing shaft 2 extends through the tubular shell body 11, and the end portion of the bearing shaft 2 extends into the dish-like shell portion 10. The overflow hole 101 extends in a radial direction through an inner surface of the tubular shell body 11 and an outer surface of the tubular shell body 11 in proximity to the dish-like shell portion 10. The cavity shell 11a has the cavity section 111. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed in the cavity shell 11a, and the drain hole 103 is defined by the cavity section 111 and fluidly connects a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 further has a drain hole opening 104 that fluidly connects a downstream end of the drain hole 103 and that opens to an ambient region around the water pump shell 1. The cavity shell 11a has the cavity cover 13 covering the downstream end of the drain hole 103 and is formed with the drain hole opening 104. The drain hole 103 has a cross section that is larger than that of the overflow hole 101. The cavity shell portion 11a further has the helical flow-retarding structure 12 formed in the cavity section 111. An inner surface of the cavity section 111 cooperates with the helical flow-retarding structure 12 to define the drain hole 103.

[0023] The flow-retarding channel 102 further has a connecting section 105 disposed between and fluidly connecting the drain hole 103 and the overflow hole 101. The connecting section 105 is directly connected to the downstream end of the overflow hole 101.

[0024] When a pseudo-leakage (as explained in the background section of the present disclosure) occurs and a smaller amount of coolant water leaks between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6 into the overflow hole 101. The coolant water leaked into the overflow hole 101 will flow through the connecting section 105 and slowly drip into the flow-retarding structure 12 in the drain hole 103. The flow-retarding structure 12 is an internal helical thread that retards the flow rate of coolant water that drips into the flow-retarding structure 12. This causes the coolant water that is leaked into the drain hole 103 to have a slower flow rate, and the helical flow-retarding structure 12 will guide the coolant water to slowly flow inside the drain hole 103. It should be noted that the water pump shell 1 is mounted next to a cylinder of the ICE. When operating, heat from the cylinders of the ICE will be transferred to the water pump device 100, and the temperature of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 will be raised to the same temperature as that of the cylinder (which is at a high temperature under normal operation). Therefore, any coolant water left in the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 of the water pump shell 1 will be heated until it is vaporized. The vaporized coolant water will be outletted by the drain hole opening 104 to the ambient region around the water pump device 100, thereby decreasing the pressure in the water pump device 100. Furthermore, by the water pump device 100 having the design where a cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is smaller than that of the drain hole 103, the cavity cover 13 may achieve the function of blocking the coolant water that has been leaked into the drain hole 103 from seeping out, this increases the time the coolant water spends in the drain hole 103, and helps to ensures that the coolant water in the drain hole 103 will be completely vaporized.

[0025] By having the flow-retarding structure 12 to decrease the flow rate of the leaked coolant water, and by having the cavity cover 13 which blocks the coolant water, the complete vaporization of the coolant water in the drain hole 103 by the heat in the water pump device 100 may be ensured. This prevents leaked coolant water accumulating in the drain hole 103 and eventually being outletted by the drain hole opening 104. In this way, the water pump device 100 may prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring.

[0026] When the water seal 6 of the water pump device 100 is damaged and fails. A bona fide leakage will occur, and coolant water will leak out from between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6. In this case, where a bona fide leakage is occurring, the amount of coolant water leaked into the drain hole 103 from the overflow hole 101 is greater than that during the pseudo-leakage. Therefore, the leaked coolant water will be guided to flow by the flow-retarding structure 12 in the drain dole 103 and will be outletted via the drain hole opening 104 to the ambient region around the water pump device 100 before complete vaporization of the coolant water can occur. In this case, by designing the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 to be smaller than the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103, the coolant water may be evenly outletted to the ambient region around the water pump device 100. In this way, the eventuality where too much coolant water is leaked into the drain hole 103 and squirts out of the drain hole opening 104 may be prevented. It is noted that this may prevent the coolant water from being sprayed onto machinery and other components of the water pump device 100 which may result in damage to the components of the water pump device 100 and cause it to malfunction.

[0027] Because the water pump device 100 may vaporize lesser amounts of coolant water and effectively prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring, maintenance personnel may accurately predict whether a bona fide leakage has occurred in the water pump device 100 by observing the drain hole opening 104 to see whether coolant water is being outletted thereof. This prevents the misidentification of a bona fide leakage as a pseudo leakage in the water pump device 100 and allows maintenance personnel to immediately repair the water pump device 100 when a leakage has occurred, thereby increasing the safety of the water pump device 100. Because identification of leakage in the water pump device 100 is straightforward and easy to conduct, determination of leakage in the water pump device 100 is more accurate and ease of operation is higher for maintenance personnel.

[0028] Through the design of the water pump device 100 of having the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 be smaller than the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103, maintenance personnel operating the water pump device may accurately assess whether leakage has occurred. Additionally, by restricting the cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104, foreign objects may be prevented from entering the drain hole 103 via the drain hole opening 104. Furthermore, because the helical flow-retarding structure 12 is located in the cavity section 111, and because the helical flow-retarding structure 12 cooperatively defines the drain hole 103, even if a foreign object is small enough to be admitted into the drain hole opening 104 and enter the drain hole 103, the flow-retarding structure 12 will block the foreign object from progressing further into the water pump device 100 via the overflow hole 101. In this way, components in the water pump device 100 such as the bearing shaft 2, the bearing assembly 5, and the water seal 6 may be protected and the service life of the water pump device 100 may be increased.

[0029] It should be noted that in a variation of the first embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 may be designed with a smaller cross sectional size. In these variations, the cross sectional size of the drain hole 103 may be small enough such that the cavity cover 13 may be omitted and the drain hole 103 may directly be fluidly communicated with the ambient region around the water pump device 100.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is generally similar to the first embodiment. However, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding structure 12.

[0031] In the second embodiment, the flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is a helical rod located in the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. In some cases, the flow-retarding structure 12 that is a helical rod may be first separately manufactured by machining, before being inserted and assembled into the cavity section 111, or in other cases, the tubular shell body 11 and the flow-retarding structure 12 may be manufactured by die cast using the same molding so that the flow-regarding structure 12 and the tubular shell body 11 is finished as one piece.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a third embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is substantially similar to the first embodiment; however, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding channel 102.

[0033] In the third embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is defined by the cavity section 111. The connecting hole section 105 that is fluidly and directly connected with the downstream end of the overflow hole 101, and an inclined hole section 106 that is fluidly communicated with a downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The inclined hole section 106 defines the drain hole 103 and is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the bearing shaft 2. More specifically, the inclined hole section 106 has an upstream end 107 and a downstream end 108 that are opposite in the extension direction. The downstream end 108 is more proximate to the bearing shaft 2 than the upstream end 107. The drain hole opening 104 fluidly connects the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106 to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is less than that of the inclined hole section 106.

[0034] When pseudo-leakage of coolant water happens between the bearing shaft 2 and the water seal 6, the coolant water will flow into the connecting hole section 105 via the downstream end of the overflow hole 101 and flow to the inclined hole section 106 from the downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The coolant water will first begin to accumulate near the upstream end 107 of the inclined hole section 106, this will effectively retard the flow of leaked coolant water from the upstream end 107 towards the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106, and allow the coolant water to be effectively vaporized by heat from the water pump device 100 before accumulating too much in the inclined hole section 106.

[0035] It should be noted that, in addition to the configuration of the water pump shell 1 of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment, the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure may also be designed with other configurations according to requirements. In other embodiments, the flow-retarding channel may be implemented in conjunction with sensors, control units, or other diagnostic systems to further enhance leakage detection or coolant management functionality. Such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] For example, FIG. 8 shows an alternative version of a water pump shell for the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows another alternative version of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 10 shows still another alternative version of the water pump shell 1 of the water pump device 100 according to the disclosure, where the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is radially positioned relative to the bearing shaft 2; the flow-retarding channel 102 is not provided with the connection section 105 of the first, second or third embodiments.

[0039] In summary of the above, in the various embodiments of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure, by virtue of the water pump shell 1 having the flow-retarding channel 102 that reduces the flow rate of water flowing out of the overflow hole 101, any coolant water in the drain hole 103 may be vaporized by the heat transferred from the water pump device 100. This allows the water pump device 100 to prevent pseudo-leakage from occurring, and allows maintenance personnel to accurately determine whether a bona fide leakage has occurred in the water pump device 100 by checking if any coolant water is seeping out of the drain hole opening 104.

[0040] In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects; such does not mean that every one of these features needs to be practiced with the presence of all the other features. In other words, in any described embodiment, when implementation of one or more features or specific details does not affect implementation of another one or more features or specific details, said one or more features may be singled out and practiced alone without said another one or more features or specific details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

[0041] While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is(are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Examples

first embodiment

[0019]Referring to FIG. 1 a water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure includes a water pump shell 1, a bearing shaft 2, an impeller 3, a belt pulley 4, a bearing assembly 5, and a water seal 6.

[0020]The water pump shell 1 is mounted on a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (ICE) (not shown). The water pump shell 1 has an overflow hole 101 and a flow-retarding channel 102 that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the overflow hole 101. The flow-retarding channel 102 is formed into a structure that reduces the flow rate of water (or coolant water) flowing out of the overflow hole 101. The bearing shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on and extending through the water pump shell 1. The impeller 3 is mounted to an end portion of the bearing shaft 2 and is able to be driven by the bearing shaft 2 to rotate. The belt pulley 4 is mounted on another end portion of the bearing shaft 2 that is opposite to the impeller 3. The belt pulley 4 is able to drive the bearing shaf...

second embodiment

[0031]In the second embodiment, the flow-retarding structure 12 of the water pump shell 1 is a helical rod located in the cavity section 111 of the tubular shell body 11. In some cases, the flow-retarding structure 12 that is a helical rod may be first separately manufactured by machining, before being inserted and assembled into the cavity section 111, or in other cases, the tubular shell body 11 and the flow-retarding structure 12 may be manufactured by die cast using the same molding so that the flow-regarding structure 12 and the tubular shell body 11 is finished as one piece.

[0032]Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a third embodiment of the water pump device 100 according to the present disclosure is substantially similar to the first embodiment; however, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the flow-retarding channel 102.

third embodiment

[0033]In the third embodiment, the drain hole 103 of the flow-retarding channel 102 is defined by the cavity section 111. The connecting hole section 105 that is fluidly and directly connected with the downstream end of the overflow hole 101, and an inclined hole section 106 that is fluidly communicated with a downstream end of the connecting hole section 105. The inclined hole section 106 defines the drain hole 103 and is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the bearing shaft 2. More specifically, the inclined hole section 106 has an upstream end 107 and a downstream end 108 that are opposite in the extension direction. The downstream end 108 is more proximate to the bearing shaft 2 than the upstream end 107. The drain hole opening 104 fluidly connects the downstream end 108 of the inclined hole section 106 to an ambient region around the water pump device 100. A cross sectional size of the drain hole opening 104 is less than that of the inclined hole section 106.

[003...

Claims

1. A water pump device comprising:a water pump shell having an overflow hole and a flow-retarding channel that is fluidly connected to a downstream end of said overflow hole and that reduces flow rate of water flowing out of said overflow hole;a bearing shaft rotatably mounted on and extending through said water pump shell;an impeller mounted to an end portion of said bearing shaft;a belt pulley mounted on another end portion of said bearing shaft that is opposite to said impeller; anda water seal mounted on said bearing shaft and located between said overflow hole and said impeller.

2. The water pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow-retarding channel is an open flow channel that is open to an ambient region around the water pump device.

3. The water pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow-retarding channel has a drain hole that is fluidly connected to said downstream end of said overflow hole.

4. The water pump device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said water pump shell further has a helical flow-retarding structure that guides the water to slowly flow out of said drain hole.

5. The water pump device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:said water pump shell further has a tubular shell body that is formed with said overflow hole, and a cavity section fluidly connected to said downstream end of said overflow hole;said helical flow-retarding structure is located in said cavity section; andsaid helical flow-retarding structure and said cavity section cooperatively define said drain hole.

6. The water pump device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said helical flow-retarding structure of said water pump shell is an internal helical thread directly formed on an inner surface of said cavity section of said tubular shell body.

7. The water pump device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said helical flow-retarding structure of said water pump shell is a helical rod located in said cavity section of said tubular shell body.

8. The water pump device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said flow-retarding channel has a connecting hole section that is fluidly and directly connected with said downstream end of said overflow hole, and an inclined hole section that is fluidly communicated with a downstream end of said connecting hole section.

9. The water pump device as claimed in claim 8, wherein:said inclined hole section defines said drain hole and is inclined with respect to an extension direction of said bearing shaft; andsaid inclined hole section has an upstream end and a downstream end that is more proximate to said bearing shaft than said upstream end.

10. The water pump device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:said water pump shell further has a cavity cover disposed on said tubular shell body and that partially covers said drain hole of said flow-retarding channel;said cavity cover defines a drain hole opening;said drain hole opening fluidly connecting said drain hole to an ambient region around said water pump device; anda cross sectional size of said drain hole opening is smaller than a cross sectional size of said drain hole.

11. The water pump device as claimed in claim 9, wherein:said water pump shell further hasa tubular shell body that is formed with said overflow hole and said drain hole, anda cavity cover that is disposed on said tubular shell body, and that defines a drain hole opening;said drain hole opening fluidly connects said downstream end of said inclined hole section to an ambient region around said water pump device; anda cross sectional size of said drain hole opening is less than that of said inclined hole section that defines said drain hole.

12. The water pump device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:said water pump shell further has a dish-like shell portion that receives said impeller, and a tubular shell body that protrudes from an outer surface of said dish-like shell portion and that is formed with a cavity shell outside of said tubular shell body in proximity to said dish-like shell portion;said bearing shaft extends through said tubular shell body, and said end portion of said bearing shaft extends into said dish-like shell portion;said overflow hole extends in a radial direction through an inner surface of said tubular shell body and an outer surface of said tubular shell body in proximity to said dish-like shell portion;said cavity shell has a cavity section; andsaid flow-retarding channel is formed in said cavity shell, and said drain hole is defined by said cavity section and fluidly connects a downstream end of said overflow hole.

13. The water pump device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said flow-retarding channel further has a drain hole opening that fluidly connects a downstream end of said drain hole and that opens to an ambient region around said water pump shell, a cross sectional size of said drain hole opening being smaller than that of said drain hole.

14. The water pump device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said cavity shell has a cavity cover covering said downstream end of said drain hole and formed with said drain hole opening.

15. The water pump device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said drain hole has a cross section larger than that of said overflow hole.

16. The water pump device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said flow-retarding channel further has a connecting section disposed between and fluidly connecting said drain hole and said overflow hole.

17. The water pump device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said cavity shell portion further has a helical flow-retarding structure formed in said cavity section, an inner surface of said cavity section cooperating with said helical flow-retarding structure to define said drain hole.

18. The water pump device as claimed in claim 12, wherein:said flow-retarding channel further has a connecting section disposed between and fluidly connecting said drain hole and said overflow hole; and said cavity section has an inclined hole section which is inclined with respect to an extension direction of said bearing shaft and which forms said drain hole, said inclined hole section having an upstream end and a downstream end that are opposite in said extension direction, said downstream end of said inclined hole section being more proximate to said bearing shaft than said upstream end of said inclined hole section.

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