Integrated Pump-Motor Housing Cover for Low-Complexity Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pump-motor units for motor vehicles require complex and costly sealing to protect against environmental influences, leading to increased weight, space consumption, and development costs due to their integration into the consumer's mounting shaft, especially in designs like sump pumps and external units with multi-part housings.

Innovation Solution

A pump-motor unit design featuring a housing with a housing cover, intermediate structure, and motor cover that defines a conveying chamber, utilizing a rotatable conveying element driven by a drive shaft, with a mounting structure for external attachment, and incorporating seals and bearings to ensure protection and efficient fluid conveyance without the need for a consumer's mounting shaft.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pump-motor unit is integrated into the consumer's mounting shaft (sump pump design), then protection from environmental influences is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase due to complex sealing requirements and precise surface treatment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection from environmental influencesVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into multiple separable parts (first housing part, second housing part, third housing part) that can be assembled together to form the complete pump-motor unit housing. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured and sealed independently, reducing the overall sealing complexity compared to a single integrated mounting shaft design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the pump-motor unit is integrated into the consumer's mounting shaft, then protection from environmental influences is improved, but the weight and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection from environmental influencesVSAvoidhousing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into multiple separable parts (first housing part, second housing part, third housing part) that can be assembled together to form the complete pump-motor unit housing. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured and sealed independently, reducing the overall sealing complexity compared to a single integrated mounting shaft design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If external pump-motor units use multi-part housings to protect from environmental influences, then the mounting flexibility is improved, but the device complexity and space consumption increase due to additional surrounding housing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting flexibilityVSAvoidhousing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting structure is integrated directly into the housing parts themselves rather than being separate components. The first housing part includes a mounting flange with mounting shaft, and the second housing part includes a mounting structure with opening, allowing the housing to serve both protective and mounting functions simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing parts serve multiple functions: they provide structural enclosure, environmental protection through integrated seals, and mounting attachment through integrated mounting flanges and structures. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate surrounding housings required in traditional external pump designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design allows for cost-effective, space-saving, and lightweight pump-motor units that are protected from environmental influences, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining efficient fluid conveyance and cooling capabilities.

Implementation Method 1

the seal (15) arranged between the first housing part (1) and the second housing part (2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Implementation Method 2

a conveying device (10) with a conveying element (13, 14) rotatable in the conveying chamber (11) for conveying a fluid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid displacement:

Implementation Method 3

a drive motor (20), which is connected to the conveying device (10) via a drive shaft (4)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3960985B1Pump motor unit with integrated housing cover
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 SCHWABISCHE HUTTENWERKE AUTOMOTIVE CMBH
  • EP3960985B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3960985B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3960985B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Pump-motor unit for conveying a fluid, for example for conveying gear oil and/or lubricating oil in motor vehicles, comprising: a housing comprising a housing cover (1), a housing intermediate structure (12) and a motor cover (2), wherein the housing cover (1) and the housing intermediate structure (12) define a conveying chamber axially at both end faces and radially circumferentially, a conveying device (10) with a conveying element (13, 14) rotatable in the conveying chamber for conveying the fluid, and a drive motor (20) connected to the conveying device (10) via a drive shaft (4), wherein the housing cover (1) forms a receiving shaft (11), and the drive motor (20) and the housing intermediate structure (12) are arranged in the receiving shaft (11).