Pump assembly

• US 8,496,448 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shieh, Tenghua Tom, Bernier, Kyle Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): COMLEY, ALEXANDER BRYANT
• Application Number:
  US12/725,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110229357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 417/423.1, 417/423.14, 417/366, 417/368, 417/369, 417/370, 416/223.R
• US Class Current: 417/370
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/0606 Canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/588 cooling or heating the machine F04D29/5886, F04D29/5893 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a pump assembly having an intake, an outtake, and a rotor rotatably mounted to a shaft. A propeller is fixedly mounted to the upstream portion of the rotor and is rotatable upon actuation of the rotor. A passageway is disposed on the rotor so as to provide a path for fluids to cool the shaft. The pump assembly includes chamber and a pipe. The chamber is disposed within the housing and is located downstream the intake and is in communication with the passageway. The pipe interconnects the chamber with the outtake. An impeller is fixedly mounted to the rotor opposite the propeller and draws air bubbles from the passageway into the chamber.

Claims

1. A pump assembly for circulating fluids, the pump assembly having a housing including an intake and an outtake, a shaft disposed within the housing, and a rotor, the rotor having an inner peripheral wall encircling the shaft so as to define a bore, the rotor actuated by a magnet disposed within the housing, a propeller fixedly mounted to an upstream portion of the rotor and a stator operatively connected to the magnet so as to rotate the propeller, the pump assembly comprising:

a passageway extending between the intake and outtake so as to provide a path for fluids, a first portion of the passageway, the first portion having a proximal end positioned at the intake for intaking a portion of the fluid, the first portion of the passageway extending axially along the shaft; and

a chamber disposed within the housing and spaced apart the propeller and downstream the intake, the chamber is completely elevated with respect to the shaft, a second portion of the passageway extending radially from the first portion so as to place the first portion in fluid communication with the chamber, the passageway further including a pipe disposed external to the housing and interconnecting the chamber with the outtake, wherein a first end of the pipe is disposed on an upper portion of the chamber, wherein outgoing fluid creates a vacuum so as to draw air within the passageway into the chamber, the air travelling to the upper portion of the chamber through buoyancy and further into the outtake.

2. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the passageway is a groove.

3. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 1, further including an impeller fixedly mounted to the rotor and opposite the propeller, the impeller in communication with the chamber.

4. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the impeller extends radially from the bore.

5. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the impeller is an elongated and arcuate member disposed on a plane generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

6. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the impeller curves in the same rotational direction rotor so as to create a centrifugal force upon rotation of the rotor.

7. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the impeller includes an upper surface extending between opposing ends, and wherein one end of the upper surface of the impeller is displaced further from the rotor than on the other end of the upper surface of impeller.

8. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, further including a hub mounted to the rotor, the hub having a hub surface, the hub surface displaced from the rotor so as to define a predetermined hub width, and wherein the impeller is fixedly mounted to the hub.

9. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein the impeller includes an upper surface extending between opposing ends, one wherein one end of the upper surface of the impeller is disposed along the same plane as the hub surface and the other end of the upper surface of the impeller is disposed along a plane displaced from the hub surface.

10. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the impeller is a plurality of impellers.

11. The pump assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the impeller is made of metal.