The present invention relates to an electric pump.
There is known an electric pump in which a motor rotates an impeller. In such an electric pump, an impeller housing portion housing the impeller is positioned at one side with respect to a motor housing portion housing the motor in a direction of a rotation axis of the motor, an introduction pipe portion introducing fluid to the impeller is positioned at one side with respect to the impeller housing portion, and a printed circuit board electrically connected to a coil of the motor is positioned at the other side of the motor housing portion (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-3580
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-23635
However, the arrangement of the printed circuit board at the above-mentioned position might increase the size of the electric pump in the rotation axis direction of the motor. Further, even when the arrangement of the printed circuit board is changed in order to suppress the increase in the size, the electrical conductivity between the coil of the motor and the printed circuit board is needed.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and has an object to provide an electric pump that suppresses an increase in size in a direction of a rotation axis of a motor and ensures electrical conductivity between a coil of a motor and a printed circuit board.
The above object is achieved by an electric pump including: a motor; an impeller rotated by the motor; a motor housing portion that houses the motor; an impeller housing portion that houses the impeller and is positioned at one side with respect to the motor housing portion in a rotation axis of the motor; an introduction pipe portion that introduces a fluid into the impeller housing portion and is positioned at the one side with respect to the motor housing portion; a discharge pipe portion that discharges the fluid from the impeller housing portion; and a printed circuit board electrically connected to a coil of the motor and positioned at the one side with respect to the motor housing portion, wherein the printed circuit board and the coil are electrically connected to each other via a conductive member, and at least a part of the conductive member is positioned radially outward about the rotation axis from the impeller housing portion.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric pump that suppresses an increase in size in a direction of a rotation axis of a motor and ensures electrical conductivity between a coil of a motor and a printed circuit board.
The case 20, having a substantially concave shape in cross section, includes: a peripheral wall portion 25 having a substantially cylindrical shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the rotor R; and a bottom wall portion 27 having a substantially plate shape and supporting the rotor R for rotation, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The peripheral wall portion 25 and the bottom wall portion 27 define the motor housing portion RH. The case 20 is insert molded with the iron core 30, a shaft member 40 supporting the rotor R for rotation, and a collar member 50 fixed to an end portion 42 of the shaft member 40. The iron core 30, the coils 34, and a part of the conductive pin 39 are buried in the peripheral wall portion 25. The end portion 42 of the shaft member 40 and the collar member 50 are buried in the bottom wall portion 27.
The rotor R includes: a holding member 47 rotatably supported via a bearing B fitted around the shaft member 40 described above; and a plurality of permanent magnets 46 held at a base end side of the holding member 47 and facing the peripheral wall portion 25 of the case 20. The impeller portion 48 that draws fluid from the introduction pipe portion 11 and discharges the fluid to the discharge pipe portion 12 is formed at a distal end side of the holding member 47. The impeller portion 48 is positioned at the side of an end portion 41 of the shaft member 40. Electric current flowing through the coils 34 excites the iron core 30 to have predetermined polarities, so that the magnetic force acting between the iron core 30 and the permanent magnets 46 causes the rotor R to rotate. Thus, the impeller portion 48 rotates. In this specification, the direction of the rotation axis of the motor M is referred to as an axial direction D1, and the radial direction of the motor M orthogonal to the axial direction D1 is referred to as a radial direction D2.
Additionally, the case 20 is provided with fixing portions 29 each having a substantially C-shape and protruding outwardly in the radial direction D2 from the peripheral wall portion 25. The fixing portions 29 each has a function for fixing the electric pump 1 to another member.
As illustrated in
The upper wall portion 13 is curved to increase its diameter toward the outer side in the radial direction D2 so as to correspond to the shape of the impeller portion 48 and faces the impeller portion 48 in the axial direction D1. The peripheral wall portion 15 is positioned outside the impeller portion 48 in the radial direction D2. Specifically, the impeller chamber IC is defined by the impeller housing portion IH of the case 10 and the upper surface 23 of the case 20.
A cutout portion 63 receiving the introduction pipe portion 11 is formed in the central portion of the printed circuit board 60. Further, the printed circuit board 60 faces the impeller housing portion IH and is arranged within a board chamber PC defined by the upper wall portion 13, the peripheral wall portion 15, the fixed wall portion 17, and the surrounding wall portion 18. The printed circuit board 60 has a surface 61 at the side of the motor housing RH and a surface 62 opposite to the surface 61. Most of electronic parts, such as an electronic part E1, mounted on the printed circuit board 60 and having a high height or requiring heat dissipation are mounted on the surface 61. In addition, the printed circuit board 60 is positioned at one side with respect to the impeller portion 48 in the axial direction D1.
A part of the conductive pin 39 extends into the board chamber PC surrounded by the surrounding wall portion 18 and is connected to the printed circuit board 60. A potting resin PR is filled within the board chamber PC and is cured together with the printed circuit board 60, the electronic parts E1 to E3 described later, the conductive pin 39, and the like, so that these parts are sealed. This ensures waterproofness, dustproofness and external impact resistance of these parts. This also suppresses an increase in rattling of the printed circuit board 60 within the board chamber PC and suppresses an increase in noise at the time when the impeller portion 48 stirs liquid.
As illustrated in
Further, since the fluid flows through the impeller chamber IC and the introduction pipe portion 11, heat can be transferred from the printed circuit board 60 and the electronic parts E1 to E3 to the fluid via the potting resin PR, the upper wall portion 13, and the like. It is thus possible to suppress an increase in temperature of the printed circuit board 60 and the electronic parts E1 to E3 mounted thereon and described later in detail. Further, since the cutout portion 63 for receiving the introduction pipe portion 11 is formed in the printed circuit board 60, the printed circuit board 60 can be arranged closely to the impeller housing portion IH as much as possible. As a result, heat can be efficiently transferred from the printed circuit board 60 and the electronic parts E1 to E3 to the fluid flowing through the impeller chamber IC. This further suppresses the increase in temperature of the printed circuit board 60 and the electronic parts E1 to E3.
Next, the structure of the printed circuit board 60 will be described in detail.
Three holes 661 to 663 are formed in the vicinity of the outer edge of the printed circuit board 60. As illustrated in
In addition, a plurality of support ribs 13E protruding to one side in the axial direction D1 and supporting the electronic parts E1 and E2 are provided on a part of the upper wall portion 13 and the discharge pipe portion 12. The support rib 13E is an example of a part supporting portion. The plurality of support ribs 13E are arranged substantially in parallel but are not limited to such a shape. For example, the support rib 13E may have a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape. Here, a temperature of the electronic parts E1 to E3 for driving the motor M is generally higher than a temperature of the fluid flowing in the impeller chamber IC. Therefore, the fluid flowing in the impeller chamber IC causes the support rib 13E to be maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature of the electronic parts E1 and E2. Accordingly, the electronic parts E1 and E2 can be cooled, and an increase in temperature of the electronic parts E1 and E2 can be suppressed. In addition, silicon or heat dissipation sheet with a high thermal conductivity may be interposed between the electronic parts E1 and E2 and the support rib 13E.
Also, when the printed circuit board 60 is assembled into the case 10, the printed circuit board 60 can be stably supported by the support ribs 13E together with the support pins 161 to 163. This facilitates the operation of assembling the printed circuit board 60 into the case 10 and facilitates the operation of filling the potting resin PR into the board chamber PC.
A dotted line in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, all of the rotor R, the case 20, and the printed circuit board 60 can be assembled into from the same side to the case 10 in the electric pump 1. This improves the assembling workability of the electric pump 1.
In addition, the outer peripheral edge of the printed circuit board 60 is surrounded by the surrounding wall portion 18 defining the board chamber PC. Therefore, even before the board chamber PC is filled with the potting resin PR, an operator can handle the case 10 and the electric pump 1 without directly touching the printed circuit board 60. This also improves workability.
As illustrated in
In the above embodiment, the surrounding wall portion 18 surrounding the printed circuit board 60 is formed integrally in the case 10. Therefore, the number of parts is suppressed as compared with the case where the surrounding wall portion is formed separately from the case 10.
In the above embodiment, the potting resin PR is filled and cured within the board chamber PC, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a lid having a cutout portion for receiving the introduction pipe portion 11 may be attached to the case 10. In this case, like the above embodiment, the surrounding wall portion defining the board chamber PC may be formed integrally with the case 10 or the lid. With this arrangement, the outer periphery of the impeller housing portion IH is surrounded, so the noise from the impeller portion 48 can be suppressed.
In the above embodiment, the printed circuit board 60 is preferably close to the impeller housing portion IH in view of suppression of the increase in temperature, but it may be arranged within the height H illustrated in
The board supporting portion for supporting the printed circuit board may be provided only in the discharge pipe portion 12 or only in the upper wall portion 13. Likewise, the part supporting portion for supporting the electronic part may be provided only in the discharge pipe portion 12 or only in the upper wall portion 13.
In the above embodiment, as illustrated in
The peripheral wall portion 15 and the surrounding wall portion 18 may be achieved by a common wall portion. That is, a single peripheral wall portion may define the impeller housing portion IH and the board chamber PC.
Next, a case 10a according to a variation will be described. In the case 10a, the same or similar components of the above-described case 10 will be designated with the same or similar reference numerals, and a duplicated description thereof will be omitted.
An introduction pipe portion 11a extends outwardly in the radial direction D2 from an impeller chamber ICa and extends substantially in parallel with a discharge pipe portion 12a. In a printed circuit board 60a, a cutout portion 63a is linearly formed so as to recede the introduction pipe portion 11a. In addition, the impeller chamber ICa is flat compared to the impeller chamber IC described above. An upper wall portion 13a of an impeller housing portion IHa is also formed substantially parallel to the radial direction D2. The printed circuit board 60a is arranged within the board chamber PCa surrounded by the impeller housing portion IHa, a surrounding wall portion 18a, and the protruding wall portion 181. A height of a peripheral wall portion 15a in the axial direction D1 is smaller than that of the peripheral wall portion 15 described above. Like the fixed wall portion 17 described above, a fixed wall portion 17a is fixed to the case 20.
In such a configuration, the printed circuit board 60a is arranged within a range of a height Ha from the upper surface 23 of the case 20 to an upper end of the introduction pipe portion 11a in the axial direction D1, faces the impeller housing portion IHa and the introduction pipe portion 11a, and is arranged in the vicinity of the impeller housing portion IHa by the cutout portion 63a. It is thus possible to suppress the increase in size in the axial direction D1 and to suppress the increase in temperature of the printed circuit board 60a and the electronic parts mounted thereon. Further, as not illustrated in
While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and other embodiments, variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Although the printed circuit boards 60 and 60a each has a substantially circular shape, the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, the shapes of the cutout portions 63 and 63a are not limited to the illustrated examples. The electronic part may be mounted on the surface 62 as long as the number of the electronic parts mounted on the surface 61 of the printed circuit board 60 is larger than the number of the electronic parts mounted on the surface 62. The same applies to the printed circuit board 60a. In the above-described embodiment and variations, the arrangements of the printed circuit boards 60 and 60a themselves in the above way suppresses the increase in temperature thereof. Thus, even if there is an electronic part mounted on, for example, the surface 62, the increase in temperature of the electronic part is also suppressed. Further, in the above variation, the printed circuit board 60a may be arranged above the introduction pipe portion 11a.
In the above embodiment, the conductive pin 39 has a bent shape in the partway, but not limited thereto. The conductive pin 39 may have a linear shape or a curved shape. Although the conductive pin 39 has been described as an example of the conductive member in the above embodiment, the conductive member is not limited thereto, for example, may be a conductive wire, coil or the like.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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JP2017-033682 | Feb 2017 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2018/004028 | 2/6/2018 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/155169 | 8/30/2018 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190301474 A1 | Oct 2019 | US |