High-pressure pump with improved sealing

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6659734
  • Patent Number
    6,659,734
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, September 27, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 9, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
The invention concerns a pump for pumping a first liquid, called transferred liquid, and comprising a main unit (18) for pumping the transferred liquid actuated by an auxiliary unit (20) pumping a second liquid, called working liquid. The main (18) and auxiliary (20) units are housed in a casing (16) generally cylindrical in shape. The main unit (18) comprises at least two valves (36, 38), for respectively sucking up and delivering the transferred liquid, borne by a valve body (40) housed in the casing (16). Each valve (36, 38) communicates with two chambers, respectively a suction chamber (46) and a delivery chamber (48) for the transferred liquid, defined by opposite surfaces (50, 52) provided in the valve body (40) and the casing (16). Said surfaces (50, 52) comprise two matching shoulders (50E, 52E) pressed against each other so as to form a tight joint plane separating the suction chamber (46) and the delivery chamber (48). The invention is applicable to a high pressure pump for supplying a motor vehicle engine with fuel.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a high-pressure pump with improved sealing.




It applies in particular to a high-pressure pump for supplying a motor vehicle internal combustion engine with fuel. In this case, the transferred liquid is the fuel.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The state of the art already discloses a high-pressure pump for pumping a first liquid, known as the transferred liquid, of the type comprising a main unit for pumping the transferred liquid and actuated by a secondary unit for pumping a second liquid, known as the working liquid, and of the type comprising a housing of cylindrical overall shape, in which the main and secondary units are arranged, the main unit comprising at least two valves, namely an intake valve and a delivery valve for the transferred liquid, carried by a valve body housed in the housing, each valve communicating with two chambers, namely an intake chamber and a delivery chamber for the transferred liquid, delimited by opposing surfaces of cylindrical overall shape, of axis coinciding more or less with that of the housing, formed in the valve body and in the housing.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




A pump of this type is described, for example, in WO 97/47883.




In the pump described in that document, the intake and delivery chambers connected to the valves are separated by a rubber O-ring seal. This seal, housed in an annular groove formed in a peripheral surface of the valve body, is relatively bulky.




A particular object of the invention is to propose a high-pressure pump, of the aforementioned type, equipped with means which are effective and not very bulky for separating the intake and delivery chambers.




To this end, the subject of the invention is a high-pressure pump of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the opposing surfaces comprise two complementary shoulders bearing on one another so as to form a sealed joining plane separating the intake and delivery chambers.




According to other features of the invention:




the housing comprises a body and a cover forming the respective two opposite ends of this housing, the housing body being connected to the cover by at least one screw more or less parallel to the axis of the housing, having a head bearing on a seat formed in the housing body, and a threaded body screwed into a tapped orifice in the cover, the pump additionally comprising an intermediate assembly clamped axially between a skirt of the housing body, internal to the cover, and the valve body so that the housing body, the intermediate assembly and the valve body are clamped between the head of the screw and the joining plane;




the intermediate assembly comprises a body in which a piston of the secondary unit is mounted so that it can slide, this piston being intended to compress the working liquid;




the housing and the valve body are made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or of an aluminum-based alloy;




the intermediate assembly is made of steel or cast iron and the screw is made of steel, the axial dimension of the intermediate assembly being more or less equal to the length (L


2


) of the part of the body of the screw extending between the head of this screw and the tapped orifice of the cover; and




the transferred liquid is a fuel for a motor vehicle internal combustion engine.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention will be better understood from reading the description which will follow, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings in which:





FIG. 1

is a front view of a high-pressure pump according to the invention;





FIG. 2

is a view in section on the line


2





2


of FIG.


1


;,





FIG. 3

is a view in section on the line


3





3


of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 4

is a detail view of

FIG. 2

, in which the section plane has been offset slightly to make it pass through the axis of the screw depicted in these

FIGS. 2 and 4

;





FIG. 5

is a detail view of the ringed portion


5


of

FIG. 3

, showing a plug that stoppers means of filling a reservoir of the pump in a prestoppering position;





FIG. 6

is a view similar to

FIG. 5

, depicting a first variant of the plug;





FIG. 7

is a view similar to

FIG. 3

, depicting a second variant of the plug;





FIGS. 8

to


11


are views similar to

FIG. 2

, depicting four respective variants of a hub of the pump according to the invention.












FIGS. 1

to


3


depict a high-pressure pump according to the invention, denoted by the general reference


12


. In the example described, the pump


12


is intended to supply a motor vehicle internal combustion engine with fuel at high pressure. The pump


12


is therefore intended to pump a first liquid, namely fuel in the example described, known as the transferred liquid.




Visible in

FIG. 1

is a connection


14


intended to connect the pump


12


to a fuel tank.




With more particular reference to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, it can be seen that the pump


12


comprises a housing


16


of cylindrical overall shape, of axis X, in which are arranged a main unit


18


for pumping fuel and a secondary unit


20


for pumping a conventional second liquid, for example a mineral oil, known as the working liquid. The main unit


18


is actuated by the secondary unit


20


, according to the general conventional operating principles described, for example, in WO 97/47883.




DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




The housing


16


comprises a body


22


, of cylindrical overall shape, surrounding the secondary unit


20


, and a cover


24


, of cylindrical overall shape, surrounding the main unit


18


. The housing body


22


and the cover


24


respectively form two opposite ends of the housing


16


.




The housing body


22


is connected to the cover


24


by at least one screw


26


, for example three screws


26


. Each screw


26


, preferably made of steel, extends more or less parallel to the axis X. A screw


26


will be described in greater detail later.




Inside the housing


16


, the main unit


18


is separated from the secondary unit


20


by a separating disk


28


centered more or less on the axis X. This disk


28


is preferably made of steel or cast iron.




The main unit


18


comprises at least one flexible diaphragm


30


for pumping fuel, for example three diaphragms


30


, as in the example illustrated. It will be noted that just two diaphragms


30


are depicted in the figures, particularly in FIG.


3


.




The diaphragm


30


separates a fuel-pumping chamber


32


, arranged in the main unit


18


, from a chamber


34


for compressing the working liquid, arranged in the secondary unit


20


. The volume of the pumping chamber


32


is variable. The compression chamber


34


is formed partially in the separating disk


28


.




Associated with each pumping chamber


32


are a fuel intake valve


36


and a fuel delivery valve


38


. These valves


36


,


38


, of conventional structure and operation, are carried by a body


40


housed in the cover


24


between an end wall thereof and the separating disk


28


.




To make the pump


12


lighter, the housing body


22


, the cover


24


and the valve body


40


are made of aluminum or aluminum-based alloy, or alternatively from some other equivalent lightweight metal.




The valves


36


,


38


are connected in a way known per se to the corresponding pumping chamber


32


and to a safety valve


42


of conventional structure and operation.




In the conventional way, each diaphragm


30


can move between a first position in which the pumping chamber


32


has maximum volume, as depicted in particular in

FIGS. 2 and 3

, and a second position in which this pumping chamber has minimum volume (this position is not depicted in the figures). The movements of the diaphragm


30


are dictated in particular by the secondary unit


20


and control the opening and closing of the fuel intake and delivery valves


36


,


38


.




Each diaphragm


30


is constantly elastically returned to its first position by a spring


44


known as the diaphragm spring.




Each valve


36


,


38


communicates, on the one hand, with a fuel intake chamber


46


and, on the other hand, with a fuel delivery chamber


48


. The intake chamber


46


is connected, in a way known per se, to the fuel supply connection


14


.




The fuel intake


46


and delivery


48


chambers are delimited, at least in part, by opposing surfaces


50


,


52


, of cylindrical overall shape, of an axis coinciding more or less with the axis X. A first surface


50


forms an internal surface of the cover


24


. The second surface


52


forms a peripheral surface of the valve body


40


.




The opposing surfaces


50


,


52


comprise two complementing shoulders


50


E,


52


E bearing against one another so as to form a sealed joining plane separating the intake


46


and delivery


48


chambers. This joining plane is more or less perpendicular to the axis X. The shoulders


50


E,


52


E form an effective metal-to-metal seal.




It will be noted that the intake chamber


46


, in which the pressure is lower than it is in the delivery chamber


48


, is delimited by the end wall of the cover


24


, the thickness of which is relatively small. By contrast, the delivery chamber


48


is delimited by a peripheral wall of the cover


24


which is thicker than the end wall of this cover, so as to withstand the high pressure reached by the fuel flowing through this delivery chamber.




The secondary unit


20


comprises a piston


54


for compressing the working liquid, this piston being associated with each diaphragm


30


and intended to move this diaphragm


30


between its two positions. Thus, in the example described, the secondary unit


20


has three pistons


54


, just two of which are visible in the figures, particularly in FIG.


3


.




The piston


54


is mounted so that it can slide in a body


56


, preferably made of steel or cast iron, so that it can be moved more or less parallel to the axis X. The piston


54


extends between the chamber


34


for compressing the working liquid, formed partly in the piston body


56


, and a reservoir


58


of working liquid.




The end of the piston


54


external to the piston body


56


is returned elastically by a spring


59


into contact with a thrust rolling bearing, for example a thrust needle bearing


60


, borne by a swashplate


62


that operates the pistons


54


. This swashplate is carried via a hub


64


of the secondary unit


20


. This hub


64


is mounted so that it can rotate about the axis X in the housing body


22


which forms a bearing mount. The swashplate


62


revolves about the axis X together with the hub


64


, the latter being connected to conventional drive means by a coupling


66


of the Oldham type. Sealing against the working liquid between the housing body


22


and the hub


64


is provided by conventional means comprising, in particular, an annular seal


67


made of elastomer. The hub


64


will be described in greater detail later.




It will be noted that the separating disk


28


and the piston body


56


form an intermediate assembly EI clamped axially between a skirt


22


J of the housing body


22


, internal to the cover


24


, and the valve body


40


. Furthermore, referring in particular to

FIG. 4

, it can be seen that each screw


26


has a head


26


T and a threaded body


26


C. The head


26


T bears against a seat


68


formed in the housing body


22


. The threaded body


26


C is screwed into a tapped orifice


70


made in a lug


72


secured to the cover


24


. As a result of this, the housing body


22


, the intermediate assembly EI and the valve body


40


are clamped between the head


26


T of the screw and the joining plane embodied by the shoulders


50


E,


52


E.




As a preference, the axial dimension Ll of the intermediate assembly EI is more or less equal to the length L


2


of the part of the body


26


C of the screw that extends between the head


26


T of this screw and the tapped orifice


70


. Thus, the extensions of the various materials, namely, on the one hand, the aluminum or the lightweight metal and, on the other hand, the steel or cast iron, are more or less the same inside and outside the housing


16


.




Referring once again to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, it can be seen that the piston


54


has an axial bore


74


through which the working liquid can flow between the reservoir


58


and the compression chamber


34


. A first end of the bore


74


, internal to the piston body


56


, communicates permanently with the compression chamber


34


. The second end of the bore


74


, external to the piston body


56


, communicates permanently with the reservoir


58


.




As a preference, the bore


74


is stepped and has a large-diameter portion


74


A, opening into the compression chamber


34


, and a small-diameter portion


74


B, opening into the reservoir


58


.




A ball, forming a valve


76


, is housed in the large-diameter portion


74


A so that it can be moved, on the one hand, between a shoulder E


74


separating the portions


74


A and


74


B, forming a seat for closing the valve


76


and, on the other hand, a stop


78


that limits the opening travel of this valve


76


.




The valve


76


opens as soon as the pressure of the working liquid in the reservoir


58


exceeds that of the working liquid in the compression chamber


34


. If the reverse is true, the valve


76


closes so as to close off the bore


74


.




For the pump


12


to work correctly, the stiffness of the return spring


44


for the diaphragm


30


associated with the piston


54


is rated so that this spring


44


keeps the working liquid contained in the compression chamber


34


at a raised pressure compared with the working liquid contained in the reservoir


58


, this being as long as the diaphragm


44


has not reached its first position in which the pumping chamber


32


has its maximum volume.




A few particular characteristics of the operation of the main


18


and secondary


20


pumping units will be indicated hereinbelow, the main unit


18


operating according to the principles of a positive-displacement pump.




When the swashplate


62


drives the piston


54


into the piston body


56


(moving the piston


54


to the right when considering FIGS.


2


and


3


), the working liquid contained in the compression chamber


34


is compressed (to a raised pressure compared with the liquid contained in the reservoir


58


) so that the valve


76


closes and the flexible diaphragm


30


moves toward its second position in which the pumping chamber


32


has its minimum volume. This, in the conventional way, causes fuel to be delivered at high pressure to the delivery chamber


48


.




When the swashplate


62


allows the piston


54


to move in the opposite direction to the previous one (to the left when considering

FIGS. 2 and 3

) under the effect of the return spring


59


, the diaphragm


30


is returned by the spring


44


to its first position in which the pumping chamber


32


has maximum volume. This, in the conventional way, causes fuel from the intake chamber


46


to be drawn into the pumping chamber


32


.




It will be noted that the diaphragm spring


44


allows the diaphragm


30


to return automatically to its first position, even in the absence of fuel in the main pumping unit


18


. Furthermore, when the piston


54


moves to the left when considering

FIGS. 2 and 3

, given the leaks of working liquid between the compression chamber


34


and the reservoir


58


, the diaphragm


30


reaches its first position before the piston


54


completes its stroke to the left. In consequence, once the diaphragm


30


has reached its first position, the pressure of the working liquid in the compression chamber


34


drops compared with that of the working liquid in the reservoir


58


, which causes the valve


76


to open and causes the compression chamber


34


to be resupplied with working liquid so as to compensate for the leakage.




Some simple and effective means allowing the reservoir


58


to be filled completely with working liquid will be described hereinbelow with reference in particular to

FIGS. 3 and 5

.




These filling means comprise a filling neck


80


, connected to the reservoir


58


, and which can be stoppered with a plug


82


.




In the example illustrated in

FIGS. 3 and 5

, the plug


82


is intended to collaborate with the neck


80


by screwing. The plug


82


has a more or less axial blind hole


84


communicating via a more or less radial bore


86


in the plug with a peripheral counterbore


88


of the plug extended axially by a stoppering surface


90


of this plug, which surface is intended to collaborate with a stoppering seat


92


formed in the end of the neck


80


near the reservoir


58


.




As a preference, the stoppering surface


90


and the stoppering seat


92


have conical overall shapes, the stoppering surface


90


converging toward the stoppering seat


92


.




The plug


82


can move in the neck


80


, by screwing, between a position for prestoppering the reservoir


58


, in which position the stoppering surface


90


is away from the seat


92


, above this seat


92


, as depicted in

FIG. 5

, and a position for stoppering this reservoir


58


, in which position the stoppering surface


90


is in sealed contact with the seat


92


, as is depicted in FIG.


3


.




The neck


80


is capable of containing an overflow of excess working liquid of the reservoir, the level N of this overflow extending into the neck


80


above the seat


92


.




It will be noted that, when the plug


82


is in its prestoppering position, the peripheral counterbore


88


of this plug communicates with the reservoir


58


, so that the blind hole


84


forms a receptacle for the excess working liquid. Furthermore, when the excess is in the neck


80


, the plug


82


can be moved in this neck between its prestoppering and stoppering positions.




To move the plug


82


, the latter is fitted with an operating head


82


T, through which the open end of the blind hole


84


emerges. The head


82


T is delimited by a polygonal interior surface


82


I allowing the plug


82


to be turned using a conventional tool.




As a variant, the operating head


82


T may be delimited by a polygonal exterior surface


82


E as depicted in

FIG. 6

, so that the plug


82


can be turned using a conventional tool.




The plug


82


carries a peripheral O-ring seal


93


positioned axially between the head


82


T and the counterbore


88


. This seal


93


provides sealing between the neck


80


and the plug


82


above the counterbore


88


.




The plug


82


allows the reservoir


58


to be filled under vacuum as follows.




Initially, the plug


82


is screwed into the neck


80


into its prestoppering position as depicted in FIG.


5


.




In order to fill the reservoir


58


with working liquid, a vacuum is pulled in this reservoir, using conventional means, then the working liquid is introduced via the blind hole


84


of the plug. Thus, the working liquid flows into the reservoir


58


by flowing into the blind hole


84


, the radial bore


86


and the counterbore


88


.




The reservoir


58


continues to be filled until excess remains in the neck


80


and the blind hole


84


, as depicted in FIG.


5


.




Finally, with the excess present, the plug


82


is screwed into its stoppering position as depicted in FIG.


3


. The reservoir


58


is thus isolated from the filling neck


80


, the amount of working liquid remaining in the blind hole


84


being easily removed via the end of the blind hole


84


that opens through the operating head


82


T.




With reference to

FIG. 3

, it will be noted that the reservoir


58


is connected to conventional means


94


for compensating for the expansion of the working liquid contained in the reservoir


58


. These means comprise a flexible diaphragm


96


separating a duct


98


that places the diaphragm


96


in communication with the working liquid of the reservoir


58


and a space


100


for disengaging the diaphragm


96


, which space is protected by a shell


102


of hemispherical overall shape. The diaphragm


96


deforms in accordance with the variations in the working liquid volume contained in the reservoir


58


.





FIG. 7

depicts a variant form of the plug


82


.




In this case, the plug


82


comprises a ball


104


which can be forced to move between a position of prestoppering the reservoir


58


, as depicted in chain line in

FIG. 7

, and a position of stoppering this reservoir


58


, as depicted in solid line in this FIG.


7


.




The surface of the ball


104


forms the stoppering surface intended to collaborate in sealed fashion with the seat


92


of the neck.




The filling neck


80


is stoppered using the ball


104


, as follows.




In the presence of excess working liquid, the level N of which is depicted in chain line in

FIG. 7

, the ball


104


is placed in its prestoppering position as depicted in chain line in this FIG.


7


. The ball


104


is then forced along the neck


80


so as to press it against the seat


92


, as depicted in solid line in FIG.


7


.




It will be noted that, during the forced movement of the ball


104


between its positions for prestoppering and stoppering the reservoir


58


, the excess working liquid, forced into the reservoir


58


under the effect of the movement of the ball


104


, is compensated for by the deformation of the diaphragm


96


of the expansion compensating means


94


, as depicted in FIG.


7


.




The hub


64


will be described in further detail hereinbelow with reference to FIG.


3


.




In the example illustrated in this

FIG. 3

, the hub


64


comprises a sleeve


106


, of axis coincident with the axis X, in which the swashplate


62


is housed.




The hub


64


also comprises a ring


108


fixed to the exterior surface of the sleeve


106


.




The exterior surface of the sleeve


106


forms a peripheral cylindrical surface SG for guiding the rotation of the hub in the housing body


22


. One face of the ring


108


forms a shoulder FE for the axial positioning of the hub


64


with respect to the housing body


22


.




Elsewhere, the housing body


22


has a liner


110


, the interior surface of which forms a cylindrical bearing surface SP in sliding contact with the peripheral guiding surface SG of the hub.




The housing body


22


also comprises a washer


112


, arranged at one end of the liner


110


, with one face forming a flat bearing surface FP in sliding contact with the shoulder FE of the hub.




The liner


110


and the washer


112


are fixed in a way known per se to the housing body


22


and are made of conventional materials, preferably ones with low coefficients of friction.




It will be noted that the shoulder FE of the hub


64


, extending the guiding surface SG of this hub, is urged against the bearing surface FP of the housing body


22


by the elastic return force of the pistons


54


in contact with the thrust needle bearing


60


and by the pressure of the working liquid in contact with the swashplate


62


.




According to a first variant depicted in

FIG. 8

, the cylindrical bearing surface SP is formed by the interior surface of a sleeve


114


, borne by the housing body


22


, equipped with one end extended by a flange


116


delimiting the flat bearing surface FP.




According to a second variant depicted in

FIG. 9

, the peripheral guiding surface SG of the hub is formed by the exterior surface of a sleeve


118


, in which the swashplate


62


is housed, equipped with an end extended by a flange


120


delimiting the shoulder FE for the axial positioning of the hub. The sleeve


118


of the hub collaborates with a sleeve


114


secured to the housing body


22


of the type depicted in FIG.


8


.




According to third and fourth variants depicted in

FIGS. 10 and 11

respectively, the peripheral guide surface SG and the shoulder FE for the axial positioning of the hub are formed by the exterior surface of a stepped tubular member


122


, made of a single piece, in which the swashplate


62


is housed. The stepped member


122


may easily be manufactured in conventional ways, particularly by drawing, treating and grinding.




In the third variant depicted in

FIG. 10

, the stepped member


122


is in sliding contact with a cylindrical bearing surface SP and a flat bearing surface FP which are formed on elements similar to those depicted in FIG.


3


.




In the fourth variant depicted in

FIG. 11

, the peripheral guiding surface SG of the stepped member


122


is in contact with bearing needles


124


running more or less parallel to the axis X, and the axial positioning shoulder FE is in contact with bearing needles


126


running more or less radially with respect to the axis X .




The needles


124


,


126


are contained by cages


128


,


130


fixed, in ways known per se, to the housing body


22


.




The following will be noted amongst the advantages of the invention.




The invention makes it possible to separate the intake and delivery chambers associated with the intake and delivery valves of the high-pressure pump using simple and effective means.




The housing and the valve body, made of aluminum or equivalent lightweight metal, allow the pump to be lightened, without this in any way leading to problems of differential expansion between these aluminum components and other components of the pump that are made of steel or of cast iron.



Claims
  • 1. A high pressure pump for pumping a motor vehicle fuel, and comprising:a main unit for pumping the fuel, which unit is actuated by a secondary unit for pumping a working liquid; a generally cylindrical housing for receiving the main and the secondary units; the main unit having at least an intake valve and a delivery valve for the fuel; the valves being supported by a valve body located in the housing; each of the valves communicating with an intake chamber and a delivery chamber for the fuel; the intake and delivery chambers being bounded by spaced opposing coaxial surfaces of generally cylindrical shape and having a common axis substantially coinciding with an axis of the housing; wherein the opposing surfaces include two complementary shoulders bearing on one another to form a sealed joining plane separating the intake and the delivery chambers.
  • 2. The pump set forth in claim 1 wherein a first of the opposing surfaces forms an internal surface of a housing cover, and a second of the opposing surfaces forms a peripheral surface of the valve body;a body of the housing being connected to the cover by at least one screw oriented generally parallel to the axis of the housing, a screw head bearing on a seat formed in the housing body, and a threaded screw portion located in a tapped orifice in the cover; an intermediate assembly clamped axially between a skirt of the housing body, inside the cover, and the valve body; whereby the housing body, the intermediate assembly and the valve body are clamped between the screw head and the joining plane.
  • 3. The pump set forth in claim 2 wherein the intermediate assembly comprises a body in which a piston of the secondary unit is slidably mounted for compressing the working liquid.
  • 4. The pump set forth in claim 2 wherein the intermediate assembly is selectively made of steel or cast iron, and the screw is made of steel; and further wherein the axial dimension of the intermediate assembly is substantially equal to the length of the screw extending between the screw head and the tapped orifice of the cover.
  • 5. The pump set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing and the valve body are made of lightweight metal.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
99 07214 Jun 1999 FR
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/FR00/01465 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO00/75514 12/14/2000 WO A
US Referenced Citations (13)
Number Name Date Kind
2664048 Huber Dec 1953 A
3692052 Cattanach Sep 1972 A
4594058 Fischell Jun 1986 A
4792287 Alaze et al. Dec 1988 A
4878815 Stachowiak Nov 1989 A
4993925 Becker et al. Feb 1991 A
5241986 Yie Sep 1993 A
5601345 Tackett Feb 1997 A
5707219 Powers Jan 1998 A
5899671 Horn May 1999 A
6095774 Tanaka et al. Aug 2000 A
6213096 Kato et al. Apr 2001 B1
6439859 de Matthaeis et al. Aug 2002 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number Date Country
466 045 Jan 1969 CH
860429 Jan 1941 FR
WO 9747883 Dec 1997 WO