Pump and fluid supplying apparatus

Abstract

A pump includes a rotatable rotor installed in a motor part and at least one impeller installed in a pump part, capable of being rotated together with the rotor in unison. The rotor and the impeller are accommodated in a casing, and the impeller has an inlet at an inner periphery thereof and an outlet at an outer periphery thereof. A housing is arranged in both sides of an axial direction of the impeller and has an outer peripheral part coupled to the rotor at a rear side portion thereof, and the outer peripheral part is projected outwards further than a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the rotor and an inner peripheral surface of the casing in which the rotor is rotatably accommodated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a pump in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view of a fluid supplying apparatus using the pump of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of main parts of the pump shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of main parts of a pump in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of main parts of a pump in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a pump 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The pump 1 is used in the fluid supplying apparatus shown in FIG. 2.

The fluid supplying apparatus shown in FIG. 2 includes the pump 1; a board 3; a heat generation compartment 5 configured by electronic components and the like installed on a board 3; and a heat sink 7 that cools the heat generation compartment 5 through a heat exchange by using a liquid serving as a coolant discharged from the pump 1. The fluid supplying apparatus further includes a heat radiator 9 which cools liquid whose temperature has been increased by heat transferred from the heat generation compartment 5 to the heat sink 7; and a reserve tank 11 which stores therein liquid R discharged from the heat radiator 9. Here, the pump 1, the heat sink 7, the heat radiator 9 and the reserve tank 11 are connected in series via a piping 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pump 1 includes a pump part 17 disposed in a casing 15 at an upper part thereof; and a motor part 19 disposed in the casing 15 at a lower part thereof, wherein “upper” and “lower” are defined as seen in FIG. 1. The casing 15 includes a pump-side casing 21 and a motor-side casing 23, which are coupled to each other via a sealing member 25 interposed therebetween. The pump-side casing 21 is made of plastic such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or metal such as stainless steel. Further, the motor-side casing 23 is made of metal such as aluminum or heat resistant plastic.

The motor-side casing 23 serves to isolate the motor part 19 from the pump part 17 to prevent the liquid R from coming into the motor part 19 from the pump part 17.

The motor part 19, arranged in the motor-side casing 23, includes a cylindrical stator 29 which generates a magnetic field by an electric conduction therethrough. The stator 29 is fixed in a stator accommodating portion 31 that is provided in the motor-side casing 23 and has a opened area at a lower side thereof, wherein “lower” is defined as seen in FIG. 1.

A circuit board 37, which includes a control unit provided with electronic components 33 and 35 (such as a transformer, a transistor and/or the like) for controlling an electric conduction through the stator 29, is attached to the motor-side casing 23 such that the circuit board 37 covers a part of the stator accommodating portion 31.

Further, a part of the motor-side casing 23 opened downwards in FIG. 1 is filled with a resin 39 injected and hardened therein for protecting the stator 29 and the control unit having the electronic components 33 and 35. In addition, the part of the motor-side casing 23 opened downwards and filled with the resin 39 is tightly covered with a cover 41.

Adjacent to an outer periphery of the stator 29 in the motor part 19 is installed a cylindrical rotor 43 having a permanent magnet and the like, such that the rotor 43 can be rotated by the magnetic field generated by the stator 29.

Further, the pump part 17 includes a plurality of impellers (in the illustrated example, two impellers 45 and 47) arranged in an axial direction in a multi-stage arrangement, which are rotated together with the rotor 43 in unison. Each of the impellers 45 and 47 is substantially disk-shaped, and has an inlet 49 or 51 at an inner periphery thereof and an outlet 53 or 55 in an outer periphery thereof. Furthermore, each of the impellers 45 and 47 is made of, e.g., plastic such as PPS.

The inlet 49 of the impeller 45 that is upstream of the impeller 47 communicates with a casing inlet port 57 formed at an upper portion of the pump-side casing 21. On the other hand, the outlet 55 of the impeller 47 that is downstream of the impeller 45 communicates with a casing outlet port 59 formed at an upper portion of the motor-side casing 23.

Furthermore, the impellers 45 and 47 include front shrouds 61 and 63, respectively, and rear shrouds 65 and 67, respectively, wherein the front shrouds 61 and 63 and the rear shrouds 65 and 67 form a housing. Further, the impellers 45 and 47 are respectively provided with blades 69 between the front shroud 61 and the rear shroud 65 and blades 71 between the front shroud 63 and the rear shroud 67.

Thus, by the operation of the blades 69 or 71 pursuant to the rotation of the impeller 45 or 47, liquid drawn into the inlet 49 or 51 is pressure-driven out in an outwardly radial direction through the impeller 45 or 47 to be discharged via the outlet 53 or 55.

Further, a ring-shaped coupling protrusion 67a protrudes downwards from a lower side of a near-peripheral part of the rear shroud 67 of the downstream-side impeller 47, and an end portion of the coupling protrusion 67a is fixedly coupled to an upper end of the rotor 43 in the motor part 19.

Thus, in the present embodiment of the present invention, the impeller 47 in the pump part 17 and the rotor 43 in the motor part 19 are accommodated in the casing 15 in a manner that they can be rotated together in unison.

An outer diameter of the rear shroud 67 that forms a rear side of the downstream-side impeller 47 is greater than that of the front shroud 63 of the downstream-side impeller 47, whereby an outer peripheral part of the rear shroud 67 is projected outwards to form a projected end portion 67b. On the other hand, outer diameters of the front shroud 61 and the rear shroud 65 of the upstream-side impeller 45 are substantially equal to the outer diameter of the front shroud 63 of the downstream-side impeller 47.

Further, a ring-shaped member 73 is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the motor-side casing 23 at a position corresponding to the projected end portion 67b, thereby forming a part of the motor-side casing 23. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, a ring-shaped cutoff portion 73a is formed at a lower part of an inner periphery of the ring-shaped member 73. A recessed portion 75 that is opened inwards is formed between the cutoff portion 73a and the motor-side casing 23.

Further, the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 is inserted into the recessed portion 75. Here, a gap S is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 43 and the inner peripheral surface of the motor-side casing 23 in which the rotor 43 is rotatably accommodated. The projected end portion 67b extends outwards beyond the gap S, thereby being surrounded by the recessed portion 75.

Further, the ring-shaped member 73 has an outlet passage 73c, which is formed at a position corresponding to the casing outlet port 59 in the motor-side casing 23. The outlet passage 73c communicates with the casing outlet port 59 such that liquid discharged from the outlet 55 of the downstream-side impeller 47 flows towards the casing outlet port 59 via the outlet passage 73c.

A disk-shaped partition plate 76, which is made of metal such as stainless steel is provided between the upstream-side impeller 45 and the downstream-side impeller 47 at a position closer to the downstream-side impeller 47, thereby partitioning between the impellers 45 and 47. The partition plate 76 is interposed to be fixed between a fluid guide member 77, which is disposed above the partition plate 76, and the ring-shaped member 73.

The fluid guide member 77 includes a disk-shaped part 77a disposed between the upstream-side impeller 45 and the downstream-side impeller 47 at a position closer to the upstream-side impeller 45; and a guide blade 77b extending upwards an upper side of an outer peripheral part of the disk-shaped part 77a. Further, a returning blade 77c is provided under the disk-shaped part 77a. The fluid guide member 77 is made of plastic such as PPS.

The guide blade 77b guides liquid discharged from the outlet 53 of the impeller 45 towards the outer peripheral part of the fluid guide member 77 to introduce the liquid into a space formed above the partition plate 76 via a communicating hole 77d formed in the outer peripheral end portion of the fluid guide member 77. Meanwhile, the returning blade 77c guides the liquid introduced into the space formed above the partition plate 76 towards the inlet 51 formed at the inner periphery of the impeller 47.

Further, bearings 79 and 81 made of sintered carbon or molded carbon are respectively provided at rotating centers of the upstream-side impeller 45 and the downstream-side impeller 47. A rotating support shaft 83 made of metal such as stainless steel is inserted into the bearings 79 and 81 to rotatably support the impellers 45 and 47. Here, an upper end part of the rotating support shaft 83 is inserted into a connection hole 21a of the pump-side casing 21, and a lower end part of the rotating support shaft 83 is inserted into a connection hole 23a of the motor-side casing 23.

Bearing plates 85 and 87, made of ceramic and penetrated by the rotating support shaft 83, are provided respectively between the upper end of the upper bearing 79 and the pump-side casing 21 and between the lower end of the lower bearing 81 and the motor-side casing 23 such that the bearing plates 85 and 87 contact the upper end of the bearing 79 and the lower end of the bearing 81, respectively.

Further, the upstream-side impeller 45 and the downstream-side impeller 47 are fixedly coupled to each other by means of a connecting member 89, so that the impellers 45 and 47 are rotated together in unison.

In the pump 1 configured as described above, the rotor 43 is rotated by the operation of the motor part 19, and the two impellers 45 and 47 are rotated together in unison by the rotation of the rotor 43. The liquid R, which has been contained in the reserve tank 11 of FIG. 2, is drawn into the casing inlet port 57 by the rotation of the impellers 45 and 47. Subsequently, the liquid R is introduced into the upstream-side impeller 45 via the inlet 49, and is forcibly driven towards the outer periphery of the impeller 45 by the plurality of blades 69. Thereafter, the liquid R passes through the communicating hole 77d, and flows inwards in the space between the impellers 45 and 47. Then, the liquid R is drawn into the downstream-side impeller 47 via the inlet 51.

The liquid R introduced into the impeller 47 is forcibly driven towards the outer periphery of the impeller 47 by the plurality of blades 71, and then is supplied into the piping 13 via the outlet 55 and the casing outlet port 59. Thereafter, the liquid R is drawn into the heat sink 7 of FIG. 2 to cool the heat generation compartment 5. The liquid R, whose temperature has been increased by cooling the heat generation compartment 5, flows to reach the heat radiator 9. After radiating heat at the heat radiator 9 to reduce its temperature, the liquid R is returned to the reserve tank 11.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3 in detail, in the downstream-side impeller 47, the outer diameter of the rear shroud 67 is greater than that of the front shroud 63 such that the projected end portion 67b of the outer peripheral part of the rear shroud 67 is inserted into the recessed portion 75 formed between the motor-side casing 23 and the ring-shaped member 73. As such, the rear shroud 67 of the impeller 47 is designed such that the projected end portion 67b thereof is covered with the recessed portion 75.

Therefore, since the projected end portion 67b forms a shape in which it covers the gap S between the rotor 43 and the motor-side casing 23, a high pressure liquid discharged via the outlet 55 from the downstream-side impeller 47 can be suppressed from leaking through the gap S, thereby reducing a leakage loss of fluid. Therefore, a high efficiency of a high-head and low-flow-rate pump can be achieved while reducing a size thereof by arranging the impellers 45 and 47 in a coaxial structure.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, since the heat generation compartment 5 is cooled down by the liquid discharged from the high-efficiency pump 1 whose leakage loss has been reduced, the cooling efficiency of the heat sink 7 can be enhanced. Thus, the reliability of the fluid supplying apparatus can be improved.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of main parts of a pump in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the second embodiment other than that shown in FIG. 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts. In the second embodiment, a leakage prevention part 91 is provided between the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 of the downstream-side impeller 47 and the cutoff portion 73a of the ring-shaped member 73 that forms the recessed portion 75.

The leakage prevention part 91 includes ring-shaped lower protrusions 67c and 67d, which are provided on a surface of the projected end portion 67b that faces the impeller 45. The lower protrusions 67c and 67d are spaced apart from each other at a specific distance in a radial direction of the impeller 47. Further, a ring-shaped upper protrusion 73b is formed on a surface of the cutoff portion 73a that faces the ring-shaped lower protrusions 67c and 67d, and is positioned between the lower protrusions 67c and 67d so that the upper protrusion 73b is inserted into a ring-shaped groove 67e formed between the lower protrusions 67c and 67d.

That is, in the second embodiment, the ring-shaped lower protrusions 67c and 67d and the ring-shaped upper protrusion 73b, which protrude in directions facing each other, are formed on the mutually facing surfaces of the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 and the recessed portion 75 of the motor-side casing 23, respectively, such that the lower protrusions 67c and 67d and the upper protrusion 73b are arranged not to overlap with each other in a plane including the rotating axis of the impeller 47. Further, a leading end of each protrusion of one side (for example, each of the protrusions 67c and 67d) is located closer to a base part of each protrusion of the other side (for example, the protrusion 73b) than a leading end of each protrusion of the other side is located.

In the second embodiment configured as described above, the upper protrusion 73b formed on the ring-shaped member 73 is inserted into the ring-shaped groove 67e formed between the protrusions 67c and 67d formed on the projected end portion 67b. Thus, a high pressure liquid discharged from the outlet 55 of the downstream-side impeller 47 is more reliably prevented from leaking through the gap S, thereby further reducing a leakage loss of fluid compared to the second embodiment.

Further, the structure of the leakage prevention part 91 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4. For example, in contrast with FIG. 4, two protrusions may be formed on the cutoff portion 73a, and one protrusion, which is inserted into a ring-shaped groove formed between the two protrusions, may be formed on the surface of the projected end portion 67b that faces the impeller 45. Further, one of the two protrusions 67c and 67d shown in FIG. 4 may be removed.

Alternatively, the leakage prevention part may be formed between an upper surface of the motor-side casing 23 within the recessed portion 75 and a surface of the projected end portion 67b opposite to the impeller 45 (i.e., a lower surface of the projected end portion 67b in FIG. 4). Further, the leakage prevention part may be formed between an end portion of an outer peripheral part of the projected end portion 67b (i.e., a right front end of the projected end portion 67b in FIG. 4) and a side of the cutoff portion 73a opposite thereto within the recessed portion 75.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of main parts of a pump in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the third embodiment other than that shown in FIG. 5 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts. In the third embodiment, a dynamic pressure generation part 93, which generates a dynamic pressure by the rotation of the downstream-side impeller 47, is provided on the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 of the downstream-side impeller 47.

The dynamic pressure generation part 93 includes stepped portions, i.e., a plurality of protrusions 67f protruding from a surface of the projected end portion 67b that faces the front shroud 63 of the impeller 47. Here, each of the protrusions 67f is elongated in a radial direction of the impeller 47.

Furthermore, as stepped portions, grooves may be formed in the projected end portion 67b instead of the protrusions 67f. In addition, the stepped portions may be formed on a cutoff portion 73a that faces the surface of the projected end portion 67b on which the protrusions 67f of FIG. 5 are formed. In other words, the dynamic pressure generation part 93 may be formed on at least one of the following two surfaces: a surface of the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 that faces towards the bearing 79, and a surface of the recessed portion 75 in the inner peripheral surface of the motor-side casing 23 that faces the projected end portion 67b in an axial direction.

In the third embodiment configured as above, when the rear shroud 67 is rotated pursuant to the rotation of the impeller 47, a dynamic pressure is generated between the projected end portion 67b and the ring-shaped member 73 due to the presence of the leakage preventing protrusions 67f formed on the projected end portion 67b. Due to the dynamic pressure, the impeller 47 is subject to a force being exerted downwards in FIGS. 1 and 5.

Meanwhile, when liquid is introduced into the upstream-side impeller 45 via the inlet 49 during the operation of the pump 1, an upstream side of the inlet 49 comes into a negative pressure state. Due to this, the impeller 45 is subject to a force being exerted upwards in FIGS. 1 and 5.

Thus, the above-mentioned dynamic pressure functions to offset the effect of the above-mentioned upward force applied to the impeller 45, so that a contact resistance between the impeller 45 and an upper end of the bearing 79 and the bearing plate 85 fixed to the pump-side casing 21 can be reduced.

Therefore, in accordance with the third embodiment, an abrasive amount of contacting surfaces between the bearing 79 and the bearing plate 85 can be reduced. Thus, the impellers 45 and 47 can be rotated at a higher speed, and the efficiency and the lifetime of the pump can be improved.

Further, in accordance with the third embodiment, likewise as in the first embodiment, the projected end portion 67b of the rear shroud 67 is covered with the recessed portion 75 of the motor-side casing 23. Hence, a high pressure liquid discharged from the outlet 55 of the downstream-side impeller 47 is suppressed from leaking through the gap S, thereby reducing a leakage loss of liquid.

In the above embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus for cooling the heat generation compartment 5 including electronic components has been illustrated as the fluid supplying apparatus using the pump 1. However, the pump 1 may be used for various kinds of fluid supplying apparatus such as a well pump system, a hot water supplying system, a water drainage pump system, or the like.

Further, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the pump 1 has been described to have two impellers 45 and 47 provided in the axial direction. However, the pump 1 may have only the downstream-side impeller 47 shown in FIG. 1 and not the upstream-side impeller 45. Alternatively, in addition to the downstream-side impeller 47, two or more impellers may be provided on the upstream side of the impeller 47 along the axis in a multi-stage arrangement.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A pump comprising: a rotatable rotor installed in a motor part; andat least one impeller installed in a pump part, capable of being rotated together with the rotor in unison,wherein the rotor and the impeller are accommodated in a casing, and the impeller has an inlet at an inner periphery thereof and an outlet at an outer periphery thereof, andwherein a housing is arranged in both sides of an axial direction of the impeller and has an outer peripheral part coupled to the rotor at a rear side portion thereof, and the outer peripheral part is projected outwards beyond a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the rotor and an inner peripheral surface of the casing in which the rotor is rotatably accommodated.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral part is inserted in a recessed portion formed at the inner peripheral surface of the casing.

3. The pump of claim 2, wherein protrusions protruding in directions facing each other are formed on mutually facing surfaces of the outer peripheral part and the recessed portion, respectively, such that the protrusions are arranged not to overlap with each other in a plane including a rotating axis of the impeller, and wherein a leading end of each protrusion of one side is located closer to a base part of each protrusion of the other side than a leading end of each protrusion of the other side is located.

4. The pump of claim 3, wherein the protrusions of either the outer peripheral part or the recessed portion are two in number and spaced apart from each other in a radial direction of the impeller, and wherein the remaining protrusion other than the two protrusions of either the outer peripheral part or the recessed portion is inserted in a groove formed between the two protrusions of either the outer peripheral part or the recessed portion.

5. The pump of claim 2, wherein the impeller includes a bearing integrated therewith capable of being rotated about a rotating support shaft installed in the casing such that an axial end portion of the bearing is capable of being slidingly rotated with respect to the casing, and wherein a dynamic pressure generation part that generates a dynamic pressure by a rotation of the impeller is formed on at least one of a first surface of the outer peripheral part that faces towards the bearing and a second surface of the recessed portion that faces the first surface in an axial direction.

6. The pump of claim 3, wherein the impeller includes a bearing integrated therewith capable of being rotated about a rotating support shaft installed in the casing such that an axial end portion of the bearing is capable of being slidingly rotated with respect to the casing, and wherein a dynamic pressure generation part that generates a dynamic pressure by a rotation of the impeller is formed on at least one of a first surface of the outer peripheral part that faces towards the bearing and a second surface of the recessed portion that faces the first surface in an axial direction.

7. The pump of claim 4, wherein the impeller includes a bearing integrated therewith capable of being rotated about a rotating support shaft installed in the casing such that an axial end portion of the bearing is capable of being slidingly rotated with respect to the casing, and wherein a dynamic pressure generation part that generates a dynamic pressure by a rotation of the impeller is formed on at least one of a first surface of the outer peripheral part that faces towards the bearing and a second surface of the recessed portion that faces the first surface in an axial direction.

8. The pump of claim 5, wherein the dynamic pressure generation part includes at least one stepped portion that extends in a radial direction of the impeller.

9. The pump of claim 6, wherein the dynamic pressure generation part includes at least one stepped portion that extends in a radial direction of the impeller.

10. The pump of claim 7, wherein the dynamic pressure generation part includes at least one stepped portion that extends in a radial direction of the impeller.

11. A fluid supplying apparatus comprising the pump of claim 1.

12. The fluid supplying apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: a heat sink for cooling a heat generation compartment by drawing fluid discharged from the pump to the heat generation compartment; anda heat radiator for cooling the fluid whose temperature has been increased by gaining heat from the heat generation compartment at the heat sink, and supplying the cooled fluid into the pump.