WO2025080231A1

WO2025080231A1 - Coolant pump with flow rate controlled by rotational valve

Info

Publication number: WO2025080231A1
Application number: PCT/TR2024/051144
Authority: WO
Inventors: Onur KIYILI; Hasan GUNGOR; Veli Kemal AYDIN
Original assignee: Kirpart Otomotiv Parcalari Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Current assignee: Kirpart Otomotiv Parcalari Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Priority date: 2023-10-10
Filing date: 2024-10-04
Publication date: 2025-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-10

Abstract

The invention relates to a coolant (1) pump wherein a thermo-actuator (60), with the ability of linear motion according to a temperature of a coolant within a body (10) being pumped to an outlet (12), moves a first valve (30); a gear mechanism (40), to which said first valve (30) transmits its linear motion, converts said linear motion into a rotational motion and transmits said rotational motion to a second valve (50); the flow rate of said coolant is controlled upon said second valve (50) opening and closing by means of said rotational motion said second valve (50) receives from said gear mechanism (40) and thus, the energy efficiency is improved.

Description

COOLANT PUMP WITH FLOW RATE CONTROLLED BY ROTATIONAL VALVE

Technical Field

The invention relates to a coolant pump with a rotational valve capable of controlling the flow rate of an engine coolant.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a coolant pump wherein a thermo-actuator, with the ability of linear motion according to a temperature of a coolant within a body being pumped to an outlet, moves a first valve; a gear mechanism, to which said first valve transmits its linear motion, converts said linear motion into a rotational motion and transmits said rotational motion to a second valve; the flow rate of said coolant is controlled upon said second valve opening and closing by means of said rotational motion said second valve receives from said gear mechanism, and thus, the energy efficiency is improved.

State of the Art

The term coolant pump (water pump) refers to a member, which is coupled to the crankshaft of an engine, usually via a belt or chain, and which pumps a coolant owing to the drive it receives from the engine. If the water pump experiences malfunction or fails to operate for any reason, serious damage may occur in the engine as a result of excessive heating. Therefore, the water pump is an important part enabling an engine to run in a robust and safe manner.

In general, mechanical water pumps and electrical water pumps are used in the engine cooling systems for vehicles. The mechanical water pumps are generally coupled to the crankshaft or the belt system of an engine and pump the coolant into the cooling system by means of the drive obtained from the engine. The electrical water pumps operate with electric motors and are used in the automobiles for the newer cooling systems that provide energy efficiency. The electronic water pumps have a more complex structure compared to that of the mechanical water pumps. The reason is that components, such as sensors, electric motors, etc., are available in electrical pumps, and that said components function in complex ways. On the other hand, the use of said electronic components increases the cost compared to a mechanical pump. The electronic components are likely to fail earlier compared to the mechanical pump parts. This is another factor contributing to the increase in costs. EP1988293A2 discloses a coolant pump, which may be used to pump a coolant into an internal combustion engine. Said document discloses a coolant pump, the gasket for which is located at least partly inside a bearing of a pulley operating said coolant pump. According to said document, it is aimed to prevent the leakage of the coolant into the bearing. However, the document does not disclose controlling the coolant flow rate by converting a linear motion into a rotational motion.

JP2010038133A discloses a variable displacement water pump used in the cooling systems for the internal combustion engines and the like. According to the document, it is aimed to control the water flow rate by way of altering the impeller dimensions.

JPH10122177A discloses a variable-capacity water pump having the means developed to vary the circulation flow rate. According to said document, the water flow rate is controlled by way of altering the blade angles. However, said document does not disclose controlling the coolant flow rate by converting a linear motion into a rotational motion.

Considering their cost, the advantage of the electronic pumps over the mechanical pumps in terms of more efficient operation and fuel efficiency only neutralizes the overall situation. Consequently, considering the prior art and the above-mentioned drawbacks, a practical mechanical pump configuration is needed, which enables one to get rid of the cost of the electronic pumps and provides energy and fuel efficiency by enabling control over the flow rate.

Object and Brief Description of the Invention

An object of the invention is to provide a coolant pump, which does not occupy much space along a vertical axis, wherein a coolant being pumped to an outlet contacts by a greater extent a heatsensitive reservoir, i.e., the part of a thermo-actuator that detects the heat, and wherein a flow rate of said coolant being pumped into an engine is controlled owing to the conversion of a linear motion into a rotational motion, and thus, energy efficiency is enabled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coolant pump, which has a gear mechanism transmitting a linear motion of a first valve to a second valve as a rotational motion.

A coolant pump comprising at least one body with at least one inlet, through which an engine coolant enters, and at least one outlet, through which the pumped coolant exits, and at least one thermo-actuator with the components of at least one piston, which is able to move owing to a wax whose volume changes according to the temperature of said coolant, and at least one reservoir, which, owing to the heat-sensitive structure thereof, enables the volume of the wax inside thereof to change as a result of a heat exchange with said coolant, characterized in that said coolant pump, in order to provide the energy saving by controlling the flow rate of the coolant being pumped into an engine, comprises

- at least one first valve, which is able to move linearly along with the motion of said thermo-actuator that responds to the temperature of the coolant being pumped towards said outlet, at least one gear mechanism that transmits the linear motion of the first valve, which moves with the motion of the thermo-actuator, to a second valve as rotational motion, and

- at least one second valve, which is connected with said gear mechanism, opens and closes the outlet with the rotational motion received from said gear mechanism, and thus allows control over the flow rate by enabling the coolant to flow out of said outlet in a controlled manner.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure-1 An angular front sectional view of the coolant pump

Figure-2 An exploded angular front view of the components of the coolant pump

Figure-3 An exploded angular front view of the components of the gear mechanism

Figure-4a An angular front view of the second valve that has opened upon the motion of the piston

Figure-4b A top view of the second valve that has opened upon the motion of the piston

Figure-4c An angular front view of the second valve that has closed upon the motion of the piston

Figure-4d A top view of the second valve that has closed upon the motion of the piston

Figure-5 A front sectional view of the coolant pump

Figure-6 A view illustrating the direction of inflow of the coolant to the coolant pump and the direction of flow of said coolant inside said coolant pump

Figure-7 A view illustrating the opening direction of the second valve

Figure-8 A view illustrating the closing direction of the second valve

Reference Numerals I Coolant pump

10 Body

II Inlet

12 Outlet

13 Spring holder

14 Ring seat

15 Channel

20 Spring

30 First valve

31 Spring seat

32 Piston housing

33 Gear recess

40 Gear mechanism

41 Pinion gear

42 First bushing

43 Pin

43.1 Housing

50 Second valve

50.1 First recess

50.2 Second recess

51 Second bushing

60 Thermo-actuator

61 Piston

62 Reservoir

63 Ring

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a coolant (1 ) pump wherein a thermo-actuator (60), with the ability of linear motion according to a temperature of a coolant within a body (10) being pumped to an outlet (12), moves a first valve (30); a gear mechanism (40), to which said first valve (30) transmits its linear motion, converts said linear motion into a rotational motion and transmits said rotational motion to a second valve (50); the flow rate of said coolant is controlled upon said second valve (50) opening and closing by means of said rotational motion said second valve (50) receives from said gear mechanism (40), and thus, the energy efficiency is improved.

The present invention basically consists of the components of a body (10), a spring (20), a first valve (30), a gear mechanism (40), a second valve (50), and a thermo-actuator (60). Said body (10) has the structures of at least one inlet (11 ), at least one outlet (12), at least one spring holder (13), at least one ring seat (14), and at least one channel (15) through which the coolant circulates. Said first valve (30) has the structures of a spring seat (31), a piston housing (32), and a gear recess (33). Said gear mechanism (40) consists of the structures of said gear recess (33), a pinion gear (41), a first bushing (42), and a pin (43) and functions based on the cooperation of said structures.

Said thermo-actuator (60) has the structures of a piston (61), a reservoir (62), and a ring (63).

Said body (10) has a structure that encloses, and houses all said members of the coolant pump (1). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the body (10) is formed by two portions that are joined at the bottom and the top. Preferably, said body (10) comprises the inlet (11 ) and the outlet (12) for the coolants (water, etc.) in its upper portion; the structures of the coolant channel (15), the spring (20), the first valve (30), the gear mechanism (40), the second valve (50), and the thermo-actuator (60) in its middle portion; and the coolant impeller in its lower portion. Said inlet (11) refers to the structures like tubing, etc. via which the engine coolant enters, and said outlet (12) refers to the structures like tubing, etc. via which the engine coolant exits, wherein it is possible to change the numbers and the geometries of the same according to the preference and the need. In a preferred embodiment, as can be seen in the figures, there is more than one inlet (11) wherein the coolants entering the coolant pump (1) via said inlets (11) are enabled to be mixed together and to be pumped and guided towards the outlet (12) owing to the coolant impeller. In the region (a chamberlike region) of the structure of the body (10) where said spring (20) is positioned, a spring holder (13) is present, into which the upper end of said spring (20) is engaged. Said spring holder (13) is present in a quantity of at least one, formed in the form of a downward protrusion on the body (10) and prevents said spring (20) from shifting by fixing the same by the upper end thereof. Said coolant channel (15) is located in the middle portion of the body (10) and refers to the gap/path through which the coolant circulates. Above said channel (15), there is present a ring seat (14) structure, which is configured as an extension of the body (10), preferably in the form of a circular protrusion so that said ring (63) to be fitted into said ring seat (14). Upon said ring (63) being fitted into the ring seat (14), the thermo-actuator (60) becomes fixed to the body (10) in a way that said thermo-actuator (60) remains suspended. In another embodiment of the invention, said first valve (30) may be fixed to the body (10), and the thermo-actuator (60) may be movable. What is important here is to ensure that both components guide one another to perform a linear motion and transmit said motion to the gear mechanism (40).

The spring (20) is positioned between said spring holder (13) and said spring seat (31). The spring (20) member, by way of being either compressed or released, enables the contact position between the first valve (30) and the thermo-actuator (60) to be maintained upon the linear motion of said piston (61). Said spring (20) becomes compressed when the piston (61 ) moves upward and becomes released when said piston (61) moves downward, and said spring (20) maintains the last position of the first valve (30) while performing these motions. When the piston (61) moves upward, said spring (20) imparts a load in order to disrupt the position of the first valve (30), and, when the expanded wax compound begins to cool, said spring (20) imparts a continuous load in order to return said piston (61) to its previous position.

Said first valve (30) moves linearly along with the linear motion of said piston (61) and transmits said motion to the gear mechanism (40). A spring seat (31) having a protrusion is located above said first valve (30). Said spring seat (31) covers the upper portion of the first valve (30) like a lid. Another side of the spring seat (31) refers to a piston housing (32), which is formed in the form of an inward recess in a way to enable the piston (61) to fit into the same. Said piston housing (32) houses the piston (61). On the side where the first valve (30) is connected with the gear mechanism (40), a certain number of gear recesses (33) are formed, preferably from the top towards the bottom of a portion that is formed as a protrusion extending preferably from the bottom of said first valve (30) to the spring seat (31). Said gear recess (33) structures are configured in a way to allow said pinion gear (41 ) to engage/fit.

Said gear mechanism (40) converts the linear motion of the first valve (30) into a rotational motion and transmits said motion to said second valve (50). The gear mechanism (40) consists of the structures of the gear recess (33), which is configured in a way to allow the pinion gear (41) to engage/fit; the pinion gear (41), which performs rotational motion by successively engaging said gear recesses (33) in the downward or upward direction upon the linear motion of the first valve (30); a first bushing (42), one end of which abuts said pinion gear (41) to enable said pinion gear (41) to remain continuously connected with said gear recess (33) structures, another end of which abuts a first recess (50.1) of the second valve (50) to fix said second valve (50), and which has a cavity with a middle part where the pin (43) may engage; and the pin (43), which penetrates the gaps/holes present inside the structures of pinion gear (41), first bushing (42), and second bushing (51), is configured in the form of a cylindrical rod, and has a housing (43.1) with the structure of a recess on said cylindrical rod intended to enable said second valve (50) to fit.

Said second valve (50), by opening and closing in a certain direction (Figures 7 and 8) as a result of the rotational motion received from the gear mechanism (40), enables the coolant coming from the inlet (11 ) to move towards the outlet (12) in a controlled manner. While said second valve (50) is preferably positioned towards the middle part of the tube of the outlet (12), it is possible in the other embodiments of the invention to dispose of the same at different positions according to the preference and the need. The second valve (50) preferably has the recess structures, which are oppositely formed by removing a portion with rectangular geometry from the locations near both ends of a diameter of a circular piece. Here, the recess on the side with the first bushing (42) is referred to as a first recess (50.1), while the recess on the side with the second bushing (51 ) is referred to as a second recess (50.2). Said structures of first and second recess (50.1 , 50.2) are configured such that the structures of the first bushing (42) and the second bushing (51) may respectively fit into the same. The second valve (50) is fitted in a housing (43.1) on the pin (43). The second valve (50) is fixed as a result of abutting the first bushing (42) against the first recess (50.1), abutting the second bushing (51) against the second recess (50.2), and fitting said second valve (50) in the housing (43.1). Since said second valve (50) is connected with the tube of the outlet (12), it is formed in a shape consistent with the geometry of said tube of the outlet (12). Having a tube of the outlet (12) with a different geometry (e.g., square, ellipse, etc.) will cause the design of the second valve (50) to change. Thus, it may be readily understood by a person skilled in the art that the invention should not be considered limited to the structure with circular geometry described above in relation to the second valve (50).

Said thermo-actuator (60) has the components of a piston (61), which is able to move linearly; a heat-sensitive reservoir (62); and a ring (63), which, by fitting into the ring seat (14), enables said thermo-actuator (60) to be fixed such that said thermo-actuator (60) remains suspended inside the body (10). The heat-sensitive reservoir (62) enables the engine outlet temperature to be detected by means of the heat transfer taking place between the wax component and the coolant coming from the engine via the reservoir wall. An increase in the temperature of the wax causes an increase in the volume of the wax, or, vice versa, a decrease in the temperature of the wax causes a decrease in the volume of the wax. The volume change in the wax compound enables the linear (upward and downward) motion of the piston (61) and hence, the linear motion of the structure of the first valve (30) guided by said thermo-actuator (60). Said thermo-actuator (60) is fitted in a ring seat (14), which is formed above the coolant channel (15) present in the body (10) as an extension of said body (10) and which is configured with circular geometry so that said ring (63) may fit in the same, and said thermo-actuator (60) is thus fixed to said body (10).

According to the present invention, in the case where the second valve (50) is closed (Figure 8), the coolant entering the coolant channel (15) via the inlet (11) circulates through the body (10) until said second valve (50) opens. In the meantime, the reservoir (62), which is in contact with the coolant, begins to exchange heat with said coolant. Here, the thermo-actuator (60), which remains suspended owing to the ring (63) that fits in the ring seat (14), contacts more coolant. In this way, the reservoir (62) contacts more coolant and thus performs a more precise and uniform detection. The reservoir (62), the temperature of which has raised, heats the wax inside the same, and the volume of the wax, which now has an increased temperature, increases. The wax compound with increased volume pushes the piston (61 ) linearly (in the upward direction). The moving piston (61) pushes the piston housing (32), and as a result, the first valve (30) begins its linear motion in the upward direction. While the first valve (30) moves in the upward direction, the pinion gear (41), which is connected with the structures of the gear recess (33), begins its rotational motion. Owing to said gear mechanism (40), said rotational motion is transmitted via the pin (43) to the second valve (50), which is connected with the housing (43.1). Along with the rotational motion, the second valve (50) begins to open and enables the coolant to be conveyed to the outlet (12) in a controlled manner. The process described herein operates in the exact opposite way when the temperature of the coolant decreases. More specifically, the volume of the wax compound decreases upon a decrease in the temperature of the coolant, the piston (61) moves in the downward direction due to the force imparted by the spring (20), the first valve (30) moves in the downward direction along with the piston (61), the pinion gear (41), upon said motion, performs a rotational motion in the opposite direction, said rotational motion in the opposite direction is transmitted by the gear mechanism (40) to the second valve (50), the second valve (50) rotates in the opposite direction and closes due to said opposite rotational motion it has received, and said second valve (50) thus reduces the passage of the coolant through the same. Here, it is possible for the second valve (50) to be disposed at the positions where it is fully closed, fully open, open by a certain angle, or closed by a certain angle, depending on the temperature of the coolant.

In this description, the terms "top," "bottom," "up," and "down" used to indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the figures and are provided solely for the sake of clarity and ease of explanation. They do not imply or specify that the mentioned device or element requires a specific orientation, is constructed in a particular direction, or operates in a certain manner, and therefore, they should not be understood as limitations of the invention.

Claims

1. A coolant pump (1) comprising at least one body (10) with at least one inlet (11), through which an engine coolant enters, and at least one outlet (12), through which pumped coolant exits, and at least one thermo-actuator (60) with the components of at least one piston (61), which is able to move owing to a wax whose volume changes according to temperature of said coolant, and at least one reservoir (62), which, owing to heat-sensitive structure thereof, enables volume of the wax inside thereof to change as a result of a heat exchange with said coolant, characterized in that said coolant pump (1), in order to provide energy saving by controlling the flow rate of the coolant being pumped into an engine, comprises

- at least one first valve (30), which is able to move linearly along with the motion of said thermo-actuator (60) that responds to the temperature of the coolant being pumped towards said outlet (12),

- at least one gear mechanism (40) that transmits the linear motion of the first valve (30), which moves with the motion of the thermo-actuator (60), to a second valve (50) as rotational motion, and

- at least one second valve (50), which is connected with said gear mechanism (40), opens and closes the outlet (12) with the help of the rotational motion it receives from said gear mechanism (40), and thus allows control over the flow rate by enabling the coolant to flow out of said outlet (12) in a controlled manner.

2. A coolant pump (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that said body (10) comprises at least one spring holder (13), which is formed as a linear rod on said body (10) and which penetrates one end of a spring (20) to fix said spring (20) and prevent said spring (20) from shifting.

3. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first valve (30) comprises at least one spring seat (31), one end of which is configured such that said spring (20) to be fit from the top and the other end of which is configured such that said piston (61 ) may fit from the bottom.

4. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said gear mechanism (40) comprises at least one gear recess (33), which is configured in a way to allow a pinion gear (41 ) to engage; at least one pinion gear (41 ), which fits in said gear recess (33) and transmits the linear motion of said first valve (30) to a pin (43); at least one first bushing (42), which is fitted to respective ends of a pin (43) to fix said pin (43) to said body (10); and at least one pin (43), which is connected with the components of said pinion gear (41), said first bushing (42), and said second valve (50) and which holds said components together.

5. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first valve (30) comprises at least one gear recess (33), which is configured in a way to allow said pinion gear (41) to engage.

6. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first valve (30) has a movable structure in order to enable said piston (61) to transmit its linear motion to said pinion gear (41) via said spring seat (31) and in order to enable said spring (20) to become compressed as a result of the same motion.

7. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said thermo-actuator (60) is able to be connected with said body (10) in a way that said thermoactuator (60) to be fixed to said body (10).

8. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said coolant pump (1 ) comprises at least one spring (20), which, by way of being either compressed or released, enables to maintain the position of said structure of first valve (30), with which said spring (20) is connected.

9. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said thermo-actuator (60) comprises at least one ring (63), which is configured as a circular protrusion and which, by fitting in a ring seat (14), enables said thermo-actuator (60) to be fixed to the body (10).

10. A coolant pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said body (10) comprises at least one channel (15), through which the coolant circulates, and at least one ring seat (14), which is configured above said channel (15) such that said ring (63) to be fit in said ring seat (14).