Pump arrangement for a hydraulic unit having a pump piston

In a pump arrangement for a hydraulic unit of a vehicle brake system having a pump housing and a pump piston which is guided so as to be displaceable axially back and forth in the pump housing, a damping element is provided radially between the pump piston and the pump housing. The damping element damps vibrations of the pump piston which occur during an operation of the pump arrangement.

This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 National Stage Application of PCT/EP2018/070553, filed on Jul. 30, 2018, which claims the benefit of priority to Serial No. DE 10 2017 216 002.0, filed on Sep. 12, 2017 in Germany, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The disclosure relates to a pump arrangement for a hydraulic unit of a vehicle brake system with a pump housing and a pump piston guided so as to be displaceable axially to and fro in the pump housing.

BACKGROUND

Pump pistons serve in the pump arrangement of a hydraulic unit to suck hydraulic fluid into an associated pump housing and pump it from there under pressure into a hydraulic circuit. A regulated brake pressure can thus be provided in brake circuits in hydraulic units of vehicle brake systems such as in particular in the case of ABS/ESP hydraulic units. A radial piston pump is usually provided for this purpose, in the case of which several pump elements with in each case a pump arrangement extend radially and perpendicular to an axis or an associated drive shaft or shaft.

In this case, the individual pump piston is supported on the shaft of a drive motor on an eccentric bearing of an eccentric arranged around the shaft. Supported in such a manner, the pump piston is guided by means of the eccentric so as to be axially displaceable to and fro in the pump housing and an associated pump cylinder. An intake chamber and a pressure chamber or pump interior as well as an inlet valve and an outlet valve are furthermore provided in the pump housing. The valves serve to control a hydraulic fluid flow in the case of a pumping movement of the pump piston. A guide ring, a sealing ring and a supporting ring are further arranged within the pump housing on the low pressure side radially between the pump piston and the pump housing as a sealing and guide element. Here, the guide ring serves to guide the pump piston in the pump housing, the sealing ring as a fluid seal between the pump interior and a pump exterior and the supporting ring to support the sealing ring.

SUMMARY

According to the disclosure, a pump arrangement for a hydraulic unit of a vehicle brake system with a pump housing and a pump piston guided so as to be axially displaceable to and fro in the pump housing is created. In this case, a damping element is provided radially between the pump piston and the pump housing, by means of which damping element vibrations of the pump piston which occur during operation of the pump arrangement are damped.

Vibrations which are transmitted to the pump piston or piston supported there generally even occur at the eccentric bearing during operation of the pump arrangement substantially in the case of a rotational movement of an eccentric bearing. In particular, as a result of this, vibrations or oscillations of the piston radially with respect to its piston axis are caused. The vibrations caused in this manner are damped by means of the damping element according to the disclosure such that the vibrations of the piston are minimized in terms of their frequencies and amplitudes or are even prevented. Prevented in such a manner, no vibrations can be transmitted at sealing and guide elements which engage around the piston. Otherwise such vibrations destabilize the sealing elements in terms of their sealing action and the guide elements in terms of their guiding action. A sealing and guiding situation can therefore be significantly improved by means of the damping element according to the disclosure during operation of the pump arrangement. An undesirable input of air into a hydraulic system and/or leakage of the brake fluid can be significantly reduced or prevented. A particularly reliable braking action can be provided at the hydraulic unit.

An undesirable transmission of the vibrations to a sealing ring which surrounds the piston is avoided in particular by means of the damping element according to the disclosure. Avoided in such a manner, the sealing action of the sealing ring is ensured during the entire operation of the pump arrangement. The sealing ring is preferably arranged between a pump interior to be filled with hydraulic fluid and a pump exterior. Arranged in such a manner, the sealing ring can then always act reliably to seal off fluid between the pump interior and the pump exterior during operation.

The pump exterior is in particular an eccentric chamber in which the eccentric with its eccentric bearing and its shaft is located. The piston which is to be moved translationally to and fro by means of rotational movements of the shaft is supported on the eccentric bearing perpendicular to the shaft. In this case, high-frequency vibrations occur at the eccentric bearing which are also transmitted to the piston. The piston tends to move within a guide play available to it with oscillations in the high-frequency range and associated amplitudes or deflections transversely, in particularly radially, with respect to its piston axis. These movements can be damped or restricted and even adjusted in terms of their frequency and deflection by means of the damping element. The vibrations can thus be prevented almost at the place of origin. On the other hand, the corresponding frequencies are transmitted in particular to the sealing ring, the material of which can often not follow the high-frequency deflections as a function of its temperature. Here, the piston lifts up from the sealing ring. A gap is generated between the piston and the sealing ring which reduces the fluid-sealing action of the sealing ring. Such a gap formation is reliably prevented according to the disclosure.

The damping element according to the disclosure preferably has a purely oscillation-damping function and no fluid-sealing function as is necessary in the case of a sealing ring. A functionally appropriate material for the damping element with which its oscillation-damping properties can be optimized in a targeted manner can thus always be selected. No compromise has to be made in terms of a fluid-sealing action required in the case of a sealing ring.

According to the disclosure, a sealing ring for sealing off a pressure chamber arranged in the pump housing and to be filled with hydraulic fluid is furthermore advantageously provided radially between the pump piston and the pump housing, wherein the sealing ring is arranged on the side of the damping element facing toward the pressure chamber. Arranged in such a manner, contact of the hydraulic fluid with the damping element is avoided with the sealing ring as a result of its fluid-sealing action. As already described, it is also ensured by means of the damping element according to the disclosure that the sealing ring reliably has a sealing action over the entire operation of the pump arrangement. It is thus always ensured that the damping element does not come into contact with the hydraulic fluid and the hydraulic fluid cannot have a material-damaging effect on the damping element. The damping element thus has a long service life. The damping element also does not have to have any hydraulic fluid-resistant material. The material can be configured in a low-cost and functionally appropriate manner purely in terms of its damping function.

According to the disclosure, the damping element is advantageously configured from a material which has a different degree of hardness than the material from which the sealing ring is configured. The material of the damping element preferably has a higher degree of hardness than the material of the sealing ring. The material of the damping element has a higher degree of hardness in particular when it has a higher hardness and/or strength than the material of the sealing ring. The term hardness refers to a mechanical resistance which counteracts a mechanical penetration of another body into the material. The term strength refers to a resistance which the material has against deformation or separation. Configured in such a manner, the material of the damping element has greater resistance against deformation by means of the vibrations of the piston. The material of the damping element can thus deliberately counteract the vibrations of the piston during operation and damps its vibrations, while the material of the sealing ring is not under stress. The material of the sealing ring acts reliably in a sealing manner during the entire period of operation.

Alternatively, the damping element is advantageously configured from a material which has a lower degree of hardness than the material of the sealing ring. Such a configuration can be advantageous in certain conditions. The materials of the damping element and the sealing ring preferably do not differ primarily in terms of the degree of hardness in order to be able to satisfy their function, but rather in their material itself, in particular in their elastic and/or viscoelastic properties.

The material of the damping element particularly preferably has greater elastic and/or viscoelastic properties than the material of the sealing ring. An elasticity brings about that the damping element can deform immediately and reversibly. Viscoelastic properties are partially elastic and partially viscous. As a result of the elastic properties, the damping element deforms immediately, to a limited extent and reversibly, while it deforms in a time-dependent manner, to an unrestricted extent and irreversibly as a result of the viscous properties. The vibrations of the piston can thus not only be absorbed by means of the elastic properties of the material of the damping element and output again, but rather can be absorbed by means of the viscous properties in the material itself. A particularly good damping action of the damping element on the vibrations of the piston in particular in the high-frequency range is achieved. In the case of a deformation of the material of the damping element with the greater elastic and/or viscoelastic properties in comparison with the material of the sealing ring, greater elastic counter-forces correspondingly act from the damping element on the piston. The material of the sealing ring is not influenced in this regard by the vibrations of the piston.

If the material of the sealing ring preferably has a greater degree of hardness than the material of the damping element, the sealing ring can deform to a lesser extent than the damping element. The sealing ring reliably bears in a sealing manner against the piston, while the vibrations of the piston are absorbed by the damping element by means of its higher elasticity or viscoelasticity.

According to the disclosure, the damping element is furthermore advantageously configured with an elastomer. An elastomer is a polymer with good dimensional stability which can be elastically deformed. The elastomer can briefly change its shape as a result of pressure and quickly reassume its original shape after the termination of the pressure. The elastomer is cross-linked in a wide-meshed manner and is therefore flexible. Flexible in such a manner, the elastomer can absorb the vibrations of the piston particularly quickly and extensively in a vibration-damping manner. The elastomers include all types of cross-linked rubber. Preferred elastomers are natural rubber (NR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), butadiene rubber (BR) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). The elastomer is preferably configured with EPDM. EPDM has a particularly high elasticity with which the vibrations can be absorbed in a damping manner and with which the damping element can reassume its original shape thereafter.

The damping element is preferably configured with an elastomer which is not hydraulic fluid-resistant, in particular not brake fluid-resistant. Such a damping element is low-cost and can be oriented in a targeted manner to its vibration-damping function.

According to the disclosure, the damping element is furthermore advantageously configured with a viscoelastomer and thus has viscoelastic properties. The vibrations of the piston can be damped particularly comprehensively with the viscoelastic properties, as already described.

According to the disclosure, the damping element furthermore preferably has a piston-bearing surface for bearing against a piston outer surface of the piston and a supporting surface facing away from the piston-bearing surface for support on an inner surface in the pump housing or housing. The piston-bearing surface is smaller than the supporting surface. With such a smaller piston-bearing surface, the damping element has a smaller surface on the piston side than on the housing side. The damping element can bear in and on the housing with such a larger supporting surface in a vibration-damping manner in a stable manner and over a wide range. At the same time, friction between the piston outer surface and the piston-bearing surface of the damping element during displacement to and fro of the piston can be kept as small as possible. The piston can move largely unhindered translationally and the damping element only wears to a small extent due to friction. In a particularly simple structural manner, the inner surface is preferably directly the inner surface of the housing as a housing inner surface.

According to the disclosure, the damping element furthermore advantageously has a piston-bearing surface for bearing against a piston outer surface of the piston, wherein the piston-bearing surface is configured with a friction-reducing coating. The friction-reducing coating is a layer which has a lower coefficient of friction than the material of the damping element without friction-reducing coating. Friction between the piston outer surface and the piston-bearing surface during to and fro displacement of the piston is minimized by means of such a coating. To this end, the friction-reducing coating is preferably an anti-friction coating and/or a grease coating or lubrication. A particularly smooth and low-friction surface is created by means of the anti-friction coating. The anti-friction coating particularly preferably has a silicon and/or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) basis. A coating which is particularly flexible and does not hinder the damping element in its damping action is achieved with the silicon or polysiloxane basis. A coating which has a particularly low coefficient of friction and in the case of which static friction corresponds in its magnitude to sliding friction between two bodies is created with the PTFE basis. A transition from a standstill to movement without a jolt or stick-slip effect can thus take place at the start of a movement of the piston.

According to the disclosure, the damping element furthermore advantageously has a piston-bearing surface for bearing against a piston outer surface of the piston and a supporting surface facing away from the piston-bearing surface to be supported on an inner surface in the housing, the damping element is produced with a first and a second material and the piston-bearing surface is formed with the first material and the supporting surface is formed with the second material. In this case, the first material toward the piston outer surface has a lower coefficient of friction than the second material toward the inner surface. In particular, the first material toward the piston outer surface has lower sliding friction than the second material toward the inner surface. The piston is thus almost not braked during its translational movement on its piston outer surface and the damping element is protected from wear caused by friction. At the same time, the damping element is protected at its supporting surface by means of the second material bearing against the inner surface with the higher coefficient of friction than the first material in a comparatively stable manner in and on the housing. The inner surface in the housing is preferably an inner surface, facing toward the piston, of a component arranged in the housing, such as, for example, a guide ring. In a particularly preferred structural manner, the inner surface is directly the inner surface of the housing as the housing inner surface.

The first material is preferably PTFE which is often referred to by the trade name Teflon from DuPont. PTFE is extremely low-friction and offers very good dimensional stability. No significant shear forces can thus act between the housing and the piston. Damage to the damping element by means of pressing as a result of such shear forces can be reliably avoided. An undesirable stick-slip effect is furthermore prevented with PTFE.

The second material is advantageously an elastomer. A greater sliding friction of the damping element toward the inner surface in the housing in comparison with the first material is created with the elastomer. The damping element is thus positioned in a comparatively stable manner on the housing during to and fro displacement of the piston. At the same time, the elastomer has the dimensionally stable and elastic properties described above which are particularly advantageous for the oscillation-damping function of the damping element. The elastomer damps the radial oscillations of the piston particularly reliably, while the piston can slide almost unhindered translationally past the first material of the damping element. The elastomers described above, particularly advantageously EPDM, are preferably used as elastomers. Alternatively or additionally, the second material is preferably configured with a viscoelastomer with which the advantages described above can be achieved.

The damping element preferably engages only partially around the piston. Engaged around in such a manner, friction between the damping element and the piston can be reduced in the case of correspondingly pronounced damping.

According to the disclosure, the damping element particularly advantageously has a ring shape which configures the pump piston in a circumferentially engaging manner. Configured in such a manner, the piston is engaged around its entire circumference in a stable manner by the ring shape of the damping element and a particularly uniform damping-reducing action is achieved.

A circular damping ring is formed by means of the ring shape, the cross-section of which circular damping ring is configured to be O-shaped or rectangular in a particularly simple manner in terms of production technology. The ring shape particularly preferably has a rectangular cross-section in the case of which one corner is chamfered or graduated at the piston side.

A smaller piston-bearing surface is thus achieved in comparison with the supporting surface with the above-mentioned advantages. The ring shape is advantageously configured with a rectangular cross-section which has on the housing side, alternatively or additionally, a chamfer or graduation of a corner. The damping ring can thus be fitted or supported in the pump housing in a targeted manner. The ring shape is very particularly preferably configured as a quad ring with an approximately square cross-section. In each case an indentation is provided in the material between the corners of the square. Such a quad ring is less stiff in the radial direction in comparison with the O-ring or rectangular ring and can be better deformed when absorbing vibrations of the piston. The quad ring furthermore has, thanks to its indentation, in a friction-reducing manner a smaller piston-bearing surface as a rectangular ring. The indentation can furthermore serve to absorb a lubricant for lower friction.

In the case of a configuration of the damping element with a first and a second material, wherein the first material forms the piston-bearing surface and the second material forms the supporting surface, and the first material toward the piston outer surface has a lower coefficient of friction than the second material toward the inner surface, it is preferable to configure the cross-section of the damping element so that the damping element with its first material has a trapezoidal cross-section, the longer base side of which is arranged on the piston side. There, the vibrations of the piston can be absorbed over a wide range. A larger friction surface of the piston-bearing surface can thus indeed be achieved, but does not noticeably influence the piston thanks to the low-friction first material in its translational movement.

According to the disclosure, the ring shape advantageously has at least one damping ring portion. The ring shape engages around the piston in a stable manner, while the damping action of the damping element is only performed in portions with the at least one damping ring portion. The friction toward the piston outer surface is reduced with such partial damping. To this end, at least two damping ring portions of the ring shape are preferably provided with which the damping action is distributed evenly over the ring shape. The ring shape is particularly preferably provided on its inner radius with at least one circular arc-shaped circle segment which protrudes radially inward from the damping ring as a damping ring portion. The at least one circle segment forms the piston-bearing surface on the piston side. Such a segmented circle ring has a smaller piston-bearing surface in comparison with the supporting surface which extends radially to the outside on the damping ring and is nevertheless positioned in a stable manner around the piston with the ring shape.

According to the disclosure, a guide ring for guiding the piston in the housing is furthermore preferably provided radially between the piston and the housing, wherein the damping element is implemented, in particular integrated in the guide ring. Implemented in such a manner, the damping element can be mounted jointly with the guide ring in a particularly simple manner in a tailored fashion and at the correct position in the housing. To this end, the damping element is preferably arranged, on the piston side, adjoining the piston and, on the housing side, adjoining the guide ring and received precisely in an annular stage of the guide ring. The damping element is thus positioned in a stable manner in the guide ring and can act in a directly damping manner on the piston.

The damping element is preferably implemented in the housing for simple mounting at an appropriate interface in the housing before further components of the pump element are to be added. The damping element is particularly preferably mounted in a simple manner in terms of manufacture on or around the piston and can be installed as an assembly with the piston in the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2show a pump element10of an only partially represented radial piston pump12within an only partially formed hydraulic unit14of a vehicle brake system. Pump element10comprises a pump housing or housing16which is configured by means of a bore18in a hydraulic block20. Pump element10furthermore includes a pump piston or piston22which is to be moved or displaced translationally to and fro by means of an eccentric24within housing16. Eccentric24comprises, as an eccentric drive, a drive shaft, not represented, and an eccentric bearing26on which piston22is supported largely perpendicularly and radially.

In the present case, piston22is a multi-part pump piston. For this purpose, piston22comprises a piston tappet28supported on eccentric bearing26and a piston sleeve30adjoining piston tappet28with an inlet32. A brake fluid can flow radially inward into piston sleeve30through inlet32as hydraulic fluid. An inlet valve34conducts the brake fluid from piston sleeve30into a high-pressure region36which is enclosed by a cylinder cup38which engages around piston sleeve30. An annular piston sealing element40is arranged radially between cylinder cup38and piston sleeve30, with which piston sealing element40high-pressure region36is sealed off from a low-pressure region42which belongs to piston sleeve30and inlet32.

Sealed off in such a manner, piston22is guided along its piston axis44axially displaceably to and fro by means of eccentric24in cylinder cup38. Cylinder cup38forms a part of a multi-part pump cylinder46which furthermore includes an annular filter48arranged around piston sleeve30. Filter48filters the brake fluid which flows in through inlet32.

At the same time, filter48supports a seal arrangement50axially with respect to a housing stage52of housing16. Seal arrangement50furthermore bears in a sealing manner radially on the outside against housing16and radially on the inside against piston22. Seal arrangement50thus separates a pump interior or pressure chamber54to be sealed off from a pump exterior56. Ambient pressure prevails in pump exterior56, while a pump pressure is generated in pressure chamber54in the case of operation of pump element10. Pressure chamber54is filled with brake fluid through inlet32in the case of an extension of piston22out of housing16.

Seal arrangement50comprises a guide ring58, a supporting ring60and a sealing ring62. Guide ring58is located on that side of seal arrangement50which faces toward pump exterior56, is supported radially on the outside on housing16and bears radially on the inside against a cylindrical piston outer surface64of piston22. Piston22is thus guided in a targeted manner during its movement and supported transverse to piston axis44. Supporting ring60is furthermore arranged axially between guide ring58and sealing ring62and serves to support sealing ring62. Sealing ring62is located on that side of seal arrangement50which faces toward pressure chamber54and forms the actual fluid seal between pressure chamber54to be filled with hydraulic fluid and pump exterior56. Sealing ring62is configured for this purpose with a brake fluid-resistant material.

FIG. 2illustrates how vibrations arise at piston22during operation of pump element10. The high-frequency vibrations which occur there are transmitted to piston22from eccentric bearing26which rotates eccentrically during operation. In particular, the amplitudes associated with the vibrations extend radially to piston axis44, as represented with the double arrow on piston22according toFIG. 2. Proceeding from piston22, the vibrations are passed on to sealing ring62. There, the vibrations cause, however, problems such that sealing ring62cannot follow the high-frequency vibrations with its material and piston22lifts off from sealing ring62. When lifting off, a gap arises between sealing ring62and piston22. Sealing ring62can no longer reliably seal off pressure chamber54from pump exterior56.

FIGS. 3 and 4show a pump arrangement66according to the disclosure in the case of which, in contrast toFIGS. 1 to 2, a damping element68arranged radially between piston22and housing16is provided. Damping element68is adapted so that it damps the vibrations which occur at piston22in terms of their frequency and amplitude during operation of pump element10and thus during operation of pump arrangement66.

To this end, damping element68is arranged axially between supporting ring60and guide ring58, while sealing ring62is arranged on that side of supporting ring60which faces toward pressure chamber54. Sealing ring62is thus located on that side of damping element68which faces toward pressure chamber54and seals off pressure chamber54with its brake fluid located therein from damping element68. Damping element68can thus not come into contact with the brake fluid and can be configured with a material which is not resistant to brake fluid. The material of damping element68is in the present case ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) and has a higher degree of hardness than the material of sealing ring62. By means of its oscillation-damping properties, damping element68prevents a gap formation between piston outer surface64or housing16and sealing ring62. Sealing ring62can thus act in a reliably sealing manner over the entire operation of pump arrangement66.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment according toFIG. 3, damping element68has been mounted, engaging annularly around piston22, as an assembly with piston22into housing16to its appropriate interface. In the case of the exemplary embodiment according toFIG. 4, damping element68is implemented in an annular step70directly in guide ring58. Damping element68and guide ring58form an assembly which is to be fitted into housing16in such a manner that damping element68faces toward pressure chamber54. Such mounting is simple and can be performed in a targeted manner.

In the mounted state, damping element68has a piston-bearing surface72which bears against piston outer surface64of piston22. Damping element68furthermore has a supporting surface74which bears against an inner surface76in housing16and on which damping element68is supported on housing16. According toFIG. 3, inner surface76is a housing inner surface78of housing16itself. In the case of the exemplary embodiment according toFIG. 4, inner surface76is a ring inner part surface80of guide ring58which engages circumferentially around damping element68.

FIGS. 5 to 12show several variants of a damping element68which is configured with a ring shape81and engages around the full circumference of piston22. Piston-bearing surface72extends over an entire inner circumference82of ring shape81. In the case of the variant according toFIG. 6, damping element68is configured as an O-ring with a cross-section which has a circular form in the unloaded state. In the case of the variants according toFIGS. 7 to 9, a damping element68with a rectangular cross-section is provided.FIG. 7shows a variant in the case of which a friction-reducing coating83is attached on the piston side to piston-bearing surface72, which coating83is configured in the present case with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Such a coating83is where necessary possible in the case of all variants even if it is not represented explicitly.FIG. 8shows a variant in the case of which a piston-bearing surface72is formed by means of a chamfer84of a corner86of the rectangular form of damping element68, which piston-bearing surface72is smaller than supporting surface74which faces away from piston-bearing surface72. For the same purpose, in the case of the variant according toFIG. 9, corner86is configured in a graduated manner by means of a graduation or groove88.FIG. 10shows a variant in the case of which damping element68is configured as a quad ring and has an approximately cuboid cross-section with four corners86. An indentation90is provided between each corner86, with which indentation90piston-bearing surface72is reduced in comparison with a damping element68without indentation90.

Damping element68according toFIGS. 5 to 10is produced with EPDM from a single elastomer material. In the case of the variants according toFIGS. 11 and 12, damping element68has a first material92and a second material94. Second material94is configured with EPDM as elastomer and first material92is configured with PTFE as particularly low-friction material. Piston-bearing surface72is formed with first material92and supporting surface74is formed with second material94. Configured in such a manner, first material92has a lower coefficient of friction toward piston outer surface64than second material94toward inner surface76in housing16.

Damping element68according toFIG. 11furthermore has a piston-bearing surface72configured with low-friction first material92, which surface has an additionally friction-reducing indentation90on the piston side. Piston-bearing surface72is thus configured, in addition to the low-friction material, in a friction-reducing manner to be smaller than supporting surface74.

In the case of the variant according toFIG. 12, a material portion96which is configured with low-friction material92and is trapezoidal in cross-section of damping element68is created which forms with its longer base side piston-bearing surface72. Piston-bearing surface72is thus indeed larger than supporting surface74, but a loss of friction can be successfully balanced out by means of low-friction material92. The vibrations of piston22can additionally be absorbed over a wider range of larger piston-bearing surface72into damping element68.

A variant of ring shape81is represented inFIG. 13, piston-bearing surface72of which extends in a segmented manner or in portions over inner circumference82. For this purpose, several circular ring segments which are directed radially inward are provided as damping ring portions98on inner circumference82, with which piston-bearing surface72is formed jointly radially on the inside. In the present case, four such ring portions98are preferably arranged distributed equally on inner circumference82. Here, each individual ring portion98can be configured with a cross-section, as already described.