Magnetically driven pump

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetically driven pump so designed that a drive power of an electric motor (15) is transmitted from a magnets-embedded drive rotor (16) to a magnets-embedded follower rotor (14) opposed to one another by way of a magnetic coupling, the follower rotor (14) and an impeller (5) being secured respectively to the opposite ends of a rotating shaft (4) to which a thrust bearing (3b) of ceramic material is fastened for receiving an axial load. A cushioning member (7), for example, a dish-shaped plate spring, is mounted on the rotating shaft (4), so as to push the thrust bearing (3b) from the rear, in the position between the thrust bearing (3b) and a flange (6) provided on the rotating shaft (4) for determining the position of the follower rotor (14).

Description: The present invention relates to a magnetically driven pump, particularly in the form of a centrifugal pump of a single suction structure, in which the drive power of an electric motor is transmitted through a drive rotor to a follower rotor by way of a magnetic coupling, thus causing a rotating shaft with an impeller of the pump to turn integrally with the follower rotor. In a centrifugal pump of a single suction structure of the above-mentioned type, an impeller is fixed to one end portion of the rotating shaft, which is rotatably supported in the center line of a pump casing by way of a supporting member attached internally to the casing. Furthermore, a bearing of ceramic material resistant to hard surface wear is interposed between the rotating shaft and the supporting member so as to withstand a high speed of rotation of the rotating shaft. In the operation of the above-described centrifugal pump, a magnets-embedded drive rotor is rotated directly by an electric motor, and a magnets-embedded follower rotor opposed inside to the drive rotor is rotated accordingly by indirect way of a magnetic coupling, so that the rotating shaft with the impeller is caused to rotate integrally with the follower rotor. Due to the rotation of the rotating shaft, the impeller imparts centrifugal force to the liquid coming into a suction port which is configured in the axial center of the impeller, thus carrying the liquid radially in an accelerated manner. However, the impeller on pumping liquid at high speed rotation is adversely affected by an uneven action of axial load (thrust) and radial load, so that the rotating shaft is subjected to unbalanced vibration. For this reason, the ceramic bearing, which can withstand rotational wear but has a relatively how resistance against breakage, suffers damage or breakage due to the influence of axial load and impact occurring with the vibration of the rotating shaft at high speed rotation. A prior art that is of interest is that disclosed in GB-2 181 184 wherein a magnetically driven pump has a drive motor coupled to a drive rotor carrying magnets. The pump casing is separated by an internal partition into two rooms, One room accommodates the drive rotor and the other room accommodates a follow rotor carrying magnets driven by the magnets of the drive rotor. In one embodiment the shaft carrying the follow rotor is stationary but in a second embodiment the shaft carrying the follow rotor is rotatable. In the second embodiment the rotatable shaft is mounted at its ends in bearings and these may be of ceramic material. The shaft 1 carries an impeller that is integral with the follow rotor and is keyed to the shaft . There is shown in one figure what appears to be a thrust washer between the follow rotor and one of the aforesaid bearings. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a magnetically driven pump, in which a ceramic bearing is protected against damage and breakage by the pump being so designed as to prevent the influence of thrust load and vibration of the impeller rotating shaft at high speed rotation being exerted on the ceramic bearing by absorbing such thrust load and vibration. It is a secondary object of the present invention to provide a magnetically driven pupmp so designed as to prevent the likely vibration of the rotating shaft at high speed rotation by the operation of a so-called self-aligning. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a magnetically driven pump so designed as to minimize the likely wear and improve the fatigue resistance of the ceramic bearing due to contact with the rotating shaft by alleviating the frictional heat which generates between the bearing and the rotating shaft. With the above and other objects in view the present invention is as defined in the accompanying independent Claims 1, 2 and 3. Each of these claims has the same precharacterizing part based on the assumption that the aforesaid GB-A-2 181 184 is the nearest state of the art. Said pre-characterizing part calls for:- A magnetically driven pump so designed that a drive power of an electric motor is transmitted from a mangets-embedded drive rotor to a magnets-embedded follower rotor opposed to one another by way of a magnetic coupling; there being a pump casing separated by a partition into two rooms of which one accommodates the drive rotor and the other accommodates the follower rotor; a rotatable shaft on which are mounted the follower rotor and an impeller; a bearing of ceramic material fitted into a supporting member fixed in the pump casing and rotatably supporting the shaft; and a thrust bearing juxtaposed in contact with said bearing that rotatably supports the shaft so as to receive an axial load of the rotatable shaft. In the characterizing part of each of Claims 1, 2 and 3 there are four features, three of which are common to all three claims, namely: (a) the shaft is formed with a flange intermediate its ends; (b) said flange determines the position of the follower rotor mounted on said shaft on one side of said flange, the impellor being mounted on the shaft on the other side of said flange; (c) said bearing that rotatably supports the shaft is interposed between the follower rotor and the impeller. Claim 1 contains an additional feature (d), namely that the thrust bearing is of ceramic material. Claim 2 contains an additional feature (d), namely that the bearing that rotatably supports the shaft has an exterior surface curved outwards like the bulge of a barrel in a manner swingable in relation to the supporting member. Claim 3 contains an additional feature (d), namely that the bearing that rotatably supports the shaft has an interior surface provided with a spiral groove. Brief description of the drawing The present invention will now be described by way example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a magnetically driven pump embodying the present invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of Fig. 1, showing the characteristic parts of the same pump. Detailed description of the preferred embodiments Referring to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a casing of a magnetically driven pump, which is divided internally into two major rooms by a recessed fluidtight partition 17, shaped nearly like a beaker, of nonmagnetic material. In the room located on the side of an electric driving motor 15, a drive rotor 16 with pieces of magnet embedded therein is connected to a driving shaft of the motor 15, while being arranged in such a manner as to surround the partition 17. In the other room located on the side of a fluid intake 1a, a rotating shaft 4 is rotatably supported in the center on the same axis as the driving shaft of the motor, wherein the inmost end portion of the rotating shaft 4 is maintained in a boss 18 formed on the internal bottom of the partition 17 while the middle portion of the rotating shaft 4 is maintained by a supporting member 2 which is attached fast to the casing 1 and subdivides the latter room. On the intermediate portion situated between the inmost end portion and the middle portion of the rotating shaft 4, there is mounted a follower roller 14 with pieces of magnet embedded therein in opposition to the aforesaid drive roller 16, wherein the cylindrical part of the partition 17 is located between both the rotors 14, 16. The follower rotor 14 is caused to rotate with the rotation of the drive rotor, due to a magnetic coupling. An impeller 5 is mounted on the outermost end portion of the rotating shaft 4 so that the fluid entering an intake 1a of the pump can be forcibly carried with a high kinetic energy to an outlet 1b of the pump by the rotation of the impeller 5. In the magnetically-driven centrifugal pump so constructed as described above, an interposing bearing 3a of ceramic material which can take radial and axial loads is fitted onto a center penetration hole of the supporting member 2 in such a manner as to surround the rotating shaft 4, to avoid damage caused by friction. The interposing ceramic bearing 3a has an exterior surface 9 curved outwards like the bilge of a barrel, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, thus being moderately swingable in relation to the supporting member 2. That is, the ceramic bearing 3a functions as self-aligning-mechanism to absorb the axial shake of the rotating shaft. A screw bolt 10 is one that restricts the rotational and axial movement of the interposing ceramic bearing 3a by putting the free end of the bolt 10 loosely into a depression 11 formed on the exterior surface 19 of the interposing bearing 3a. A thrust bearing 3b of ceramic material in the form of a collar which can take an axial load, is fastened directly or indirectly to the rotating shaft 4 in such a manner as to be in contact with the rear end face of the above-described interposing bearing 3a. As a result, the thrust bearing 3b can be rotated integrally with the rotating shaft 4. The thrust bearing 3b may be fastened onto the rotating shaft 4 by inserting a key therebetween. Otherwise, the thrust bearing 3b may be fastened to the rotating shaft 4, as shown in the drawing, by way of a retainer 8 of metal which is attached firmly to the rotating shaft 4, for example, with a key. A dish-shaped plate spring 7 functioning as a cushioning member is mounted on the rotating shaft 4 in the position between the above-described thrust bearing 3b and a flange 6 which is provided integrally with the rotating shaft 4 to determine the position of the aforesaid follower rotor 14, so as to push the thrust bearing 3b from the rear. The above-mentioned intervening member 7 also includes a coiled spring and an elastic rubber for use in addition to the dish-shoped plate spring. Accordingly, the thrust bearing 3b tends to maintain contact with the other interposing bearing 3a on the not-rotational side. For this reason, in case where undesirable vibration happens to the rotating shaft 4 at a high speed, there is no fear that both the bearings 3a, 3b taking an axial load will mutually exert impact occurred by beating one another, since the dish-shaped plate spring 7 constrains both the bearings 3a, 3b so as to come in contact with one another without loosing such contact. Thus, the rotating shaft 4 and impeller 5 is surely caused to operate at a steady state. Besides, the ceramic bearing 3a on the not-rotational side has an interior surface provided with a spiral groove 12. While the liquid flowing through the intake 1a into the pump is discharged from the outlet 1b by the rotation of the impeller 5, a part of the liquid is caused to make one's way between both the bearing 3a on the rotational side and the other bearing 3b on the rotational side through side holes 13 made in the supporting member 2. The penetrated liquid is guided by the spiral groove of the bearing 3a, and is then caused to flow back into the inside room of the impeller 5 by the attraction of the rotating impeller 5. Accordingly, frictional heat, which tends to generate between the bearing 3a on the not-rotational side and the bearing 3b and rotating shaft 4 on the rotational side, is caused to cool, so that it is possible to prevent the likely wear and fatigue on the both the bearings 3a, 3b and the rotating shaft 4. Reference signs in the claims are intended for better understanding and shall not limit the scope.

Claims: A magnetically driven pump so designed that a drive power of an electric motor (15) is transmitted from a magnets-embedded drive rotor (16) to a magnets-embedded follower rotor (14) opposed to one another by way of a magnetic coupling; there being a pump casing (1) separated by a partition (17) into two rooms of which one accommodates the drive rotor (16) and the other accommodates the follower rotor (14); a rotatable shaft (4) on which are mounted the follower rotor (14) and an impellor (5); a bearing (3a) of ceramic material fitted into a supporting member (2) fixed in the pump casing and rotatably supporting the shaft (4) a thrust bearing (3b) juxtaposed in contact with said bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) so as to receive an axial load of the rotatable shaft; characterized in that (a) the shaft (4) is formed with a flange (6) intermediate its ends; (b) said flange (6) determines the position of the follower rotor (14) mounted on said shaft (4) on one side of said flange (6), the impeller (5) being mounted on the shaft (4) on the other side of said flange (6); (c) said bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) is interposed between the follower rotor (14) and the impeller (5); (d) a cushioning member (7) is mounted on the rotable shaft (4) between the thrust bearing (3b) and said flange (6); and (e) the thrust bearing (3b) is of ceramic material. A magnetically driven pump so designed that a drive power of an electric motor (15) is transmitted from a magnets-embedded drive rotor (16) to a magnets-embedded follower rotor (14) opposed to one another by way of a magnetic coupling; there being a pump casing (1) separated by a partition (17) into two rooms of which one accommodates the drive rotor (16) and the other accommodates the follower rotor (14): a rotatable shaft (4) on which are mounted the follower rotor (14) and the impellor (5); a bearing (3a) of ceramic material fitted into a supporting member (2) fixed in the pump casing and rotatably supporting the shaft (4) characterized in that (a) the shaft (4) is formed with a flange (6) intermediate its ends; (b) said flange (6) determines the position on said shaft of the follower rotor (14) mounted on said shaft (4) on one side of said flange (6), the impeller (5) being mounted on the shaft (4) on the other side of said flange (6); (c) said bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) is interposed between the follower rotor (14) and the impeller (5); (d) the bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) has an exterior surface curved outwards like the bulge of a barrel in a manner swingeable in relation to the supporting member (2). A magnetically driven pump so designed that a drive power of an electric motor (15) is transmitted from a magnets-embedded drive rotor (16) to a magnets-embedded follower rotor (14) opposed to one another by way of a magnetic coupling; there being a pump casing (1) separated by a partition (17) into two rooms of which one accommodates the drive rotor (16) and the other accommodates the follower rotor (14): a rotatable shaft (4) on which are mounted the follower rotor (14) and an impeller (5); a bearing (3a) of ceramic material fitted into a supporting member (2) fixed in the pump casing and rotatably supporting the shaft (4) characterized in that (a) the shaft (4) is formed with a flange (6) intermediate its ends; (b) said flange (6) determines the position on said shaft of the follower rotor (14) mounted on said shaft (4) on one side of said flange (6), the impeller (5) being mounted on the shaft (4) on the other side of said flange (6); (c) said bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) is interposed between the follower rotor (14) and the impellor (5); (d) the bearing (3a) that rotatably supports the shaft (4) has an interior surface provided with a spiral groove (12).

Inventors: HORIUCHI KOREJIRO, HORIUCHI, KOREJIRO
Applicants: SANWA TOKUSHU SEIKO CO LTD, SANWA TOKUSHU SEIKO CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F04D29
IPC codes: F04D13, F16C33, F04D29, F16C17