Screw connection

Abstract: The invention relates to a screw connection with a screw portion provided with an internal and an external thread, which is formed with a screw head (22) for a hexagonal wrench socket. An accumulation of material in the screw head (22) is avoided and the transmittable torque is limited if the screw head (22) has three webs radiating at an angle of 120° from the centre of the screw head, whose free ends taper to points, and if these points lie on an orbit and have a spacing apart from one another corresponding to the key width of the hexagon wrench socket.

Description: The invention relates to a screw head for a screw connection with an internal and an external thread, adapted for a hexagonal wrench socket. Generally this known screw connection is provided with a solid hexagon as a screw head. The hexagonal wrench socket is plugged with its hexagon socket on to the hexagon, so that a positive-locking connection is established, which is suitable for transmitting a large degree of torque in both. directions of rotation. In many cases the screw portion is not formed as a pure attachment screw and is manufactured as a complicated metal or injection-moulded plastic part. In this respect the accumulation of material in the solid screw head is a hindrance to the rapid and cost-effective manufacture of the screw portion. FR-A-1 309 208 discloses a metal screw head having six webs obtained by means of longitudinal slots on the six sides of the hexagonal head. It is the object of the invention to provide a screw connection of the type already mentioned, in which a disadvantageous massive accumulation of material in the screw head is avoided, and the transmittable torque can be influenced in a simple way by the design of the screw head. This object is achieved according to the invention in that the screw head has three webs radiating at an angle of 120° from the centre of the screw head, whose free ends taper to points, and in that these points lie on an orbit and have a spacing apart from one another corresponding to the key width of the hexagon wrench socket. By means of the web, a screw head is provided which avoids an accumulation of material and can be adapted to the thickness of the other areas of the screw portion. In addition, the screw head formed from webs may be dimensioned for a predeterminable torque only. If in this respect the points lie on the central axes of the webs and are formed by flanks standing symmetrically thereto, and enclosing an angle of 135°, then by means of the flank dimensions it can be determined at which torque the hexagonal wrench socket can be turned past over the webs. In addition, the flanks can extend laterally beyond the webs into the connecting side surfaces of the hexagonal wrench socket. Transmission of a predetermined torque can be selected by the material chosen and the dimensions of the webs and flanks. In order to achieve a clear effective connection between the webs and the hexagonal wrench socket, according to one design the height of the webs in the screw-in direction is adapted to the depth of the hexagonal socket in the hexagonal wrench socket. In one design in particular, the invention may be used with advantage as it is characterised in that the screw head is integrally formed on a hub of a pump vane wheel, which may be screwed to the motor shaft of an electric motor. In this respect the hub of the pump vane wheel may be screwed with an internal thread on the motor shaft provided with an external thread and mounted in a bearing plate of the electric motor, and the pump vane wheel is disposed in a pump chamber which is formed by a pump casing and the bearing plate of the electric motor, and is supported via a compression spring, a rubber layer and a carbon ring in a rotatable manner on a ceramic ring mounted in the bearing plate. In this way, the predetermined front slot between the pump vane wheel and the pump casing can be adjusted in a known way. When the pump vane wheel is screwed on to the motor shaft, the compression spring is compressed, so that the applied pressure between the carbon ring and the ceramic ring increases. As soon as the torque predetermined by the screw head is achieved, the hexagonal wrench socket comes out of effective connection with the screw head and further increase in the applied force is prevented. Thus the torque transmittable form the electric motor to the pump vane wheel is limited, and thus an overload safety device is provided. The invention is described in more detail with reference to a screw connection between a pump vane wheel as a screw portion and the motor shaft of an electric motor in order to achieve an overload safety device. Shown are: Figure 1: a cross-section through a pump with a pump vane wheel and motor shaft, and Figure 2: a partial front view of the pump vane wheel with the screw head according to the invention. As Figure 1 shows, a motor shaft 26 of an electric motor is mounted in a bearing plate 10, which along with a pump casing 11, forms a pump chamber. Disposed in this pump chamber is a pump vane wheel 20 with vanes or wings 21, and screwed on to the end of the motor shaft 26 projecting into the pump chamber, as the screw connection 27 shows. This screw connection comprises an inner thread on the hub 25 of the pump vane wheel 20 and an outer thread on the motor shaft. Mounted in the pump lid 10 is a ceramic ring 13, upon which is supported a carbon ring 14, which is held by a compression spring 15 on the ceramic ring 13. The rubber bellows 16 covers the transition in a sealed manner. As the reference number 12 shows, the pump lid 10 is rigidly connected to the pump casing 11, e.g. by thermoplastic deformation or friction welding. The screw head 22 has a base plate, which closes the hub 25. As Figure 2 shows, there are moulded on to this base plate three webs 23, which radiate from the centre of the base plate and are at an angle of 120° to one another. The webs 23 taper to points which lie on an orbit and are at a distance apart corresponding to the predetermined wrench width, e.g. SW10, of the hexagonal wrench socket. The points are formed by flanks 24, which are disposed symmetrically to the central axes of the webs 23 and respectively enclose an angle of 135°. In this way a situation is achieved in which the flanks 24 abut on the adjacent side surfaces of the socket of the hexagonal wrench socket. In conjunction with the material selected for the pump vane wheel 20, it can be predetermined with the dimensions of the webs 23 and the flanks 24 at what torque the hexagon wrench socket will be turned through over the webs 23. This means that only a known torque can be transmitted via the screw head 22 thus designed, as the webs 23 yield to an increased torque. In the example described, this means that the pump vane wheel 20 can only be screwed on to the motor shaft 26 until at a counter-pressure generated via the compression spring 15, further increase on the torque in the screw head 22 is avoided by "turning through" of the hexagon wrench socket. Thus the desired frontal slot s between the pump vane wheel 20 and the pump casing 11 is also thus adjusted. The carbon ring 14 is supported correspondingly strongly on the ceramic ring 13, so that the torque transmittable from the electric motor to the pump vane wheel 20 is limited. This coupling between the ceramic ring 13 and the carbon ring 14 forms an overload safety device. By means of the new screw head 22, not only is a solid accumulation of material at the pump vane wheel 20 avoided, at the same time also the transmittable torque for the screw connection 27 is predetermined.

Claims: Screw head (22) for a screw connection (27) with an internal and an external thread, adapted for a hexagonal wrench socket, characterised in that the screw head (22) has only three webs radiating at an angle of 120° from the centre of the screw head (22), whose free ends taper to points, and in that these points lie on an orbit and have a spacing apart from one another corresponding to the key width of the hexagon wrench socket. Screw head according to claim 1, characterised in that the points lie on the central axes of the webs (23), and are formed by flanks (24) standing symmetrically thereto, and which enclose an angle of 135°. Screw head according to claim 2, characterised in that the flanks (24) extend laterally over the webs (23) into the adjacent side surfaces of the hexagon wrench socket. Screw head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the selection of material and the dimensions of the webs (23) and flanks (24) are co-ordinated to the transmission of a predetermined torque. Screw head according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the height of the webs (23) in the screw-in direction is adapted to the depth of the hexagon socket in the hexagon wrench socket. Screw head according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the screw head (22) is integrally formed on a hub (25) of a pump vane wheel (20) which may be screwed to the motor shaft (26) of an electric motor. Screw head according to claim 6, characterised in that the hub (25) of the pump vane wheel (20) may be screwed (27) with an internal thread on to the motor shaft (26) provided with an external thread and mounted on a bearing plate (12) of the electric motor. Screw head according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the pump vane wheel (20) is disposed in a pump chamber, which is formed by a pump casing (11) and the pump lid (10) and is supported via a compression spring (15), a rubber layer (16) and a carbon ring (14) in a rotatable manner on a ceramic ring (13) mounted in the pump lid (10).

Inventors: BUSER JOSEF, FERBER ULRICH, RAUBER LUDWIN, BUSER, JOSEF, FERBER, ULRICH, RAUBER, LUDWIN
Applicants: WHIRLPOOL CO, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: F04D29
IPC codes: F16B23, F04D29