Abstract:
A controllable coolant pump for internal combustion engines driven by torque transmission elements has a pump housing, a driven shaft mounted in the pump housing, an impeller wheel arranged fixedly in terms of rotation on a free, flow-side end of the shaft, and a pressure-activated valve slide having an outer cylinder covering the outflow region of the impeller wheel in a variable manner. The valve slide is of annular configuration and is arranged on piston rods mounted displaceably in the pump housing. An annular piston mounted in an annular groove in the pump housing and movable in a defined manner in the annular groove via excess pressure or vacuum is arranged on the piston rods in a manner lying opposite the valve slide.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Application No. 10 2005 062 200.3 filed Dec. 23, 2005. Applicants also claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §365 of PCT/DE2006/001405 filed Aug. 11, 2006. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a controllable coolant pump driven by way of a belt pulley. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the state of the art, controllable coolant pumps for internal combustion engines are previously described, which are driven by the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine by way of a belt pulley, and in which the impeller wheel is driven by the pump shaft in switchable manner, for example in connection with a friction pairing. 
     The applicant presented a proven controllable coolant pump in the patent DE 100 57 098 C1, in which a magnetic coil is disposed in the pump housing, in stationary manner, which coil can enter into an action connection with an anchor disk that is disposed on the drive shaft so as to rotate with it, but is displaceable under spring force, provided with a friction coating on the impeller wheel side, in such a manner that when the magnetic field is shut off, the impeller wheel that is disposed on the drive shaft so as to rotate is entrained by the anchor disk as a result of the spring press-down pressure. 
     Since, in the case of this construction, the entrainment friction moment is greatly limited by the magnetic construction space that is available, this solution was developed further in systematic manner. 
     The application DE 102 35 721 A1 that builds on this solution describes a controllable coolant pump which has been optimized in terms of construction space, having a drive torque that can be transferred from the friction disk of the magnetic coupling to the impeller wheel, which torque is clearly increased. 
     This increased drive torque is brought about by means of increasing the press-down force, which results from the fact that a partial vacuum that supports the press-down force is built up between the friction disk and the impeller wheel, by means of an inflow ring and an outflow ring for the cooling medium, and, at the same time, the friction disk has the pressure of the cooling medium applied to it during operation, by means of overflow openings on the coupling side. 
     Both the cooling power and the drive power of the coolant pump can be varied by means of the two-point regulation that can be implemented with such coolant pumps. 
     However, optimal regulation of the drive power or cooling power of coolant pumps for motor vehicles is supposed to make it possible to avoid compulsory cooling that starts immediately when the engine is started, causing the warm-up phase of the engine, with all the disadvantages that occur during this phase, such as increased friction losses, increased emission values, and increased fuel consumption, to be clearly reduced. 
     In order to now allow such faster engine warm-up, with the advantages that result from it, the drive of the coolant pump was uncoupled during cold start of the engine, with the aforementioned constructions. 
     Once the engine reached its operating temperature, the friction coupling, with the wear problems inherent to this coupling construction, as a result of its function, was activated, and the drive of the coolant pump was turned on. 
     In this connection, a large amount of cold coolant was now pumped into the engine, which had heated up to operating temperature, so that the engine immediately cooled down greatly. 
     When this happened, however, the desired advantages of rapid warm-up of the engine were partially compensated again. 
     When larger coolant pumps were turned on again, great torques furthermore had to be overcome, because of the required mass acceleration, and this necessarily resulted in great component stress. A solution was previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,455, in which it was possible to change the active impeller width of the impeller wheel by means of a slit, axially movable disk. 
     A controllable coolant pump having an open impeller wheel and an adjustable slide having a slit, axially movable base, with which the effective impeller width of the impeller wheel can be varied by means of electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatically activated displacement of the slide is also known from DE 199 01 123 A1. 
     One of the significant disadvantages of the two aforementioned constructions is, however, that slit slides can only be used in connection with simply curved, open vane wheels. 
     However, such simply curved vane wheels necessarily have a low degree of effectiveness. 
     Another construction of a slide was presented by the applicant in DE 103 14 526 A1. This is a valve slide that is electromagnetically activated and works in the suction region of a coolant pump. 
     In the case of large pump units in systems technology and power technology, other constructions of valve slides are used (cf. “Die Kreiselpumpen” [Impeller-driven pumps] by C. Pfleiderer, Springer-Verlag, 4 th  edition (1955), p. 422). 
     These constructions, referred to as split slides, are axially displaceable valve slides disposed concentric to the impeller wheel, which are supposed to prevent exit of the fluid from the impeller wheel into the pressure spiral in the closed position, and are used to block off the volume stream. 
     In DE 881 306 C, for example, such an axially movable, spring-loaded, hydraulically adjustable split slide that works in the pressure region is previously described, which is able to greatly restrict the transport volume stream under a spring effect, while taking advantage of the differential pressure of the wheel side space. 
     However, these solutions of impeller-driven pump technology are not suitable for use as a coolant pump in motor vehicle technology, since, among other things, the slide closes as a result of the spring effect, for example, so that a failure of the control necessarily also means a failure of the coolant pump, and continued operation of the coolant pump after failure of the control (fail-safe) cannot be guaranteed. 
     Furthermore, in the case of this construction, the guides are always exposed to the operating medium, with the unavoidable contaminant load of the cooling medium, such as molding sand, metal particles, and the like, from the production process, for example, or resulting from wear, so that dirt particles that penetrate into the guides necessarily lead to jamming of the slide. 
     Furthermore, no “zero leakage” can be implemented with these slides previously described in the state of the art, in the closed state. 
     In the course of the increasing optimization of internal combustion engines with regard to emissions and fuel consumption, however, it is becoming increasingly important to bring the engine to operating temperature as quickly as possible after a cold start, in order to minimize friction losses, on the one hand (with an increasing oil temperature, the viscosity of the oil decreases, thereby decreasing the friction on all oil-lubricated components), and reducing the emission values (since the catalytic converters only go into effect after the so-called “starting temperature”, the time period until this temperature is reached significantly influences the exhaust gas emissions), in order to thereby simultaneously reduce the fuel consumption. 
     Test series in engine development have shown that a very effective measure for warming the engine is that of “standing water” or “zero leakage” during the cold-start phase. 
     In this connection, coolant should by no means flow through the cylinder head during the cold-start phase, in order to bring the exhaust gas temperature to the desired level as quickly as possible. 
     Leakage gas flows of less than 0.5 l/h (“zero leakage”) are desired by vehicle manufacturers. 
     Studies concerning the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines in motor vehicles have also shown that about 3 to 5% fuel can be saved by means of consistent thermal management, in other words those measures that result in optimal operation of an internal combustion engine in terms of energy and thermomechanics. 
     Therefore, ever more precise regulation of the coolant throughput as a function of the temperature of the coolant being passed through is absolutely necessary, taking these aspects into account. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This goal is supposed to be achieved with the least possible expenditure of materials and costs. 
     The invention is therefore based on the task of developing a driven, controllable coolant pump for internal combustion engines, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages of the state of the art, guarantees continued operation of the coolant pump (fail-safe) even in the case of failure of the control, is characterized by a high degree of effectiveness, a very compact, simple, robust construction, and which guarantees a high level of operational safety and reliability even in the case of operating medium charged with a load of dirt, allows active control of the coolant transport amount, in order to guarantee optimal warm-up of the engine, by means of “zero leakage,” on the one hand, and to influence the engine temperature in ongoing operation so precisely, on the other hand, that not only the emission of pollutants but also the friction losses and the fuel consumption can be clearly reduced in the entire working range of the engine. 
     This task is accomplished by means of a controllable coolant pump in accordance with the invention. 
     The controllable coolant pump according to the invention, having a pump housing ( 1 ), a driven shaft ( 2 ) mounted in the pump housing ( 1 ), an impeller wheel ( 3 ) disposed on a free, flow-side end of this shaft ( 2 ), so as to rotate with it, and a pressure-activated valve slide ( 4 ) having an outer cylinder ( 5 ) that variably covers the outflow region of the impeller wheel ( 3 ), is characterized in that the valve slide ( 4 ) is configured in ring shape, whereby several piston rods ( 6 ) are disposed on the valve slide ( 4 ); several bores ( 7 ) are made in the pump housing ( 1 ), parallel to the shaft ( 2 ), uniformly distributed over the circumference of the valve slide ( 4 ), assigned to the piston rods ( 6 ) disposed on the valve slide ( 4 ); at the valve slide end of these bores, seal accommodations ( 8 ) are situated in the pump housing ( 1 ), in which rod seals ( 9 ) are disposed, whereby at the opposite end of the bores ( 7 ), a ring groove ( 10 ) is disposed on the pump housing ( 1 ), which groove connects the bores ( 7 ) with one another; and piston guides ( 11 ) are disposed in the bores ( 7 ), in which guides the piston rods ( 6 ) disposed on the valve slide ( 4 ) are mounted so as to be axially displaceable, whereby the piston rods ( 6 ) disposed in the piston guides ( 11 ) are connected with one another with their ring groove side ends, by means of a ring piston ( 12 ), whereby the latter is mounted to be displaceable in the ring groove ( 10 ); on the ring groove side, spring chambers ( 13 ) are made in the pump housing ( 1 ), between the bores ( 7 ), uniformly distributed over the circumference of the ring piston ( 12 ), in which chambers pressure springs ( 14 ) braced against the ring piston ( 12 ) are disposed. 
     This arrangement, according to the invention, of a ring-shaped valve slide ( 4 ) disposed on piston rods ( 6 ) and guided in the pump housing ( 1 ) in sealed piston guides ( 11 ), which can be activated by way of a ring piston ( 12 ), is a very compact, simple, and robust construction, which guarantees a high level of operational security and reliability even in the case of operating medium charged with a load of dirt. 
     The face of the ring piston ( 12 ) that lies opposite the piston rods ( 6 ) is provided with a ring crosspiece ( 15 ), according to the invention, on which a rolled folded covering ( 16 ) is disposed, which is attached by means of a clamping lid ( 18 ) braced against the pump housing ( 1 ) with bracing elements ( 17 ). This rolled folded covering ( 16 ) guarantees simple and reliable sealing of the ring piston ( 12 ) with regard to the ring groove ( 10 ). 
     It is furthermore essential to the invention that one or more pressure connector bore(s) ( 20 ) for pressure activation of the valve slide ( 4 ) is/are disposed in the pump housing ( 1 ), which bore(s) open(s) into a pressure connector fitting ( 19 ) disposed on the pump housing ( 1 ). 
     In this connection, it is characteristic, on the one hand, that the pressure connector bore(s) ( 20 ) open(s) into the ring chamber ( 32 ) formed by the ring groove ( 10 ) and the ring piston ( 12 ), on the pressure spring side of the ring piston ( 12 ). In this way, a defined displacement of the valve slide ( 4 ), and thereby an active regulation of the coolant transport amount, can be brought about by means of a partial vacuum, which can be varied in defined manner, applied to the pressure connector fitting ( 19 ). In connection with the pressure springs ( 14 ) disposed between the pump housing ( 1 ) and the ring piston ( 12 ), according to the invention, continued operation (fail-safe) of the coolant pump according to the invention is guaranteed even in case of failure of the control. 
     According to the invention, in the case of this construction, pressure equalization bores ( 21 ) are disposed in the clamping lid ( 18 ), in the working region of the rolled folded covering ( 16 ), which bores stand in connection with the outside region. By way of these pressure equalization bores ( 21 ), pressure equalization in the seal chamber ( 26 ) between the clamping lid ( 18 ) and the rolled folded covering ( 16 ) disposed on the ring piston ( 12 ) is guaranteed in the case of a displacement of the ring piston ( 12 ). 
     However, it is also characteristic, on the other hand, that the pressure connector bore ( 20 ) opens into the seal chamber ( 26 ) formed by the clamping lid ( 18 ) and the rolled folded covering ( 16 ) disposed on the ring piston ( 12 ), on the clamping lid side of the rolled folded covering ( 16 ) disposed on the ring piston ( 12 ). In this construction of the solution according to the invention, a defined displacement of the valve slide ( 4 ), and thereby an active control of the coolant transport amount, can be brought about by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, which can be varied in defined manner, applied to the pressure connector fitting ( 19 ). In connection with the pressure springs ( 14 ) disposed between the pump housing ( 1 ) and the ring piston ( 12 ), according to the invention, continued operation (fail-safe) of the coolant pump according to the invention is guaranteed even in case of failure of the control, in the case of this construction, as well. 
     It is also essential to the invention, in the case of this construction, that pressure equalization bores ( 21 ) that stand in connection with the outside region are disposed in the region of the ring groove ( 10 ) in the pump housing ( 1 ), on the valve slide side of the ring piston ( 12 ). Pressure equalization in the ring chamber ( 32 ) between the ring groove ( 10 ) and the ring piston ( 12 ) is guaranteed by way of these pressure equalization bores ( 21 ), in the case of displacement of the ring piston ( 12 ). 
     It is furthermore in accordance with the invention that an elastomer bypass seal ( 23 ) is disposed on the piston rod side outside edge ( 22 ) of the valve slide ( 4 ), which seal cannot contribute to jamming of the valve slide during the slide stroke, and, in the closed position of the valve slide ( 4 ) closes off the ring gap ( 25 ) between the pump housing ( 1 ) and the valve slide ( 4 ). 
     At the same time, in this closed position (the end position when the valve slide is in the “CLOSED” position), the valve slide ( 4 ) lies against a sealing surface ( 24 ) of the pump housing ( 1 ), so that even the smallest leakages are prevented in “CLOSED” position of the valve slide. 
     “Zero leakage” and therefore optimal warm-up of the engine are guaranteed by means of the arrangement according to the invention, at a high degree of effectiveness of the pump. Furthermore, after warm-up of the engine, the engine temperature can be influenced in ongoing operation, so precisely that not only the emission of pollutants but also the friction losses and the fuel consumption are clearly reduced, in the entire working range of the engine. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Additional details and characteristics of the invention are evident from the following description of the solution according to the invention, in connection with the drawings of exemplary embodiments. 
       These show: 
         FIG. 1 : a controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, in section, with the valve slide set in its rear end position (“OPEN”); 
         FIG. 2 : the controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, according to FIG.  1 , in a side view, in another section, with the valve slide set in its rear end position (“OPEN”); 
         FIG. 3 : the controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, in a side view, in section analogous to  FIG. 1 , but with the valve slide set in its front end position (“CLOSED”); 
         FIG. 4 : a controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, in a side view, in section, with the valve slide set in its rear end position (“OPEN”). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows one of the possible constructions of the controllable coolant pump according to the invention, in section, in a side view, with the position of the valve slide in its rear end position (“OPEN”). 
     This construction can be used in connection with regulating partial vacuum. 
     A driven shaft  2  is mounted in a pump bearing  27  in a pump housing  1 . An impeller wheel  3  is disposed on the free, flow-side end of the shaft  2 . Adjacent to this impeller wheel  3 , a pressure-activated, ring-shaped valve slide  4  having an outer cylinder  5  that variably covers the outflow region of the impeller wheel  3  is displaceably disposed in the pump housing  1 . Several piston rods  6  are disposed on the valve slide  4 . Several bores  7  are made in the pump housing  1 , parallel to the shaft  2 , uniformly distributed over the circumference of the valve slide  4 , assigned to the piston rods  6  disposed on the valve slide  4 ; at the valve slide end of these bores, seal accommodations  8  are situated in the pump housing  1 , in which rod seals  9  are disposed, whereby at the opposite end of the bores  7 , a ring groove  10  is disposed on the pump housing  1 , which groove connects the bores  7  with one another. Piston guides  11  are disposed in the bores  7 , in which guides the piston rods  6  disposed on the valve slide  4  are mounted so as to be axially displaceable. 
     These piston rods  6  disposed in the piston guides  11  are connected with one another with their ring groove side ends, by means of a ring piston  12 . 
     This ring piston  12  is mounted to be displaceable in the ring groove  10 . On the ring groove side, spring chambers  13  are made in the pump housing  1 , between the bores  7 , uniformly distributed over the circumference of the ring piston  12 , in which chambers pressure springs  14  braced against the ring piston  12  are disposed. 
     The arrangement according to the invention, of a ring-shaped valve slide  4  disposed on piston rods  6  and guided in sealed piston guides  11  in the pump housing  1 , which can be activated by way of a ring piston  12 , represents a very compact, simple, and robust construction that guarantees a high level of operational safety and reliability even in the case of operating medium charged with a load of dirt. 
     The face of the ring piston  12  that lies opposite the piston rods  6  is provided, according to the invention, with a ring crosspiece on which a rolled folded covering  16  is disposed, which is attached by means of a clamping lid  18  braced against the pump housing  1  with bracing elements  17 . This rolled folded covering guarantees simple and reliable sealing of the ring piston  12  with regard to the ring groove  10 . 
     An elastomer bypass seal  23  is disposed on the piston rod side outer edge  22  of the valve slide  4 ; this seal cannot contribute to jamming of the valve slide during the slide stroke. 
       FIG. 2  now shows the controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in a side view, in a different sectional representation, with the position of the slide valve again in its rearmost end position (“OPEN”). 
     In this construction, a pressure connector fitting  19  having a pressure connector bore  20  is disposed on the pump housing  1 , according to the invention, for pressure activation of the valve slide  4 . The pressure connector bore  20  opens into the ring groove  10 , on the pressure spring side of the ring piston  12 . In this way, a defined displacement of the valve slide  4 , and thereby active control of the coolant transport amount, can be brought about by means of a partial vacuum, which can be varied in defined manner, applied to the pressure connector fitting  19 . In connection with the pressure springs  14  shown in  FIG. 1 , disposed between the pump housing  1  and the ring piston  12 , according to the invention, continued operation (fail-safe) of the coolant pump according to the invention is guaranteed even in case of failure of the partial vacuum control, by means of the “OPEN” slide position that is compulsory in the end position of the spring. 
     According to the invention, pressure equalization bores  21  that stand in connection with the outside region are disposed in the clamping lid  18 , in the working region of the rolled folded covering  16 . Pressure equalization in the seal chamber  26  between the clamping lid  18  and the rolled folded covering  16  is guaranteed by way of these pressure equalization bores  21 , in the case of displacement of the ring piston  12 . 
     Furthermore, on the pump wheel side of the bearing seat, a leakage bore  31  is disposed in the pump housing  1 , which bore connects a leakage entry  30  disposed on the face side of the pump bearing  27  with the outside region. 
       FIG. 3  now shows the controllable coolant pump for regulating partial vacuum, according to the invention, in a side view, analogous to  FIG. 1 , but with the position of the valve slide in its front end position (“CLOSED”). 
     In this closed position of the valve slide  4 , the valve slide  4  lies against a sealing surface  24  of the pump housing  1  and, at the same time, closes off the ring gap  25  between the pump housing  1  and the valve slide  4 , with the elastomer bypass seal  23  disposed on the piston rod side outer edge  22  of the valve slide  4 , so that even the smallest leakages are prevented in the “CLOSED” position of the valve slide. 
     By means of this arrangement, according to the invention, “zero leakage” and thus optimal warm-up of the engine are guaranteed, at a high degree of effectiveness of the pump, whereby it is possible, by means of the arrangement according to the invention, to influence the engine temperature in ongoing operation, after the engine has warmed up, so precisely that not only the emission of pollutants but also the friction losses and the fuel consumption are clearly reduced in the entire working range of the engine. 
     On the pump wheel side of the bearing seat, a ventilation bore  28  is disposed in the pump housing  1  in this construction, which bore connects a ventilation inlet  29  disposed on the face side of the pump bearing  27  in the pump housing  1  with the outside region. 
     Another construction of the controllable coolant pump according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 4  in a side view, in section, with the position of the valve slide in its rearmost “OPEN” end position. 
     This construction can be used in conjunction with a hydraulic or pneumatic excess pressure control. 
     In this construction, as well, a pressure connector fitting  19  is disposed on the pump housing  1 , according to the invention. However, the pressure connector bore  20  now opens on the clamping lid side of the rolled folded covering  16  disposed on the ring piston  12 , into the seal chamber  26  formed by the clamping lid  18  and the rolled folded covering  16  disposed on the ring piston  12 . 
     In this construction of the solution according to the invention, a defined displacement of the valve slide  4 , and thereby active control of the coolant transport amount, can be brought about by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic excess pressure, which can be varied in defined manner, applied to the pressure connector fitting  19 . 
     In conjunction with the pressure springs  14  shown in  FIG. 1 , disposed, according to the invention, between the pump housing  1  and the ring piston  12 , continued operation of the coolant pump (fail-safe) according to the invention is guaranteed in this construction, as well, even in the case of failure of the control. 
     According to the invention, in the case of this construction, pressure equalization bores  21  that stand in connection with the outside region are disposed on the valve slide side of the ring piston  12 , in the region of the ring groove  10  in the pump housing  1 . In the case of displacement of the ring piston  12 , pressure equalization in the ring chamber  32  between the ring groove  10  and the ring piston  12  is guaranteed by way of these pressure equalization bores  21 . 
     REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST 
     
         
           1  pump housing 
           2  shaft 
           3  impeller wheel 
           4  valve slide 
           5  outer cylinder 
           6  piston rods 
           7  bores 
           8  seal accommodations 
           9  rod seals 
           10  ring groove 
           11  piston guides 
           12  ring piston 
           13  spring chambers 
           14  pressure spring 
           15  ring crosspiece 
           16  rolled folded covering 
           17  bracing elements 
           18  clamping lid 
           19  pressure connector fitting 
           20  pressure connector bore 
           21  pressure equalization bore 
           22  outer edge 
           23  elastomer bypass seal 
           24  sealing surface 
           25  ring gap 
           26  seal chamber 
           27  pump bearing 
           28  ventilation bore 
           29  ventilation inlet 
           30  leakage entry 
           31  leakage bore 
           32  ring chamber