Patent Publication Number: US-9903365-B2

Title: Structure for fixing shaft member in rotor member for fluid pump

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a fluid-pump inner rotor which is inscribed to an outer rotor in an inscribed gear type fluid pump. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     An inscribed gear type fluid pump, as shown in PTL 1 for instance, employs a combination of an inner rotor and an outer rotor having one more tooth than the inner rotor, with the inner and outer rotor being disposed with offset from each other. A pump rotor is formed generally by sintering. Thereafter, sizing is effected for correcting size and shape. 
     Such sizing of the pump rotor is effected normally with using a mold comprising a combination of a die, upper and lower punches and a core. In the course of this, as for the inner rotor for example, tooth flanks of outer teeth thereof are abraded (thrusted) by the die, which sometimes can result in reduction in the perpendicularity of the tooth flank of the pump rotor. The language “perpendicularity of the tooth flank” as used herein refers to perpendicularity relative to the end face. Ideally, the end face and the tooth flank form 90 degrees angle therebetween. With reduction in perpendicularity, there can occur instability in the discharging performance and/or the pulsating performance of the fluid pump. Although the perpendicularity of tooth flank can be corrected by e.g. polishing of the tooth flank after sizing, but as this involves the addition of correcting step, manufacturing cost increase will result. For this reason, in the case of the pump rotor described in PTL 1, rather than effecting correction of slope of tooth flank, direction of assembling the outer rotor with the inner rotor is specified, so that appropriate gap may be formed between respective tooth flanks, in an effort of stabilizing discharging performance and pulsating performance. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-19205 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     As described above, in the case of the pump rotor of PTL 1, no correction is made for the perpendicularity of tooth flank. So, if error is made in the assembling direction of the inner rotor relative to the end face of the outer rotor, this will provide adverse effect on the discharging performance and/or pulsating performance. Therefore, for appropriate assembly of the inner rotor, strict management would be required for the assembling direction of the inner rotor relative to the end face of the outer rotor. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a fluid-pump inner rotor that can be easily fitted to an outer rotor. 
     Solution to Problem 
     According to a characterizing feature of a fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the fluid-pump inner rotor comprises: 
     a rotor member having a through hole along a rotational axis; and 
     a shaft member fitted in the through hole; 
     wherein fitting strength between a first hole region provided in an inner face of the through hole of the rotor member which region extends along a rotational axis of the rotor member from one of end faces thereof perpendicular to this rotational axis and a first shaft region provided in an outer face of the shaft member is set greater than fitting strength between a second hole region provided in the inner face of the through hole of the rotor member and a second shaft region provided in the outer face of the shaft member. 
     When the through hole of the rotor member and the shaft member of the inner rotor are to be engaged with each other, the outer face of the shaft member will press the inner face of the through hole towards the outer radial side of the rotor member. Therefore, if the pressing force applied from the outer face of the shaft member to the inner face of the through hole is large, this tends to cause a radial enlargement in the rotor member. With the above-described configuration, fitting strength between a first hole region provided in the inner face of the through hole of the rotor member which region extends along the rotational axis of the rotor member from one of end faces thereof perpendicular to this rotational axis and the first shaft region provided in the outer face of the shaft member is set greater than fitting strength between a second hole region provided in the inner face of the through hole of the rotor member and a second shaft region provided in the outer face of the shaft member. With this, a larger pressing force will be applied to the first hole region in the inner face of the rotor member. And, with this application of large pressing force to the first hole region of the inner face of the rotor member, in the outer circumferential face (tooth flank) of the rotor member, the circumferential area of the first hole region will be deformed to bulge outwards. With this, even if there exists a slope relative to the rotational axis in the outer circumferential face of the rotor member prior to engagement with the shaft member, enlargement of the outer diameter of the rotor member provided by increasing the fitting strength of the shaft member relative to the first hole region of the inner face of the through hole on the side of smaller outside diameter of the rotor member can lessen such slope existent in the outer circumferential face. As a result, performance variation due to an error in the assembling direction of the inner rotor relative to the outer rotor is reduced, and it becomes possible to assemble the inner rotor to the outer rotor from either end face. 
     Further, thanks to lessening of reduction of the perpendicularity of the tooth flank (outer circumferential face) of the rotor member, failure or trouble in the engagement between the outer rotor and the inner rotor will occur less frequently, and generation of noise too will be restricted. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the first shaft region includes in a circumferential direction a serration portion having a plurality of groove portions extending along the direction of the rotational axis. 
     With the above-described configuration in which the first shaft region includes in a circumferential direction a serration portion having a plurality of groove portions extending along the direction of the rotational axis, the radial enlargement of the rotor member can be realized with utilization of a pressing force applied from the serration portion. As a result, there is realized stable engagement between the rotor member and the shaft member, which sable engagement reliably prevents relative rotation between the rotor member and the shaft member. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the shaft member can be inserted into the through hole from one direction; and 
     in the second shaft region, there is formed a guide portion which is inserted into the through hole prior to the serration portion and which is formed at an area which can come into contact with the inner face of the through hole simultaneously with at least a part of the serration portion when the shaft member is engaged and assembled to the rotor member. 
     For proper engagement of the shaft member relative to the through hole, it is necessary to center the shaft member into alignment with the axis of the through hole. Then, in the above-described arrangement, a guide portion is formed in the second shaft region of the outer face of the shaft member. And, this guide portion is inserted into the through hole prior to the serration portion and is formed at an area which can come into contact with the inner face of the through hole simultaneously with at least a part of the serration portion at the time of fitting and engaging the shaft member to the rotor member. With this arrangement, when the shaft member is to be engaged and assembled to the rotor member, the guide portion will guide engagement between the serration portion and the inner face of the through hole. As a result, the centering of the shaft member can be carried out in a reliable manner. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the guide portion comprises a cylindrical face formed around the rotational axis. 
     With the above-described configuration, since the guide portion comprises a cylindrical face formed around the rotational axis, working for forming the guide portion can be made easily and also the centering of the shaft member relative to the through hole can be carried out reliably. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention: 
     a stepped portion is provided between the first hole region and the second hole region; 
     in the second shaft region, there is formed a guide portion which is inserted into the through hole prior to the serration portion and which is formed at an area which can come into contact with the inner face of the through hole simultaneously with at least a part of the serration portion when the shaft member is engaged and assembled to the rotor member; and 
     an inside diameter of the second hole region is greater than an outside diameter of the guide portion. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the guide portion is tapered such that its diameter progressively decreases toward a leading end of the shaft member. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the serration portion is tapered such that its diameter progressively decreases toward a leading end of the shaft member. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention, the serration portion is tapered such that its diameter step-wisely decreases toward a leading end of the shaft member. 
     According to a characterizing feature of the fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention: 
     the rotor member comprises a sintered body; 
     radial enlargement of the rotor member occurs as a result of the engagement of the shaft member; and 
     outside-diameter sizes of opposed faces of the rotor member are equal to each other. 
     If the rotor member is comprised of a sintered body, it is possible to reduce the amount (or number of steps) of machining process, so that waste of material and energy consumption at the time of forming can be restricted. Yet, with such rotor member comprised of a sintered body, the shape of tooth flank (outer circumferential face) will be tapered with slope relative to the direction of the rotational axis, due to the releasing slope of the mold employed at the time of sizing operation. Therefore, in order to eliminate such tapering of the tooth flank, an additional work is needed. On the other hand, in the case of the above-described configuration, the rotor member is comprised of a sintered body, yet, an arrangement is provided such that radial enlargement of the rotor member occurs as a result of the engagement of the shaft member and outside-diameter sizes of opposed faces of the rotor member are equal to each other. With this arrangement, such additional work for the tooth flank becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the inner rotor can be reduced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an end view showing an example of a fluid-pump rotor, 
         FIG. 2  is a view showing a state prior to engagement of a shaft member to a rotor member, 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing a state in which the shaft member is engaged to the rotor member, 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing a state prior to engagement of a shaft member to a rotor member in a further embodiment, 
         FIG. 5  is a view showing a state in which the shaft member is engaged to the rotor member in the further embodiment, 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a shaft member according to a further embodiment, 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a shaft member according to a further embodiment, and 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a shaft member according to a further embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Next, embodiments of a fluid-pump inner rotor relating to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     A fluid-pump rotor  1  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises an assembly of an inner rotor  2  and an outer rotor  3  which respectively are formed by sintering. The inner rotor  2  includes a rotor member  4  having a through hole  5  extending along a rotational axis X and a shaft member  6  to be fitted in the through hole  5 . A toothed portion  4 G formed on the outer circumference of the rotor member  4  is to be meshed with a toothed portion  3 G formed in the inner circumference of the outer rotor  3 . The outer rotor  3  used herein has one more tooth than the inner rotor  2 . 
     The rotor member  4  of the inner rotor  2  and the outer rotor  3  are assembled with an offset from each other, thus constituting the fluid-pump rotor  1  together. For instance, this fluid-pump rotor  1  will be accommodated in a pump case (not shown) having an inlet port and a discharge port, thus constituting an inscribed gear pump. With this inscribed gear pump, the shaft member  6  is engaged in the through  5  of the rotor member  4 , so that rotational drive force of the shaft member  6  rotates the rotor member  4  of the inner rotor  2 . In this, the outer rotor  3  will be driven to rotate, which rotation in turn causes increase/decrease of the volume of a pump chamber formed between the rotor member  4  of the inner rotor  2  and the outer rotor  3 , thus effecting introduction/discharge of a fluid such as an oil. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the inner rotor  2  is configured with the shaft member  6  engaged to the rotor member  4 . Referring to the rotor member  4 , the outer circumferential face forming the toothed portion  4 G has a tapered shape inclined relative to the direction of the rotational axis X of the rotor member  4 . Therefore, in the outer circumferential face  10 , an outside diameter size L 1  of one end face  11  perpendicular to the rotational axis X is smaller than an outer diameter size L 2  of the other end face  12 . 
     The shaft member  6  is configured to be insertable into the through hole  5  from the side of the smaller outside diameter side end face of the rotor member  4  (i.e. from the side of the end face  11 ). The shaft member  6  is provided in a shaft member body  20  and includes a large diameter portion  21 , a tapered portion  22 , a guide portion  23  and a small diameter portion  24  formed continuously one after another along the rotational axis X from the side of the shaft member body  20  toward the leading end. In the large diameter portion  21  (a partial region  6 A of the outer face of the shaft member  6 ), a serration portion  25  is formed. This serration portion  25  includes a plurality of groove portions  26  in the circumferential direction along the direction of the rotational axis X. The outside diameter of the large diameter portion  21  is greater than the outside diameter of the guide portion  23  and also than the outside diameter of the small diameter portion  24 . The partial region  6 A is an example of what is referred to herein as “a first shaft region”. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the shaft member  6  is inserted into the through hole  5  from the side of the one end face  11  of the rotor member  4 , engagement is established between a partial region  5 A of the inner face of the through hole  5  extending from the one end face  11  along the rotational axis X and the partial region  6 A of the outer face of the shaft member  6  and engagement is also established between a remaining region  5 B of the inner face of the through hole  5  and the other region  6 B of the outer face of the shaft member  6 . In the other region  6 B lacking the serration portion  25  in the outer face of the shaft member  6 , at least the guide portion  23  is included. The guide portion  23  and the small diameter portion  24  will be inserted into the through hole  5  prior to the serration portion  25 . The region where the guide portion  23  is formed is a region which can come into contact with the inner face of the through hole  5  simultaneously with at least part of the serration portion  25  when the shaft member  6  is to be engaged and assembled to the rotor member  4 . Incidentally, the partial region  5 A is one example of “a first hole region” and the remaining region  5 B is an example of “a second hole region” and the other region  6 B is one example of “a second shaft region”, respectively. 
     The guide portion  23  is a cylindrical face of the rotor member  4  formed about the rotational axis X. If the guide portion  23  is formed as such cylindrical face as described above, the work for forming the guide member  23  can be made simple and also centering of the shaft member  6  relative to the through hole  5  can be carried out in a reliable manner. 
     Upon establishment of engagement between the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4  of the inner rotor  2  and the shaft member  6 , the outer face of the shaft member  6  presses the inner face of the through hole  5  towards the outer circumferential side of the rotor member  4 . Therefore, the greater the pressing force applied from the outer face of the shaft member  6  to the inner face of the through hole  5 , the easier the radial enlargement of the rotor member  4 . As described above, the outside diameter of the large diameter portion  21  is greater than the outside diameter of the guide portion  23  and also than the outside diameter of the small diameter portion  24 . For this reason, the fitting strength between the partial region  5 A in the inner face of the through hole  5  from either one face of the rotor member  4  along the rotational axis X and the partial region  6 A of the outer face of the shaft member  6  is greater than the fitting strength between the remaining region  5 B of the inner face of the through hole  5  and the other region  6 B of the outer face of the shaft member  6 . 
     As the partial region  5 A of the inner face of the though hole  5  of the rotor member  4  is exposed to a greater pressing force than the remaining region  5 B of the same, there occurs deformation in the outer circumferential face (tooth flank)  10  of the rotor member  4  in which an area  10 A on the circumferential side of the partial region  5 A bulges to the outer side (see  FIG. 3 ). With this, even when there exists a slope in the outer circumferential face  10  in the rotor member  4  prior to engagement with the shaft member  6  relative to the rotational axis X, as the outside diameter of the rotor member  4  can be increased by the increased fitting strength of the shaft member  6  relative to the partial region  5 A of the inner face of the though hole  5  on the smaller outside diameter side of the rotor member  4 , such slope of the outer circumferential face  10  can be lessened. Consequently, there will occur less variation in the performance due to error in the assembling direction of the inner rotor  2  relative to the outer rotor  3 , so that the inner rotor  2  can be assembled to the outer rotor  3  from either end face. 
     For instance, it is possible to form the rotor member  4 , based on the relative relation between the fitting strength of the engagement portion between the inner face of the through hole  5  and the outer face of the shaft member  6  and the outward bulging amount of the outer circumferential face  10  of the rotor member  4  at the time of the engagement between the through hole  5  and the shaft member  6 . With such adjustment of the deformation amount of the outer circumferential face  10  of the rotor member  4  via the fitting strength between the shaft member  6  and the through hole  5 , even when the releasing slope of the mold used for forming the rotor member  4  is made large, the rotor member  4  can be formed such that reduction in the perpendicularity of the tooth flank (outer circumferential face)  10  may be lessened sufficiently. As a result, it becomes possible to manufacture a rotor member  4  having greater thickness. Further, with the realization of reduction in the perpendicularity of the tooth flank (outer circumferential face)  10  of the rotor member  4 , engagement failure or problem between the outer rotor  3  and the inner rotor  2  will be made to occur less frequently and generation of noise can also be suppressed. 
     With the above-described formation of the serration portion  25  having the plurality of groove portions  26  in the circumferential direction along the direction of the rotational axis X in the partial region  6 A included in the shaft member  6 , radial enlargement of the rotor member  4  is made possible with utilization of the pressing force applied from this serration portion  25 , so that the rotor member  4  and the shaft member  6  will be engaged and retained to each other in a stable manner. With this, relative rotation between the rotor member  4  and the shaft member  6  can be prevented reliably. 
     Further, in this instant embodiment, the guide portion  23  is formed in the other region  6 B in the outer face of the shaft member  6 . This guide portion  23  is to be inserted into the through hole  5  prior to the serration portion  25  and is formed at the region which can come into contact with the inner face of the through hole  5  simultaneously with at least a part of the serration portion  25  at the time of engaging and fitting the shaft member  6  to the rotor member  4 . With this arrangement, when the shaft member  6  is to be engaged and assembled to the rotor member  4 , the guide portion  23  guides the fitting between the serration portion  25  and the inner face of the through hole  5 , whereby centering of the shaft member  6  relative to the through hole  5  can be carried out in a reliable manner. 
     If the rotor member  4  is comprised of a sintered body, it is possible to reduce the amount (or number of steps) of machining process, so that waste of material and energy consumption at the time of forming can be restricted. Yet, with such rotor member  4  comprised of a sintered body, the shape of tooth flank (outer circumferential face)  10  will be tapered with slope relative to the direction of the rotational axis X, due to the releasing slope of the mold employed at the time of sizing operation. Therefore, in order to eliminate such tapering of the tooth flank, an additional work is needed. On the other hand, in the case of the above-described configuration, the rotor member  4  is comprised of a sintered body, yet, arrangement is provided such that radial enlargement of the rotor member  4  occurs as a result of the engagement of the shaft member  6  and outside-diameter sizes L 1 , L 2  of opposed faces of the rotor member  4  are equal to each other. With this arrangement, such work for the tooth flank (outer circumferential face)  10  becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the inner rotor  2  can be reduced. 
     Other Embodiments 
     (1) In the foregoing embodiment, the inside diameter of the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4  is made approximately constant, so that the shaft member  6  is engaged with the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4  over the whole region along the rotational axis X. For this reason, at the partial region  5 A of the through hole  5 , high precision will be required for obtaining a predetermined deformation amount in the outer circumferential face  10  of the rotor member  4  and high precision will be required also in the remaining region  5 B in order to suppress the deformation amount of the outer circumferential face  10  of the rotor member  4 . However, with an alternative arrangement for avoiding contact between the remaining region  5 B of the through hole  5  and the other region  6 B of the shaft member  6 , such region in the through hole  5  that requires high manufacture precision can be limited to the partial region  5 A. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the through hole  5  is configured such that a stepped portion  13  is provided between the partial region  5 A and the remaining region  5 B of the through hole  5 , such that the inside diameter of the other region  5 B may be greater than the outside diameter of the guide portion  23  of the shaft member  6 . With this arrangement, the partial region  6 A of the shaft member  6  will be engaged with the partial region  5 A of the through hole  5  and a gap S will be formed between the other region  6 B of the shaft member  6  and the remaining region  5 B of the through hole  5  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     With the above-described arrangement of decreasing or limiting the region requiring high precision in the through hole  5 , the forming work of the through hole  5  can be made simple. As no contact occurs between the remaining region  5 B of the through hole  5  and the other region  6 B of the shaft member  6 , in the rotor member  4 , no deformation of the outer circumferential face  10  on the circumferential side of the remaining region  5 B occurs. That is, in the outer circumferential face  10  of the rotor member  4 , only the area  10 A on the circumferential side of the partial region  5 A will bulge to the outer side. With this, correction degree of the shape of the outer circumferential face  10  can be enhanced, whereby the slope if any in the outer circumferential face  10  may be lessened easily. Moreover, due to the presence of the stepped portion  13 , the through hole  5  is provided with a side having a larger hole diameter and a side having a smaller hole diameter, which diameter difference facilitates visual recognition of the inserting direction of the shaft member  6  relative to the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4 . Incidentally, the stepped portion  13  to be provided in the through hole  5  can be formed between the area occupied by the tapered portion  22  and the area occupied by the guide portion  23 , rather than between the partial region  5 A and the remaining region  5 B. 
     (2) In the foregoing embodiment, there was shown an example in which the rotor member  4  of the inner rotor  2  is comprised of a sintered body. Instead, the rotor member  4  can be formed of any other member than such sintered body. 
     (3) In the foregoing embodiment, there was shown an example in which the guide portion  23  of the shaft member  6  is formed cylindrical toward the small diameter portion  24 . Instead, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the guide portion  23  can be tapered with progressively decreasing diameter toward the small diameter portion  24 , that is, toward the leading end of the shaft member  6 . 
     (4) The shaft member  6  can be comprised of the large diameter portion  21  and the small diameter portion  24 , without the guide member  23 . In such case, the serration portion  25  to be formed in the large diameter portion  21  can be tapered with its diameter progressively decreased toward the small diameter portion  24 , that, is, toward the leading end of the shaft member  6  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the serration portion  25  may be formed such that its diameter step-wisely decreases toward the small diameter portion  24 , that is, toward the leading end of the shaft member  6 . 
     (5) In the foregoing embodiment, there was shown an example in which the serration portion  25  is formed in the large diameter portion  21  of the shaft member  6 . Instead, the large diameter portion  21  can be formed as a cylindrical face having no serration portion  25 . 
     (6) In the foregoing embodiment, the diameter of the partial region  6 A in the shaft member  6  is made larger than the diameter of the other region  6 B of the same, thus setting the fitting strength of the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4  at the partial region  5 A greater than the fitting strength at the remaining region  5 B of the same. Instead of this, the diameter of the partial region  6 A can be made equal to the diameter of the other region  6 B; but, by changing the material or the physical property such as hardness to be different between the partial region  6 A and the other region  6 B, the fitting strength of the through hole  5  of the rotor member  4  at the partial region  5 A can be made greater than the fitting strength at the remaining region  5 B of the same. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention is widely applicable to various types of fluid pump. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       1  fluid-pump rotor 
       2  inner rotor 
       3  outer rotor 
       4  rotor member 
       5  through hole 
       5 A partial region (first hole region) 
       5 B remaining region (second hole region) 
       6  shaft member 
       6 A partial region (first shaft region) 
       6 B other region (second shaft region) 
       10  outer circumferential face (tooth flank) 
       21  large diameter portion 
       23  guide portion 
       24  small diameter portion 
       25  serration portion