Abstract:
A combination pump comprising: a water pump having: a rotor including a stationary shaft, a stator, and an. isolation jacket, an oil pump having: a rotor that surrounds the isolation jacket of the water pump, an eccentric shaft attached to the rotor, a rotary pump in communication with the eccentric shall so that as the eccentric rotates the rotary pump is rotated and pumps a fluid; wherein the water pump rotor and the oil pump rotor are driven by a common magnet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/672,187, filed Jul. 16, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to an oil pump and a water pump for use with an engine such as an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a combination oil pump and water pump in a single unit. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In general, the use of a water pump and an oil pump are well known in vehicles. It is generally understood to use a water pump to circulate water through a cooling system in the vehicle. It is also generally well known to use an oil pump to circulate oil through the transmission and engine. Traditionally, these systems have always been kept separate. 
         [0004]    Despite many varied attempts, the traditional water pump and oil pump applications have significant drawbacks. There is a need to improve on the traditional water pumping oil pump devices and systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one exemplary embodiment, there is disclosed a combination pump having a water pump side having an inlet and an outlet. A water pump chamber is contained within the water pump side and connects between the inlet and outlet of the water pump side. The water pump chamber has within it a pump element connected to a rotor for pumping fluid through the water pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet of the water pump side. 
         [0006]    The combination pump also has an oil pump side having an inlet and outlet with an oil pump chamber connected between the inlet and outlet. A pump element is positioned within the oil pump chamber of the oil pump side and pumps fluid through the oil pump chamber between the inlet and outlet. An eccentric shaft partially surrounds the rotor of the water pump side at one end and connects to the pump element at a second end. A stator of the combination pump has at least one isolated coupler magnet that surrounds a portion of the rotor of the water pump side and a portion of the eccentric shaft. The stator selectively generates a magnetic field that causes rotation of both the eccentric shaft of the oil pump and the rotor of the water pump. 
         [0007]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective of the pump of the teachings herein; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional of the combination pump in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional, view of a top half of one embodiment of a pump of the teachings herein; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottom half of the pump of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded view of the pump taught herein; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of the pump taught herein; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates table 1 and table 2 providing pumping efficiency; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates flow rates of the pumps at specific heads and revolutions per minute of each pump; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of the combination pump having a single controller that independently controls the water pump side and the oil pump side. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
         [0019]    The combination pump of the teachings herein includes a water pump side and an oil pump side. The oil pump side and the water pump side of the teachings herein are driven by a common motor. Generally, the water pump side includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor and the stator are separated by a isolation jacket. The rotor includes a shaft that is stationary and the rotor rotates around the shaft via one or more bearings so that the impeller is rotated and a fluid is moved. Additional aspects of the water pump side pump can be gleaned from the teachings herein, including those of paragraphs 0013 through 0032 and FIGS. 1 through 6 of Provisional application Ser. No. 61/672,044, filed on. Jul. 16, 2012 showing various components of the water pump and the interrelationship of the components of the water pump. 
         [0020]    The oil pump side includes a shaft extending through the oil pump side. The shaft may be a straight shaft. Preferably, the shaft is an eccentric shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation and drives a rotary pump. 
         [0021]    The rotor on the oil pump side and the rotor on the water pump side may rotate in opposing directions. Preferably the rotor on the oil pump side and the rotor on the water pump side rotate in the same direction so that fluids are pumped. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a combination pump  2  having a unitary pump housing  4 . The pump includes a water pump side  10  and an oil pump side  100 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to all the Figures generally and with particular reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The combination pump  2  on the water pump side  10  includes a volute  12  having an inlet  14  and an outlet  16 . The volute  12  connect to the unitary pump housing, which contains a motor  20  that drives the water pump side  10  and oil pump side  100 . The water pump side  10  further includes a pump chamber  21  defined by a space between the volute  12  and a wet sleeve or isolation jacket  32  connected across the unitary housing  4 . The pump chamber  21  connects between the inlet  14  and outlet  16  of the water pump side  10 . Within the pump chamber  21  is having a pump element  22  connected to a rotor  24  that rotates about a stationary shaft  28 . The pump element  22  can be any suitable pump element, such as an impeller, vane pump, hydraulic pistons or any other suitable pump element used for pumping fluid, such as water or coolant, through the pump chamber  21 . In the present embodiments of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-8  the pump element  22  is an impeller. 
         [0024]    The combination pump  2  on the oil pump side  100  contained with the unitary pump housing  4 . The oil pump side  100  includes an oil pump chamber  101  with the unitary pump housing  4  connected between an inlet  102  and outlet  103 . A pump element  110  is rotates within the pump chamber  101  and pump oil between the inlet  102  and outlet  103  of the oil pump side  100 . The pump element  110  can be any type of suitable oil pump element, such as but not limited to a vane pump, gerotor, hydraulic piston cylinder or any other suitable pump element. In the present embodiment of the invention shown in the Figures, the pump element  110  is a gerotor pump having an inner rotor  112 , which is star shaped and having vanes  114 . The inner rotor  112  is positioned within an outer rotor  116  and rotates within outer rotor  116  to pump oil through the pump chamber  101  between the inlet  102  and outlet  103 . 
         [0025]    Located within the unitary pump housing  4 , on the oil pump side  100  the motor  20  includes a stator  26  with at least one electromagnetic coil  30  that partially circumscribe a portion of the isolation jacket  32  and partially circumscribe a portion of the rotor  24  of the water pump side  10 . The rotor  24  is partially circumscribed by the stator  26  and separated from the stator  26  by the isolation jacket  32 . The isolation jacket  32  prevents fluid from contacting the stator  26 . The stator  26  and electromagnetic coil  30  also partially circumscribe the open cylinder  133  of an eccentric shaft  130  that is connected at one end to the inner rotor  112  on the oil pump side  100 . The open cylinder  133  has motor magnets  36  connected to the outside surface of the open cylinder  133 , adjacent the electromagnetic coil  30 . When the electromagnetic coil  30  is energized, the magnetic field created acts on the motor magnets  36 , which causes the eccentric shaft  130  to rotate. The rotation of the eccentric shaft  130  also rotates the inner rotor  112  of the pump element  110  of the oil pump side  100 . 
         [0026]    On an interior surface  135  of the open cylinder  133  is at least one eccentric shaft coupler magnet  34  that is in magnetic with at least one rotor coupler magnet  33  connected to the outside surface of the rotor  24  of the water pump side  10 . The isolation jacket  32  separates the eccentric shaft coupler magnet  34  and the rotor coupler magnet  33 ; however, the eccentric shaft coupler magnet  34  and the rotor coupler magnet  33  are still attracted to each other through the isolation jacket  32 . 
         [0027]    The operation of the combination pump  2  in accordance with the present invention will now be described. When the at least one magnetic coil  30  of the stator  26  is energized a magnetic filed is generated between the motor magnets  36  and the magnetic coil  30 , which causes the eccentric shaft  130  to rotate. This in turn causes the pump element  110  to pump oil through the oil pump side  100 . Rotation of the eccentric shaft  130  causes the eccentric shaft coupler magnet  34  to rotate, which acts one the rotor coupler magnet  33  to cause the rotor  24  on the water pump side  10  to rotate and pump water or coolant fluid through the water pump side  10  due to the permanent attraction between the eccentric shaft coupler magnet  34  and the rotor coupler magnet  33 . 
         [0028]    The above described operation of the combination pump  2  is controlled by a single controller  120 , contained within the unitary pump housing  4 , on the oil pump side  100 . The controller  120  is a circuit board having programmable logic capable of controlling the electrical voltage and current applied to the motor  20 . The controller  120  is protected from water from the water pump side  10  by the isolation jacket  32 . The controller  120  is also protected from oil in the oil pump chamber  101  by a bearing  122  and dynamic seal  124  arrangement connected to the eccentric shaft. The single controller  120  acts as a controller that controls the flow of both the water pump side  10  and the oil pump side  100 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  illustrates a close-up view of the oil pump side  100  of  FIG. 2 . The rotary pump  110  is shown having a rotor  112  and vanes  114  inside a pump chamber  101 . The inlet  102  and the outlet  103  of the oil pump side  100  are shown. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded view of possible components of the oil pump side  100 . The pump includes the bearing  122  and dynamic seal  124  located above a rotary pump  110 , which in the present embodiment is a gerotor pump. The rotary pump  110  includes an inner rotor  112  having vanes  114 . The inner rotor  112  is located within an outer rotor  116 . The outer rotor  116  and the inner rotor  112  are located within the pump chamber  101  so that oil (not shown) is moved. A controller  120  controls operation of the combination pump  2 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded view of the both the water pump side  10  and the oil pump side  100 . As illustrated the eccentric motor shaft  130  is shown extending through the rotary pump  110  the motor magnet  122  and the dynamic fill  124 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  illustrates Table 1 comparing the engine speed of the pump to the discharge flow rate of the pump, Table 1 further compares discharge flow as the constant pressure of the pump varies. Table 2 compares engine speed to mechanical efficiency of the motor. Table 2 compares efficiencies as the constant pressure of the pump varies.  FIG. 8  illustrates flow rates as the head of the pump is varied at different engine speeds. 
         [0033]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a combination pump  200  having a single controller  604  that independently controls the water pump side  300  and the oil pump side  400 . The combination pump  200  is shown having a water pump side  300  and oil pump side  400  within a unitary pump housing  302 , which have components similar or nearly identical to the components shown and described in  FIGS. 1-8 . The main difference with the present embodiment of the invention compared to the embodiment shown is  FIGS. 1-8  is that the unitary pump housing  302  on the oil pump side  400  has a first stator  500  and second stator  600  both controlled by a single electronic controller  604  located with the unitary pump housing  302 . 
         [0034]    On the oil pump side  400  an eccentric shaft  402  does not overlap an isolation jacket  311  of the water pump side  300 . The first stator  500  has at least one magnetic coil  502  that circumscribes a cylinder portion  404  of the eccentric shaft  402 . One end of the eccentric shaft  402  is connected to an oil pump element  406 . The cylinder portion  404  has at least one motor magnet  407  connected to the exterior surface of the cylinder portion  404 . It is also within the scope of this invention for the cylinder portion  404  to be formed of magnetic material by a process such as sintering, which will eliminate the need to connect a separate motor magnet to the surface of the cylinder portion  404 . When the first stator  500  and magnetic coil  502  are energized a magnetic field is induced which causes the eccentric shaft  402  to rotate and pump oil in through the oil pump side  400  by rotating the oil pump element  406  in a manner similar to the oil pump side  100  described in  FIGS. 1-8  above. 
         [0035]    On the water pump side the  300  a rotor  312  connected to the pump element  314 , contained in the isolation jacket  311  has at least one rotor magnet  316  on the outside surface of the rotor  312 . The second stator  600  has at least one magnetic coil  602  is located in the oil pump side  400  and circumscribes a portion of the isolation jacket  311 , the rotor magnet  316  and a portion of the rotor  312 . When the second stator  600  is energized a magnetic field is induced by the magnetic coil  602 , which causes the rotor  312  to rotate the pump element  314  and pump water or coolant through the water pump side  300  in a manner similar to the operation of the water pump side  10  described in  FIGS. 1-8  above. 
         [0036]    The operation of the combination pump  200  is controlled by the single controller  604  contained in the oil pump side  400  within the unitary pump housing  302 . The single controller  604  independently controls the operation of the first stator  500  and second stator  600  to allow for the water pump side  300  and oil pump side  400  flow to be contained within a unitary pump housing and controlled by a single controller  604 . 
         [0037]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.