Patent Description:
Such vacuum pumps are already known in different embodiments.

For example, from the <CIT> a vacuum pump for a vehicle is known. Said known vacuum pump comprises a mounting assembly for mounting said vacuum pump to a framework of said vehicle with three flanges and three dampers made from rubber corresponding to each other, whereat said mounting assembly is designed and positioned to said framework of said vehicle in an attachment state of said vacuum pump of said vehicle in such a way, that a force acting from said framework onto said vacuum pump via a force transmission path is damped by said dampers.

<CIT> discloses a pump producing a negative pressure including a presilencer inside a sound absorber. The presilencer is not a damper which damps a force acting from a vehicle framework onto the pump. The presilencer absorbs sound produced by the vacuum pump itself. Furthermore, the mounting plate is a mounting bracket used for fastening the pump to the vehicle framework, whereby the mounting bracket is an integrated bracket and not a separate bracket.

<CIT> discloses a vacuum pump mounted into an U-shaped bracket, whereby on the bottom of the U-shaped bracket a rubber gasket is placed in order to securely fix the pump and attenuate noise and vibration generated by the pump.

Furthermore, <CIT> provides in a pump part exhaust outlets on a side surface opposite to the side which is in contact with a body part, a rib projected to the pump part side is integrally formed on a bottom part of a cover body and a chamber with which the surrounding of the exhaust outlets is covered is formed by the rib. The chamber is provided near the exhaust outlets and, thereby, muffling effect of the exhaust sound can be obtained by the chamber. In addition, only the rib is integrally formed on the bottom part of the cover body and, therefore, the chamber which muffles the exhaust sound can be formed with simple structure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a vacuum pump for attachment to a framework of a vehicle of alternative design.

This object is solved by a vacuum pump for attachment to a framework of a vehicle according to claim <NUM>, wherein said mounting bracket is built in such a manner, that all of said solid structures with all of said dampers are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket in said attachment state of said vacuum pump, whereat said mounting bracket of said mounting assembly comprises a reception for each of said dampers fixed to said corresponding solid structure and said mounting bracket comprises an inspection window for said reception.

A main advantage of the vacuum pump for attachment to a framework of a vehicle according to the invention is, that the overall structure of said mounting assembly of said vacuum pump can be made more rigid but still using dampers with less shore hardness. Less shore hardness of said dampers means an enhanced decoupling of said vacuum pump from said framework of said vehicle. That way, said vacuum pump is securely fastened to said framework of said vehicle, while said vacuum pump is isolated very well from forces acting from said framework of said vehicle onto said vacuum pump at the same time.

Because of the fact, that said mounting assembly comprises three solid structures and three dampers each corresponding to one of said solid structures, said vacuum pump can be mounted to said framework of said vehicle by said mounting assembly of said vacuum pump without any undesired movements of said vacuum pump relative to said framework of said vehicle. For example, undesired rotational movement of said vacuum pump around a rotational axis defined by pairs of solid structures and dampers each corresponding to one of said solid structures. Thus, by using three solid structures and three dampers each corresponding to one of said solid structures it is possible to firmly mount said vacuum pump to said framework of said vehicle.

An advantageous development of the vacuum pump according to the invention is, that said at least one damper is built as a separate part and separable or inseparable fixed to said corresponding at least one solid part of said vacuum pump. This way, the production of said at least one damper is simplified. For example, said at least one damper can be sourced as an individual part.

An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment is, that said damper is fixed to said solid structure corresponding to said damper in a separable manner via a clamp-connection. Hereby, the production of said vacuum pump is further simplified. For example, said vacuum pump with said solid structures of said mounting assembly of said vacuum pump can be designed as a basic component which can be modified by using different types of dampers corresponding to said solid structures in order to satisfy different needs of different implementations.

As already mentioned, said dampers corresponding to said solid structures can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension and arrangement. Advantageously, said dampers are formed of an elastomer. Dampers made from elastomer can be produced or sourced easily and can be tailored quite simple to the specific needs of a vehicle.

Basically, said mounting bracket can be of any useful and applicable type, material, dimension and arrangement, too. Due to the invention, said mounting bracket is built in such a manner, that all of said solid structures with all of said dampers are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket in said attachment state of said vacuum pump.

A further advantageous development of the invention is, that said mounting bracket is built and positioned in such a manner, that all of said dampers are secured via said mounting bracket to all of said solid structures. That way, said dampers are kept in place and in proper function, despite adverse conditions, like temperature changes, very high and very low temperatures and severe mechanical stress.

Due to the invention, said mounting bracket of said mounting assembly comprises a reception for each of said dampers fixed to said corresponding solid structures. Hereby, it is possible to reduce the space needed for the arrangement of said mounting assembly of said vacuum pump. Thus, the design of said vacuum pump according to the invention is more compact.

Furthermore, according to the invention said mounting bracket comprises an inspection window for said reception. That way, the presence, proper condition and arrangement of said dampers can be checked after said vacuum pump with said mounting assembly is assembled. For example, it could be possible to inspect the presence, the proper condition and arrangement of said dampers even after said vacuum pump is fastened to said framework of said vehicle via said mounting bracket. Said inspection window for said reception of said mounting bracket can be built as an opening or can be covered by a transparent top.

The Figures are schematic illustrations of a vacuum pump according to the present invention, wherein only the details necessary for the understanding of the invention are shown.

<FIG> displays an exemplary embodiment of a vacuum pump <NUM> for attachment to a framework <NUM> of a vehicle according to the invention. Said framework <NUM> is shown in <FIG>; said vehicle is not displayed. Said vacuum pump <NUM> comprises a mounting assembly <NUM> for mounting said vacuum pump <NUM> to said framework <NUM> of said vehicle with three solid structures <NUM> and three dampers <NUM>, each of said dampers <NUM> corresponding to one of said solid structures <NUM>. Thus, said solid structures <NUM> and said dampers <NUM> are arranged pairwise to each other. Said three solid structures <NUM> are an integral part of said vacuum pump <NUM>, namely of a flange <NUM> of said vacuum pump <NUM>.

Said three dampers <NUM> are each formed of an elastomer and built as separate parts of said mounting assembly <NUM>. Each of said three dampers <NUM> is fixed to a corresponding one of said solid structures <NUM> via a clamp-connection. Thus, each of said dampers <NUM> is clamped onto one of said solid structures <NUM> of said mounting assembly <NUM>. This can be seen in <FIG>. That way, said dampers <NUM> are separable from said solid structures <NUM>. Establishing said clamp-connection between said three solid structures <NUM> and said corresponding three dampers <NUM> is symbolized by three arrows <NUM>. Said mounting assembly <NUM> is designed and positioned to said framework <NUM> in an attachment state of said vacuum pump <NUM> in such a way, that a force acting from said framework <NUM> onto said vacuum pump <NUM> via a force transmission path is damped by said dampers <NUM>. Said attachment state of said vacuum pump <NUM> is shown in <FIG>.

Said mounting assembly <NUM> comprises also a separate mounting bracket <NUM> made from a plastic material and for fastening said vacuum pump <NUM> to said framework <NUM> of said vehicle. Said mounting assembly <NUM> comprising said solid structures <NUM>, said dampers <NUM> and said mounting bracket <NUM> is shown in <FIG>. Said mounting bracket <NUM> is positioned between said dampers <NUM> and said framework <NUM> of said vehicle in said attachment state of said vacuum pump <NUM>, with respect to said force transmission path.

Furthermore, said mounting bracket <NUM> is built in such a manner, that all of said three solid structures <NUM> with all of said three dampers <NUM> clamped to said solid structures <NUM> are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket <NUM>, namely that said mounting bracket <NUM> of said mounting assembly <NUM> is built and positioned in such a manner, that all of said three dampers <NUM> are secured via said mounting bracket <NUM> to all of said three solid structures <NUM> in said attachment state of said vehicle component <NUM>. This can be seen best by looking at <FIG>. Hereby, on the one hand each of the dampers <NUM> are kept in firm contact to the corresponding one of said solid structures <NUM> in order to take care for a proper function of said dampers <NUM> and thus of said mounting assembly <NUM> in total. On the other hand, said mounting bracket <NUM> gives a rigid overall structure to said mounting assembly <NUM>.

Moreover, a quite compact design of the inventive vehicle component <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment is achieved by the specific design of said mounting bracket <NUM> of said mounting assembly <NUM>, which comprises a reception <NUM>. <NUM> for each of said three dampers <NUM> fixed to the corresponding one of said three solid structures <NUM>. As can be seen from <FIG>, by encompassing said dampers <NUM> fixed to said solid structures <NUM> via said mounting bracket <NUM>, said mounting assembly <NUM> is secured to said vacuum pump <NUM>. The assembly of said mounting bracket <NUM> to the rest of said vacuum pump <NUM> with said solid structures <NUM> and said dampers <NUM> is symbolized in <FIG> by an arrow <NUM>. Thus, said mounting bracket <NUM> is encompassing said dampers <NUM> clamped to said solid structures <NUM> via said receptions <NUM>.

In order to enable for inspection of the presence, the proper position and the proper condition of said dampers <NUM> and said solid structures <NUM>, said mounting bracket <NUM> comprises an inspection window <NUM>. <NUM> for each of said receptions <NUM>. Said inspection windows <NUM>. <NUM> are built as openings in said mounting bracket <NUM>. In <FIG>, only two receptions <NUM>. <NUM> and only two inspection windows <NUM>. <NUM> for said three pairs of solid structures <NUM> and dampers <NUM> are visible. Said mounting bracket <NUM> comprises more than said three receptions <NUM>. <NUM> needed to receive said pairs of solid structures <NUM> and dampers <NUM>. That way, said mounting bracket <NUM> is universal and can be used for different embodiments. The inspection function of said inspection windows <NUM>. <NUM> can be seen best from <FIG>, where only one of said three inspection windows <NUM>. <NUM> is visible. Even in said attachment state of said vacuum pump <NUM> shown in <FIG> said inspection windows <NUM>. <NUM> enable to check the presence, the proper position and the proper condition of said dampers <NUM> as well as of said solid structures <NUM>.

For fastening said vacuum pump <NUM> via said mounting assembly <NUM> to said framework <NUM> of said vehicle, said mounting bracket <NUM> comprises three integral bolts <NUM>. Said integral bolts <NUM>. <NUM> of said mounting bracket <NUM> are built as molded-in threaded bolts <NUM>. <NUM>, which are molded in said mounting bracket <NUM> made from a plastic material. Said vacuum pump <NUM> with said mounting assembly <NUM> comprising said mounting bracket <NUM> is fastened to said framework <NUM> of said vehicle via said molded-in threaded bolts <NUM>. <NUM> of said mounting bracket <NUM>, inserted in clearance holes of said framework <NUM>, and nut <NUM> corresponding to said molded-in threaded bolts <NUM>. See <FIG>, from which only one nut <NUM> is visible. Said clearance holes of said framework <NUM> are not displayed.

For instance, the invention can be employed advantageous for a lot of different vacuum pumps. The dampers and the solid structures can be of any shape, material and arrangement. Furthermore, the fixing of the dampers to the solid structures corresponding to each other is not limited to clamp-connections, but can be of any useful and suitable type. Thus, the dampers and the solid structures corresponding to each other can be fixed to each other in an inseparable way, too.

The inspection windows can also be covered by transparent tops in order to seal the inner part of the receptions.

Claim 1:
Vacuum pump (<NUM>) for attachment to a framework (<NUM>) of a vehicle, comprising a mounting assembly (<NUM>) for mounting said vacumm pump (<NUM>) to said framework (<NUM>) with three solid structures (<NUM>) and three dampers (<NUM>) corresponding pairwise to each other, whereat said mounting assembly (<NUM>) is designed and positioned to said framework (<NUM>) in an attachment state of said vacuum pump (<NUM>) in such a way, that a force acting from said framework (<NUM>) onto said vacuum pump (<NUM>) via a force transmission path is damped by said dampers (<NUM>),
whereat said mounting assembly (<NUM>) comprises a separate mounting bracket (<NUM>) for fastening said vacuum pump (<NUM>) to said framework (<NUM>) of said vehicle and positioned between said dampers (<NUM>) and said framework (<NUM>) of said vehicle in said attachment state of said vacuum pump (<NUM>), with respect to said force transmission path,
wherein,
said mounting bracket (<NUM>) is built in such a manner, that all of said solid structures (<NUM>) with all of said dampers (<NUM>) are substantially encompassed by said mounting bracket (<NUM>) in said attachment state of said vacuum pump (<NUM>),
whereat said mounting bracket (<NUM>) of said mounting assembly (<NUM>) comprises a reception (<NUM>.<NUM>) for each of said dampers (<NUM>) fixed to said corresponding solid structure (<NUM>) and said mounting bracket (<NUM>) comprises an inspection window (<NUM>.<NUM>) for said reception (<NUM>.<NUM>).