Feed pump, especially fuel feed pump for a vehicle heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480497-B2
Application number	US-201615282236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A feed pump ( 10 ), especially fuel feed pump for a vehicle heater, includes a pump piston ( 36 ) movable to and fro in a pump chamber ( 72 ). The pump piston ejects and receives fluid. A driving arrangement ( 30 ) drives the pump piston ( 36 ). The driving arrangement ( 30 ) includes at least one driving element ( 28 ) made of magnetic shape memory material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A feed pump for feeding fuel for a vehicle heater, the feed pump comprising:
a pump chamber;
a pump piston housing;
a pump piston received in the pump piston housing such as to be movable to and fro in the pump chamber, and in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the feed pump, for ejecting fluid from the pump chamber and for receiving fluid within the pump chamber;
a driving element housing connected to the pump piston housing and providing a fluid inlet duct;
a driving arrangement driving the pump piston, the driving arrangement comprising at least one driving element made of a magnetic shape memory material, the at least one driving element being arranged in the driving element housing; and
a transmission element coupling the at least one driving element with the pump piston for transmitting a driving force, the driving element housing and the pump piston housing providing a passage opening for passage of the transmission element, wherein the passage opening provides passage of fluid from the driving element housing to an inner volume area of the pump piston housing, the pump piston having a fluid passage duct passing through the pump piston and providing fluid communication between the inner volume area of the pump piston housing and the pump chamber.

2. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the magnetic shape memory material comprises a magnetic shape memory alloy comprised of NiMnGa alloy.

3. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the driving arrangement further comprises a magnetic field generation unit with an electrically excitable coil arrangement generating a magnetic field acting on the at least one driving element.

4. A feed pump in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the at least one driving element acts on the pump piston in a first action direction when the magnetic field is generated, and the at least one driving element acts on the pump piston in a direction in which fluid is ejected from the pump chamber upon action in the first action direction.

5. A feed pump in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the driving arrangement further comprises a resetting means for acting on the pump piston in a second action direction, directed essentially opposite the first action direction.

6. A feed pump in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the resetting means is a first resetting means and the driving arrangement further comprises a second resetting means associated with the at least one driving element for resetting the at least one driving element into an initial state to be assumed when no magnetic field is generated.

7. A feed pump in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the first resetting means and the second resetting means are comprised by a common resetting means for both acting on the pump piston, in the second action direction, and for resetting the at least one driving element into an initial state.

8. A feed pump in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the first resetting means or the second resetting means comprises a resetting spring or both the first resetting means and the second resetting means comprises a resetting spring.

9. A feed pump in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the resetting means comprises a resetting spring.

10. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a pump chamber housing, providing the pump chamber, is provided in the pump piston housing.

11. A feed pump in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising a resetting means acting on the pump piston and supported at the pump chamber housing, the resetting means for acting on the pump piston in a second action direction, directed essentially opposite the first action direction.

12. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a nonreturn inlet valve is provided in the pump piston.

13. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a nonreturn outlet valve is provided in a pump chamber housing.

14. A feed pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the magnetic shape memory material is comprised of a magnetic shape memory alloy.

15. A feed pump in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the pump piston comprises:
two piston parts inserted into another and rigidly connected to one another;
a valve element, wherein one of the piston parts provides a valve seat for the valve element of the non-return inlet valve and has a plate-shaped end section for closing the passage opening for the transmission element when the piston is in contact with a contact attachment defining the passage opening for the transmission element.

16. A feed pump comprising:
a pump piston housing, wherein a pump chamber is defined within the pump piston housing;
a pump piston cooperating with the pump piston housing and movable in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the feed pump, for ejecting fluid from the pump chamber and receiving fluid within the pump chamber, the pump piston defining a fluid passage duct passing through the pump piston;
a driving element housing connected to the pump piston housing and providing a fluid inlet duct and an outlet passage opening between the driving element housing and an inner volume area of the pump piston housing, the fluid passage duct of the pump piston defining a fluid communication path between the inner volume area of the pump piston housing and the pump chamber;
a driving element made of a magnetic shape memory material, the driving element being arranged in the driving element housing and affecting fluid passage from the fluid inlet duct to the outlet passage opening; and
a transmission element coupling the driving element with the pump piston for transmitting a driving force from the driving element to the pump piston; and a magnetic field generation unit with an electrically excitable coil arrangement generating a magnetic field acting on the driving element to change a shape of the driving element made of a magnetic shape memory material from an initial shape position, to generate the driving force transmitted from the driving element to the pump piston via the transmission element.

17. A feed pump in accordance with claim 16 , further comprising a resetting means, wherein: the driving element acts on the pump piston in a first action direction when the magnetic field is generated, and the driving element acts on the pump piston in a direction in which fluid is ejected from the pump chamber upon action in the first action direction; and 6 the resetting means acts on the pump piston in a second action direction, directed essentially opposite the first action direction.

18. A feed pump in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the resetting means is a first resetting means and the driving arrangement further comprises a second resetting means, associated with the driving element, for resetting the driving element into the initial shape position.

19. A feed pump in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the first resetting means and the second resetting means are comprised by a common resetting means for both acting on the pump piston in the second action direction and for resetting the driving element into the initial shape position.

20. A feed pump in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the pump piston comprises:
two piston parts inserted one into another and rigidly connected to one another; and
a valve element, wherein a nonreturn inlet valve is provided in the pump piston and one of the piston parts provides a valve seat for the valve element of the non-return inlet valve and has a plate-shaped end section for closing the passage opening for the transmission element, when t

Assignees

• Eberspaecher Climate Control Sys Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Humburg Michael

Classifications

• F23K2300/201

  Pumps · CPC title

• F04B17/04

  using solenoids · CPC title

• F04B13/00 Primary

  Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities · CPC title

• F04B17/00 Primary

  Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors · CPC title

• F04B53/126

  Ball valves · CPC title