Multifunctional pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11852147-B2
Application number	US-202217712792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2022
Priority date	Apr 4, 2022
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A pump assembly is disclosed comprising a pump body having a first pump stage housed in the pump body including a fluid inlet and a first and a second fluid outlet. A flow feed chamber is housed in the pump body in fluid communication with the second fluid outlet. A second pump stage housed in the pump body is in fluid communication with the flow feed chamber and includes at least one fluid outlet connected to the second pump stage. A valve assembly is operable into a first position to fluidically connect the fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the first fluid outlet. The valve assembly is further operable into a second position to fluidically connect the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet and the flow feed chamber and the flow feed chamber fluidically connected to the at least one fluid outlet through the second pump stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump assembly comprising:
a pump body;
a first pump stage housed in the pump body having a fluid inlet and a first and a second fluid outlet;
a flow feed chamber housed in the pump body in fluid communication with the second fluid outlet;
a second pump stage in fluid communication with the flow feed chamber housed in the pump body, the second pump stage having at least one fluid outlet; and
a valve assembly operable into a first position to fluidically connect the fluid inlet through the first pump stage to the first fluid outlet and prevent a fluid connection to the at least one fluid outlet from the second pump stage and the valve assembly operable into a second position to fluidically connect the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet and the flow feed chamber, wherein the flow feed chamber is fluidically connected to the at least one fluid outlet through the second pump stage.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein In the first position the valve assembly prevents a fluid connection to the second fluid outlet from the first pump stage.

3. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the second position the valve assembly prevents a fluid connection to the first fluid outlet from the first pump stage.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly further includes;
a motor having a motor shaft;
a first impeller located in the first pump stage driven by the motor shaft; and
a second impeller located in the second pump stage driven by the motor shaft.

5. The pump assembly of claim 4 , wherein the motor drives the first impeller and the second impeller at the same rotational speed.

6. The pump assembly of claim 4 , wherein the fluid inlet is connected to a fluid source, wherein in the valve assembly first position the first impeller drives the fluid from the fluid source and the first pump stage to the first fluid outlet at a first flowrate.

7. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein in the valve assembly second position the first impeller drives the fluid from the fluid source and the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet and the flow feed chamber at the first flowrate.

8. The pump assembly of claim 7 , wherein, in the valve assembly second position the second impeller drives the fluid in the flow feed chamber from the second pump stage to the at least one fluid outlet at a second flowrate.

9. The pump assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second flowrate is greater than the first flowrate.

10. The pump assembly of claim 4 , wherein the valve assembly is driven into the first and the second position by an actuator.

11. The pump assembly of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is an electrical motor.

12. The pump assembly of claim 10 , wherein the valve assembly includes a first valve member rotationally mounted between the first impeller and the first and second outlets of the first pump stage, the first valve member including a peripheral wall having an opening through the wall for fluidically connecting the first or the second fluid outlets to the impeller.

13. The pump assembly of claim 12 , wherein the actuator rotates the first valve member to the first position aligning the first valve opening to fluidically connect the first impeller to the first fluid outlet and the first valve member wall to fluidically disconnect the first impeller from the second fluid outlet.

14. The pump assembly of claim 12 , wherein the actuator rotates the first valve member to the second position aligning the first valve opening to fluidically connect the first impeller to the second fluid outlet and the first valve member wall to fluidically disconnect the first impeller from the first fluid outlet.

15. The pump assembly of claim 12 , wherein the valve assembly includes a second valve member fixed to the first valve member and rotationally mounted between the second impeller and the at least one fluid outlet of the second pump stage, the second valve member including an aperture extending through a thimble mounted to a top surface of the second valve member, the aperture fluidically connecting the second impeller to the flow feed chamber, the second valve member further including a peripheral wall having an opening through the wall for fluidically connecting the at least one fluid outlet to the second impeller.

16. The pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second valve member is rotated to the first valve position when the actuator rotates the first valve member to the first position the second valve member wall fluidically disconnecting the second impeller of the second pump stage from the at least one fluid outlet.

17. The pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second valve member is rotated to the second valve position when the actuator rotates the first valve member to the second position the second valve opening fluidically connecting the second impeller of the second pump stage to the at least one fluid outlet.

18. The pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first valve member includes a thimble attached to the first valve member bottom surface the first valve member thimble including a bearing fixed to the motor shaft and the first valve member thimble, the first valve member thimble connected to the second valve member thimble via a plurality of ribs oriented about the second valve member thimble aperture, the ribs located in the flow feed chamber.

19. A method for pumping fluid at a first and a second flowrate, the method comprising;
moving a valve assembly into a first position to fluidically connect a fluid inlet and fluid source to a first pump stage having a first and a second fluid outlet and prevent a fluid connection to at least one fluid outlet from a second pump stage, the first position fluidically disconnecting the first pump stage from the second fluid outlet and fluidically connecting the first fluid outlet to the first pump stage, wherein the first pump stage pumps fluid from the fluid source to the first fluid outlet at the first flowrate;
moving the valve assembly into a second position making a fluid connection to the at least one fluid outlet at the second pump stage and fluidically disconnecting the first pump stage from the first fluid outlet and fluidically connecting the first pump stage to the second fluid outlet and to a flow feed chamber, wherein the fluid is pumped from the first pump stage from the fluid source into the flow feed chamber at the first flowrate; and
receiving by the second pump stage the fluid in the flow feed chamber, the second pump stage boosting the fluid from the flow feed chamber to the at least one fluid outlet at the second flowrate.

Assignees

• Cooper Standard Automotive Inc

Inventors

• Malone David S

Classifications

• F01P5/10

  Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/185

  Rotors consisting of a plurality of wheels · CPC title

• F04D29/4293

  Details of fluid inlet or outlet · CPC title

• F04D13/16

  with storage reservoirs · CPC title

• F04D1/06 Primary

  Multi-stage pumps (F04D1/02, F04D13/10 take precedence) · CPC title