JP3778692B2 - Tank integrated pump - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pump used in a power steering device of an automobile, and more particularly to a tank-integrated pump in which a reservoir tank that stores hydraulic fluid is integrated with a pump housing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In this type of pump, a reservoir tank and a pump housing are usually formed separately, and both are connected together by welding or bolting.
[0003]
This related technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-237867.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when the reservoir tank and the pump housing are joined by welding, the welding work is large and complicated, which increases the manufacturing cost, and the reservoir tank and the pump housing must both be made of a metal material. Therefore, a resin reservoir tank could not be used.
[0005]
In addition, when the reservoir tank and the pump housing are coupled by bolt coupling, although such a problem does not occur, a bolt coupling flange that projects outward from the reservoir tank and pump housing must be extended. As a result, the outer shape of the apparatus becomes larger, and the layout in a limited space such as in the engine room of the vehicle is limited.
[0006]
Accordingly, the present invention is intended to provide a tank-integrated pump capable of easily and surely coupling a reservoir tank and a pump housing without causing an increase in size of the outer shape or being restricted by the material of the reservoir tank. It is.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a means for solving the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is the tank-integrated pump in which the reservoir tank for storing the hydraulic fluid is integrally coupled to the pump housing, wherein the reservoir tank is formed of a resin material. And a tubular suction plug that is integrally provided on the surface facing the pump housing and supplies hydraulic fluid into the pump housing, and is located on the surface facing the pump housing and facing each other. A pair of locking portions formed, and the pump housing is formed of a metal material, and is a surface facing the reservoir tank, the plug connection hole into which the suction plug is inserted, and the reservoir tank. A pair of locking portions provided at positions corresponding to the pair of locking portions of the tank, and the pair of locking portions of the reservoir tank A pair of locking portions of the pump housing is characterized to be bound by a clip across the engaging portion of both. In this case, the tip of the clip is positioned in a locking portion that is recessed inward of the reservoir tank or pump housing, and does not protrude outward of the reservoir tank or pump housing.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a bracket that abuts on the reservoir tank is integrally coupled to the pump housing, and between the bracket and the pump housing, the outer side of the pump housing faces inward. A locking part that is recessed is provided. In this case, the engaging portion can be easily formed on the pump housing side without directly processing the engaging portion in the pump housing having various restrictions.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the clip insertion direction is provided on one side of the clip and the locking portion, and the clip and the locking portion on the other side. A recess capable of engaging with the protrusion was provided. In this case, the clip is held at a predetermined position by the engagement between the protrusion and the recess.
[0010]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the protrusion includes a guide slope that guides insertion of the clip, and a vertical surface that engages with the recess on the top side of the guide slope. When the clip is inserted, the guide slope of the protrusion guides the insertion of the clip. Once the clip is inserted into the locking portion by a predetermined amount and the protrusion is once fitted in the recess, the vertical surface engages with the recess in the clip-removing direction, and the clip does not come out of the locking portion.
The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the contact surfaces on which the pair of locking portions of the reservoir tank and the pair of locking portions of the pump housing contact each other are formed on the same plane.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0012]
In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a tank-integrated pump according to the present invention in which a reservoir tank 2 and a pump housing 3 are integrally coupled. In this embodiment, the reservoir tank 2 is made of a resin material, and the pump housing 3 is made of a metal material. The main body 4 of the pump 1 accommodated in the pump housing 3 is constituted by a so-called vane type pump, and a rotor 6 supporting a plurality of vanes 5 is rotated in a cam ring 7, thereby causing adjacent vanes 5, 5. The volume between 5 is continuously changed to perform a pumping action. In the drawing, 8 is a drive shaft that supports the rotor 6, and 9 is a pulley that transmits power to the drive shaft 8.
[0013]
The pump housing 3 has a flat surface 10 formed on the upper surface near the center in the axial direction, and a plug connection hole 11 is formed in the center of the flat surface 10. The connection hole 11 is a portion where a suction plug 12 formed integrally with the reservoir tank 2 is fitted, and is connected to a suction passage 13 in the pump housing 3.
[0014]
A horizontal wall 15 of a bracket 14 having an L-shaped cross section is placed on the flat surface 10 of the pump housing 3, and in this state, a vertical wall 16 of the bracket 14 is coupled to a side surface of the pump housing 3 by a bolt 17. The horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 is formed to be substantially the same size as the bottom surface of the reservoir tank 2, and a through hole 18 that is continuous with the plug connection hole 11 of the pump housing 3 is formed in the central portion that is superposed on the flat surface 10. Yes. A suction plug 12 is fitted into the plug connection hole 11 of the pump housing 3 through the through hole 18.
[0015]
Further, between the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 and the upper surface of the pump housing 3, two left and right U-shaped depressions 19 and 20 are formed with the flat surface 10 interposed therebetween, as shown in FIG. 1. The right side recess 20 in this figure opens directly to the side of the pump housing 3, while the left side recess 19 in the figure passes through a slit hole 21 formed in the connecting corner of the horizontal wall 15 and the vertical wall 16 of the bracket 14. It opens to the side of the pump housing 3. The slit hole 21 and the left depression 19 together with the right depression 20 constitute a locking portion on the pump housing 3 side in the present invention. Furthermore, the base end side (left end portion side in FIG. 1) and the tip end side (right end portion side in FIG. 1) of the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 are elongated holes at positions spaced from each end face by a predetermined distance. Stopper holes 30 and 31 (concave portions in the present invention) are formed.
[0016]
On the other hand, the entire area of the bottom surface of the reservoir tank 2 except for the protruding portion of the suction plug 12 is substantially flat and is in close contact with the upper surface of the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14. In the case of this embodiment, the bottom surface of the reservoir tank 2 and the top surface of the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 form a coupling surface on the reservoir tank 2 side and the pump housing 3 side. Then, depressions 22 and 23 having a predetermined width are formed in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the left and right side surfaces of the reservoir tank 2 toward the inside of the reservoir tank 2. These recesses 22 and 23 constitute a locking portion on the reservoir tank 2 side in the present invention, and are substantially symmetrical positions with the recesses 19 and 20 on the pump housing 3 side with the contact surface of the reservoir tank 2 and the bracket 14 interposed therebetween. Is arranged.
[0017]
The reservoir tank 2 and the pump housing 3 are connected by a pair of clips 24 and 24. As shown in FIG. 4, the clip 24 has bifurcated leg portions 25 and 26 having elasticity, and the upper leg portion 25 is formed in the recess 22 (23) on the reservoir tank 2 side, and the lower leg portion 26 is provided. Are inserted and engaged with the recesses 19 (20) on the pump housing 3 side. The lower leg portion 26 of the clip 24 is inserted through the slit hole 21 into the left side recess 19 in FIG. The tip of the upper leg portion 25 has a bent portion 27 having a substantially right angle, and the lower leg portion 26 is formed to extend longer than the upper leg portion 25, and on the upper side near the tip portion. The protruding projection 28 is bent.
[0018]
When actually connecting the reservoir tank 2 to the pump housing 3, the bracket 14 is first integrally connected to the pump housing 3 by the bolt 17, and in this state, the suction plug 12 is connected to the connection hole 11 of the pump housing 3. The reservoir tank 2 is placed on the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 by fitting. Then, the leg portions 25 and 26 of each clip 24 are slightly expanded from this state and are slid into the recesses 19 (20) and 22 (23) on the reservoir tank 2 side and the pump housing 3 side.
[0019]
When each clip 24 is pushed inward from the outer surface of the reservoir tank 2 and the pump housing 3 by a predetermined amount, the tip (bending portion 27) of the upper leg 25 abuts against the bottom of the recess 22 (23). At the same time, the protrusion 28 of the lower leg 26 is engaged in the stopper hole 30 (31) of the bracket 14 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the protrusion 28 suddenly falls into the hole 30 (31) from the edge of the stopper hole 30 (31), the operator can surely feel that the insertion of the clip 24 is completed.
[0020]
Thus, when the leg portions 25 and 26 of each clip 24 are inserted into the recesses 19 (20) and 22 (23), the bifurcated base portion 29 of each clip 24 connects the bracket 14 and the edge of the reservoir tank 2. As a result, the reservoir tank 2 is pressed from above and below, and as a result, the reservoir tank 2 and the pump housing 3 are firmly coupled.
[0021]
Since each clip 24 is inserted into the recesses 19 (20) and 22 (23) at the tips of the legs 25 and 26 and hardly protrudes outward from the reservoir tank 2 and the pump housing 3, the reservoir tank The outer shape of the pump 1 is not increased due to the connecting portion structure of the pump housing 3 and the pump housing 3. Therefore, when this pump 1 is employed, the degree of freedom of layout in a limited space such as an engine room is increased.
[0022]
In addition, since the pump 1 has a bracket 14 attached to the pump housing 3 and a recess 19 (20) on the pump housing 3 side is formed between the bracket 14 and the pump housing 3, internal piping or the like Therefore, it is easier to manufacture compared to the case where the recess is directly formed in the pump housing 3 having many restrictions, and it is possible to easily cope with various specifications of the pump housing 3.
[0023]
Further, in the case of the pump 1, a protrusion 28 is formed on the leg portions 25 and 26 of the clip 24 so that the protrusion 28 is engaged with the stopper hole 30 (31) of the bracket 14 when the mounting of the clip 24 is completed. Therefore, the clip 24 once mounted does not easily fall off due to vibration or the like.
[0024]
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the pump 101 of this embodiment, the protrusion 128 formed on the leg 126 of the clip 124 is directed from the top 32 toward the tip of the leg 126. The guide slope 33 is inclined, and the vertical surface 34 is suspended toward the top 32 of the guide slope 33. The guide slope 33 functions to engage with the horizontal wall 15 of the bracket 14 when the clip 124 is inserted to gradually push the leg portions 125 and 126 of the clip 124 open, and the vertical surface 34 has completed the mounting of the clip 124. Thus, the clip 124 is prevented from coming off by making surface contact with the inner surface of the stopper hole 30 (31) of the bracket 14.
[0025]
Therefore, in the case of the pump 101 of this embodiment, the clip 124 can be inserted more easily, and the clip 124 can be more reliably prevented from coming off.
[0026]
The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in contrast to the above-described embodiment, the protrusion is formed on the depression (locking portion) side, and the stopper hole (recess portion) is formed on the clip side. You may make it form in.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the engaging portion that is recessed inward from the respective outer surface sides of the reservoir tank and the pump housing is provided at a position sandwiching the coupling surface between the reservoir tank side and the pump housing side. Since the reservoir tank and the pump housing are connected by a clip that straddles the locking portion between them, the reservoir tank and the pump housing can be easily and reliably connected without being restricted by the material of the reservoir tank. In addition, since the clip that couples the two is inserted into the engaging portion recessed inward of the reservoir tank or pump housing, the amount of protrusion of the reservoir tank or pump housing in the outward direction is extremely small, and the device Can be miniaturized. Therefore, according to the present invention, the degree of freedom of layout in a limited space such as an engine room is greatly improved.
[0028]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a bracket that abuts on the reservoir tank is integrally coupled to the pump housing, and between the bracket and the pump housing, the outer side of the pump housing faces inward. Since the recessed locking part is provided, it is possible to easily form the locking part on the pump housing side without processing the locking part directly on the pump housing, and various types without increasing the manufacturing cost. It is possible to easily cope with various specifications.
[0029]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the clip insertion direction is provided on one side of the clip and the locking portion, and the clip and the locking portion on the other side. Since the recesses that can be engaged with the protrusions are provided, it is possible to reliably prevent the clip from coming off due to vibration or the like by the connection between the protrusions and the recesses.
[0030]
According to the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 3, since the projection has a guide slope that guides the insertion of the clip, and a vertical surface that engages with the recess on the top side of the guide slope, The clip can be easily inserted, and the clip can be reliably prevented from being detached once the clip is attached.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main part of another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1,101 ... Tank integrated pump,
2 ... reservoir tank,
3 ... Pump housing,
14 ... Bracket,
19, 20, 22, 23 ... hollow (locking part),
21 ... slit hole (locking part),
24, 124 ... clips,
28, 128 ... projections,
30, 31 ... stopper hole (concave),
32 ... top,
33 ... Guide slope,
34: Vertical surface.

Claims (5)

In a tank-integrated pump in which a reservoir tank for storing hydraulic fluid is integrally coupled to a pump housing,
The reservoir tank is formed of a resin material, and is provided integrally with a surface facing the pump housing, and is opposed to the pump housing, and a tubular suction plug that supplies hydraulic fluid into the pump housing. A pair of locking portions formed at positions facing each other on the surface,
The pump housing is formed of a metal material, and is provided at a position corresponding to a pair of locking portions of the reservoir tank, which is a surface facing the plug connection hole into which the suction plug is inserted and the reservoir tank. A pair of locking portions,
The tank-integrated pump according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of locking portions of the reservoir tank and the pair of locking portions of the pump housing are coupled by a clip straddling both the locking portions .   A bracket that abuts against the reservoir tank is integrally coupled to the pump housing, and a locking portion that is recessed inward from the outer surface side of the pump housing is provided between the bracket and the pump housing. The tank-integrated pump according to claim 1.   A protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the clip insertion direction is provided on one side of the clip and the locking portion, and a recess that can be engaged with the protrusion is provided on the other side of the clip and the locking portion. Item 3. The tank-integrated pump according to item 1 or 2.   The tank integrated type according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion includes a guide slope that guides insertion of the clip, and a vertical surface that engages with the recess on the top side of the guide slope. pump. 2. The tank-integrated pump according to claim 1, wherein contact surfaces on which the pair of locking portions of the reservoir tank and the pair of locking portions of the pump housing contact each other are formed on the same plane. .

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