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Pump and motor assemblyRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Motor Driven, Including Means For Facilitating Assembly Or Disassembly Of Pump To Or From Motor Or Fixed SupportPump and motor assembly description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060228233, Pump and motor assembly. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD [0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of pumps, and more particularly, to pumps that are driven by a motor such as an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. BACKGROUND [0002] Fluid pumping systems are currently used in a wide variety of applications. In some cases, the fluid pumping systems include a pump head that is driven by a rotary motor, such as an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. When driven by the motor, the pump head often produces a pressurized fluid stream that can be used in any number of applications. One illustrative application is that of a high pressure washing device. High pressure washing devices typically deliver a fluid such as water under relatively high pressure to a surface to be cleaned, stripped or prepared for other treatment. Such pressure washers are produced in a variety of designs and can be used to perform numerous functions in industrial, commercial and home applications. [0003] Fluid pumping systems can be either stationary or portable. Stationary fluid pumping systems are generally used in industrial or commercial applications such as in car washes, manufacturing facilities, or the like. Portable fluid pumping systems may include a motor/pump unit that can be carried or wheeled from place to place. [0004] In some cases, fluid pumping systems use a piston pump having one or more reciprocating pistons for delivering liquid under pressure to the pump outlet. Such piston pumps often have two or more pistons to provide a generally more continuous pressure, higher flow rate, and greater efficiency. Multiple piston pumps often use articulated pistons, or may use a swash plate and linear pistons for pumping the liquid. Other pump designs may also exist. [0005] In many cases, power from the motor is transferred to the rotating input shaft of the pump via one or more belts, gears, or the like. However, the use of belts, gears or the like can consume significant energy, thereby reducing the power that is actually delivered and available to the pump. Thus, to achieve a desired pumping capacity, the motor may have to be driven harder, or a larger motor may have to be provided. This can increase the cost of operating the fluid pumping system. In addition, the use of belts, gears or the like can require significant maintenance, which may also increase the cost of operating the fluid pumping system. [0006] One approach to overcome some of these limitations is to drive the rotating input shaft of the pump directly from the rotating drive shaft of the motor. In some cases, both the motor and the pump are attached to a common substrate with the rotating drive shaft of the motor connected directly to the rotating input shaft of the pump. However, in such systems, the mechanical alignment of the shafts, and the ease with which such alignment may be obtained, are of particular concern. The driving and driven shafts may be said to be perfectly aligned when their axes of rotation are coincident with one another at all times. Such perfect alignment would be ideal, but it is often difficult to achieve. In addition, such shaft misalignments can be static and/or transient. As a practical matter, it is not very economical to hold machining tolerances so closely that shaft misalignments are not of a concern. Shaft misalignment can increase vibration, consume energy, degrade motor and/or pump performance, increase operating noise, accelerate wear and tear as well as have other detrimental effects. SUMMARY [0007] The present invention provides a fluid pumping system or assembly that includes a motor and a pump. An output shaft of the motor is directly coupled to an input shaft of the pump. In one illustrative embodiment, the output shaft of the motor is directly coupled to the input shaft of the pump in such a way that prevents the pump and the motor from moving away from each other during operation, and in some cases, is the primary mechanism for coupling the pump to the motor. Such a configuration may be called a "floating pump mount", because the pump is primarily coupled to the motor via the shaft connection. As a result of this connection, the output shaft of the motor may be naturally "aligned" with the input shaft of the pump. There may be some relative movement between the pump and motor housings caused by shaft irregularities, but this relatively movement does not produce the same detrimental effects as a shaft misalignment. [0008] To help prevent the pump from freely rotating with the output shaft of the motor during operation, a rotational stop mechanism may be provided. In addition to preventing the pump from freely rotating with the output shaft of the motor, the rotational stop mechanism may provide at least one resilient member for absorbing or substantially absorbing at least some of the relative movement between the pump and the motor. In some illustrative embodiments, the rotational stop mechanism may include a bracket that is coupled between the pump and the motor housings. The at least one resilient member may be situated between the bracket and the motor and/or the bracket and the pump. In some embodiments, the bracket may be adapted to not significantly prevent the pump and motor from moving away from each other during operation. Instead, and as noted above, the coupling between the pump input shaft and the motor output shaft may provide the primary mechanism for preventing the pump and motor from moving away from each other during operation. Such a configuration may help keep the output shaft of the motor naturally "aligned" with the input shaft of the pump, while allowing some movement between the motor and pump housings while at the same time preventing the pump from freely rotating with the output shaft of the motor during operation. [0009] To help reduce the downward torque on the drive shaft of the motor caused by the weight of the pump, it may be beneficial to reduce the distance that the pump is spaced from the motor. In some embodiments, the motor may have a rotating output shaft with an output shaft bearing, and the pump may have a rotating input shaft with an input shaft bearing. As noted above, the input shaft of the pump may be directly coupled to the output shaft of the motor so that the input shaft of the pump and the output shaft of the motor are fixed relatively to one another to prevent the pump and the motor from moving away from each other during operation. To reduce the downward torque on the motor drive shaft, the spacing between the output shaft bearing of the motor and the input shaft bearing of the pump may be, for example, less than 2.0 inches, less than 1.0 inches, or less than 0.5 inches. [0010] To help set or release the coupling, some embodiments may include a set screw in the space between the bearings. The set screw may be used to loosen and/or tighten the coupling between the input shaft of the pump and the output shaft of the motor. For example, to remove the pump from the motor, the set screw may be loosened to loosen the coupling between the output shaft of the motor and the input shaft of the pump. The pump may then be pulled away from the motor until the input shaft of the pump is disengaged from the output shaft of the motor. When a bracket is provided, the pump may be pulled sufficiently far away from the motor so that the bracket also no longer provides any anti-rotational coupling between the pump and the motor. In some cases, a safety pin may be provided, which once removed, may allow the pump to be pulled sufficiently far away so that the bracket no longer provides any coupling between the pump and the motor. [0011] The above summary is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The Figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pump assembly in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; [0013] FIG. 2 is a side view of the illustrative pump assembly of FIG. 1; [0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of an illustrative rotational stop mechanism that may be used to help prevent the pump from freely rotating with the output shaft of the motor during operation; [0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of the illustrative rotational stop mechanism of FIG. 3; [0016] FIG. 5 includes a side view and front view of an illustrative resilient member that may be used to absorb or substantially absorb at least some of the relative movement between the pump and the motor; [0017] FIG. 6 is an assembly view of an illustrative piston pump that is suitable for use with the present invention; [0018] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view of an illustrative connection between the motor output shaft and pump input shaft of FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view of another illustrative connection between the motor output shaft and pump input shaft of FIG. 1; [0020] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a pump assembly in accordance with another illustrative embodiment of the present invention; Continue reading about Pump and motor assembly... Full patent description for Pump and motor assembly Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Pump and motor assembly patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Pump and motor assembly or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Pump and motor assembly Next Patent Application: Injection pump Industry Class: Pumps ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Pump and motor assembly patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.24323 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
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