EP2589817B1 - Pump power unit - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a pump unit with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Pump units are known, which have an electric drive motor, wherein a terminal box or electronics housing is usually arranged on the electric drive motor, in which electronic components for operation or for controlling or regulating the electric drive motor are arranged. In addition, display or operating elements are generally arranged on such terminal boxes, via which functions of the pump unit can be adjusted and operating states of the pump unit can be displayed.

Such a pump unit is for example off EP 1 947 347 known. In this known pump unit operating and display elements in the form of light emitting diodes and push buttons are arranged in the axial cover of the terminal box. These are designed so that corresponding windows for the display elements and spring tongues for the push buttons are formed in the actual housing or wall part of the terminal box. Outside, this housing part is covered by a film which closes these windows and has on its outside a label for identifying the display and operating areas. Where the display elements are arranged, this film is partially transparent. The actual electrical switching elements and display elements are arranged on a printed circuit board, which is below the housing part in the interior of the terminal box is arranged so that the switching elements can be actuated by the spring tongues in the housing part and light emitting diodes can shine through the windows in the housing part to the outside.

Where 2008/019818 A1 (from which the features of the preamble of claim 1 are known) discloses a pump unit to the drive motor on the axial side, a terminal box made of plastic is arranged. In the housing of the terminal box made of plastic electrical conductors are cast, which contact the coils of the stator of the electric motor, an outwardly directed electrical connector, and a printed circuit board inside the terminal box together. The front side of the terminal box is closed by a lid on which operating and display elements are arranged. Here, a further printed circuit board must be provided for the operating or display elements on the lid, which is contacted with the circuit board inside the terminal box via corresponding contacts. In view of this prior art, it is an object of the invention to improve a pump unit to the effect that operating or display elements inside a terminal box can be easily arranged and electrically contacted.

This object is achieved by a pump unit having the features specified in claim 1. Preferred embodiments will become apparent from the subclaims, the following description and the accompanying figures.

The pump unit according to the invention has a housing part made of plastic, in which at least one electrical operating or display element is arranged. Preferably, this plastic housing part is part of a terminal box or electronics housing of the pump unit. Such a terminal box is preferably mounted on the stator housing of an electric drive motor of the pump unit, for example on the outer circumference or at the axial end of the stator housing. The electric drive motor is well known Way connected to a pump, wherein the pump housing and the stator housing of the electric drive motor are preferably directly connected to each other.

Instead, as known in the prior art, electrical operating or display elements via a separate arranged inside the housing circuit board to contact, it is inventively provided that directly attached to the housing part on which the control or display elements are arranged, electrical conductor tracks are, via which at least one operating or display element is contacted. Thus, it is possible to mount control and / or display elements together with their electrical connections directly to the housing part, so that it is possible to dispense with an additional printed circuit board. As a result, on the one hand, the assembly is simplified, on the other hand, the area of the pump unit, which receives the electrical components, operating or display elements, in particular a terminal box, are made smaller, since the arrangement of the components and electrical conductors claimed directly on the housing part less space ,

The housing part, to which the at least one control or display element and the associated conductor tracks are attached, is a housing part, which closes a housing of the pump unit to the outside, so that the operating or display elements are accessible from the outside. Preferably, the housing part is a wall of an electronics housing or terminal box, in which electrical and / or electronic components for controlling or for operating the pump unit are arranged. Thus, this housing part in the form of the wall assumes a dual function, namely to complete the housing to the outside and to wear the other hand, the control and / or display elements and their electrical connections in the form of conductors. Alternatively, the housing part, for example also be a stator housing outwardly bounding wall or a lid of the stator housing.

The housing part with the conductor tracks is formed in MID technology, ie as a molded interconnect device or as an injection-molded circuit carrier. Such a component can be made as a conventional housing part as an injection molded part made of plastic. Even during injection molding or subsequently conductor tracks can be arranged on this plastic part. So metallic tracks can be poured in during injection molding, so that they are inside the housing part or a wall of the housing part are located. Alternatively or additionally, traces may be attached to one or more surfaces of the housing member during or after injection molding. Thus, conductor tracks can be inserted into the mold and the plastic can be cast directly to the tracks. Alternatively, printed conductors can be subsequently applied by suitable coating techniques to one or more surfaces of the injection-molded housing part. At the same time, electrical or electronic components are preferably also arranged directly on the housing part, ie in particular the at least one operating or display element described above. Such a component can likewise be fastened directly to the housing part in the injection molding process or can be attached thereto after the injection molding, for example by gluing or soldering, in which case electrical contacting with the conductor tracks on the housing part can likewise be effected by suitable adhesive or soldering techniques. Any other suitable contact can be used here. The at least one housing part forms the mechanical support of the at least one operating or display element and at the same time carries the electrical conductor tracks for the electrical connection of this operating or display element. The housing part thus has in addition to the function to complete the housing to the outside, another dual function, namely to serve the electrical contact and the mechanical attachment of the control or display element.

The housing part can preferably be geometrically shaped to accommodate the at least one operating or display element, for example, have elevations or recesses or depressions on the surface, in which operating and / or display elements are used, so that their surface is preferably substantially flush with the other surface of the housing part closes and the components do not protrude beyond the surface. The housing part thus preferably has a three-dimensional surface contouring, wherein the electrical conductor tracks can be arranged on the surface in such a way that they follow this three-dimensional contour of the surface.

More preferably, the housing part is covered on its outside by a cover or cover. This preferably covers both the optionally arranged on the corresponding surface of the housing part traces and operating and / or display elements, so that a smooth, closed surface is created outwardly. The conductor tracks are protected by the preferably electrically insulating cover or film from short circuits and damage. At the same time, the operating and display elements are protected. This is particularly advantageous in pump sets, as they are often used in a humid environment, so that the cover protects the underlying areas from moisture. The cover film is preferably glued to the underlying housing part or connected in another suitable manner, wherein preferably a tight connection, which prevents ingress of moisture, is provided. On the cover necessary labels may be appropriate.

At least a recessed or transparent viewing window for a display element, which is located below the cover film, may be formed on the cover film. In addition, the cover can be elastically deformable at least in the region of a control element, so that the control element can be actuated by pressure on the cover. The control element can be, for example, an electrical switch or pushbutton, which is arranged below the covering film. By appropriate labeling or printing of the cover on the outside of the operating or display areas of be identified externally. Thus, the cover allows a completely closed to the outside housing. The cover only serves the outer design of the housing part and the protection of the underlying operating or display elements or electrical conductors. However, the mechanical bearing function takes over the underlying housing part.

The electrical conductor tracks can be arranged on one or both surfaces of a wall of the housing part. Via recesses or holes in the wall, in addition, strip conductors can be connected to one another on both surfaces. Also, conductors or conductors can be poured into the wall. Thus, at least portions of the conductor tracks may be located in the interior of a wall of the housing part. These may be, for example, sections which interconnect interconnects on the two opposite surfaces of the wall. Such conductor tracks are preferably arranged by pouring in the interior of the wall. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide holes in the wall during injection molding, on the inner surface then later electrical interconnects are attached by suitable coating technique or in which electrical conductors are used.

In addition to the at least one operating or display element, moreover, further electrical or electronic components are preferably arranged on the housing part, which are electrically contacted via the conductor tracks arranged directly on the housing part. These may be electronic components which serve to control operating or display elements or take over further control or regulating functions for the operation of the pump unit. In addition, these may also be electrical components that serve the communication, such as infrared interfaces, radio interfaces or electronic Components which serve for the operation or control of communication interfaces. Also z. B. memory devices can be arranged in this way. In general, any type of electrical or electronic components can be arranged in this way on the housing part and electrically contacted via conductor tracks, which are arranged directly on the housing. Thus, it is also possible to dispense with additional printed circuit boards in the interior of the housing for their attachment and contacting for these components.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the pump unit to an electric drive motor with a frequency converter. The electrical and electronic components of the frequency converter are preferably arranged in a terminal box or electronics housing of the pump unit. Alternatively or additionally, components of the frequency converter can be arranged in the interior of the stator housing.

Particularly preferably, at least one component of the frequency converter is arranged on a housing part and electrically contacted via the conductor tracks attached directly to the housing part. This is preferably the housing part, on which also the at least one operating or display element is arranged, which has been described above. Due to the arrangement of electronic components, preferably of all electronic components of the frequency converter to one or more housing parts, wherein the electrical contacting takes place via directly mounted on the housing parts traces, the construction of the pump assembly is further simplified because no additional circuit boards for supporting the electronic components must be provided, but these are attached to the housing parts required anyway and can be contacted via this electrically.

The housing part or the housing parts, on which the at least one operating or display element or optionally further electrical or electronic components are arranged, is preferably part of a terminal box or electronics housing of the pump unit. Alternatively, this housing part may for example also be a housing part of the stator housing of the electric drive motor. This is particularly suitable when the electronic components required for controlling the drive motor or pump unit are arranged directly in the stator housing. Then this can be closed by a lid which forms the housing part, are arranged on the control or display elements in the manner described above.

Particularly preferably, the pump unit is designed as a circulating pump unit, in particular a heating circulating pump unit. Such Umwälzpumpenaggregat can be used to circulate water in a heating or air conditioning or, for example, to circulate hot water.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the pump unit as electric drive motor on a canned motor, d. H. an electric drive motor, wherein the rotor space and the stator space are separated by a split tube or a containment shell.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Gesamtansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Pumpenaggregates,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Detailansicht des Klemmenkastens des Pumpenaggregates gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Explosionsansicht des Deckels des Klemmenkastens gemäß Fig. 2

Fig. 4

eine Detailansicht des Deckels gemäß Fig. 3 ohne elektrische Bauelemente und Leiterbahnen,

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht des Deckels gemäß Fig. 4 mit aufgebrachten Leiterbahnen,

Fig. 6

eine Ansicht des Deckels gemäß Fig. 5 mit aufgebrachten elektronischen Bauteilen,

Fig. 7

eine Schnittansicht des Deckels gemäß Fig. 3.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic overall view of a pump unit according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a schematic detail view of the terminal box of the pump unit according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

an exploded view of the lid of the terminal box according to Fig. 2

Fig. 4

a detailed view of the lid according to Fig. 3 without electrical components and conductor tracks,

Fig. 5

a view of the lid according to Fig. 4 with applied conductor tracks,

Fig. 6

a view of the lid according to Fig. 5 with applied electronic components,

Fig. 7

a sectional view of the lid according to Fig. 3 ,

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to a heating circulating pump unit as shown in FIG Fig. 1 is shown. The pump unit has a pump housing 2, in which in a known manner an impeller is arranged and which has a suction nozzle 4 and a discharge nozzle 6. In the pump housing 2, a stator 8 is flanged by means of screws 10. In the stator housing 8, an electric drive motor is arranged, which is formed in a known manner as a wet-running electric motor with a split tube. On the axial side of the stator housing, a terminal box 12 is attached, which forms an electronics housing, in which the electronic components for controlling and regulating the electric drive motor are arranged.

This terminal box 12 is shown in detail in FIG Fig. 2 shown. The terminal box 12 has a tubular housing part 14, which with a first axial end 16 is connected to the stator housing 8. At the opposite second axial end 18 of the tubular housing part 14 is closed by a front-side cover 20. The lid 20 carries operating elements 22 in the form of push buttons and display elements 24, which are formed by lighting elements, in particular in the form of light-emitting diodes. On the circumference of the tubular housing part 14 beyond a connector 26 is formed.

The cover 20 is inventively designed so that it not only closes the terminal box 12 on the axial side, but also also carries the controls and indicators 24 and other electronic components.

As in Fig. 3 shown, the lid 20 is formed of two parts, namely on the one hand from the carrier 28 and a film 30. The carrier 28 forms the actual housing part, which closes the terminal box on the axial side and forms the mechanically supporting structure of the lid 20. Towards the outside, the carrier 28 is covered by the covering film 30. In the areas of the display elements 24, transparent or partially transparent viewing windows 24a are formed in the cover film 30, which allow light to shine outward from light-emitting diodes 24b located below the film 30. For the operating elements 22, pressure fields 22a are formed in the film 30, which on the one hand carry a corresponding inscription and on the other hand are elastically deformable in order to actuate buttons 22b located below the pressure fields 22a. However, the film 30 is completely closed so that it can protect the underlying electrical components from moisture and damage.

The carrier 28 is preferably formed as an injection molded part and carries next to the light emitting diodes 24b and the buttons 22b further electronic components 32. These are like the buttons 22b and the light emitting diodes 24b arranged in recesses 34 so that they do not project beyond the remaining surface 36 in the axial direction X. Thus, the surface 36, together with the depressions 34, can be covered by the planar cover film 30, which thus closes the depressions with the electronic components 32, the buttons 22b and the light-emitting diodes 24b arranged therein. By deformation of the pressure fields 22a, the underlying buttons 22b can be actuated. For this purpose, the pressure fields 22a in the idle state can be slightly outward, ie raised in the direction away from the carrier 28.

According to the invention, it is provided that the electrical and electronic components 32 as well as the operating and display elements in the form of the buttons 22b and light emitting diodes 24b on the carrier 28 are contacted via printed conductors 38, which are formed directly on the carrier 28. Thus, it is possible to dispense with an additional printed circuit board which carries and contacts the electronic components. The function of the printed circuit board can be taken over by the housing part in the form of the cover 20 or its carrier 28 alone. Ie. the carrier 28 serves at the same time to close the terminal box 12 axially outwards, ie to form a mechanically bearing housing part, and to carry electronic components and associated conductor tracks 38. In the illustration in Fig. 3 the traces are not shown for ease of illustration. The complete arrangement of the electronic components and conductor tracks is in Fig. 6 shown.

The carrier 28 is made as an injection molded part of plastic and has the recesses 34, as in Fig. 4 shown. After injection molding of the carrier 28 are applied to this, as in Fig. 5 shown, it can be seen that the tracks 38 follow the three-dimensional structure of the carrier 28, ie hineinerstrecken into the recesses 34 and there connection points or contacts for the electronic components 32, light-emitting diodes 24b and buttons 22b have, which can be soldered there in the usual way, for example in SMD technology. The conductor tracks 38 can be formed on the surface of the carrier 28 by suitable printing or coating methods, however, they can also be arranged in the mold during injection molding in such a way that they are cast into the carrier 28 or the carrier 28 is cast onto the conductor tracks 38 becomes. After arrangement of the electronic components 32, the button 22b and the LEDs 24b, the film 30 is applied to the surface 36 of the carrier 28, in particular glued, so that the conductor tracks 38 and the electronic components are covered by the film and so from moisture and damage to be protected. This layered construction is in Fig. 7 shown, wherein the tracks 38 due to their size in Fig. 7 are not recognizable.

In order to be able to contact the conductor tracks 38 on the side of the carrier 28 facing away from the interior of the housing part 14 from the interior of the terminal box 12, electrical connections or conductor tracks can be led into the interior of the terminal box 12 through holes in the carrier 28. Also, electrical contacts or traces may be molded into the carrier 28 which extend into the interior of the terminal box 12 to be contacted there. Thus, it is conceivable to design corresponding strip conductors on the inside of the carrier 28, which faces the interior of the terminal box 12, and also to arrange there electrical components, for example electrical components of a frequency converter. Thus, the surface of the carrier 28 can be optimally utilized if conductor tracks 38 and electronic components 32 are arranged on both sides.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2 -

pump housing

4 -

suction

6 -

pressure port

8th -

stator

10 -

screw

12 -

terminal box

14 -

tubular housing part

16 -

1st axial end

18 -

2nd axial end

20 -

cover

22 -

controls

22a -

pressure fields

22b -

button

24 -

indicators

24a -

window

24b -

LEDs

26 -

connector

28 -

carrier

30 -

foil

32 -

electrical components

34 -

wells

36 -

surface

38 -

conductor tracks

X -

Longitudinal axis or axis of rotation of the drive motor

Claims (13)

1. A pump assembly with a housing part (28) of plastic, on which at least one electrical operating element (22b) or display element (24b) is arranged, electrical strip conductors (38) are attached directly on the housing part (28), characterised in that the housing part (28) with the strip conductors (38) are designed with MID (moulded interconnect devices) technology and that at least the operating element (22b) or display element (24b) is contacted via the electrical strip conductors (38).
2. A pump assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing part (28) on its lower side is covered by a cover film (30).
3. A pump assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the cover film (30) covers at least one operating element (22b) or display element (24b), said operating or display element being arranged on the housing part.
4. A pump assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that at least one recessed or transparent viewing window (24a) for a display element (24b) is formed in the cover film (30).
5. A pump assembly according to one of the claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the cover film (30) is elastically deformable at least in the region (22a) of an operating element (22b).
6. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that electrical strip conductors (38) are arranged on one or both surfaces of a wall of the housing part (28).
7. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least sections of the strip conductors (38) are situated in the inside of a wall of the housing part (28).
8. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that additionally to the at least one operating element (22b) or display element (24b), further electrical or electronic components (32) are arranged on the housing part (28), said further electrical or electronic components being electrically contacted via the strip conductors (38) which are arranged directly on the housing part (28).
9. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by an electric drive motor with a frequency converter.
10. A pump assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that at least one component of the frequency converter is arranged on a housing part (28) and is electrically contacted via the strip conductors (38) which are attached directly to the housing part (28).
11. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing part (28) is part of a terminal box (12) or electronic housing of the pump assembly.
12. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is designed as a circulation pump assembly.
13. A pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a canned motor.

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