JP2004003433A - Fuel pump and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel pump to be easily assembled which prevents a brush from being protruded from a cover part while preventing any damage of each component. <P>SOLUTION: A brush 60 accommodated in a brush chamber 35 of a cover part 30 is constituted as a sub assembly integrated with a terminal body 71, a plate 72 and a wire 51. A counter-spring side of the brush 60 is supported by the plate 72 to constitute the sub assembly, and even if the urging force in a direction of a motor part 20 to the brush 60 from a spring 41 accommodated in a spring chamber 34 of the cover part 30 is applied when the sub assembly is assembled to the cover part 30, the movement of the brush 60 is restrained by the plate 72. Therefore, the urging force of the spring 41 is applied to the plate 72, any damage of the wire 51 by a concentrated load is prevented, and protrusion of the brush 60 from the cover part 30 is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fuel pump for discharging fuel sucked from a fuel tank and a method for manufacturing the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art As a fuel pump for discharging fuel sucked from a fuel tank in order to supply fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine, for example, an electric pump disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the case of this electric pump, the brush that comes into sliding contact with the commutator of the motor unit that drives the pump unit is housed in an armature body installed at the end of the housing. The brush is urged by a spring in the direction of the commutator of the motor, and the brush is housed together with the spring in a hole formed inside the armature body.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-47966
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the case of the electric pump disclosed in the above publication, the brush, the choke coil and the connector housed in the hole of the armature body are integrally formed as a subassembly. A subassembly composed of a brush, a choke coil, and a connector is attached to a hole of the armature body from the motor section side.
[0005]
When assembling the sub-assembly into the hole of the armature body, the spring of the sub-assembly must be assembled in the hole against the urging force of the spring because the hole previously contains the spring. Since the biasing force of the spring acts in the direction opposite to the direction in which the brush is mounted, the subassembly mounted in the hole must be prevented from jumping out of the armature body. In the case of the electric pump disclosed in the above publication, the brush and the connector are connected by a pigtail, which is a connection connecting the brush and the connector, to prevent the brush from jumping out.
[0006]
However, when the brush is prevented from jumping out by the pigtail, the load is concentrated on the pigtail due to the urging force of the spring acting on the brush. For this reason, the load continues to act on the pigtail until the armature body and the motor unit are assembled, and the pigtail may be damaged.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel pump that prevents the brush from jumping out of the cover and is easy to assemble.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a fuel pump that is easy to assemble.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the fuel pump described in claim 1 or 19 of the present invention, a support member is provided on the motor side of the brush. The support member is installed on the motor portion side of the brush, and prevents the brush from jumping out to the motor portion side by the urging force of the urging member. Therefore, the urging force of the urging member acts on the support member via the brush, and the load on the brush due to the urging force of the urging member can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brush from jumping out of the cover portion, and to facilitate the assembly of the brush.
[0009]
According to the fuel pump of the second aspect of the present invention, the cover has a discharge passage in the center where the fuel pressurized by the pump is discharged.
According to the fuel pump of the third aspect of the present invention, even when the supporting member supports the brush, the load acting on the connecting portion between the brush and the connecting member is provided even when the connecting member connects the brush and the supporting member. Is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brush from jumping out of the cover portion and to prevent the connection member from being damaged.
According to the fuel pump of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the support member is electrically connected to the terminal. Therefore, for example, the support member can be used as a conductor for electrically connecting the terminal and the brush, and the number of components can be reduced.
[0010]
According to the fuel pump described in claim 5 of the present invention, the terminal and the brush are arranged in one area formed by a virtual straight line extending in the diameter direction including the center of the cover portion. Thus, the terminal and the brush can be arranged at desired positions according to the design.
According to the fuel pump of the present invention, the support member is in direct contact with the brush until the brush contacts the commutator. Therefore, the brush urged by the urging member is supported by the support member. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brush from jumping out of the cover.
[0011]
According to the fuel pump described in claim 7 of the present invention, the brush has a step, and the support member supports the brush from the motor side of the step. Therefore, the support member can reliably support the brush, and can prevent the brush from jumping out of the cover.
According to the fuel pump of the present invention, a plurality of support members are provided. The plurality of support members have their axes arranged on substantially the same straight line. Therefore, the shapes of the support members can be unified, and the support members can be shared. Further, for example, when the support member is rectangular, the area required for disposing the plurality of support members can be reduced by arranging the axes of the plurality of support members on substantially the same straight line. Therefore, the size of the cover on which the support member is arranged can be reduced.
[0012]
According to the fuel pump of the ninth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of support members are provided. The plurality of support members are respectively arranged along the circumferential direction of the cover. Therefore, the shapes of the support members can be unified, and the support members can be shared. Further, by arranging the support members in the circumferential direction of the cover portion, it is possible to reduce an area necessary for disposing the plurality of support members. Therefore, the size of the cover on which the support member is arranged can be reduced.
According to the fuel pump of claim 10 or 17 of the present invention, the brush, the terminal, the support member, and the connection member constitute an integral subassembly. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the assembling can be facilitated.
[0013]
According to the fuel pump described in claim 11 of the present invention, the terminal is arranged in one area formed by a virtual straight line extending in the diameter direction including the center of the cover portion, and the brush is arranged in the other area. Thus, the terminal and the brush can be arranged at desired positions according to the design. For example, when the discharge passage is disposed at the center of the cover, the terminal or the brush is disposed in a region formed by the virtual straight line. Therefore, there is no need to arrange the terminals or brushes close to each other, and the space required for arranging the terminals and brushes is easily secured. Further, the terminals and the brushes can be efficiently arranged without increasing the size of the cover.
According to the fuel pump of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the support member has a fitting portion fitted to the cover at the end on the side opposite to the terminal. When the terminal and the brush are arranged at radially opposite ends of the cover, the overall length of the support member increases. For this reason, the support member may be bent. If the support member bends, it becomes difficult to hold the brush by the support member. Therefore, the support member is fitted to the cover at the end opposite to the terminal, thereby preventing the support member from bending. Therefore, the protrusion of the brush can be reliably prevented.
[0014]
According to the fuel pump of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the support member is disposed along the circumferential direction of the cover. Thus, even when the terminal and the brush are arranged at opposite ends in the radial direction of the cover, the support member is arranged, for example, so as to avoid the center of the cover where the fuel discharge part is arranged. Therefore, the size of the cover on which the support member is arranged can be reduced.
According to the fuel pump of the present invention, the support member is located on the outer peripheral side of the brush in the radial direction of the cover. Thus, the support member is disposed, for example, so as to avoid the center of the cover where the fuel discharge unit is disposed. Therefore, the size of the cover on which the support member is arranged can be reduced.
[0015]
According to the fuel pump of the present invention, the support member comes into contact with the connection portion between the brush and the connection member. The strength near the root of the connection member on the brush side is higher than other parts of the connection member. Therefore, damage to the connection member can be reduced. According to the fuel pump described in claim 18 of the present invention, the two sets of sub-assemblies installed on the cover are symmetrically arranged with a virtual straight line including the center of the cover as a symmetric axis. For this reason, even when there are a plurality of support members, the support members are arranged, for example, so as to avoid the center of the cover where the fuel discharge unit is arranged. Therefore, the size of the cover on which the support member is arranged can be reduced.
[0016]
According to the fuel pump manufacturing method of the present invention, the brush is inserted into the brush housing while the terminal is pressed into the cover. Since the terminal and the support member are integrally formed, when the terminal is pressed into the cover portion, the support member integrated with the terminal regulates movement of the brush due to the urging force of the urging member. Therefore, the protrusion of the brush from the cover part can be prevented by the support member at the time of press-fitting the terminal, and the assembling of the brush can be facilitated.
According to the method of manufacturing a fuel pump according to claim 21 of the present invention, the end of the support member on the side opposite to the terminal is fitted to the cover. Therefore, bending of the support member is prevented, and the brush can be reliably supported.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a plurality of examples showing an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the fuel pump according to the present invention. A fuel pump 1 shown in FIG. 1 is housed in a fuel tank of a vehicle or the like in a fuel supply system of an electronic fuel injection system, for example, and supplies fuel sucked from the fuel tank to an engine side.
[0018]
The fuel pump 1 mainly includes a pump unit 10, a motor unit 20 for driving the pump unit 10, and a cover unit 30. The motor unit 20 is a brushed DC motor, and a permanent magnet is annularly arranged in a cylindrical housing 21. The armature 22 is arranged concentrically on the inner peripheral side of the permanent magnet.
[0019]
The pump unit 10 includes a casing main body 11, a casing cover 12, an impeller 13, and the like. A pump passage 14 is formed by the casing main body 11 and the casing cover 12, and the impeller 13 is rotatably accommodated in the formed pump passage 14. The impeller 13 has blades all around the outer periphery and blade grooves formed between the blades. The casing body 11 and the casing cover 12 are formed by, for example, die-casting of aluminum. The casing body 11 is fixed inside one end of the housing 21, and a bearing 15 is fitted at the center thereof. The casing cover 12 is fixed to one end of the housing 21 by swaging or the like while being covered by the casing main body 11. A thrust bearing 16 is press-fitted and fixed to the center of the casing cover 12. One end of the rotating shaft 23 of the armature 22 is rotatably supported by a bearing 15 in a radial direction, and is supported by a thrust bearing 16 to support a load in a thrust direction. The other end of the rotating shaft 23 is rotatably supported by a bearing 17 in a radial direction.
[0020]
A fuel inlet 18 is formed in the casing cover 12, and fuel in a fuel tank (not shown) is drawn into the pump flow path 14 from the fuel inlet 18 by rotating the impeller 13. The pump flow path 14 is formed from a boost passage and a buffer chamber (not shown). In the pressurizing passage, the fuel is pressurized by the rotation of the impeller 13 in a known manner.
[0021]
The fuel sucked into the pump passage 14 is pressurized by the rotation of the impeller 13, and is discharged from a fuel outlet (not shown) formed in the casing main body 11 to the fuel chamber 24 of the motor unit 20. The casing body 11 has a pump groove 11 a formed along the blades of the impeller 13. The pump groove 11a is formed in a substantially C shape. The casing cover 12 also has a pump groove 12a formed at a position facing the pump groove 11a.
[0022]
The armature 22 is rotatably accommodated in the housing 21, and a coil is wound around the outer periphery of the core. The commutator 25 is formed in a disk shape, and is disposed above the armature 22. Power is supplied from a power supply (not shown) to the coil of the armature 22 via the connector 40 of the cover 30. When the armature 22 rotates by the supplied electric power, the impeller 13 rotates together with the rotating shaft 23 of the armature 22. When the impeller 13 rotates, fuel is sucked into the pump passage 14 from the fuel inlet 18, and the fuel receives kinetic energy from each blade of the impeller 13 and is discharged from the pump passage 14 through the fuel outlet to the fuel chamber 24. . The fuel discharged into the fuel chamber 24 passes around the armature 22 and is discharged from the discharge port 31 to the outside of the fuel pump 1.
[0023]
A cover 30 is provided at an end of the housing 21 opposite to the pump 10. The cover 30 is formed of resin or the like, and is fixed to an end of the housing 21 by caulking or the like. The cover portion 30 is formed with a discharge passage 32, a bearing housing portion 33, a connector 40, and the like. The discharge passage 32 communicates with the fuel chamber 24 and the discharge port 31 through the cover 30. The bearing 17 supporting the rotating shaft 23 is accommodated in the bearing accommodating portion 33. The connector 40 is formed at the end of the cover 30 on the side opposite to the pump section, and is connected to a power supply connector connected to a power supply (not shown).
[0024]
In addition to the above, a spring chamber 34 as an urging member housing and a brush chamber 35 as a brush housing are formed in the cover 30. The spring chamber 34 and the brush chamber 35 are formed so as to be connected in the axial direction of the cover 30. The spring chamber 34 is formed on the brush chamber 35 on the side opposite to the pump section. A spring 41 as an urging member and a sub-assembly 50 shown in FIG. The spring 41 is housed in a spring chamber 34 formed in the cover 30.
[0025]
The subassembly 50 has a brush 60, a terminal unit 70, and a wire 51 as a connection member. The brush 60, the terminal unit 70, and the wire 51 are integrally formed. The brush 60 has a step 61. The brush 60 is accommodated in the brush chamber 35 so as to be movable in the axial direction, as shown in FIG. One end of the brush 60 can contact the spring 41 housed in the spring chamber 34, and the other end can contact the commutator 25 of the motor unit 20. The brush 60 faces the commutator 25 in the axial direction of the cover 30. Further, since the brush 60 is urged toward the commutator 25 by the spring 41, the brush chamber follows the armature 22 regardless of the rotation of the armature 22 and the movement of the armature 22 in the thrust direction. 35 is movable in the axial direction. Thus, the brush 60 comes into sliding contact with the commutator 25 regardless of the rotation of the armature 22 and the movement in the thrust direction.
[0026]
The terminal unit 70 is formed in a substantially L shape as shown in FIG. 2 from a conductive material, and includes a terminal body 71 and a plate 72 as a support member formed integrally with the terminal body 71. Have been. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal main body 71 is press-fitted from the motor part 20 side of the cover part 30 to the connector 40 through the cover part 30. One end of the terminal main body 71 is installed so as to protrude inside the connector 40. The wire 51 shown in FIG. 2 is a flexible conductive member that electrically connects the brush 60 and the terminal unit 70. One end of the wire 51 is connected to the brush 60, and the other end is formed on the plate 72. Is connected to the holding portion 73. The plate 72 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, a terminal body 71 is connected to one end, and a holding portion 73 is formed at the other end. Although the brush 60 and the terminal unit 70 are connected by a wire 51, the wire 51 is flexible, so that the brush 60 and the terminal unit 70 can be relatively moved with the wire 51 interposed therebetween. The plate 72 of the terminal unit 70 is located on the side of the motor unit 20 of the brush 60 and can contact the step 61 of the brush 60. In the case of this embodiment, the plate 72 is in direct contact with the end of the brush 60 on the motor unit 20 side. The contact of the step portion 61 of the brush 60 with the plate 72 restricts the movement of the brush 60 toward the motor portion 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plate 72 restricts the movement of the brush 60 toward the motor unit 20 by contacting a part of the step 61 of the brush 60. FIG. 4 is a view as viewed in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG.
[0027]
Since the terminal units 70 are connected to a plurality of electrodes of the motor unit 20, a plurality (two in the present embodiment) of the terminal units 70 are arranged on the cover unit 30 as shown in FIG. The plate 72 of the terminal unit 70 is formed in a rectangular shape. The plurality of plates 72 are arranged on a straight line L in which the axes of the respective plates 72 are substantially the same. The terminal body 71 is arranged on the same end side as the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30. The two terminal units 70 are symmetrically arranged with a virtual straight line P extending in the diameter direction passing through the center of the cover 30 and the middle of the two terminal bodies 71 as a symmetric axis. By arranging the axes of the plurality of plates 72 on substantially the same straight line L, the two terminal units 70 can have the same shape. That is, even when the terminal main body 71 and the plate 72 are formed by a combination of complicated shapes as shown in FIG. 2, the terminal units 70 having the same shape can be used. Can be unified. As a result, the terminal unit 70 is shared, the increase in the number of parts is suppressed, and the cost is reduced.
[0028]
Next, a method of manufacturing the fuel pump 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
The brush 60, the terminal unit 70, and the wire 51 form the integral subassembly 50 shown in FIG. The terminal main body 71 and the plate 72 constituting the terminal unit 70 are integrally formed. The brush 60 and the wire 51 are connected by, for example, welding or soldering. The end of the wire 51 on the side opposite to the brush is connected to a holding portion 73 formed on the plate 72. The wire 51 and the holding portion 73 may be connected by, for example, solder. The sub-assembly 50 is formed by the above procedure. The subassembly 50 is formed before the fuel pump 1 is assembled.
[0029]
When assembling the fuel pump 1, the spring 41 and the subassembly 50 are assembled to the cover 30 separated from the housing 21. The spring 41 is housed in the spring chamber 34 of the cover 30 as shown in FIG. The spring 41 is inserted into the spring chamber 34 from the end of the cover unit 30 on the pump unit 10 side. When the spring 41 is housed, the subassembly 50 is assembled to the cover 30. The subassembly 50 is assembled from the end of the cover unit 30 on the pump unit 10 side, similarly to the spring 41.
[0030]
The subassembly 50 is assembled in a state where the brush 60 and the terminal unit 70 are connected by the wire 51. The brush 60 of the subassembly 50 is inserted into the brush chamber 35 in the axial direction of the cover 30. At this time, the terminal main body 71 constituting the terminal unit 70 is pressed into the cover 30. The inner diameter of the terminal hole 36 formed in the cover portion 30 shown in FIG. 1 is smaller than the outer diameter of the terminal body 71. Therefore, when the terminal main body 71 is pressed into the terminal hole 36, the movement of the terminal main body 71 is restricted.
[0031]
The terminal body 71 is pressed into the terminal hole 36 and the brush 60 is inserted into the brush chamber 35. At this time, a biasing force acts on the brush 60 in the direction of the motor unit 20, that is, in the direction in which the brush 60 jumps out of the brush chamber 35, by the spring 41 housed in the spring chamber 34. However, since the plate 72 integral with the terminal body 71 abuts on the side opposite to the spring of the brush 60, the brush 60 is inserted into the brush chamber 35 without jumping out due to the urging force of the spring 41. When the brush 60 is housed in the brush chamber 35, the terminal body 71 is pressed into the cover 30 until the plate 72 and the end 10a of the cover 30 on the pump section 10 side come into contact, as shown in FIG. The press-fitting of the terminal main body 71 is completed when the plate 72 and the end 10 a of the cover 30 on the side of the pump 10 are in contact with each other. At this time, the movement of the terminal body 71 is restricted by being pressed into the cover 30. Therefore, the plate 72 integral with the terminal body 71 restricts the movement of the brush 60 by abutting on the step 61 of the brush 60 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As a result, even if the force applied to the subassembly 50 is released against the urging force of the spring 41, the movement of the brush 60 is restricted by the plate 72. Therefore, the protrusion of the brush 60 from the brush chamber 35 is prevented.
[0032]
By the above procedure, the assembly of the cover part 30, the spring 41, and the subassembly 50 is completed. The cover unit 30 to which the spring 41 and the subassembly 50 are assembled is assembled to the housing 21 together with the pump unit 10 and the motor unit 20. The pump 21 is mounted on one end of the housing 21 and the cover 30 is mounted on the other end. Each end of the housing 21 to which the pump unit 10 and the cover unit 30 are assembled is caulked, and the pump unit 10 and the cover unit 30 are fixed integrally with the housing 21. When the cover 30 is assembled to the housing 21 to which the motor 20 is assembled, the end of the brush 60 contacts the commutator 25 as shown in FIG. It is pushed into 35. The plate 72 contacts the brush 60 and supports the brush 60 until the brush 60 contacts the commutator 25. Thus, the brush 60 reciprocates in the brush chamber 35 regardless of the movement of the armature 22 in the thrust direction, and comes into sliding contact with the commutator 25.
[0033]
As described above, in the first embodiment, when the subassembly 50 is assembled to the cover 30, the pump 60 side of the brush 60 is supported by the plate 72. Therefore, even if the force applied to the brush 60 is released after the assembly of the brush 60 to the cover unit 30 is completed, the movement of the brush 60 is limited by the plate 72, and the movement of the brush 60 to the motor unit 20 side, that is, the cover unit The brush 60 is prevented from jumping out of the position 30. Since the urging force acting on the brush 60 from the spring 41 is supported by the plate 72, the urging force of the spring 41 does not act on the wire 51. Further, since the plate 72 has a large area, the urging force of the spring 41 does not concentrate on a part of the plate 72. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wire 51 or the plate 72 from being damaged by the concentration of the urging force of the spring 41.
[0034]
By pressing the terminal body 71 of the sub-assembly 50 into the cover 30, the movement of the sub-assembly 50 is restricted, and the opposite side of the brush 60 from the spring is supported by the plate 72. Therefore, the brush 72 is prevented from jumping out by the plate 72. Further, both the spring 41 and the subassembly 50 are assembled in the same direction from the pump section 10 side of the cover section 30. Therefore, assembly can be facilitated.
[0035]
Further, the two terminal units 70 are arranged such that the axis of the plate 72 is substantially on the same straight line L. Therefore, each terminal unit 70 can be formed in the same shape, so that the parts can be shared and the number of parts can be reduced. Further, by arranging the axis of the plate 72 on the same straight line L, the area required for arranging the plate 72 can be reduced. Therefore, the size of the cover 30 can be reduced.
[0036]
Further, the subassembly 50 is constituted by the brush 60, the terminal unit 70, and the wire 51. Thereby, the part electrically connected from the terminal main body 71 to the brush 60 is integrally formed, and the number of parts can be reduced.
[0037]
(Second embodiment)
FIG. 5 shows a cover part of a fuel pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
In the fuel pump 1 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal main body 71 is arranged on the same end side as the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30 as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the plate 72 constituting the terminal unit 70 of the subassembly 50 is formed in a shape bent along the circumferential direction of the cover 30. Thereby, the plate 72 is arranged in a substantially arc shape along the circumferential direction of the cover 30.
[0038]
In the case of the present embodiment, two sub-assemblies 50 are installed on the cover 30. The two terminal units 70 are symmetrically arranged with a diametrical virtual straight line P passing through the center of the cover part 30 and the middle between the two terminal bodies 71 as a symmetric axis. The cover 30 is divided into two regions by a virtual straight line V that is perpendicular to the virtual straight line P and passes through the center of the cover 30. At this time, by arranging the terminal main body 71 on the same end side as the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover portion 30, both the terminal main body 71 and the brush 60 are arranged in one area formed by the virtual straight line V. You. That is, in FIG. 5, the terminal main body 71 and the brush 60 are arranged above the center of the cover 30.
In the second embodiment, the plate 72 is formed in a shape bent along the cover 30. Therefore, the area required for arranging the plate 72 according to the shape of the cover 30 can be reduced.
[0039]
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a cover part of a fuel pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the third embodiment, the arrangement of the brushes 60 in the cover 30 differs from that in the first embodiment. Further, the shapes of the subassemblies 80 and 90 are different from those of the first embodiment. The subassembly 80 includes a brush 60, a terminal unit 81, and a wire 82 as shown in FIGS. The terminal unit 81 is formed of a conductive material, and has a terminal body 83 and a plate 84. Since the shapes of the subassembly 80 and the subassembly 90 are in a mirror image relationship, the description of the subassembly 90 is omitted. The terminal body 83 is press-fitted through the cover 30. The terminal body 83 is formed integrally with the plate 84 by bending one end of the plate 84. A claw portion 85 protruding outward is formed at a boundary between the terminal main body 83 and the plate 84. When the terminal body 83 is press-fitted into the cover 30, the claw portions 85 protruding outward are difficult to fit into the cover 30. The terminal unit 83 is pressed into the cover 30 and the claws 85 are fitted into the cover 30, so that the terminal unit 81 is held by the cover 30 at the end on the terminal body 83 side. The wire 82 is formed from a flexible conductive material such as a copper wire, for example.
[0040]
The plate 84 is formed in a substantially semicircular shape along the circumferential direction of the cover 30 as shown in FIGS. The plate 84 has a fitting portion 86 at an end opposite to the terminal body 83 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the fitting portion 86 is formed at the tip of an arm 87 bent from the end of the plate 84 on the side opposite to the terminal main body in the same direction as the terminal main body 83. The fitting portion 86 is formed by folding the tip of the arm portion 87 toward the plate 84 as shown in FIG. The fitting portion 86 is formed slightly larger than the hole portion 37. Therefore, the fitting portion 86 is held in the hole 37 by its own elasticity. The terminal unit 81 and the cover 30 are fitted by fitting the fitting 86 into the hole 37. Thus, the terminal unit 81 is held by the cover 30 at the end opposite to the terminal body 83. The cover section 30 has a discharge passage 38 near the center where the fuel discharged from the pump section 10 flows.
[0041]
A holding portion 88 to which a wire 82 is attached is formed between both ends of the plate 84 as shown in FIGS. The wire 82 having one end connected to the brush 60 has the other end connected to the holding portion 88. As a result, the brush 60 and the plate 84 are electrically connected via the wire 82.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 6, the plate 84 contacts the brush 60 at the end opposite to the terminal body 83. That is, the terminal main body 83 is disposed at the end opposite to the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30. As shown in FIG. 7, the plate 84 has a contact portion 89 which is bent from the plate 84 in the same direction as the terminal body 83 and the arm portion 87. As shown in FIG. 10, the distal end of the contact portion 89 can contact the connection portion between the brush 60 and the wire 82, that is, the vicinity of the base of the wire 82 on the brush 60 side. The connecting portion between the brush 60 and the wire 82 may be formed flat as shown in FIG. 11, or may be formed with a step portion 62 for reinforcement as shown in FIGS. Further, as in the first embodiment, a step may be formed on the brush 60, and the plate 84 may be in contact with the step.
[0043]
In the case of the present embodiment, two sub-assemblies 80 and 90 are installed on the cover 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the two subassemblies 80 and 90 are arranged symmetrically with a virtual straight line P extending in the diameter direction passing through the center of the cover 30 and the middle between the two terminal bodies 83 as the axis of symmetry. That is, the two sub-assemblies 80 and 90 are arranged to face each other. The cover 30 is divided into two regions by a virtual straight line V that is perpendicular to the virtual straight line P and passes through the center of the cover 30. At this time, by arranging the terminal main body 83 on the end side different from the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30, the terminal main body 83 is arranged in one area divided by the virtual straight line V, and the brush 60 is It is arranged in the other area divided by V. That is, in FIG. 6, the terminal body 83 is arranged above the center of the cover 30, and the brush 60 is arranged below the center of the cover 30. Each of the two subassemblies 80 and 90 has a plate having a substantially semi-arc shape. In the case of the subassembly 80, the plate 84 is formed in a substantially semicircular shape along the circumferential direction of the cover 80, so that the plate 84 avoids the fuel discharge passage 38 formed near the center of the cover 80. Be placed. The plate 84 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30.
[0044]
Next, a method of manufacturing the fuel pump 1 according to the second embodiment will be described.
An integral subassembly 80 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is formed from the brush 60, the terminal unit 81, and the wire 82. Similarly, a subassembly 90 is formed. In the case of the subassembly 80, for example, by bending a member having a predetermined shape, the terminal body 83, the plate 84, the claw portion 85, the fitting portion 86, the arm portion 87, the holding portion 88, and the abutting portion 89 are integrated into a terminal. It is formed as a unit 81. The brush 60 and the wire 82 are connected by, for example, welding or soldering. The end of the wire 82 on the side opposite to the brush is connected to the holding portion 88 of the plate 84. The wire 82 and the holding portion 88 may be connected by, for example, solder. The sub-assembly 80 is formed by the above procedure. The sub-assemblies 80 and 90 are formed before the fuel pump 1 is assembled.
[0045]
When assembling the fuel pump 1, the spring 41 and the subassemblies 80 and 90 are assembled to the cover 30 separated from the housing 21 shown in FIG. The spring 41 is inserted into the spring chamber 34 from the end of the cover 30 on the side of the pump 10 as shown in FIG. When the spring 41 is housed, the sub-assemblies 80 and 90 are assembled to the cover 30. The sub-assemblies 80 and 90 are assembled from the end of the cover unit 30 on the pump unit 10 side similarly to the spring 34.
[0046]
In the case of the subassembly 80, the subassembly 80 is assembled to the cover 30 in a state where the brush 60 and the terminal unit 81 are connected by the wire 82. The brush 60 of the subassembly 80 is inserted into the brush chamber 35 in the axial direction of the cover 30. At this time, the terminal main body 83 constituting the terminal unit 81 is pressed into the cover 30. The inside diameter of a terminal hole (not shown) formed in the cover portion 30 is formed smaller than the outer shape of the terminal body 83. Therefore, when the terminal main body 83 is pressed into the terminal hole, the movement of the terminal main body 83 is restricted.
[0047]
The terminal body 83 is pressed into the terminal hole, and the brush 60 is pressed by the contact portion 89 of the plate 84 and inserted into the brush chamber 35. Also, the claw portion 85 is fitted into the cover portion 30 with the press-fitting of the terminal body 83. At this time, a biasing force acts on the brush 60 in the direction of the motor unit 20, that is, in the direction in which the brush 60 jumps out of the brush chamber 35, by the spring 41 housed in the spring chamber 34. However, since the contact portion 89 of the plate 84 contacts the connection portion between the brush 60 and the wire 82, the brush 60 is inserted into the brush chamber 35 without jumping out due to the urging force of the spring 41.
[0048]
When the brush 60 is accommodated in the brush chamber 35, the terminal body 83 is pressed into the cover 30 until the plate 84 and the end of the cover 30 on the side of the pump 10 come into contact with each other. The press-fitting of the terminal body 83 is completed when the plate 84 and the end of the cover unit 30 on the pump unit 10 side come into contact with each other. At this time, the fitting part 86 formed at the tip of the arm part 87 is fitted into the hole 37 of the cover part 30, and the terminal unit 81 fits with the cover part 30.
[0049]
The movement of the terminal unit 81 is restricted by the terminal body 83 being press-fitted into the cover 30 and the fitting portion 86 being fitted into the hole 37. Therefore, the abutting portion 89 protruding from the plate 84 abuts on the connecting portion between the brush 60 and the wire 82 to limit the movement of the brush 60. As a result, even if the force applied to the subassembly 80 is released against the urging force of the spring 41, the movement of the brush 60 is restricted by the contact between the brush 60 and the wire 82 abutting against the contact portion 89. You. Therefore, the protrusion of the brush 60 from the brush chamber 35 is prevented. Similarly, the subassembly 90 is also assembled to the cover member 30.
[0050]
By the above procedure, the assembly of the cover portion 30, the spring 41, and the subassemblies 80, 90 is completed. The cover unit 30 to which the spring 41 and the subassemblies 80 and 90 are assembled is assembled to the housing 21 together with the pump unit 10 and the motor unit 20. The pump 21 is mounted on one end of the housing 21 and the cover 30 is mounted on the other end. When the pump unit 10 and the cover unit 30 are assembled, each end of the housing 21 is swaged, and the pump unit 10 and the cover unit 30 are fixed integrally with the housing 21. When the cover unit 30 is assembled to the housing 21 to which the motor unit 20 is assembled, the end of the brush 60 contacts the commutator 25, and the brush 60 is pushed into the brush chamber 35 against the urging force of the spring 41. Thus, the brush 60 reciprocates in the brush chamber 35 regardless of the movement of the armature 22 in the thrust direction, and comes into sliding contact with the commutator 25. The contact portion 89 contacts the connecting portion between the brush 60 and the wire 82 and supports the brush 60 until the brush 60 contacts the commutator 25.
[0051]
As described above, in the third embodiment, when assembling the subassemblies 80 and 90 to the cover 30, the brush 60 is supported by the contact portion 89 of the plate 84. Therefore, even if the force applied to the brush 60 is released after the assembly of the brush 60 to the cover unit 30 is completed, the movement of the brush 60 is restricted by the contact unit 89, and the movement of the brush 60 to the motor unit 20 side, that is, The protrusion of the brush 60 from the cover 30 is prevented. In addition, the movement of the brush 60 is restricted by the contact between the contact portion 89 and the vicinity of the base of the wire 82. Therefore, the force acting on the brush 60 and the wire 82 can be reduced as compared with the case where the movement of the brush 60 is limited only by the wire 82. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brush 60 and the wire 82 from being damaged by the concentration of the urging force of the spring 41.
[0052]
In the case of the sub-assembly 80, the terminal body 83 is pressed into the cover 30 to restrict the movement of the sub-assembly 80, and at the same time, the abutting portion 89 supports the brush 60 on the side opposite to the spring. Further, both the spring 41 and the subassembly 80 are assembled in the same direction from the pump unit 10 side of the cover unit 30. Therefore, assembly can be facilitated.
[0053]
Further, the plate 84 of the subassembly 80 is formed in a semicircular shape along the circumferential direction of the cover 30 and is installed on the cover 30. The plate 84 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30. Therefore, even when the terminal main body 83 is arranged at the end opposite to the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30, the fuel discharge passage 38 formed near the center of the cover 30 can be bypassed. . At the same time, the area for disposing the plate 84 is reduced. Therefore, regardless of the positions of the brush 60 and the terminal body 83 in the cover 30, the size of the cover 30 can be reduced. Further, when disposing the discharge passage 38 near the center of the cover 30, there is a spatial restriction in disposing both the brush 60 and the terminal main body 83 in one of the regions divided by the virtual straight line V. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the brush 60 is arranged on one side of the area divided by the virtual straight line V, and the terminal body 83 is arranged on the other side, so that the space for arranging the brush 60 and the terminal body 83 is provided. Can be easily secured. Therefore, the brush 60 and the terminal body 83 can be arranged compactly and efficiently without increasing the size of the cover 30.
[0054]
Further, the plate 84 has a fitting portion 86. When the terminal body 83 is disposed at the end opposite to the brush 60 in the radial direction of the cover 30, the total length of the plate 84 increases. Therefore, the plate 84 is easily bent. On the other hand, by fitting the fitting portion 86 into the hole 37 as in the present embodiment, the terminal unit 81 can be held on the cover 30 even at the end of the plate 84 opposite to the terminal body 83. it can. As a result, the deflection of the plate 84 is reduced. Therefore, the brush 60 can be reliably supported by the contact portion 89 of the plate 84.
[0055]
Further, the subassembly 80 includes the brush 60, the terminal unit 81, and the wire 82. Thereby, the part electrically connected from the terminal main body 83 to the brush 60 is integrally formed, and the number of parts can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a fuel pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a sub-assembly of the fuel pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view in which the vicinity of a brush is enlarged with the pump section side of the fuel pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention facing downward.
4 is a view as seen from the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a view showing a cover part of a fuel pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic view seen from the pump part side.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a cover part of a fuel pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic view seen from the pump part side.
FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a subassembly of a fuel pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a view showing a sub-assembly of a fuel pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic view seen from a pump unit side.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 6, and is a schematic diagram in which a fitting portion is enlarged.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 6, and is a schematic diagram in which the vicinity of the brush is enlarged with the pump unit side facing downward.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a modification of the brush of the fuel pump according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 fuel pump
10 Pump section
20 Motor part
21 Housing
22 armature
25 commutator
30 Cover
34 Spring Room (Spring Housing)
35 brush room (brush storage section)
38 Discharge passage
41 spring (biasing member)
50, 80, 90 subassembly
51, 82 Wire (connection member)
60 brushes
61 Step
70, 81, 91 terminal unit
71, 83 Terminal body
72, 84 plates
86 mating part

Claims (21)

A pump unit for pressurizing the fuel,
A motor unit having a commutator to drive the pump unit;
A brush slidable on the commutator,
An urging member for urging the brush in the commutator direction;
A brush accommodating portion which is installed at an end of a housing in which the motor portion is accommodated, and into which the brush is inserted from the motor portion side; A cover portion having a biasing member housing portion into which the biasing member is inserted,
A support member that is installed on the motor unit side of the brush and restricts movement of the brush to the motor unit side by the urging force of the urging member;
A fuel pump comprising: 2. The fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a discharge passage at a central portion through which fuel pressurized by the pump is discharged. 3. A terminal installed through the cover portion and connected to a power source,
A connection member that connects the brush and the support member;
The fuel pump according to claim 1, further comprising: The fuel pump according to claim 3, wherein the support member is electrically connected to the terminal. 5. The fuel pump according to claim 3, wherein the terminal and the brush are disposed in one region formed by a virtual straight line extending in a diameter direction including a center of the cover portion. 6. The fuel pump according to claim 5, wherein the support member is in direct contact with the brush until the brush contacts the commutator. 7. The fuel pump according to claim 5, wherein the brush has a step, and the support member supports the brush from the motor side of the step. 8. The fuel pump according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the support members are provided, and the plurality of the support members are arranged such that their axes are substantially on the same straight line. 8. The fuel pump according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the support members are provided, and the plurality of the support members are respectively arranged along a circumferential direction of the cover portion. The fuel pump according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the brush, the terminal, the support member, and the forming member form an integral subassembly. 5. The fuel according to claim 3, wherein the terminal is arranged in one area formed by a virtual straight line extending in the diameter direction including the center of the cover part, and the brush is arranged in the other area. pump. 12. The fuel pump according to claim 11, wherein the support member has one end connected to the terminal and a fitting portion fitted to the cover at the other end. The fuel pump according to claim 11, wherein the support member is disposed along a circumferential direction of the cover. 14. The fuel pump according to claim 11, wherein the support member is located radially outward of the brush in the radial direction of the cover. The fuel pump according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the support member is in contact with the brush until the brush contacts the commutator. The fuel pump according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the support member contacts a connection portion between the brush and the connection member. The fuel pump according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the brush, the terminal, the support member, and the connection member form an integral subassembly. Two sets of the sub-assemblies are installed on the cover part, and the two sets of sub-assemblies are symmetrically arranged with a virtual straight line extending in the diameter direction including the center of the cover part as a symmetric axis. The fuel pump according to claim 17. The fuel pump according to claim 1, wherein the brush and the commutator face each other in an axial direction of the cover portion. A pump unit, a motor unit having a commutator and driving the pump unit, a brush slidably in contact with the commutator, an urging member for urging the brush toward the commutator, and the brush being housed. A cover portion having a brush accommodating portion and an urging member accommodating portion accommodating the urging member, a terminal electrically connected to the brush, and restricting movement of the brush toward the motor portion. A method for manufacturing a fuel pump, comprising:
Forming a sub-assembly in which the brush, the terminal, and the support member are integrally formed;
Accommodating the urging member in the urging member accommodating portion;
The terminal of the integrally formed assembly is press-fitted into the cover portion, and the brush is subjected to the urging force of the urging member in a state where the end of the brush on the side of the counter- urging member is supported by the support member. Inserting into the brush housing against the brush housing;
A method for manufacturing a fuel pump, comprising: 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising, after inserting the brush into the brush housing, fitting an end of the support member on the side opposite to the terminal to the cover.

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