JP4013713B2 - Water pump - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a water pump used in a water-cooled engine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a water pump used in a water-cooled engine is provided with an impeller at one end of a rotating shaft supported on a body via a bearing, and rotates the rotating shaft to circulate cooling water through the engine. For example, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-336699, a space is formed between the mechanical seal provided between the impeller and the bearing and the bearing, and the space has penetrated into the space through the mechanical seal. The water droplets are condensed, and the condensed water droplets are discharged to the reservoir provided at the lower part of the body through the drain discharge hole, and a plug for closing one side surface of the reservoir is provided on the side of the reservoir. There is disclosed a water pump having a structure in which a steam hole is provided above the plug to communicate the reservoir and the atmosphere, and an annular groove is provided in the middle of the steam hole along the side wall of the reservoir. Yes.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-336699 [0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as a feature of the mechanical seal in the water pump, a gap is formed between the rotating shaft and the mechanical seal, and some water droplets are inevitably leaked. When it flows out of the drain discharge hole, it drops on the body and other parts and leaves a mark. Furthermore, when an antifreeze is used for the cooling water, the alcohol component contained in the antifreeze has an adverse effect on other parts, and it is determined that a leak has occurred, which is a malfunction of the pump.
[0005]
For this reason, in the water pump disclosed in the above publication, water leaks from the drain discharge hole in the reservoir, and when a certain amount of water has accumulated, the water is discharged from the steam hole, and further, is accumulated in the middle of the steam hole. An annular groove is provided along the side wall of the part, and the upper surface of the vapor hole is transmitted by surface tension, and the water leaking out to the atmosphere side through the vapor hole is guided to the lower part of the reservoir. Although it is done above, it may happen that water droplets cannot be reliably guided downward and water leaked in the reservoir.
[0006]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is intended to provide a water pump that reliably stores a certain amount of water leakage in the reservoir and does not flow outside unless the water leakage exceeds a certain amount. Technical issue.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the technical means taken in the invention of claim 1 includes an impeller provided at one end of a rotating shaft supported by a body via a bearing, and provided between the impeller and the bearing. A mechanical seal, a drain discharge hole for leading water droplets leaked from the impeller side through the mechanical seal to a reservoir provided below the body, and an upper portion of the reservoir that is provided from the reservoir to the atmosphere side. In the water pump provided with a vapor hole communicating with the step, a step portion between the vapor hole and the opening surface where the drain discharge hole opens in the reservoir, the vapor hole being above the opening surface The opening surface is inclined so that the end portion on the vapor hole side is above the end portion on the drain discharge hole side .
[0008]
According to this means, the stepped portion where the vapor hole is above the opening surface is provided between the vapor hole and the opening surface where the drain discharge hole opens in the reservoir portion, and therefore, the leak has leaked from the drain discharge hole. Water droplets can be prevented from flowing out to the atmosphere side through the upper surface of the vapor hole, and water leakage can be reliably accumulated in the reservoir. Furthermore, since the opening surface is inclined so that the end portion on the vapor hole side is upward with respect to the end portion on the drain discharge hole side, it is confirmed that water leaks from the drain discharge hole side to the vapor hole side. Can be prevented. Moreover, when forming an opening surface by shaping | molding, it can be made to incline by a draft gradient.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0012]
In FIG. 1, the body 11 is fixed to a cylinder block 12 by a fixing member (for example, a bolt or the like), and a rotating shaft 14 is supported on the body 11 via a bearing 13. A driving pulley 15 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 14 by a fixing member such as a bolt through a pulley bracket 16, and an impeller 17 is fixed to the other end by press-fitting. The impeller 17 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating shaft 14. To do. An annular mechanical seal 18 is disposed between the impeller 17 and the bearing 13, and a space 19 is formed between the mechanical seal 18 and the bearing 13. A slight gap 20 between the mechanical seal 18 and the rotating shaft 14 exists in the space 19, and water droplets (leakage) in the form of vapor enter through the gap 20 from the impeller side through which the cooling water flows.
[0013]
The body 11 is formed with a vapor drain hole 21 through which a vapor-shaped drop of water drops escapes obliquely upward, and a drain discharge hole 22 through which condensed water drops are discharged obliquely downward. The drain discharge hole 22 communicates with a reservoir 22 a formed in a lower portion of the body 11 obliquely downward from the space 19 and parallel to the rotary shaft 14. The reservoir 22 a is formed by closing an opening opened in the drive pulley 15 on the side opposite to the impeller 17 with a plug 23. The body 11 at the upper end of the plug 23 is formed with a vapor hole 24 that communicates with the reservoir 22a and the atmosphere.
[0014]
Further, a stepped portion 22c is provided between the vapor hole 24 and the opening surface 22b where the drain discharge hole 22 opens into the reservoir 22a, so that the vapor hole 24 is above the opening surface 22b. That is, a dam is formed between the opening of the steam hole 24 of the body 11 to the reservoir 22a and the opening of the drain discharge hole 22 to the reservoir 22a. The vapor hole 24 communicates with the reservoir 22a through a stepped portion 22c formed in the upper portion. Thereby, the step part 22c can prevent water droplets leaking from the drain discharge hole 22 from flowing out to the atmosphere side through the upper surface of the vapor hole 24, and can drop the water droplets to the reservoir 22a. Further, the opening surface 22b is preferably inclined so that the end portion on the vapor hole 24 side is upward with respect to the end portion on the drain discharge hole 22 side. Thereby, it is possible to prevent water leakage from being transmitted from the drain discharge hole 22 side to the vapor hole 24 side through the opening surface 22b. In addition, when forming an opening surface by shaping | molding (for example, aluminum casting, resin shaping | molding, etc.), it can be made to incline by a draft gradient.
[0015]
Next, the operation of the water pump will be described. In this water pump, the rotating shaft 14 is integrally driven by the rotation of the belt 25 applied to the driving pulley 15 as the external driving source rotates. When the rotating shaft 14 is driven, the impeller 17 that rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 14 rotates, and the cooling water supplied to each part of the engine is sucked from the cooling water inlet 26 formed in the cylinder head 12 to be cooled. It is discharged from the outlet 27 and supplied to the engine.
[0016]
At this time, vapor-like water droplets enter the space 19 through the gap 20 formed between the mechanical seal 18 and the rotating shaft 14, and the vapor-like water droplets are discharged from the vapor discharge hole 21. Water droplets condensed from the shape are guided to the reservoir 22a from the lower drain discharge hole 22, and the reservoir 22a has a certain amount (allowable capacity of the reservoir 22a) until it exceeds the water level at which the vapor hole 24 is formed. Stored in the reservoir 22a. In this case, the water droplets are transmitted through the upper surface of the vapor hole 24 due to the surface tension and try to flow out to the atmosphere side. However, since the step portion 22c is provided, the water droplets leaking from the drain discharge hole 22 are removed. It can be prevented from flowing out to the atmosphere side along the upper surface, and water droplets can be dropped into the reservoir 22a.
[0017]
Further, the opening surface 22b is inclined so that the end portion on the vapor hole 24 side is upward with respect to the end portion on the drain discharge hole 22 side, so that leakage of water from the drain discharge hole 22 to the vapor hole 24 can be prevented.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the step portion where the vapor hole is above the opening surface is provided between the vapor hole and the opening surface where the drain discharge hole opens in the reservoir. Water droplets leaking from the drain discharge hole can be prevented from flowing to the atmosphere side through the upper surface of the vapor hole, and water leakage can be reliably accumulated in the reservoir. Furthermore, since the opening surface is inclined so that the end portion on the vapor hole side is upward with respect to the end portion on the drain discharge hole side, it is confirmed that water leaks from the drain discharge hole side to the vapor hole side. Can be prevented. Moreover, when forming an opening surface by shaping | molding, it can be made to incline by a draft gradient.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a water pump in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of a part A shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Body 13 ... Bearing 14 ... Rotating shaft 17 ... Impeller 18 ... Mechanical seal 22 ... Drain discharge hole 22a ... Reservoir 22b ... Opening surface 22c ... Step part 24 ... Steam hole

Claims (1)

An impeller provided at one end of a rotating shaft supported by a body via a bearing;
A mechanical seal provided between the impeller and the bearing;
A drain discharge hole for guiding water droplets leaked from the impeller side through the mechanical seal to a reservoir provided below the body;
In a water pump provided with a steam hole provided in the upper part of the reservoir and communicating the reservoir with the atmosphere,
A stepped portion is provided between the vapor hole and the opening surface where the drain discharge hole opens into the reservoir, and the vapor surface is located above the opening surface, and the opening surface has an end on the vapor hole side. The water pump is characterized in that the portion is inclined so as to be above the drain discharge hole side end portion .

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