Electric pump end cap with integrated electrical connection

Abstract

A pump end cap preferably includes a plastic molding that is shaped to include an external electrical socket and is internally shaped to include electric motor brush placement holders. Electric motor brushes are mounted on the holders. The electric motor portion of the electronic pump assembly is completed when the end cap is mated to an appropriate housing. By integrating a portion of the electric motor into the pump end cap, the need for wires extending from an electric motor terminal to the outside of the pump housing is eliminated. The present invention preferably finds application in fuel pump and filter assemblies used in conjunction with diesel type internal combustion engines.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electric pump end cap comprising: 
 a plastic molding with an external face separated from an internal face by a circumferential side surface, and said external face including an electrical connector socket shape, and said internal face including at least one electric motor brush placement holder and defining a portion of a fluid passage.    
     
     
         2 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 1  wherein said side surface of said plastic molding includes at least one housing retention recess.  
     
     
         3 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 2  including a first conductor partially positioned in said plastic molding and being exposed through said external face within said socket shape and through said internal face; and 
 a second conductor partially positioned in said plastic molding and being exposed through said external face within said socket shape and through said internal face.  
 
     
     
         4 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 3  including first and second electric motor brushes supported by said first and second brush placement holders, respectively.  
     
     
         5 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 4  wherein said fluid passage includes said plastic molding defining a flow passage extending between said internal face and one of said side surface and said external face.  
     
     
         6 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 5  wherein said side surface includes a cylindrical portion through which said flow passage opens; and 
 said at least one housing retention recess includes an annular groove positioned between said external face and said cylindrical portion.  
 
     
     
         7 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 6  wherein said internal face includes a motor shaft support recess.  
     
     
         8 . The electric pump end cap of  claim 7  wherein said internal face includes at least one motor alignment guide surface.  
     
     
         9 . An electric pump assembly comprising: 
 a housing;    an end cap attached to said housing to define an internal cavity and including a plastic molding with an external face separated from an internal face by a circumferential side surface, and said external face including an electrical connector socket, and said internal face having mounted thereon first and second electric motor brushes, and first and second conductors at least partially positioned in said plastic molding and extending between said brushes and said electrical connector socket;    a partial electric motor positioned in said internal cavity in contact with said first and second electric motor brushes;    a fluid pump positioned in said internal cavity and being operably coupled to said electric motor; and    at least one of said housing and said end cap defining an inlet and an outlet.    
     
     
         10 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 9  wherein said end cap defines at least one housing retention recess; and 
 a portion of said housing being deformed into said housing retention recess.  
 
     
     
         11 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 10  wherein said at least one housing retention recess includes an annular groove; and 
 an annular end portion of said housing being deformed into said annular groove.  
 
     
     
         12 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 10  wherein said plastic molding defines a flow passage extending between said internal face and one of said side surface and said external face.  
     
     
         13 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 5  wherein said side surface includes a cylindrical portion in contact with an inner surface of said housing and through which said flow passage opens.  
     
     
         14 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 13  wherein said partial electric motor includes a rotating shaft received in a motor shaft support recess that is a portion of said internal face.  
     
     
         15 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 14  wherein said internal face includes at least one motor alignment guide surface mated to said partial electric motor.  
     
     
         16 . The electric pump assembly of  claim 15  wherein at least one of said housing and said end cap define an exposed snap ring groove.  
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling an electric pump comprising the steps of: 
 attaching electric motor brushes to a plastic end cap;    extending electrical conductors from an external face of said end cap to said electric motor brushes;    positioning a pump and a partial electric motor in a housing; and    completing an electric motor by mating said end cap to said housing.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  including a step of attaching said housing to said end cap at least in part by deforming a portion of said housing.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said mating step includes a step of aligning a guide surface on said end cap with a mating surface on said partial electric motor.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said mating step includes inserting a rotatable shaft of said partial electric motor into motor shaft support recess defined by said end cap.