Modular end bell construction for a submersible motor unit

Abstract

An end-wall unit for a submersible motor unit and a submersible motor unit for use in driving a pump including a housing that extends along a longitudinal axis and defines an interior chamber, a stator at least partially enclosed by said housing within a stator chamber, a rotor rotatably supported by a bearing assembly and at least partially enclosed by said stator, and an end-wall assembly that includes an end cap and at least one of a capacitor and a bearing assembly. The at least one of the capacitor and the bearing assembly is supported by the end cap in a position such that the at least one of the capacitor and the bearing assembly is at least partially enclosed by the housing when the end-wall assembly is installed on the motor unit.

1 . A submersible motor unit for use in driving a pump comprising: 
 a housing that extends along a longitudinal axis and defines an interior chamber;    a stator at least partially enclosed by said housing within a stator chamber;    a rotor rotatably supported by a bearing assembly and at least partially enclosed by said stator; and    an end-wall assembly comprising a hub that at least partially defines a chamber for receiving the bearing assembly when the submersible motor unit is assembled.    
   
   
       2 . The motor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is defined by an interior periphery of the hub to at least partially enclose the bearing assembly when disposed within the chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The motor unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the bearing assembly is a thrust-bearing assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The motor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the end-wall assembly further comprises a channel in which a capacitor is to be located when the submersible motor unit is assembled, the channel being at least partially defined by the hub of the end-wall assembly and a flange extending from the hub.  
   
   
       5 . The motor unit according to  claim 4 , wherein the channel is an annular channel in which an annular capacitor is to be located when the submersible motor unit is assembled.  
   
   
       6 . The motor unit according to  claim 1  further comprising a cover to be secured adjacent to the bearing assembly to minimize the passage of a fluid into, out of, or both into and out of the bearing assembly.  
   
   
       7 . An end-wall assembly to be coupled to a housing of a submersible motor unit, the end-wall assembly comprising: 
 a generally-tubular hub and a flange extending from the hub to at least partially define a channel; and    a bearing assembly to be coupled within an interior chamber defined by the hub, wherein 
 the bearing assembly is positioned to rotatably support at least one of a rotor and a drive shaft of the motor unit when the end-wall assembly is installed on the housing of the motor unit.  
   
   
   
       8 . The end-wall assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the bearing assembly is a thrust-bearing assembly.  
   
   
       9 . The end-wall assembly according to  claim 7  further comprising a seal to be positioned adjacent to the bearing assembly to minimize passage of a fluid into, out of, or both into and out of the bearing assembly.  
   
   
       10 . The end-wall assembly according to  claim 7  further comprising a capacitor to be received within a channel at least partially defined by the hub and the flange extending from the hub.