Power steering pump and water pump assembly

Abstract

A power steering pump and water pump assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a power steering pump with a rotating shaft and a water pump. The water pump has a housing and a rotatable shaft for driving an impeller, which is mounted on an inner end of the shaft. An outer end of the water pump shaft engages the shaft of the power steering pump, and the power steering pump shaft drives the water pump shaft. The water pump may include a seal and a bearing having an inner race and outer race for supporting an outer end of the water pump shaft and cantilevering the shaft to support and journal the impeller. The shaft of the power steering pump may engage the shaft of the water pump through engagement of male and female torque transmitting profiles that axially slide together.

1 . A power steering pump and water pump assembly comprising:
 a power steering pump having a rotatable shaft extending from the power steering pump; and   a water pump having a housing and a rotatable shaft for driving an impeller of the water pump, the shaft being driven by the shaft of the power steering pump, the shaft of the water pump mounting the impeller at an inner end of the shaft and extending from the inner end to an outer end, the outer end being engaged by an end of the power steering pump shaft and supported by a bearing having an outer race that is fixed to the housing of the water pump, the shaft of the water pump being cantilevered by the bearing to support and journal the impeller, and further comprising a seal between the bearing and the impeller.   
     
     
         2 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner race of the bearing is formed on an outer end of the water pump shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the shaft of the power steering pump drives the shaft of the water pump by engagement of a male torque transmitting profile and a female torque transmitting profile, at least one of the power steering pump shaft or the inner race of the bearing includes the male torque transmitting profile and the other of the at least one of the rotatable shaft or the inner race of the bearing includes the female torque transmitting profile. 
     
     
         4 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the male and female torque transmitting profiles are configured such that the male and female torque transmitting profiles may axially slide together. 
     
     
         5 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the power steering pump shaft includes the male torque transmitting profile and the inner race includes the female torque transmitting profile. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a double ball bearing. 
     
     
         8 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the power steering pump further includes a power steering pump housing and the power steering pump housing and water pump housing are assembled with at least two fasteners. 
     
     
         9 . A power steering pump and water pump assembly comprising:
 a power steering pump having a rotatable shaft extending from the power steering pump; and   a water pump having a housing and a rotatable shaft for driving an impeller of the water pump, the shaft being driven by the shaft of the power steering pump, the shaft of the water pump mounting the impeller at an inner end of the shaft and extending from the inner end to an outer end, the outer end being engaged by an end of the power steering pump shaft by the interaction of a male torque transmitting profile and a female torque transmitting profile;   wherein at least one of the power steering pump shaft or the outer end of the water pump shaft includes the male torque transmitting profile and the other of the at least one of the rotatable shaft or the outer end of the water pump shaft includes the female torque transmitting profile, and the male and female torque transmitting profiles axially slide together.   
     
     
         10 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the power steering pump shaft includes the male torque transmitting profile and the outer end of the water pump shaft includes the female torque transmitting profile. 
     
     
         11 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the torque transmitting profile is a profile selected from the group consisting of hexagonal, double hexagonal, D-shaped, key, pentagonal, square, torx, torq-set, tri-wing, triple square, polydrive, pozidrive, phillips, one-way, spline drive, slot drive, and bristol. 
     
     
         12 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the outer end of the water pump shaft is supported by a bearing having an outer race that is fixed to the housing of the water pump, the shaft of the water pump being cantilevered by the bearing to support and journal the impeller. 
     
     
         13 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a seal between the bearing and the impeller. 
     
     
         14 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the bearing is a double ball bearing. 
     
     
         15 . The power steering pump and water pump assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the power steering pump further includes a power steering pump housing and the power steering pump housing and water pump housing are assembled with at least two fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . A water pump having a shaft adapted to be driven by another shaft, the water pump comprising:
 a housing defining a pumping chamber;   an impeller mounted on an inner end of the shaft of the water pump in the pumping chamber;   a bearing having an outer race that is fixed to the housing of the water pump; and   a seal between the bearing and the impeller;   wherein the water pump shaft extends from an inner end to an outer end, the outer end being engaged by an end of the other shaft and supported by the bearing, and the water pump shaft is cantilevered by the bearing to support and journal the impeller.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The water pump according to  claim 17 , wherein the other shaft drives the shaft of the water pump by engagement of a male torque transmitting profile and a female torque transmitting profile, and at least one of the other shaft or the inner race of the bearing includes the male torque transmitting profile and the other of the at least one of the other shaft or the inner race of the bearing includes the female torque transmitting profile. 
     
     
         19 . The water pump according to  claim 18 , wherein the inner race of the bearing engages the other shaft by axially sliding the male and female torque transmitting profiles together. 
     
     
         20 . The water pump according to  claim 19 , wherein the inner race includes the female torque transmitting profile and the other shaft includes the male torque transmitting profile. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The water pump according to  claim 16 , wherein the bearing is a double ball bearing. 
     
     
         23 . A method for disassembling a power steering pump and water pump assembly, the method comprising:
 providing a power steering pump and water pump assembly which includes a power steering pump having a housing and a rotatable shaft extending from the power steering pump and a water pump having a housing and a rotatable shaft for driving an impeller of the water pump, the water pump shaft being driven by the shaft of the power steering pump, the shaft of the water pump mounting the impeller at an inner end of the shaft and extending from the inner end to an outer end, the outer end being engaged by an end of the power steering pump shaft by the interaction of a male torque transmitting profile and a female torque transmitting profile with at least one of the power steering pump shaft or the outer end of the water pump shaft includes the male torque transmitting profile and the other of the at least one of the rotatable shaft or the outer end of the water pump shaft includes the female torque transmitting profile, and the power steering pump housing and the water pump housing are assembled with at least two fasteners;   removing the fasteners; and   axially sliding one of the power steering pump housing or the water pump housing away from the other of the power steering pump housing or the water pump housing.