Pump group

Abstract

A pump group has an impeller, a shaft having an impeller end on which the impeller is mounted and a control end for receiving a rotary control action, and a pump body having an impeller body housing the impeller, a shaft body partially housing and supporting the shaft in free rotation, and a control body integrally connected to the shaft body and having a control cavity through which the control end extends axially. The pump group has a mechanical drive having a rotating member mounted in free rotation on the control body for receiving an external action from an external group, a rotating drum integrally connected to the control end, and a control device configurable in an engagement configuration, in which the rotating member and the rotating drum are engaged to rotate together, and a disengagement configuration, in which the rotating member is separate from the rotating drum rotating individually.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A pump group for an engine cooling system of a vehicle, the pump group comprising:
 an impeller rotatable with respect to an axis (X-X) suitable to move a quantity of cooling liquid into the engine cooling system;   a shaft extending in length along the axis (X-X) and comprising an impeller end, the impeller being integrally mounted on the impeller end, and a control end adapted to receive a rotary control action; and   a pump body comprising:
 an impeller body housing the impeller in an impeller chamber; 
 a shaft body partially housing and supporting the shaft in free rotation; and 
 a control body integrally connected to the shaft body, the control body comprising a control opening through which the shaft extends so that the control end protrudes axially from said control body, wherein the control body is axial-symmetrical in shape and comprises:
 a central tubular portion having axial extension, the control opening being obtained inside the central tubular portion and having a dimension complementary to the shaft, so that the shaft is kept in axis (X-X) by walls defining said control opening; 
 a support portion located in a distal position from the axis (X-X) adapted to engage the shaft body; 
 a radial portion extending radially to said axis (X-X) to integrally join the central tubular portion and the support portion; and 
 a mechanical drive controlling rotation of the shaft, the mechanical drive comprising:
 l) a rotating member mounted on the control body outside the central tubular portion, in free rotation with respect to the axis (X-X), wherein the rotating member is suitable for receiving an external rotary action from an external group comprised in the vehicle; 
 m) a rotating drum integrally connected to the control end of the shaft; and 
 n) a control device configurable in an engagement configuration, in which the rotating member and the rotating drum are mutually engaged to rotate together, and a disengagement configuration, in which the rotating member is separate from the rotating drum and rotates individually. 
 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein the rotating member is axial-symmetrical in shape in relation to the axis (X-X) and comprises, at a first axial end, an operating cavity, the rotating drum and, partially, the control device being housed in said operating cavity and, at a second axial end, a body housing cavity, the control body being at least partially housed in said body housing cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The pump group of  claim 16 , wherein the rotating member comprises a plug adapted to close the operating cavity preventing access from outside. 
     
     
         18 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein the rotating member comprises:
 an outer perimeter wall, located in a distal position from the axis (X-X), extending parallel to the axis (X-X), wherein said outer perimeter wall is suitable for being engaged by an outer unit to receive an external rotational action;   an inner wall, located in a position proximal to the axis (X-X), extending parallel to the axis (X-X), wherein said inner wall engages the control body by a bearing group; and   a radial wall extending radially to said axis (X-X) to integrally join the inner wall with the outer perimeter wall.   
     
     
         19 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein said support portion has a dimension complementary to the body housing cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein the control device performs an action in axial direction which allows changing from the engagement configuration to the disengagement configuration and vice versa. 
     
     
         21 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein the control device comprises first control members housed in the control body and second control members housed on the rotating drum, wherein the first control members and the second control members are magnetically sensitive to each other. 
     
     
         22 . The pump group of  claim 21 , wherein the first control members comprise electronic sensors suitable to produce a magnetic field, while the second control members comprise magnetically sensitive elements suitable to undergo an action of said magnetic field produced by the first control members. 
     
     
         23 . The pump group of  claim 22 , wherein said second control members comprise a disk element fitted axially movable on the shaft, and moving elements housed on the rotating drum, magnetically sensitive, engaging said disk element to control its axial position between an engagement position, in which the rotating member drives it in rotation transmitting via the moving elements a rotary motion to the rotating drum, and a disengagement position in which the disk element is axially separated from the rotating member. 
     
     
         24 . The pump group of  claim 23 , wherein said moving elements comprise elastically resilient members adapted to normally perform an action on the disk element to keep it in the disengagement position, and to carry out an action on the disk element which brings it into the engagement position only on command of a magnetic action produced by the first control members. 
     
     
         25 . The pump group of  claim 23 , wherein the disk element in the engagement position, which corresponds to the engagement configuration, performs a friction action on the rotating member. 
     
     
         26 . The pump group of  claim 15 , further comprising an electric control drive, adapted to engage the shaft to guide it in rotation, wherein said electric control drive comprises an electric control motor and is positioned between the impeller and the mechanical drive, wherein the pump body comprises an electric drive body housing said electric control motor, positioned between the shaft body and the control body or between the impeller body and the shaft body. 
     
     
         27 . The pump group of  claim 15 , wherein the external group is a transmission element.