The present Invention refers to an automotive electrical oil pump. The automotive electrical oil pump comprises an oil displacement pumping unit comprising a pump rotor rotating in a pump chamber for pumping pressurized oil to an oil recipient. Further, the oil pump comprises an electric driving motor for driving the pump rotor of the pumping unit, an electrical connector plug for electrically connecting the driving motor to a power source, and a fluid connector comprising a pump inlet and a pump outlet which are fluidically connected to a corresponding chamber inlet and chamber outlet of the pump chamber.

Such an automotive electrical oil pump is well known in the state of the art. However, the automotive electrical oil pumps of the state of the art have some disadvantages. In order to get a good fluidic connection between the pump inlet and the pump outlet of the fluid connector with the corresponding openings of a counter fluid connector the oil pump has to be arranged in a specific rotational position. The orientation of the electrical connector, which is usually arranged with a radial plugging direction, is dependent on the orientation of the counter fluid connector. Every automotive manufacturer demands another orientation of the counter fluid connector and of the counter electrical connector. Therefore, the pump supplier needs many different pump versions to comply with the different required connector orientations. The object of the present invention is to provide an automotive electrically driven oil pump, which is flexible with respect to different mounting conditions. This object Is solved with an automotive electric oil pump having the features of claim 1.

According to the present invention the fluid connector comprises at least one first lateral circular ring opening defining the pump Inlet or the pump outlet. Further, the fluid connector comprises a separate second lateral circular ring opening or a circular front opening defining the pump outlet or the pump inlet, wherein the pump outlet and the pump inlet are arranged coaxially to each other. A lateral opening according to the invention is an opening, which is arranged such that the opening substantially opens in a radial direction of the pump. By the respective coaxial arrangement of the first lateral circular ring opening and the separate second lateral ring opening or the circular front opening a fluid connector is provided having a pump inlet and a pump outlet which is rotationally symmetric. Thereby the pump is during the mounting process rota table around the axis of the circular front opening or the second lateral circular ring opening. Accordingly, the pump can be rotated during mounting so that the electrical connector plug is positioned as required by the automotive manufacturer. Accordingly, the pump Is flexible with respect to different mounting conditions. Thus, only one pump version is necessary fulfilling the different requirements of the automotive manufacturers.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the fluid connector Is formed as a cylindrical body, wherein the pump inlet and the pump outlet are defined by the lateral circular ring openings at an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body. The inventive arrangement of the ring openings provides a fluid connector having a pump inlet and a pump outlet which are both rotationally symmetric. Thereby, the pump is rotatable around the axis of the cylindrical body as long as the pump is not finally fixed to the counter fluid connector but is already plugged to the counter fluid connector. After plugging, the pump can be rotated so that the electrical connector plug is rotationally positioned as required by the automotive manufacturer. Accordingly, the pump can be used in all different rotational orientations between the plugging direction of the electrical connector and the openings of the counter fluid connector. Thus, only one pump version is sufficient for fulfilling the different requirements of the automotive manufacturers.

In a further preferred embodiment the fluid connector is formed as a cylindrical body, wherein the pump inlet or the pump outlet is arranged at a free axial end face of the cylindrical body. The pump thereby is also usable if the counter inlet or the counter outlet is provided in an axial direction.

The cylindrical body preferably comprises a first axial channel connecting the pump inlet with the chamber inlet and a second axial channel connecting the pump outlet with the chamber outlet. The orientation of the first axial channel and the second axial channel thereby has to be understood as not necessarily being strictly axial but substantially axial. The first and the second axial channel have the effect that the lateral circular ring openings can be provided with an axial distance to the pumping unit. According to a preferred embodiment the pump inlet and the pump outlet of the fluid connector are both arranged coaxially to a rotation axis of the driving motor. The axis for rotating the pump into a suitable rotational mounting position is substantially in the center of the pump. Accordingly, the pump requires a minimum of mounting space when being rotated to the required plugging direction of the electrical connector plug.

The electrical connector plug is preferably arranged radially with a substantially radial plugging direction with respect to the motor rotation axis. As the electrical counter connector plug usually is provided in a radial plugging direction the electrical connector plug can be provided according to the requirements of the automotive manufacturers.

Preferably the pumping unit is defined by a gerotor assembly. The gerotor operates very quietly. Further, the gerotor can be operated in both rotational directions so that the pump inlet and the pump outlet can be simply exchanged by changing the rotational direction of the pump. No second version of the pump is necessary if the pump inlet and the pump outlet have to be changed.

In a preferred embodiment the pump inlet is arranged axially distal of the pump outlet. Alternatively, the pump outlet is arranged axially distal of the pump infet. These features have the effect that the pump outlet and the pump inlet of the fluid connector can be adapted to the requirements of the automotive manufacturer.

In another preferred embodiment the ring opening providing the pump inlet is arranged at an edge of the distal end of the fluid connector. Alternatively, the ring opening providing the pump outlet is arranged at an edge of the distal end of the fluid connector. The respective counter inlet or outlet connector can be provided either on a lateral side of the counter fluid connector or on an axial side of the counter fluid connector. Preferably, the ring openings are fluidically sealed by at least one flexible radial sealing ring provided at an outer circumferential surface of the fluid connector. Thereby the drawbacks of an axial sealing are avoided. The sealing quality of an axial sealing strongly depends on the axial connection of the pump. The sealing quality can be reduced by an axial overload caused by the mounting process damaging the sealing ring. The sealing quality can also be reduced because of a too loose axial fixation of the pump. These drawbacks can be overcome using radial sealing rings. The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, wherein :

Figure 1 shows, in part, a longitudinal section of an automotive electric oil pump according to the present invention, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the fluid connector of the pump according to figure 1,

Figure 3 shows a top view on the pumping unit, and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the fluid connector of a second embodiment of the pump. Figure 1 shows, in part, a longitudinal section of an automotive electric oil pump 10. The pump 10 comprises an electric driving motor 12 driving the pumping unit 14, both being provided in a pump housing 18. A fluid connector 22 is arranged at an axial front end, which is axially opposite of the driving motor 12. The fluid connector 22 is connectabfe to a corresponding fluid counter connector (not shown) of e.g. an automotive engine, a transmission, a heat-exchanger etc. so as to fluidically connect the pump 10 with an oil recipient namely e.g. the engine, the transmission, the heat-exchanger etc. An electrical connector plug 26 is arranged at an axial pump end opposite to the axial end with the fluid connector 22. The electrical connector plug 26 is arranged with a radial plugging direction 30 with respect a rotation axis 28 of the driving motor 12. A flange portion 34 is arranged at an axial end of the pump 10 for mechanically connecting the pump 10 to a corresponding counterpart.

Figure 2 shows the fluid connector 22 of the pump 10 in more detail. The fluid connector 22 is formed as a cylindrical body 40 and extends in an axial direction of the pump 10. A first lateral circular ring opening 42 is arranged at an outer circumferential surface 43 of the cylindrical body 40 defining a pump outlet 44 through which the pressurized fluid is emitted. A first intermediate opening 48 is arranged in the first lateral circular ring opening 42, which first intermediate opening 48 fluidicaily connects the pump unit 14 with the first lateral circular ring opening 42 via a first axial channel 50. A first wall groove 62 is provided at the outer circumferential surface 43 of the cylindrical body 40, at a proximal side thereof, to receive a radial sealing 68 which Is a first O-rlng.

The fluid connector 22 further comprises a second lateral circular ring opening 72, which is arranged coaxially to the first lateral circular ring opening 42 and which second lateral circular ring opening 72 defines the pump inlet 77. The second lateral circular ring opening 72 is arranged at a distal edge 80 of the cylindrical body 40. The second lateral circular ring opening 72 is adjacent to but spaced apart from the first lateral circular ring opening 42 in an axial direction. A second intermediate opening 84 is arranged in the second lateral circular ring opening 72, which intermediate opening 84 fluidicaily connects the pump unit 14 with the second lateral circular ring opening 72 via a second axial channel 85. The second intermediate opening 84 is adjacent to but spaced apart from the first Intermediate opening 48 In a circumferential direction. A second wail groove 86 is provided at the outer circumferential surface 43 of the cylindrical body 40 between the first lateral circular ring opening 42 and the second lateral circular ring opening 72 to receive a radial sealing 88 which Is a second O-ring.

Figur 3 shows a top view of a gerotor assembly 92 defining the pumping unit 14 in the pump 10. The gerotor assembly 92 comprises a pump rotor 96 rotating in a pump chamber 100. A kidney-shaped chamber inlet 104 is provided at an axial side of the gerotor assembly 92 through which the fluid is sucked into the gerotor assembly 92. A kidney-shaped chamber outlet 108 is provided through which pressurized fluid is emitted on the same axial side of the gerotor assembly 92 but radially substantially opposite to the chamber inlet 104. The chamber outlet 108 is fiuidically connected with the first lateral circular ring opening 42, via the first axial channel 50, whereas the chamber Inlet 104 is fiuidically connected with the second lateral circular ring opening 72 via the second axial channel 85.

Figur 4 shows the fluid connector 22 of the pump 10 according to a second embodiment. The fluid connector 22 according to this embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 2 in that a circular front opening 110 defining the e.g. pump inlet 77 is arranged at a free axial end face 112 of the cylindrical body 40.

From the above it should be clear that the automotive electrical oil pump is not limited to the above described embodiment. In particular other pumping units than a gerotor can be used. Also other designs of the pump housing or the gerotor are conceivable.

Reference signs

10 oil pump

12 driving motor

5 14 pumping unit

18 pump housing

22 fluid connector

26 electrical connector plug

28 rotation axis

10 30 radial plugging direction

34 flange portion

40 cylindrical body

42 first lateral circular ring opening

43 outer circumferential surface is 44 pump outlet

48 first intermediate opening

50 first axial channel

62 first wall groove

68 radial sealing

20 72 second lateral circular ring opening

77 pump inlet

80 distal edge

84 second intermediate opening

85 second axial channel

25 86 second wall groove

88 radial sealing

92 ge rotor assembly

96 pump rotor

100 pump chamber

30 104 chamber inlet 108 chamber outlet

110 circular front opening

112 free axial end face