Pump and motor assembly

Abstract

A fluid pumping system that includes a motor and a pump, wherein an output shaft of the motor is directly coupled to an input shaft of the pump. This coupling between the output shaft of the motor and the input shaft of the pump may be the primary mechanism for coupling the motor to the pump. Such a configuration may be called a “floating pump mount”, because the pump is primarily coupled to the motor via the shaft connection. As a result of this connection, the output shaft of the motor may be naturally “aligned” with the input shaft of the pump. To help prevent the pump from freely rotating with the output shaft of the motor during operation, a rotational stop mechanism may be provided. The rotational stop mechanism may include at least one resilient member for absorbing or substantially absorbing at least some of any relative movement between the pump and the motor.

1 . A pump assembly, comprising: 
 a motor having a rotating output shaft, and an output shaft bearing;    a pump having a rotating input shaft, and an input shaft bearing;    the input shaft of the pump being directly coupled to the output shaft of the motor so that the input shaft of the pump and the output shaft of the motor are fixed relatively to one another and prevent the pump and the motor from moving away from each other during operation;    the spacing between the output shaft bearing and the input shaft bearing being less than 2.0 inch.    
   
   
       2 . The pump assembly of  claim 1  wherein the spacing between the output shaft bearing and the input shaft bearing is less than 1.0 inch.  
   
   
       3 . The pump assembly of  claim 1  wherein the spacing between the output shaft bearing and the input shaft bearing is less than 0.5 inch.  
   
   
       4 . The pump assembly of  claim 2  wherein the input shaft of the pump includes a hollow shaft portion having an output shaft receiving lumen that extends from a first end of the input shaft and along at least part of the length of the input shaft, the input shaft receiving lumen adapted for receiving at least part of the output shaft of the motor.  
   
   
       5 . The pump assembly of  claim 2  wherein the input shaft has a key slot along at least part of the output shaft receiving lumen length, and the output shaft has a mating key member.  
   
   
       6 . The pump assembly of  claim 2  wherein the input shaft has a key member along at least part of the output shaft receiving lumen length, and the output shaft has a mating key slot.  
   
   
       7 . The pump assembly of  claim 2  further having a set screw extending through a side wall of the input shaft and into the output shaft receiving lumen.  
   
   
       8 . The pump assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the output shaft receiving lumen has an inner dimension that decreases away from the first end of the input shaft.  
   
   
       9 . The pump assembly of  claim 2  wherein the input shaft has a second end that extends out a side of the pump, the second end having a solid shaft without an output shaft receiving lumen.  
   
   
       10 . A method for removing a pump from a pump assembly, wherein the pump assembly includes a motor that drives a pump, and the motor has a rotating output shaft that is directly coupled to a rotating input shaft of the pump, and wherein the pump is prevented from rotating freely with respect to the motor by a bracket, wherein the bracket provides a coupling between the pump and the motor with at least one resilient member situated between the bracket and the motor and/or the bracket and the pump when the output shaft of the motor is engaged with the input shaft of the pump, and the bracket does not provide a coupling between the bracket and the motor and/or the bracket and the pump when the output shaft of the motor is moved away and disengaged from the input shaft of the pump, the method comprising: 
 loosening the coupling between the output shaft of the motor and the input shaft of the pump; and    pulling the pump away from the motor until the input shaft of the pump is disengaged from the output shaft of the motor and until the bracket no longer provides a coupling between the pump and the motor.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of: 
 removing a pin that allows the pump to be pulled away sufficiently far so that the bracket no longer provides a coupling between the pump and the motor.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the loosing step includes loosing a set screw.  
   
   
       13 . A method for removing a pump from a pump assembly, wherein the pump assembly includes a motor having a rotating output shaft, a pump having an input shaft that is directly coupled to the output shaft of the motor, wherein the coupling between the input shaft of the pump and the output shaft of the motor being the primary mechanism for preventing the pump and the motor from moving away from each other during operation, one or more resilient members extending from the pump toward the motor, and the motor having an input face that faces but is spaced from the pump, wherein the input face has one or more depressions or recesses for receiving the one or more resilient members when the input shaft of the pump is coupled to the output shaft of the motor, the method comprising the steps of: 
 loosening the coupling between the output shaft of the motor and the input shaft of the pump; and    pulling the pump away from the motor until the input shaft of the pump is disengaged from the output shaft of the motor.    
   
   
       14 . A pump assembly, comprising: 
 a pump having a rotating input shaft, wherein the input shaft of the pump includes a hollow shaft portion having an output shaft receiving lumen that extends from a first end of the input shaft and along at least part of the length of the input shaft, the output shaft receiving lumen having an inner dimension that decreases away from the first end of the input shaft;    a motor having a rotating output shaft with a shaft end, the shaft end having a tapered profile to match or substantially match the inner dimension of the output shaft receiving lumen;    the output shaft of the motor further having a step to a reduced diameter, the step being spaced from the first end of the input shaft by a distance when the output shaft of the motor is fully engaged with the output shaft receiving lumen.    
   
   
       15 . The pump assembly of  claim 14  wherein the step is spaced from the first end of the input shaft by a distance of less than ¼ inch.  
   
   
       16 . The pump assembly of  claim 15  wherein the step is spaced from the first end of the input shaft by a distance greater than 1/16 inch but less than ¼ inch.  
   
   
       17 . A method for removing a pump from motor, wherein the pump includes a rotating input shaft with a hollow shaft portion having an output shaft receiving lumen that extends from a first end of the input shaft of the pump and along at least part of the length of the input shaft, wherein the output shaft receiving lumen has an inner dimension that decreases away from the first end of the input shaft, and the motor includes a rotating output shaft with a shaft end, wherein the shaft end has a tapered profile to match or substantially match the inner dimension of the output shaft receiving lumen, and wherein the output shaft of the motor further has a step to a reduced diameter, wherein the step is spaced from the first end of the input shaft of the pump by a distance when the output shaft of the motor is fully engaged with the output shaft receiving lumen, the method comprising: 
 inserting a wedge in the space between the step and the first end of the input shaft of the pump; and    pivoting or striking the wedge to release the output shaft of the motor from the output shaft receiving lumen.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the wedge is a screw driver or the like.  
   
   
       19 . A pump assembly comprising: 
 a pump having a housing;    a shaft for driving the pump, the shaft having a first end that extends out of a first side of the pump housing and a second end that extends out of a second opposite side of the pump housing, the first end of the shaft having a hollowed out shaft adapted to receive a drive shaft of a motor.    
   
   
       20 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the second end of the shaft does not include a hollowed out shaft adapted to receive a drive shaft of a motor.  
   
   
       21 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the second end of the shaft also includes a hollowed out shaft adapted to receive a drive shaft of a motor.  
   
   
       22 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the pump housing is adapted to receive a removable cover that covers at least part of the first end of the shaft.  
   
   
       23 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the pump housing is adapted to receive a removable cover that covers at least part of the second end of the shaft.  
   
   
       24 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the pump housing is adapted to receive a removable cover that entirely covers one end of the shaft.  
   
   
       25 . The pump assembly of  claim 19  wherein the second end of the shaft is adapted to receive a pulley.