Pump assembly having two pumps provided in a single housing

Abstract

A pump assembly that has a first pump and a second pump for pumping lubricant, both pumps being integrated into a single housing. A drive shaft is provided that drives both pumps. Both the first pump and the second pump have a gear or rotor that is rotated by the drive shaft. Each of the pumps have an inlet provided on the housing to receive input from a source outside the housing and an outlet. The housing has a wall that is common to both pumps. The first pump is provided on a first side of the wall and the second pump is provided on the second, opposite side. The gears or rotors of the pumps may be provided in pockets provided on the first and second sides of the wall. The drive shaft extends through the wall and connects to each of the drive gears or rotors.

1 . A two-stage pump assembly comprising:
 a first pump and a second pump for pumping lubricant to a system, both the first pump and the second pump being integrated into a single housing and each configured to pressurize lubricant input into the housing;   a drive shaft provided in the housing configured to rotate about a drive axis and drive both the first pump and the second pump, the drive shaft being driven by a single input device;   both the first pump and the second pump comprising at least one gear configured and arranged to be rotated by the drive shaft;   the first pump comprising a first inlet provided on the housing for receiving lubricant from a source outside the housing and a first outlet for directing lubricant that is pressurized out of the housing;   the second pump comprising a second inlet provided on the housing for receiving lubricant from the source outside the housing and a second outlet for directing lubricant that is pressurized out of the housing, the second inlet and the second outlet being different than the first inlet and the first outlet, respectively;   the housing further comprising a wall that is common to both the first pump and the second pump, the first pump being provided on a first side of the wall and the second pump being provided on a second side of the wall that is opposite to the first side, and wherein the drive shaft extends through the wall and connects to each of the at least one gears of both the first pump and the second pump.   
     
     
         2 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall includes a first pocket on the first side thereof containing the at least one gear of the first pump therein and a second pocket on a second side thereof, the second pocket containing the at least one gear of the second pump therein, and wherein the drive shaft extends through the wall and connects to each of the at least one gears contained in the first pocket and the second pocket. 
     
     
         3 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the single input device for driving the drive shaft of the pump assembly is an engine, a transmission, or an electric motor. 
     
     
         4 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first pump is an external gear pump comprising two gears provided on two parallel axes, a first gear of the two gears being a driving gear that is driven by the drive shaft connected to the second pump, and a second gear of the two gears being a driven gear coupled to a rotatable shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The pump assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the wall further comprises a third pocket therein, the third pocket being provided on the first side of the wall, wherein the first pump is an external gear pump comprising first and second gears provided on two parallel axes, and wherein the second gear of the first pump is contained in the third pocket. 
     
     
         6 . The pump assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the second pump is a gerotor pump comprising an inner rotor that acts as a driving gear and that is rotated relative to an outer rotor, and wherein the outer rotor of the second pump is provided on the second side of the wall. 
     
     
         7 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft is a single, common drive shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft comprises a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft co-axially connected to one another for rotating together about the drive axis. 
     
     
         9 . The pump assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are connected via a coupling. 
     
     
         10 . The pump assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a first cover plate connected to the housing and covering at least the at least one gear of the first pump and a second cover plate connected to the housing and covering at least the at least one gear of the second pump. 
     
     
         11 . The pump assembly of  claim 10 , Wherein the first cover plate of the first pump comprises a floating cover plate. 
     
     
         12 . The pump assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first cover plate of the first pump comprises a fixed cover plate. 
     
     
         13 . The pump assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first inlet of the first pump comprises a first inlet opening provided in the first cover plate, the first inlet opening receiving the lubricant from the source outside the housing, and wherein the first inlet opening is provided on a plane that is perpendicular to the drive axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The pump assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first outlet comprises a first outlet opening, wherein the second inlet comprises a second inlet opening, and wherein the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening are provided on the same side of the housing. 
     
     
         15 . The pump assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening are provided on a plane that is parallel to the drive axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         16 . The pump assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the second outlet comprises a second outlet opening, and wherein the second outlet opening is provided on the same side of the housing as the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening. 
     
     
         17 . The pump assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the second outlet opening is provided on a plane that is parallel to the drive axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The pump assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the second pump further comprises a third inlet, the third inlet comprising a third inlet opening, and wherein the third inlet opening is positioned on another side of the housing that is traverse to the side of the housing containing the first outlet opening, the second inlet opening, and the second outlet opening. 
     
     
         19 . The pump assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the third inlet opening is provided on a plane that is perpendicular to the drive axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The pump assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the first inlet opening and the third inlet opening are provided on the same side of the housing. 
     
     
         21 . A system comprising the two stage pump assembly of  claim 1  and a transmission, wherein the second pump is configured to continuously pump the lubricant to the transmission, and wherein the transmission comprises a clutch system that selectively receiving lubricant pumped from the first pump, the system further comprising a control valve for limiting the lubricant that is output from the first pump to the clutch system of the transmission. 
     
     
         22 . A system comprising the two stage pump assembly of  claim 1  and a driver connected to the pump assembly, wherein the driver is configured to rotate the drive shaft of the pump assembly for pumping the lubricant to the driver. 
     
     
         23 . A pump assembly comprising:
 a first pump for pumping air and a second pump for pumping lubricant to a system, both the first pump and the second pump being integrated into a single housing;   a drive shaft provided in the housing configured to rotate about a drive axis and drive both the first pump and the second pump, the drive shaft being driven by a single input device;   both the first pump and the second pump comprising a rotor configured and arranged to be rotated by the drive shaft;   the first pump comprising a first inlet provided on the housing for receiving air from outside the housing and a first outlet for directing air that is pressurized out of the housing;   the second pump comprising a second inlet provided on the housing for receiving lubricant from a source outside the housing and a second outlet for directing lubricant that is pressurized out of the housing, the second inlet and the second outlet being different than the first inlet and the first outlet, respectively;   the housing further comprising a wall that is common to both the first pump and the second pump, the first pump being provided on a first side of the wall and the second pump being provided on a second side of the wall that is opposite to the first side, and wherein the drive shaft extends through the wall and connects to each of the rotors of both the first pump and the second pump.   
     
     
         24 . The pump assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the wall includes a first pocket on the first side thereof containing the rotor of the first pump therein and a second pocket on a second side thereof, the second pocket containing the rotor of the second pump therein, and wherein the drive shaft extends through the wall and connects to each of the rotors contained in the first pocket and the second pocket. 
     
     
         25 . The pump assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the single input device for driving the drive shaft of the pump assembly is an engine, a transmission, or an electric motor. 
     
     
         26 . The pump assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the first pump is an epitrochoidal vacuum pump, wherein the first side of the wall defines and is part of an internal space having an epitrochoidal shape, wherein the rotor of the epitrochoidal vacuum pump is rotatably received within the internal space, the rotor being shaped with a number of edges that conjugate with the epitrochoidal shape of the internal space and comprising an internally toothed guide gear; the drive shaft being configured to rotate the rotor eccentrically within the internal space; and wherein the epitrochoidal vacuum pump comprises an externally toothed guide sprocket for meshing with and guiding movement of the guide gear of the rotor as it is driven by the drive shaft. 
     
     
         27 . The pump assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the second pump is a vane pump comprising a control slide having a rotor receiving space communicated to the first inlet and the first outlet, the rotor of the second pump being provided in the rotor receiving space, the rotor comprising a plurality of vanes, the vanes being movable within the rotor receiving space, and the rotor being rotatable in the rotor receiving space to draw lubricant under negative pressure into the rotor receiving space via the second inlet for pressurization and discharge pressurized lubricant from the rotor receiving space via the second outlet under positive pressure. 
     
     
         28 . The pump assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the drive shaft is a single, common drive shaft. 
     
     
         29 . The pump assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the drive shaft comprises a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft co-axially connected to one another for rotating together about the drive axis. 
     
     
         30 . The pump assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the first inlet of the first pump comprises a first inlet opening for receiving the air from outside the housing, and wherein the first inlet opening is provided on a plane that is perpendicular to the drive axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         31 . The pump assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the rotor of the first pump is provided on a first side of a plane parallel to the common wall and wherein the first inlet opening is provided on a second side of the plane that is parallel to the common wall. 
     
     
         32 . The pump assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the first outlet comprises a first outlet opening, wherein the second inlet comprises a second inlet opening, and wherein the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening are provided on the same side of the housing. 
     
     
         33 . The pump assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the second outlet comprises a second outlet opening, and wherein the second outlet opening is provided on the same side of the housing as the first inlet opening. 
     
     
         34 . The pump assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the second outlet opening is provided on a plane that is parallel to the drive axis of the drive shaft.