Electric coolant pump with heating element

Abstract

An electric coolant pump of a cooling circuit of a motor vehicle includes a pump chamber, a suction line leading into a suction side of the pump chamber, a discharge channel leading out of a pressure side of the pump chamber, and an electric motor with a controller. The electric coolant pump includes a heater including an electric heating element which projects into the suction line or the discharge channel and which can be flushed by the coolant. The electric heating element includes at least a first heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from a power supply system and a second heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from an on-board power supply system of the motor vehicle. The controller of the electric motor is configured or programmed such that the electric motor also includes at least two operating states.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 : An electric coolant pump for a cooling circuit of a motor vehicle, the electric coolant pump comprising:
 a pump chamber;   a suction line which leads into a suction side of the pump chamber;   a discharge channel which leads out of a pressure side of the pump chamber; and   an electric motor with a controller; wherein   the electric coolant pump includes a heater which includes an electric heating element which projects into the suction line or the discharge channel and which can be flushed by the coolant;   the electric heating element includes at least two operating states including a first heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from an external power supply system and a second heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from an on-board power supply system of the motor vehicle;   the controller of the electric motor is configured or programmed such that the electric motor includes at least two motor operating states including a first motor operating state in which the electric motor can be operated from the external power supply system and a second motor operating state in which the electric motor can be operated from the on-board power supply system; and   the electric coolant pump includes a first electrical connection to connect to the external power supply system and a second electrical connection to connect to the on-board power supply system, the first connection being set up to supply energy to the heating element and the electric motor in the first heating element operating state and the first motor operating state.   
     
     
         17 : The electric coolant pump according to  claim 16 , wherein the electric coolant pump includes a transformer to drive the electric motor with an alternating current of the external power supply system in the first heating element operating state and the first motor operating state. 
     
     
         18 : A motor vehicle comprising:
 at least one drive assembly; and   the electric coolant pump according to  claim 16 ; wherein   the coolant pump is structured to circulate coolant in a cooling circuit of the at least one drive assembly of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         19 : The motor vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein the electric coolant pump includes a housing which defines a portion of the at least one drive assembly. 
     
     
         20 : The motor vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one drive assembly includes a drive electric motor and/or an internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         21 : A motor vehicle comprising at least one electrical consuming assembly and the electrical coolant pump according to  claim 16 , wherein the coolant pump is structured to circulate coolant in a cooling circuit of the at least one electrical consuming assembly. 
     
     
         22 : An electric motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack and the electric coolant pump according to  claim 16 , wherein the electric coolant pump is structured to circulate coolant in a cooling circuit of the at least one battery pack. 
     
     
         23 : The motor vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein the motor vehicle includes internal electrical connections providing an electrical connection to the first and second electrical connections of the electric coolant pump. 
     
     
         24 : The motor vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein the vehicle includes an external electrical connection connectable to an external power supply to supply power to the heater. 
     
     
         25 : A method for operating an electric coolant pump of a cooling circuit of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including at least one drive assembly which is temperature-controlled by the cooling circuit, and the electric coolant pump including a pump chamber with a suction line which leads into a suction side of the pump chamber and a discharge channel which leads out of a pressure side of the pump chamber, and an electric motor with a controller, the electric coolant pump including a heater which includes an electric heating element which projects into the suction line or the discharge channel and which can be flushed by a coolant, and the heating element including at least two operating states including a first heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from an external power supply system and a second heating element operating state in which the electric heating element can be operated from an on-board power supply system of the motor vehicle, and the electric motor includes at least two operating states including a first motor operating state in which the electric motor can be operated from the external power supply system and a second motor operating state in which the electric motor can be operated from the on-board power supply system of the motor vehicle, and the electric coolant pump includes a first electrical connection to connect to the external power supply system and a second electrical connection to connect to the on-board power supply system, the first connection being operable to supply energy for the heating element and the electric motor in the first heating element operating state and the first motor operating state, the method comprising:
 receiving a signal that the coolant is to be heated;   querying an operating state of the drive assembly and/or querying whether the motor vehicle is connected to the external power supply system; and   if the drive assembly is not running and/or the motor vehicle is connected to the external power supply system, operating the electric heating element and the electric motor respectively in the first heating element operating state and the first motor operating state.   
     
     
         26 : The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the controller of the electric motor is configured or programmed to execute the method. 
     
     
         27 : The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the electric motor is operated at a constant speed. 
     
     
         28 : The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the electric motor is operated in the second operating state when the drive assembly is running. 
     
     
         29 : The method according to  claim 25 , wherein a signal to heat the coolant is generated from a signal of a stationary heating operation.