Pump, especially for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater
AssigneeEberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG
InventorMichael Humburg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pump, especially for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater, includes a pump body (12) providing a pump chamber (14). The pump body (12) is made with magnetic shape memory material at least in some areas. The pump further includes a field-generating arrangement (44) for generating a magnetic field (M). The magnetic shape memory material of the pump body (12) can be brought from an initial state into a deformed state by generating a magnetic field (M) by the field-generating arrangement (44). A pump chamber volume in the deformed state differs from the pump chamber volume present in the initial state.
Claims20
A pump for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater, the pump comprising:
- a tubular pump body extending along a longitudinal axis and providing a pump chamber, wherein the pump body is made entirely of a magnetic shape memory material;
- and
- a means for generating a magnetic field comprising at least one electrically excitable coil for bringing the magnetic shape memory material of the pump body from an initial state into a deformed state by electrically exciting the at least one electrically excitable coil for generating the magnetic field, wherein a pump chamber volume in the deformed state differs from the pump chamber volume present in the initial state;
- a means for resetting the pump body into the initial state comprising a prestressing spring exerting an axial load on an axial end of the pump body for prestressing the pump body into the initial state;
- a deformation detection arrangement for measuring an electric resistance of the pump body in an area of the pump body deformed by the magnetic field generated by the means for generating the magnetic field to provide information representing the deformation of the pump body.
A pump for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater, the pump comprising:
- a substantially tubular pump body comprising a pump chamber, each and every portion of said pump body comprising a magnetic shape memory material, said pump body comprising an axial end;
- a magnetic field-generating generator comprising at least one electrically excitable coil, wherein said magnetic shape memory material of said pump body changes said pump body from an initial state into a deformed state when said magnetic field-generating generator generates a magnetic field via said at least one electrically excitable coil, said pump chamber having an initial pump chamber volume in said initial state, said pump chamber having a deformed state pump chamber volume in said deformed state, said deformed state pump chamber volume being different from said initial pump chamber volume;
- a prestressing spring, said pump body changing from said deformed state to said initial state via an axial load exerted on said axial end of said pump body via said prestressing spring;
- a deformation detection arrangement for measuring an electric resistance of said pump body in an area of said pump body deformed by said magnetic field generated by said magnetic field-generating generator to provide information representing deformation of said pump body.
A pump for delivering liquid fuel for a vehicle heater, the pump comprising:
- a substantially tubular pump body comprising a pump chamber, said pump body being completely made of a magnetic shape memory material, said pump body comprising an axial end;
- and
- a magnetic field-generating mechanism comprising at least one electrically excitable coil, wherein said magnetic shape memory material of said pump body changes said pump body from an initial state into a deformed state when said magnetic field-generating mechanism generates a magnetic field via electrically exciting said at least one electrically excitable coil, said pump chamber having an initial pump chamber volume in said initial state, said pump chamber having a deformed state pump chamber volume in said deformed state, said deformed state pump chamber volume being different from said initial pump chamber volume;
- a prestressing spring, said pump body changing from said deformed state to said initial state via an axial load exerted on said axial end of said pump body via said prestressing spring;
- a deformation detection arrangement for measuring an electric resistance of said pump body in an area of said pump body deformed by said magnetic field generated by said magnetic field-generating mechanism to provide information representing deformation of said pump body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.