US-12624653-B2 - Vehicle pump assembly and off-road vehicle

US12624653B2US 12624653 B2US12624653 B2US 12624653B2US-12624653-B2

Abstract

A vehicle pump assembly 13 includes a pump 30 having a mechanical seal 35 sealing a cooling medium and a drain hose 50 attached to the pump 30 . The pump 30 includes an introduction chamber 40 separated by the mechanical seal 35 and configured such that the cooling medium having leaked from the mechanical seal 35 is introduced thereinto, and the drain hose 50 communicates with the introduction chamber 40 . The internal volume of the drain hose 50 is three times the volume of the introduction chamber 40 or more.

Inventors

Sho Kagami
Atsushi Tajima
Yoshihiko Inagaki

Assignees

KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240209

Claims (11)

1 . A vehicle pump assembly comprising: a pump having a mechanical seal sealing a cooling medium; and a drain hose attached to the pump, wherein the pump includes an introduction chamber separated by the mechanical seal and configured such that the cooling medium having leaked from the mechanical seal is introduced thereinto, and the drain hose communicates with the introduction chamber, and an internal volume of the drain hose is three times a volume of the introduction chamber or more.
2 . The vehicle pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein an outlet of the drain hose faces a rear of a vehicle.
3 . The vehicle pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drain hose is continuously inclined so as to be positioned lower as extending to an outlet of the drain hose.
4 . The vehicle pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the internal volume of the drain hose is 5.5 times the volume of the introduction chamber or less.
5 . An off-road vehicle comprising: an engine; and a vehicle pump assembly that supplies a cooling medium to the engine, wherein the vehicle pump assembly includes a pump having a mechanical seal sealing the cooling medium and attached to the engine, and a drain hose attached to the pump, the pump includes an introduction chamber separated by the mechanical seal and configured such that the cooling medium having leaked from the mechanical seal is introduced thereinto, and the drain hose communicates with the introduction chamber, and an internal volume of the drain hose is three times a volume of the introduction chamber or more.
6 . The off-road vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising: a support supporting the drain hose on a side closer to an inlet of the drain hose with respect to an intermediate portion of the drain hose.
7 . The off-road vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising: an oil pan attached to the engine, wherein the support is attached to the oil pan.
8 . The off-road vehicle of claim 7 , wherein a peripheral wall of the oil pan includes a recess, and the support is attached to the recess.
9 . The off-road vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising: a fastener fixing the support to the oil pan, wherein as viewed in an axial direction of the fastener, an end portion of the support positioned in a fastening direction of the fastener contacts an inner surface of the recess.
10 . The off-road vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising: a front wheel and a rear wheel, wherein the engine is positioned between the front wheel and the rear wheel, and an outlet of the drain hose is positioned, as viewed from below, between a rear end of the engine and a front end of the rear wheel.
11 . The off-road vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising: a vehicle body frame including a hollow pipe, wherein an outlet-side end portion of the drain hose is inserted into the pipe.

Description

FIELD The technique disclosed here relates to a vehicle pump assembly and an off-road vehicle. BACKGROUND U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0278451 discloses a vehicle pump assembly. The vehicle pump assembly has a pump that supplies coolant water to an engine. SUMMARY The pump of the vehicle pump assembly as described above has a mechanical seal that seals the coolant water. The pump has an introduction chamber into which the coolant water having leaked from the mechanical seal is introduced. The introduction chamber communicates with the outside through a water drain hole. The coolant water introduced into the introduction chamber is discharged to the outside through the water drain hole. For example, when a user drives a vehicle and the pump is exposed to outside water accumulated on the ground, such as muddy water, there is a probability that the outside water is sucked through the water drain hole and the sucked outside water enters the introduction chamber of the pump. The technique disclosed here has been made in view of the above-described point, and an object thereof is to reduce entrance of the outside water into the introduction chamber of the pump. A vehicle pump assembly disclosed here includes a pump having a mechanical seal sealing a cooling medium and a drain hose attached to the pump. The pump includes an introduction chamber separated by the mechanical seal and configured such that the cooling medium having leaked from the mechanical seal is introduced thereinto, and the drain hose communicates with the introduction chamber. The internal volume of the drain hose is three times the volume of the introduction chamber or more. An off-road vehicle disclosed here includes an engine and a vehicle pump assembly that supplies a cooling medium to the engine. The vehicle pump assembly includes a pump having a mechanical seal sealing the cooling medium and attached to the engine, and a drain hose attached to the pump. The pump includes an introduction chamber separated by the mechanical seal and configured such that the cooling medium having leaked from the mechanical seal is introduced thereinto, and the drain hose communicates with the introduction chamber. The internal volume of the drain hose is three times the volume of the introduction chamber or more. The above-described vehicle pump assembly can be configured such that entrance of outside water into the introduction chamber of the pump is reduced. The above-described off-road vehicle can be configured such that entrance of outside water into the introduction chamber of the pump is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a left side view of a utility vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the utility vehicle from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing, from below, an engine, a vehicle pump assembly, and an oil pan. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing, from below, a support attached to the oil pan with a bolt. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the vehicle pump assembly attached to the engine. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a drain hose and a joint. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing such a model that an introduction chamber of a pump and an internal space of the drain hose are simulatively reproduced. FIG. 8 is a graph showing a relationship between the ratio (B/A) of the volume B of an internal space of a hose to the volume A of an internal space of a case and the ratio (C/B) of the amount C of water sucked into the hose to the volume B of the internal space of the hose. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing an engine, a vehicle pump assembly, and a vehicle body frame in a utility vehicle according to a modification. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a left side view of a utility vehicle 100. The utility vehicle 100 can travel off road. The utility vehicle 100 is one example of an off-road vehicle. Hereinafter, the utility vehicle 100 will also be merely referred to as a “vehicle 100.” In the present disclosure, each component of the vehicle 100 will be described using a direction with respect to the vehicle 100. Specifically, a “front” means the front of the vehicle 100 in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a “rear” means the rear of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle front-rear direction. A “left” means the left when facing the front of the vehicle 100, and a “right” means the right when facing the front of the vehicle 100. A “width direction” means the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 100, and in other words, means the right-left direction of the vehicle 100 and will also be referred to as a “right-left direction.” A “vehicle-width inside” means a vehicle interior side in the width direction, and a “vehicle-width outside” means a vehicle outer side in the width direction. Each direction with respect to a vehicle pump assembly 13 is coincident with a corresponding direction with respect to the v