Fluid pump with thrust bearing driver

1. A fluid pump comprising:

a housing;

an inlet plate disposed within the housing, the inlet plate having an inlet which introduces fluid to the housing;

an outlet plate disposed within the housing, the outlet plate having an outlet passage;

an outlet which discharges fluid from the housing;

the inlet, outlet passage, and outlet being in fluid communication with each other;

an electric motor disposed with the housing between the outlet plate and the outlet, the electric motor having a shaft that rotates about an axis;

a pumping arrangement rotationally coupled to the shaft such that rotation of the pumping arrangement by the shaft causes fluid to be pumped from the inlet to the outlet passage and through the outlet, the pumping arrangement being located axially between the inlet plate and the outlet plate, and the pumping arrangement including a rotating element; and

a thrust bearing driver including a disc-like plate having first and second faces, and two posts extending perpendicularly from the first face;

the shaft having a terminal end including a pair of slots that cooperate with the posts of the thrust bearing driver;

the rotating element having an inner surface including a pair of slots that cooperate with the posts of the thrust bearing driver;

wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver are received in the slots of both the shaft and the rotating element, and the thrust bearing driver is sandwiched between the shaft, the inlet plate, and the rotating element.

2. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

3. The fluid pump of claim 2 , wherein the slots of the shaft have a shape that complements the cross-sectional shape of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

4. The fluid pump of claim 2 , wherein the slots of the rotating element have a shape that complements the cross-sectional shape of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

5. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver have a circular cross-sectional shape.

6. The fluid pump of claim 5 , wherein the slots of the shaft have a shape that complements the cross-sectional shape of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

7. The fluid pump of claim 5 , wherein the slots of the rotating element have a shape that complements the cross-sectional shape of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

8. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver have an outer portion that includes a rounded surface and an inner portion that includes a flat surface.

9. The fluid pump of claim 8 , wherein the slots of the shaft have a shape that complements the flat surface of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

10. The fluid pump of claim 8 , wherein the slots of the rotating element have a shape that complements the rounded surface of the posts of the thrust bearing driver.

11. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver are symmetrically arranged on the first face of the plate.

12. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the posts of the thrust bearing driver are arranged proximate an outer edge of the plate.

13. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the terminal end of the shaft engages the first face of the plate.

14. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the second face of the plate engages a surface of the inlet plate.

15. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the slots of the thrust bearing driver mate with the slots of the shaft and the slots of the rotating element to couple the shaft to the rotating element.

16. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the thrust bearing driver is sandwiched between the shaft and the inlet plate in an axial direction, and the thrust bearing driver is sandwiched between the shaft and the rotating element in a radial direction.

17. The fluid pump of claim 1 , wherein the rotating element is an inner gear rotor that together with an outer gear rotor form the pumping arrangement.