IP Library Granted Patent US 12,392,331
Granted Patent B2
US 12,392,331 · App. 17/889,051 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Hydraulic pump with two-stage operation

Inventors: Nathan Adam Hughes (Cottage Grove, WI); Curtis L. Van Weelden (Waukesha, WI)
Assignee: Enerpac Tool Group Corp.
F04B1/04F04B39/10F04B17/06F04B23/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,392,331
App. No.
17/889,051
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pump may generally include a frame including a reservoir. The reservoir stores a hydraulic fluid. The pump may also include a motor assembly supported by the frame and a pump assembly operably driven by the motor assembly. The pump assembly is in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to dispense the hydraulic fluid out of the frame. The pump assembly includes a first piston and a second piston, wherein the first piston dispenses hydraulic fluid out of the frame between a first pressure and a second pressure greater than the first pressure, and the second piston dispenses hydraulic fluid out of the frame between the first pressure and a third pressure, the third pressure being greater than the second pressure.

Claims (28)

1. A pump comprising:

a frame including a reservoir configured to store hydraulic fluid;

a motor assembly supported by the frame;

a pump assembly operably driven by the motor assembly, the pump assembly being in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to dispense hydraulic fluid out of the frame, the pump assembly including a first piston and a second piston;

a hub having an outer surface defining a first passageway communicating with the first piston and a second passageway spaced from the first passageway and communicating with the second piston, the first passageway and the second passageway being in communication with a pump outlet; and

a first valve having a first position in which the first passageway and the second passageway each communicate with the pump outlet, and a second position in which the first passageway is prevented from communicating with the pump outlet while the second passageway is communicating with the pump outlet.

2. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the first piston includes a plurality of first pistons, and the second piston includes a plurality of second pistons, and wherein each of the first pistons is positioned between two second pistons.

3. The pump of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft connected to the pump assembly, the shaft being configured to be driven by the motor assembly, and wherein the hub is positioned around the shaft.

4. The pump of claim 3 , further comprising an eccentric member coupled to the shaft proximate the pump assembly, the eccentric member selectively engaging at least one of the first piston and the second piston, and wherein the hub is positioned between the eccentric member and the motor assembly.

5. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the hub is cylindrical and the outer surface is curved.

6. The pump of claim 5 , wherein each of the first passageway and the second passageway extends around the periphery of the outer surface.

7. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the first piston is configured to dispense hydraulic fluid to the pump outlet through the first passageway, and wherein the pump assembly further comprises an outlet valve positioned between the first passageway and the pump outlet, the outlet valve being configured to selectively inhibit hydraulic fluid from flowing from the first passageway to the pump outlet and to redirect hydraulic fluid from the first passageway to the reservoir.

8. The pump of claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly has a one-piece shaft that is shared with the motor assembly and that is rotatable by the motor assembly and has an eccentric outer surface for driving the pump assembly.

9. The pump of claim 1 , further comprising first feet positioned on a first surface of the frame and second feet positioned on a second surface of the frame, the second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface, wherein the pump is operable when supported by either the first feet or the second feet, and

wherein the hydraulic fluid is communicated with the reservoir when the pump is supported by either the first feet or the second feet.

10. The pump of claim 1 , wherein a shaft is configured to receive rotational output from the motor assembly, the shaft including an eccentric member at an end of the shaft.

11. The pump of claim 10 , further comprising a bushing positioned around the eccentric member of the shaft, the bushing selectively engaging at least one of the first piston and the second piston.

12. A pump comprising:

a frame including a reservoir configured to store hydraulic fluid; a motor assembly supported by the frame;

a pump assembly operably driven by the motor assembly, the pump assembly being in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pump assembly including a first piston, a second piston, and a valve, the first piston being configured to dispense hydraulic fluid out of the frame, the second piston being configured to dispense hydraulic fluid out of the frame, the valve being configured to selectively inhibit hydraulic fluid dispensed via compression by the first piston from flowing out of an outlet of the pump assembly to thereby reduce a flow of the hydraulic fluid out of the outlet as compared to when uninhibited by the valve; and

a heat exchanger including a tube and a plurality of fins each disposed around the tube, the tube receiving hydraulic fluid dispensed by the first piston when the valve inhibits hydraulic fluid dispensed by the first piston from flowing out of the frame, the hydraulic fluid traveling through the tube to the reservoir.

13. The pump of claim 12 , further comprising:

a radial fan configured to cool the motor assembly, the radial fan being positioned proximate one end of the frame;

a fan inlet positioned adjacent an opposite end of the frame; and a fan outlet positioned adjacent the one end of the frame; and

wherein air flows through the fan inlet, across the heat exchanger, through the radial fan, and radially through the fan outlet.

14. The pump of claim 12 , wherein the valve is an outlet valve, and wherein the pump assembly further comprises a housing supporting the first piston and the second piston, and an inlet valve configured to allow flow from the reservoir to the housing and to prevent flow from the housing to the reservoir.

15. The pump of claim 12 , wherein the frame further includes a frame valve having an open position, in which hydraulic fluid is configured to travel toward the reservoir through the heat exchanger, and a closed position, in which hydraulic fluid is configured to travel from the outlet of the pump assembly to an outlet of the frame.

16. The pump of claim 15 , further comprising an actuator configured to adjust the frame valve between the open position and the closed position.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 16, 2022
From: HUGHES, NATHAN ADAMS; VAN WEELDEN, CURTIS L.
To: ACTUANT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060823/0128 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 16, 2022
From: ACTUANT CORPORATION
To: ENERPAC TOOL GROUP CORP.
Reel/Frame 061201/0203 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15981869 · May 16, 2018
Provisional Application 62507130 · May 16, 2017
Related Publication 20230039274A1 · Feb 9, 2023
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