External Bearing Impeller Pump Radial Drive Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing external bearing vane pumps face premature wear and reliability issues due to exposure to ambient humidity and leaks, leading to difficulties in distinguishing between cosmetic and significant leaks, and require oversized bearings to withstand stresses.
Innovation Solution
The contact surface is modified to use the outer surface of the outer race of the bearing as a belt track, eliminating the pulley and allowing for a larger bearing diameter, with a radial plate extending from the transmission shaft to the outer cage of the bearing, and a dynamic seal or plug to contain leaks, increasing the reservoir volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bearing is placed outside the pump body, then the bearing is protected from moisture and leaks, but the reservoir volume for cosmetic leaks becomes small or nonexistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the bearing radially outward from the drive shaft, moving it to a different spatial dimension (radial direction) rather than along the axial direction. This dimensional change allows the bearing to be externally accessible while creating radial space between the bearing and pump body that can serve as a leak reservoir, thus resolving the contradiction between bearing protection and reservoir volume.
2Reliability
If the bearing diameter is increased to withstand expected stresses, then the bearing reliability increases, but the outer diameter of the bearing becomes limited by the pump body structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing from its traditional position within the pump body and relocates it to an external position on the drive shaft. This extraction removes the spatial constraints imposed by the pump body structure, allowing the bearing to have a larger outer diameter without interfering with the pump's internal components, thus enabling larger bearings for improved stress resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
By moving the bearing to a radial position external to the pump body, the patent utilizes the radial dimension for bearing placement rather than being constrained by the axial dimension within the pump housing. This dimensional transition allows for larger bearing diameters that can withstand higher stresses while maintaining compatibility with the pump's overall structure.
3Ease of operation
If a pulley is used to drive the impeller, then the belt transmission is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to stacking of components around the drive shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the function of the pulley with the bearing by making the bearing's outer race serve as the belt track. This consolidation eliminates the separate pulley component and reduces the number of stacked parts around the drive shaft, thereby simplifying the device structure while maintaining belt transmission functionality. The bearing simultaneously provides rotational support and serves as the driving element for the belt.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The pump has a pump body (11) with a radial flow impeller (12) mounted on a transmission shaft (15). A driving unit drives the shaft in rotation and has a contact surface driven in rotation by a transmission unit. The surface is integrated to the shaft and an outer cage (13b) of a rolling bearing (13). The rolling bearing has an inner cage mounted on a bearing (11a) of the body by being integrated to the pump. The contact surface is constituted by an outer surface of the outer cage.