Gear Pump Plate Member Branching Intake Discharge Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gear pumps face challenges in reducing oil pressure loss and improving pump performance due to the difficulty in forming branched intake and joined discharge oil paths using a single plate member without crossing, leading to smaller oil path areas and increased pressure loss.

Innovation Solution

The gear pump design incorporates a single plate member with separate communication paths between intake and discharge spaces, allowing fluid distribution from a single intake port to multiple intake spaces and joining fluid from multiple discharge spaces at a single discharge port, thereby increasing the oil path area and reducing pressure loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If multiple plate members are combined to form branched intake and joined discharge oil paths, then the oil path connectivity is achieved, but the plate member thickness must be reduced which decreases the oil path area and increases pressure loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil path connectivityVSAvoidpressure loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the plate member into multiple functional regions: an intake path formation region with first and second intake paths branching from a single intake port, and a discharge path formation region with first and second discharge paths joining to a single discharge port. This segmentation allows complex flow path functionality to be achieved within a single plate member without requiring multiple thin plates, thereby maintaining sufficient oil path area while achieving the required connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If a single plate member is used to form oil paths, then the structure is simplified, but it is difficult to form branched intake and joined discharge paths without crossing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplate member structureVSAvoidoil path formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the thickness dimension of the plate member to resolve the contradiction. By forming intake paths and discharge paths in different regions (intake path formation region and discharge path formation region) along the thickness direction, the patent enables complex branched and joined paths without crossing. The first and second intake paths branch in one region while the first and second discharge paths join in another region, allowing the single plate member to achieve complex connectivity functionality that would otherwise require multiple plates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3693604B1Gear pump
Publication Date: 2023.12.06 TBK CO LTD
  • EP3693604B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3693604B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3693604B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A gear pump comprises an internal gear (10), a first external gear (20) and a second external gear (30), a case member (50) having a one end side accommodation portion (52) for retaining these gears (10,20,30), an other end side accommodation portion (53) at other end side and a partition wall portion (54) therebetween, a cover member (70) and a plate member (80). A pump chamber (P) defined inside the internal gear (10) is divided into a first pump chamber (P1) which has a first intake-discharge space (L1) and a first discharge-intake space (H1), and a second pump chamber (P2)chich has a second intake-discharge space (L2) and a second discharge-intake space (H2). The plate member has a first communication path (81) and a second communication path (82) between the plate member (80) and the cover member (70). The one side communication passage (57) is communicated with the first communication path (81). Two penetrating holes (82b,82c) are formed on the plate member (80). An other side communication passage (82a), which communicate the two penetrating holes (82b,82c) with each other, is formed between the plate member (80) and the cover member (70).