Gear Wheel Pump Sealing and Connection Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gear pumps face challenges with sealing wear due to constant friction, limited tightness of gear-end face seals, and difficulty in disassembling the drive shaft and gear wheel connection, leading to potential contamination and complex maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of sealing means, such as spaced-apart sealing rings on the drive shaft, and a non-rotatable connection mechanism like a pin in a shaped groove or polygonal shapes, ensures effective sealing and easy disassembly, while a scavenging duct system facilitates thorough flushing of paint residues without dismantling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sealing means are added between drive shaft and gear wheel, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A sealing ring is introduced as an intermediary element between the drive shaft and gear wheel to seal the gap. The sealing ring fits into a circumferential sealing groove on the drive shaft, creating an effective seal without requiring complex structural modifications to the drive shaft or gear wheel themselves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing solution is segmented into discrete components: a sealing ring that can be independently installed in a sealing groove. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be added without redesigning the entire drive shaft-gear wheel assembly, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If connecting means are provided between drive shaft and gear wheel, then torque transmission is improved, but disassembly ease deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetorque transmissionVSAvoiddisassembly ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The connection between drive shaft and gear wheel is segmented into modular components with standardized interfaces. The drive shaft has a polygonal cross-section that engages with a corresponding polygonal bore in the gear wheel, creating a form-fitting connection that transmits torque effectively while allowing straightforward assembly and disassembly through simple alignment and insertion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using traditional fastening methods like keys or splines that require complex alignment and tools for assembly/disassembly, the invention inverts the approach by using a polygonal form-fit connection. The polygonal shape provides both the torque transmission strength and the ease of engagement through simple insertion, eliminating the need for additional fastening elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If gap sealing is improved, then paint residue contamination is reduced, but drive power increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaint residue contaminationVSAvoiddrive power
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing ring acts as a mediator that prevents paint residues from contaminating the gap between the drive shaft and gear wheel. By providing a dedicated sealing element, the system achieves effective contamination prevention without requiring excessive sealing force that would increase drive power requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing ring functions as a flexible sealing element that can deform slightly to accommodate manufacturing tolerances and operational variations. This flexibility allows the seal to maintain effectiveness without requiring high sealing forces, thus avoiding increased drive power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP2122175B1Gear wheel pump
Publication Date: 2015.07.29 OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2122175B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2122175B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2122175B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a gear wheel pump with two meshing gear wheels which are rotatably mounted within a pump housing by means of a driven driveshaft and a crankshaft journal and which form a pumping channel system between a pump inlet and a pump outlet. Several gaps are formed between the pump housing, the gear wheels, the driveshaft, and the crankshaft journal. One of the gaps between the driveshaft and one of the gear wheels contains means for the rotationally fixed connection of the driveshaft to the gear wheel. In order to prevent leakages penetrating to the connecting means, according to the invention the gap between the driveshaft and the gear wheel is sealed, with respect to the front faces of the gear wheel, by means of a sealant.