Integrated Gear Pump Housing for Leak-Resistant Hydraulic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic control units and systems face issues with leakage and corrosion due to piecemeal connections, leading to fluid loss and pressure losses, and existing integrated solutions are bulky, requiring excessive material and weight for protection.
Innovation Solution
An integrated hydraulic control unit design that incorporates a gear pump assembly within a compact housing, minimizing encasement redundancies, reducing leak paths, and using a lightweight, corrosion-resistant material to protect the gear pump from external elements, while maintaining efficiency through optimized fluid pathways and sealing mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If piecemeal connections are used in hydraulic control units, then ease of assembly and manufacturing flexibility are improved, but leakage and corrosion increase leading to fluid loss and pressure losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the gear pump assembly directly into the hydraulic control unit housing, eliminating separate piecemeal connections. The gear pump assembly includes an integrated motor assembly with the pump housing forming a single unified structure, removing multiple connection points where leakage and corrosion could occur. This merging of components directly addresses the reliability issue while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular integration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If separate encasements are used to protect components from corrosion, then corrosion protection is improved, but weight and material cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single integrated housing that simultaneously serves as the structural enclosure and corrosion protection for the gear pump assembly. The housing is designed as a unified component that encapsulates the pump, motor, and fluid pathways, eliminating the need for separate protective encasements. This integration reduces total material usage and weight while maintaining adequate corrosion protection through the housing material selection and design.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing performs multiple functions: it provides structural support, encapsulates internal components, prevents corrosion, and defines fluid pathways. By making the housing multi-functional, the patent eliminates redundant protective encasements, reducing weight and material cost while maintaining all necessary protection functions.
3Power
If axial piston pumps are used in hydraulic control systems, then pumping capability is achieved, but device size increases due to reciprocating axial piston and actuation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex reciprocating axial piston mechanism with a gear-based pumping system. The gear pump assembly uses rotating gears instead of reciprocating pistons and actuation mechanisms, significantly reducing the volume required for the pumping function. This mechanical substitution maintains adequate pumping capability while dramatically reducing device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear pump design utilizes fluid dynamics and hydraulic principles to achieve pumping action through gear rotation, eliminating the need for large mechanical actuation mechanisms. The fluid is pumped through the interaction of rotating gears with the housing, creating compact and efficient fluid displacement without complex mechanical linkages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively minimizes leakage, reduces material usage, and achieves a compact size, thereby enhancing the reliability and efficiency of hydraulic control systems while protecting the gear pump from corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
a gear pump assembly (600) integrated within the hydraulic control unit (1). The gear pump assembly (600) comprises a pump housing (620), an inlet area (601) and an outlet area (603). The gear pump assembly (600) can be configured to pump fluid from an inlet area (601) to an outlet area (603).
Implementation Method 2
The motor assembly can be sealed to the gear pump assembly via a first seal (61) and a second seal (62).
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A hydraulic control unit comprises a housing, an accumulator, a gear pump assembly, and a motor. The housing comprises an accumulator compartment, a gear pump compartment, and a flow path section connecting the gear pump compartment and the accumulator compartment, the flow path section comprising at least a supply path and a pressurizing path. The accumulator in the accumulator compartment comprises a movable piston dividing the accumulator compartment into a high pressure reservoir and a low pressure reservoir. A gear pump assembly is in the gear pump compartment. The gear pump assembly is configured to draw return fluid from the low pressure reservoir via the supply path and to pump pressurized fluid through the pressurizing path to accumulate in the high pressure reservoir. A motor assembly is connected to the gear pump compartment of the housing and is configured to power the gear pump assembly.