Integrated Hydraulic Pump Actuator for Compact Vehicle Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lifting devices, particularly hydraulic systems, face challenges in compactness, ease of installation, and reliability, especially in applications requiring strong solicitations, such as vehicle suspension systems, due to complex hydraulic circuits and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A compact hydraulic lifting device integrated with a suspension damper, featuring a tubular core with an annular body, a bidirectional volumetric pump, and a pressure relief safety valve, powered by an electrical control circuit with a position sensor, allowing for simplified electrical connections and reduced encumbrance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hydraulic lifting device uses traditional cylinders with external pumps and pipes, then robustness and lifting capability are achieved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is integrated directly within the actuator housing, merging two previously separate components (pump and actuator) into a single unit. This eliminates the need for external hydraulic pipes and complex circuit layouts, reducing installation complexity while maintaining lifting capability through the combined pump-actuator mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator housing serves multiple functions: it contains the hydraulic fluid reservoir, houses the pump mechanism, provides the actuating cylinder chamber, and serves as the mounting structure. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall hydraulic system while maintaining robust lifting performance
2Reliability
If hydraulic lifting devices use external pumps and complex pipe connections, then reliable fluid delivery is achieved, but ease of installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the pump within the actuator housing, the system eliminates multiple external pipe connections and assembly steps. The pump draws fluid directly from the reservoir within the same housing and delivers it to the actuating cylinder chamber internally, ensuring reliable fluid delivery while dramatically simplifying installation to require only mounting the integrated unit
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated pump-actuator system is self-contained, with the pump automatically drawing hydraulic fluid from the internal reservoir and delivering it to the actuating cylinder chamber without requiring external piping or complex circuit assembly. This self-service capability ensures reliable operation while making installation straightforward
3Volume of moving object
If lifting devices are designed for compact integration with suspension dampers, then encumbrance is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump and actuator are merged into a single integrated housing unit, creating a compact assembly that can be closely coupled with suspension dampers. This integration reduces the overall volume and encumbrance of the lifting device while the unified housing structure provides inherent alignment features that reduce the need for high-precision field assembly
4Ease of repair
If traditional hydraulic systems use separate components with multiple connections, then ease of repair is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
While the pump and actuator are integrated into a single housing, the design maintains ease of repair by allowing the integrated unit to be replaced as a module. The reduction in external connections and simplified installation means fewer potential failure points in the field, and the compact integrated design can be pre-assembled and tested before installation, maintaining repairability while reducing overall system complexity
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 provides a reliable, cost-effective, and adaptable lifting mechanism that can be easily integrated into vehicle suspension systems, offering exceptional compactness and ease of installation while maintaining performance under harsh solicitations.
Implementation Method 1
a bidirectional volumetric electropump B for said hydraulic work fluid
Implementation Method 2
a variable volume reservoir containing a volume of hydraulic work fluid adapted for the variations of volume of said cylindrical gap chamber
Implementation Method 3
a pressure relief safety valve of over pressurized hydraulic work fluid from the chamber of the actuating cylinder back to the variable volume reservoir
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A hydraulic lifting device (1, 2, 3, Ctrl) of a machine, structure or vehicle body, for temporary needs, from a normal position to a higher position, has a hydraulic system integrated within an actuating cylinder, using a single dynamic seal for enhanced reliability and achieving a surprising compactness. The lifting device is driven through simple electrical connections and can be installed around a sustaining leg or stem (S) of a common car damper.