Integrated Pump Gear Layout for Fewer Parts and Lower Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electric oil pumps (EOP) have a high number of parts and increased size due to separate motor and pump regions, leading to manufacturing cost and miniaturization challenges, as well as fluid leakage and noise issues.

Innovation Solution

A pump design with a housing, stator, and integrated gear system where the external gear has a magnet with a smaller curvature surface and an accommodating groove, reducing the need for a rotation shaft and partitioning the motor and pump regions, thereby minimizing parts and size while embedding the stator for protection and reducing noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the motor region and pump region are kept separate in conventional EOP design, then the pump can be assembled, but the number of parts increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the motor region and pump region into a single integrated structure where the housing serves both functions. The stator is disposed inside the housing which also contains the pump gear, eliminating the need for separate motor housing and pump housing. This integration reduces the number of parts and simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the functional independence of motor and pump operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Volume of moving object

If the motor region and pump region are kept separate in conventional EOP design, then the pump can operate, but the overall size increases in the axial direction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct sizeVSAvoidfunctional operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a conventional axial arrangement where motor and pump regions are stacked in the axial direction to a radial arrangement where the pump gear is disposed radially inside the housing containing the stator. This dimensional reorganization allows the pump region to occupy the radial space within the motor region, significantly reducing the overall axial length while maintaining both functional regions' operational independence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If a rotation shaft is used to connect motor and pump regions, then rotational force can be transmitted, but the risk of fluid leakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid sealingVSAvoidfluid leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the rotation shaft component from the system. Instead of using a rotation shaft to connect and transmit rotational force from the motor region to the pump region, the invention allows the pump gear to be directly driven by the stator's magnetic field within the same housing. This elimination of the rotation shaft removes the potential leakage path at the shaft sealing interface, thereby improving fluid sealing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the stator is exposed in conventional design, then the structure is simple, but fluid leakage and noise occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid leakage and noiseVSAvoidhousing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested structure where the stator is disposed inside the housing, and the pump gear is disposed inside the housing containing the stator. This nested arrangement allows the housing to serve multiple functions: containing the stator, containing the pump gear, and providing fluid sealing. The nested configuration effectively isolates the stator from direct fluid exposure while reducing noise from the pump operations, all within a unified housing structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

This design reduces the number of parts, lowers manufacturing costs, miniaturizes the product, inhibits fluid leakage, and decreases noise by integrating the gear system within the housing.

Implementation Method 1

a stator disposed inside the housing; a pump gear disposed to correspond to the stator and including an external gear and an internal gear; and a magnet disposed on the external gear

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic interaction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS12168979B2Pump configured to reduce number of parts and lower manufacturing cost

Publication Date: 2024.12.17 LG INNOTEK CO LTD

AI summary

A pump comprises: a housing: a stator disposed inside the housing; a pump gear which is disposed to correspond to the stator and which includes an external gear and an internal gear; and a magnet disposed on the external gear, wherein the magnet includes a first outer circumferential surface, the external gear includes a second outer circumferential surface, and the curvature of the first outer circumferential surface can be smaller than the curvature of the second outer circumferential surface.