Vehicle Oil Pump Plate Design for Flexible Oil Passage Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil pumps for vehicles with a two-layer structure, including a rear cover and a pump body, limit flexibility in oil passage design, often requiring an additional independent oil passage, which increases production costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a plate made of higher-strength metal between the rear cover and the pump body, allowing the pump chamber to be formed between the plate and either the rear cover or the pump body, thus eliminating the need for an independent oil passage and enhancing durability through sliding contact with the plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a two-layer structure with rear cover and pump body is used, then the pump chamber can be formed, but flexibility in oil passage design is limited and additional independent oil passage is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a plate component that creates a new dimensional layer between the rear cover and pump body. The pump chamber is formed between the plate and pump body, while oil passages are formed between the plate and rear cover, utilizing the third dimension (thickness direction) to separate functional zones and eliminate the need for additional independent oil passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pump assembly into three distinct components: rear cover, plate, and pump body. This segmentation allows independent formation of pump chamber and oil passages in different spatial zones, with the plate serving as both a structural support and a boundary element that enables flexible oil passage routing without requiring additional passages.
2Weight of moving object
If light metal is used for rear cover and pump body, then weight is reduced, but strength and deformation resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material strategy by using light metal for the rear cover and pump body to minimize weight, while introducing a steel plate as a reinforcement element. The steel plate provides high strength and deformation resistance where structurally critical, while the light metal components maintain overall weight efficiency. This composite approach optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio of the pump assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by strategically placing the high-strength steel plate within the pump assembly at the location where deformation resistance is most critical (between the rear cover and pump body). This localized reinforcement provides necessary structural support without requiring the entire pump assembly to be made of heavy high-strength material, thus maintaining weight efficiency while addressing specific strength requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An oil pump for a vehicle includes a driven gear, a drive gear, a pump body, and a plate. The drive gear engages the driven gear. The pump body is secured to a rear cover of a transaxle case. The plate is interposed between the rear cover and the pump body. A pump chamber is formed between the rear cover and the pump body. The driven gear and the drive gear are housed in the pump chamber. The pump chamber is formed: between the plate and the pump body, or between the plate and the rear cover.