Pump Housing Blind Bore Line Routing for Weight Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pump housings for motor vehicle hydraulic units face challenges in achieving a compact, lightweight design while maintaining operational reliability and minimizing production costs, as they require complex inner line structures and additional features like 'balconies' to accommodate master cylinder connection openings, leading to increased material usage and assembly complexities.

Innovation Solution

The design features connecting lines between master cylinder and pump element openings that extend from a side surface opposite to the main cylinder openings, forming a blind hole within the pump housing, which reduces external dimensions and weight by allowing more material to be discharged internally, and eliminates the need for ball caulking and 'balconies, thereby simplifying assembly and reducing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If connecting lines are routed from a side surface adjacent to the master cylinder openings through the master cylinder openings to the pump element openings, then the drilling paths are particularly short and production costs are low, but the pump housing requires additional material and structural features like 'balconies' increasing weight and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidpump housing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional routing approach by routing connecting lines from the side surface opposite to the master cylinder openings, through the pump element openings first, and then to the master cylinder openings. This reversal eliminates the need for 'balconies' and reduces material usage while maintaining short drilling paths and low production costs

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

2Weight of stationary object

If the pump housing is designed with compact dimensions and reduced material, then weight and cost are reduced, but the inner line structure becomes more complex and assembly becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepump housing weightVSAvoidinner line structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the routing of multiple connecting lines through a common path from the opposite side surface, allowing them to pass through pump element openings and converge toward master cylinder openings. This unified approach simplifies the inner line structure while achieving compact dimensions and reduced weight

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If master cylinder connection openings are arranged on a 'balcony' structure, then assembly freedom is created, but the pump housing requires additional material and structural complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly freedomVSAvoidpump housing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary 'balcony' structure by routing connecting lines from the opposite side surface through the pump housing interior. This removal simplifies the pump housing structure while maintaining adequate assembly freedom through the optimized line routing path

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2456644B1Pump housing of a motor vehicle hydraulic unit with at least one main cylinder connection opening
Publication Date: 2014.03.05 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2456644B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2456644B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2456644B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

In a pump housing (56) of a motor vehicle hydraulic unit which has at least one side surface (18), at least one main cylinder connection opening (44; 46), at least one pump element opening (28, 30) and a connecting line (58; 60) which connects the at least one main cylinder connection opening (44; 46) to the at least one pump element opening (28; 30) and is designed as a blind bore into the pump housing (56), the blind bore of the connecting line (58; 60) extends, according to the invention, from the at least one side surface (18) initially through the at least one pump element opening (28; 30) and subsequently into the at least one main cylinder connection opening (44; 46).