Resin Oil Pump Cover Rib Structure for Stable Side Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oil pumps used for automotive lubrication systems, the resin pump cover and metal rotor components experience different thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli, leading to varying side clearances due to temperature and pressure changes, resulting in oil leakage and degraded pump performance.
Innovation Solution
A resin pump cover with a rib structure on its outer surface, designed to counteract thermal expansion and pressure forces, maintaining optimal side clearance and preventing oil leakage by providing additional structural support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a resin pump cover is used to reduce weight, then the weight of the oil pump is reduced, but the pump cover deforms under temperature and pressure changes causing side clearance variation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds ribs to the outer surface of the pump cover, transforming a two-dimensional flat surface into a three-dimensional structured surface. These ribs extend in the axial direction and provide additional structural support that resists deformation under thermal and pressure loads, while maintaining the overall lightweight resin construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local reinforcement by adding ribs only to specific regions of the pump cover where structural support is needed, rather than making the entire cover thicker. The ribs are positioned to counteract the specific deformation patterns caused by thermal expansion and pressure differentials, providing targeted structural enhancement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the thickness of the pump cover is increased to prevent deformation, then the shape stability is improved, but the weight reduction benefit is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing thickness in the radial direction, the invention adds structural elements (ribs) that extend in the axial direction. This dimensional approach provides structural reinforcement without increasing the overall thickness or weight of the pump cover, maintaining the weight advantage of resin materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the pump cover structure by adding discrete ribs that divide the cover into multiple sections. These ribs act as independent structural supports that collectively provide enhanced rigidity and resistance to deformation, achieving the structural integrity of a thicker cover without the weight penalty.
3Productivity
If a resin pump cover is used instead of metal, then productivity and weight are improved, but the side clearance varies due to different thermal expansion coefficients
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds axial ribs to the pump cover outer surface, creating a three-dimensional structured design that compensates for the resin material's higher thermal expansion coefficient. These ribs maintain the cover's shape stability, ensuring consistent side clearance between the rotor and pump cover across temperature variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies localized structural reinforcement through ribs positioned at critical areas of the pump cover where shape stability is most needed. This targeted approach maintains manufacturing precision for side clearance while preserving the overall lightweight resin construction and manufacturing productivity advantages.
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 rib structure effectively maintains the shape of the pump cover, ensuring consistent side clearance and improving ejection performance by absorbing thermal and pressure-induced deformations, comparable to metal pump covers without increasing weight.
Implementation Method 1
the pump cover made of the resin has the thermal expansion coefficient and the Young's modulus which are higher than those of the rotor made of the metal, a gap in an axial direction formed between the pump cover and the rotor, i.e., a side clearance, tends to vary. As the temperature and the pressure of the oil increase, a size to of the side clearance between the pump cover and the rotor increases only by an increment k due to thermal expansion
Implementation Method 2
the rib structure effectively maintains the shape of the pump cover, ensuring consistent side clearance and improving ejection performance by absorbing thermal and pressure-induced deformations
Data Source
AI summary
An oil pump is configured to include a rotor, a drive shaft that drives the rotor to rotate, a rotor chamber in which the rotor is contained, an inlet port and an outlet port each provided in the vicinity of the rotor chamber, and a pump cover. The pump cover is made of a resin. On a portion of an outer surface side of the pump cover corresponding to an inner portion, in which oil circulates, of the pump cover, a rib that has an erecting wall shape is provided.