Self-aligning Pump Rotor with Oblique Tapered Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid pumps with rotating kits require precise assembly and specialized tools, making field serviceability difficult due to small dimensional tolerances that can lead to excessive wear and mechanical inefficiency if axial ends contact adjacent surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A self-aligning rotor design with an oblique tapered surface and pivot line allows for angular misalignment, enabling assembly and service without specialized tools, reducing wear and improving manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If precise dimensions and precise placement of the rotating component are used, then mechanical efficiency is improved, but assembly and disassembly require specialized tools making field serviceability difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly is designed with self-aligning features including tapered surfaces and pivot lines that enable the rotor to automatically align itself with the shaft during assembly. This self-alignment capability eliminates the need for specialized alignment tools and expertise, allowing field service personnel to perform assembly and disassembly operations without requiring factory-level tooling while maintaining the precise dimensional relationships necessary for mechanical efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces geometric parameters such as tapered surfaces with specific angles and pivot line positions that transform the assembly process. By changing the geometric parameters of the rotor assembly interface, the system transitions from requiring precise manual alignment to enabling self-aligning through controlled geometric relationships, thereby improving field serviceability while preserving mechanical efficiency
2Reliability
If small dimensional tolerances are maintained, then mechanical efficiency is preserved, but excessive wear occurs if axial ends contact adjacent surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces intermediary geometric features including tapered surfaces and pivot lines that act as mediators between the rotor and shaft. These intermediary features guide the alignment process and distribute contact forces, preventing direct contact between axial ends and adjacent surfaces. The tapered surfaces serve as intermediate alignment elements that gradually guide the rotor into proper position, eliminating harmful point contacts that would cause excessive wear while maintaining the small dimensional tolerances necessary for mechanical efficiency
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized tools are used for assembly, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly incorporates self-aligning geometric features that enable the assembly process to be self-guiding. The tapered surfaces and pivot lines automatically establish the correct angular and positional relationships between components during assembly. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex specialized alignment tools, measurement equipment, and expert intervention, thereby reducing device complexity and assembly tooling requirements while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs asymmetric geometric features such as tapered surfaces with specific angles and offset pivot lines that create a unique alignment path. This asymmetric geometry ensures that the rotor can only be properly assembled in the correct orientation, providing built-in alignment guidance without requiring complex tooling. The asymmetric design simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for specialized alignment tools while maintaining precise dimensional relationships
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary fluid device having a housing that defines a pumping chamber, a shaft disposed in the housing, and a rotor disposed in the pumping chamber and engaged with the shaft. The rotor includes a body which defines a bore that includes an oblique tapered surface. A pivot line is disposed along the tapered surface. The pivot line is a circumferential line at which the rotor pivots. A method for manufacturing a rotor includes turning an outer peripheral surface of the rotor. A bore is formed in the rotor. The bore includes an oblique tapered surface that has a pivot line disposed along the tapered surface, wherein the pivot line is a circumferential line at which the rotor pivots.