Series Booster Pump Drive Unit for Straddled Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In drive units where an engine main body unit and a transmission unit are integrated and lubricated by shared oil, enhancing booster pump functions leads to an increase in size, as existing booster pumps are not efficiently designed to handle the large number of components, necessitating a solution to restrain size growth while improving pump performance.
Innovation Solution
The booster pump is divided into smaller pumps connected in series without an oil tank, leveraging the available space around rotational shafts, allowing each pump to be downsized while maintaining enhanced functionality, and driven by rotational force from the engine or transmission unit, thereby optimizing space utilization and reducing overall unit size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the booster pump functions are enhanced to supply high-pressure oil to multiple components, then the discharge pressure and discharge amount are improved, but the size of the booster pump increases
Solution Approach 1:
The booster pump is divided into a first booster pump and a second booster pump that operate in series. The first booster pump supplies oil to the engine main body unit, while the second booster pump supplies oil to the transmission unit. This segmentation allows each pump to be smaller while collectively providing enhanced discharge pressure and discharge amount to multiple components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of components supplied with lubrication oil is increased, then the lubrication coverage is improved, but the space required for oil supply pathways increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oil supply pathways of the first and second booster pumps are merged into a shared lubrication oil supply mechanism. The pumps are connected in series without an intervening oil tank, allowing lubrication oil to be efficiently distributed to both the engine main body unit and transmission unit through integrated pathways, improving lubrication coverage while minimizing space requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If an oil tank is added to store lubrication oil for multiple components, then the lubrication supply capacity is improved, but the overall size of the drive unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oil tank is extracted from the system and replaced by a direct series connection between the first and second booster pumps. The pumps are positioned to utilize small spaces around rotational shafts of the engine main body unit and transmission unit, eliminating the need for a separate oil tank while maintaining adequate lubrication supply capacity to multiple components.
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 configuration effectively enhances booster pump functions while preventing an increase in drive unit size, ensuring efficient lubrication and hydraulic pressure distribution to engine and transmission components without unnecessary size expansion.
Implementation Method 1
a first booster pump configured to pressurize shared lubrication oil by which both the engine main body unit and the transmission unit are lubricated
Implementation Method 2
a second booster pump driven by rotational force of one of rotational shafts of the engine main body unit and the transmission unit and configured to pressurize a part of the shared lubrication oil which has been pressurized by the first booster pump
Implementation Method 3
the second booster pump driven by rotational force of one of rotational shafts of the engine main body unit and the transmission unit
Data Source
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AI summary
An object is to restrain increase in size of a drive unit while enhancing booster pump functions, in the drive unit which includes an engine main body unit and a transmission unit which are lubricated by shared oil. A drive unit (11) for a straddled vehicle includes an engine main body unit (20), a transmission unit (21), and a shared lubrication oil supply mechanism (22). The shared lubrication oil supply mechanism (22) includes a first booster pump (80A) which pressurizes the shared lubrication oil lubricating both the engine main body unit (20) and the transmission unit (21) and a second booster pump (80B) which pressurizes at least part of the shared lubrication oil which has been pressurized by the first booster pump (80A) and which is in a positive pressure condition.