Variable Lubricant Vane Pump Plastic Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Variable lubricant vane pumps for internal combustion engines face efficiency issues due to thermal expansion differences between aluminum pump housings and sintered steel control rings, leading to leakage and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A variable lubricant vane pump design featuring a plastic static control ring housing body with integrated metal slide support pads, which minimizes friction wear and thermal expansion mismatches by using sintered steel for the control ring and aluminum for the housing lids, ensuring stable operation and reduced weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the pump housing is made of aluminum to reduce weight, then the pump weight is reduced, but the thermal expansion coefficient increases causing gap widening and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different materials for different parts of the pump housing. The control ring housing body is made of plastic with low thermal expansion coefficient to maintain dimensional stability and prevent leakage, while the pump housing lids can be made of aluminum for weight reduction. This localized material selection resolves the contradiction between weight reduction and leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining plastic and metal components in the pump housing structure. The control ring housing body is made of plastic while the lids can be metal, creating a composite structure that leverages the low thermal expansion of plastic for dimensional stability and the low density of aluminum for weight reduction, thus resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
2Reliability
If the control ring housing body is made of plastic to reduce thermal expansion, then leakage is minimized, but the friction-related wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the metal slide support pad - that mediates between the plastic control ring housing body and the moving control ring. The metal pad provides a low-friction, wear-resistant contact surface for the control ring, eliminating direct contact between the plastic housing and the control ring. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the plastic housing to minimize thermal expansion while the metal pad handles the friction and wear aspects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the control ring housing body into multiple functional parts: the main plastic housing body for dimensional stability and leakage prevention, and separate metal slide support pads for wear-resistant contact. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specialized function - the plastic body minimizes thermal expansion while the metal pads provide durable, low-friction support surfaces.
3Duration of action of moving object
If sintered steel control ring is used to reduce friction wear, then component lifetime is extended, but the thermal expansion mismatch with aluminum housing worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by changing the material of the control ring housing body from aluminum to plastic in the regions where thermal expansion stability is critical. This localized material change compensates for the thermal expansion mismatch between sintered steel control ring and aluminum, preventing gap widening and leakage while allowing the sintered steel control ring to continue providing its wear-resistant benefits.
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 design achieves a lightweight, durable, and thermally stable variable lubricant vane pump with reduced friction-related wear and minimized leakage, enhancing the pump's efficiency and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one metal slide support pad is fixed to the static control ring housing body and, together with the at least one slide support surface, provides a friction bearing for the shiftable control ring
Implementation Method 2
The shiftable control ring is configured to be shiftable with respect to the rotatable pump rotor so as to vary an eccentricity of the shiftable control ring with respect to the rotatable pump rotor so as to control a volumetric pump performance
Data Source
AI summary
A vane pump for providing a pressurized lubricant includes a static pump housing defining an inlet and an outlet, a shiftable control ring with at least one slide support surface, a pump rotor with rotor vanes which rotate within the control ring, and metal slide support pad(s). The control ring shifts with respect to the pump rotor to vary an eccentricity and to thereby control a volumetric pump performance. The pump housing comprises a static control ring housing body which radially surrounds and supports the control ring, and two static pump housing lids which axially support the control ring housing body and the control ring. The control ring housing body is made of plastic. The metal slide support pad(s) is fixed to the static control ring housing body and, together with the at least one slide support surface, provides a friction bearing for the control ring.