Gear pump and printing apparatus provided with same

A manufacturing method for a gear pump for transporting a fluid comprising:

• providing a pump casing;
• and
• providing a gear assembly in the pump casing, the gear assembly including
• a driving gear,
• a driven gear that meshes with the driving gear,
• a driving gear shaft to which the driving gear is attached,
• a driven gear shaft to which the driven gear is attached, and
• a bearing frame that rotatably supports the driving gear shaft and rotatably supports the driven gear shaft,
• the bearing frame including
• a frame main body,
• first and second driving side bearing portions which are provided in the frame main body and which support the driving gear shaft, and
• first and second driven side bearing portions which are provided in the frame main body and which support the driven gear shaft,
• the frame main body having first and second bearing support portions which are disposed away from each other in an axial direction of the driving gear shaft and a connecting portion which connects the first and second bearing support portions with respect to each other, the first driving side bearing portion and the first driven side bearing portion being provided in the first bearing support portion, the second driving side bearing portion and the second driven side bearing portion being provided in the second bearing support portion,
• the providing of the gear assembly including integrally forming the first and second bearing support portions and the connecting portion as a one-piece member.

A gear pump for transporting a fluid comprising:

• a pump casing;
• and
• a gear assembly which is accommodated in the pump casing,
• the gear assembly including
• a driving gear,
• a driven gear that meshes with the driving gear,
• a driving gear shaft to which the driving gear is attached,
• a driven gear shaft to which the driven gear is attached, and
• a bearing frame that rotatably supports the driving gear shaft and rotatably supports the driven gear shaft,
• the bearing frame including
• a frame main body,
• a pair of driving side bearing portions which is provided in the frame main body and which supports the driving gear shaft, and
• a pair of driven side bearing portions which is provided in the frame main body and which supports the driven gear shaft,
• the frame main body having a pair of bearing support portions, in which the driving side bearing portion and the driven side bearing portion are provided, and a connecting portion which connects the bearing support portions, the bearing support portions and the connecting portion being integrally formed as a one-piece member,
• each of the driving gear shaft, the driven gear shaft, the driving side bearing portion, and the driven side bearing portion is formed of an alumina ceramic.