Gear pump for venting trapped volume

An external gear pump comprising:

• a housing including a peripheral wall forming an enclosure and defining an inlet and a discharge port;
• an end plate disposed within the housing wherein the end plate defines
• a first recessed area,
• a second recessed area,
• a bridge disposed between a discharge channel and an inlet channel, each defined by the second recessed area, wherein the bridge defines a relief portion;
• a first gear, including a first tooth and a second tooth, disposed within the first recessed area and configured to rotate about a first rotational axis;
• and
• a second gear, disposed within the second recessed area and configured to rotate about a second rotational axis, including a third tooth, wherein when the first gear and the second gear are arranged in a first relative position, the third tooth engages the first tooth and the second tooth to form a pressure pocket, and wherein the relief portion is configured to communicate fluid from the pressure pocket to the discharge port,
• wherein the end plate defines a transverse axis that extends between the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis, wherein the bridge includes a first portion, disposed on one side of the transverse axis, and a second portion, disposed on another side of the transverse axis, wherein the first portion defines a first recessed finger cut and a third recessed finger cut connected to one another by a first intermediary portion, having a first length, and the second portion defines a second recessed finger cut and a fourth recessed finger cut connected to one another by a second intermediary portion, having a second length less than the first length, and
• wherein the first recessed finger cut defines a first end point and the second recessed finger defines a second end point, wherein the first end point is spaced apart from the transverse axis by a first height and the second end point is spaced apart from the transverse axis by a second height that is greater than or equal to the first height.

An external gear pump comprising:

• a housing including a peripheral wall forming an enclosure and defining an inlet and a discharge port;
• an end plate disposed within the housing wherein the end plate defines
• a first recessed area,
• a second recessed area,
• a bridge portion disposed between a discharge channel and an inlet channel, each defined by the second recessed area, wherein the bridge portion defines a first recessed notch and a second recessed notch;
• a first gear, including a plurality of first gear teeth, disposed within the first recessed area and configured to rotate about a first rotational axis;
• and
• a second gear, including a plurality of second gear teeth, disposed within the second recessed area and configured to rotate about a second rotational axis, wherein
• when the first gear and the second gear are arranged in a first relative position, a first pair of teeth of the plurality of first gear teeth engages a first tooth of the plurality of second gear teeth to form a first pressure pocket, and
• when the first gear and the second gear are arranged in a second relative position, a second pair of teeth of the plurality of first gear teeth engages a second tooth of the plurality of second gear teeth to form a second pressure pocket, and wherein the first recessed notch is positioned such that when the first gear and the second gear are arranged in either the first relative position or the second relative position, the first recessed notch is at least partially eclipsed by either the first pressure pocket or the second pressure pocket, respectively,
• wherein the first recessed notch defines a first radius and the second recessed notch defines a second radius that is less than the first radius.