Assemblies for a hydraulic gear pump with force balance and internal cooling features

A gear pump comprising:

• a pump housing having (i) a first pump housing channel, (ii) a second pump housing channel, (iii) a first arcuate groove disposed in an interior surface of the pump housing, and (iv) a second arcuate groove that is angularly-spaced from the first arcuate groove along the interior surface of the pump housing:
• a pump ring gear disposed within the pump housing and rotatable relative to the pump housing;
• a pump pinion disposed within the pump ring gear, such that external teeth of the pump pinion engage with internal teeth of the pump ring gear;
• and
• a pump port block having a first port and a second port,
• wherein as the pump pinion rotates within the pump ring gear, fluid is drawn through the first port and provided to the second port for discharge, wherein a portion of fluid being provided to the second port is provided to the first pump housing channel to cool the pump housing, wherein fluid from the first pump housing channel is provided to the first arcuate groove, and wherein fluid in the first arcuate groove applies a radially-inward force on the pump ring gear, and wherein:
• as the pump pinion rotates in an opposite direction within the pump ring gear, fluid is drawn from the second port and provided to the first port for discharge, wherein a respective portion of fluid being provided to the first port is diverted to the second pump housing channel to cool the pump housing, wherein fluid from the second pump housing channel is provided to the second arcuate groove, and wherein fluid in the second arcuate groove applies a respective radially-inward force on the pump ring gear.

A gear pump comprising:

• a pump housing having (i) a pump housing channel, and (ii) an arcuate groove disposed in an interior surface of the pump housing;
• a pump ring gear disposed within the pump housing and rotatable relative to the pump housing;
• a pump pinion disposed within the pump ring gear, such that external teeth of the pump pinion engage with internal teeth of the pump ring gear;
• a pump port block having a first port and a second port, wherein as the pump pinion rotates within the pump ring gear, fluid is drawn through the first port and provided to the second port for discharge, wherein a portion of fluid being provided to the second port is provided to the pump housing channel to cool the pump housing, wherein fluid from the pump housing channel is provided to the arcuate groove, and wherein fluid in the arcuate groove applies a radially-inward force on the pump ring gear;
• a pump cover interposed between the pump port block and the pump housing, wherein the pump cover comprises a channel that is aligned with the pump housing channel, and wherein the portion of fluid diverted to the pump housing channel flows through the channel of the pump cover to the pump housing channel;
• a thrust plate interposed between the pump cover and the pump ring gear;
• and
• a seal disposed within a seal cavity formed at an interface between the thrust plate and the pump cover.

An assembly comprising:

• a main housing having an internal chamber therein;
• an electric motor disposed in the internal chamber of the main housing and comprising (i) a stator that is fixedly-positioned in the internal chamber of the main housing, and (ii) a rotor positioned within the stator and rotatable relative to the stator, wherein the rotor comprises:
• (a) a cylindrical portion, and (b) a spindle portion;
• and
• a gear pump positioned in the main housing, at least partially within the cylindrical portion of the rotor of the electric motor, wherein the gear pump comprises:
• a pump housing having (i) a pump housing channel, and (ii) an arcuate groove disposed in an interior surface of the pump housing,
• a pump ring gear disposed within the pump housing and rotatable relative to the pump housing,
• a pump pinion disposed within the pump ring gear, such that external teeth of the pump pinion engage with internal teeth of the pump ring gear, wherein the pump pinion is mounted to a pump drive shaft that is rotatably-coupled to the spindle portion of the rotor of the electric motor via a spline engagement,
• a first seal and a second seal, wherein the spline engagement is interposed between the first seal and the second seal, such that a lubricant is sealed at the spline engagement between the first seal and the second seal, and
• a pump port block having a first port and a second port, wherein as the rotor of the electric motor rotates the pump pinion within the pump ring gear, fluid is drawn through the first port and provided to the second port for discharge, wherein a portion of fluid being provided to the second port is provided to the pump housing channel to cool the pump housing, wherein fluid from the pump housing channel is provided to the arcuate groove, and wherein fluid in the arcuate groove applies a radially-inward force on the pump ring gear.

An assembly comprising:

• a main housing having an internal chamber therein;
• an electric motor disposed in the internal chamber of the main housing and comprising (i) a stator that is fixedly-positioned in the internal chamber of the main housing, and (ii) a rotor positioned within the stator and rotatable relative to the stator;
• an electronic device housing coupled to the main housing;
• an electronics housing cover coupled to the electronic device housing, such that an enclosure is formed by the electronics housing cover and the electronic device housing;
• and
• one or more electronic boards disposed in the enclosure;
• an inverter board having a semiconductor switching matrix mounted thereon, wherein the semiconductor switching matrix comprises a plurality of semiconductor switching devices configured to convert direct current power to three-phase alternating current power to drive the electric motor;
• a controller board axially offset from the inverter board and electrically-coupled to the inverter board, wherein the controller board comprises a processor configured to generate switching signal to operate the semiconductor switching matrix;
• and
• a gear pump positioned in the main housing, at least partially within the rotor of the electric motor, wherein the gear pump comprises:
• a pump housing having (i) a pump housing channel, and (ii) an arcuate groove disposed in an interior surface of the pump housing,
• a pump ring gear disposed within the pump housing and rotatable relative to the pump housing,
• a pump pinion disposed within the pump ring gear, such that external teeth of the pump pinion engage with internal teeth of the pump ring gear, wherein the pump pinion is mounted to a pump drive shaft and that is rotatably-coupled to the rotor of the electric motor, and
• a pump port block having a first port and a second port, wherein as the rotor of the electric motor rotates the pump pinion within the pump ring gear, fluid is drawn through the first port and provided to the second port for discharge, wherein a portion of fluid being provided to the second port is provided to the pump housing channel to cool the pump housing, wherein fluid from the pump housing channel is provided to the arcuate groove, and wherein fluid in the arcuate groove applies a radially-inward force on the pump ring gear.