Journal bearing having wear reduction slots on an end face

A gear stage of a pump comprising:

• a housing defining a gear chamber, the housing defining an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the gear chamber;
• a gear arrangement disposed within the gear chamber configured to drive fluid from the inlet to the outlet, the gear arrangement including at least a gear rotatable about an axis of rotation;
• a journal coupled to the gear, the journal extending along the axis of rotation and being configured to drive rotation of the gear about the axis of rotation;
• a fixed bearing at a first axial side of the gear for radially supporting the journal relative to the housing such that the journal is rotatable about the axis of rotation relative to the housing;
• and
• an axially movable bearing at an opposite second axial side of the gear for radially supporting the journal relative to the housing such that the journal is rotatable about the axis of rotation relative to the housing, the axially movable bearing defining a through-bore for receiving the journal, the axially movable bearing being axially movable along axis of rotation within the journal toward and away from the gear, the axially movable bearing being rotationally fixed relative to the housing;
• wherein:
• at least one of the fixed bearing and the axially movable bearing includes an end face facing the gear, the end face including a transition region between an inlet region of said bearing and a discharge arc of said bearing, the end face including a plurality of slots formed in the transition region.