Gear pump having fluid deaeration capability
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsDelwin E. Cobb, Maurice E. Young
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear pump (10) has a pair of intermeshing gears (12,14) located in a corresponding pair of intersecting cavities (16,18) in a housing (20), and air bleed passages (60) are defined in the housing (20) for passing entrained air collected in the fluid at the tooth roots (42) of the gears (12,14) as a result of centrifugal force away from a preselected region (61,62) of each of the gear cavities (16,18). Preferably, a pair of arcuate air bleed passages (64) are formed in the housing (20) and are located in a trailing portion (62) of the preselected region, and a pair of grooves (70) transmit pressure from a discharge opening (48) back to the tooth roots (42) to positively encourage movement of fluid with entrained air toward the arcuate air bleed passages (64).
Claims15
In a gear pump (10) having a housing (20) defining first and second intersecting cavities (16,18), and first and second intermeshing gears (12,14) having a plurality of teeth (38) and a plurality of tooth roots (42) between the teeth (38), each gear (12,14) positioned respectively in one of the first and second cavities (16,18), the improvement comprising:
- air bleed passage means (60) in the housing (20) for passing entrained air collected in the fluid at said gear tooth roots (42) as a result of centrifugal force away from a preselected angular region of each of said cavities (16,18), said air bleed passage means (60) including a leading portion (61) and an adjacent trailing portion (62) in each of the angular regions, said leading portions (61) being in continuous open communication with said tooth roots (42) and having a construction starting in the region from 0.degree. to 90.degree., continuing through the region from 90.degree. to 180.degree., and terminating in the region from 180.degree. to 270.degree. relative to a zero degree position of intermeshing contact of said gears (12,14), and said trailing portions (62) being in communication with said tooth roots (42) solely through the side clearance between said gears (12,14) and said housing (20) and having a construction juxtaposed to said leading portions (61).
In a gear pump (10) having a housing (20) defining first and second intersecting cavities (16,18), and first and second intermeshing gears (12,14) having a plurality of teeth (38) and a plurality of tooth roots (42) between the teeth (83), each gear (12,14) positioned respectively in one of the first and second cavities (16,18), the improvement comprising:
- air bleed passage means (60) in the housing (20) for passing entrained air collected in the fluid at said gear tooth roots (42) as a result of centrifugal force away from a preselected angular region of each of said cavities (16,18), said air bleed passage means (60) including a leading portion (61) and an adjacent trailing portion (62) in each of the angular regions, said leading portions (61) being in open communication with said tooth roots (42) and said trailing portions (62) being in communication with said tooth roots (42) solely through the side clearance between said gears (12,14) and said housing (20), said air bleed passage means (60) including an inlet chamber (63) common to both of said gears (12,14) and a pair of arcuate bleed passages (64) separated from said inlet chamber (63), said inlet chamber (63) being in open communication with said tooth roots (42) in said leading portions (61) and wherein said arcuate bleed passages (64) extend through a preselected angular region of the trailing portions (62).
In a gear pump (10) having a housing (20) defining first and second intersecting cavities (16,18), and first and second intermeshing gears (12,14) having a plurality of teeth (38) and a plurality of tooth roots (42) between the teeth (83), each gear (12,14) positioned respectively in one of the first and second cavities (16,18) the improvement comprising:
- air bleed passage means (60) in the housing (20) for passing entrained air collected in the fluid at said gear tooth roots (42) as a result of centrifugal force away from a preselected angular region of each of said cavities (16,18), said air bleed passage means (60) including a leading portion (61) and an adjacent trailing portion (62) in each of the angular regions, said leading portions (61) being in open communication with said tooth roots (42) and said trailing portions (62) being in communication with said tooth roots (42) solely through the side clearance between said gears (12,14) and said housing (20), said air bleed passage means (60) including an inlet chamber (63) common to both of said gears (12,14) and a pair of arcuate bleed passages (64) separated from said inlet chamber (63), and including a pump outlet opening (48) and biasing groove means (70) for communicating fluid pressure at said pump outlet opening (48) with said teeth (38), said biasing groove means (70) being located radially outwardly of said arcuate air bleed passages (64).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.