Gerotor pump for a vehicle

A gerotor fluid pump for a vehicle component comprising:

• a housing defining a cylindrical chamber with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet spaced apart therefrom;
• an idler rotor positioned within the chamber and having a cylindrical outer wall adjacent to the cylindrical chamber and defining a series of grooves therein, and an inner wall defining a first series of teeth, each groove intersecting first and second opposed ends of the idler rotor, each groove radially aligned with a top land of an associated tooth of the first series of teeth and having an opening fluidly connecting the groove and the inner wall;
• and
• an inner rotor driven by a pump shaft and positioned within the idler rotor and having an outer wall defining a second series of teeth;
• wherein the teeth of the inner rotor and the idler rotor cooperate to form a variable volume chamber to provide fluid flow through the pump as the inner rotor drives the idler rotor;
• wherein an axis of rotation of the inner rotor is offset from an axis of rotation of the idler rotor;
• wherein each groove is parallel with the axis of rotation of the inner rotor;
• and
• wherein the opening and the groove of the idler rotor provide a fluid pathway for pressure relief in the pump thereby reducing tonal noise.