High efficiency gear pump bearing assembly

A bearing assembly for a gear pump that includes a bearing housing, a bearing, and a biasing member. The bearing housing has a housing bore that extends between a first housing end and a second housing end along a bearing axis. The bearing is disposed within the housing bore. The bearing has an outer diameter extending between a first bearing end and a second bearing end. The biasing member is disposed between the bearing and the bearing housing to apply a biasing load to the bearing.

BACKGROUND

Gear pumps are provided with bearings and gears that require tight clearances to maintain volumetric efficiencies. Commonly the bearings gears are machined to closely fit within a gear pump housing. Alternatively, the bearings or gears may be provided with larger clearances that may reduce volumetric efficiencies of the gear pump.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a bearing assembly for a gear pump that includes a bearing housing, a bearing, and a biasing member. The bearing housing has a housing bore that extends between a first housing end and a second housing end along a bearing axis. The bearing is disposed within the housing bore. The bearing has an outer diameter extending between a first bearing end and a second bearing end. The biasing member is disposed between the bearing and the bearing housing to apply a biasing load to the bearing.

Also disclosed is a bearing assembly provided with a gear pump that includes a bearing and a biasing member. The bearing is disposed within a housing bore and has an outer diameter that extends between a first bearing end and a second bearing end. The biasing member has a first arm that engages the outer diameter of the bearing and a second arm that engages the housing bore.

Further disclosed is a bearing assembly provided with a gear pump that includes a bearing and a biasing member. The bearing is disposed within a housing bore. The bearing has an outer diameter, a first bearing arm extending from the outer diameter towards the housing bore, and a second bearing arm spaced apart from the first bearing arm and extending towards the housing bore. The first biasing member is disposed within a first pocket defined by the first bearing arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, a gear pump is provided with a bushing or a bearing assembly10that is arranged to facilitate the meshing of gears of the gear pump. The bearing assembly10may employ tight clearances to reduce internal leakages as well as to improve volumetric efficiencies of the gear pump. The bearing assembly10is provided with features that provide positive mechanical loading on bearings to provide for higher volumetric efficiencies with reduced cost, high clearance bearings. The bearing assembly10includes a bearing housing20, a bearing22, and a biasing member24.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the bearing housing20includes a housing bore30that axially extends between a first housing end32and a second housing end34along a bearing axis36. The bearing housing20includes an outer surface40that is spaced apart from the housing bore30and axially extends between the first housing end32and the second housing end34. The bearing housing20defines a flat, a notch, or an opening42that radially extends from the outer surface40towards the housing bore30. The flat, the notch, or the opening42is defined between first and second radial end surfaces44,46of the bearing housing20.

The flat, the notch, or the opening42may abut a flat, a notch, or an opening of another bearing housing, having a substantially similar configuration as the bearing housing20, which abuts or is coupled to the bearing housing20, as shown inFIG. 3. The abutment or the coupling of the bearing housings may form a bearing housing assembly.

The bearing22is disposed within the housing bore30of the bearing housing20. The bearing22includes an external surface or an outer diameter50that axially extends between a first bearing end52and a second bearing end54along the bearing axis36. The bearing22includes an inner surface or an inner diameter56that is disposed opposite the outer diameter50. The inner diameter56defines a bearing bore through which another component of the gear pump may extend into.

A first recess58aradially extends from the inner diameter56towards the outer diameter50and axially extends from the first bearing end52towards the second bearing end54. A second recess58bradially extends from the inner diameter56towards the outer diameter50and axially extends from the second bearing end54towards the first bearing end52. The first recess58aand the second recess58bare arranged to facilitate the coupling or connection between the bearing22of the bearing assembly10and a component of the gear pump.

The bearing22includes a first bearing arm60and a second bearing arm62. The second bearing arm62is axially spaced apart from the first bearing arm60, relative to the bearing axis36.

The first bearing arm60radially extends from the outer diameter50towards the housing bore30along an axis that is disposed generally perpendicular or normal to the bearing axis36. The first bearing arm60is disposed proximate and may be axially spaced apart from the first bearing end52. The first bearing arm60includes a first end surface70that radially extends between first side surfaces72of the first bearing arm60, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3.

The first end surface70faces towards and may engage the housing bore30, as shown inFIG. 2. A first pocket74is defined by the first bearing arm60, as shown inFIG. 3. The first pocket74radially extends from the first end surface70towards the bearing axis36.

The second bearing arm62radially extends from the outer diameter50towards the housing bore30along an axis that is disposed generally perpendicular or normal to the bearing axis36. The second bearing arm62is disposed proximate the second bearing end54. The second bearing arm62includes a second end surface80that radially extends between second side surfaces82of the second bearing arm62, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3.

The second end surface80faces towards and may engage the housing bore30, as shown inFIG. 2. The second pocket84is defined by the second bearing arm62, as shown inFIG. 3. The second pocket84radially extend from the second end surface80towards the bearing axis36.

A receiving region90is defined between the outer diameter50, a first side surface of the side surfaces72of the first bearing arm60, and a second side surface of the side surfaces82of the second bearing arm62.

Another bearing having a substantially similar configuration as the bearing22may be disposed within a housing bore of another bearing housing that abuts the bearing housing20.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the biasing member24is disposed between the bearing22and the bearing housing20to apply a clamp load or biasing load to the bearing22. The biasing member24may be a spring, a spring clip, a radial clip or the like that provides a radial force to assure that the bearings are clamped at their respective seal points to increase gear pump efficiency. The biasing member24restricts or minimizes bearing22motion about or relative to the bearing axis36due to gear friction.

Referring toFIG. 2, the biasing member24is received within the receiving region90such that the biasing member24is axially disposed between the first bearing arm60and the second bearing arm62. The biasing member24includes a first arm100, a second arm102, and a joining region104. The first arm100engages the outer diameter50of the bearing22. The second arm102engages the housing bore30of the bearing housing20. The joining region104extends between ends of the first arm100and the second arm102to join the first arm100to the second arm102. The biasing member24biases the bearing22towards the opening42.

Referring toFIG. 3, a first biasing member110and a second biasing member112are provided. The first biasing member110and the second biasing member112may be a coil spring, linear spring, or an o-ring that provides a radial force to assure that the bearings are clamped at their respective seal points to increase gear pump efficiency. The biasing members110,112restrict or minimize bearing22motion about or relative to the bearing axis36due to gear friction.

The first biasing member110is disposed within the first pocket74of the first bearing arm60. The first biasing member110is arranged to engage the housing bore30of the bearing housing20to apply a load to the bearing22.

The second biasing member112is disposed within the second pocket84of the second bearing arm62. The second biasing member112is arranged to engage the housing bore30of the bearing housing20to apply a load to the bearing22.

Biasing members may also be provided with another bearing that may be received in another bearing housing that abuts the bearing housing20. The biasing members may be radially spaced apart from the first biasing member110and the second biasing member112such that the bearings are biased towards each other.

While the present disclosure has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described. Additionally, while various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description.