Toshiba International Corporation

Sergio Hernandez

James W Gray

Chetan Channapatana

The present disclosure provides for an electric motor that comprises a housing and a shaft disposed through the housing. The electric motor further comprises a rotor fitted on the shaft within the housing and a stator disposed within the housing and around the rotor. The electric motor further comprises a fan covering disposed on a first end of the housing and a first bearing cap disposed at the first end of the housing, wherein the first bearing cap is configured to house a first bearing, wherein the first bearing cap comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to operate as a heat sink for the electric motor. The electric motor further comprises a first fan disposed at an end of the shaft and within the fan covering, wherein the first fan is operable to generate a first airflow configured to flow over an external surface of the housing.

Bearing cap heat sink system for an electric motor

The preferred embodiments of the present invention provide two advantageous features, which are especially beneficial in combination, but which can be advantageously and beneficially employed independently of one another: (1) firstly, a self-cooling motor bearing system; and (2) secondly, a self-lubricating motor bearing system. In the preferred embodiments, one or both of these two advantageous features are integrated inside an electric motor (e.g., within the electric motor's enclosure housing) in such a manner as to greatly enhance bearing operating conditions (e.g., maintaining adequate bearing lubrication and/or bearing operating temperature) without the use of external lubrication units and/or external cooling units.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Sergio Hernandez