Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Visteon Global Tech., Inc

Morris Rosen Bloom & Co., Inc.

Steven John Yockey

Kevin Roy Harpenau

Richard Kenneth Harris

Michael Timothy York

Eric David Bramson

David W Linden

Kirk E Neet

Gregory A Ritchie

Jayeson David Fougner

Joseph E Saval

Hanyang Ben Chen

Michael John Hatsios

Brian Scott Phillips

Dave W Linden

Tony Militello

David Frank Dennison Buck

Dave Linden

Charlotte A Lamb

A method of forming a stator core assembly for an electric machine includes providing a stator core having a plurality of radially extending slots, forming a flat wire pack having a plurality of continuous electrical wires, shaping the flat wire pack into a substantially cylindrical shape, and engaging the substantially cylindrically shaped flat wire pack with the stator core such that the continuous electrical wires are interlaced within the slots of the stator core.

Method for assembly of an automotive alternator stator assembly with rectangular continuous wire

An alternator of the present invention includes a housing, a stator assembly mounted stationary within the housing, and a rotor assembly mounted rotatably within the housing in functional engagement with the stator assembly. An air gap extends annularly around the alternator between the rotor assembly and the stator assembly. The rotor assembly has a first end and a second end, and the air gap has a non-uniform thickness that varies along the axial length of the rotor assembly between the first and second ends of the rotor assembly. This non-uniform thickness is designed to avoid interference between rotor outer surface and stator inner surface at high rotor spin speed, but minimize the averaged air gap thickness for high alternator performance.

Claw-pole alternator with non-uniform air gap

A stator core assembly having an annular core defining an outside diameter, an inside diameter, and a plurality of radially projecting winding slots. A first electrical conductor and a second continuous electrical conductor are inserted within the winding slots circumferentially around the stator core. The conductors form a plurality of layers, each layer being defined as one substantially complete circumferential pass of the conductors around the stator core. Each of the conductors include a plurality of straight portions that lay within the winding slots, and a plurality of end loop portions that extend circumferentially to connect two of the straight portions. The length of the straight portions and end loop portions vary between the layers based upon the radial location of the particular layer within the stator core and a pre-determined axial height of the end loop portions.

Automotive alternator stator assembly with varying end loop height between layers

An alternator assembly having a pair of housing members which cooperatively contain a stator , rotor , and bearing . The housing member includes an integrally formed bearing sleeve member which receives the bearing and allows the rotor to rotate within the assembly

Method for producing an alternator assembly housing member

An alternator includes an inner housing and an outer housing. A pair of o-rings positioned therebetween create a sealed flow chamber having a first flow channel, a second flow channel and an axial passageway. The first flow channel is a disk shaped cavity extending diametrically across the alternator. The second flow channel forms an annular jacket extending entirely around the alternator. The axial passageway directs coolant axially from the first flow channel into the second flow channel. An inlet positioned diametrically across from the axial passageway allows coolant to enter the first flow channel, such that coolant entering the inlet must flow diametrically across the alternator to reach the axial passageway. An outlet positioned diametrically across from the axial passageway allows coolant to exit the flow chamber, such that coolant entering the second flow channel must travel annularly around the alternator to reach the outlet.

Flow path for a liquid cooled alternator

An alternator comprising an inner housing, an outer housing mounted over the inner housing and a plurality of o-rings positioned between the inner housing and the outer housing thereby creating a sealed flow chamber having a first plenum, an axial jacket, a second plenum, a first passageway interconnecting the first plenum and the axial jacket, a second passageway interconnecting the axial jacket and the second plenum, an inlet extending from the first plenum, and an outlet extending from the second plenum. The first and second plenums are disk shaped cavities extending diametrically across the alternator, and the axial jacket is an annular jacket extending around the alternator. The first passageway is located diametrically across from the inlet and the second passageway is located diametrically across from the first passageway. The outlet is located diametrically across from the second passageway.

Liquid cooled alternator

An automotive alternator includes an inner housing assembly, an outer housing assembly mounted over the inner housing assembly, and an internal plate mounted within the outer housing assembly. The inner housing assembly, the outer housing assembly, and the internal plate define a sealed flow chamber. The flow chamber includes an inlet reservoir and an outlet reservoir located adjacent a first end, and a cross over reservoir located adjacent a second end. The inner housing assembly includes a plurality of radially extending axial fins. The fins extend outward from the sleeve toward the outer housing to define a plurality of axial flow channels. A first portion of the flow channels interconnects the inlet reservoir to the cross over reservoir and a second portion of the flow channels interconnects the cross over reservoir to the outlet reservoir.

Liquid cooled alternator having finned stator sleeve

A golf ball handling apparatus comprises a hollow body for holding a plurality of golf balls, a passage between the body and the end of the apparatus, a ball control mechanism, a ball guide and legs for elevating one side of the body. The ball control mechanism includes a biased lever pivotally attached to the passage. A stop extends from the bottom of the lever into the passage and is moveable between an open and closed position as the lever is depressed and released. The lever is biased so that the stop is normally closed. Balls are retrieved from the playing surface by pressing the end of the device over the ball, forcing the ball into the passage. The ball moves the stop out of the way as it travels into the passage. In the closed position the stop partially blocks the passage in the body preventing balls from exiting. To dispense balls the lever is depressed, moving the stop to an open position allowing a golf ball to roll out of the passage onto the playing surface.

Golf ball handling apparatus

An alternator assembly,having a pair of housing members,which cooperatively contain a stator,, rotor,, and bearing,. The housing member,includes an integrally formed bearing sleeve member,which receives the bearing,and allows the rotor,to rotate within the assembly

Alternator assembly

An assembly (,) for use with a rotating electric machine has a first injection-molded plastic part (,), a second injection-molded plastic part (,), and a third injection-molded plastic part (,). Parts (,) are a bearing sleeve and a brush holder respectively, while part (,) is a cap. The bearing sleeve has a transverse wall (,) from which channels (,) extend in one direction. A cylindrical wall extends in the other direction to form a bearing cup (,) for receiving a bearing assembly. The brush holder has two side-by-side brush guides (,) each containing a respective brush (,). It also has two channels (,) that interlock with the channels of the bearing sleeve to accurately and rigidly place the two parts (,) in assembly. The cap closes an axial end of the bearing sleeve and attaches to the brush holder. The parts are further characterized by various structural features, as well as fabrication and assembly methods.

Alternator bearing sleeve, brush holder, and cap system

An liquid-cooling system for an electrical machine comprises a rotor mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith and defining an axis of rotation, and a stator disposed coaxially with and in opposition to the rotor. The stator has stator windings, the stator windings having an axially-extending portion. The electrical machine further comprises a housing enclosing the stator and the rotor, the housing having an axial end, the axial end having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The electrical machine also includes a cooling tube having a first end and a second end and an embedded portion thereof embedded between the first inner surface and the first outer surface, the embedded portion of the cooling tube located in substantial axial alignment with the axially-extending portion of the stator windings. In another aspect of this design, the inner surface of the wall of the axial end of the housing is substantially flat and is separated from an axial end of the rotor by an air gap. In a third aspect of this design, the housing of the electrical machine comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion. The front housing portion defines a first circumferentially-extending channel which encloses a first axially-extending portion of the stator windings and the rear housing portion defines a second circumferentially-extending channel which encloses a second axially-extending portion of the stator windings. Designs as disclosed herein provide effective cooling of an electrical machine while supporting packaging-efficient electrical machine designs.

Liquid-cooled electrical machine

A rotating machine comprises a housing defining a generally cylindrical bearing pocket and defining an interior and exterior. The machine also includes a bearing retainer having a generally cylindrical sleeve portion retained in the bearing pocket and a bearing having an outer race and an inner race, the outer race affixed within the cylindrical sleeve portion. The machine further has a rotating member mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith, the shaft having a portion affixed within the inner race of the bearing. In one embodiment, the bearing retainer includes anti-rotation keying projections the bearing pocket includes complementary depressions for the keying projections. The keying projections cooperate with the complementary depressions to prevent rotation of the bearing retainer with respect to the bearing pocket. In another embodiment, a cap is affixed to the bearing retainer to substantially prevent contamination from reaching the bearing from the exterior.

Bearing retention for a rotating machine

A rotor for an electrical machine according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a shaft defining an axis of rotation of the rotor, and first and second pole pieces affixed to the shaft for rotation therewith and together defining an interior cavity. The rotor additionally includes a slip ring affixed to the shaft for rotation therewith. Further, the rotor comprises a field-generating coil disposed within the interior cavity, the coil comprising a plurality of turns of electrical wire, the electrical wire further having a section extending to and electrically coupled to the slip ring. Also, the rotor has a retainer disposed exterior to the cavity and adjacent the first pole piece, the retainer comprising a radially-extending channel containing a portion of the section of electrical wire.

Wire routing design for a rotor of an electrical machine

An alternator and method of forming an alternator with a rectifier internal to the alternator housing are disclosed in which a plurality of positive diodes and negative diodes each has a anode electrode and a cathode electrode. The stator of the alternator has a plurality of stator windings, each winding having a first end and a second end. The rectifier bridge member has electrically conductive circuit traces each having a plurality of substantially coplanar solder pads adapted to receive either an anode electrode of a respective positive diode, a cathode electrode of a respective negative diode or a first or second end of a respective stator winding. The rectifier bridge member also has an electrically conductive plate for electrically interconnecting the cathodes of the positive diodes. A housing for enclosing one end of the alternator has an interior and exterior portion. The interior portion is adapted to receive the rectifier bridge member so that a generally planar surface is formed with the rectifier bridge member and the housing. The housing also has a seat extending axially from the housing for mountably receiving the anodes of the negative diodes.

Alternator with internal rectifier bridge assembly

A molded rotor assembly (20) including at least one molded fan (28), a method for making the same, and a vehicle alternator (160) using the molded rotor assembly (20) are disclosed. The rotor assembly (20) includes first and second pole pieces (24,26) aligned along a longitudinal axis (40) defining a region (122) between the pole pieces (24,26). Each pole piece (24,26) has an outboard axial face (69,71). At least one molded fan (28) is integrally molded to one of the axial outboard faces (69) of a pole piece (24). Preferably, a molded insert (22) is molded in the region (122) between the pole pieces (24,26) and is integral with the molded fan (28) to secure the molded fan (28) to the pole piece (24). Alternatively, anchoring recesses (241,245) are formed in an outboard face of a pole piece (224) with a molded fan (228) having anchoring portions (249,251) secured within the recesses (241,245) to retain the fan (228) to the outboard axial face.

Growing community of inventors

Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Steven John Yockey