Rotor for small-sized motor and method of manufacturing same

• US 20040221445A1
• Filed: 06/11/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Company Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Makoto, Furuya, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 6,853,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/597
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/32 Connections of conductor to commutator segment
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0221 Laser welding H01R43/0228 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 13/04 Connections between commutator segments and windings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49011 Commutator or slip ring assembly

Abstract

A rotor for a small-sized motor has a plurality of rotor magnetic poles and a commutator on a rotor shaft, and both ends of a wire of each winding of the rotor magnetic poles are tied up with and connected by spot welding to a U-shaped hook-type commutator leg connected to the corresponding commutator piece end of the commutator, respectively. The commutator leg has a copper-based base material, and is composed by attaching a thin layer of a clad material with a melting point lower than that of the above described base material and a high electric resistance thereon at the surface part to be inside when bent to the U-shaped hook type. Thus, in the connection between the commutator leg and the copper wire material of the small-sized motor, the reduction of defectives of breaking of the wire because of heat shock at the time of welding is achieved, and in the meantime, the stabilization of welding is achieved, so that the reliability of the connection can be increased.

Claims

1. A rotor for a small-sized motor, comprising:

a plurality of rotor magnetic poles;

a commutator; and

a rotor shaft, said rotor magnetic poles and said commutator being mounted on said rotor shaft, both ends of a wire of each winding of said rotor magnetic poles being tied up with and connected by welding to a commutator leg which is connected to a corresponding commutator piece end of the commutator, wherein

said commutator leg has a copper-based base material and a thin layer of a clad material with a lower melting point and higher electric resistance than that of said base material, and said clad material is attached to said base material at least at a portion of the surface part with which the wire of said winding comes into contact for welding.

2. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 1, wherein said commutator leg is adapted to be a U-shaped hook type, and said clad material is attached to said base material at the surface part which becomes inside when said commutator leg is bent to be a U-shaped hook type.

3. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 2, wherein a material softer than the base material is attached to the outside of said commutator leg of a U-shaped hook type.

4. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 3, wherein said soft material is oxygen-free copper.

5. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 1, wherein said commutator leg is adapted to be a straight plate, and said clad material is attached to said base material at the surface which is the tip part of said commutator leg and on the opposite side of the side where the winding is positioned.

6. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 1, wherein said clad material comprises phosphor bronze.

7. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 1, wherein a recess which corresponds to the clad material to be attached there is formed in advance at the surface part of said base material.

8. The rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 1, wherein at the wire part to be tied up to said commutator leg, an insulating coating film thereof is removed in advance.

9. A method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor having a plurality of rotor magnetic poles and a commutator on a rotor shaft, both ends of a wire of each winding of said rotor magnetic poles tying up with commutator legs which are connected to the corresponding commutator piece end of the commutator, respectively, and said both ends of a wire being heated by welding to be connected, the said method comprising the steps of:

preparing a copper-based base material;

attaching a clad material with a lower melting point and higher electric resistance than that of said base material and a high electric resistance to said base material at least at a portion of the surface part with which the wire of said winding comes into contact for welding; and

forming said commutator leg by the base material to which the clad material is attached.

10. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

forming said commutator leg to be a U-shaped hook type; and

attaching said clad material to said base material at the surface part which becomes inside when said commutator leg is bent to be a U-shaped hook type.

11. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 10, further comprising the step of attaching a material softer than the base material to the outside of said commutator leg of a U-shaped hook type.

12. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 11, further comprising the step of making said soft material of oxygen-free copper.

13. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

forming said commutator leg to be a straight plate; and

attaching said clad material to said base material at the surface which is the tip part of said commutator leg and on the opposite side of the side where the winding is positioned.

14. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 9, further comprising the step of making said clad material of phosphor bronze.

15. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 9, further comprising the step of forming in advance a recess which corresponds to the clad material to be attached at the surface part of said base material.

16. The method of manufacturing a rotor for a small-sized motor according to claim 9, further comprising the step of removing in advance an insulating coating film of the wire part to be tied up to said commutator leg.