Motor and Armature Manufacturing Method

• US 20060091759A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nidec Corporation
• Inventors: Migita, Takayuki, Suzuki, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,211,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/215
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/148 Sectional cores H02K1/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/024 with slots
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/345 between conductor and core, e.g. slot insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor

Abstract

An insulator covering the teeth (31) of an armature (3) in an inner-rotor motor is composed of a tooth insulator (321), outer-side insulator (322), upper-end insulator (323), and lower-end insulator (324). The tooth insulator (321) is composed of substantially annular top and bottom members that are assembled from above and below to the teeth (31).

Claims

1. An inner-rotor electric motor comprising:

a stationary section having an armature, the armature furnished with a core formed by laminating a plurality of thin sheets;

a rotary section having a field magnet, for generating between itself and said armature torque centering on a predetermined center axis; and

a bearing mechanism for rotatably supporting, with the center axis as enter, the rotary section with respect to the stationary section;

said armature comprising;

a plurality of teeth disposed with the teeth fore edges directed toward the center axis, in a radial pattern with the center axis as center,

a support ring for supporting said plurality of teeth along their outer side,

a tooth insulator covering at least the lateral sides of said plurality of teeth, said tooth insulator including a top member attached to said plurality of teeth over their upper end in the orientation paralleling the center axis, and a bottom member attached to said plurality of teeth over their lower end in the orientation paralleling the center axis, wherein said top member and said bottom member interlink along the orientation paralleling the center axis,

coils in which conductors are wound over said tooth insulator, around said plurality of teeth, and

a plurality of outer-side insulators interdigitated with the plural teeth and therein covering the inner circumferential surface of the support ring, said outer-side insulators for electrically isolating the exterior side of said coils from said support ring.

2. A motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said armature further comprises annular upper-end and lower-end insulators, covering the top and bottom sides of said support ring; and

said coils are formed by distributed winding in which the conductors are wound on straddling two or more teeth among said plurality of teeth, and then the upper and lower portions of the coils are reformed.

3. A motor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the upper and lower end portions of said plurality of outer-side insulators respectively oppose the upper-end and lower-end insulators.

4. A motor as set forth in claim 1:

said tooth insulator having, in a region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, a plurality of rim portions opposing said support ring; and

said plural teeth each having, in the region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, protrusions bulging along a circumferential orientation centered on the center axis;

wherein

in between the protrusions on any two teeth adjoining each other, and the two rim portions of said tooth insulator where provided on said any two teeth, one of said outer-side insulators is retained.

5. A motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interspace between the fore edges of said plural teeth are closed off by said tooth insulator.

6. A motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plural teeth are each attached, in a region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, to the inner circumferential portion of said support ring.

7. A method of manufacturing an inner-rotor armature, the method comprising:

(a) a step of preparing a plurality of teeth disposed with the teeth fore edges directed toward a predetermined center axis, in a radial pattern with the center axis as center, and with the fore edges temporarily joined together by a linking member;

(b) a step of attaching a tooth insulator to the lateral sides of the plurality of teeth, wherein said step (b) includes

a step of attaching a center-axis-wise linking top member to the plurality of teeth over their upper end in the orientation paralleling the center axis, and

a step of attaching a center-axis-wise linking bottom member to the plurality of teeth over their lower end in the orientation paralleling the center axis;

(c) a step of forming coils by winding conductors over the tooth insulator, around the plurality of teeth;

(d) a step of installing in an interdigitated fashion between the plural teeth a plurality of outer-side insulators for covering between the plural teeth the exterior side of the coils;

(e) a step of attaching to the plurality of teeth a support ring for supporting the plurality of teeth along their outer side; and

(f) a step of removing the linking member linking the fore edges of the plural teeth.

8. An armature manufacturing method as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said step (c) the coils are formed by distributed winding in which the conductors are wound on straddling two or more teeth among the plurality of teeth.

9. An armature manufacturing method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

a step, subsequent to said step (e), of attaching annular upper-end and lower-end insulators to the top and bottom sides of the support ring; and

a step of reforming the upper and lower portions of the coils.

10. An armature manufacturing method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the upper and lower end portions of the plurality of outer-side insulators respectively oppose the upper-end and lower-end insulators.

11. An armature manufacturing method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the interspaces between the fore edges of the plural teeth are closed off by the tooth insulator.

12. An armature manufacturing method as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said step (c), the conductor with which winding is begun among the conductors is wound on from the outer side of the plurality of teeth, heading toward the center axis.

13. An inner-rotor motor armature having a core formed by laminating a plurality of thin sheets, the armature comprising:

a plurality of teeth disposed with the teeth fore edges directed toward the center axis, in a radial pattern with a center axis as center;

a support ring for supporting the plurality of teeth along their outer side;

a tooth insulator covering at least the lateral sides of the plurality of teeth, said tooth insulator including a top member attached to said plurality of teeth over their upper end in the orientation paralleling the center axis, and a bottom member attached to said plurality of teeth over their lower end in the orientation paralleling the center axis, wherein said top member and said bottom member interlink along the orientation paralleling the center axis;

coils in which conductors are wound over said tooth insulator, around said plurality of teeth; and

a plurality of outer-side insulators interdigitated with the plural teeth and therein covering the inner circumferential surface of the support ring, said outer-side insulators for electrically isolating the exterior side of said coils from said support ring.

14. An armature as set forth in claim 13, further comprising annular upper-end and lower-end insulators, covering the top and bottom sides of said support ring, wherein:

said coils are formed by distributed winding in which the conductors are wound on straddling two or more teeth among said plurality of teeth, and then the upper and lower portions of the coils are reformed.

15. An armature as set forth in claim 14, wherein the upper and lower end portions of said plurality of outer-side insulators respectively oppose the upper-end and lower-end insulators.

16. An armature as set forth in claim 13:

said tooth insulator having, in a region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, a plurality of rim portions opposing said support ring; and

said plural teeth each having, in the region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, protrusions bulging along a circumferential orientation centered on the center axis;

wherein

in between the protrusions on any two teeth adjoining each other, and the two rim portions of said tooth insulator where provided on said any two teeth, one of said outer-side insulators is retained.

17. An armature as set forth in claim 13, wherein the interspaces between the fore edges of said plural teeth are closed off by said tooth insulator.

18. An armature as set forth in claim 13, wherein said plural teeth are each attached, in a region on the support-ring side of said plurality of teeth, to the inner circumferential portion of said support ring.