INTERLOCKING COIL ISOLATORS FOR RESIN RETENTION IN A SEGMENTED STATOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20140015349A1
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chamberlin, Bradley D., Ramey, Cary
• Application Number:
  US13/939,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/43
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/10 Applying solid insulation to windings, stators or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/12 Impregnating, heating or drying of windings, stators, rotors or machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/09 Machines characterised by wiring elements other than wires, e.g. bus rings, for connecting the winding terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/12 Machines characterised by the bobbins for supporting the windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/345 between conductor and core, e.g. slot insulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/38 around winding heads, equalising connectors, or connections thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/522 for generally annular cores with salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/223 Heat bridges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine

Abstract

A stator assembly of an electric machine includes a segmented lamination stack formed of an interconnected series of lamination segment stacks, and a plurality of coil isolators each having a conductor wound thereon, each having a radially outward interlock at each circumferential end thereof, and each having a radially inward interlock at each circumferential end thereof, the coil isolators being serially connected by the interlocks to form a cavity closed down the axial length of the stator assembly, the coil isolators electrically insulating the lamination segments from the conductors.

Claims

1. A stator assembly of an electric machine, comprising:

a segmented lamination stack formed of an interconnected series of lamination segment stacks; and

a plurality of coil isolators each having a conductor wound thereon, each having a radially outward interlock at each circumferential end thereof, and each having a radially inward interlock at each circumferential end thereof, the coil isolators being serially connected by the interlocks to form a cavity closed along the axial length of the stator assembly, the coil isolators electrically insulating the lamination segments from the conductors.

2. The stator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first end cover engaged with the coil isolators and closing an axial end of the cavity.

3. The stator assembly of claim 2, wherein the first end cover comprises a motor cover.

4. The stator assembly of claim 2, wherein the first end cover is independent of a motor cover.

5. The stator assembly of claim 2, wherein the first end cover includes a bus bar electrically connecting selected ones of the conductors.

6. The stator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bus bar electrically connecting selected ones of the conductors.

7. The stator assembly of claim 6, further comprising a substantially annular, perforated isolation ring for electrically isolating the conductors from the bus bar while fluidly connecting an axial end of the cavity and a space containing the bus bar.

8. The stator assembly of claim 7, further comprising a second end cover for closing an axial end of the cavity and including the space containing the bus bar therewithin.

9. The stator assembly of claim 7, further comprising a thermally conductive potting material substantially filling the cavity including the space containing the bus bar.

10. The stator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive potting material substantially filling the cavity.

11. A stator assembly comprising interlocking coil isolators connected to form a mold substantially closed down the axial length of the stator assembly.

12. The stator assembly of claim 11, further comprising first and second end covers for closing respective axial ends of the mold.

13. The stator assembly of claim 11, wherein radially extending conductor channels are formed at respective connections of adjacent ones of the coil isolators, the stator assembly further comprising a plurality of coils of conductor wire, respective ends of the coils passing through ones of the conductor channels.

14. The stator assembly of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of coils wound around respective ones of the coil isolators and a thermally conductive material substantially filling the mold.

15. A method of integrating a stator assembly, comprising:

serially interlocking a plurality coil isolators to form a cavity substantially closed along its axial length, each coil isolator being wound with a coil of conductor wire; and

filling the cavity with a thermally conductive material.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising electrically connecting selected ends of the coils with a bus bar.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing an isolating partition between the coils and the bus bar.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the filling includes flowing the thermally conductive material through the isolating partition.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising routing ends of the coils through a top cover.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the filling includes injecting the material through holes in the isolating partition.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the interlocking of coil isolators forms a notch at an axial end of the cavity at each interlock, the method further comprising passing one end of each coil through a corresponding one of the notches.

22. A method of integrating a stator assembly, comprising:

sealingly connecting a bus assembly to a coil isolator, the bus assembly including a plurality of integrally molded bus bars and a bottom portion, the bottom portion having via holes; and

fluidly installing a thermally conductive material into the bus assembly so that the thermally conductive material flows through the via holes and into space enclosed by the coil isolator.