METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ARMATURES FOR ELECTROMECHANICAL ENERGY CONVERTERS

• US 3,816,907 A
• Filed: 11/16/1972
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Small
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Small
• Inventors: Small, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanham, Charles W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US05/307,071
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 29/596,598,625 310/266,42,268,265
• US Class Current: 29/598
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 13/08 Segments formed by extensions of the winding
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/26 consisting of printed conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor

Abstract

Armatures of a printed-circuit form are produced on a woven glass fiber tube formed on a mandrel, plating a layer of conductive material on the tube, etching a plurality of grooves to form a first pattern of conductors, repeating the first four steps with a shorter tube of woven glass fiber to provide a second pattern of conductors insulated from the first, but connected thereto through rings of conductive material formed at each end by plating directly over end rings of the first pattern, and cutting axial slots in the end rings to a depth sufficient to disconnect adjacent parallel conductors of each pattern leaving juxtaposed ends of conductors at the ends. For a rigid armature, the layers of woven glass fiber are impregnated with a resin which is rigid when cured and for a flexible armature, with a resin which is flexible when cured.

Claims

1. A method of producing an armature for an electromechanical energy converter comprising the steps of forming a first layer of insulating material on a cylindrical mandrel, plating a first cylindrical layer of conductive material on said first layer of insulating material, etching a first set of grooves to form a first conductive pattern on said first layer of conductive material, said pattern consisting of substantially parallel conductors, each conductor having its ends connected to end ring sections of conductive material formed from unetched portions of said first layer of conductive material, forming a second cylindrical layer of insulating material over said first pattern of conductors, said second layer of insulating material extending to approximately the ends of said grooves etched in said first layer of conductive material to form said conductors of said first pattern, plating a second cylindrical layer of conductive material over said second layer of insulating material and onto said end ring sections at both ends of said grooves forming conductors of said first pattern, etching a second set of grooves to form a second conductive pattern in said second layer of conductive material, said pattern consisting of substantially parallel conductors with both ends of each etched groove between a pair of conductors directly over ends of etched grooves between adjacent conductors of said first conductive pattern, producing slots in each end section from its outer edge into etched grooves between conductors of said first and second conductive patterns sometimes after etching said second set of grooves, thereby separating conductors of said first conductive pattern at each end, separating conductors of said second conductive pattern at each end, and leaving ends of a given conductor of said second conductive pattern connected to ends of conductors of said first pattern, and removing the structure formed from the mandrel sometime after etching said second set of grooves.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second layers of insulating material are formed using material which is flexible when set, and conductive material is not plated thereon until set.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second layers of insulating material are formed using material which becomes rigid when set, and conductive material is not plated thereon until set.

4. A method of producing a hollow cylindrical armature comprising the steps of preparing a rigid mandreL with a film of a mold release agent on the entire cylindrical surface to be used for fabrication of said armature, forming over said film of mold release agent on said mandrel a first tubular layer of insulating material, forming a first tubular layer of conductive material over said first layer of insulating material, etching a first conductive pattern on said first tubular layer of conductive material, said first pattern consisting of etched grooves between substantially parallel conductors, each conductor having its ends connected to end rings of conductive material in unetched portions of said first layer of conductive material, forming a second tubular layer of insulating material over said first conductive pattern, said second tubular layer of insulating material extending longitudinally to approximately the ends of said grooves etched for said first conductive pattern, forming a second cylindrical layer of conductive material over said second cylindrical layer of insulating material and onto both end rings of said first cylindrical layer of conductive material, etching a second conductive pattern on said second layer of conductive material, said second conductive pattern consisting of etched grooves between substantially parallel conductors with both ends of each etched groove directly over ends of etched grooves between conductors of said first conductive pattern, and producing axial slots in each end ring from its outer edge to etched grooves between conductors of said first and second conductive patterns, thereby separating conductors of said first pattern at each end, and leaving ends of each conductor of said second pattern connected to ends of conductors of said first pattern.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein said layers of insulating material are formed using material which becomes rigid when set, and conductive material is not plated thereon until set.

6. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein said layers of insulating material are formed using material which is flexible when set, and conductive material is not plated thereon until set.