Connection of tapered armature conductor to tapered commutator slot

• US 4,757,601 A
• Filed: 04/24/1985
• Issued: 07/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Remy Incorporated (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Leech, Howard E., Pahls, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US06/726,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 29/597, 29/598, 310/234, 310/233, 310/42, 310/71
• US Class Current: 29/597
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/32 Connections of conductor to commutator segment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49011 Commutator or slip ring assembly

Abstract

An armature conductor to commutator bar connection. The bars of the commutator have radially extending slots that are defined by surfaces that taper outwardly. The ends of the armature conductors are formed to a generally wedge-shaped configuration such that the side surfaces are tapered inwardly. After the ends of the armature conductors have been formed to the tapered shape they are pushed into the slots of the commutator bars to such a depth that there is an interference fit between the side surfaces of the ends of the armature conductors and the tapered walls of the slot to lock the ends of the armature conductors to the commutator bars. After the ends of the formed armature conductors have been pushed into the slots, portions of the commutator bars are staked over into engagement with the top armature conductor end.

Claims

1. A method of connecting the ends of upper and lower armature conductors to a commutator bar, the steps comprising, forming portions of the ends of said upper and lower armature conductors into a generally wedged-shaped configuration such that respective, opposed side surfaces of the formed conductor portions of both armature conductors are aligned and tapered radially inwardly at the same angle, then positioning a commutator bar that has a slot that is defined by a bottom surface and opposed internal tapered surfaces that are complementary to the tapered surfaces of the formed conductor portions such that the open end of the slot is aligned with the formed conductor portions, forcing the formed conductor portions into the slot to such a depth that a lower surface of the formed conductor portion of said lower conductor engages said bottom surface of said slot and to such a depth that there is an interference fit between the tapered surfaces of the formed conductor portions and the internal tapered surfaces of the slot whereby the formed conductor portions are taper locked to the internal walls of the slot, and then staking portions of the commutator bar located adjacent the outer end of the slot into engagement with the formed conductor portion of said upper conductor.

2. A method of connecting the ends of a pair of armature conductors to a commutator bar, the steps comprising, forming a portion of the end of each armature conductor into a generally wedged-shaped configuration such that respective, opposed side surfaces of the formed conductor portion of each armature conductor are aligned and tapered radially inwardly at the same angle, then positioning a commutator bar that has a slot that is defined by opposed internal tapered surfaces that are complementary to the tapered surfaces of the formed armature conductor portions such that one of said formed conductor portions is disposed entirely within said slot and the other formed conductor portion is disposed at least partially within said slot, forcing the formed conductor portions into the slot to such a depth that there is an interference fit between the tapered surfaces of the formed conductor portions and the internal tapered surfaces of the slot whereby the formed conductor portions are taper locked to the internal walls of the slot, and then staking portions of the commutator bar located adjacent the outer end of the slot into engagement with one of the formed conductor portions.

3. A method of connecting upper and lower armature conductors to a commutator bar of a commutator of a dynamoelectric machine, the steps comprising, simultaneously forming portions of the ends of said upper and lower conductors to a generally wedged-shaped configuration such that respective opposed side surfaces of both conductor portions are aligned and the conductor portions are tapered radially inwardly relative to the axis of the commutator, then positioning a commutator bar that has a slot that is defined by opposed internal tapered surfaces that are complementary to the tapered surfaces of the formed armature conductor portions such that a length of the formed conductor portion of said lower conductor is disposed entirely within said slot and a length of the formed conductor portion of said upper conductor is disposed at least partially within said slot, simultaneously pushing the formed conductor portions of said upper and lower conductors into the slot to such a depth that there is an interference fit between the tapered surfaces of the formed conductor portions and the internal tapered surfaces of the slot whereby the formed conductor portions of said upper and lower conductors are locked to the internal walls of the slot, and then staking portions of the commutator bar located adjacent the outer end of the slot into engagement with the formed conductor portion of said upper conductor.

4. A method of connecting the end of an armature conductor of an armature of a dynamoelectric machine that has an armature shaft and an armature core that carries the armature conductor to a commutator bar of a commutator that is carried by the shaft, wherein an end portion of the armature conductor has a generally wedged-shaped configuration such that the opposed side surfaces of the end portion of the armature conductor are tapered inwardly and wherein the bar of the commutator has a radially extending slot that has opposed internal side surfaces which taper outwardly, the tapered side surfaces of said end portion of said armature conductor and the internal surfaces of said slot having an interference fit when an end portion of an armature conductor is pushed into said slot by a predetermined amount, the steps comprising, bending the end portion of the armature conductor away from the shaft by an amount that will provide clearance between outer surfaces of said end portion of said armature conductor and the internal surfaces of said slot when a commutator is assembled to said shaft and axially moved to cause the end portion of said armature conductor to pass through said slot during said axial movement, assembling a commutator to said shaft and moving it axially relative to said shaft to a position wherein the end portion of said armature conductor projects through said slot, pushing the end portion of the armature conductor into said slot to such a depth that there is an interference fit between the tapered surfaces of the end portion of the armature conductor and the internal tapered surfaces of the slot, and then moving a portion of the commutator bar adjacent the slot into engagement with the end portion of said armature conductor.

5. A method of connecting the ends of the armature conductors of an armature of a dynamoelectric machine that has an armature shaft and an armature core that carries the armature conductors to the bars of a commutator, the steps comprising, forming the ends of the armature conductors into a generally wedged-shaped configuration such that the side surfaces of the armature conductor end portions taper inwardly, bending the said formed armature conductor end portions radially outwardly away from said shaft, assembling a commutator to said armature shaft that has a plurality of commutator bars each of which has a slot defined by internal side surfaces that taper outwardly, the tapered side surfaces of the slot being complementary to the tapered side surfaces of the formed end portions of the armature conductors, during assembly of said commutator to said shaft sliding the commutator axially relative to said shaft such that said formed end portions of said armature conductors pass though said slots in said commutator bars whereby lengths of said formed end portions of said armature conductors are located in said slots, pushing the formed end portions of said armature conductors radially into said slots of said commutator bars to such a depth that said tapered surfaces of said formed end portions of said armature conductors have an interference fit with the tapered internal surfaces of said slots, and then moving portions of said commutator bars located adjacent the outer ends of said slots into engagement with the formed end portions of said armature conductors.