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Brushless alternator

  • US 4,918,343 A
  • Filed: 10/13/1988
  • Issued: 04/17/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A brushless alternator, comprising:

  • a housing having a free end and an engine end opposite from the free end;

    housing mounting means at the engine end of the housing for mounting the housing to the engine;

    a shaft coaxial with and extending through the housing;

    means for mounting the shaft rotatably relative to the housing;

    an exciter field assembly fixed to and inside of the housing, said exciter field assembly including a plurality of laminations which are stacked together;

    an exciter armature which is mounted on the shaft to rotate with the shaft at an axial location in alignment with the exciter field assembly so that the exciter armature is radially inside of the exciter field assembly, said exciter armature including a plurality of laminations which are stacked together;

    a rotor mounted on the shaft inside the housing, said rotor including a plurality of laminations which are stacked together;

    a stator fixed to and inside of the housing at an axial location in alignment with the rotor so that the rotor is radially inside of the stator, said stator including a plurality of laminations which are stacked together; and

    wherein;

    the housing has integral raised ribs which extend axially and are circumferentially spaced apart around the interior of the housing, said ribs defining open spaces between them and defining an internal bore of the housing in which the stator and the exciter field assembly are mounted;

    a fan is mounted on the shaft outside of the housing at the free end of the housing, said fan rotating with the shaft to draw cooling air into the housing through air intake slots located at the engine end of the housing and past the stator through the open spaces defined by the raised ribs, and to exhaust the cooling air out through the free end of the housing;

    the housing is enlarged at the engine end to produce a bell shape;

    the air intake slots are located in the enlarged portion of the housing; and

    the raised ribs which define the internal bore of the housing extend into and become deeper in the enlarged portion of the housing.

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