Miniature motor having positive-coefficient thermistor

• US 5,010,264 A
• Filed: 09/01/1989
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Company Limited, Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Company Limited, Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Inventors: Satoh, Seiki, Kitao, Shiei, Yamada, Shinjiro, Egawa, Yoshiaki, Mabuchi, Kazuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E.
• Application Number:
  US07/402,499
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68 C, 310/68 R, 310/71, 310/72, 310/220, 310/229, 318/473, 338/25, 361/27, 361/31, 361/105, 361/106
• US Class Current: 310/72
• CPC Class Codes: D01G 15/36 Driving or speed control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/25 Devices for sensing temperature, or actuated thereby

Abstract

A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor in which a first supporting member made of an electrically conductive material and electrically connected to at least any one of a pair of brushes housed in a motor cover plate, and a second supporting member made of an electrically conductive material and electrically connected to an external terminal are provided; a positive-coefficient thermistor being supported between the first and second supporting members.

This construction makes the assembly of the motor easy, leading to improved productivity, and allows the motor to have a positive overheat preventing function without adding to the number of parts.

Claims

1. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor comprising a stator having a permanent magnet as a field, a rotor formed by winding a plurality of rotor windings on a rotor core;

current being fed to said rotor windings via a commutator making sliding contact with brushes supported by a motor cover plate, making contact with a commutator; and

a positive co-efficient thermistor for controlling current to said rotor windings, in which said motor cover plate has a pair of terminal holders for holding terminals;

said terminals including a pair of terminals made of an electrically conductive material and having engaging and locking portions for engaging with said terminal holders;

said brushes including a pair of brush arms made of an electrically conductive material;

connecting members disposed in such a manner as to come in resilient contact with any one of said brush arms and one of said terminals to ensure an electrical connection between said brush arms and said terminals;

a first supporting member disposed in such a manner as to come in resilient contact with one of said brush arms to electrically connect to said brush arms; and

,

a second supporting member disposed in such a manner as to come in resilient contact with the other one of said terminals are provided in said motor cover plate;

said positive-coefficient thermistor being held between said first and second supporting members.

2. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said terminal holders, brush arm holders for holding said brush arms, a connecting member housing for housing said connecting members, a thermistor housing for housing said thermistor, and a bearing holder for holding a bearing of said miniature motor are formed integrally with said motor cover plate.

3. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pair of terminals are held by said pair of terminal holders and include protruding terminal portions, each protruding terminal portion including projecting terminal ends through which electrical power is supplied.

4. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of terminals held by a pair of said terminal holders are internal terminals of an inserted harness type having engaging and locking portions.

5. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said motor cover plate is made of synthetic resin.

6. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second supporting members for holding said positive-coefficient thermistor are made of an electrically conductive spring material.

7. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second supporting members have resilient contacting portions, and the length thereof in the longitudinal direction is made longer by a predetermined length than the distance between each dead-end portion of said thermistor housing and said brush arms.

8. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting members are made of an electrically conductive spring material, and the length thereof is made longer by a predetermined length than the distance between said protruded terminals, or said internal terminals, fitted to said brush arms.

9. A miniature motor having a positive-coefficient thermistor as set forth in claim 6 wherein resilient lanced and raised pieces are provided on the mutually opposing surfaces of said first and second supporting members for holding said positive-coefficient thermistor.