Method and apparatus for fusing

• US 5,336,865 A
• Filed: 08/04/1993
• Issued: 08/09/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Inventors: Rossi, Alessandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US08/101,943
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 219/117.1, 219/86.51, 219/86.25, 219/86.41, 219/87, 219/109, 219/110, 29/597
• US Class Current: 219/117.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/318 Supporting devices for electrode holders
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/32 Connections of conductor to commutator segment
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/02 for soldered or welded connections

Abstract

Method and Apparatus for fusing electrical conductors to electric motor parts including a movable contact sensor (45) or optical sensor for determining the perpendicular distance of a reference plane of an electric motor part to be fused from a fusing apparatus and using this measured distance to control the fusing operation.

Claims

1. Apparatus for fusing electrical conductors to electric motor parts by applying heat and pressure to a region of an electric motor part which is adjacent to an electrical conductor so that said electric motor part region deforms to permanently mechanically and electrically contact said electrical conductor, said pressure being applied substantially perpendicular to a predetermined reference plane of said electric motor part, said apparatus comprising:

means for fusing

sensor means for determining the distance of said reference plane from a reference point on said apparatus, said distance being measured substantially perpendicular to said plane, said reference plane remaining at a fixed distance away from said reference point on said apparatus even after fusing of said region; and

means for applying information obtained by said sensor means to said apparatus to control fusing operations.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means is a contact sensor.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said contact sensor is movable between a location immediately adjacent said reference plane and a location spaced apart from said reference plane to allow for fusing to take place without interference by said contact sensor.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means is an optical sensor.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means is movable between a location immediately adjacent said reference plane and a location spaced apart from said reference plane to allow for fusing to take place without interference by said sensor means.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means determines the perpendicular distance of a portion of said reference plane from said reference point, said portion of said plane being spaced in said plane from said region of said electric motor part.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means senses the perpendicular distance of a commutator bar in said plane from said reference point.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said fusing means comprises a fusing electrode for fusing said electrical conductors to said electric motor parts.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said fusing electrode has a fusing tip, said apparatus further including means for determining the position of said tip relative to a zeroing position on said apparatus.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said region of said electric motor part includes a tang and the distance travelled by said fusing electrode is selected to control the deformation of said tang during fusing.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said information obtained by said sensor means is applied to control the distance travelled by said fusing means to fuse an electrical conductor.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said information obtained by said sensor means is applied to control the time during which said fusing means travels a selected distance.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying information continuously monitors and controls the position of said fusing means.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying information continuously monitors and controls the force applied by said fusing means to said region of said electric motor part.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying information compares the position of said fusing means with said reference point on said apparatus to determine the location of said fusing means with respect to said region of said electric motor part.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying information obtained by said sensor means comprises a central processing unit.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising memory means for storing information relative to the required position which said fusing means should reach during the various phases of the fusing cycle.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising means for moving said fusing means toward and away from said region of said electric motor part, wherein said means for moving said fusing means moves said fusing means independently from said sensor means.

19. A method for fusing electrical conductors to electric motor parts with a fusing apparatus having fusing means, each electrical conductor being fused to a region of an electric motor part adjacent to said electrical conductor by applying heat and pressure to said region to thereby deform said region to permanently mechanically and electrically contact said electrical conductor, said method comprising the steps of:

determining the perpendicular distance of a reference plane of an electric motor part from said fusing apparatus; and

activating said fusing means to move toward said electric motor part in a direction substantially perpendicular to said reference plane to fuse an electrical conductor based on the perpendicular distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus;

wherein the distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus after fusing is the same as the distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus before fusing.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of determining the perpendicular distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus includes determining said distance with a sensor means.

21. The method defined in claim 20 further including the steps of:

moving said sensor means to a location immediately adjacent said reference plane to determine the perpendicular distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus; and

then

moving said sensor means to a location spaced apart from said reference plane to allow for fusing to take place without interference by said sensor means.

22. The method defined in claim 20 wherein said fusing means is moved independently from said sensor means.

23. The method defined in claim 19 further including the step of controlling the distance travelled by said fusing means to fuse said electrical conductor so that a proper fusing connection is accomplished.

24. The method defined in claim 19 further including the step of controlling the time during which said fusing means travels a selected distance.

25. The method defined in claim 19 further including the steps of continuously monitoring and controlling the position of said fusing means.

26. The method defined in claim 19 further incuding the steps of continuously monitoring and controlling the force applied by said fusing means to said electrical conductor.

27. The method defined in claim 19 further including the step of storing information relative to a required position that the fusing means should reach during the various phases of the fusing cycle.

28. The method defined in claim 19 further including the step of establishing a fusing cycle rest position for said fusing means based on the distance of said reference plane from said fusing apparatus.

29. The method defined in claim 28 wherein said establishing step is performed each time a new electric motor part is positioned at said fusing apparatus.

30. The method defined in claim 28 wherein said establishing step is performed before every fusing cycle.

31. The method defined in claim 19 further including the steps of:

recording in a memory means information relative to the required position that the fusing electrode should reach during the various phases of the fusing cycle; and

applying the stored information to control fusing operations.