Neutral connection for wire wound stator

• US 5,508,571 A
• Filed: 12/12/1994
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Shafer, George G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skudy, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/353,600
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 310/71, 310/179, 310/180, 310/260, 310/45, 310/31, 310/254, 310/258, 310/184
• US Class Current: 310/71
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/09 Machines characterised by wiring elements other than wires, e.g. bus rings, for connecting the winding terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/28 Layout of windings or of connections between windings windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/50 Fastening of winding heads, equalising connectors, or connections thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence

Abstract

A stator assembly for a polyphase multi-pole dynamo-electric machine of the variety having at least one common neutral wire connections has a plurality of neutral leads terminated and coupled together by a conductor at one end of the stator. An annular insulator adjacent one end of the stator assembly has a plurality of passages through which the neutral leads are routed. An annular conductor has a plurality of heat concentrating termination sites whereat the neutral leads are mechanically and electrically coupled. The neutral leads are assembled to the insulator and conductor from the outer periphery thereof.

Claims

1. A stator assembly for a dynamoelectric machine of a type having a polyphase stator winding with at least one common neutral connection, comprising:

a stator core having an axis and a cross section normal to the axis;

a polyphase stator winding supported by said stator core and having end turns thereof located at an axial end of the stator core and a plurality of neutral leads protruding beyond the end turns;

an insulator shaped so as to follow generally a shape of a portion of the stator core cross section having inner and outer peripheries, first and second surfaces and a plurality of passages through the insulator between the first second surfaces, the first surface of the insulator being located adjacent the end turns; and

,

a neutral lead conductor shaped so as to follow generally the shape of the portion of the stator core cross section having inner and outer peripheries and first and second surfaces, the first surface of the conductor being located adjacent the second surface of the insulator and having a plurality of neutral lead termination sites substantially aligned with respective ones of the plurality of passages, wherein the neutral leads are routed through the passages of the insulator to the neutral lead termination sites of the conductor and mechanically and electrically coupled thereto.

2. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the passages through the insulator comprise slots open at the outer periphery of the insulator.

3. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the passages through the insulator comprise L-shaped slots having first legs open at the outer periphery of the insulator and second legs generally following the outer periphery of the insulator, the neutral leads being routed through the second legs of the slots.

4. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of neutral lead termination sites comprise a slot open at the outer periphery of the neutral lead conductor and a generally U-shaped projection bracketing a portion of the slot.

5. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neutral lead conductor is substantially annular shaped and the termination sites comprise slots open at the outer periphery of the neutral lead conductor and generally U-shaped projections bracketing a portion of respective slots.

6. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neutral lead conductor is substantially annular shaped and the termination sites comprise respective pairs of substantially radially extending fingers.

7. A stator assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pairs of substantially radially extending fingers are bent away from the insulator.

8. A stator assembly for a dynamoelectric machine of type having a polyphase stator winding with at least one common neutral connection, comprising:

a stator core having an axis and a cross section normal to the axis;

a polyphase stator winding supported by said stator core and having end turns thereof located at an axial end of the stator core and a plurality of neutral leads protruding beyond the end turns;

an insulator shaped so as to generally follow a shape of a portion of the stator core cross section having inner and outer peripheries, first and second surfaces and a plurality of passages through the insulator between the first and second surfaces and open at the outer periphery of the insulator, the first surface of the insulator being located adjacent the end turns; and

,

a neutral lead conductor shaped so as to follow the shape of a portion of the stator core cross section having inner and outer peripheries and first and second surfaces, the first surface of the conductor being located adjacent the second surface of the insulator said conductor having a plurality of slots between the first and second surfaces and open at the outer periphery of the conductor, and a plurality of generally U-shaped projections bracketing a portion of each one of the plurality of slots, the plurality of slots being substantially aligned with respective ones of the plurality of passages, wherein the neutral leads are routed through the passages of the insulator and slots of the conductor to the U-shaped projections of the conductor and mechanically and electrically coupled thereto.