Method for making permanent magnet rotor

• US 5,881,448 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Molnar, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US08/486,765
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 29/598, 29/596, 29/732, 29/736, 310/42, 310/153, 310/156, 310/216-218, 310/89, 310/90
• US Class Current: 29/598
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/278 Surface mounted magnets; Inset magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/40 Structural association with grounding devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/03 having permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2211/03 Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53143 Motor or generator

Abstract

A permanent magnet rotor includes a core and a plurality of magnetizable elements held about the outer circumferential surface of the core, as by an adhesive. The core and magnetizable elements are cold-pressed into a deep drawn cup-shaped outer metallic shell having a substantially closed end wall and an opposite open end defined by a peripheral edge which is rolled over the periphery of an end plate to encapsulate the core and magnetizable elements within the shell. An insulator disk is preferably disposed between each end of the core and the adjacent shell end wall and end plate. The permanent magnet rotor may be formed by a methond and apparatus that cold press the core and magnetizable elements into the cup-shaped shell and form the peripheral edge of the shell over the end plate to effect encapulation.

Claims

1. A method of making a permanent magnet rotor comprising the steps of:

a. forming a generally cylindrical core having first and second ends and an axial bore intersecting said ends;

b. forming a plurality of substantially identically shaped magnetizable elements each of which has an arcuate transverse cross-sectional configuration;

c. forming a cup-shaped deep drawn metallic shell having a relatively thin annular wall terminating at one end in an end wall having a generally circular central aperture at least as large in area as the cross-sectional area of said core axial bore, said shell having an opposite open end defined by a peripheral edge, said end wall being formed integrally with said annular wall and having a thickness substantially the same as the annular wall;

d. elastically holding the magnetizable elements against an outer circumferential surface of the core;

e. positioning the deep drawn shell in a generally fixed orientation;

f. inserting an annular electrically nonconducting insulator disk into said shell against said end wall, said insulator disk having a generally circular center aperture not substantially greater in area than said central aperture in said end wall;

g. positioning the core and magnetizable elements in axial alignment with the open end of said shell, said magnetizable elements having outer surfaces lying in a common generally cylindrical envelope having a diameter to establish an interference fit with an inner surface of the annular wall of said shell;

h. effecting relative axial movement between said core and magnetizable elements and said shell to fully cold-press said core and elements into said shell so that the shell firmly retains the magnetizable elements against the core and so that the first end of the core is positioned adjacent said insulator disk and said peripheral edge of the open end of said shell extends longitudinally outwardly from the second end of said core and said magnetizable elements;

i. positioning an annular end plate within said open end of said shell over the second end of said core and magnetizable elements; and

j. forming said peripheral edge of said shell over an outer periphery of said end plate to encapsulate said core and magnetizable elements within said shell.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said shell and end plate are made from stainless steel.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said annular wall is formed to effect an interference fit in the range of approximately 0.016-0.040 inch.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 including the further step of inserting a second annular electrically nonconducting insulating disk against the second end of said core and said magnetizable elements before positioning said end plate within the open end of said shell.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said first and second insulating disks are made of plastic.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said end plate and first and second insulating disks are formed with annular configurations so as to expose opposite ends of said axial bore.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 including the steps of forming a plurality of longitudinal outwardly facing ribs on the outer circumferential surface of said core, said step of holding said magnetizable elements to the outer peripheral surface of said core including positioning each of said elements between a different pair of said ribs, and applying an adhesive between adjacent longitudinal side edges of said magnetizable elements.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step of forming said shell to flare outwardly at said peripheral edge to facilitate cold-pressing of said core and magnetizable elements into said shell.