Electric motor with carbon track commutator

• US 6,160,337 A
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyal Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Joyal Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Warner, Allan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin
• Application Number:
  US09/397,687
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 310/233, 310/234, 310/235, 310/236, 310/237
• US Class Current: 310/233
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/045 the commutators being made of carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/06 other than with external cylindrical contact surface, e.g. flat commutators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49011 Commutator or slip ring assembly

Abstract

An electric motor according to the principles of the present invention includes a stator or stationary part of the motor and an armature. The armature includes a shaft having a rotation axis and a commutator subassembly fixed symmetrically to the shaft that includes an insulating body surrounding the shaft and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, carbon-based material segments surrounding the shaft. The carbon segments are held to the body and each segment has a brush contacting surface. An equal plurality of metallic commutator members have at least a part located and molded within the corresponding carbon segment for providing good mechanical and electrical connection between the carbon segment and metallic commutator member and to isolate the metallic part within the carbon segment from harmful external environments such as described above. According to other aspects of the present invention, a second part of each metallic commutator segment extends from the carbon segment into and is molded within the insulating body. This design increases the mechanical connection between the corresponding segment and the body while achieving the isolation and electrical contact described above. A third part of the metallic commutator forms a U-shaped tang.

Claims

1. An electric motor comprising

a stationary part and a rotating part,

said rotating part comprising a shaft having a rotation axis and a commutator subassembly fixed symmetrically to said shaft,

said commutator subassembly comprising an insulating body surrounding said shaft,

a plurality of circumferentially spaced carbon-based material segments surrounding s aid shaft, each segment having a brush contacting surface,

a same plurality of metallic commutators each having a first part molded to and within a corresponding segment for mechanically securing said corresponding segments and commutators and for providing electrical surface contact between said commutators and said corresponding segments,

wherein each of said commutators includes a second dart extending out of the corresponding segment and said second part includes a tang member and a wire being electrically and mechanically connected to said tang member,

wherein said commutator subassembly comprises a mounting member made of insulating material for securing said plurality of segments to said shaft, and

wherein each said commutator includes a third part that extends into and is mechanically secured in the direction transverse the shaft axis by said mounting member, and

wherein each of said third parts are molded within and completely surrounded by and in contact with said mounting member, and

wherein said first part comprises the body of the commutator and said third part comprises the free end portion of a pawl member formed from the body of said commutator,

said pawl member having a segment embedded portion between said free end portion and said body that is surrounded by and molded in contact with a portion of said segment.

2. An electric motor according to claim 1, wherein each said tang member includes a U-shaped portion for being mechanically and electrically connected to the wire, the legs of the U-shaped portion extending generally parallel to the axis of said shaft.

3. An electric motor according to claim 1 wherein each said tang member includes a U-shaped portion for being mechanically and electrically connected to the wire, the legs of the U-shaped portion extending generally perpendicular to the axis of said shaft.

4. An electric motor according to claim 1 wherein said commutator subassembly is one of the flat disk and barrel types.

5. An electric motor according to claim 1 wherein said tang comprises a U-shaped member having first and second legs, said first leg contacting an outer surface of said mounting member and said second leg being located over a portion of said first leg, said first leg being longer than said second leg for providing a ground terminal contact pad for a fusing machine electrode.