Alternator and method of manufacture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of fabricating an alternator comprising:
- preparing a stator;
molding a drive-end (D.E.) frame of plastics material in a mold;
removing the molded D.E. frame from the mold and, while the D.E. frame is still hot from heat imparted by molding, installing the stator in the D.E. frame and permitting the D.E. frame to cool and constrict about the stator to secure the stator to the D.E. frame.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An alternator has a molded plastic, electrically conductive D.E. frame in which a sealed bearing is molded in place with the formation of the D.E. frame 14. When the D.E. frame is removed from its plastics injection mold and while the frame is still hot, the stator is installed in the D.E. frame and the frame allowed to cool and constrict about the stator. The companion S.R.E. frame is preferably fabricated of non-conductive plastics material.
-
Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A method of fabricating an alternator comprising:
-
preparing a stator;
molding a drive-end (D.E.) frame of plastics material in a mold;
removing the molded D.E. frame from the mold and, while the D.E. frame is still hot from heat imparted by molding, installing the stator in the D.E. frame and permitting the D.E. frame to cool and constrict about the stator to secure the stator to the D.E. frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of fabricating an alternator comprising:
-
providing a sealed bearing having an inner race, an outer race, and lubricated rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer races;
inserting the sealed bearing in a mold configured to form a plastics drive-end (D.E.) frame of the alternator; and
introducing hot, flowable plastics material into the mold and molding the plastics material about the outer race of the sealed bearing to secure the bearing to the resultant molded plastics D.E. frame, while controlling the heat in the mold to protect the bearing against heat damage. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. A method of remanufacturing spent alternators having a metallic drive-end (D.E.) frame, a stator secured to the D.E. frame, and a sealed bearing received in a bearing well of the D.E. frame and retained axially against removal by a spun-over lip of the D.E. frame overlying an outer race of the sealed bearing, said method comprising:
-
removing the stator and bearing from the metal D.E. frame of the spent alternator;
inserting a sealed bearing in a mold configured to form a plastics D.E. frame;
introducing hot, flowable plastics material into the mold and flowing the plastics material about the inserted bearing while maintaining the bearing at a temperature below which the bearing would be damaged from heat to mold the bearing in place in the resultant plastics D.E. frame; and
removing the plastics D.E. frame from the mold; and
while the plastics D.E. frame is still hot out of the mold, inserting a stator in the plastics D.E. frame and allowing the plastics D.E. frame to cool and constrict about the stator to secure the stator to the plastics D.E. frame.
-
-
11. A method of remanufacturing spent alternators having a drive-end (D.E.) frame molded of plastics material, a stator secured to the D.E. frame, and a sealed bearing secured to the frame, said method comprising:
-
fracturing the D.E. frame of the spent alternator to separate the stator and bearing from the D.E. frame;
introducing hot, flowable plastics material to a mold to form a new D.E. frame;
removing the new D.E. frame from the mold while the plastics material is still hot; and
before the new D.E. frame cools to ambient temperatures, inserting a stator in the new D.E. frame and allowing the plastics material to cool and constrict about the stator.
-
Specification