Motor

• US 7,795,766 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nidec Corporation
• Inventors: Migita, Takayuki, Haga, Hidehiro, Kataoka, Nakaba
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung; Quyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENERLY, TERRANCE L
• Application Number:
  US12/039,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68.B, 310/71, 310/68.E, 439/76.2
• US Class Current: 310/68.00B
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0403 characterised by constructional features, e.g. common housing for motor and gear box
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0141 Shields associated with casings, enclosures or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/215 Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements

Abstract

A motor includes a housing having a substantially cylindrical shape accommodating therein a stator portion and a rotor portion. The housing includes a housing body having an opening at an upper side thereof, and a lid portion arranged between an armature and a sensor so as to close the opening of the housing body. Since the lid portion is made of a magnetic material and is arranged between the armature and the sensor, a magnetic effect on the sensor caused by a magnetic force generated at the armature is minimized. By virtue of such configuration in which the lid portion of the housing functions as a magnetic shield, the motor can be smaller in the axial direction compared with a configuration in which an extra layer of magnetic shield is arranged.

Claims

1. A motor comprising:

a stator portion including an armature;

a rotor portion including a shaft concentric with a central axis, a rotor core having a substantially cylindrical shape arranged to surround the shaft, and a field magnet which is arranged at the rotor core and which, along with the armature, generates a torque centered about the central axis;

a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion arranged at a corresponding axial side of the rotor core to rotatably support the shaft;

a sensor, including a sensor magnet having a substantially annular plate shape and a first Hall element, arranged at an axial side of the armature to magnetically detect an angular position of the rotor core with respect to the stator portion;

a housing arranged to accommodate therein the stator portion and the rotor portion; and

a busbar unit arranged at an axial end of the armature to connect the armature to an external power source;

wherein

the busbar unit includes a busbar holder having a substantially annular shape or arc shape and made of an insulating material centered about the central axis;

the housing includes;

a housing body having an opening at an axial side thereof; and

a lid portion arranged between the armature and the sensor to retain the first bearing portion and to close the opening of the housing body;

the lid portion includes a first concave portion and a second concave portion arranged on an upper surface of the lid portion;

the first concave portion is arranged to accommodate the sensor magnet and the first Hall element therein;

the sensor magnet is affixed to the shaft such that the sensor magnet is arranged substantially perpendicular to the central axis to overlap the busbar holder in a radial direction;

the first Hall element is arranged to oppose a magnetized surface of the sensor magnet;

the second concave portion is arranged to accommodate the first bearing portion; and

the first concave portion and the second concave portion are arranged substantially inward of the busbar holder in the radial direction such that a circumferential surface the busbar holder is arranged to oppose the first concave portion and the second concave portion.

2. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the lid portion is made of a magnetic material.

3. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the lid portion is made of pressed material.

4. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor further includes a second Hall element arranged opposite to the magnetized surface of the sensor magnet and arranged further from the central axis than the first Hall element, and at the magnetized surface of the sensor magnet, a number of magnetic poles of a first domain having a substantially annular shape corresponding to the first Hall element is different from a number of magnetic poles of a second domain having a substantially annular shape corresponding to the second Hall element.

5. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the motor is arranged to assist operating a vehicle.

6. A vehicle comprising the motor according to claim 1.