Centralized power distribution unit and method of producing bus bars

• US 20030173842A1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Makoto, Fukuda, Kenji, Suzuki, Izumi, Horie, Tatsuro
• Granted Patent: US 6,894,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/71
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0056 Manufacturing winding connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0062 Manufacturing the terminal arrangement per se; Connecting the terminals to an external circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/10 Applying solid insulation to windings, stators or rotors
• 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 3/50 Fastening of winding heads, equalising connectors, or connections thereto
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49107 Fuse making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A centralized power distribution unit for a vehicular thin brushless motor includes a plurality of bus bars and a resin insulating layer that covers the bus bars. The bus bars are disposed correspondingly with phases of the motor. Each of the bus bars has a terminal portion to be connected to a battery and one or more tabs to be connected respectively to one or more windings of a stator. Each of the bus bars is shaped into a substantially annular shape by bending a molded material in a thickness direction. The molded material is obtained by stamping out a conductive metal plate into a strip-like shape. Diameters of the annular shapes of the bus bars are set to be different from one another depending on the corresponding phase of the motor. The bus bars are stacked in a radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit, mutually separated by a predetermined gap.

Claims

1. A centralized power distribution unit for a vehicular thin brushless motor, wherein said centralized power distribution unit is formed into a ring configuration and can concentratedly distribute current to stator windings of the motor, comprising:

a plurality of bus bars each having a terminal portion to be connected to a power source and one or more tabs to be connected respectively to one or more of the stator windings, the bus bars provided correspondingly with phases of the motor; and

a resin insulating layer that covers the bus bars;

wherein

each of the bus bars comprises a metal strip that is bent, in a thickness direction of the metal strip, into a substantially annular shape, and diameters of the annular shapes of the bus bars are set to be different from one another depending on the corresponding motor phase; and

the bus bars are stacked in a radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit, mutually separated by a predetermined gap.

2. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the terminal portions includes a first section extending in a first direction that is a substantially radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit, a second section extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a ramp section connecting the first and second sections and extending in a third direction that is different from the first and second directions.

3. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one slit is provided in at least one of the terminal portions.

4. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 3, wherein a section of the at least one of the terminal portions is covered by a sealing material, and the at least one slit is provided in the section covered by the sealing material.

5. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 3, wherein the at least one slit extends in a longitudinal direction of the terminal portion.

6. A method of producing a centralized power distribution unit for a vehicular thin brushless motor wherein said centralized power distribution unit is formed into a ring configuration and can concentratedly distribute current to stator windings of the motor, the method comprising:

stamping out a conductive metal plate into a plurality of strips, the strips stamped out simultaneously by press molding;

bending the strips in a thickness direction into a substantially annular shape to obtain a plurality of bus bars in the form of rings, the rings being mutually different in diameter, the bus bars each having a terminal portion to be connected to a power source and one or more tabs to be connected respectively to one or more windings of a stator;

providing the bus bars correspondingly with phases of the motor;

stacking the strips in a radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit, mutually separated by a predetermined gap; and

covering the bus bars with a resin insulating layer.

7. A method of producing bus bars, comprising:

stamping out a conductive metal plate into a plurality of strips, the strips stamped out simultaneously by press molding; and

bending the strips in a thickness direction to obtain a plurality of rings, the rings being mutually different in diameter.

8. The method of producing bus bars according to claim 7, wherein, in the step of stamping out, at least one of (a) a terminal portion and (b) one or more tabs are integrally stamped with a main body of the bus bar.

9. The method of producing bus bars according to claim 8, wherein, in the step of stamping out, the bus bars are stamped out in a state where the main bodies are laid out in parallel, and in a state where both ends of the main bodies are substantially aligned with one another.

10. The method of producing bus bars according to claim 7, wherein, in the step of stamping out, a terminal portion and one or more tabs are integrally stamped with a main body of the bus bar.

11. The method of producing bus bars according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of stamping out, the terminal portion and the one or more tabs of a predetermined one of the bus bars are laid out to be directed to a center of a row of the bus bars, the predetermined one of the bus bars being positioned at an outermost side among the bus bars which are placed in parallel.

12. A method of producing a centralized power distribution unit wherein said centralized power distribution unit is formed into a ring configuration and can concentratedly distribute current to stator windings of a motor, the method comprising:

stamping out a conductive metal plate into a plurality of strips, the strips stamped out simultaneously by press molding;

bending the strips in a thickness direction to obtain a plurality of rings, the rings being mutually different in diameter; and

stacking the strips in a radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit mutually, separated by a predetermined gap.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each bus bar includes a terminal portion that connects to a power source, further comprising bending the terminal portion into a bent configuration.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein bending at least one of the terminal portions comprises bending the terminal portion such that the at least one of the terminal portions includes a first section extending in a first direction that is a substantially radial direction of the centralized power distribution unit, a second section extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a ramp section connecting the first and second sections and extending in a third direction that is different from the first and second directions.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising providing at least one slit in at least one of the terminal portions.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a section of the at least one of the terminal portions by a sealing material, wherein the at least one slit is provided in the section covered by the sealing material.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one slit extends in a longitudinal direction of the terminal portion.