Thin brushless motor having ring-configured centralized power distribution unit

• US 6,894,410 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Makoto, Fukuda, Kenji, Suzuki, Izumi, Horie, Tatsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J.
• Application Number:
  US10/281,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20030173842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 310/43, 310/51, 310/54, 310/64, 310/68.B, 310/68.D, 310/71, 310/179, 310/239, 310/249, 310/254
• 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,

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

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

3. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 2, 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.

4. The centralized power distribution unit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one slit extends in a longitudinal direction of the terminal portion.