US5144735A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for assembling a permanent magnet rotor
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1991-06-26
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Granted: 1992-09-08
•
Expires: 2011-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A permanent magnet rotor for an electronically commutated motor (ECM) has a core, a plurality of magnetizable elements spaced around the core, and a thin-walled retaining shell which has been stretched around the core and magnetizable elements to hold the elements in position. The rotor is amde by an inventive method which involves axially aligning the core and surrounding magnetizable elements with the retaining shell, and cold-pressing the retaining shell over the core and elements to sandwich the elements between the shell and core. The core and magnetizable elements serve as a mandrel about which the shell is reformed in a cold working operation. Other aspects of the invention include the fixturing apparatus used to align the core and magnetizable elements with the retaining shell, and apparatus which is used to evenly space the magnetizable elements around the core and hold the elements in position during at least a portion of the cold-pressing operation. Additional features of certain embodiments of the rotor of the present invention include end plates axially disposed adjacent the ends of the rotor core and magnetizable elements, and the use of adhesives between the core and magnetizable elements and/or the ends of the core and magnetizable elements and the end plates.
Inventors
- 👤 William H. Stark
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:30
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02K; H02K1/00; H02K1/06; H02K1/22; H02K1/27; H02K1/2706; H02K1/272; H02K1/274; H02K1/2753; H02K1/278; H01; H01F; H01F41/00; H01F41/02; H01F41/0253; H02K15/00; H02K15/02; H02K15/03; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49009; Y10T29/49012; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5313; Y10T29/53143
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
Apparatus for making a permanently magnetizable rotor which includes a core, a plurality of magnetizable elements, and a retaining shell, said apparatus comprising: a means for positioning and temporarily holding the magnetizable elements in spaced relation around the core; b. means for axially aligning the core and magnetizable elements with the retaining shell; and c. means for pressing the retaining shell longitudinally over the core and magnetizable elements to permanently retain the magnetizable elements around the core.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus for making a permanently magnetizable rotor which includes a core, a plurality of magnetizable elements, and a retaining shell, said apparatus comprising: a means for positioning and temporarily holding the magnetizable elements in spaced relation around the core; b. means for axially aligning the core and magnetizable elements with the retaining shell; and c. means for pressing the retaining shell longitudinally over the core and magnetizable elements to permanently retain the magnetizable elements around the core.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for mounting the core in a press such that a central axis of the core is aligned substantially parallel to a working axis of the press.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the core has a central bore extending along its central axis, and wherein said means for mounting the core in a press includes a bolt, said bolt having a first end, a second end, and a connecting shank, said first end of the bolt being disposed adjacent a first end of the core and matingly received within a fixture of the press, said shank being disposed within the central bore of the core, and said second end of the bolt being disposed adjacent a second end of the core.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for axially aligning the core and magnetizable elements with the retaining shell comprises guide means mounted on the second end of the bolt for guiding the retaining shell as the shell is pressed over the core and magnetizable elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the retaining shell includes a body with a generally cylindrical wall and a substantially continuous surface an end of said generally cylindrical wall, and wherein said means for pressing the retaining shell over the core and magnetizable elements includes means for applying a substantially uniformly distributed force to said substantially surface of the shell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for mounting the core in a press includes means for positioning the core in predetermined angular relation to the first end of the bolt, and means for angularly positioning the first end of the bolt in predetermined angular relation to a fixture of the press.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the retaining shell includes a body with a generally cylindrical wall and a substantially continuous surface at an end of said generally cylindrical wall and an initial inner diameter, and wherein said means for pressing the retaining shell over the core and magnetizable elements comprises a fixture which is attached to a working element of a press, said fixture having an internal bore having a diameter substantially equal to the initial inner diameter of the generally cylindrical wall of the retaining shell, and said fixture having an edge surface adjacent the bore for contacting the substantially continuous surface of the retaining shell for applying a substantially uniform force to the surface at the end of the generally cylindrical wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means for axially aligning the core and magnetizable elements with the retaining shell comprises shell guide means having an outer diameter which is slightly smaller than the initial inner diameter of the generally cylindrical wall of the shell and the diameter of said internal bore in the fixture such that the retaining shell is received over said shell guide means, and said shell guide means is received within said internal bore with a tight but non-interfering fit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for positioning the magnetizable elements around the core includes means for assuring substantially equal spacing of adjacent elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for temporarily holding the magnetizable elements includes means for individually clamping each element in position adjacent the core.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the core is substantially cylindrical in shape and has an outer radius, and wherein the magnetizable elements are arcuately shaped elements each of which have an inner radius substantially equal to the outer radius of the core, and wherein said means for positioning the magnetizable elements in spaced relation around the core comprises a plurality of gauges supported adjacent the core and magnetizable elements, said gauges being radially reciprocally movable relative to said core and magnetizable elements, and actuator means for moving said gauges into position between adjacent magnetizable elements so as to adjust and gauge the spacing between said elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said gauges include wedge-shaped tips cooperative with said magnetizable elements to achieve desired spaced relation between the elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said actuator means includes means for effecting simultaneous predetermined movement of said gauges toward the core and magnetizable elements to simultaneously adjust and gauge the spacing between adjacent elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each of said gauges has a camming surface, and wherein said actuator means includes an actuator ring having a camming surface cooperative with each of said gauge camming surfaces, said actuator ring being movable to cause interaction between cooperative camming surfaces so as to effect movement of each gauge in accordance with the contours of the mutually cooperative camming surfaces.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each gauge has a roller having an outer surface, and wherein said means for effecting simultaneous movement of said gauges comprises an actuator ring having a plurality of camming surfaces disposed adjacent corresponding ones of said gauge rollers, and means for moving the ring so as to cause interaction between the respective rollers and camming surfaces and cause simultaneous movement of the gauges in accordance with respective contours of the camming surfaces.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the camming surfaces of said actuator ring have substantially identical contours, resulting in substantially identical movement of the gauges.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said camming surfaces are defined by opposing side edges of slots formed in said actuator ring.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the core is substantially cylindrical in shape and has an outer radius, and wherein the magnetizable elements are arcuately shaped elements each of which has an inner radius substantially equal to the outer radius of the core, and wherein said means for temporarily holding the magnetizable elements in spaced relation around the core includes a plurality of clamps, each clamp being cooperative with a corresponding magnetizable element.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein each clamp comprises an end portion for contacting the corresponding magnetizable element, and including means for moving said end portions into clamping positions with the corresponding magnetizable elements, and means for releasably locking said end portions in said clamping positions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein each end portion includes an elastic element for engaging the corresponding magnetizable element when the end portion is moved into clamping position.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for crimping an edge retaining shell inwardly toward a central axis of the shell after the shell has been pressed longitudinally over the core and magnetizable elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 21 including an end plate disposed against each end the core in axial alignment therewith, each end plate having an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of said retaining shell, said magnetizable elements having longitudinal lengths less than the longitudinal length of said core, and said shell extending longitudinally outwardly from each end of said core and corresponding end plate, said crimping means being operative to form said ends of said shell radially inwardly against said end plates so as to retain said end plates against said ends of said core.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said means for crimping an edge of the retaining shell comprises a plurality of dies for incrementally and plastically deforming the edge of the shell inwardly toward the central axis of the shell.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
108 words
Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said means for crimping an edge of the retaining shell comprises three sets of dies for incrementally and plastically deforming the edge of the shell inwardly toward the central axis of the shell, a first of said dies being configured to deform the edge of the shell through an angle of approximately 30°, a second of the dies being configured to deform the edge of the shell through a further angle of approximately 30°, and a third of the dies being configured to deform the edge of the shell to an angle of approximately 90° relative to the axis of the shell.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said third die is provided with an elastically deformable insert for surrounding an end of the shell during the crimping operation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-08 | 1996-03-09 | 1996-09-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-08 | 2000-03-09 | 2000-09-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-08 | 2004-03-09 | 2004-09-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |