Forced air cooling of vacuum motor control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164505-B2
Application number	US-201615000996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A motor assembly is provided for powering a blower operable to generate fluid flow. The motor assembly includes a motor, a controller assembly, and a flow director. The motor includes a rotor rotatable about an axis. The rotor includes a rotatable support body, a plurality of arcuately spaced apart magnets, and a magnet retention ring at least in part securing the magnets relative to the support body. The controller assembly includes a controller and a controller case at least substantially housing the controller. The controller extends lengthwise to present opposite first and second sides at least in part spaced from the controller case. The flow director and the controller case cooperatively direct fluid received from the blower along a flow path that at least in part extends along each of the first and second sides of the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor assembly for powering a blower operable to generate fluid flow, said motor assembly comprising:
a motor;
a controller assembly including—
a controller configured to at least in part control the motor, and
a controller case at least substantially housing the controller,
said controller having a proximal end extending lengthwise to present opposite first and second sides at least in part spaced from the controller case; and

a flow director operable to receive fluid flow from the blower,
said flow director and said controller case being operable to cooperatively direct fluid received from the blower along a flow path,
said flow path at least in part extending along each of the first and second sides of the controller,
said flow director projecting outwardly relative to the proximal end of the controller such that the flow path extends directly from the flow director to each side of the controller.

2. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said motor including a rotor rotatable about an axis,
said first and second sides of the controller extending generally axially,
said flow path extending generally axially along the first and second sides of the controller.

3. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 2 ,
said flow path including a generally axially extending upstream portion, a generally axially extending downstream portion adjacent the first and second sides of the controller, and a generally radially extending intermediate portion fluidly interconnecting the upstream and downstream portions.

4. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 3 ,
said flow director at least substantially defining the upstream and intermediate portions,
said controller case and said controller cooperatively at least substantially defining the downstream portion.

5. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said controller case configured such that fluid flow along the controller is at least substantially unobstructed by the controller case.

6. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said controller case defining a plurality of heat-dispersing fins.

7. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 6 ,
said fins being outside the flow path.

8. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 6 ,
said controller case including a spacer spacing the controller away from the fins,
said spacer thermally interconnecting the controller and the fins.

9. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said motor including an endshield,
said flow director and said endshield being integrally formed.

10. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said flow director being configured to receive exhaust air from the blower.

11. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said motor assembly being configured to power a vacuum blower wheel.

12. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said motor being configured to be operable at temperatures up to about 85 degrees Celsius.

13. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said controller comprising a printed circuit board.

14. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 13 ,
said controller further comprising a field-effect transistor, a conductor, and a capacitor mounted on the printed circuit board.

15. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 13 ,
said board presenting opposite inner and outer board faces, each of which defines at least in part a corresponding one of the sides of the controller.

16. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 15 ,
said board being substantially flat such that the inner and outer board faces are substantially parallel.

17. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 16 ,
said controller case presenting opposite walls that define in part the flow path.

18. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 17 ,
said walls being parallel to one another and to the inner and outer board faces.

19. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 18 ,
said motor including a rotor rotatable about an axis,
said walls and inner and outer board faces extending axially.

20. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising a motor case at least substantially housing the motor, one of said walls extending alongside the motor case.

21. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
electrically conductive connector wiring; and
a motor case at least substantially housing the motor,
said motor case defining an opening through which the connector wiring extends between the motor and the controller.

22. The motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
said flow director and said controller case directly engaging each other along an interface,
said flow path being at least substantially unaffected by the interface.

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Lass David E
• Davis Gregory A
• Williams Michael E
• Wilson Dale R

Classifications

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• H02K11/33

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K9/06 Primary

  with fans or impellers driven by the machine shaft · CPC title

• H02K5/20

  with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium · CPC title

• H02K5/10

  with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers · CPC title