Composite supercharger rotors and methods of construction thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10208656-B2
Application number	US-201514717654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2012
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A supercharger rotor with reduced rotational inertia may result in increased performance of a supercharger. The rotor may include composite material and may be extrusion molded, injection molded, or otherwise molded or laid-up. In certain embodiments, the rotor may include a core with a central portion and one or more radially extending portions. The core may be extruded or formed of stacked sheets. A molded portion of the rotor, including one or more lobes, may be molded over a corresponding one of the radially extending portions. In other embodiments, a main portion of the rotor includes one or more lobes but no central hole nor a corresponding shaft extending between ends of the main portion. Instead, stub shafts are attached to the ends of the main portion. The increased performance may include decreased noise, decreased cost, increased reliability and/or durability, increased thermal efficiency, an increased power-to-weight ratio, etc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor for a supercharger device, the rotor comprising:
an axis of rotation;
a core including a central portion and at least one radially extending portion, the core extending between a first end and a second end, wherein the core includes an attachment structure having a first cross-segment and a second cross-segment that is shorter than the first cross-segment, wherein the first and second cross-segments extend away from the at least one radially extending portion, wherein the at least one radially extending portion extends between an inner end connected to the core and an outer end, and wherein the attachment structure is connected to the at least one radially extending portion between the inner end and the outer end, wherein the outer end extends radially beyond the attachment structure first and second cross-segments; and
a molded portion including at least one lobe, the at least one lobe molded over at least a portion of a corresponding one of the at least one radially extending portion of the core, the molded portion extending between a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one lobe includes an outer portion molded over the first and second cross-segments and includes an inner portion, wherein the inner portion is positioned between the outer portion and the axis of rotation, and wherein the inner portion includes a reduced section portion, wherein the first cross-segment is located within a first part of the lobe outer portion and the second cross-segment being located within a second part of the lobe outer portion that is narrower than the first part, wherein the outer end of the at least one radially extending portion extends into a third part of the lobe outer portion that is narrower than the second part.

2. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the central portion of the core includes a driven first shaft portion adjacent the first end of the core and a second shaft portion adjacent the second end of the core.

3. The rotor of claim 2 , wherein the at least one radially extending portion extends between a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the core extends beyond the first end of the radially extending portion, and wherein the second end of the core extends beyond the second end of the radially extending portion.

4. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one radially extending portion and the at least one lobe extend along a helical path.

5. The rotor of claim 4 , wherein the core includes stacked sheets.

6. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the inner portion includes a hypocycloidal portion and the outer portion includes an epicycloidal portion.

7. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the radially extending portion provides tensile reinforcement across the reduced section portion when the at least one lobe is subjected to a tensile load.

8. The rotor of claim 1 , wherein the core includes a metallic material and the molded portion includes a composite material.

9. The rotor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first stub shaft arrangement mounted to the first end of the molded portion, the first stub shaft arrangement adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation when rotatably mounted to a housing of the supercharger device.

10. The rotor of claim 9 , further comprising a second stub shaft arrangement mounted to the second end of the molded portion, the second stub shaft arrangement also adapted to rotate about the axis of rotation when rotatably mounted to the housing of the supercharger device.

11. The rotor of claim 9 , wherein the first stub shaft arrangement is surface mounted to the first end of the molded portion.

12. The rotor of claim 9 , wherein the first stub shaft arrangement includes a stub shaft and a flange.

13. The rotor of claim 12 , wherein the flange of the first stub shaft arrangement is flush mounted with or surface mounted to the first end of the molded portion.

14. The rotor of claim 12 , wherein the flange of the first stub shaft arrangement defines an outer surface including a profile and wherein the profile of the flange matches a profile of the composite lobe arrangement.

15. The rotor of claim 14 , wherein the profiles of the flange and the composite lobe arrangement are twisted about the axis of rotation.

16. A composite rotor for a supercharger device, the rotor comprising:
a core adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation when rotatably mounted within a housing of the supercharger device, the core being formed from a plurality of stacked sheets, wherein each of the plurality of sheets includes a plurality of radially extending portions; and
a molded portion including a plurality of lobes, wherein each of the plurality of lobes is molded over corresponding ones of the plurality of radially extending portions of each of the plurality of stacked sheets, the molded portion securing the plurality of stacked sheets together;
wherein each of the plurality of radially extending portions includes an attachment structure having a first cross-segment and a second cross-segment that is shorter than the first cross-segment, and wherein each of the radially extending portions extends between an inner end connected to the core and an outer end and wherein the attachment structure is connected to the at least one radially extending portion between the inner end and the outer end with the outer end extending beyond the attachment structure, and wherein each of the plurality of lobes includes an outer portion molded over the first and second cross-segments and includes an inner portion, wherein the inner portion is positioned between the outer portion and the axis of rotation, and wherein the inner portion includes a reduced section portion, wherein the first cross-segment is located within a first part of the lobe outer portion and the second cross-segment being located within a second part of the lobe outer portion that is narrower than the first part, wherein the outer end of the at least one radially extending portion extends into a third part of the lobe outer portion that is narrower than the second part.

17. The composite rotor of claim 16 , wherein the stacked sheets are rotationally offset from each other to form a helical stack.

18. The composite rotor of claim 17 , further comprising:
a shaft extending through the molded portion and the core, wherein each of the sheets is provided with a central opening for receiving the shaft.

19. The composite rotor of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality radially extending portions includes at least one attachment structure adapted to interlock with the molded portion.

20. The composite rotor of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of stacked sheets are welded together such that welds and the molded portion together secure the plurality of stacked sheets together.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Pryor Martin Dale
• Eybergen William Nicholas

Classifications

• F04C18/084

  Toothed wheels · CPC title

• F04C18/123

  with radially or approximately radially from the rotor body extending tooth-like elements, co-operating with recesses in the other rotor, e.g. one tooth · CPC title

• F04C18/16

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C18/48)} · CPC title

• F05C2201/00

  Metals · CPC title

• F02B33/38 Primary

  of Roots type · CPC title