Stator for an electric motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728697-B2
Application number	US-202016735537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jan 7, 2019
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A stator for an electric motor is described. An example stator includes a stator core having teeth that are radially arranged about a common central axis of the stator and located in a spaced apart manner from one another. Each tooth has an inward portion and an outward portion. The example stator further includes an electrically transmissive coil of wire that is wound contiguously upon the inward portions of at least a subset of teeth from the plurality of teeth. The stator also includes wedge members that are radially arranged about the common central axis and located intermittently with the plurality of teeth such that each wedge member abuts with the outward portions of adjacently located teeth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stator for an electric motor, the stator comprising:
a stator core having a plurality of teeth radially arranged about a common central axis of the stator core and located in a spaced apart manner from one another, each tooth having an inward portion and an outward portion;
an electrically transmissive coil of wire wound contiguously upon the inward portions of at least a subset of teeth from the plurality of teeth;
a plurality of wedge members radially arranged about the common central axis and located intermittently with the plurality of teeth such that each wedge member abuts with the outward portions of adjacently located teeth; and
a band disposed about radially outward portions of the wedge members,
wherein an end of radially outward portion of each wedge member defines a recessed portion extending partway along the width of the radially outward portion,
wherein the band applies a compressive load on the recessed portions directed radially inward towards the common central axis of the stator core such that the plurality of wedge members frictionally engage with the plurality of teeth for restricting relative movement between the plurality of teeth,
wherein an end of the inward portion of each tooth defines a pair of ledge members extending laterally from the tooth which define an opening of a first width, wherein the first width indicates a width between a first ledge member extending laterally from the tooth and a second ledge member extending laterally from an adjacent tooth, wherein the first width is less than a second width of the electrically transmissive coil of wire, and
wherein outward portions of adjacently located teeth are spaced apart from one another by a pre-determined distance.

2. The stator of claim 1 , wherein adjacently located teeth are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is less than the second width.

3. The stator of claim 1 , wherein each tooth is stratified along a height of the stator core and comprises at least two teeth members stacked in a direction parallel to the common central axis.

4. The stator of claim 1 , wherein each wedge member comprises a radially inward portion proximal to the common central axis and the radially outward portion distal from the common central axis.

5. The stator of claim 4 , wherein a width of the radially outward portion is greater than a width of the radially inward portion.

6. The stator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth and the plurality of wedge members are made from a similar material.

7. The stator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth and the plurality of wedge members are made from dissimilar materials.

8. An electric motor comprising:
a stator comprising:
a stator core having a plurality of teeth radially arranged about a common central axis of the stator core and located in a spaced apart manner from one another, each tooth having an inward portion and an outward portion;
an electrically transmissive coil of wire wound contiguously upon the inward portions of at least a subset of teeth from the plurality of teeth; and
a plurality of wedge members radially arranged about the common central axis and located intermittently with the plurality of teeth such that each wedge member abuts with the outward portions of adjacently located teeth; and
a band disposed about radially outward portions of the wedge members,
wherein an end of the radially outward portion of each wedge member defines a recessed portion extending partway along the width of the radially outward portion,
wherein the band applies a compressive load on the recessed portions directed radially inward towards the common central axis of the stator core such that the plurality of wedge members frictionally engage with the plurality of teeth for restricting relative movement between the plurality of teeth,
wherein an end of the inward portion of each tooth defines a pair of ledge members extending laterally from the tooth which define an opening of a first width, wherein the first width indicates a width between a first ledge member extending laterally from the tooth and a second ledge member extending laterally from an adjacent tooth, wherein the first width is less than a second width of the electrically transmissive coil of wire, and
wherein outward portions of adjacently located teeth are spaced apart from one another by a pre-determined distance.

9. The electric motor of claim 8 , wherein adjacently located teeth are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is less than the width of the coiled wire.

10. The electric motor of claim 8 , wherein each tooth is stratified along a height of the stator core and comprises at least two teeth members stacked in a direction parallel to the common central axis.

11. The electric motor of claim 8 , wherein each wedge member comprises a radially inward portion proximal to the common central axis and the radially outward portion distal from the common central axis.

12. The electric motor of claim 11 , wherein a width of the radially outward portion is greater than a width of the radially inward portion.

13. The electric motor of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of teeth and the plurality of wedge members are made from a similar material.

14. The electric motor of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of teeth and the plurality of wedge members are made from dissimilar materials.

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Christie Kalonica
• Murphy James
• Olsen Leif
• Nelson David
• Edwards Christopher

Classifications

• H02K1/148 Primary

  Sectional cores (H02K1/141 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K1/14 Primary

  Stator cores with salient poles · CPC title

• H02K1/141

  consisting of C-shaped cores · CPC title

• H02K1/146 Primary

  consisting of a generally annular yoke with salient poles · CPC title

• H02K15/022

  with salient poles · CPC title