Electrical and mechanical connection structure for motor assembly used for driving an impeller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11855518-B2
Application number	US-202117390329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

An electric motor assembly includes a housing, an impeller disposed inside the housing, a stator disposed at one side of the impeller in an axial direction of the impeller, the stator comprising a plurality of coil parts, a rotor that includes a rotation shaft connected to the impeller and that is configured to rotate relative to the stator, a bracket that is coupled to the housing and supports the rotation shaft, and a connection ring that electrically connects together end portions of the plurality of coil parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric motor assembly comprising:
a housing;
an impeller disposed inside the housing;
a stator disposed at one side of the impeller in an axial direction of the impeller, the stator comprising a plurality of coil parts and being located upstream relative to the impeller based on a moving direction of air moved by rotation of the impeller;
a rotor comprising a rotation shaft connected to the impeller, the rotor being configured to rotate relative to the stator;
a bracket that is coupled to the housing and supports the rotation shaft, the bracket being located upstream relative to the stator based on the moving direction of the air; and
a connection ring that is made of an electrical conductor and electrically connects together end portions of the plurality of coil parts,
wherein the bracket has a passing area configured to allow air to pass therethrough during rotation of the impeller and a non-passing area configured to block the air,
wherein the connection ring is disposed at the non-passing area of the bracket, and the bracket and the connection ring are arranged along the moving direction of the air,
wherein the connection ring is located downstream relative to the bracket based on the moving direction of the air,
wherein the connection ring comprises:
a circular conductor;
a plurality of linear conductors that connect the circular conductor to the plurality of coil parts, each of the plurality of linear conductors having a first side connected to the circular conductor and a second side connected to one of the plurality of coil parts, and
a plurality of connection pins that protrude from the plurality of linear conductors in the axial direction, respectively,

wherein the stator comprises:
a stator core,
a stator coil that is wound around the stator core, the stator coil including the plurality of coil parts, and
an insulator disposed between the stator core and the stator coil,

wherein the insulator comprises a plurality of neutral line connection parts, each of the plurality of neutral line connection parts being connected to one of the end portions of the plurality of coil parts and coupled to one of the connection pins, and
wherein each of the plurality of neutral line connection parts comprises a neutral line connection conductor that defines a connection pin accommodating portion having an arcuate shape with one open side, the neutral line connection conductor being in contact with one of the connection pins.

2. The electric motor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing that is disposed at the bracket and supports the rotation shaft.

3. The electric motor assembly of claim 2 ,
wherein the circular conductor is disposed at a center of the plurality of linear conductors.

4. The electric motor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a bearing accommodating portion that receives the bearing, the circular conductor being disposed at the bearing accommodating portion; and
a plurality of spoke portions that are radially connected to an outer surface of the bearing accommodating portion, the plurality of linear conductors being disposed at the plurality of spoke portions, respectively.

5. The electric motor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the bracket defines fixing member coupling portions coupled to fixing members in the axial direction, and
wherein each of the plurality of linear conductors defines a fixing member insertion portion that receives one of the fixing members.

6. The electric motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket defines a connection ring accommodating portion that is recessed in the axial direction and receives the connection ring.

7. The electric motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is made of an injection molding material applied after the connection ring is inserted into a mold.

8. The electric motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket defines a through hole in the passing area, the through hole being configured to draw air from an outside of the housing and provide the air toward the impeller sequentially through the bracket, the connection ring, and the stator.

9. An electric motor assembly comprising:
a housing;
an impeller disposed inside the housing;
a stator disposed at one side of the impeller in an axial direction of the impeller, the stator comprising a plurality of coil parts and being located upstream relative to the impeller based on a moving direction of air by rotation of the impeller;
a rotor comprising a rotation shaft connected to the impeller, the rotor being configured to rotate relative to the stator;
a bracket that is coupled to the housing and supports the rotation shaft, the bracket being located upstream relative to the stator based on the moving direction of the air;
a bearing that is disposed at the bracket and supports the rotation shaft; and
a connection ring that is made of an electric conductor and electrically connects together end portions of the plurality of coil parts,
wherein the bracket has a passing area configured to allow air to pass therethrough during rotation of the impeller and a non-passing area configured to block the air,
wherein the connection ring is disposed at the non-passing area of the bracket, and the bracket and the connection ring are arranged along a moving direction of the air,
wherein the connection ring is located downstream relative to the bracket based on the moving direction of the air, wherein the connection ring comprises:
a circular conductor, and
a plurality of linear conductors that are connected to an inner surface of the circular conductor, each of the plurality of linear conductors having a first side connected to the circular conductor and a second side connected to one of the plurality of coil parts,

wherein the circular conductor is disposed at outer sides of the plurality of linear conductors, and
wherein the bracket comprises:
a bearing accommodating portion that receives the bearing;
a plurality of spoke portions that extend from an outer surface of the bearing accommodating portion in a radial direction, the plurality of linear conductors being disposed at the plurality of spoke portions, respectively; and
a rim that connects end portions of the plurality of spoke portions, the circular conductor being disposed at the rim.

10. The electric motor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the bracket defines fixing member coupling portions coupled to fixing members, and
wherein the connection ring defines fixing member insertion portions at boundary areas between the circular conductor and the plurality of linear conductors, each of the fixing member insertion portions facing one of the fixing member coupling portions.

11. An electric motor assembly comprising:
a housing;
an impeller disposed inside the housing;
a stator disposed at one side of the impeller in an axial direction of the impeller, the stator comprising a plurality of coil parts and being located upstream relative to the impeller based on a moving direction of air by rotation of the impeller;
a rotor comprising a rotation shaft connected to the impeller, the rotor being configured to rotate relative to the stator;
a bracket that is coupled to the housing and supports the rotation shaft, the bracket being located upstream relative to the stator based on the moving direction of the air;
a bearing that is disposed at the bracket and supports the rotation shaft; and
a connection ring that is made of an electric conductor and electrically connects together end portions of the plurality of coil parts,
wherein the connection ring comprises:
an inner circular conductor;
an outer circular conductor that is conce

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kang Joohang
• Lee Junggu
• Kim Yongdae
• Hong Jin

Classifications

• H02K3/52

  Fastening salient pole windings or connections thereto · CPC title

• H02K9/06

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

• H02K5/24 Primary

  specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations · CPC title

• H02K7/083

  radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K7/086, H02K7/09 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02K5/16 Primary

  Means for supporting bearings, e.g. insulating supports or means for fitting bearings in the bearing-shields (magnetic bearings H02K7/09) · CPC title