Shipping release mechanism for engine mounted generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12088179-B2
Application number	US-202217882683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2022
Priority date	Aug 8, 2022
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A generator module for a vehicle includes a housing arranged for fixing to a combustion engine, a generator arranged in the housing, a shaft, a spring, circumscribing the shaft, and a cup, circumscribing the spring. The generator has a stator, fixed to the housing, and a rotor, rotatable within the housing and including a rotor carrier. The shaft is fixed to the rotor carrier and the cup has an annular flange disposed axially between the spring and the housing. In an example embodiment, the housing has a pump housing for a cooling pump and the cup contacts the spring and the pump housing before the generator module is installed in the vehicle. In an example embodiment, the housing and the rotor carrier have complementary conical surfaces, and the spring is arranged to urge the complementary conical surfaces into contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A generator module for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing arranged for fixing to a combustion engine;
a generator arranged in the housing, the generator comprising:
a stator, fixed to the housing; and
a rotor, rotatable within the housing and comprising a rotor carrier;

a shaft, fixed to the rotor carrier,
a spring, circumscribing the shaft; and
a cup, circumscribing the spring and comprising an annular flange disposed axially between the spring and the housing.

2. The generator module of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing comprises a pump housing for a cooling pump; and
the cup contacts the spring and the pump housing before the generator module is installed in the vehicle.

3. The generator module of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing and the rotor carrier comprise complementary conical surfaces; and
the spring is arranged to urge the complementary conical surfaces into contact.

4. The generator module of claim 1 wherein:
the shaft comprises an annular surface; and
the spring is compressed between the annular flange and the annular surface before the generator module is installed in the vehicle.

5. The generator module of claim 1 , wherein the cup is arranged to compress the spring to pull the spring away from the housing when the generator module is installed in the vehicle.

6. The generator module of claim 1 wherein:
the annular flange is arranged at a first distal end of the cup; and
the cup further comprises a bolting flange arranged at a second distal end of the cup, opposite the first distal end.

7. The generator module of claim 6 , wherein:
the rotor carrier comprises an attachment portion arranged for receiving a bolt to fix the rotor carrier to a combustion engine crankshaft of the vehicle; and
the bolting flange is spaced axially apart from the attachment portion before the generator module is installed in the vehicle.

8. The generator module of claim 7 wherein:
the bolting flange is arranged to be displaced by the bolt and contact the attachment portion when the generator module is installed in the vehicle; and
displacing the bolting flange towards the attachment portion compresses the spring to pull the spring away from the housing.

9. The generator module of claim 7 wherein the housing comprises an aperture for receiving the bolt.

10. The generator module of claim 9 further comprising a cover plate fixed to the housing to cover the aperture after the generator module is installed in the vehicle.

11. The generator module of claim 1 further comprising a cooling fluid pump, wherein the shaft is arranged to rotate the cooling fluid pump.

12. The generator module of claim 1 wherein the cup is a deep-drawn stamped cup.

13. The generator module of claim 1 further comprising a seal that seals the rotor carrier to the housing.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Heeke Gregory

Classifications

• H02K5/04

  Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof · CPC title

• H02K7/003

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• H02K7/1815 Primary

  structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines (general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04) · CPC title