Systems and methods for rotor assemblies and manufacturing thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12595042-B2
Application number	US-202418991011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2024
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a rotor assembly of an electric engine, comprising: loading a first and second plurality of magnets in a magnet insertion tool, loading a sleeve in the magnet insertion tool: performing an insertion movement of the first plurality of magnets with respect to the second plurality of magnets using the magnet insertion tool, wherein the insertion movement comprises: moving the first plurality of magnets in a radial direction of the sleeve; moving the second plurality of magnets in an axial direction of the sleeve; and expanding a radius of the sleeve in the radial direction using the magnet insertion tool during the insertion movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a rotor assembly of an electric engine, the method comprising:
loading a first plurality of magnets in a magnet insertion tool; loading a second plurality of magnets in the magnet insertion tool, wherein the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets are shaped to form a magnet ring of the rotor assembly; loading a sleeve in the magnet insertion tool; performing an insertion movement of the first plurality of magnets with respect to the second plurality of magnets using the magnet insertion tool, wherein the insertion movement comprises: moving the first plurality of magnets in a radial direction of the sleeve; moving the second plurality of magnets in an axial direction of the sleeve; and expanding a radius of the sleeve in the radial direction using the magnet insertion tool during the insertion movement.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
simultaneously moving the first plurality of magnets in the radial direction and the second plurality of magnets in the axial direction.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of magnets remains stationary with respect to the sleeve in the axial direction during the insertion movement.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the second plurality of magnets in both the axial and radial directions during the insertion movement.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insertion movement further comprises: expanding the sleeve by pressing the first plurality of magnets against the sleeve in the radial direction.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insertion movement further comprises: sliding the second plurality of magnets into alignment, in the axial direction, with both the first plurality of magnets and the sleeve in the axial direction.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein expanding the radius of the sleeve comprises expanding the radius from a first radius to a second radius, the method further comprising:
contracting the radius of the sleeve from the second radius to a third radius, the third radius being larger than the first radius and smaller than the second radius.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the third radius is at least 98% of the second radius.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets are tapered along the axial direction.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets are supported on respectively a first plurality of magnet keys and a second plurality of magnet keys of the magnet insertion tool, the method further comprising:
moving the first plurality of magnets, the first plurality of magnet keys, the second plurality of magnets, and the second plurality of magnet keys in the radial direction using an expanding mandrel of the magnet insertion tool during the insertion movement.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the expanding mandrel comprises:
a first plurality of push bars configured to push the first plurality of magnet keys; and a second plurality of push bars configured to push the second plurality of magnet keys.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
sliding the first plurality of magnet keys with respect to surfaces of the first plurality of push bars by the magnet insertion tool.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
sliding the second plurality of magnet keys with respect to surfaces of the second plurality of push bars by the magnet insertion tool.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the expanding mandrel comprises:
a push bar guide plate configured to guide the first plurality of push bars and the second plurality of push bars in the radial direction.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the expanding mandrel comprises:
an alignment shaft configured to align the push bar guide plate in the axial direction as the push bar guide plate guides the first plurality of push bars and the second plurality of push bars in the radial direction.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the magnet insertion tool comprises a first support plate configured to support the first plurality of magnet keys, and a second support plate configured to support the second plurality of magnet keys, the method further comprising:
moving the first plurality of magnet keys with respect to the first support plate in the radial direction; and moving the second plurality of magnet keys with respect to the second support plate in the radial direction.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
pressing the second support plate in the axial direction toward the first support plate during the insertion movement.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein moving the first plurality of magnet keys with respect to the first support plate in the radial direction comprises moving the first plurality of magnet keys in a first plurality of slots in the first support plate.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein moving the second plurality of magnet keys with respect to the second support plate in the radial direction comprises moving the second plurality of magnet keys in a second plurality of slots in the second support plate.

20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of magnet keys and the second plurality of magnet keys support the first plurality of magnets and the second set of magnets respectively with a plurality of locking mechanisms.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of locking mechanisms further comprises a plurality of dowel pins.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnet ring further comprises non-magnetic materials.

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Graves Scott
• Silva Diego
• Smoot Heath

Classifications

• H02K15/40

  Assembling dynamo-electric machines (H02K15/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K15/035

  on the rotor · CPC title

• H02K2215/00

  Specific aspects not provided for in other groups of this subclass relating to methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• H02P27/08

  with pulse width modulation · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title