Low inertia laminated rotor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003248-A1
Application number	US-201514854283-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor plates mounted to a shaft, and methods of construction for a rotor assembly are disclosed. Each rotor plate in the assembly may be provided with a central opening extending between the first and second sides through which the shaft extends. In one aspect, the rotor plates are provided with a plurality of lobes extending away from the central opening, wherein each of the lobes has a lobe opening extending through the thickness of the plates. In one embodiment, the rotor plates are rotationally stacked to form a helical rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rotor assembly comprising:
a. a plurality of rotor plates, each including:
i. a first side and a second opposite side separated by a first thickness;
ii. a central opening extending between the first and second sides;
iii. a plurality of lobes extending away from the central opening,
iv. wherein the lobes of at least some of the plurality of rotor plates has a a lobe opening extending between the first and second sides; and
b. a shaft extending through the central opening of each of the plurality of rotor plates; c. wherein the plurality of rotor plates are stacked and secured together to form the rotor assembly such that at least one of the first and second sides of one rotor plate is adjacent to and in contact with at least one of the first and second sides of another rotor plate.

2 . The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotor plates are rotated with respect to each other to form a helical rotor.

3 . The rotor assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor plates includes first, second, and third lobes that are radially spaced apart by an equal angular degree.

4 . The rotor assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor plates further includes a fourth lobe, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth lobes are radially spaced apart by an equal angular degree.

5 . The rotor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the helical rotor has an overall length that is generally equal to the sum of the first thicknesses of the plurality of stacked rotor plates.

6 . The rotor assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of the rotor plates is formed from a metal material.

7 . The rotor assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rotor plates are secured together by welding.

8 . A rotary device comprising:
a. a housing; b. a first rotor assembly disposed in the housing; and c. a second rotor assembly disposed in the housing and intermeshed with the second rotor assembly; d. wherein the first and second rotor assemblies each have a rotor formed from a plurality of rotor plates, each including:
i. a first side and a second opposite side separated by a first thickness;
ii. a central opening extending between the first and second sides;
iii. a plurality of lobes extending away from the central opening, each of the lobes having a lobe opening extending between the first and second sides; and
e. wherein the plurality of rotor plates are stacked and secured together to form the rotor assembly such that at least one of the first and second sides of one rotor plate is adjacent to and in contact with at least one of the first and second sides of another rotor plate.

9 . The rotary device of claim 8 , wherein the rotor plates of each of the first and second rotor assemblies are rotated with respect to each other to form a helical rotor.

10 . The rotary device of claim 9 , wherein the rotary device is a supercharger.

11 . The rotary device of claim 9 , wherein the rotary device is a volumetric fluid expansion device configured to receive exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine.

12 . The rotary device of claim 11 , wherein each of the rotor plates is formed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material from which the housing is formed.

13 . The rotary device of claim 8 , wherein the rotor plates of the first rotor assembly are secured together by welding and wherein the rotor plates of the second rotor assembly are secured together by welding.

14 . The rotary device of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor plates includes first, second, and third lobes that are radially spaced apart by an equal angular degree.

15 . The rotary device of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of rotor plates further includes a fourth lobe, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth lobes are radially spaced apart by an equal angular degree.

16 . A method of making a laminated rotor, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a plurality of rotor plates, each of the plates having:
i. a first side and a second opposite side;
ii. a central opening extending between the first and second sides;
iii. a plurality of lobes extending radially away from a central opening, wherein at least some of the plates have lobes with lobe openings;
b. stacking each of the plurality of rotor plates such that at least one of the first and second sides of each rotor plate is adjacent to a first or second side of another rotor plate; c. securing the rotor plates together; and d. inserting a shaft into the central openings of the rotor plates.

17 . The method of making a laminated rotor of claim 16 , wherein the step of securing the rotor plates together includes welding the rotor plates together.

18 . The method of making a laminated rotor of claim 16 , further including the step of burring the shaft before the step of inserting the shaft into the central openings of the rotor plates.

19 . The method of making a laminated rotor of claim 16 , wherein the step of inserting a shaft is performed after the step of securing the rotor plates together.

20 . The method of making a laminated rotor of claim 16 further including the step of forming each of the plurality rotor plates by one of stamping, fine blanking, laser cutting, and water jet cutting.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Eybergen William Nicholas
• Killian Michael Lee
• Fortini Matthew James

Classifications

• F04C2/16

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C3/00)} · CPC title

• F02B33/38

  of Roots type · CPC title

• F04C18/084

  Toothed wheels · CPC title

• F02B37/00

  Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust · CPC title

• F04C2/18

  with similar tooth forms (F04C2/16 takes precedence) · CPC title