Brush holder assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022173562-A1
Application number	US-202117538400-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 1, 2020
Publication date	Jun 2, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A brush assembly for use in a brush holder assembly of an electrical machine is disclosed. The brush assembly includes a carbon brush, an electrically conductive terminal and an electrically conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the electrically conductive terminal. In some instances, the electrically conductive lead assembly includes a spliced union located between the electrically conductive terminal and the carbon brush and spaced away from both the electrically conductive terminal and the carbon brush. In some instances, the electrically conductive terminal includes an inner core layer positioned between a first conductive metal layer and a second conductive metal layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A brush assembly, comprising:
a carbon brush having an upper surface and a lower surface; an electrically conductive terminal; and an electrically conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the electrically conductive terminal, wherein the electrically conductive lead assembly includes a spliced union located between the electrically conductive terminal and the carbon brush and spaced away from both the electrically conductive terminal and the carbon brush.

2 . The brush assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive lead assembly includes a first lead wire coupled to a second lead wire at the spliced union.

3 . The brush assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first lead wire is secured to the electrically conductive terminal and extends from the electrically conductive terminal to the spliced union, and the second lead wire is secured to the carbon brush and extends from the carbon brush to the spliced union.

4 . The brush assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spliced union is formed by welding a first end region of the first lead wire to a first end region of the second lead wire.

5 . The brush assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first lead wire includes a second end region secured to the carbon brush, the second lead wire includes a second end region secured to the carbon brush, and wherein the spliced union is formed by welding the first end region of the first lead wire to the first end region of the second lead wire.

6 . The brush assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first lead wire includes a medial region located between the first end region of the first lead wire and the second end region of the first lead wire, wherein the electrically conductive terminal is secured to the medial region of the first lead wire.

7 . The brush assembly of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the medial region of the first lead wire is welded to the first end region of the first lead wire and/or the first end region of the second lead wire at the spliced union.

8 . The brush assembly of claim 7 , wherein the spliced union includes a wear mark, wherein the wear mark is utilized as a reference point to determine diminution of wear of the carbon brush.

9 . The brush assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrically conductive terminal includes an inner core layer positioned between a first conductive metal layer and a second conductive metal layer; the inner core layer includes steel; and wherein the first conductive metal layer, the second conductive metal layer or both the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer includes copper.

10 . A method of manufacturing a brush assembly, the method including:
welding a first end region of a first lead wire to a first end region of a second lead wire, wherein the first lead wire was previously secured to an electrically conductive terminal and the second lead wire was previously secured to a carbon brush prior to the welding step; wherein the welding forms a spliced union between the first lead wire and the second lead wire, the spliced union located at a location between and spaced away from the carbon brush and the electrically conductive terminal.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein prior to securing the first lead wire to the electrically conductive terminal:
a second end region of the first lead wire is embedded in a top surface of the brush at a first location; and a second end region of the second lead wire is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a second location.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first lead wire includes a medial region located between the first end region of the first lead wire and the second end region of the first lead wire, wherein the electrically conductive terminal is secured along the medial region of the first lead wire.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first lead wire is longer than the second lead wire and the electrically conductive terminal is secured along the medial region of the first lead wire at a location closer to the first end region of the first lead wire than to the second end region of the first lead wire.

14 . A brush holder assembly for positioning a conductive carbon brush in contact with a conductive surface of an electrical device, comprising:
a brush holder including a brush box and a beam secured thereto; a carbon brush slidably disposed in the brush box; an electrically conductive terminal releasably attached to the beam of the brush holder; a first lead wire secured to the electrically conductive terminal; and a second lead wire secured to the carbon brush and extending therefrom; wherein a first end region of the first lead wire is secured to a first end region of the second lead wire at a spliced union, the spliced union positioned between and spaced away from the carbon brush and the electrically conductive terminal.

15 . The brush holder assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first end region of the first lead wire is ultrasonically welded to the first end region of the second lead wire at the spliced union.

16 . The brush holder assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first lead wire includes a medial region located between the first end region of the first lead wire and a second end region of the first lead wire, and wherein the electrically conductive terminal is secured along the medial region of the first lead wire.

17 . The brush holder assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first lead wire is longer than the second lead wire and the electrically conductive terminal is secured along the medial region of the first lead wire at a location closer to the first end region of the first lead wire than to the second end region of the first lead wire.

18 . A brush assembly, comprising:
a carbon brush having an upper surface and a lower surface; an electrically conductive terminal, the electrically conductive terminal includes an inner core layer positioned between a first conductive metal layer and a second conductive metal layer; and an electrically conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the electrically conductive terminal.

19 . The brush assembly of claim 18 , wherein the electrically conductive lead assembly is directly welded to the first conductive metal layer of the electrically conductive terminal.

20 . The brush assembly of claim 18 , wherein:
the inner core layer includes steel; and the first conductive metal layer, the second conductive metal layer or both the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer includes copper.

Assignees

• Cutsforth Inc

Inventors

• Cutsforth Robert S
• Schultz Kurtis Jeremy

Classifications

• H01R39/36

  Connections of cable or wire to brush · CPC title

• H02K13/003

  Structural associations of slip-rings · CPC title

• H01R39/383 Primary

  characterised by the electrical connection to the brush holder · CPC title