Electric motor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8946960-B2
Application number	US-201013509166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2010
Priority date	Nov 13, 2009
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

An axial flux electric motor is disclosed. The motor includes a rotor having a first rotor face, a second rotor face, a primary bearing locator on the first rotor face and one or more permanent magnets mounted to the first rotor face. Also included is a stator having a first stator face, a second stator face, a secondary bearing locator on the first stator face, a stator winding having one or more conductors and a connector for connection of the stator winding to a power source. A bearing assembly is also provided and positioned between the first face of the rotor and the first face of the stator for rotationally supporting movement of the rotor relative to the stator, the bearing assembly axially displacing the rotor from the stator to provide an air gap therebetween. The bearing assembly is engaged by the primary and secondary bearing locators to correctly position the bearing assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axial flux electric motor comprising:
a rotor having a first rotor face, a second rotor face, a primary bearing locator on the first rotor face, and one or more permanent magnets mounted to the first rotor face;
a stator having a first stator face, a second stator face, and a secondary bearing locator on the first stator face;
a potting material at least partially encasing the stator, wherein the secondary bearing locator is at least one of located within the potting material and formed from the potting material; and
a bearing assembly positioned between the first rotor face and the first stator face for rotationally supporting movement of the rotor relative to the stator, the bearing assembly axially displacing the rotor from the stator to provide an air gap therebetween;
wherein the bearing assembly is engaged by the primary and secondary bearing locators to correctly position the bearing assembly.

2. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the bearing assembly is ring shaped having an outer ring and an inner ring; the primary bearing locator positioned on the rotor to engage the outer ring of the bearing assembly to correctly position the bearing assembly with respect to the rotor; and the secondary bearing locator positioned on the stator to engage the inner ring of the bearing assembly to correctly position the bearing assembly with respect to the stator.

3. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary bearing locator and the secondary bearing locator comprises a flange.

4. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary bearing locator and the secondary bearing locator comprises a substantially circular flange that extends around at least a portion of the bearing assembly.

5. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary bearing locator and the secondary bearing locator includes one or more flange segments.

6. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is an annular ring having an aperture therethrough, the rotor including an inner wall and an outer wall.

7. The axial flux electric motor of claim 6 , wherein the outer wall of the rotor further includes a race for receiving a belt to be driven by the rotor.

8. The axial flux electric motor of claim 6 , further including one or more applications removably attached to the second rotor face.

9. The axial flux electric motor of claim 8 , wherein the application includes any one of a fan or a shaft drive.

10. The axial flux electric motor of claim 6 , wherein the rotor further includes an attachment means for attaching a shaft to be driven by the rotor.

11. The axial flux electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the attachment means is located on at least one of the inner wall and the upper face of the rotor.

12. The axial flux electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the shaft is a stub shaft, mounted to a mounting plate, the mounting plate secured to the rotor by way of the attachment means.

13. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator is an annular ring having an aperture therethrough, the stator including an inner wall and an outer wall.

14. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator comprises a metal that provides a magnetic attraction between the one or more permanent magnets on the first rotor face and the stator to retain the rotor, bearing assembly and stator in place.

15. The axial flux electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the potting material comprises at least one of polyester and polyurethane.

16. An axial flux electric motor comprising:
a rotor comprising a first rotor face and a second rotor face, the rotor further comprising an opening defined therein extending from the first rotor face to the second rotor face;
a stator comprising a first stator face and a second stator face, the stator further comprising an opening defined there extending from the first stator face to the second stator face; and
a bearing assembly positioned between the first rotor face and the first stator face for supporting rotation of the rotor relative to the stator, the bearing assembly comprising an opening defined therein, and wherein the rotor opening, the stator opening, and the bearing assembly opening align to form an aperture extending through the motor along an axis of rotation of the motor to enable at least one motor component to extend into the aperture.

17. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the rotor further comprises a primary bearing locator at least one of defined within the first rotor face and extending from the first rotor face.

18. The motor according to claim 17 , wherein the bearing assembly is engaged by the primary bearing locator to correctly position the bearing assembly with respect to the rotor.

19. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the stator further comprises a secondary bearing locator at least one of defined within the first stator face and extending from the first stator face.

20. The motor according to claim 19 , wherein the bearing assembly is engaged by the secondary bearing locator to correctly position the bearing assembly with respect to the stator.

21. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the bearing assembly axially displaces the rotor from the stator to provide an air gap therebetween.

22. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the rotor comprises an outer wall and an inner wall, and wherein the rotor further comprises at least one of:
a race positioned on the outer wall and configured to receive a belt to be driven by the rotor; and
a gear positioned on the inner wall and configured to engage a corresponding gear.

23. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the rotor further comprises at least one mounting aperture defined therein and configured for coupling with a target application.

24. The motor according to claim 23 , wherein the target application comprises at least one of a set of fan blades and a drive shaft.

25. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the stator further comprises at least one mounting aperture defined therein and configured for coupling the motor to a fixed surface.

26. The motor according to claim 16 , wherein the motor component extending into the aperture comprises at least one of a capacitor, a gearbox, a pipe, and a cable.

Assignees

• Camilleri Steven
• Turner Matthew
• Regal Beloit America Inc

Inventors

• Camilleri Steven
• Turner Matthew

Classifications

• H02K21/24 Primary

  with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos · CPC title

• H02K7/088

  radially supporting the rotor directly · CPC title

• H02K7/1008

  structurally associated with the machine rotor (H02K7/1012 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K1/28

  Means for mounting or fastening rotating magnetic parts on to, or to, the rotor structures · CPC title

• H02K5/1675 Primary

  radially supporting the rotary shaft at only one end of the rotor (H02K5/1677 takes precedence) · CPC title