Motor including flexible printed circuit board stator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9325212-B2
Application number	US-201313917915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A motor having a compact and lightweight design may include a stator provided by a flexible printed circuit (flex circuit). The flex circuit may include a plurality of etched windings that provide coils for a plurality of motor phases. A printed circuit board of the motor may provide various device functions such as electrical commutation. The motor may be used in various applications such as a cooling fan for device electronics and gyroscopic applications.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric motor, comprising:
a motor stator comprising a flexible printed circuit, wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a plurality of coils, the flexible printed circuit forming a truncated cone shape;
a housing that supports a motor rotor comprising a plurality of permanent magnets, wherein the motor rotor is spaced apart from the flexible printed circuit; and
a power signal connected to the plurality of coils and configured to power the plurality of coils, wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the motor rotor around the motor stator during application of power to the plurality of coils;
a printed circuit board attached to a shaft and electrically coupled to the flexible printed circuit, wherein the printed circuit board is in electrical commutation with the flexible printed circuit board so as to deliver the power signal to the plurality of coils,
wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are interposed between the housing and the flexible printed circuit, and having a shape that matches the shape of the flexible printed circuit to form a truncated cone shape such that a surface area of the coils on the stator and the permanent magnets is maximized to improve at least one of motor torque and motor speed.

2. The electric motor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bearing attached to the shaft;
the motor rotor is attached to the bearing, wherein the motor rotor is configured to rotate around the shaft through rotation of the bearing during the application of power to the plurality of coils.

3. The electric motor of claim 2 , wherein the motor rotor is attached to the bearing through a circular bearing plate.

4. The electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of electrical surface mount connections on a lower surface of the printed circuit board.

5. The electric motor of claim 1 , further comprising a cable electrically coupled to the printed circuit board.

6. The electric motor of claim 5 , wherein:
the electric motor is electrically coupled to a substrate through the cable; and
the substrate comprises a recess therein, wherein the cable is located within the recess.

7. The electric motor of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible printed circuit forms a truncated cone shape;
the plurality of permanent magnets form a truncated cone shape; and
each of the plurality of coils comprises a first end and a second end positioned at a bottom surface of the truncated cone shape of the flexible printed circuit.

8. The electric motor of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of permanent magnets comprises a convex inside surface adjacent to, and spaced apart from, the flexible printed circuit and a convex outside surface opposite the inside surface.

9. The electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit defines a hollow region in the motor stator.

10. A method for operating an electric motor, comprising:
attaching a printed circuit board to a shaft, wherein:
electrically coupling a flexible printed circuit to the printed circuit board;
applying a power signal to a flexible printed circuit formed as a truncated cone shape via the printed circuit board, the flexible printed circuit comprising a plurality of motor stator coils to generate an electromagnetic field, the power signal providing electrical commutation for the plurality of coils during operation of the motor; and
rotating a motor rotor around the plurality of motor stator coils supported by a housing using the electromagnetic field, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are spaced apart from the flexible printed circuit,
wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are interposed between the housing and the flexible printed circuit, and have a shape that matches the shape of the flexible printed circuit to form a truncated cone shape such that a surface area of the coils on a motor stator and the permanent magnets is maximized to improve at least one of motor torque and motor speed.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are attached to a bearing that is attached to the shaft and the method further comprises rotating the plurality of permanent magnets around the shaft during the rotation of the motor rotor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are attached to the shaft with a circular bearing plate, and the method further comprises rotating the circular bearing plate around the shaft during the rotation of the motor rotor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein
the flexible printed circuit and the printed circuit board are stationary during operation of the motor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the printed circuit board receives electrical signals through electrical surface mount connections on a lower surface of the printed circuit board during operation of the motor.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the printed circuit board receives electrical signals through an electrical cable attached to a lower surface of the printed circuit board during operation of the motor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the electric motor is electrically coupled to a substrate through the cable during operation of the motor; and
the substrate comprises a recess therein, wherein the cable is located within the recess during operation of the motor.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible printed circuit defines a hollow region in the motor stator.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Tangudi Jagadeesh

Classifications

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• H02K3/28

  Layout of windings or of connections between windings (windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32) · CPC title

• H02K1/27

  Rotor cores with permanent magnets · CPC title

• H02K11/0073

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02K3/26 Primary

  consisting of printed conductors · CPC title