Terminal assembly for an electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9768655-B2
Application number	US-201514738053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

An alternator includes a housing, and a stator fixedly mounted relative to the housing. The stator includes a stator winding. The stator winding includes at least five stator leads extending from the stator in an arc that is less than about 90°. A terminal assembly is mounted to an outer surface of the housing and connected with the at least five stator leads. The terminal assembly includes a body formed from a non-electrically conductive material, and a plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body. The plurality of conductive members is associated with the stator winding. Each of the plurality of conductive members includes plurality of input connectors spread out along the body in an arc that is greater than 90°.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alternator comprising:
a housing;
a stator fixedly mounted relative to the housing, the stator including a stator winding, the stator winding including at least five stator leads extending from the stator in an arc that is less than about 90°; and
a terminal assembly mounted to an outer surface of the housing and connected with the at least five stator leads, the terminal assembly comprising:
a body formed from a non-electrically conductive material; and
a plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body, the plurality of conductive members being associated with the stator winding, wherein
each of the plurality of conductive members including a plurality of input connectors spread out along the body in an arc that is greater than 90°.

2. The alternator according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of conductive members includes at least two output connectors, the input connector of each of the plurality of conductive members being electrically connected to the stator winding.

3. The alternator according to claim 2 , wherein the body includes a radially inwardly facing surface and a radially outwardly facing surface, the input connector of the plurality of conductive members being arranged on the radially outwardly facing surface.

4. The alternator according to claim 3 , wherein the two output connectors of the plurality of conductive members is arranged on the radially inwardly facing surface.

5. The alternator according to claim 1 , wherein the body includes a plurality of mounting sections receiving a mechanical fastener joining the terminal assembly to the housing.

6. The stator winding according to claim 1 , wherein the at least five stator leads extend from the stator in an arc that is less than 75°.

7. The stator according to claim 6 , wherein all of the at least five stator leads extend from the stator in an arc that is less than 75°.

8. The stator according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the at least five stator leads is routed from inside the 75° arc and connected to one of the output connectors which is outside the 90° arc.

9. The stator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least five stator leads is at least 6 stator leads.

10. The stator according to claim 1 , wherein the stator winding includes a plurality of stator leads, all of the plurality of stator leads extending from the stator in an arc that is less than 90°.

11. An alternator comprising:
a housing;
a stator fixedly mounted relative to the housing, the stator including a first stator winding group and a second stator winding group, the first and second stator windings groups including at least five stator leads extending from the stator in an arc that is less than about 90°; and
a terminal assembly mounted to an outer surface of the housing and connected with the at least five stator leads, the terminal assembly comprising:
a body formed from a non-electrically conductive material; and
a first plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body, the first plurality of conductive members being associated with first the stator winding group;
a second plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body, the second plurality of conductive members being associated with the second stator winding group, each of the first and second pluralities of conductive members including plurality of input connectors, wherein the plurality of input connectors of each of the first and second plurality of conductive members is spread out along the body in an arc that is greater than 90°.

12. The alternator according to claim 11 , wherein the no more than one of the first plurality of conductive members overlaps the one of the second plurality of conductive members at one of the plurality of mounting sections.

13. The alternator according to claim 11 , wherein the no more than one of the second plurality of conductive members overlaps the one of the first plurality of conductive members at one of the plurality of mounting sections.

14. The alternator according to claim 11 , wherein each of the first plurality of stator leads and the second plurality of stator leads extend from the stator along an arc that is less than 90°.

15. The alternator according to claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of conductive members and the second plurality of conductive members extend about the housing along an arc that is greater than 90°.

16. The stator according to claim 11 wherein at least one stator lead is routed from inside the 90° arc and connected to one of the output connectors which is outside the 90° arc.

17. An electric machine comprising:
a housing;
a stator fixedly mounted relative to the housing, the stator including a first plurality of stator phase windings having a first plurality of stator leads and a second plurality of stator phase windings having a second plurality of stator leads; and
a terminal assembly mounted to the housing and connected with each of the first and second pluralities of stator leads, the terminal assembly comprising:
a body formed from a non-electrically conductive material; and
a first plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body, the first plurality of conductive members being associated with the first plurality of stator phase windings;
a second plurality of conductive members at least partially covered by the body, the second plurality of conductive members being associated with the second plurality of stator phase windings,
wherein none of the first plurality of conductive members radially overlaps another one of the first plurality of first conductive members and no more than one of the first plurality of conductive members radially overlaps one of the second plurality of conductive members, and
wherein none of the second plurality of conductive members radially overlaps another one of the plurality of second conductive members and no more than one of the second plurality of conductive members radially overlaps one of the first plurality of conductive members.

18. The electric machine according to claim 17 , wherein each of the first plurality of conductive members includes an input connector electrically connected with a corresponding one of the first plurality of stator phase windings and at least two output connectors, and each of the second plurality of conductive members includes an input connector electrically connected with a corresponding one of the second plurality of stator phase windings and at least two output connectors.

19. The electric machine according to claim 18 , wherein each of the first plurality of stator leads and the second stator leads extend from the stator along an arc that is less than 90°.

20. The electric machine according to claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of conductive members and the second plurality of conductive members extend about the housing along an arc that is greater than 90°.

Assignees

• Remy Tech L L C
• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Neet Kirk

Classifications

• H02K2203/09

  Machines characterised by wiring elements other than wires, e.g. bus rings, for connecting the winding terminations · CPC title

• H02K3/28 Primary

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

• H02K2203/03

  Machines characterised by the wiring boards, i.e. printed circuit boards or similar structures for connecting the winding terminations · CPC title

• H02K3/505 Primary

  for large machine windings, e.g. bar windings (H02K3/51 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K5/225 Primary

  Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132) · CPC title