Direct drive rotor with metal coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9806584-B2
Application number	US-201615203656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Aug 17, 2010
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A rotor for an outer rotor-type motor is provided. The rotor includes a metallic coupler and a polymeric frame molded over at least part of the metallic coupler.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotor for an outer rotor-type electric motor, said rotor being rotatable about an axis, said rotor comprising:
a plurality of permanent magnets;
a polymeric frame supporting the magnets; and
a metallic coupler including—
an inner axial surface configured to interface with a shaft to be driven by the rotor when the motor is energized,
an outer axial surface that corresponds to a multiplicity of outer teeth, and
a first generally radial surface,

said polymeric frame including a hub molded over at least the outer axial surface of the metallic coupler,
said hub engaging the first generally radial surface,
said outer teeth engaging the hub such that torque is transmitted from the coupler to the frame,
said coupler having a nominal outer diameter, OD coupler , and a height, H coupler ,
each of said outer teeth having a generally arcuate tooth width, W tooth , and a generally radial tooth depth, D tooth ,
each tooth width W tooth being between about 62% and about 63% of the corresponding tooth depth D tooth ,
each tooth depth D tooth being between about 4% and about 8% of OD coupler , and between about 5% and about 8% of H coupler .

2. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each tooth width W tooth being about 1.25 mm,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 2 mm.

3. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 2 mm,
OD coupler being between about 25 mm and about 50 mm.

4. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 5% of OD coupler .

5. The rotor of claim 4 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 2 mm,
OD coupler being about 41.5 mm.

6. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 2 mm,
H coupler being between about 20 mm and about 40 mm.

7. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 7% of H coupler .

8. The rotor of claim 7 ,
each tooth depth D tooth being about 2 mm,
H coupler being about 28 mm.

9. The rotor of claim 1 ,
said rotor having an outer diameter, OD rotor ,
OD coupler being less than about 20% of OD rotor .

10. The rotor of claim 9 ,
OD coupler being less than about 15% of OD rotor .

11. The rotor of claim 10 ,
OD coupler being about 41.5 mm,
OD rotor being about 290 mm.

12. The rotor of claim 1 ,
said rotor having a height, H rotor ,
H coupler being no more than about 45% of H rotor .

13. The rotor of claim 12 ,
H coupler being about 28 mm,
H rotor being about 65.5 mm.

14. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each of said outer teeth defining a peak,
said outer axial surface defining a valley between each adjacent pair of said outer teeth,
adjacent ones of said peaks being spaced apart a generally arcuate distance S peaks ,
adjacent ones of said valleys being spaced apart a generally arcuate distance S valleys ,
S valleys being about 90.4% of S peaks .

15. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each of said outer teeth defining a peak,
said outer axial surface defining a valley between each adjacent pair of said outer teeth,
opposed ones of said peaks defining a generally radial distance OD teeth therebetween,
OD teeth being equal to OD coupler .

16. The rotor of claim 1 ,
each of said magnets presenting a height, H magnet ,
H coupler being about 75% of H magnet .

17. The rotor of claim 16 ,
H coupler being about 28 mm,
H magnet being about 36.5 mm.

18. The rotor of claim 1 ,
H coupler being between about 20 mm and about 40 mm,
each of said magnets presenting a height, H magnet , between about 30 mm and about 45 mm.

19. The rotor of claim 1 ,
said outer axial surface corresponding to at least 20 and no more than about 40 of said outer teeth.

20. The rotor of claim 1 ,
said outer teeth selected from the group consisting of knurls, splines, keys, diamond knurls, or combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Bailey Daniel E
• Hilton Daniel E
• Johnson Philip S
• Levine Gregory M

Classifications

• H02K1/30

  using intermediate parts, e.g. spiders · CPC title

• H02K7/003 Primary

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• H02K5/08

  Insulating casings · CPC title

• H02K1/2786

  Outer rotors · CPC title

• D06F37/304 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title