"ELECTRIC MACHINE"

Technical field

This invention relates to an electric machine and in particular to a rotary electric machine of the sealed type.

Background art

These machines have a substantially cylindrical outer casing defined by body which is hermetically sealed by a cover by means of rivets from which protrude the connection terminals through which the machine itself is powered.

A rotary electric machine comprises a stator, rigidly connected to the body, and a rotor, rotatably connected thereto.

Rotary electric machines of particular relevance include brushless motors and direct current motors.

A brushless motor has a wound stator and a permanent magnet rotor, whereas a direct current motor has a permanent magnet stator and a wound rotor, called armature.

A power supply circuit for the motor is housed in the casing and is powered through the above mentioned connection terminals.

The aforementioned motors are used especially in the automotive field for driving centrifugal ventilators, double or single, or axial.

The armature or the wound stator comprises a core and a plurality of windings around two or more pole pieces of the core. The windings are insulated from the pole pieces by interposed plastic insulators.

Generally speaking, a fan of plastic material, set in rotation by the rotor, may be provided inside the casing to produce a cooling air flow inside the electric machine. The Applicant, who has developed numerous solutions for heavy-duty, sealed electric machines - for example, see documents WO2009019563 and WO2009019562 - has identified an unexpected problem hitherto unknown in the trade.

More specifically, during a test on centrifugal ventilators running at 100X for 4 hours, the outer casings opened and the cover and body came apart.

Also, during a similar test on nine single-shaft motors, five casings opened, with covers and casing bodies coming apart. Disclosure of the invention

In this context, the main purpose of the invention is to propose an electric machine, in particular a rotary electric machine of the sealed type which is free of the above mentioned disadvantages.

The aim of this invention is to provide a rotary electric machine which is not subject to unwanted opening of the outer casing, with cover and body coming apart.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an improved rotary electric machine that is more dependable than those known from the prior art.

The stated technical purpose and at least the aims specified are substantially achieved by an electric machine where the plastic components having insulating and/or supporting and/or cooling functions inside the casing are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.8%.

Indeed, the inventor has found that the materials normally used, for example PA66 (polyamide), give off steam in the casing during heavy-duty operation. The presence of steam is due to the water which is absorbed by the material the plastic components are made of and which is given off in the form of vapour when the interior of the motor exceeds certain temperatures. In sealed machines relevant to this specification, the steam has no way of escape and thus the pressure inside the casing increases until the cover and the body are forced apart.

The use of a material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.8% guarantees that water in the plastic components inside the motor is absent or present in negligible quantities. That means, in practice, that steam is not formed when the motor operates under very heavy-duty conditions, thus preventing the cover and the body from coming apart. Brief description of drawings

Other features and advantages of the invention are more apparent in the detailed description below, with reference to a non-limiting and non-exclusive preferred embodiment of a rotary electric machine, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view, with some parts cut away for greater clarity, of a rotary electric machine according to this invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view, with some parts cut away for greater clarity, of a second electric machine according to the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the numerals 100 and 200 denote, respectively, two electric machines according to the invention.

More specifically, Figure 1 shows a brushless motor 100, while Figure 2 shows a direct current or commutator motor 200.

The motors 100 and 200 are of substantialiy known type and therefore their features are described and illustrated only insofar as necessary for understanding this invention.

The motors 100 and 200 respectively comprise a sealed outer casing 102, 202 defined by a body 103, 203 and a cover 104, 204 coupled to the corresponding body 03, 203.

The casings 102 and 202 respectively house a stator 105, 205 and a rotor 106, 206 (armature).

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 , that is, in the brushless motor 100, the rotor 106 is of the permanent magnet type, while the stator 105 is of the wound type.

The motor 100 is of the type illustrated and described for example in application WO2009019562 which is incorporated herein by reference for completeness of description.

The stator 105 comprises a core 107 which has a plurality of pole pieces 108, twelve in the example illustrated.

The stator 105 comprises a plurality of windings 109, each defined by a conductor wire wound in a plurality of coils 110 around the pole pieces 108. As illustrated, the stator 105 comprises a first and a second insulator 11 1 , 1 12, made of a plastic material and positioned between the windings 109 and the core 107.

In the configuration illustrated, the motor 100 comprises a fan 1 13, preferably made of plastic, integral with the rotor 106.

In use, the fan 13 produces a circulation of cooiing air inside the motor 100. As illustrated, the motor 100 comprises an electronic module 1 14 for driving the motor 100 and mounted inside the casing 102.

The electronic module 4 comprises a support 5 of plastic material and a plurality of electronic components, some of which are illustrated, denoted by the reference numeral 16, and which are mounted on the support 115.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, that is, in the direct current or commutator motor 200, the armature 206 is of the wound type with commutator, while the stator 206 is of the permanent magnet type.

An example of a direct current motor is illustrated and described in application WO20090 9563 which is incorporated herein by reference for completeness of description.

The armature 206 comprises a core 207 which has a plurality of pole pieces 208, twenty in the example illustrated.

The armature 206 comprises a plurality of windings schematically illustrated and labelled 209, each defined by a conductor wire wound in a plurality of coils around the pole pieces 208.

As illustrated, the armature 206 comprises a first and a second insulator 211 , 212, made of a plastic material and positioned between the windings 209 and the core 207.

The windings 209 are suitably connected in known manner to plates, not illustrated, which define the power commutator 214 of the rotor 206.

As illustrated, the motor 200 comprises, inside the casing 202, a brush holder 215, made of a plastic material, for supporting brushes 216 which define the contacts which slide on the commutator 214.

Looking in more detail at the stator 205, it may observed that the latter comprises a plurality of magnets 217, four in the example illustrated, and a support 218, made of a plastic material, for the magnets 217 and commonly known as "magnet holder".

The support 218 keeps the magnets 217 in position inside the body 203 for the correct operation of the motor 200.

According to this invention, one or more of the plastic components 111 , 112, 113, 115 or 21 , 212, 215, 218, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation, determined according to IS062, is less than 0,8%.

Advantageously, the moisture absorption value can be calculated according to different standards or estimated in a different way, for example at equilibrium or after immersion for 24 hours.

Preferably, one or more of the plastic components 111 , 112, 113, 115 or 211 , 212, 215, 218, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.5%, determined according to IS062. β

In other words, in the brushless motor 100, the first and the second insulator 111 and 112 and/or the fan 113 and/or the support 115, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.8%, preferably, less than 0.5%.

Preferably, the first and the second insulator 111 and 112 and/or the fan 113 and/or the support 115, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.3%, such as, for example, PBT - polybutylene terephthalate - or tough PBT.

Alternatively, the first and the second insulator 111 and 112 and/or the fan 113 and/or the support 115, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.7%, such as, for example, PET - polyethylene terephthalate - or tough PET.

Alternatively, the first and the second insulator 111 and 112 and/or the fan 113 and/or the support 115, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.3%, such as, for example, PCT - poly(cyclohexylene dimethy!ene terephthalate).

Preferably, also, the plastic material of one or more of the plastic components 111 , 112, 113 and 115 of the brushless motor 100 comprises a reinforcing material, for example fibregiass, in a percentage of between 30 and 35.

With reference to the electric commutator machine 200, it may be observed that, in practice, the first and the second insulator 211 and 212 and/or the brush holder 215 and/or the support 218 for the magnets, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.8%, preferably, less than 0.5%.

Preferably, the first and the second insulator 211 and 212 and/or the brush holder 215 and/or the support 218 for the magnets, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.3%, such as, for example, PBT or tough PBT.

Alternatively, the first and the second insulator 211 and 212 and/or the brush holder 215 and/or the support 218 for the magnets, are made of a plastic materia! whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.7%, such as, for example, PET or tough PET.

Alternatively, the first and the second insulator 21 1 and 212 and/or the brush holder 215 and/or the support 218 for the magnets, are made of a plastic material whose moisture absorption at saturation is 0.3%, such as, for example, PCT,

Preferably, also, the plastic material of one or more of the plastic components 211 , 212, 215 e 218 of the commutator machine 200 comprises a reinforcing material, for example fibreglass, in a percentage of between 30 and 35.

The invention has important advantages.

The use of a material whose moisture absorption at saturation is less than 0.8%, that is to say, the use of materia! also known as "non-hygroscopic" material inside a sealed motor prevents unwanted opening of the cover relative to the body when the temperature inside the motor is very high.

Electric machines made in this way are thus more dependable and suitable for working under even heavier duty conditions compared to prior art machines.