CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/245,361, filed on September 17, 2021, and to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/235,235, filed on August 20, 2021, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to electric motors, and more particularly to outer rotor brushless DC electric motors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A brushless DC electric motor includes at least a stator and a rotor. A plurality of permanent magnets are supported by the rotor, which receives torque as a result of the interaction between the magnets and magnetic fields created by the stator, causing the rotor to rotate. In some instances, the brushless DC electric motor will include a fan coupled for co-rotation with the rotor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides, in one aspect, an outer rotor for use with a brushless DC electric motor. The outer rotor includes a rotor body, a shaft coupled for corotation with the rotor body and defining a rotational axis, a cover surrounding at least a portion of the rotor body, and a fan integrally formed with the cover as a single piece. The fan includes a plurality of blades extending radially outward of the cover and configured to induce an airflow along an exterior surface of the cover in a direction parallel with the rotational axis.

[0005] The present invention provides, in another aspect, a brushless DC electric motor including a stator, and an outer rotor surrounding the stator. The outer rotor includes a rotor body, a shaft coupled for co-rotation with the rotor body, the shaft defining a rotational axis, a cover surrounding at least a portion of the rotor body, and a fan integrally formed with the cover as a single piece. The fan includes a plurality of blades extending radially outward of the cover and configured to induce an airflow along an exterior surface of the cover in a direction parallel with the rotational axis.

[0006] The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a brushless DC electric motor including a stator and an outer rotor surrounding the stator. The outer rotor includes a ring magnet defining a rotational axis, a cover surrounding at least a portion of the ring magnet, and a fan integrally formed with the cover as a single piece. The fan includes a plurality of blades extending radially outward of the cover and configured to induce an airflow along an exterior surface of the cover in a direction parallel with the rotational axis.

[0007] Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brushless DC electric motor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electric motor of FIG. 1

[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electric motor of FIG. 1 taken along section line 3 — 3 in FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a front view of the electric motor of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a brushless DC electric motor in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the electric motor of FIG. 5 taken along section line 6 — 6 in FIG. 5.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a fan for use with the motor of FIG. 5.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a side view of a power tool that utilizes the electric motor of FIGS. 1 or 5. [0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the power tool of FIG. 8 taken along section line 9 — 9 in FIG. 8.

[0017] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] FIGS. 1 - 4 illustrate an electric motor 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The electric motor 10 is a brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor 10 including an internal stator 14 and an external or outer rotor 18. The rotor 18 is supported such that it circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the stator 14 and extends along a motor axis A. With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the stator 14 includes a stator body 22, which is made from a ferromagnetic material, which is surrounded by the rotor 18. The stator body 22 includes a plurality of radially outward extending fingers 24, and a plurality of windings 30 are wrapped around the respective fingers 24. The outer rotor 18 of the illustrated embodiment is generally cylindrical in shape and extends longitudinally along the motor axis A, such that the outer rotor 18 and the stator 14 are coaxial about the motor axis A.

[0019] The rotor 18 includes a rotor body 20 and a shaft 26 coupled for co-rotation with the rotor body 20. The shaft 26 is rotatable about the motor axis A and, in some embodiments, is supported for rotation by the stator 14. For example, the shaft 26 may be supported within the stator body 22 by a first bearing 28 and within the rotor body 20 by a second bearing 32, as shown in FIG. 6. The rotor 18 also includes a ring magnet 48 having a plurality of magnetic poles evenly spaced about the inner circumference of the rotor body 20 in facing relationship with the stator 14. The ring magnet 48 longitudinally extends along the length of the rotor body 20. In some embodiments, the ring magnet 48 may be replaced with a plurality of separate permanent magnets having a rectangular cross-sectional shape in a plane oriented perpendicular to the motor axis A. [0020] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, the rotor 18 further includes a plastic cover 34 surrounding the rotor body 20. The cover 34 longitudinally extends along the length of the rotor 18 and includes a first open end 38 and a second closed end 42. The rotor 18 also includes an axial-flow fan 46 located at the closed end 42 of the cover 34. The plastic cover 34 and fan 46 are secured to the rotor 18 for co-rotation therewith, such that rotation of the outer rotor 18 results in rotation of the fan 46, which in turn induces an axial airflow F along an exterior surface 36 of the cover 34 in a direction parallel with the motor axis A. In other embodiments of the motor 10, the fan 46 may be configured as a radial-flow fan or as a centrifugal fan capable of inducing an axial airflow in a direction parallel with the motor axis A and redirecting the airflow in a radially outward direction.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the fan 46 includes a central hub 50 coupled to the cover 34 and a plurality of blades 54 extending radially outward from the hub 50 (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the motor axis A) beyond the exterior surface 36 of the cover 34. In the illustrated embodiment of the motor 10, the tips of the fan blades 54 extend to a radius R1 that is greater than a radius R2 of the cover 34 (relative to the motor axis A). In some embodiments, the radius R1 is at least 1.1 times the radius R2. In other embodiments, the radius R1 is at least 1.3 times the radius R2. The hub 50 is integrally formed with both the fan 46 and the cover 34. In other words, the cover 34, the hub 50, and the fan 46 are formed as a single, monolithic component.

[0022] Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, the plastic cover 34 is coupled to the rotor body 20 for co-rotation therewith. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 34 is overmolded onto an outer surface of the rotor body 20. The fan 46 is also integrally formed during the process of overmolding the cover 34 to the outer surface of the rotor body 20. In some embodiments, during the overmolding process, the shaft 26 is also overmolded by a portion of the central hub 50, thereby rotationally unitizing the shaft 26 to the rotor body 20 (via the central hub 50 and cover 34). The ring magnet 48 may be press-fit within the cover 34 after the cover 34 is molded.

[0023] FIGS. 5 - 6 illustrate another embodiment of the fan 46, with like components having like reference numerals plus the letter “b,” and the following differences explained below. Rather than including a separate rotor body 20 like the fan 46, the fan 46b includes a ring magnet 48b press-fit within the cover 34b after the fan 46b has been formed (e.g., by an injection molding process). Also, the plurality of fan blades 54b do not extend from the hub 50b, but rather extend radially outward (i. e. , in a direction perpendicular to the motor axis A) from the exterior surface 36b of the cover 34b, and, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of fan blades 54 extends the length of the cover 34b.

[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the fan 46, 46b, with like components having like reference numerals plus the letter “c,” and the following differences explained below. Rather than press-fitting the ring magnet 48c into the cover 34c in a postmanufacturing assembly process, the ring magnet 48c is overmolded by the cover 34c during the injection molding process to create the fan 46c. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the rotor body 20 is also omitted.

[0025] In operation of the electric motor 10 (or the motor 10b, with the fan 46b or fan

46c), the cover 34 and fan 46 co-rotate with the rotor body 20 as a result of being rotationally unitized to the rotor body 20 during the process of overmolding the cover 34 and fan 46 to the rotor body 20. The fan blades 54 induce an axial airflow F around the exterior surface 36 of the cover 34 to cool the motor 10 and other electronics associated with the motor 10 within the path of the cooling airflow. In some applications in which the motor 10 may be used, the airflow induced by the fan 46 can be used for other purposes besides cooling. For example, the induced airflow may be used for transporting debris or particles in a rotary hammer dust extractor or a vacuum.

[0026] Also, the motor 10 may be used in a blower, which discharges the airflow from a nozzle to disperse debris from a work surface. As shown in FIGS. 8 - 9, a blower includes a housing 58 in which the motor 10 is located. The housing 58 includes a handle 62 and a longitudinally extending nozzle 66 through which high-speed airflow generated by the motor 10 is directed. In operation, the fan 46 creates a high-speed airflow as a result of being rotationally unitized to the rotor body 20 of the electric motor 10. The high-speed airflow serves cool the electric motor 10 and as the airflow that is discharged from the nozzle 66 of the blower.

[0027] Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.

[0028] Various features and aspects of the present invention are set forth in the following claims.