These electric motors are provided with a stator body comprising at least one set of ferromagnetic lamination sheets. Laminated stator bodies allow to avoid, or at least to suppress, eddy currents reducing the motor efficiency. The lamination sheets of the laminated stator body are stacked In the axial motor direction and are positively connected to each other by axial punch protrusions, meaning that the lamination sheets of a set are provided with identical and meshing punch protrusions, to ensure an exact radial alignment of the lamination sheets to each other. The result of the punching process is a mechanical deformation of the lamination sheet and in particular of the metal mlcrostructure so that the magnetic conductivity of the lamination sheet Is changed within the punch protrusion area. Single-phase electric motors are provided with a plurality of stator coils electrically connected In series. The stator coils are energized simultaneously with an alternating energizing voltage to drive a permanently magnetized motor rotor. Since all stator colls are energized simultaneously, reliably starting the motor rotor in a defined rotational direction requires special hardware measures. Some single-phase electric motors are provided with asymmetrically shaped stator poles, for example with pole teeth with an asymmetrically shaped rotor-facing pole shoe edge, to achieve a preferred rotational start direction of the motor rotor. However, the asymmetric shape of the rotor-facing pole shoe edge results in a not-equidistant air gap and, as a result, in a larger average air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. The large average air gap directly reduces the efficiency of the electric motor. It Is an object of the invention to provide a single-phase electronically commutated motor which allows defining the rotational start direction of the motor rotor without significantly reducing the motor efficiency.

This object is achieved with a single-phase electronically commutated motor with the features of claim 1.

The single-phase electronically commutated motor according to the Invention Is provided with a rotor and with a laminated stator body comprising at least one set of ferromagnetic lamination sheets positively connected to each other by axial punch protrusions. The laminated stator body allows avoiding, or at least significantly suppressing, eddy currents within the stator. The ferromagnetic lamination sheets within a lamination sheet set are positively connected in axial direction to avoid a shifting of the lamination sheets and, as a result, to ensure a defined tangential and radial alignment of the lamination sheets of a lamination sheet set.

According to the invention, the lamination sheet set defines a plurality of pole teeth with a pole shoe at each pole tooth. Each pole tooth Is provided with a stator coil, wherein adjacent pole teeth are colled in opposite directions to achieve opposite polarizations of the energized stator coils. The rotor-facing pole shoe edge Is shaped asymmetrically with respect to the radial centeriine of the pole tooth. As a result, the rotor-facing pole shoe edge defines a non-constant air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor generating a not-homogeneous magnet field, In particular during the high-energy startup of the motor. The asymmetric rotor-facing pole shoe edge ensures an initial torque and defines a preferred rotational start direction of the motor rotor.

According to the Invention, each stator pole tooth comprises an axial punch protrusion arranged radially close to the rotor-facing pole shoe edge so that the distance between the punch protrusion edge and the pole shoe edge Is less than the distance between the punch protrusion edge and any other lamination sheet edge. The punch process mechanically deforms the lamination sheet, so that the microstructure and, as a result, the magnetic conductivity of the lamination sheet Is changed within the punch protrusion and in its direct vicinity. According to the Invention, a punch protrusion is radially arranged close to the rotor-facing edge of the pole shoe of a pole tooth. The relatively high magnetic resistance of the punch protrusion enhances the asymmetry of the stator magnetic field caused by the asymmetric pole shoe geometry. This allows using less asymmetric pole shoe geometries for defining and assuring the preferred rotational motor rotor start direction. As a result, the average air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor can be reduced and the motor efficiency can be improved.

Preferably, the pole tooth punch protrusion Is arranged at the radial pole tooth centerllne to avoid unintended and, In particular, asymmetric mechanical deformations of the pole tooth during the punch process. In an preferred embodiment, the ratio of the distance between the punch protrusion edge and the rotor-facing pole shoe edge to the distance between the punch protrusion edge and the closest other lamination sheet edge Is in a range of 0.3 to 0.8, preferably in a range of 0.5 to 0.65. This allows effectively enhancing the asymmetry of the stator magnetic field without risking unintended mechanical deformations of the rotor-facing pole shoe edge caused by the punching.

In a preferred embodiment, the pole shoe back edges of both pole shoe arms have approximately the same radius to improve the mechanical stability of the pole shoe and, as a result, of the entire pole tooth. Preferably, the distance between the punch protrusion edge and the rotor- facing pole shoe edge is less than the distance between the pole shoe back edge and the rotor-facing pole shoe edge. For this punch protrusion position, the enhancement of the stator magnet field asymmetry is very effective.

In a preferred embodiment, the laminated stator body Is provided with a lamination sheet set forming a magnetic back iron ring, wherein each magnetic back iron ring lamination sheet is positively connected to the rotor-remote end of at least one pole tooth lamination sheet. The magnetic back iron ring Improves the motor efficiency.

In another preferred embodiment, at least two ferromagnetic pole tooth lamination sheet sets are positively connected In tangential direction by a non-magnetic connection body. The non-magnetic connection body, preferably made of plastic e.g. by Injection molding, holds the pole tooth lamination sheet sets of the stator body at a defined radial and tangential position without significantly affecting the stator magnetic field. Preferably, the laminated stator body surrounds the motor rotor so that the motor rotor rotates Inside of the laminated stator body. This allows a particularly compact motor design.

An embodiment of the Invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

figure 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of a single-phase electronically com mutated motor according to the invention,

figure 2 shows a radial cross section of a laminated stator body of the motor of figure 1, and

figure 3 shows a pole tooth with a pole shoe and a part of a back Iron ring of the motor of figure 1. Figure 1 shows a single-phase electronically commutated motor 10 provided with a permanently magnetized motor rotor 15 co-rotatably attached to a motor shaft 16. The motor 10 Is also provided with a motor stator 20 comprising a laminated stator body 21 and stator coils 22. The motor 10 comprises a motor control unit 50 electrically connected to the stator coils 22 for energizing the stator coils 22. The motor 10 also comprises a motor housing 55 and a motor can 56.

The motor 10 Is provided as a so-called canned motor, wherein the motor can 56 fluldically separates the motor rotor 15 from the motor stator 20. The motor rotor 15 Is arranged within the motor can 56, and the surrounding motor stator 20 is arranged outside of the motor can 56. The motor rotor 15 is rota table around an axis of rotation A and is non- rotatably attached to the motor shaft 16.

Figure 2 shows a radial cross section of the laminated stator body 21. The stator body 21 comprises six pole tooth lamination sheet sets 23i-23 ₆ defining six pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ , which are arranged equidlstantly circular around the axis of rotation A. Each of the pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ is provided with a stator coil 22. The six pole tooth lamination sheet sets 23i-23 ₆ are held by a non-magnetic lamination sheet holding unit 25 to define an exact radial and tangential alignment of the pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ of the stator body 21. The lamination sheet holding unit 25 is preferably made of plastic, for example by injection molding. Since the lamination sheet holding unit 25 is non-magnetic, the stator magnetic field is not significantly affected by the lamination sheet holding unit 25, In particular the lamination sheet holding unit 25 does not provide a magnetic flux path between the pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ . The arrow P indicates the preferred rotational direction of the motor rotor 15 and, as a result, of the motor shaft 16. Figure 3 shows a ferromagnetic pole tooth lamination sheet 28 of a pole tooth lamination sheet set 23 and shows a section of a ferromagnetic back Iron ring sheet 29 of a magnetic back Iron ring 26. The back iron ring 26 Is provided with connection recesses 40 and magnetically connects the rotor- remote distal ends of all pole teeth 24 of the stator body 21. The back iron ring 26 can be shifted in axial motor direction over the pole teeth 24, in particular shifted parallel to the axis of rotation A, so that the back iron connection noses 27 of the pole tooth lamination sheets 28 mesh with the corresponding pole tooth connection recesses 40 of the back Iron ring sheet 29.

The pole tooth 24, defined by the pole tooth lamination sheet set 23, is provided with a pole shoe 30 comprising two tangential pole shoe arms 31,32 with the pole shoe back edges 34,35. The pole shoe 30 is provided with an asymmetrically shaped rotor-facing proximal pole shoe edge 33. The rotor-facing pole shoe edge 33 is provided as a segment of a circle with a radius Rl and with a circle center C. The pole shoe back edges 34,35 are provided as segments of a circle with a radius R2 and with the circle center C. The circle center C is located in a distance to the radial pole tooth centeriine M, preferably in a distance of at least several tenth of a millimeter. As a result, the rotor-facing pole shoe edge 33 is shaped asymmetrically with respect to the radial centeriine M causing a non- equidistant stator gap 36 between the pole shoe 30 of the motor stator 20 and the motor can 56 surrounding the motor rotor 15. The asymmetrically shaped pole shoes 30 define an asymmetric "air gap" between the motor stator 20 and the motor rotor 15 to ensure starting and driving the permanently magnetized motor rotor 15 with a preferred rotational direction P. Every pole tooth lamination sheet 28 is provided with two axial punch protrusions 37,38 located at the pole tooth centeriine M. Preferably, the punch protrusions are circular and have a nominal diameter of about 1 mm. The first punch protrusion 37 is arranged at the rotor-remote distal end of the pole tooth lamination sheet 28 and the second punch protrusion 38 Is arranged at the rotor-facing proximal end of the pole tooth lamination sheet 28. The punch protrusion 38 is arranged in a distance Dl to the rotor-facing pole shoe edge 33 which Is less than the distance D2 to the closest other pole tooth lamination sheet edge 39 and is also less than the distance D3 between the rotor-facing pole shoe edge 33 and the pole shoe back edges 34,35. Preferably, the distance Dl Is within a range of 2.5% to 3.5% of the motor rotor diameter which for the motor 10 corresponds with a range of about 0.7 mm to 0.8 mm.

The mechanical deformation of the pole tooth lamination sheet 28 during the punch process causes an increase of the magnetic resistance In the punch protrusion 38 area. The magnetic punch protrusion resistance affects the magnetic flux within the pole tooth lamination sheet 28, In particular within the pole shoe 30. As a result, the asymmetry of the stator magnetic field caused by the asymmetric rotor-facing pole shoe edge 33 is dramatically enhanced. This allows using a less asymmetric design of the pole shoe edge 33, so that the circle center C can be located close to the pole tooth centerline M. As a result, the average thickness of the stator gap 36 can be reduced to Improve the motor efficiency.

In the manufacturing process of the motor stator 20, first, all pole tooth lamination sheets 28 of a pole tooth lamination sheet set 23 as well as all back iron ring sheets 29 of the back Iron ring 26 are put together and axially fixed. Subsequently, the six pole tooth lamination sheet sets 23i- 236 of the stator body 21 are positioned in the lamination sheet holding unit 25 by injection molding to thereby define the radial and tangential positions of the pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ . Each pole tooth 24i-24 _6/ defined by a pole tooth lamination sheet set 23i-23 _6/ is coiled from radially outwardly to define the six stator coils 22, wherein adjacent pole teeth 24i-24 ₆ are colled in opposite direction. The stator coils 22i-22 ₆ are electrically connected in series.

Finally, the back Iron ring 26 is shifted in axial direction onto the pole tooth lamination sheet sets 23i-23 ₆ so that the pole tooth connection recesses 40 of the back iron ring 26 mesh with the back Iron connection noses 27i-27 ₆ of the pole tooth lamination sheet sets 23i-23 ₆ .