1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a magneto-generator (also referred to as the magneto-electric generator) for generating electric power under the action of electromagnetic induction taking place between magnets mounted on a flywheel and an armature winding during rotation of the flywheel and a method of manufacturing the magneto-generator. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a method of manufacturing a flywheel provided with a plurality of magnets mounted on an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel.
2. Description of Related Art
For having better understanding of the concept underlying the present invention, description will first be made of a conventional flywheel type magneto-generator by reference to
In the rotor of the conventional magneto-generator implemented in the structure described above, four magnets 2 are disposed with equidistance therebetween on the inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 1 with the guard ring 3 being tightly fit onto the magnets 2 on the inner side thereof, wherein the voids or spaces defined between the inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 1 and the outer peripheral surface of the guard ring 3 are filled with the resin 4. In this manner, the magnets 2 and the guard ring 3 can fixedly be secured to the flywheel 1 through the medium of the resin 4.
In the conventional magneto-generator of the structure described above, the positions of the individual magnets 2 are sustained by means of the projections 13a formed in the guard ring 13 until the magnets 2 disposed on the flywheel 1 have been fixedly secured to the flywheel 1. In recent years, however, there has arisen a demand for sparing or omitting the guard ring 3 or 13 with a view to reducing the number of parts constituting the magneto-generator. In this conjunction, it is further noted that the presence of the guard ring 3 or 13 increases the distance between a generator coil of the stator (not shown) and the magnets 2, which is unfavorable for realization of enhanced performance of the magneto-generator. For this reason, the guard ring 3 or 13 should preferably be omitted.
In the light of the state of the art described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magneto-generator of an improved structure which allows the guard ring to be unused or omitted while reducing the manufacturing cost and which can enhance the performance of the magneto-generator by diminishing the distance between the magnets and the generator coil.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the magneto-generator of the structure mentioned above.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a resin molding die assembly which can be used for manufacturing the above-mentioned magneto-generator.
In view of the above and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, there is provided according to a first aspect of the present invention a magneto-generator which includes a bowl-shaped flywheel, a plurality of magnets mounted on an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel, a resin filled around each of the individual magnets for fixedly securing the magnets to the flywheel as integral parts thereof, and a generator coil disposed within the bowl-shaped flywheel in opposition to the magnets for generating electric power under the action of electromagnetic induction brought about through cooperation with the magnets, wherein the magneto-generator is manufactured by making use of a resin molding die having an outer peripheral surface to be positioned in opposition to an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel and projections provided in the outer peripheral surface for holding the plurality of magnets at predetermined positions, respectively, positioning the magnets at the predetermined positions, respectively, filling the resin in spaces defined between the resin molding die and the flywheel, and detaching the resin molding die from the flywheel.
By virtue of the arrangement described above, there can be implemented the magneto-generator of an improved structure which allows the guard ring is omitted and which thus allows the manufacturing cost to be reduced while ensuring enhanced performance owing to decrease of the distance between the magnets and the generator coil.
Further, there is proposed according to a second aspect of the present invention a method of manufacturing a magnet-generator which includes a bowl-shaped flywheel, a plurality of magnets mounted on an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel, a resin filled around each of the individual magnets for fixedly securing the magnets to the flywheel as integral parts thereof, and a generator coil disposed within the bowl-shaped flywheel in opposition to the magnets for generating electric power under the action of electromagnetic induction brought about through cooperation with the magnets. The manufacturing method includes a resin filling step in which a resin molding die having an outer peripheral surface to be positioned in opposition to an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel and projections provided in the outer peripheral surface for holding the plurality of magnets at predetermined positions, respectively, is employed for filling the resin in spaces defined between the resin molding die and the flywheel while holding the magnets at the predetermined positions, respectively, and a die detaching step of detaching the resin molding die from the flywheel.
Owing to the features described above, the guard ring can be omitted from the magneto-generator and hence the manufacturing cost of the magneto-generator can be reduced while the performance of the generator can be enhanced owing to the shortened distance intervening between the magnets and the generator coil of the magneto-generator.
In a preferred mode for carrying out the method described above, each of the projections of the resin molding die should be so provided as to extend continuously and axially from a given position at a side of the magnet substantially up to an open end of the flywheel.
With the arrangement described above, the magnets can securely be sustained in the circumferential direction, and the magnets can be held stationarily in a stabilized manner without incurring undesirable rotation or displacement of the magnets. Thus, the manufacturing efficiency can significantly be enhanced.
In another preferred mode for carrying out the method described above, the resin molding die may include a magnet sucking/holding mechanism disposed interiorly of the die for securing fixedly the magnets on the outer peripheral surface of the resin molding die upon filling of the resin.
With the arrangement described above, the magnets can be held stationarily in a much stabilized state. Thus, the manufacturing efficiency can further be enhanced.
Furthermore, there is proposed according to a third aspect of the present invention a resin molding die for manufacturing a magneto-generator which is comprised of a bowl-shaped flywheel, a plurality of magnets mounted on an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel, a resin filled around each of the individual magnets for fixedly securing the magnets to the flywheel as integral parts thereof, and a generator coil disposed within the bowl-shaped flywheel in opposition to the magnets for generating electric power under the action of electromagnetic induction brought about through cooperation with the magnets. The resin molding die includes an outer peripheral surface to be positioned in opposition to an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel, and projections provided in the outer peripheral surface for holding the plurality of magnets at predetermined positions, respectively.
Owing to the arrangement of the resin molding die assembly described above, the guard ring can be omitted from the magneto-generator and hence the manufacturing cost of the magneto-generator can be reduced. Moreover, the performance of the magneto-generator can be enhanced owing to the decreased distance intervening between the magnets and the generator coil of the magneto-generator.
In a mode for carrying out the invention, each of the projections should preferably extend continuously and axially from a given position at a side of the magnet substantially up to an open end of the flywheel.
With the arrangement described above, the magnets can steadily be held in the circumferential direction without incurring rotation or the like displacement of the magnets. Thus, the magnets can be held in a much stabilized state, which in turn means that the manufacturing efficiency of the magneto-generator can correspondingly be enhanced.
In another mode for carrying out the invention, the resin molding die should preferably include a magnet sucking/holding mechanism disposed interiorly of the die for securing fixedly the magnets on the outer peripheral surface of the resin molding die upon filling of the resin.
With the arrangement described above, the magnets can be held more positively, whereby the manufacturing efficiency can significantly be increased.
In yet another mode for carrying out the invention, the resin molding die for manufacturing the magneto-generator may further include a ring-like projection formed around the outer peripheral surface of the die for supporting the magnets at one end thereof.
In still another mode for carrying out the invention, the resin molding die for manufacturing the may further include a plurality of discrete projections disposed around the outer peripheral surface of the die for supporting the plurality of magnets at one ends thereof, respectively.
In a further mode for carrying out the invention, the resin molding die maybe so designed as to cooperate with an outside molding die disposed around the resin molding die for supporting an open end of the flywheel.
The arrangements mentioned above contribute to holding stationarily the magnets at respective predetermined positions with high reliability during the resin molding process.
The above and other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will more easily be understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof taken, only by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the course of the description which follows, reference is made to the drawings, in which:
The present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with what is presently considered as preferred or typical embodiments thereof by reference to the drawings. In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The flywheel rotor is manufactured by making use of the resin molding die assembly implemented in the structure described above in the manner described below. The flywheel to be mounted with magnets, the rotor inside molding die 21 and the rotor outside molding die 22 are mutually superposed such that an end face 21c of the rotor inside molding die 21 is brought into contact with the bottom portion 11b of the flywheel 11, an outer peripheral surface. 21d of the rotor inside molding die 21 is disposed in opposition to the inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 11, and an end face 22b of the rotor outside molding die 22 bears on the opening edge portion 11c of the flywheel 11, whereby spaces to be filled with resin are formed, respectively. These spaces are then filled with the resin 14. Thus, the magnets 12 are fixedly secured at predetermined positions, respectively, after the resin has been hardened. Subsequently, the resin molding dies are detached from the flywheel 11.
In the magneto-generator implemented in the structure described above, the magneto-generator includes the bowl-shaped flywheel 11, a plurality of magnets 12 mounted on an inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 11, the resin 14 filled around each of the individual magnets 12 for fixedly securing the magnets 12 to the flywheel 11 as integral parts thereof, and a generator coil disposed within the bowl-shaped flywheel 11 in opposition to the magnets 12 for generating electric power under the action of electromagnetic induction brought about through cooperation with the magnets 12. The magneto-generator is manufactured by making use of the resin molding die 21 having the outer peripheral surface 21d to be positioned in opposition to the inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 11 and projections 21a provided in the outer peripheral surface 21d for holding the plurality of magnets 12 at predetermined positions, respectively, positioning the magnets 12 at the predetermined positions, respectively, filling the resin 14 in spaces defined between the resin molding die 21 and the flywheel 11, and detaching the resin molding die 21 from the flywheel 11 after the resin has been hardened. By virtue of the arrangement described above, there can be manufactured the magneto-generator of an improved structure which allows the guard ring usually employed in this type conventional magneto-generator to be omitted and hence the manufacturing cost to be reduced. In addition, the performance of the magneto-generator can significantly be enhanced because the distance between the magnets and the generator coil is shortened owing to the absence of the guard ring.
Further, the method of manufacturing the magnet-generator according to the instant embodiment of the invention includes the resin filling step in which the resin molding die 21 having an outer peripheral surface 21d to be positioned in opposition to the inner peripheral surface of the flywheel 11 and the projections 21a provided in the outer peripheral surface 21d for holding the plurality of magnets 12 at predetermined positions, respectively, is employed for filling the resin 14 in the spaces defined between the resin molding die 21 and the flywheel 11 while holding the magnets 12 at the predetermined positions, respectively, and the die detaching step of detaching the resin molding die 21 from the flywheel 11. Owing to the features described above, the guard ring usually employed in this type conventional magneto-generator can be omitted in the magneto-generator according to the present invention and thus the manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced while the performance of the magneto-generator can be enhanced because the distance intervening between the magnets and the generator coil of the magneto-generator is diminished owing to the omission of the guard ring.
Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above techniques. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2001-132327 | Apr 2001 | JP | national |
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/962,344 filed Sep. 26, 2001 and now abandoned; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030179355 A1 | Sep 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09962344 | Sep 2001 | US |
Child | 10395336 | US |