The present disclosure relates to a rotating electrical machine and a method for manufacturing the same.
Conventionally, in a rotating electrical machine in which a rotor unit with magnets fixed thereto rotates on the inner side of a coil, a configuration in which a plurality of magnets are fixed to a rotor by a magnet holder made of resin, without using an adhesive, is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a magnet holder is insert-molded with a rotor formed from stacked steel sheets and magnets are press-fitted and fixed between magnet holder parts from a rotary shaft direction.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses that a magnet holder molded with resin is fixed to a rotor, and from a rotary shaft direction, a magnet is press-fitted and fixed into a magnet storage portion formed by the magnet holder and the outer circumferential surface of the rotor.
However, the configuration of Patent Document 1 in which the magnet holder is insert-molded with the rotor in advance requires a complicated and expensive mold for insert molding, so that equipment investment increases and the product cost inevitably increases.
In the configuration of Patent Document 2 in which the integrated-type magnet holder is fixed to the rotor and a magnet is press-fitted and fixed into the magnet storage portion formed by the magnet holder and the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, attachment error of the rotor, molding error of the magnet holder, and assembly error such as deformation of the magnet holder due to assembly are added, thus causing a problem that variation in arrangement accuracy of magnets increases.
In particular, if position accuracy in the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft varies, torque ripple and cogging torque occur, leading to deterioration in performance of the rotating electrical machine. Further, a magnet needs to be press-fitted and fixed into the magnet storage portion formed by the magnet holder and the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, from the rotary shaft direction. Therefore, workability in assembling is low and the magnet and the magnet holder might be grazed at the time of press-fitting, leading to occurrence of rust, accuracy deterioration, or the like.
The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a rotating electrical machine that enables improvement in assembly accuracy and reduction in torque ripple and cogging torque without the need of a mold for insert molding.
A rotating electrical machine according to the present disclosure includes: a rotor fixed to a rotary shaft; a plurality of magnets arranged on an outer circumference of the rotor; and holders arranged between the plurality of magnets and fixing the magnets. The rotor is provided with a positioning portion that positions each magnet, and a groove for press-fitting and fixing each holder. Each holder is provided with a press-fit portion press-fitted into the groove, and a pressing portion for fixing the magnet. By the press-fit portion being press-fitted into the groove, the pressing portion presses and fixes an end of the magnet positioned by the positioning portion.
The rotating electrical machine according to the present disclosure does not require a complicated and expensive mold for insert molding, does not cause damage to the magnet and the magnet holder at the time of press-fitting, and enables improvement in assembly accuracy, thus obtaining characteristics in which torque ripple and cogging torque are small.
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a rotating electrical machine according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding matters and parts are denoted by the same reference characters and the detailed description thereof is omitted. Also in the other embodiments, components denoted by the same reference characters will not be repeatedly described.
The present disclosure is not limited to the description below, and modification can be made as appropriate without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, for facilitating the understanding, the scales of members may be different from actual ones and components irrelevant to features of the present disclosure are not shown.
With reference to
The present embodiment shows an example in which the rotating electrical machine is applied to electric power steering mounted to a vehicle. In order to assist a steering force of the steering of the vehicle, a control device is also needed in addition to the rotating electrical machine itself, but the control device is not shown in the drawings.
A frame 2 which is a housing of a rotating electrical machine 1 is formed in substantially a cylindrical shape having an opening on the rear side (upper side in the drawing), and is made of an aluminum alloy which is inexpensive and light. A stator 3 is formed by stacking electromagnetic steel sheets and is fixed to the frame 2. The stator 3 has a stator winding 5 wound therearound while an insulator 4 which is an insulating material is interposed therebetween, and is provided with a terminal 6 for supplying the stator winding 5 with current from the control device (not shown) provided on the rear side. In the frame 2, a bearing 7 is fixed on the front side and a bearing 9 is fixed on the rear side via a bearing holder 8.
A rotor 11 formed by stacking electromagnetic steel sheets is fixed to a rotor shaft 10, a plurality of magnets 12 are fixed at the outer circumference of the rotor 11 by magnet holders 13, and these are covered by a nonmagnetic protection tube 14, thus forming a rotor unit 15. The rotor shaft 10 is rotatably supported by the bearing 7 and the bearing 9, and the rotor unit 15 is provided so as to be surrounded by the stator 3 separately therefrom.
A joint 16 for attachment to the vehicle side is provided on the front side (lower side in the drawing) of the rotor shaft 10, and a rotation angle detection sensor for detecting the rotation state of the rotor 11 is provided at a part (not shown) on the rear side of the rotor shaft 10.
A heatsink 17 at which the control device (not shown) is provided is fixed at a rear-side opening end of the frame 2. The control device includes a power conversion circuit having a power semiconductor for converting DC current from outside, and a control circuit, and supplies desired current to the stator winding 5 via the terminal 6. Thus, a rotational force is generated on the rotor 11, so that the rotor unit 15 and therefore the joint 16 are rotated.
Next, the configuration of the rotor unit 15 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.
As shown in
Here, in order that the magnet holder 13 will not come off from the rotor 11 after press-fitting, designing is made on the basis of a press-fit interference, a press-fit length, materials, and the like, whereby a necessary retention force is ensured. In the present embodiment, the magnet holder 13 is a molded product of resin, but may be a cast product of nonmagnetic metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, a product worked by cutting or pressing, or the like.
With the above configuration, it is possible to provide the magnet holder 13 with a reduced size and at low cost, without the need of a complicated and expensive mold. In addition, since each magnet holder 13 is press-fitted and fixed into the rotor 11 from the radial direction of the rotor shaft 10, it is possible to easily perform assembly without rubbing the magnet 12 against the rotor 11 and the magnet holder 13 when press-fitting the magnet 12.
During assembling, the magnet 12 need not be moved in the axial direction and the circumferential direction, and therefore assembly can be performed more easily. In addition, such a phenomenon in which the coating of the magnet 12 is removed so that rust occurs or the magnet holder 13 is grazed so that arrangement accuracy and a retention force for the magnets are deteriorated, does not happen.
Further, the magnets 12 are fixed with high accuracy depending on only accuracy of parts of the rotor 11 without being influenced by accuracy of parts of the magnet holders 13 and assembly accuracy of the magnet holders 13 and the rotor 11. Thus, a rotating electrical machine having favorable characteristics in which occurrence of torque ripple and cogging torque is suppressed can be provided.
In addition, since the magnet 12 is assuredly pressed by the first contact portion 13b and the second contact portion 13c of the magnet holders 13, the flat surface 12b is assuredly pressed against the outer circumferential surface 11a of the rotor 11 without backlash therebetween.
In the present embodiment, eight magnets 12 having a semi-cylindrical shape are used and the rotor 11 has substantially an octagonal prism shape. However, as a matter of course, the number of the magnets is not limited thereto, the shape thereof may be another shape such as a segment type, and also the rotor 11 may have another shape such as a cylindrical shape.
The protection tube 14 formed by deep drawing and made of a nonmagnetic material such as stainless steel or aluminum is externally fitted to the outer side of the magnet holders 13 fixed as described above. In the present embodiment, the outer circumference of the magnet holders 13 is set to be slightly greater than the outer circumference of the magnets 12. The protection tube 14 is fixed to the magnet holders 13 in a slightly press-fitted manner, and then end surfaces thereof are bent so as to be fixed in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the magnet holders 13 or the rotor 11.
The rotor unit 15 may be formed without the protection tube 14, but the protection tube 14 is attached in order to prevent the rotor unit 15 from being locked when the magnet 12 cracks or comes off. In addition, the magnet holders 13 and the magnets 12 are fixed and retained more strongly by the protection tube 14. Finally, the rotor shaft 10 is press-fitted into the through hole 11b of the rotor 11, whereby the rotor unit 15 is completed.
In the present embodiment, the rotor shaft 10 is press-fitted and fixed after the magnets are fixed to the rotor 11. However, as a matter of course, the magnets 12 may be fixed through the above-described procedure after the rotor 11 is press-fitted and fixed to the rotor shaft 10.
As described above, the rotating electrical machine of embodiment 1 can be formed using a small-sized holder, and therefore a complicated and expensive mold for insert molding is not needed and an inexpensive holder can be used. In addition, since the positions of the magnets are determined with high accuracy depending on only accuracy of the rotor without being influenced by accuracy of the holders and assembly accuracy of the holders and the rotor, favorable characteristics in which torque ripple and cogging torque are reduced are obtained. Further, since each holder is fixed to the rotor from the radial direction of the rotary shaft, press-fitting work for the magnets is not needed and assembly can be easily performed. In addition, since the magnet is not grazed during assembling, an effect of obtaining a rotating electrical machine having high reliability without occurrence of rust and deterioration in accuracy, is provided.
Next, the configuration of the rotor unit 15 according to embodiment 2 will be described in detail, with reference to
As shown in the front view in
Next, as shown in
In the above structure, the configuration, method, and operation of positioning and fixation for the magnets 12 are the same as those in embodiment 1, and sectional views along line B-B and line C-C in
In embodiment 1, the axial-direction position of the magnet 12 is determined by the positioning bosses 11e, 11f of the rotor 11, whereas in the present embodiment, positioning is also made by engagement between the engagement portion 11h at the axial-direction end of the magnet 12 and the claw portion 13g at the axial-direction end, and therefore assembly is performed such that the lower surface of the rotor 11 and the lower surface 12f of the magnet are flush with each other. Here, positioning in the axial direction may be made by the positioning bosses 11e, 11f as in embodiment 1.
Next, the details of an assembly method will be specifically described with reference to
First, as shown in
By an upper die (not shown) descending, the eight movable jigs 101 are moved in the radial direction simultaneously, so that the press-fit portions 13a of the magnet holders 13 are press-fitted into the grooves 11g of the rotor 11. At the same time, the claw portions 13g of the magnet holders 13 contact with the rotor 11 and move while warping upward or downward. At this time, since the thin deflection portion 13h and the projection 13i projecting relative to the back surface are formed at the base of the claw portion 13g of the magnet holder 13, the claw portion 13g deflects also in the radial direction and thus is smoothly hooked on the engagement portion 11h of the rotor 11. When the magnet holder 13 is released from the movable jig 101, the claw portion 13g returns from its deflected state and is fixed to the engagement portion 11h of the rotor 11 without backlash.
With the above configuration and assembly method, the effects described in embodiment 1 are provided and in addition, come-off prevention in the radial direction can be achieved with simple work of inserting the magnet holder 13 from the radial direction, and thus stronger retention in the radial direction can be made without providing another part or another process. In the present embodiment, a mechanism for come-off prevention is made by the claw portion 13g, but as a matter of course, such a come-off prevention mechanism may be made by another process such as adhesion, crimping, screw fastening, or pin fastening. The configuration and assembly method of the rotor unit 15 are the same as those in embodiment 1.
In embodiment 3, a case where the magnet attachment structure in embodiment 2 is applied to a rotor unit 15 of a step-skew type will be described.
As shown in
Thus, the magnet holder 13 can be smoothly press-fitted into the rotor 11 from the radial direction. Assembly is performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2, that is, as shown in
Thereafter, as shown in
As described above, in the present embodiment, the rotor unit 15 of a step-skew type can be assembled with one work of press-fitting the magnet holders 13 from the radial direction, without increasing the numbers of the rotors 11 and the magnet holders 13. Thus, a rotating electrical machine that can be easily assembled and has high accuracy can be provided at low cost. Further, the effects described in embodiments 1 and 2 can be provided.
Although the disclosure is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects, and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations to one or more of the embodiments of the disclosure.
It is therefore understood that numerous modifications which have not been exemplified can be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, at least one of the constituent components may be modified, added, or eliminated. At least one of the constituent components mentioned in at least one of the preferred embodiments may be selected and combined with the constituent components mentioned in another preferred embodiment.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2020/029678 | 8/3/2020 | WO |