The present disclosure relates to a stator and a motor including the stator.
A stator core used for a stator of a motor is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by curling (bending) after a winding has been wound in a linear straight core state (e.g., WO 2012/105262). In this configuration, only part of the stator core on an outer peripheral side is connected. Thus, compressive stress is generated with such a portion as a fulcrum. Such stress causes degradation of the magnetic properties of the stator etc., and for this reason, the techniques of relaxing such stress have been proposed.
For example, in WO 2012/105262, slits 8 are provided on both sides of a thin portion 7 of a back yoke portion for bending a stator core 1. It is described that such a configuration allows the stator core to be easily bent and can reduce residual stress.
A first aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a stator including a stator core having a substantially cylindrical back yoke and a plurality of teeth extending radially inward from the back yoke. The stator core includes a plurality of stator core pieces each having one tooth and a yoke piece forming part of the back yoke. On an inside of the back yoke in a radial direction, adjacent ones of the stator core pieces directly contacting each other or indirectly contacting each other with a member, as an intervening part, interposed between the adjacent ones of the stator core pieces.
A first embodiment will be described. A stator (10) includes a stator core (13) having a substantially cylindrical back yoke (11) and a plurality of teeth (12) extending radially inward from the back yoke (11). The stator core (13) includes a plurality of stator core pieces (13a) each having one tooth (12) and a yoke piece (11a) forming part of the back yoke (11). On the inside of the back yoke (11) in the radial direction, adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) directly contact each other, or contact each other with a member, as an intervening thing, interposed therebetween.
More specifically,
The stator core (13) includes the substantially cylindrical back yoke (11) and the plurality of teeth (12) extending radially inward from the back yoke (11). A winding is wound around each tooth (12) to form the coil (15). The stator core (13) and each coil (15) are electrically insulated by an insulator (14) and a slot cell (not shown).
Next,
Tooth extending portions (16) extending in the circumferential direction of the back yoke (11) are provided at inner tip ends of the teeth (12) in the radial direction. The tooth extending portions (16) provided at adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) contact each other.
Note that in the present application, a term “substantially cylindrical” refers to a shape which is generally recognized as a cylindrical shape, and it is not essential to be a mathematically precise “cylinder.” For example, there may be unevenness, deformation, etc. caused due to machining accuracy, convenience in a machining method, etc. or understood as causing no problem as common general technical knowledge. The same also applies to an expression “cylindrical” alone. Similarly, a “substantially circular shape” is not necessarily a mathematical “circle.”
The stator core (13) of
At the straight core (13b), the yoke pieces (11a) are substantially linearly coupled to each other. At a connection portion (17) between the stator core pieces (13a) (the yoke pieces (11a)), e.g., a triangular notch 18 is formed from a tooth (12) side so that the straight core (13b) can be narrowed and be bent and wound with the tooth (12) side facing inward. Thus, the substantially cylindrical stator core (10) can be formed.
As described above, when the stator core (13) in the state of
This point will be described with reference to
When the straight core (13b) of
As described above, an increase in stress in the vicinity of the connection portion (17) and the yoke end portion (11b) at the back yoke (11) can be reduced. This configuration can reduce degradation of magnetic properties and further reduce an increase in an iron loss.
Further, unlike a case where the back yoke (11) is provided with slits (for stress relaxation upon curling), the cross-sectional area of the back yoke (11) is not decreased. Thus, there is also no decrease in a magnetic path width due to the slits, and therefore, an increase in the iron loss due to magnetic saturation can be avoided.
Further, in order to maintain the stator core (13) in the substantially cylindrical shape, stress is concentrated and increased at a portion where the tooth extending portions (16) of the adjacent stator core pieces (13a) contact each other. Although the contact portion between the tooth extending portions (16) may serve as a magnetic flux path, the magnetic properties of the contact portion between the tooth extending portions (16) are degraded and passage of a magnetic flux is reduced due to great stress.
When the stator core (13) is combined with a rotor to form a motor, a magnetic flux from a magnet of the rotor turns into a leakage magnetic flux which does not contribute to rotation of the rotor after the magnetic flux has passed through the tooth extending portion (16). However, since passage of the magnetic flux is reduced at the contact portion between the tooth extending portions (16) as described above, the leakage magnetic flux and a decrease in torque due to such a leakage magnetic flux are reduced.
Further, in a case where there is no contact between the tooth extending portions (16) and there is a space between tip ends of the teeth (12), a magnetic permeability is greatly different between the tooth (12) and the space between the teeth (12), leading to torque ripple.
On the other hand, in a case where the tooth extending portions (16) contact each other, fluctuation in the magnetic permeability is reduced, and the torque ripple can be reduced as compared to a case where the tooth extending portions (16) do not contact each other.
Next,
In the example of
As described above, in a case where the narrow portion is provided at the tooth extending portion (16), stress caused due to contact between the tooth extending portions (16) is concentrated on such a narrow portion. As a result, propagation of stress to the tooth (12) side at the tooth extending portion (16) can be reduced. Thus, degradation of the magnetic properties due to stress on the teeth (12) can be reduced.
Next, a configuration shown in
In this case, the stator core (13) has a configuration in which a plurality of electromagnetic steel plates cut into the same shape are stacked on each other, and each electromagnetic steel plate has, at locations corresponding to the tooth extending portions (16), bent portions (23) bent so as to protrude in the axial direction of the back yoke (11) in the substantially cylindrical shape.
By providing such a bending structure (22) as well, stress caused due to contact between the tooth extending portions (16) can be concentrated on such a portion. Thus, as in a case where the recesses are provided, degradation of the magnetic properties due to propagation of stress to the tooth (12) side is reduced.
Note that both the bending structure (22) and the recess (21) may be provided.
In
In addition, in E, the recess (21) is provided at a similar location, but is provided on the side opposite to that in the case of D at the tooth extending portion (16). In the case of F, the recesses (21) are provided on both sides of the tooth extending portion (16).
Providing the recess (21) at the position overlapping with the bent portion (23) is preferable because stress can be further concentrated. However, the recess (21) may be provided only at a location not overlapping with the bent portion (23). A plurality of recesses (21) may be provided. An example where the recesses (21) are also provided at other positions in addition to the position overlapping with the bent portion (23) is shown in G of
Also, in
A second embodiment will be described with reference to
Note that in this embodiment, the stator core pieces (13a) are provided with no tooth extending portions (16) which are configured to contact each other. Instead, the stator core piece (13a) further includes yoke extending portions (31) extending radially inward from the back yoke (11), and the yoke extending portions (31) of adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) contact each other (
This configuration will be further described. Two adjacent stator core pieces (13a) in the state of the stator core (13b) are shown in
In the example of
Further, as in the tooth extending portion (16) of the first embodiment, the yoke extending portion (31) may be provided with a recess (21) and a bending structure (22) (a bent portion (23)).
In this case, the stator core (13) has a configuration in which a plurality of electromagnetic steel plates cut into the same shape are stacked on each other, and each electromagnetic steel plate has, at locations corresponding to the yoke extending portions (31), bent portions (23) bent so as to protrude in the axial direction of the back yoke (11) in the substantially cylindrical shape.
Similarly to the tooth extending portion (16) shown in
By providing the recess (21) and/or the bending structure (22), a region where stress is concentrated can be controlled. In particular, stress on the yoke piece (11a) can be reduced, and degradation of the magnetic properties of the yoke piece (11a) can be reduced.
A third embodiment will be described with reference to
Note that in this embodiment, the stator core pieces (13a) are provided with no tooth extending portions (16) (and the yoke extending portions (31) of the second embodiment) which are configured to contact each other.
Instead, an insulator (14) is provided so as to cover at least part of each stator core piece (13a), and adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) contact each other with the insulator (14), as an intervening thing, interposed therebetween. When the stator (10) including coils (15) and the insulators (14) is formed by curling, the insulators (14) each provided at adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) come into contact with each other. This configuration is shown in
Two adjacent stator core pieces (13a) in the state of a straight core (13b) are shown in
The stator core pieces (13a) of this embodiment are provided with no tooth extending portions (16) (and no yoke extending portions (31)) which are configured to contact each other. Instead, after curling, the insulator extending portions (32) of the insulators (14) each provided at the stator core pieces (13a) contact each other. That is, the stator core pieces (13a) indirectly contact each other through the insulators (14) (the insulator extending portions (32)) instead of providing a portion where the stator core pieces (13a) directly contact each other in addition to a connection portion (17) after the straight core (13b) has been curled. Thus, the positions of the adjacent stator core pieces (13a) are held, and the back yoke (11) is entirely formed in the substantially cylindrical shape. As a result, stress concentration on the vicinity of the connection portion (17) and the yoke end portion (11b) can be relaxed, and degradation of magnetic properties and an increase in an iron loss can be reduced.
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to
Note that also in this embodiment, the stator core pieces (13a) are provided with no tooth extending portions (16) (and no yoke extending portions (31) of the second embodiment) which are configured to contact each other.
Instead, a coil (15) and a slot cell (33) are provided at each of the plurality of teeth (12), and adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) contact each other with both the coils (15) and the slot cells (33) or only the slot cells (33), as an intervening thing, interposed therebetween. The slot cell (33) insulates the coil (15) and the tooth (12) from each other, and insulates the coils provided at adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) from each other.
When the stator (10) including the coils (15) and insulators (14) is formed by curling, the slot cells (33) each provided at adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) come into contact with each other. Here, the slot cells (33) are configured to prevent the coils (15) of adjacent ones of the stator core pieces (13a) from directly contacting each other.
Two adjacent stator core pieces (13a) in the state of a straight core (13b) are shown in
A variation of the fourth embodiment will be described. Referring to
On the other hand, in the variation, only the slot cell (33) protrudes from the extension (20), and the coil (15) does not extend beyond the extension (20) (each coil (15) is on the tooth (12) side). This state can be considered as a state in which there are no windings drawn with diagonal lines among the windings of the coils (15) in
In this case as well, after the straight core (13b) has been curled, the stator core pieces (13a) directly contact each other with the slot cells (33), as an intervening thing, interposed therebetween. Thus, the positions of the adjacent stator core pieces (13a) are held, and the back yoke (11) is entirely formed in the substantially cylindrical shape. As a result, stress concentration on the vicinity of the connection portion (17) and the yoke end portion (11b) can be relaxed, and degradation of magnetic properties and an increase in an iron loss can be reduced.
Next, a motor using the stator core (13) of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
The motor (40) having such a configuration exhibits improved performance because the iron loss in the stator core (13) is reduced and the magnetic properties are improved.
Noted that although not shown separately, motors using the stator cores (13) of the second to fourth embodiments can be formed and any of these motors exhibits improved performance, needless to say.
While the embodiment and variations thereof have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. The embodiments and the variations thereof may be combined and replaced with each other without deteriorating intended functions of the present disclosure.
As described above, the present disclosure is useful for a stator and a motor including the stator.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2020-060098 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2021/011054 filed on Mar. 18, 2021, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-060098, filed on Mar. 30, 2020. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2021/011054 | Mar 2021 | US |
Child | 17895038 | US |