Patent ID: 9729035
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: H02K,Y10T

Claim:
1. A rotor assembly for an electric motor, comprising: a first plurality of laminations arranged axially with each defining therethrough a first plurality of slots open to an outer periphery thereof; a second plurality of laminations arranged axially with each defining therethrough a second plurality of slots open to an outer periphery thereof; a support disk positioned between the first and second plurality of laminations and defining therethrough a plurality of closed slots aligned with the first and second plurality of slots of each of the first and second plurality of laminations respectively, the support disk having an axial thickness greater than axial thicknesses of each lamination in each of the first and second plurality of laminations; a plurality of rotor bars extending through the aligned plurality of slots of each of the first and second plurality of laminations and the support disk; a first end ring defining a plurality of apertures engaging first ends of the plurality of rotor bars; and a second end ring defining a plurality of apertures engaging second ends of the plurality of rotor bars opposite the first ends thereof; wherein, with the plurality of rotor bars extending through the plurality of closed slots defined therethrough, the support disk minimizes radial expansion of the plurality of rotor bars between the first and second end rings during rotation of the rotor assembly.