Patent ID: 6812604
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: H02K

Abstract:
An electrical machine, preferably an alternator for motor vehicles, comprising a rectifier assembly (11a) that is fixed to an end shield (23) of the machine, said rectifier assembly being cooled by a fan (27) that operates in the end shield and that is connected on the one hand with a direct-current output (15, 17) and, on the other hand, with a stator winding (12) of the electrical machine (10) that carries a polyphase alternating voltage, whereby a plurality of diode bridges (19) is positioned, each composed of two diodes connected in series with the anode of their negative diode (14) on a common negative connecting plate (15) end with the cathode of their positive diode (16) on a common positive connecting plate (17) of the rectifier assembly (11),wherein the rectifier assembly (11) is located in an opening in the front face (32) of the end shield (23) in a region further from the shaft, and said rectifier assembly is connected in an electrically and thermally conductive manner by one of said connecting plates (15 and 17) to a cooling body (33) that is connected to the exterior of the end shield (23) and covers the opening (32) at least to the extent that cooling air (29) drawn in by the fan (27) first flows from the exterior across the cooling body (33) in an at least approximately radial manner towards the interior, entering the machine (10) in the vicinity of the shaft through orifices (30) in the end shield (23) and from here, having reached the fan (27), subsequently flows past the other connecting plate (15 and 17) of the rectifier assembly (11) that is located in the opening in the front face (32) in an at least approximately radial manner towards the exterior.