One piece molded voltage regulator and brush holder unit

A brush holder for a charging generator for a car comprises a one-piece resin-molded body in which a pair of recesses for holding brushes are formed and a plurality of terminal plates are embedded except for small exposed parts to which lead wires of a voltage regulator and lead wires of said brushes are soldered. A brush is disposed in each of the recesses, and each of the brushes is connected to one of the lead wires which is also connected to a corresponding one of the terminals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a brush holder used mainly for a charging 
generator for a car. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in 
brush holder provided with an electronic voltage regulator. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
FIG. 1 is a longitudinally cross-sectional view of the conventional 
generator of this type and FIG. 2 is a slant view of a brush holder used 
for the generator. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a brush 
holder and the reference numeral 2 designates a molded body. In FIG. 2, 
reference numerals, 4, 5 and 6 designate terminals, 7 designates a voltage 
regulator and 8 designate brushes. 
The terminals 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fitted to the molded body 2 formed in one 
piece and the voltage regulator 7 is fitted into a recess 2a formed at the 
upper part of the molded body 2. Each of the connecting parts 9, 10, 11 
and 12 of the terminals is connected to each of the connecting parts 13, 
14, 15 and 16 of the voltage regulator by soldering. The lead wires 17 of 
the brushes 8 are respectively connected to specified connecting parts 18, 
19 of the terminals. 
In the conventional brush holder 1 constructed as above-mentioned, since 
the terminals 3, 4, 5 and 6 are exposed, there may occur a short-circuit 
between adjacent terminals by entrance of a metallic foreign substance or 
electrical corrosion by entrance of salt water. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantage of 
the conventional brush holder and to provide an improved brush holder 
reducing risk of short-circuit or electrical corrosion. 
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention have been attained 
by providing a brush holder which comprises a one-piece resin-molded body 
in which a pair of recesses for holding brushes are formed and a plurality 
of terminal plates are embedded except for exposed parts of the terminal 
plates to which lead wires of the voltage regulator and lead wires of the 
brushes are soldered.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to 
FIGS. 3 to 5. 
First of all, a one-piece resin-molded body 2 is formed in a shape as shown 
in the plan view of FIG. 4. The terminals 3, 4, 5 and 6 are embedded in 
the molded body 2 except for four square openings or exposed parts. The 
terminals 3, 4, 5 and 6 before being trimmed are connected in one-piece by 
means of flat slim plate 20. The one-piece structure of the terminals 
renders resin-molding easy because the terminals are immovable in a mold. 
The terminals held in one-piece are embedded between a pair of recesses 
27, 28 for holding the brushes 8 in the molded body 2. 
Then the terminals connected in one-piece are separated by cutting parts of 
the flat slim plate 20 at cutting lines 21. Thus, the terminals 3, 4, 5 
and 6 are covered in the molded body except for minimum parts for 
connection to the lead wires of the voltage regulator 7 and the brushes 8. 
Specifically, the lead wires 13, 14, 15 and 16 respectively extending from 
the four corners of the flatened square voltage regulator 7 are 
respectively soldered to the respective square exposed parts as shown in 
FIG. 4. The lead wires 17 of the brushes 8 are respectively connected to 
the other exposed parts 25, 26 which are left in trimming of the flat slim 
plate 20. The exposed parts 25, 26 are bent in the direction opposite each 
other, namely, the exposed part 25 is bent downwards and the exposed part 
26 is bent upwards respectively, as shown in FIG. 3, so that they face 
each of the recesses 27 and 28 for holding the brushes 8. 
The brush holder of the present invention is constructed as 
above-mentioned. Since the terminal plates are covered with resinous 
material except for very small exposed parts required for connection 
occurrence of a short-circuit between the terminals and electrical 
corrosion caused by salt water are greatly reduced. Further, the 
disadvantage of the conventional device that there were a number of 
bending steps required to prepare the terminal is overcome by the present 
invention, in which the terminal undergoes punching steps while in a flat 
state. Accordingly, utilization efficiency of the material increases.