ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTACT ADAPTER

A housing may include a first end that may define a first aperture. The stator may be disposed in the housing and include a bus bar that may extend towards the first aperture. The contact adapter may be fixed to the first end of the housing and may include a base member and a contact member. The base member may define a contact aperture and may include a body and a collar that may extend from the body. The body and the collar may define a pocket and the contact aperture may be disposed in the pocket. The contact member may include a first end, a second end, and a medial portion extending therebetween. The first end may extend from the body into the pocket and may contact the bus bar. The second end may extend from the base member and may be configured to contact an electrical connector.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an electric motor such as an electric motor for use in motor vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles may include a number of electric motors, such as a motor to actuate a window, a vehicle brake, or a steering mechanism. The motors may include a stator, a rotor and a motor shaft that mounts the stator or the rotor. Power may be supplied to the motor via a connection plug that may be electrically connected to windings of the stator.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an electric motor is provided. The electric motor may include a housing, a stator, and a contact adapter. The housing may include a first end that may define a first aperture. The stator may be disposed in the housing and include a bus bar that may extend towards the first aperture. The contact adapter may be fixed to the first end of the housing and may include a base member and a contact member. The base member may define a contact aperture and may include a body and a collar that may extend from the body. The body and the collar may define a pocket and the contact aperture may be disposed in the pocket. The contact member may include a first end, a second end, and a medial portion extending therebetween. The first end may extend from the body into the pocket and may contact the bus bar. The second end may extend from the base member and may be configured to contact an electrical connector.

According to another embodiment, an electric motor is provided. The electric motor may include a housing, a stator, and a contact adapter. The housing may extend in an axial direction and may include a first end that may define a recess having an inner periphery. The first end may further define an aperture that may be disposed in the recess. The stator may be disposed in the housing and include a bus bar that may extend towards the first aperture. The contact adapter may be disposed in the recess and may include a base member and a contact member. The base member may include a body that may define a contact aperture. The contact member may include a first end, a second end, and a medial portion extending therebetween. The first end may extend from the body into the contact aperture and contact the bus bar. An outer periphery of the body may engage the inner periphery of the recess to fix the contact adapter in a radial direction.

According to yet another embodiment, a method of assembling an electric motor is provided. The electric motor may include a housing that may be provided with a first end that may define a recess having an inner periphery. The first end may further define an aperture that may be disposed within the recess. The motor may also include a bus bar disposed within the housing and extending towards the recess. The method may include inserting contact adapter provided with a plurality of deformable ribs into the recess so that the deformable ribs plastically deform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The term “substantially” or “about” may be used herein to describe disclosed or claimed embodiments. The term “substantially” or “about” may modify a value or relative characteristic disclosed or claimed in the present disclosure. In such instances, “substantially” or “about” may signify that the value or relative characteristic it modifies is within ±0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or 10% of the value or relative characteristic.

The term “deform” or “deformable” may be used herein to describe disclosed or claimed embodiments. The term “deform” or “deformable” may refer to a permanent distortion, such as plastic deformation that occurs when a material is subjected to tensile, compressive, bending, or torsion stresses that exceed its yield strength and cause it to elongate, compress, buckle, bend, or twist. The term “deform” or “deformable” may also refer to a temporary shape change that is self-reversing after the force is removed, so that the object returns to its original shape.

Electric motors, such as brushless electric motors are generally connected to a printed circuit board adapter (PCBA) by a wire harness to a contact adapter fixed to the motor. Contact adapters include electrical connections extending between a component of the electric motor, such as a stator or a rotor, to the contact adapter. One of the challenges associated with known contact adapters is protecting or shielding the electrical connections prior to assembling the wire harness or other connecting device to the contact adapter. Failing to protect the contact adapter may result in damage to the electrical contacts during assembly or in transit. Known contact adapters may require a cover that may create additional costs. Or other known contact adapters may not provide any protection at all.

Fixing the contact adapter to the motor housing or other suitable motor component may present other challenges. As an example, known contact adapters may be fixed to the motor by one or more fasteners. As another example, known contact adapters may include one or more welds between the electric connections of the contact adapter and electric connections of the motor. Welding requires sufficient access for fixturing and a welding tool.

Referring generally to the figures, an electric motor100is provided. The electric motor100may include a housing102that may extend in an axial direction A. The housing may include a first end104and a second end106. In one or more embodiments, the first end104may be formed by a bearing shield108. The first end104, such as the bearing shield108, may define a recess110. The bearing shield108may define an aperture112that may be disposed in the recess110. The electric motor100may include a stator114that may be disposed in the housing102. The stator114may include a number of bus bars116that may extend from the stator114to the aperture112.

The electric motor100may include a contact adapter118that may be configured to provide an electric connection between the stator and a power source through a PCBA. The contact adapter118may be disposed within the recess110and may include a base member120and a contact member122. The base member120may include a body124that may define a contact aperture126. The contact member122may include a first end128, a second end130, and a medial portion132extending therebetween. The first end128of the contact member122may extend from the body into the contact aperture126to engage the bus bar116. An outer periphery134of the body124may be sized to engage an inner periphery136of the recess110. As an example, the outer periphery134of the body124may engage the inner periphery136of the recess110so that the contact adapter118is radially fixed or fixed in a radial direction. Radial direction may refer to any direction that is orthogonal or transverse to the axial direction A.

The outer periphery134of the body124may include a plurality of ribs such as deformable ribs138that may me be configured to plastically deform as the contact adapter118is inserted into the recess110of the bearing shield108. The outer periphery134of the body124may be formed by a first pair of sidewalls140and a second pair of sidewalls142that may extend between the first pair of sidewalls140. As an example, the first pair of sidewalls140may have a first length L1and the second pair of sidewalls142may have a second length L2that may be less than the first length L1. As an example, a number of the deformable ribs138may be disposed on or extend from at least one sidewall of the second pair of sidewalls142.

The base member120may include a protrusion144that may extend from the body124of the contact adapter118. As an example, the second end130of the contact member122may extend through the protrusion144. The first end128of the contact member may include first electric contacts148and the second end130may include second electric contacts150. The second electric contacts150may be spaced apart, in a first direction D1, from the first electric contacts148. The second electric contacts150may be interstitially arranged with respect to each of the first electrical contacts148in a second direction D2, that may be substantially orthogonal to the first direction D1.

In one or more embodiments, the contact adapter118may include a collar152that may extend from the body124. The collar152and the body124may define a pocket154and the contact aperture126may be disposed within the pocket154. The collar152may shield or protect one or more portions of the contact member from inadvertent contact or other extraneous forces applied to the motor100.

The collar152may include a first sidewall156and a second sidewall158. The second sidewall158may extend between the first sidewall156and the body124. The second sidewall158may be tapered to provide access to the first electrical contacts148and the bus bars116. As an example, the tooling may include a tool used to engage and push the first electrical contacts148to the bus bar116. As another example, the tool may be a welding device, such as a laser welding head or a resistance welding head. The second sidewall158may include a base portion160and a distal end162, the base portion160may have a first width W1and the distal end162may have a second width W2, that may be less than the first width W1. The first sidewall156may be arranged with respect to the first end128of the contact member122so that the contact aperture126is disposed between the first sidewall156and the first end128.

The collar152may include a third sidewall164that may extend from the body124in the second direction D2. Each of the first and second sidewalls156,158may extend from the third sidewall164in a third direction D3that may be substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The third sidewall164may be integrally formed with the body124and may define the contact aperture126. In other embodiments, the collar152may not include the third sidewall164so that the contact aperture126is formed by the first and second sidewalls156,158in conjunction with the body124.

In one or more embodiments, the bus bar116may be fixed to the first end128of the contact member122so that the contact adapter118is fixed in the axial direction A. As an example, the bus bar116may be fixed to the first end128of the contact member122by one or more welds. The welds may be a resistance weld applied by resistance welding that may include joining of metals by applying pressure and passing current for a predetermined length of time to the metal area that is to be joined. The welds may also be applied by laser welding that may include the use of a laser to provide a concentrated heat source to metals that are to be joined.

Referring toFIG. 1, an exploded view of an exemplary electric motor100is illustrated. The electric motor100may include the housing102having the first end104and the second end106. As mentioned above the housing may extend along the axial direction A, represented by the dashed line. The second end106may define an opening that receives various components of the electric motor100. The first end104may include the bearing shield108that may receive the contact adapter118. As an example, the first end may be formed by a heat sink or other end member, rather than a bearing shield. The motor100may include the stator114that may sandwich an insulative paper165between the stator and the bearing shield108. The stator114may include a number of magnets176and a number of windings178. The windings178may be electrically connected to the bus bars116. The bus bars116may extend from a connection unit180that may be disposed on one end of the stator114. One or more of the bus bars116may extend towards or into the apertures112(FIG. 4) defined by the bearing shield108.

The stator114may receive a rotor assembly168provided with a shaft170. The shaft170may be inserted through a ball bearing172that may engage the bearing shield108. Another ball bearing172may be disposed on another portion of the shaft and the ball bearing172may be received by a second bearing shield174. The second bearing shield174may be fixed to the second end106of the housing102.

Referring toFIG. 2, a perspective view of an exemplary contact adapter118is illustrated. The contact adapter118may include a base member120that may include a body124and a contact member122. The body124may include the first pair of sidewalls140that may extend in the first direction D2. The second pair of sidewalls142may each extend in the second direction D2between each of the first sidewalls140. The contact member122may include the first end128that may form the first electric contacts148and the second end130that may form the second electric contacts150. The first end128and the second end130may be connected to each other by the medial portion132as represented by dashed lines in the body124. The first end128of the contact member122may be positioned next to or adjacent to the contact aperture126.

One or more of the sidewalls140,142may include one or more ribs, such as deformable ribs138. The deformable ribs138may each be integrally formed to the body124and may be configured to deform as the contact adapter118is inserted into a portion of the housing102, such as the recess110. As an example, one or more of the deformable ribs may have a substantially square shape. A distal portion of one of the deformable ribs138, may have a larger cross-sectional area than that of a proximal portion, disposed between the distal portion of the deformable rib138and the body120.

The body124may be formed of a polymeric material, such as thermoplastic, thermoset plastics, or other polymers. As an example, the body124may be formed of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) that may include a predetermined amount of glass-filled fibers that may range between 15% and 45%. In one or more embodiments, portions of the base member120or the body124may be over molded over the contact member122. As another example, the body124or the base member may be mechanically fixed to the contact member122by a mechanical lock, e.g., press-fit condition formed by recesses or tabs or other suitable configurations.

The contact member122may be formed by a conductive material such as a metal or alloy. As an example, the contact member122may be formed of copper that may be bent, or stamped, or both to a predetermined size and shape.

Referring toFIG. 3, an exemplary contact adapter118according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is provided. The contact adapter118may include the collar152that may extend from the body124so that the collar152and the body124form the pocket154. The collar152may include the first sidewall156and the second sidewall158each of which may at least partially form the pocket154. The second sidewall158may extend between the first sidewall156and the body124. The third sidewall164may extend from the body124to the first sidewall156and may define the contact aperture126(FIG. 5).

The collar152may also include a fourth sidewall166that may extend in the third direction D3. In one or more embodiments, at least one of the second and fourth sidewalls158,166may be tapered to facilitate connection between the contact adapter118and the PCBA. As an example, a base portion of the second and fourth sidewalls158,166may have a width W1and a distal end of the second and fourth sidewalls158,166may have a width W2that may be less than the width W1.

The body124may include a protrusion144that may extend in the third direction D3. The second end130of the contact member122may extend from the protrusion144.

FIG. 4illustrates a bottom-perspective view of the contact adapter118illustrated inFIG. 3. In one or more embodiments, the body124may have an elongated shape, having a length that is greater than a width of the body124. As previously mentioned, the body124may define a number of contact apertures126that may be spaced apart from the protrusion144. A space may be disposed between an edge of the contact aperture126and the first end128or first electrical contact148of the contact member122. The space may have a width W3that may be sized to received at least a portion of one or more bus bars116.

FIG. 5illustrates a perspective view of the motor100. As described above, the motor100may include the motor housing102that may be coupled to a bearing shield108. The bearing shield108may include the recess110that may receive the contact adapter118. Bus bars116may extend through recesses defined by the bearing shield108. When the contact adapter118is installed or fixed to the bearing shield108, the first end128of the contact member122may engage each of the bus bars116.

FIG. 6illustrates a detailed-perspective view of the contact adapter118. The body124may include a bottom portion190and a top portion192. The deformable ribs138may be tapered between the bottom portion190and the top portion192. As an example, a portion of the deformable rib138may be spaced apart from a top portion sidewall142by a distance W4and another portion of the deformable rib138may be spaced apart from the bottom portion190by a distance W5. The distance W5may be less than the distance W4.

Parts List

The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

148first electrical contacts

148first electric contacts

150second electric contacts