Patent ID: 7652400

Claim:
An automotive alternator comprising: a rotor that is fixed to a rotating shaft; a front bracket and a rear bracket that rotatably support said rotating shaft and that envelop said rotor; a stator that is held by said front bracket and said rear bracket and that surrounds said rotor; a rectifier comprising: an approximately C-shaped rectifier heatsink to which a plurality of diodes are mounted; and an approximately C-shaped resin circuit board in which said plurality of diodes are connected by insert conductors so as to constitute a rectifier circuit, said rectifier being mounted to said rear bracket so as to be disposed around said rotating shaft in an approximate C shape and rectifying alternating-current output that is generated by said stator into direct current; a regulator circuit that adjusts magnitude of alternating-current voltage that is generated by said stator; and a regulator assembly comprising: a brush holder portion that is disposed so as to face said rotor such that an aperture direction of a brush insertion aperture is aligned in a radial direction and that holds a brush inside said brush insertion aperture; and a base into which a regulator circuit housing portion that is disposed such that a resin injection aperture faces radially outward and that houses and holds said regulator circuit is molded integrally into said brush holder portion near said rear bracket, said regulator assembly being mounted to said rear bracket such that said base is disposed between two end portions of said approximate C shape of said rectifier, wherein: a regulator assembly mounting threaded aperture is formed on an inner wall surface of said rear bracket; a receiving recess portion is recessed into an inner wall surface of said rear bracket around said regulator assembly mounting threaded aperture; a regulator assembly mounting penetrating aperture is disposed through said base; an engaging protruding portion is disposed so as to project from said base around said regulator assembly mounting penetrating aperture; and said regulator assembly is fixed to said rear bracket by engaging said engaging protruding portion in said receiving recess portion and fastening a regulator assembly mounting screw that has been passed through said regulator assembly mounting penetrating aperture into said regulator assembly mounting threaded aperture.