Patent ID: 7847444

Claim:
An electric motor assembly in a vehicle powertrain, comprising: a motor housing having an inner surface and defining an interior cavity within the powertrain; a generally annular stator fit within the cavity and having an outer surface facing the inner surface of the motor housing radially outward of the inner surface; a plurality of roll pins fit radially between the inner surface of the housing and the outer surface of the stator and not within the stator; wherein the roll pins are configured to expand and contract to maintain contact with both the motor housing and the stator during thermal expansion of the motor housing and stator; wherein the stator has a plurality of first geometric features at the outer surface; wherein the housing has a plurality of second geometric features at the inner surface; wherein the first geometric features are configured to align radially with the second geometric features when the stator is fit within the cavity; wherein the roll pins are fit between the housing and the stator at the aligned first and second geometric features; wherein the first geometric features are a set of teeth spaced about the outer surface of the stator; wherein the second set of geometric features are a set of slots spaced about the inner surface of the housing; wherein the teeth align with the slots to define a plurality of cavities; and wherein a different pair of the roll pins is fit in each cavity with the roll pins of each different pair on opposing sides of a respective one of the teeth.