Patent ID: 6982508

Claim:
An alternator for use in an automotive vehicle, the alternator comprising: an armature having multi-phase windings generating alternating current therein; a rectifier having a plurality of rectifier elements for rectifying the alternating current into direct current and a phase terminal connected to one of the multi-phase windings, the phase terminal extending from the rectifier; and a voltage regulator for controlling voltage generated in the armature, the voltage regulator including a detector terminal connected to the phase terminal, wherein: the detector terminal is bent in a U-shape thereby forming a first portion extending from the voltage regulator, a second portion positioned in parallel to the first portion, and a U-shaped portion positioned between the first and the second portions; the phase terminal is sandwiched between the first and the second portions of the detector terminal and is welded to the detector terminal by resistance welding; and a slit window is formed in the detector terminal, so that an amount of current, bypassing the phase terminal, flowing through the first portion, the U-shaped portion and the second portion in a process of the resistance welding is suppressed by the slit window.