U.S. patent application number 10/247934 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-30 for armature for an electromotive device.
This patent application is currently assigned to G & G Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Graham, Gregory, Yankie, Gerald W..
Application Number | 20030020587 10/247934 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23074502 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030020587 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Graham, Gregory ; et
al. |
January 30, 2003 |
Armature for an electromotive device
Abstract
An armature apparatus for brushless and brush type electric
motors and a manufacturing method for same armature. The armature
represents and improved design for electric motors having a rigid,
thinwall configuration and high conductor packing density in the
magnetic flux air gap that results in motors with higher torque and
speed capabilities and the ability to operate at higher temperature
than conventional motor designs. The armature is fabricated from
pre-machined copper sheet metal parts with an electrical conductor
pattern of numerous axially extending conductive bands. These
precision machined sheet metal parts are cold rolled to form two
work hardened cylinders, each cylinder having a complimentary
pattern of electrically conductive bands creating a half-electric
circuit. The two cold rolled metal cylinders are sized such that
the smaller diameter inner cylinder fits inside the larger diameter
outer cylinder. The surface of the inner cold rolled cylinder is
over-wrapped with fiber strands, woven in several layers to provide
physical spacing and electrical insulation. The fiber wrapped inner
cylinder is placed inside the larger outer cylinder radially
oriented to ensure that an electrical circuit is created by welding
the inner and outer cylinder at the conductor tabs. The surface of
this cylinder assembly is over-wrapped with fiber strands, woven in
several layers and holding the two cylinders together. The entire
armature coil is encapsulated in a potting material to add
composite strength and electrical insulation. The result of this
assembly is a freestanding, ironless core, inductive armature coil
for brushless or brush type electric motors.
Inventors: |
Graham, Gregory; (Ventura,
CA) ; Yankie, Gerald W.; (Santa Barbara, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Craig A. Gelfound
McDermott, Will & Emery
34th Floor
2049 Century Park East
Los Angeles
CA
90067
US
|
Assignee: |
G & G Technology, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
23074502 |
Appl. No.: |
10/247934 |
Filed: |
September 20, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10247934 |
Sep 20, 2002 |
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09538617 |
Mar 29, 2000 |
|
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09538617 |
Mar 29, 2000 |
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09280758 |
Mar 29, 1999 |
|
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6111329 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
336/232 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 310/06 20130101;
Y10T 29/49009 20150115; Y10T 29/49012 20150115; Y10T 29/49169
20150115; H02K 3/26 20130101; Y10T 29/49073 20150115; H02K 3/47
20130101; Y10T 29/49146 20150115; H02K 15/12 20130101; Y10T
29/49071 20150115; H02K 15/02 20130101; Y10T 29/53839 20150115;
Y10T 29/4902 20150115; H02K 13/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
336/232 |
International
Class: |
H01F 027/28 |
Claims
1. An inductive coil for an electromotive device, comprising: a
pair of concentriclly disposed conductive sheet metal winding
portions each comprising a plurality of axially extending
conductive bands each being separated from an adjacent conductive
band by a space, each of the conductive bands of one of the winding
portions being coupled to one of the conductive bands of the other
winding portion, the winding portions being separated by an
encapsulation material introduced between the winding portions
while the winding portions are concentrically disposed.
2. The inductive coil of claim 1 wherein the encapsulation material
is introduced between the winding portions during an encapsulation
process.
3. The inductive coil of claim 2 wherein the encapsulation process
comprises dipping the concentric winding portions into an
encapsulating material.
4. The inductive coil of claim 3 wherein the encapsulation process
further comprises centrifuging the dipped concentric winding
portions.
5. The inductive coil of claim 1 wherein the encapsulation material
is introduced between the winding portions after the winding
portions are coupled together.
6. The inductive coil of claim 1 wherein the winding portions are
further separated by a non-conductive filament wrapped around said
one of the winding portions before the encapsulation material is
introduced between the winding portions.
7. The inductive coil of claim 6 further comprising a second
non-conductive filament wrapped around the other winding portion
before the encapsulation material is introduced between the winding
portions.
8. The inductive coil of claim 1 wherein the conductive sheet metal
winding portions are concentrically disposed by telescoping said
one of the winding portions into the other winding portion.
9. An inductive coil for an electromotive device, comprising: a
pair of concentriclly disposed conductive sheet metal winding
portions each comprising a plurality of axially extending
conductive bands each being separated from an adjacent conductive
band by a space, each of the conductive bands of one of the winding
portions being coupled to one of the conductive bands of the other
winding portion, the winding portions being concentrically disposed
by telescoping said one of the winding portions into the other
winding portion.
10. The inductive coil of claim 9 wherein the winding portions are
separated by a non-conductive filament wrapped around said one of
the winding portions before the winding portions are concentrically
disposed.
11. The inductive coil of claim 10 further comprising a second
non-conductive filament wrapped around the other winding portion,
and an encapsulation material introduced between the winding
portions while the winding portions are concentrically
disposed.
12. The inductive coil of claim 9 wherein the winding portions are
separated by an encapsulation material introduced between the
winding portions while the winding portions are concentrically
disposed.
13. The inductive coil of claim 12 wherein the encapsulation
material is introduced between the winding portions during an
encapsulation process.
14. The inductive coil of claim 13 wherein the encapsulation
process comprises dipping the concentric winding portions into an
encapsulating material.
15. The inductive coil of claim 12 wherein the encapsulation
process further comprises centrifuging the dipped concentric
winding portions.
16. The inductive coil of claim 12 wherein the encapsulation
material is introduced between the winding portions after the
winding portions are coupled together.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/538,617, filed Mar. 29, 2000, which
is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/280,758, filed Mar. 29, 1999, and issued as U.S. Pat. No.
6,111,329 on Aug. 29, 2000. The present application claims priority
to all these patent applications under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120, the
contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference as though
set forth in full herein.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to electromotive devices and
more particularly to an ironless core armature for an electric
motor.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Electric motor manufacturers and in particular DC motor
manufacturers have traditionally employed wire winding or printed
circuit coil techniques to fabricate ironless core armatures, which
move in a magnetic flux air gap. There, however, are a number of
problems associated with these designs. Ironless core motors are
typically run with a larger gap than conventional iron core
designs. The iron core motors have wire wound through a core of
magnetically permeable material and the iron core is cut to
minimize the gap but iron core motors have more mass in the
armature than ironless core motors.
[0004] In the wire winding case, the insulated wire is wrapped in a
multilayer configuration to form the current carrying coil with a
specific conductor to insulation volume ratio known as packing
density. With typical circular coil wire, the insulation material
and air voids inherent in this coil construction make for a less
than optimal conductor packing density. If square or rectangular
conductors are used for armature winding, both the packing density
of the coil as well as the total volume of conductor within the
magnetic gap are increased. Coil wire is usually circular wire
which consists of an electrical conductor (copper or aluminum)
surrounded by an insulation layer on top of which there is a
bonding layer for structural stability. In most prior art armature
wire windings of this type, the conductor packing density is about
60%. If square wire is used in traditional armature production
instead of circular wire, the conductor packing density is
increased to 70%-80%. Manufacturers, however, prefer using circular
wire due to its lower material and labor cost and ease of
manufacturing. Therefore, a need exists for a new armature design
that is cost effective to produce and that would result in a higher
conductor packing density as well as a higher volume of conductor
in the magnetic gap. Some ironless core armatures are wire wrapped
in angular fashion allowing conductor to conductor bonding for ease
of manufacturing and structural integrity which is less efficient
because electron flow should be at 90 degrees to the magnetic flux
path for maximum efficiency. Angular wrapped armatures exhibit
reduced torque by the sine of the angle of the current to the
magnetic field. The structure of wire wrapped armatures makes it
difficult to produce long small diameter armatures with adequate
strength to withstand the destructive centrifugal forces of high
RPM applications.
[0005] Armatures built by Printed Circuit manufacturing techniques
involve rotor windings being formed as flexible printed circuits.
Printed circuits are circuits in which the conducting material is
applied to an insulated support base by adhesives and etched from
one side. The amount of electrical conductor in this case is
compromised, however, as multiple layers of insulated printed
circuit traces tend to result in a thicker armature wall and a
diminished conductor packing density. The packing density of this
type of armature is lowered due to the volume of flexible printed
circuit insulation material used to support the conductive loops
during fabrication. Reducing the armature wall thickness with thin
wraps of printed circuit traces tends to weaken armature walls and
yield higher electrical resistance due to narrower and thinner
conductor traces. Higher electrical resistance results in an
undesirable increase in motor heat and energy dissipation, thus
causing power losses equal to P=I.sup.2R. Alternatively, wider
printed circuit traces improve motor performance by reducing trace
electrical resistance, but allow eddy currents, which reduce the
overall gain by again increasing the effective electrical
resistance. Printed circuit construction can be found in larger gap
motors where multiple layers are used to create multiple turn
coils, to increase the length of conductor in the magnetic field.
This results in a thicker armature structure and a larger magnetic
gap. These flexible circuits are mostly used in brushless motor
applications where the windings are held stationary and the magnet
is rotated. The larger number of windings creates an armature of
larger inductance and higher electrical resistance.
[0006] Various attempts have been made in the prior art to improve
ironless core armature performance. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
3,944,857 to Faulhaber discloses an air-core or ironless core
armature for electrodynamic machines having an elongated insulating
strip rolled up to form a spiral structure composed of a number of
radially successive layers. An armature winding is comprised of at
least one armature coil and each coil is comprised of a number of
electrically interconnected component coils. Each coil is formed of
electrically interconnected conductor sections printed on both
sides of the insulating strip. This set up, unfortunately, does not
optimize the configuration of the windings so as to produce optimal
torque.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,104 to Margrain is directed to a hollow
insulating cylinder with conductors which are placed over an
internal metallic tubular support which is supported by an end disk
at one end, and open at the other end, the open end being flared
for stiffness. The cylinder has insulation with the electrical
conductors being in printed or laminated circuit form. This type of
device, however, compromises the conductor packing density factor
and does not produce optimal torque.
[0008] The Lorentz Law for Electromotive Devices is
F=I.times.L.times.B; where F=Force, I=current, L=conductor length,
B=magnetic flux density. The Lorentz Law theory as it applies to
electric motors is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 10a, b and c. FIG.
10a illustrates the environment we see in traditional wire wound
armatures in use today. Wire wound conductors must have wire
insulation which decreases the carrier packing density and thereby
the current density per unit area, and thereby the inability to
uniformly mount the armature in such manner to cut a maximum of
flux lines. In addition, wire wound armatures must be wound at an
angle thereby creating a angle between the crossed vectors of
Current and Magnetic Flux that is less than the maximum desired
ninety degrees to yield the greatest force.
[0009] FIG. 10b illustrates the metal strip carriers envisioned by
an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein. It can be observed
that a square cross section of FIG. 10b will enable a greater
proximity of the flat sided current carrier to the means from which
the magnetic flux emanates/terminates in the gap between current
flow/conductor and said means where the greatest flux density
exists. The round cross section of a conventional wire wound
armature does not permit such close proximity of the current
carrier and the magnetic field carrier. In addition, the square
cross section can be increased to a rectangular cross section as
indicated in FIG. 10b to yield an even greater current density and
flow in a very much reduced magnetic flux gap where the flux
density is at its greatest.
[0010] Incorporating the complete current loop illustrated in FIG.
10c, it becomes very apparent that the doubled Lorentz Force
resulting from the same force on each arm of the conductor and
imposed on the flat conductor surface of FIG. 10b will be
substantially increased by the increased current density, increased
flux density and a maximum ninety degree angle between the current
and the flux. This is the substantial factor in the Lorentz Force
equation. Conventional wire wound armatures are disposed at an
angle to the Magnetic Flux Density; therefor, the Current (I)
vector/flow is at an angle to the Magnetic Flux (B) vector which of
necessity yields a smaller resulting Lorentz Force (F).
[0011] The vector diagrams of FIGS. 10a, b and c clearly illustrate
that the force (therefore torque) on the armature of the type
described above can be increased by optimizing or increasing each
of the terms of the equation. In particular, current (I) flow may
be maximized by reducing the electrical resistance of the conductor
coil. In a specific armature design, conductor length (L) increases
can be obtained from multiple conductor loops. Magnetic flux
density (B) can be maximized by minimizing the air gap between the
magnetic return structure and the magnet wherein the armature
rotates, that is, the closer the magnetic return path is to the
magnet, the higher the magnitude of the magnetic flux density (B)
will be. For any given current in the windings of the armature,
which is placed in the higher magnetic field, torque will be
increased. Therefore, to improve efficiency of the traditional
motor, an armature manufacturer or designer should strive to reduce
the armature wall thickness which will result in the ability to
reduce the size of the magnetic gap creating higher flux density,
this should be accomplished without sacrificing conductor length or
increasing conductor resistance. Positioning the armature wall in
close proximity to the magnetic field origin and return path will
allow for more conductor volume for a given gap width, less
electrical resistance and result in an increase in the conductor
density within the gap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, an inductive coil
for an electromotive device includes a pair of concentriclly
disposed conductive sheet metal winding portions each comprising a
plurality of axially extending conductive bands each being
separated from an adjacent conductive band by a space, each of the
conductive bands of one of the winding portions being coupled to
one of the conductive bands of the other winding portion, the
winding portions being separated by an encapsulation material
introduced between the winding portions while the winding portions
are concentrically disposed.
[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, an inductive
coil for an electromotive device includes a pair of concentriclly
disposed conductive sheet metal winding portions each comprising a
plurality of axially extending conductive bands each being
separated from an adjacent conductive band by a space, each of the
conductive bands of one of the winding portions being coupled to
one of the conductive bands of the other winding portion, the
winding portions being concentrically disposed by telescoping said
one of the winding portions into the other winding portion.
[0014] It is understood that other embodiments of the present
invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art
from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and
described only embodiments of the invention by way of illustration
of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As
will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different
embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in
various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and
detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature
and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings
where:
[0016] FIGS. 1a and 1b is a plan view of a pair of copper metal
sheets, precision machined in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is an elevational perspective view of the precision
machined sheet metal pieces of FIG. 1a rolled into a cylinder in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is an elevational perspective view of the precision
machined sheet metal of FIG. 1b rolled into a cylinder being the
near mirror image of the cylinder of FIG. 2 in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an elevational perspective view of the cylinder of
FIG. 2 being inserted into the cylinder of FIG. 3 to form a
cylindrical electrically conductive coil in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4a is a blow up of a portion of FIG. 4 illustrating
detail of the wound and cross woven fiber spacing layer providing
internal and external composite strengthening to the entire coil
assembly.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a graphic illustration of the electrical
interconnection of conductive loops to form a continuous
electrically conductive coil in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a commutator in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an ironless core
armature being assembled in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0024] FIG. 8 is an elevational perspective view of an assembled
ironless core armature with drive shaft and flywheel inserted,
commutator electrically connected to the electrically conductive
coil in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along section line 9-9 of
FIG. 8.
[0026] FIG. 10a is a graphic theoretical explanation of the Lorentz
Force in a conventional wire wound armature.
[0027] FIG. 10b is a graphic theoretical explanation of the Lorentz
Force in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0028] FIG. 10c graphically illustrates the application of the
Lorentz Force in a typical electric motor armature.
[0029] FIG. 11 graphically illustrates the cross section of the
armature.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] An embodiment of the presented invention is directed to an
ironless core armature for a D.C. motor with brushes. The armature
has a composite construction allowing high temperature operation,
high speed and high torque compared to other brush motors.
Preferably, the armature is a precision-machined rectangular sheet
metal, copper or copper alloy, machined in a pattern to produce a
series of generally parallel conductive bands with each band
separated from the other by a fine fiber and polyimide. This
approach allows the construction of long armatures with small
diameter to length ratios. The machined, cold rolled, tempered and
conductive metal sheets are rolled to form a cylinder with the
orientation of the conductive band pattern on one cylinder
representing a half-electrical circuit and the other half circuit
representing the conductive band pattern of the other cylinder. One
cylinder, also called the inner cylinder, has a slightly smaller
diameter than the other so as to fit inside the larger diameter
cylinder (also called the outer cylinder). The outer surface of the
inner cylinder is tightly wrapped with sufficient layers of
threadlike fiberglass strands or other non-conductive filaments,
which provides insulation, spacing and structural stability. The
sheet metal has structural temper, and this tempered feature
contributes to the overall strength of the armature structure. The
table below shows the increase in stiffness and strength provided
by tempered, cold rolled copper.
1 Properties of Materials: Cold Rolled Copper Annealed Copper
Tensile Strength 46,000 psi 32,000 psi Yield Strength 40,000 psi
10,000 psi Percent Elongation 5% 45% Hardness, Brunell 100 42
[0031] The structural copper provides adequate stiffness and
longitudinal support for the armature eliminating the need for
laminated support required of conventional printed circuit board
armature types. Rolling provides additional work hardening via cold
forming. The conductors are formed as arcs, creating a three
dimensional shape of each conductor. This allows all the
conductors, that are stiffened by the rolling process, to become
self supporting.
[0032] The fiberglass wrapped inner cylinder is inserted into the
outer cylinder by concentrically and axially aligning the end
points of the conductive bands of each cylinder on both ends. The
outer surface of the outer cylinder structure is also wrapped with
several layers of fiberglass strands to impart a cross woven,
strengthening layer. The outer and inner cylinder conductive bands
are then soldered, or otherwise electrically attached, at their
respective connection points to form a continuous electrically
conductive coil with bare fiber providing spacing between the
conductive layers. When this assembly is subsequently encapsulated
with a non-conductive material, the end result is a thin-walled,
tubular, freestanding electrically conductive coil that creates a
rigid armature structure with a high percentage of conductor to
non-conductor material. This armature is capable of much higher
rotational speeds, higher temperature and torque than conventional
constructed ironless core armatures.
[0033] The described embodiment of the ironless core armature has
numerous applications and can be integrated into a variety of
devices. By way of example, the free-standing electrically
conductive coil can be provided with a disc-shaped commutator,
having a series of conductive radial segments which mount to one
end of the coil, which collects current from the motor brushes and
distributes the current to the inductive coil. The coil can be
further provided with an insulated disc-shaped flywheel mounted
inside the coil and bonded to the commutator and the inside
diameter of the coil. Preferably, the flywheel has a diameter
designed to fit snugly inside the inner cylinder so that the
flywheel is held in contact with the electrical conductors,
providing torque translation to the output shaft. The armature also
can have a metal shaft axially inserted inside the coil from the
center of the flywheel and the center of the commutator with a
portion of the shaft protruding from at least one end of the coil.
The shaft can be frictionally held in a position by the flywheel.
The assembled armature can then be mounted via its shaft in any
D.C. motor having brushes with the coil rotating on its shaft in a
thin magnetic flux air gap during operation.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b, a preferred embodiment of the
present invention is shown having a conductive coil constructed
from a pair of nearly mirror image, electrically conductive and
precision-machined pieces of bare, tempered conductive sheet metal
such 10 and 12. The first metal sheet 10 is preferably made of
tempered copper grade 110 with and precision machined in a pattern
to produce a series of generally parallel conductive bands 22 with
each band being separated from the other by an elongated machined
cutout 14. Similarly, the second metal sheet 12 is preferably made
of tempered copper grade 110 and precision machined in a pattern to
produce a series of generally conductive bands 18 with each band
being separated from the other by an elongated machined cutout 16.
The machined cutouts are identical and subsequently filled with
encapsulation material to prevent electrical contact between
neighboring bands. The preferred thickness of each cutout is about
1-1.5 times the conductor thickness. In contrast, printed circuit
board armature etching is performed from one side of the material
resulting in a cutout thickness of 2.5 to 3.0 times that of the
conductor. The thickness of the machine cutout in accordance with
the described embodiment of the present invention is narrower than
that encountered with convention printed circuit technology and is
intended to optimize the current flow by removing less material and
increase the number of conductive bands that can be precisioned
machined on copper sheet metal. By way of example, for a 1/2"
diameter by 2" long armature, each copper metal sheet is preferably
2 inches by 3 inches (approx. 5 cm.times.7.5 cm) with a thickness
of about 0.005/0.010 inch (0.12/0.24 mm) and a cutout thickness of
about 0.005/0.015 inches (0.12/0.36 mm). As those skilled in the
art will appreciate other dimensions and materials may be used to
manufacture conductive the metal sheets.
[0035] The desired pattern can be achieved in a variety of ways,
including by way of example, by precision cutting the metal sheet
by chemical machining. Alternatively, the desired pattern can be
machined by other techniques such as water jet cutting, laser
cutting, electron beam cutting, fine blanking or any other
conventional machining methods. The chemical machining allows both
sides of the conductor to be etched at the same time which reduces
the amount of copper removed by 50% compared with conventional
printed circuit board single side etching.
[0036] The first metal sheet 10 has a carrier strip on each edge 26
and 28. Similarly, the second metal sheet also has a carrier strip
on each edge 30 and 32. The carrier strips support the conductive
bands at each end and are subsequently removed as explained herein
below. The conductive pattern for the first metal sheet 10 includes
a series of relatively small holes 34 and 36. Similarly, the
conductive pattern for the second metal sheet 12 also includes a
series of relatively small holes 38 and 40. The preferred diameter
of each hole is about 0.25 mm. The preferred total number of holes
on each side is equal to the number of conductive bands. It will be
appreciated that armature coils of this type may be constructed
from sheet metal pieces having less or more conductive bands or
holes depending on various DC motor operational requirements.
[0037] In the described embodiment, the first metal sheet 10 is
rolled into a thin-walled cylindrical shape 42 as shown in FIG. 2.
The second metal sheet part 12 is also rolled into a thin-walled
cylindrical shape 44 as shown in FIG. 3, but with its pattern of
conductive bands and machined cutouts specifically oriented to
create a near mirror image of the pattern of conductive bands and
cutouts of the first metal sheet 10. The preferred diameter of the
first cylinder 42 is about 0.510 inch (approx. 2 cm) and the
preferred diameter of the second cylinder 44 is about 0.520 inch
(approx. 2 cm). The first cylinder 42 is formed with a slightly
smaller diameter to allow subsequent placement of the same into the
second cylinder 44 to form the conductive coil. For this reason,
the second cylinder 44 will hereafter be referred to as the outer
cylinder and the first cylinder 42 will respectively be referred to
as the inner cylinder. Those skilled in the art will appreciate
that other size cylinder diameters may be utilized.
[0038] Next, the inner cylinder 42 is placed on a cylindrical shaft
and four to five layers of fine industrial grade fiberglass strands
46 as shown in FIG. 4, preferably having a thickness of about
0.00015 inch, are wrapped and cross woven over the entire outer
surface for insulation and composite strengthening while at the
same time avoiding the carrier strips of the inner cylinder 42. The
wrapped multiple layers of fiberglass strands over the outer
surface of the inner cylinder 42 provides structural support for
the tubular structure. The fiberglass weave also provides physical
separation between the inner cylinder 42 and the outer cylinder 44.
The preferred thickness of the fiberglass layers is approximately
0.00030-0.00075 inch, and is therefore, extremely small but adds
significant strength and sufficient insulating capability.
[0039] The stranded fiberglass wrapped inner cylinder 42 is then
inserted into the outer cylinder 44 (i.e. inner cylinder 42 and
outer cylinder 44 are of equal length) with the insertion carried
out ensuring concentric and axial alignment of both cylinders and
matching of respective conductors on each end of the inner cylinder
42 with the corresponding conductors on each end of the outer
cylinder 44.
[0040] The next step is to wrap and cross weave four to five layers
of industrial grade fiberglass strands over the outer surface of
the outer cylinder 44 in the same way as was done with the inner
cylinder 42. This fiberglass layer is used for spacing, strength
and structural support. The preferred thickness of the outer
cylinder fiberglass layers is approximately 0.00030-0.00075 inch.
The electrical insulation and armature structural strength required
depends on the application of the DC motor being produced. The
0.00075 inch material thickness along with the subsequent
encapsulation material has been shown to be sufficiently strong to
withstand centrifugal forces of rotational speeds in excess of
45,000 RPM. The resulting encapsulation material has a dielectric
strength of 600 volts/0.001 inch which gives 180 volts isolation at
the 0.0003 inch thickness, sufficient for operations at 0-60
volts.
[0041] Soldering of the interconnect pads of each conductor using,
preferably, a lead-silver-tin solder material which can withstand
operational temperatures as high as 510 degrees Fahrenheit
(F.degree.). This interconnect can be welded instead of soldered to
create an interconnect with copper as the base weld material to
allow even higher armature temperatures. A DC motor with the
described embodiment of the armature coil will tolerate higher
operational current and thus higher operational temperature due to
the high temperature capability of solder and encapsulation
material used. Alternative methods of joining the conductors may be
used, such as crimping, spot welding, sonic welding or laser
welding. If one of these welding techniques is used, the armature
operational temperature rises to about 600 degrees F.degree., which
is the utilization temperature of the described embodiment of the
encapsulation material.
[0042] The soldered joints electrically interconnect all the outer
cylinder 44 conductive bands with the respective inner cylinder 42
conductive bands so as to form a continuous, inductive helical
structure as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates in detail how a
portion of the helical structure is accomplished. For example, the
inner cylinder conductive band 23 is electrically connected at one
end (hole 33) with the outer cylinder 44 conductive band 19 and at
the other end (hole 41) with the outer cylinder conductive band 21.
The rest of the inner cylinder 42 conductive bands are similarly
interconnected with the respective outer cylinder 44 conductive
bands with the total number of interconnections at each end being
the same. Essentially, the inner cylinder 42 conductive bands
provide one half of the electric circuit and the outer cylinder 44
conductive bands provide the other half of the electric circuit.
Joining the two halves completes the electric circuit. This
construction is typically called a lap wind. A wave wind may be
achieved as well. Prior art armatures are sometimes thicker at the
ends to accommodate wire minimum bend radius problems, whereas the
described embodiment of the armature may be constructed such that
it is no thicker at the ends than anywhere else along the armature
wall. This allows insertion of the completed structure through a
narrow gap in the final assembly.
[0043] FIG. 6 depicts a commutator 50 constructed by precision
machining a thin metal sheet, preferably tempered hard copper alloy
like Beryllium/Copper, in the pattern shown which will reduce the
commutator surface wear due to the hardness of the material.
Beryllium/Copper wear rates in sliding contact is better than pure
copper for longer armature life. The commutator 50 has a carrier
ring 52 which supports eleven segments such as segments 54, 56,
among others. The commutator segments are soldered to matching
solder points on the outside of the outer cylinder 44. The
commutator 50 collects current from the DC motor brushes and
provides power (or distributes current) to the helical coil circuit
of the cylinder assembly via its current conducting segments. The
eleven tabs at opening 571 and the eleven segments are bent at 90
degrees to the commutating surface using a cold forming tool. This
step prepares the commutator for solder attachment to the completed
armature coil 62 of FIG. 8. Before commutator mounting can be
accomplished, the carrier strip 30 from the outer cylinder 44 (FIG.
3) and the carrier strip 26 from the inner cylinder (FIG. 2) are
removed by cold forming in preparation for attaching the commutator
50. After soldering or welding the commutator 50 to the armature
coil 62, the carrier ring 52 (FIG. 6) is removed from the
commutator 50 by cold forming. A conventional radial commutation
scheme can be used to provide the necessary commutation.
[0044] FIG. 7 illustrates an ironless core armature in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the present invention being
assembled from a coil 48 (which is the cylinder assembly described
above), a commutator 50 and a disk-shaped flywheel 57. The flywheel
57 can be provided with a circular central opening 60 for fitting a
shaft 59 and 61 (FIG. 8) and is preferably made from high-strength
aluminum. The flywheel 57 can be anodized on its exterior surface
to create a consistent electrical insulation layer over the outer
surface. The flywheel 57 should be capable of current and voltage
isolation via a non-conductive anodized coating and yet have high
thermal mass, heat transfer characteristics and stiffness to
transmit torque and securely fix the shaft 59 and 61. The diameter
of flywheel 57 should be a line to line fit with the diameter of
the inner cylinder 42 to allow snug fit of the flywheel inside the
inner cylinder 42 when the flywheel is subsequently pressed into
one end of the inner cylinder 42. Other materials such as ceramic,
high-strength glass and the like make be employed to manufacture
the flywheel.
[0045] Again, the order of assembly of the described embodiment of
the armature is to first press-fit flywheel 57 into one of the open
ends of coil 48 (FIG. 7). Next, the commutator 50 tabs are soldered
(using the type of solder material as previously described) over
the electrically joined interconnections of the cylinder assembly
48. In this case, since the total number of commutator segments is
eleven and the total number of soldered holes is twenty-two, one
segment will service two solder holes (or electrical
interconnections) on the cylinder assembly. This type of commutator
construction allows for a relatively large number of commutation
segments to be utilized which results in a reduced number of coils
at each switch of the commutator thus reducing commutator
sparking.
[0046] Back emf follows from Faraday's Law, that is, when an
electrically conducting loop is in motion in a magnetic field, a
voltage is induced in the loop. In DC motors, the rotation of the
armature winding (or coil) in the presence of a magnetic field
results in an induced voltage in the armature coil. This voltage is
called "back emf" and is undesirable during motor operation. The
use of a relatively large number of commutator segments (eleven) is
an improvement over known commutators, which normally use 2-9
segments. It should be appreciated that the number of soldered
points on the cylinder assembly in accordance with the preferred
embodiment of the present invention is a multiple of the number of
commutator segments. In this case, the total number of soldered
holes, twenty-two, is a multiple of (i.e. 2.times.11=22) the total
number of commutator segments, eleven. Other multiples may be
produced as well in accordance with the present invention such as
3.times., 4.times., etc. The commutator 50 can also be made from a
conductive material other than pure copper to resist mechanical
abrasion at the brush/commutator interface and yet maintain high
conductivity.
[0047] The assembled components provide a completely assembled
motor armature less shaft and encapsulation containing metal and
fiber only. The assembled armature is then subjected to
encapsulation with a non-conductive coating and bonding material to
provide additional structural stability, to permanently secure all
components and to provide complete electrical insulation of the
armature. By way of example, the armature can be dipped into a
polyimide solution which preferably includes 25% solid/solute
(polyimide) and 75% solvent. Polyimides are known for their high
thermal resistance and are also non-flammable due to their
aromatic, halogen-free structure that manifests itself in a very
high limited oxygen index (about 38%). When subjected to flame,
polyimide has very low level of smoke formation and toxic gas
formation, which makes it a preferred bonding agent for this
armature. Polyimide is also chemically resistant to organic
solvents such as alcohol, ketones, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and
has low moisture absorption.
[0048] The dipped armature is then centrifuged. The centrifugal
force pushes the polyimide deeply into the fiber material to
properly displace air and wet all surfaces, crevices and cracks of
the tubular structure allowing permanent composite encapsulation
and insulation of the components.
[0049] The polyimide-dipped armature is preferably heat-cured at
about 450 F.degree. to remove solvents and to yield a hardened,
polyimide encapsulation of the armature. The limitation to the
curing temperature is the 510 F.degree. solder flow temperature;
however, using non-solder welding techniques allow polyimide curing
at 695 F.degree. and continuous armature operating temperatures of
600 F.degree.. The polyimide material is cured to a rigid material
state. The shrinkage of the material as the solvent is driven off
by heat tightens the structure. This allows for a rigid armature
capable of high resonance, speed and torsion stiffness. Other
potting and encapsulation materials may be used such as ceramic,
glass, silicates, silicones, etc.
[0050] FIG. 11 shows a cross section of the armature wall. The
armature structure has few materials with the insulation/fiber
spacing layer a very small percentage of the total wall thickness.
The final construction of the armature wall from inside out
consists of a copper metal sheet 80 with polyimide encapsulation
material 84 filling the conductor voids, fiber and polyimide 81, a
copper sheet metal sheet 82 with polyimide encapsulation material
85 filling the conductor voids, and fiber and polyimide 83. After
the shaftless armature has been heat-cured, it is allowed to cool
to room temperature. Upon inserting a shaft, the end product is a
strong, stiff and fully insulated armature that can be used in any
DC motor application having brushes for sliding electrical contact.
It is worth noting that the cured shaftless armature has very low
moisture absorption due to the composition of its components,
namely copper, high-quality soldering material, fiberglass and
polyimide. This makes the described embodiment of the armature an
excellent choice for a DC motor for medical/dental use, as repeated
heat sterilization or autoclave runs will not affect the operation
of the armature. Furthermore, the limiting operational temperature
of a DC motor equipped with the inventive armature is about 450
F.degree. which is a considerable improvement over prior art DC
motors which can operate at a limiting temperature of about 325
F.degree..
[0051] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a fully assembled freestanding
ironless core armature 62 for a DC motor with brushes in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The armature
62 includes an axially inserted shaft 58 with portions 59 and 61
protruding out each end for motor mounting. Before the shaft 58 can
be mounted, the carrier strip 28 from the inner cylinder 42 and the
carrier strip, 32 from the outer cylinder 44 (FIG. 2&3,
respectively) are cut off by cold forming. This removal of the
carrier strips completes the isolation of the individual helical
segments thereby creating a continuous coil loop around the
armature. The shaft 58 is preferably made from hardened stainless
steel and is press-fit axially inside the inner cylinder 42 passing
through opening 60 of the already mounted flywheel 57 and through
opening 571 of the already mounted commutator 50. The preferred
dimensions of the shaft 58 are 1/8" diameter.times.21/2" long.
Other materials and dimensions may be used to manufacture the shaft
58.
[0052] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of armature 62 showing the
frictional connection of the shaft 58 inside the opening 60 being
held in place by the flywheel 57.
[0053] Due to the excellent penetration properties of the polyimide
encapsulation material and the very thin coil wall of the described
embodiment of the armature, the gap between the magnetic return
path and the magnet is minimized which optimizes the magnetic flux
density in the thin air gap in which the rotor moves producing
greater motor torque than known armatures of similar size.
Performance variations due to assembly irregularities are also
reduced to a minimum using the described coil assembly process. The
assembly variables are insignificant to the extent that the
armature does not require dynamic balancing for operation, below
45,000 RPM. Additionally, the assembly precision allows the
armature walls and gap walls to be positioned extremely close with
spacing of 0.002/0.005 inch (0.05/0.12 mm) between moving and
non-moving walls (air gap and armature surfaces) which increases
the total conductor to air gap packing density. The materials used
in the design of the described embodiment of the armature all
exhibit very high temperature resistance which results in a stable
armature capable of operating under various high temperature
conditions. Moreover, the armature is extremely cost effective to
manufacture when compared with competitive armature manufacturing
costs.
[0054] It is conceived that the described embodiment of the
armature of the present invention can be used in a variety of
applications such as drills (dental, medical, commercial), hobby
craft, automotive, aerospace, photocopiers, printers, robotics,
disc drives and motion control devices, as well as other known
devices. For example, the above described armature can also be
employed in brushless DC motors. In such applications, the armature
of the brushless motor designs will have only the freestanding,
thin-walled, non-rotating helical inductive coil driving a
magnet/shaft assembly, which would become the rotating element. In
brushless motor designs, the same principles apply where the
magnetic flux air gap and conductor (copper) density improvements
create better motor performance.
[0055] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has
been described, it should not be construed to limit the scope of
the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that
various modifications may be made to the described embodiment.
Moreover, to those skilled in the various arts, the invention
itself herein will suggest solutions to other tasks and adaptations
for other applications. It is therefore desired that the present
embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not
restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather
than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *