Vehicle alternator

Details Vehicle alternator Vehicle alternator

1999-12-30

2001-04-10

Ramirez, Nestor (Department: 2834)

Electrical generator or motor structure

Dynamoelectric

Rotary

C074S006000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06215216

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a vehicle alternator having a water discharge structure capable of promptly discharging water coming into the alternator.
BACKGROUND ART
A vehicle alternator mounted to the engine of a vehicle is often splashed with water and in particular with muddy water when it is actually used. On the other hand, a vent hole is disposed to the rear bracket as the casing of the alternator to radiate the heat generated by the generation of power. It is preferable that the vent hole is made as large as possible to improve a heat radiating property. Since, however, the vent hole cannot be made large from the view point of the role of the rear bracket for protecting the components accommodated therein and the necessity for securing the strength of the rear bracket itself, a plurality of the vent holes each having a proper size are disposed. Such being the case, in the conventional alternator, since water such as muddy water and the like is liable to come into it through the vent holes, the alternator is provided with a water discharge hole disposed to the lower side of the rear bracket to thereby effectively discharge water coming into it.
FIG. 7
is a front elevational view of a rear bracket applied to a conventional alternator.
In
FIG. 7
, the rear bracket
1
of the alternator has a plurality of vent holes la each having a proper size and disposed thereto. A water discharge hole
1
b
is disposed to the lower side of the rear bracket
1
. The water discharge hole
1
b
is formed by cutting out the wall surface of the terminal mounting portion
1
c
of the rear bracket
1
as shown in FIG.
8
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the rear bracket
1
is disposed coaxially with a stator core
2
and journals a rotary shaft
3
driven by an engine
11
at the rear end thereof. A rectifier
4
is mounted to the terminal mounting portion
1
c
of the rear bracket
1
.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, the alternator
10
arranged as described above is mounted to the engine
11
so that the main surface of the rear bracket
1
faces in a vertical direction. The terminal mounting portion
1
c
is located on a lower side (ground side) and the opening of the water discharge hole
1
b
faces downward.
When the alternator
10
is splashed with water
5
such as muddy water and the like, the water
5
comes into the alternator
10
from the vent holes
1
a.
The water
5
having come into the alternator
10
flows along the inside wall surface of the rear bracket
1
and is discharged from the water discharge hole
1
b
to the outside.
In, for example, the terminal mounting portion
1
c
to which the rectifier
4
is mounted, the interval between the inside wall surface of the rear bracket
1
and the rectifier
4
is narrowed. Thus, when the water
5
comes into the terminal mounting portion
1
c
arranged as described above, the water
5
is deposited on the rectifier
4
by surface tension as shown in FIG.
10
and difficult to be discharged from the water discharge hole lb. When the water
5
contains many types of impurities such as mud and the like, they are dried without being discharged from the water discharge hole
1
b
and clog the water discharge hole
1
b
by the repetition of the above process. When the water discharge hole
1
b
is clogged, since the water
5
having come into the alternator
10
stays there without being discharged, there is a problem that the water makes the components accommodated in the rear bracket
1
such as the rectifier
4
and the like to an unacceptable state and causes a voltage drop by the contact of the rear bracket I serving as the ground with the components, whereby a breakdown is arisen.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention for solving the above problem is to provide an alternator having a water discharge structure capable of discharging water including impurities such as mud even if the water comes into the alternator and preventing the breakdown thereof which is caused by that the impurities clog a water discharge hole and the water stays in the alternator.
The vehicle alternator of the present invention includes a rear bracket which supports a rotary shaft driven by an engine at the rear end thereof, has a plurality of vent holes disposed thereto and is mounted so that the main surface of the rear bracket faces in a vertical direction and the rear bracket includes a water discharge hole bored in a wall surface facing to the ground and a pair of plate-like guide portions continuously extending from the opening of the water discharge hole toward the ground in confrontation with each other so as to enlarge a gap between the guide portions. The relationship between the width of the opening A of the water discharge hole and the extending length B of the guide portions is set to B≧2A.


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patent: 59-134897 (1984-08-01), None
patent: 8-304 (1996-02-01), None

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