Electrical generator or motor structure – Dynamoelectric – Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-19
2004-06-15
Mullins, Burton S. (Department: 2834)
Electrical generator or motor structure
Dynamoelectric
Rotary
C310S089000, C310S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06750574
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Application No. 2001-157435, filed in Japan on May 25, 2001, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor for use with a motorized power steering apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a motor) for assisting the steering force of a steering wheel of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of a motor
2
arranged in the neighborhood of an axle
1
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, a worm wheel
4
is in meshing engagement with a worm
3
connected with the motor
2
. Accommodated in a housing
60
are the worm
3
and the worm wheel
4
for transmitting a steering force of the motor
2
to a steering wheel of a vehicle (not shown). An O ring
61
is disposed between the motor
2
and the housing
60
for ensuring sealing therebetween.
FIG. 11
is a cross sectional side view of a known motor
2
.
FIG. 12
is an exploded view of the motor
2
of FIG.
11
. The motor
2
includes a frame
5
of a cylindrical shape, a stationary element
6
fixed to the frame
5
, a rotating element
8
comprised of a shaft
7
and a cylindrical magnet having an N magnetic pole and an S magnetic pole, a front bracket
9
mounted on one side of the frame
5
with a load side (i.e., steering wheel side) bearing
10
fixedly secured to its central portion, a rear bracket
12
mounted on the other side of the frame
5
with a counter load side (i.e., counter steering wheel side) bearing
11
fixedly secured to its central portion, a fastening bolt
13
connecting between the rear bracket
12
and the front bracket
9
, a wire connection board
14
provided on the outer periphery of the counter load side bearing
11
, a rotation sensor
15
of the resolver type fixedly secured to the rear bracket
12
for detecting the rotational angle of the rotating element
8
, and a waterproof cap
16
mounted on the rear bracket
12
for covering the rotation sensor
15
.
The stationary element
6
includes a stator core
17
having a plurality of axially extending slots (not shown) formed in a circumferentially spaced apart relation with respect to one another, a stator winding
18
wound around the stator core
17
, and a bobbin
19
provided between the stator core
17
and the stator winding
18
.
The rotation sensor
15
includes an oval-shaped rotor
45
fixed to an end portion of the shaft
7
, and a stator
46
provided on the outer periphery of the rotor
45
. The rotation sensor
15
is connected with a plurality of sensor signal wires
24
which penetrate through a grommet
25
.
The wire connection board
14
has four doughnut-shaped stator side respective phase terminals
21
. The stator side respective phase terminals
21
are connected with respective phase lead wires
23
of a U phase, a V phase and a W phase, which penetrate through a lead wire grommet
22
.
With the motor
2
as constructed above, current flows from the respective phase lead wires
23
of the U phase, V phase and W phase to the stator winding
18
, so that a rotating field is given to the stator winding
18
, thereby causing the rotating element
8
to rotate. The rotating force of the shaft
7
is transmitted to the worm
3
, which is spline connected with a boss
26
formed an end of the shaft
7
, and thence to the worm wheel
4
in mesh with the worm
3
, thereby assisting the steering effort of an operator applied to the steering wheel.
In the known motor
2
, the outer peripheral portion of the motor
2
is constituted by the rear bracket
12
with the rotation sensor
15
fixedly mounted thereon, the frame
5
with the stationary element
6
fixed thereto, the front bracket
9
with the load side bearing
10
fixedly mounted thereon, and the waterproof cap
16
. Thus, the motor
2
includes a lot of component members, and hence there arises a problem that the number of working processes of assembling the respective members with each other as well as the number of O rings
27
,
28
and
29
arranged between the respective members increases.
Moreover, the stator side respective phase terminals
21
of the wire connection board
14
extend in a diametrical or radial direction, thus giving rise to another problem in that the diametrical or radial dimensions of the motor
2
become large.
In addition, there is also a further problem that each of the stator side respective phase terminals
21
is of a thin plate configuration, and there is only a narrow working space for directly connecting the respective phase lead wires
23
with the stator side respective phase terminals
21
through welding or the like, thus making the connecting work rather difficult.
Besides, there is a yet further problem that many sensor signal wires
24
are inserted into and extended through the grommet
25
, and hence workability in inserting the sensor signal wires
24
into the grommet
25
is poor.
Still further, an additional problem is that separate formation of the grommet
25
, through which the sensor signal wires
24
extend, and the grommet
22
, through which the respective phase lead wires
23
extend, as illustrated in
FIG. 13
, accordingly increases the number of component members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to obviate the various problems as referred to above, and has for its object to provide a motor for use with a motorized power steering apparatus in which the number of component members can be reduced, and workability in assembling the component members can be improved, while enabling miniaturization of the entire motor.
Bearing the above object in mind, the present invention resides in a motor for use with a motorized power steering apparatus, including a frame of a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening formed therein, a bracket fixed to the opening in the frame, a rotating element extending through the bracket and having a shaft rotatably supported by a frame side bearing fixedly mounted on the frame and a bracket side bearing fixedly mounted on the bracket, a stationary element fixedly attached to the frame at a location around an outer periphery of the rotating element and having a stator winding wound therearound, a rotation sensor provided on the bracket at one side of the bracket side bearing near a gear housing for detecting a rotational angle of the rotating element, and a plurality of sensor signal wires connected with the rotation sensor for supplying and receiving signals to and from the rotation sensor.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3558940 (1971-01-01), Chestnut et al.
patent: 4982125 (1991-01-01), Shirakawa
patent: 5032750 (1991-07-01), Hayashi
patent: 5369322 (1994-11-01), Maruyama et al.
patent: 5770902 (1998-06-01), Batten et al.
patent: 5793132 (1998-08-01), Hirose et al.
patent: 5801465 (1998-09-01), Yamada
patent: 5866962 (1999-02-01), Kim
patent: 5955807 (1999-09-01), Kajiura et al.
patent: 5994807 (1999-11-01), Coles et al.
patent: 6225715 (2001-05-01), Hoda et al.
patent: 6268669 (2001-07-01), Wakao et al.
patent: 6577030 (2003-06-01), Tominaga et al.
patent: 07-023967 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 07-253079 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 09-002318 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 11-146600 (1999-05-01), None
patent: 2000-142431 (2000-05-01), None
patent: 2001-025187 (2001-01-01), None
patent: 2001-095201 (2001-04-01), None
Akutsu Satoru
Henmi Shinsuke
Megata Hideki
Okazaki Masafumi
Sugiyama Takeshi
Aguirrechea J.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Motor for use with motorized power steering apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Motor for use with motorized power steering apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Motor for use with motorized power steering apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3365338