Electric power conversion systems – Current conversion – With conductive support mounting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-08-14
Berhane, Adolf Deneke (Department: 2838)
Electric power conversion systems
Current conversion
With conductive support mounting
C363S141000, C310S06800R, C310S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an AC generator for a vehicle and, particularly, a rectifier unit arrangement of an AC generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an ordinary vehicle AC generator, a rectifier unit is mounted therein to rectify AC voltage induced in a stator winding when a rotor rotates. For example, if the stator winding is a three-phase winding, a pair of diodes is necessary for every phase. That is, six diodes, or eight diodes if neutral-point power is taken out, are necessary in total for a three-phase full-wave rectifier unit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,450 and JP-A-9-135558, which corresponds to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/745,775, disclose a rectifier unit which includes a positive cooling fin having positive diodes fixed thereto, a negative cooling fin having negative diodes fixed thereto, and a terminal member. The terminal member connects one end of the positive diodes and one end of the negative diodes together and also connects leads of the stator winding to portions around the outer periphery of the positive cooling fin or portions formed at the outer periphery of the negative cooling fin.
In the above rectifier unit, the terminal member is disposed at portions around the outer periphery of the positive cooling fin or portions formed at the outer periphery of the negative cooling fin. If water or a foreign particle such as an electrolyte gets into the inside of the AC generator, it may flow along the positive cooling fin into spaces formed between the terminal member and the outer periphery of the positive cooling fin, causing insulation failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the invention is to provide an improved rectifier unit that is free of insulation failure.
According to a main feature of the invention, in an AC generator for a vehicle which includes a rotor, a stator having a multi-phase stator winding, a multi-phase rectifier unit, a rectifier cover, and a frame, the rectifier unit includes a cooling fin structure, a plurality of diodes fixed to the cooling fin structure, and a terminal member having a wiring member connecting a plurality of output leads of the stator winding and the diodes at respective connecting portions. The terminal member has a plurality of partition members each of which extends axially between one of the connecting portions and the cooling fin structure. As a result, each of the partition members surrounds one of the diodes to prevent water or electrolytes flowing along the surface of the cooling fin structure from reaching the connecting portion.
In the AC generator as formed above, each of the partition members preferably extends toward the rectifier cover beyond the cooling fin structure. Each of the partition members may also extend beyond the connecting portions. The rectifier cover preferably has a plurality of air intake windows disposed radially inner side of the partition members, and the connecting portions are disposed radially outer side of the partition members.
According to another aspect of the invention, in an AC generator for a vehicle which includes a rotor, a stator having a stator winding and a plurality of output leads, a rectifier unit, a insulation cover, and a frame, the insulation cover has a plurality of drain holes and is disposed outside the frame to cover the rectifier unit. The rectifier unit includes a cooling fin structure, a plurality of diodes fixed to the cooling fin structure, and a terminal member having a wiring member connected to the plurality of output leads at first connecting portions and connected to the plurality of diodes at second connecting portions. The terminal member has a plurality of first partition members each of which extends in parallel with the axis of the rotor between one of the first connecting portions and the cooling fin, and each of the first partition members is disposed at the drain holes. Therefore, water or electrolytes can be drained through the drain holes effectively. In the above AC generator, each of the first partition members has a concave surface facing radially inward.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3582762 (1971-06-01), Mori et al.
patent: 5883450 (1999-03-01), Abadia et al.
patent: 5977669 (1999-11-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 6160335 (2000-12-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 6198188 (2001-03-01), Ihata
patent: 9-135558 (1997-05-01), None
Ishikawa Hiroaki
Iwata Masaaki
Nakamura Shigenobu
Shichijyo Akiya
Tsuge Takafumi
Berhane Adolf Deneke
Denso Corporation
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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