Brushless AC generator for vehicle

The present invention relates to a brushless AC generator for a vehicle, which is mounted to a vehicle such as an automobile, a bus and a truck.

Generally, the brushless AC generator for a vehicle of this type is arranged, as disclosed in Patent Reference 1, for example, so that a cylindrical casing formed by uniting a pair of brackets would contain component members such as a rotating shaft, a rotor, a ring-shaped excitation coil and a ring-shaped stator coil to generate an air flow along the component members by means of an external fan provided in the rotating shaft outside the bracket and to cool the air flow.

Patent Document 1: JP-A-2001-211608

Problems that the Invention is to Solve

Such a brushless AC generator for a vehicle is required to perform cooling by ventilation to an excitation coil since the excitation coil is fixed to a bracket. An external fan provided outside the bracket, however, has an inner diameter of the area of a fan blade, which influences the wind quantity, the inner diameter being restricted by an outer diameter of bearings. On the other hand, the life of the bearings tends to be elongated. This requires a diameter size to be enlarged as much as possible. Accordingly, the inner diameter of the fan blade of the external fan cannot be made so small.

Further, a path of winds for cooling extends effectively within a range of a width of the external fan blade. This causes difficulty in generation of an effective wind flow to the excitation coil provided on an inner side of the inner diameter of the fan blade of the external fan. Accordingly, it is difficult to cool the excitation coil. This makes improvement in output of electric power generation difficult.

In view of the above, an object of the invention is to provide a brushless AC generator for a vehicle, which is capable of improving a cooling performance for an excitation coil and increasing an output of electric power generation with a simple structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

The brushless AC generator for a vehicle in accordance with the invention is a brushless AC generator for a vehicle comprising: a pair of brackets for holding a shaft through bearings; a stator core having a stator coil held between the brackets; a rotor assembled body fixed to the shaft so as to be faced to the stator core, the rotor assembled body being formed into the shape of a cylinder from a first rotor pole having plural claw poles in a circumferential direction at even intervals and a second rotor pole having plural claw poles provided between the former plural claw poles in a circumferential direction at even intervals, the first and second rotor poles being united into one body; a cylindrical excitation core provided in the rotor assembled body and fixed to an inner surface of the bracket; an excitation coil wound around the excitation core; an external fan fixed to a shaft outside the bracket; and an internal fan fixed to the rotor assembled body, the internal fan having fan blade provided in a valley part between the claw poles of the first rotor pole, the brushless AC generator for a vehicle characterized in that the external fan and the internal fan are used to generate an air flow for cooling at least the stator core, the rotor assembled body, the excitation core and the excitation coil.

In accordance with the invention, achieved can be a brushless AC generator for a vehicle in which a cooling performance for an excitation coil is improved, the brushless AC generator for a vehicle having a high output and high reliability and being maintenance-free.

An object, a characteristic, a point of view and an advantage of the invention other than the above may be further cleared from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 It is a vertical side view of a brushless AC generator for a vehicle in accordance with Embodiment 1 of the invention.

FIG. 2 It is a top view of a first rotor pole.

FIG. 3 It is a sectional view on arrow along a line A-A in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 It is a top view of a conventional first rotor pole.

FIG. 5 It is a sectional view on arrow along a line A-A in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 6 It is a top view of an external fan.

FIG. 7 It is a top view of a first rotor pole provided with an internal fan.

1 : BRUSHLESS AC GENERATOR FOR VEHICLE

2 : STATOR

3 : STATOR CORE

4 : STATOR COIL

5 : CASING

6 A: BRACKET

6 B: BRACKET

7 : THROUGH BOLT

8 : BEARINGS

9 : BEARINGS

10 : SHAFT

11 : EXTERNAL FAN

11 a : FAN BLADE

12 : PULLEY

13 : RECTIFIER

14 : REGULATOR

15 : SCREW

21 : ROTOR ASSEMBLED BODY

22 : FIRST ROTOR POLE

22 a : CLAW POLE

22 b : VALLEY PART

23 : SECOND ROTOR POLE

23 a : CLAW POLE

24 : RING BODY

31 : EXCITATION CORE

32 : BOLT

33 : EXCITATION COIL

34 : INTERNAL FAN

34 a : FAN BLADE

Now, described will be Embodiment 1 of the invention on the basis of the drawings.

A brushless AC generator 1 for a vehicle includes a casing 5 formed into the shape of a cylinder from a cylindrical front side bracket 6 A having a lid and a cylindrical rear side bracket 6 B having a lid, the brackets 6 A and 6 B being connected to each other by means of plural through bolts 7 , as shown in FIG. 1 . The casing 5 contains a shaft 10 , a stator 2 , a rotor assembled body 21 , an excitation core 31 , an excitation coil 33 and such. In the respective lids of the brackets 6 A and 6 B, provided are bearings 8 and 9 for freely rotatably supporting both ends of the shaft 10 .

A pulley 12 is fixed to an outside end of the shaft 10 , which projects outward from the front side bracket 6 A. The power from an engine of a vehicle is arranged to be transmitted to the pulley 12 thorough a belt.

A stator 2 is formed from a stator core 3 , which is formed by laminating plural ring-shaped core plates, and a stator coil 4 , which is wound around the stator core 3 . The stator 2 is held between the brackets 6 A and 6 B so that a part of an outer circumferential surface of the stator core 3 would be exposed to the outside air.

The rotor assembled body 21 is fixed to an outer circumference of a middle part in an axial direction of the shaft 10 , which is housed in the casing 5 , concentrically with the stator 2 .

The rotor assembled body 21 is formed from a first rotor pole 22 having plural, six, for example, claw poles (claw-shaped magnetic poles) 22 a at even intervals in a circumferential direction and a second rotor pole 23 having plural, six, for example, claw poles (claw-shaped magnetic poles) 23 a provided between the former claw poles 22 a at even intervals in a circumferential direction, the first and second rotor poles 22 and 23 being united into one body through a ring body 24 , which is formed from non-magnetic metal such as stainless steel, for example, and which is fixed by pressuring or welding between the both rotor poles 22 and 23 . The first rotor pole 22 is fixed to the shaft 10 .

In the rotor assembled body 21 arranged as described above, the first and second rotor poles 22 and 23 respectively have plural claw poles 22 a and 23 a , which are tapered toward a facing direction and vertically projectingly provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, the first and second rotor poles 22 and 23 being provided alternately with predetermined gaps. Particularly, a valley part 22 b between the claw poles 22 a of the first rotor pole 22 is formed into an acute angle deeper than a valley part 35 b of a conventional rotor pole 35 having claw poles 35 a (refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 ) so as to be able to provide a fan blade 34 a of an internal fan 34 as described later.

The cylindrical excitation core 31 is fixed to the inside of the rotor assembled body 21 by means of plural bolts 32 . The ring-shaped excitation coil 33 is wound around the excitation core 31 .

The excitation coil 33 is fed with electricity from a battery for a vehicle and such, which are not shown. The excitation coil 33 excites the claw poles 22 a and 23 a to the north pole and the south pole, respectively.

Further, to the rear side bracket 6 B, fixed are a rectifier 13 electrically connected to the stator 2 for converting AC power into DC power and a regulator 14 for adjusting an excitation current, which is to be made flow into the excitation coil 33 , to control the quantity of electric power generation.

Moreover, an external fan 11 having a diameter larger than that of the pulley 12 is concentrically fixed to an outside surface of the bracket 6 A of the pulley 12 by means of a screw 15 . An internal fan 34 having a diameter smaller than that of the external fan 11 is concentrically provided on a side surface facing to the rear side bracket 6 A of the first rotor pole 22 of the rotor assembled body 21 .

The internal fan 34 has plural fan blades 34 a , which are formed so as to be provided in the respective valley parts 22 b between the claw poles 22 a , as shown in FIG. 7 .

The number of fan blades 34 a of the internal fan 34 ( 6 in FIG. 7 ) is different from that of fan blades 11 a of the external fan 11 shown in FIG. 6 ( 14 in FIG. 6 ). The outer diameter of the internal fan 34 is arranged to be larger than the outer diameter of the excitation core 31 and the excitation coil 33 . The inner diameter of the internal fan 34 is arranged to be smaller than the outer diameter of the excitation core 31 and the excitation coil 33 . The fan blade 34 a of the internal fan 34 is mounted so as to be faced to a direction same as the fan blade 11 a of the external fan 11 (on an excitation coil side).

The brushless AC generator for a vehicle 1 having such a structure is arranged that AC electromotive force be generated in the stator coil 4 in accordance with rotation of the shaft 10 to be rectified into a direct current by means of the rectifier 13 , and further, the DC power be adjusted in voltage by means of the regulator 14 to be outputted from the brushless AC generator for a vehicle 1 as charging power for a battery, for example.

On the other hand, the external fan 11 and the internal fan 34 are driven together in accordance with rotation of the shaft 10 . This causes an air flow to be generated along the stator 2 , the rotor assembled body 21 , the excitation core 31 and the excitation coil 33 through plural vents provided in the respective lids of the brackets 6 A and 6 B and an opening between the both brackets, as shown by arrows in FIG. 1 , and to be cooled.

In this case, interaction of the external fan 11 with the internal fan 34 allows an effective air flow in the axial direction of the rotor, the air flow passing from the rear side bracket 6 B to the front side bracket 6 A, to be made. Further, the internal fan 34 having a diameter smaller than that of the external fan 11 , the internal fan 34 being provided in the valley part 22 b between the claw poles 22 a of the first rotor pole 22 , contributes to efficiently cooling of the excitation coil 33 in a limited space although the external fan 11 cannot achieve the cooling. This causes improvement in cooling performance for the excitation coil 33 to be achieved, so that an output can be increased.

In addition, the difference in number of the fan blades between the external fan 11 and the internal fan 34 causes a degree component of a sound of winds to be dispersed. This is effective for reducing noise of winds.

A variety of modifications and rectifications of the invention are available in practice for a skilled person concerned within a range not deviated from a scope and a spirit of the invention. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described in the specification.