STATOR OF AN ELECTRICAL COOLANT DRIVE, CONTACT DEVICE FOR A STATOR AND ELECTRICAL COOLANT DRIVE

Abstract

A stator of an electrical coolant drive includes a stator assembly having a number of stator teeth that are provided with coils of a multi-phase stator winding, and a contact device disposed on the stator assembly on an end side for interconnecting the coils with the phase connections. A deflection region is provided on the outer periphery of the contact device in the region of an inlet of the coolant drive for a fluid flowing in through the inlet. A contact device and an electric coolant drive are also provided.

Claims

1. A stator of an electrical coolant drive, the stator comprising: a stator assembly including an end face and a plurality of stator teeth having coils of a multi-phase stator winding; a contact device having an outer periphery, said contact device disposed on said end face of said stator assembly for interconnecting said coils with phase connections; and a deflection region disposed at said outer periphery of said contact device in a region of an inlet of the coolant drive, said deflection region deflecting a fluid flowing in through the inlet.

2. The stator according to claim 1, wherein said deflection region deflects the inflowing fluid radially inwards in a spiral.

3. The stator according to claim 1, wherein said deflection region is incorporated as a bead-shaped depression in said outer periphery of said contact device.

4. The stator according to claim 1, wherein said contact device has an interconnection ring seated on said end face of said stator assembly for interconnecting said coils and said phase connections, and a ring cover seated on said interconnection ring.

5. The stator according to claim 4, wherein said deflection region is disposed on said ring cover.

6. The stator according to claim 4, wherein said ring cover has a tab at least partially encompassing said interconnection ring axially and tangentially, and said deflection region is disposed on said tab.

7. The stator according to claim 4, wherein said ring cover is mechanically fixedly joined to said interconnection ring.

8. The stator according to claim 1, wherein said deflection region is disposed in a groove center between an adjacent two of said stator teeth of said stator assembly.

9. A contact device for a stator of an electrical coolant drive according to claim 1, the contact device comprising: a deflection region disposed at said outer periphery of said contact device for deflecting a fluid.

10. An electric coolant drive, comprising: a drive housing having an inlet; and a stator according to claim 1 disposed in said drive housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0038] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a coolant drive with an electromotive drive and with a compressor;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the coolant drive with a stator and with a contact device in a first embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the contact device;

[0041] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a base body of the contact device, looking onto a deflection region;

[0042] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base body, looking onto a ramp-shaped guide region of the deflection region;

[0043] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base body, looking onto an underside;

[0044] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the contact device in a second embodiment;

[0045] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the coolant drive with a stator and with a contact device in a second embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the contact device in a third embodiment; and

[0047] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the contact device in a fourth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in which mutually corresponding parts and dimensions are always provided with the same reference signs, and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a coolant drive 2 which is preferably used as a coolant compressor in a coolant circuit (not illustrated in more detail) of an air-conditioning unit of a motor vehicle. The electromotive coolant compressor 2 has an electrical (electromotive) drive 4 and a compressor (compressor head) 6 coupled to the drive.

[0049] The drive 4 on one hand and the compressor 6 on the other have a modular construction, for example, so that a drive 4 can be coupled to different compressors 6, for example. A transition region formed between the modules 4 and 6 has a mechanical interface 8 having a drive-side end shield 10. In terms of the drive technology, the compressor 6 is connected to the drive 4 through the mechanical interface 8.

[0050] For assembly or fastening purposes, the compressor 6 is joined to the drive 4 by six flange connections 12 distributed at the circumference. In this case, the flange connections 12 are integrally formed on the outer circumference or periphery of the coolant compressor 2, in a radially projecting manner, as tab-shaped flanges 12a, 12b, 12c. In this case, the flanges 12a, 12b and 12c each have an axial height along an axial direction A of the coolant compressor 2.

[0051] Each flange connection 12 includes a flange 12a of the drive 4, a flange 12b of the end shield 10 and a flange 12c of the compressor 6, which each have mutually flush screw receptacles 14 into which a respective fastening screw 16 can be screwed from the compressor 6. To this end, the screw receptacles 14 of the flange 12a of the drive 4 in particular have an internal thread into which the fastening screw 16 can be screwed or turned with force-lock. The compressor 6 is fastened to the drive 4 in an operationally safe and non-vibrating manner by using the six fastening screws 16 provided therefor. The flange connections 12 are only provided with reference signs by way of example in the figures.

[0052] The drive 4 includes a cup-shaped drive housing 18 having two housing sub-regions 18a, 18b, which are separated from one another in a fluid-tight manner by a monolithically integrated housing intermediate wall (partition wall)—not illustrated in more detail—within the drive housing. The drive housing 18 is preferably produced from an aluminum material as a die-cast part.

[0053] The compressor-side housing sub-region is formed as a motor housing 18a for receiving an electric motor 20 (FIG. 2, FIG. 7). The motor housing 18a is closed on one hand by the (housing) intermediate wall or partition wall and, on the other, by the end shield 10. The housing sub-region lying opposite the partition wall is formed as an electronics housing 18b in which motor electronics 22 controlling the electric motor 20 are received.

[0054] The electronics housing 18b is closed towards an end face of the drive 4 which is remote from the compressor 6 by a housing cover (electronics cover) 24. The motor electronics 22 are assembled in the electronics housing 18b when the housing cover 24 is open and are furthermore easily accessible for maintenance or repair purposes when the housing cover 24 is removed.

[0055] The drive housing 18 has, in the region of the electronics housing 18b, an electrical connection portion 26 for electrical contacting of the electronics 22 in an on-board power supply of the motor vehicle. The connection portion 26 includes two connections 28a and 28b, which are guided to the electronics 22 and are electrically contacted thereby within the electronics housing 18b.

[0056] The drive housing 18 has, approximately at the height of the connection portion 26, a (suction gas) inlet or suction port 30 for connection to the coolant circuit of the air-conditioning unit. A fluid, in particular a suction gas, flows into the drive housing 18, in particular into the motor housing 18a, through the inlet 30. From the motor housing 18a, the fluid flows through the end shield 10 to the compressor 6, which is configured in particular as a scroll compressor. The coolant is subsequently compressed or supercharged by using the compressor 6 and enters into the coolant circuit of the air-conditioning unit from a (coolant) outlet 32 at the bottom of the compressor 6.

[0057] The outlet 32 is integrally formed at the bottom of a cup-shaped compressor housing 34 of the compressor 6. In this case, in the connected state, the inlet 30 forms the low-pressure or suction side and the outlet 32 forms the high-pressure or pump side of the coolant compressor 2.

[0058] An embodiment of the coolant drive 2 with a 470 V electric motor 20, i.e. with an electric motor with an operating voltage of 470 V (volts) is shown in FIG. 2.

[0059] The, in particular, brushless electric motor 20 includes a rotor 38 which is coupled to a motor shaft 36 in a torsion-resistant manner and is rotatably disposed within a stator 40. The stator 40 includes a stator assembly 42 having twelve inwardly directed stator teeth to which a stator or rotating field winding of the electric motor 20 is applied.

[0060] The coil windings are wound as coils on insulating winding supports or coil supports, for example, and seated with these on the stator teeth of the stator assembly 42. In this case, each of the frame-shaped winding supports is provided to support a coil or coil winding as part of the stator winding.

[0061] The coil ends of the (individual) coils are interconnected by a contact device 44, seated on the stator 40 at the end face, to form the 3 phase stator or rotating field winding in this exemplary embodiment. In electromotive operation, the energized windings of the stator winding generate a stator-side magnetic field, which interacts with permanent magnets of the rotor 38 of the brushless electric motor 20, which rotor rotates around the central stator or motor shaft or axis 36.

[0062] In this case, the coil ends of the coils are interconnected to form the phases or phase windings, wherein each phase has a phase connection 46. In this case, the interconnection of the coil ends takes place in particular in a base body 48 of the contact device 44.

[0063] The phases of the stator winding of the brushless electric motor 20 are interconnected in a star or delta connection, for example. The electric motor 20 in this exemplary embodiment in particular has a three-phase construction and therefore has three phase ends or phase connections 46. The phase ends 46 are each provided with a sleeve-shaped or collar-shaped plated through-hole 50, which guides the respective phase connection 46 through the housing intermediate wall or partition wall between the motor housing 18a and the electronics housing 18b and into the electronics housing 18b in a leak-tight, in particular pressure-tight and gas-tight, and electrically insulated manner.

[0064] A first embodiment of the contact device 44 is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 5.

[0065] In this exemplary embodiment, the contact device 44 is constructed in two parts with the radially external, annular base body 48 and a radially internal, annular inner body 52.

[0066] In the base body 48 (also referred to as an interconnection ring below), the coil ends are interconnected and guided to the phase connections 46, wherein the interconnection or contacting of the coil ends of the coils takes place in the radially internal region of the inner body 52 (also referred to as a ring cover below), which is seated on the contacted coil ends as a cover and for protection thereof.

[0067] The contact device 44 has a deflection region 54, which is incorporated as a bead-shaped depression, i.e. as a cutout or indentation, in the outer circumference or periphery 56 of the contact device 44 or the interconnection ring 48. In this case, the deflection region 54 is disposed in the region of the inlet 30 in the assembled state, so that the fluid or suction gas flowing in radially through the inlet impinges on the deflection region 54 of the contact device 44.

[0068] In this embodiment, the deflection region 54 is constructed in two parts and has an impingement region 58, which is disposed on the interconnection ring 48, and an approximately ramp-shaped guide region 60, which adjoins or leads into the impingement region and is disposed on the ring cover 52.

[0069] In this case, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 4 and in FIG. 5, the interconnection ring 48 can additionally or alternatively have a guide region 62 as an elongation of the impingement region 58, so that the ring cover 52 can also be constructed without the guide region 60. In such an embodiment, the deflection region 54 would be constructed in particular in one part, i.e. simply integrated in the interconnection ring 48.

[0070] The deflection region 54 has a radial and tangential course tapering approximately radially inwards in a spiral. The impingement region 58 of the deflection region 54 is preferably disposed approximately in a groove center between two adjacent stator teeth or coils.

[0071] In this case, the impingement region 58 facing the inlet 30 is offset axially with respect to an end face of the contact device 48 which has the phase connections 46. This means that the deflection region 54 has an inclination along the axial direction A from the radially external impingement region 58 to the radially internal guide region 60, 62. The deflection region 60, 62 is incorporated in the contact device 48 in such a way that it is sloped or angled in relation to the axial direction A.

[0072] The inflowing suction gas is deflected or guided radially inwards in a spiral in a gentle manner, i.e. substantially without swirling or turbulences of its mass flow, as a result of the deflection region 58. In this case, the deflection region 58 is expediently constructed to be as smooth and planar as possible so that the suction gas flowing or guided along it is not swirled. Suction pressure losses in the inflow or inlet region of the coolant drive 2 are reduced as a result of the deflection region 58. In other words, the contact device 44 is formed by the deflection region 58 in particular as a flow-improving component in the interior of the drive housing 18 or the motor housing 18a.

[0073] The suction gas which is thus guided to the electronics-side end face of the electric motor 20 therefore flows past the housing intermediate wall or partition wall and therefore, on one hand, cools the electronics 22 in the electronics housing 18b. On the other hand, the suction gas flows along the axial direction A through the electric motor 20, i.e. in particular through the clearance or gap region between the rotor 38 and the pole-shoe-side ends of the stator teeth of the stator 40 or the stator assembly 42, whereby the energized coil windings are cooled, for example. The performance and the service life of the coolant drive 2 are thus improved.

[0074] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the interconnection ring 48 with a removed or unseated ring cover 52. As can be seen comparatively clearly in the illustration of FIG. 4, the coil ends of the coils can be guided through radially internal, axial lead-through openings 64 and contacted by contact lugs 66 at the upper side of the interconnection ring 48 to form the internal interconnection (FIG. 7). By way of example, the coil ends are welded to the contact lugs 66 with a material connection.

[0075] After the contacting, the coil ends and contact lugs 66 are covered by the ring cover 52. Particularly simple contacting and interconnection of the stator winding, with reduced effort, is thus enabled. The lead-through openings 64 and contact lugs 66 are only provided with reference signs by way of example in the figures.

[0076] For operationally safe and reliable covering of the contacted coil ends and contact lugs 66, the ring cover 52 is preferably joined to the interconnection ring 48 in a mechanically fixed manner. In this case, the ring cover 52 is joined or joinable to the interconnection ring 48 by adhesion, latching and/or casting, for example.

[0077] The contact device 44 is fastened or fastenable to the stator assembly 42 with form-locking and/or force-locking by using axial latching tongues 68 of the interconnection ring 48. The latching tongues 68 are distributed at the outer circumference or periphery 56 and disposed on the side of the interconnection ring 52 which faces the stator assembly 42. In this case, the stator assembly 42 has, at its outer circumference or periphery, axially extending grooves 70 (only provided with reference signs by way of example in the figures), in which the latching tongues 68 engage in a clamping manner for fastening purposes. The contact device 44 is latched to the stator assembly, or fastened thereto by clamping, in a non-destructive manner.

[0078] As can be seen in particular in the illustration of FIG. 6, a protrusion 71 is provided on the underside of the interconnection ring 48 in the deflection region 54, or in the impingement region 58. The approximately curved or crown-shaped protrusion 71 is a local thickened wall portion of the interconnection ring 48, which is disposed on the underside of the interconnection ring 48, substantially opposite the upper-side impingement region 58. The wall strength or wall thickness of the interconnection ring 48 is thus also kept substantially constant in the deflection region 54 or impingement region 58, so that, in mechanical terms, the interconnection ring 48 is constructed in a particularly stable and robust manner.

[0079] A second exemplary embodiment of the contact device 44′ for the coolant drive 2 is shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the contact device 44′ has a ring cover 52′, which covers the interconnection ring 48′ substantially entirely in the axial direction.

[0080] The ring cover 52′ has an axial tab 72, which surrounds the outer circumference or periphery of the interconnection ring 52′ in sections as a radially external side wall. The tab 72 therefore has a tangential course along the interconnection ring 52′. In this embodiment, the deflection region 54′ is provided on the ring cover 52′, in particular in the region of the tab 72. The deflection region 54′ has a course orientated at a slope to the radial and tangential direction. The radially external opening or end face region of the deflection region 54′, which faces the inlet 30, extends to approximately half the axial height of the interconnection ring 48′. In this case, the deflection region 54′ has an axial inclination along its course. The impinging suction gas is thus guided radially inwards in a spiral through the deflection region 54′.

[0081] An embodiment of the coolant drive 2 with a 48 V electric motor 20, i.e. with an electric motor 20 with an operating voltage of 48 V (volts), is shown and explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 8. The electric motor 20 in this embodiment is constructed in particular with 6 phases, and therefore accordingly has six phase ends or phase connections 46.

[0082] A third exemplary embodiment of the contact device 44′ is shown in FIG. 8. The contact device 44′ in FIG. 8 is illustrated without the associated ring cover, in other words only the interconnection ring 48″ is shown.

[0083] In this case, the embodiment of the interconnection ring 48″ corresponds substantially to the above-described first embodiment 48 of FIG. 4, wherein—as can be seen in particular in FIG. 9—the deflection region 54″ is disposed at the outer circumference or periphery 56 of the interconnection ring 48′. In this case, the deflection region 54″ is formed substantially by a bead-shaped depression in the body of the interconnection ring 48″, which depression corresponds to the impingement region 58. The ring cover in this embodiment can have, for example, a guide portion as an elongation or continuation of the deflection region 5″.

[0084] The fourth embodiment of the contact device 4′″ shown in FIG. 10 corresponds substantially to a six phase embodiment of the above-described contact device 44′ of FIG. 7, in which the deflection region 54′″ is disposed on a tab 72′ of the ring cover 52′″, which tab extends axially and tangentially along the outer edge of the interconnection ring 48′″.

[0085] The invention is not restricted to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Instead, other variants of the invention can also be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without deviating from the subject matter of the invention. In particular, all individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiments can be further combined with one another in a different manner without deviating from the subject matter of the invention.

[0086] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0087] 2 Coolant drive [0088] 4 Drive [0089] 6 Compressor [0090] 8 Interface [0091] 10 End shield [0092] 12 Flange connection [0093] 12a, 12b, 12c Flange [0094] 14 Screw receptacle [0095] 16 Fastening screw [0096] 18 Drive housing [0097] 18a Housing sub-region/motor housing [0098] 18b Housing sub-region/electronics housing [0099] 20 Electric motor [0100] 22 Electronics [0101] 24 Housing cover [0102] 26 Connection portion [0103] 28a, 28b Connection [0104] 30 Inlet [0105] 32 Outlet [0106] 34 Compressor housing [0107] 36 Motor shaft [0108] 38 Rotor [0109] 40 Stator [0110] 42 Stator assembly [0111] 44, 44′, 44″, 44′″ Contact device [0112] 46 Phase connection [0113] 48, 48′, 48″, 48′″ Base body/interconnection ring [0114] 50 Plated through-hole [0115] 52, 52′, 52′″ Inner body/ring cover [0116] 54, 54′, 54″, 54′″ Deflection region [0117] 56 Outer circumference or periphery [0118] 58 Impingement region [0119] 60 Guide region [0120] 62 Guide region [0121] 64 Lead-through opening [0122] 66 Contact lug [0123] 68 Latching tongue [0124] 70 Groove [0125] 71 Protrusion [0126] 72, 72′ Tab [0127] A Axial direction