HOUSING FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE, HAVING A TIGHTLY FITTING HOUSING PART

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing for an electrical device, in particular an electrical machine. The housing encloses a cavity. The housing has a housing cup and a housing part. The housing part, which is formed, for example, by a closing element, in particular a housing cover, is designed to be connected to the housing cup, in particular separably or inseparably, or to close the housing cup. According to the invention, the housing cup, in particular a housing wall of the housing cup, has an opening. The housing cup is made of metal, in particular steel or aluminum, at least in the region of a housing cup edge extending peripherally around the opening. The housing part is preferably made of plastic. The housing preferably has an adapter, which is in particular tubular, for connecting the housing cup to the housing part. The adapter is injection-molded or fused onto a longitudinal section of the housing cup edge. The adapter has, at an end opposite the housing cup, an adapter edge, which surrounds an adapter opening, is in particular in the form of a flange and is designed to be adhesively bonded or welded, in particular tightly, to the housing part.

Claims

1. A housing (2) for an electrical device (1), the housing (2) enclosing a cavity (3) and the housing (2) comprising a housing cup (27) and a housing part (9) configured to be connected to the housing cup (27) and to close off the housing, characterized in that the housing cup (27) has an opening (10) and the housing cup (27) at least in a region of a housing cup edge (4) formed circumferentially around the opening (10) is formed from metal, and the housing part (9) is formed from plastic, and the housing (2) comprises an adapter (6) for connection of the housing cup (27) to the housing part (9), wherein the adapter (6) is molded or fused onto a longitudinal portion (30) of the housing cup edge (4) and the adapter (6) has, at an end opposite the housing cup (27), an adapter edge (8) surrounding an adapter opening (11), which adapter edge (8) is configured to be glued or welded to the housing part (9).

2. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) is cylindrical.

3. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the opening (11) of the adapter (6) is round toward the housing part (9).

4. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal portion of the housing cup edge (4) has recesses (12, 13, 14, 31, 32, 33) and/or undercuts generated by laser beams (40), into which recesses and/or undercuts the adapter material has flowed and in which the adapter thus engages in a positive-locking manner.

5. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing cup edge (4) has a curve spanning the opening (10) toward the adapter (6), which curve has at least one rounding and/or at least one corner.

6. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (6) is connected in a region of an adapter edge (8) to the housing part (9) by laser welding.

7. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (6) is formed from different plastics, wherein the adapter edge (8) is formed from a plastic formed for laser radiation welding and a holding portion (7) of the adapter (6) connected to the housing cup edge (4) is formed from a fiber-reinforced plastic.

8. A method for connecting a housing part to a housing cup (27), the method comprising using laser beams (20) to generate recesses or additionally undercuts (12, 13, 14, 31, 32, 33) in a housing wall of the housing cup (27), and molding a plastic adapter (6) onto the housing cup (27), wherein the plastic of the adapter (6) penetrates into the recesses (12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28) and thus fixedly connects the adapter (6) to the housing cup (27), and wherein the adapter (6) has an adapter edge (8), and connecting the adapter (6) to the housing part (9) at the adapter edge (8), so that the housing cup (27) is thus closed off.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a whirl pattern is generated by the laser beams (40) in the surface of the housing wall.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the housing part (9) and the adapter edge (4) of the adapter (6) are welded to one another by laser beams (20).

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a projection region (34) is melted on the housing part (9) by the laser beams (20) so that a compressive tension generated by the projection region (34) can be reduced.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the housing part is a housing cover.

13. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing cup (27) is cylindrical.

14. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (6) is connected in a region of an adapter edge (8) to the housing part (9) by laser radiation welding.

15. A housing (2) for an electrical machine or electric motor, the housing (2) enclosing a cavity (3) and the housing (2) comprising a housing cup (27) and a housing part (9) configured to be fixedly connected to the housing cup (27) and to close off the housing, characterized in that the housing cup (27) has an opening (10) and the housing cup (27) at least in a region of a housing cup edge (4) formed circumferentially around the opening (10) is formed from aluminum, and the housing part (9) is formed from plastic, and the housing (2) comprises a tubular adapter (6) for connection of the housing cup (27) to the housing part (9), wherein the adapter (6) is molded or fused onto a longitudinal portion (30) of the housing cup edge (4) and the adapter (6) has, at an end opposite the housing cup (27), an adapter edge (8) surrounding an adapter opening (11), which adapter edge (8) is configured to be tightly glued or welded to the housing part (9).

16. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the housing cup (27) is cylindrical.

17. The housing (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the adapter (6) is connected in a region of an adapter edge (8) to the housing part (9) by laser radiation welding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The invention will now be described below on the basis of figures and further exemplary embodiments. Further advantageous embodiment variants will become apparent from a combination of the features described in the figures and/or in the dependent claims.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment for an electrical device in the case of which a housing cup is connected to a housing cover by means of an adapter molded onto the housing cup.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows recesses and undercuts generated by means of laser beams in a housing edge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows—schematically—an exemplary embodiment of an electrical device 1, in this exemplary embodiment, an electrical machine, in particular a generator or an electric motor. Device 1 has a housing 2 which, in this exemplary embodiment, has a housing cup 27. Housing 2 encloses a cavity 3. In this exemplary embodiment, the electric motor, of which a stator 15 and a rotor 16 are represented, is received in cavity 3. A rotor shaft 17 of rotor 16 extends along a longitudinal axis 18 of electrical device 1.

[0032] Housing cup 27, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is formed by a metal housing cup, in particular aluminum housing cup, has a housing cup edge 4 which encloses an opening 10 toward cavity 3. Housing 2 also has a housing part 9 which forms a housing cover and is formed to receive electrical components of device 1.

[0033] In this exemplary embodiment, a separating wall 5 which extends transversely and thus radially inward is molded onto a housing wall of housing cup 27. Separating wall 5 separates cavity 3 in which the electric motor is received from a cavity 29 which is enclosed by housing part 9. In this exemplary embodiment, housing part 9 also forms a closure element which is formed to close opening 10. In this exemplary embodiment, a control device 22 is received as an electrical component of device 1 in cavity 29. Control device 22 is held by a web 24 which is molded onto housing part 9. Control device 22 has, in this exemplary embodiment, a rotor position sensor 25 which is arranged in the active region of an end portion 26 of rotor shaft 17. Rotor position sensor 25 is, for example, a Hall sensor, a GMR sensor (GMR=Giant-Magneto-Resistive) or an AMR sensor (AMR=Anisotrope-Magneto-Resistive). End portion 26 has, for example, a permanent magnet so that rotor position sensor 25 can detect a rotor position of rotor 16 and can generate a corresponding rotor position signal in order to actuate stator 15 by means of control device 22.

[0034] Housing 2 also has an adapter 6. Housing part 9, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is formed by a plastic housing part, is connected by means of adapter 6 to housing cup 27.

[0035] In this exemplary embodiment, adapter 6 is formed by an adapter ring which is molded onto housing cup edge 4. To this end, adapter 6 has a holding section 7 which is formed to engage around housing cup edge 4 of housing cup 27 on a longitudinal portion 30. Longitudinal portion 30 extends along longitudinal axis 18.

[0036] Housing cup edge 4 has, on longitudinal portion 30, recesses, undercuts or projections generated by means of laser beams, in particular protruding melt beads.

[0037] Recesses 12 are formed on housing cup edge 4 on a surface of housing cup edge 4 which points radially inward. Recesses 13 are formed on an opposite surface which points outward. Recesses 14 are formed on an end side of housing cup edge 4. Recesses 12, 13 and 14 are generated, for example, by means of laser beams. The recesses jointly form a recess pattern which forms, for example, a whirl pattern in the plane of housing cup edge 4. A plastic material which forms adapter 6 has—in particular in the region of holding portion 7—penetrated into the recesses and has filled these during generation, for example molding on, of adapter 6. Adapter 6 is thus connected to housing cup edge 4 in a fixedly toothed manner. The plastic material of adapter 6 thus engages into the recesses.

[0038] In addition to the recesses, melt beads can be arranged adjacent thereto by the laser beams, which melt beads can be enclosed by the plastic material and additionally fix adapter 6 on the melt beads. The recesses can be formed on an inner side, on an end side or on an outer side or a combination of the sides on housing cup edge 4.

[0039] Adapter 6, in this exemplary embodiment an adapter ring, has a connection portion 8 formed on holding portion 7 and which is formed in this exemplary embodiment to be annular, in particular hollow-cylindrical. Connection section 8 forms the above-mentioned adapter edge.

[0040] As already mentioned, in another embodiment, the adapter can be formed to be non-rotationally symmetrical, and, to this end, for example, have a holding portion for engaging around housing cup edge 4 which forms a closed curve in accordance with the housing edge. The curve can have round portions and/or square portions.

[0041] Connection portion 8 extends in the direction of longitudinal axis 18 and is formed to be welded to housing part 9 by means of laser beams 20. A laser 19 is also represented which is formed to generate laser beams 20. For this purpose, connection portion 8 of adapter 6 is formed to be translucent for the laser beams so that laser beams 20 can penetrate through adapter 6 at least in the region of connection portion 8 without laser beams 20 being substantially absorbed. Laser beams 20 can, after penetrating through connection portion 8, strike the edge of housing cover 9 and fuse housing part 9 there so that housing cover 9 and connection portion 8 of adapter 6 can be fused to one another.

[0042] Housing 2 can thus be protected from the penetration of moisture or oil and be tightly closed off for this purpose.

[0043] In one variant, connection portion 8 and holding portion 7 are formed from different plastics, preferably thermoplastics. For example, connection portion 8 is formed from a plastic which is translucent for laser beams 20, and the connection portion is formed from an in particular particle-filled or fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular a plastic reinforced by means of glass fibers or carbon fibers, which plastic has a similar thermal coefficient of expansion to the metal of housing 2.

[0044] For this purpose, adapter 6 can be generated, for example, by means of multi-component injection molding, in the case of which the components are connected to one another in particular in a firmly bonded manner.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows—schematically—housing edge 4 already represented in FIG. 1, wherein recesses generated by means of laser beam 40 are represented in detail. A recess 31 extends orthogonally with respect to a surface of housing cup edge 4 pointing outward so that laser beam 40 can strike the surface of housing cup edge 4 orthogonally during generation of the recess pattern. A recess 32 generated on a surface which points inward runs transversely with respect to longitudinal axis 18. In one variant, a clearance 32′ runs obliquely with respect to the surface of housing cup edge 4 which points inward. As a result of this, adapter 6, in particular holding portion 7, can be connected to housing cup edge 4 in a positive-locking manner by the undercut generated in this manner.

[0046] At the rear side of housing cup edge 4, on which depressions 14 are formed in the example of FIG. 1, in FIG. 3 by way of example a depression 33 is formed which is formed orthogonally with respect to the rear side surface, and thus parallel to longitudinal axis 18, by means of laser beam 40. In one variant, the recess can be generated obliquely with respect to the surface of the rear side so that an undercut is formed, and the plastic material can flow into the recess during the formation of adapter 6. The undercut can be formed additionally to or independently of the laser beam obliquely striking the surface by a melt bead which projects beyond the recess or projects into the recess. As a result of the toothing formed in this manner, adapter 6 is connected fixedly to housing 4 in a positive-locking manner.