SYNCHRONIZED DUAL RADIAL GAP MOTOR CLUSTER ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A modular motor system and methods wherein at least two dual radial gap motors with attachment points may be joined together in a modular manner for the purpose of providing the capability of incrementally increasing or decreasing the total power output of the modular.

Claims

1. A synchronized dual radial gap motor cluster assembly, comprising: (a) a polygonally shaped shaft having at least a pair of lobes; (b) at least a pair of spaced apart interconnected motors, each motor including a rotor and a stator, a magnet mounted to the rotor, the magnets being magnetically aligned, each stator being electrically aligned with the at least other stator, and wherein each rotor is rotationally mounted to the shaft.

2. The motor cluster assembly of claim 1 further comprising: at least a pair of two magnet rotor rings centrally oriented around the shaft, and a base plate connecting the magnet rotor rings.

3. The cluster motor assembly of claim 2, wherein: the rotor power output shaft has a polygon shape at each end to operationally connect and synchronize the magnetic orientation of the rotors of each of the motor modules with one another.

4. The cluster motor assembly of claim 1, which further comprises: one resolver for determining the collective rotational angle and one controller to control the motion of the cluster.

5. The cluster motor assembly of claim 1 wherein the rotor shaft has a multi-lobe polygonal hole extending along its center axis.

6. The cluster motor assembly of claim 1 wherein: the rotor output shaft has a male multi-lobe configuration at one end and a female multi-lobe configuration at the other end to allow the at least the pair of motors to couple or attach within one another and to be operationally attached and magnetically synchronized when coupled together.

7. The cluster motor assembly of claim 1 which further includes: an electrical power contact for each of the phases of the motor and a common ground contact.

8. The cluster motor assembly of claim 7 wherein: each point of contact is angularly offset within each motor and protrudes externally from the motor housing.

9. The cluster motor assembly of claim 8 wherein: the points of contact for each of the motors within the cluster is axially in-line with one another.

10. The cluster motor assembly of claim 7 wherein: the attachment points of each motor are configured to be complementary when assembled and mechanically connected in-line with one another, in-series, end-to-end, in a linear configuration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-section, perspective view of a first embodiment of a modular dual motor cluster assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional, plan view of the rotating shaft hub of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-section, plan view of the rotating shaft hub of FIG. 2 on a shaft in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective cross-sectional view of a four motor cluster in accordance with the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the power shaft used herein;

[0022] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the stator used herein;

[0023] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an assembled stator used herein;

[0024] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an assembled three motor cluster with the bus bars attached;

[0025] FIG. 8B is a view similar to FIG. 8A without the bus bars;

[0026] FIG. 9 is a partial, cross-section, perspective of a modular motor cluster assembly in accordance with a second embodiment hereof;

[0027] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the female end of the rotating shaft hub in accordance with the second embodiment;

[0028] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the male end of the rotating shaft; and

[0029] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the hub and shaft of the embodiment of FIG. 9;

[0030] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the stator used in the second embodiment hereof; and

[0031] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a rotor used in the practice of the present invention and in conjunction with the shaft of the second embodiment hereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] As shown in the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1-8 and in a first embodiment, there is a modular motor or cluster motor system 10 including at least two dual radial gap motors 12 with attachment points 14 that may be joined together in a modular manner for the purpose of providing the capability of incrementally increasing or decreasing the total power output of the modular motor system 10 while having only one common controller 20 and one common resolver or rotary encoder 30. An attachment 40 is used to mount the encoder or resolver to an output shaft 50.

[0033] The power output of the modular motor system 10 is incrementally increased or decreased by adding or subtracting another motor module 12 to the motor cluster system 10. The modular motor system 10 here has the advantage of providing power output flexibility and reducing system complexity by having a standardized dual radial gap motor 12 design capable of being used as part of the motor modular module cluster system 10. The controller 20 is capable of controlling the entire modular motor system 10 using the rotary encoder or resolver 30.

[0034] The attachment points 14 of each motor 12 are configured to be complementary when assembled and mechanically connected in-line with one another, in-series, end-to-end, in a linear configuration as shown in FIG. 1.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 14 each motor in the cluster cluster assembly 10 further includes a rotor 42 and a stator 44, having a sharing a common power output shaft 50. Each motor has a rotor which connects to the shaft 50.

[0036] In this embodiment and a shown in FIG. 4, the modular motor system 10 transmits the torque output of each motor 12 and includes angular synchronization of the motors 12 and includes a blind slip fit engagement or attachment point 15 between each motor 12 of the modular motor system 10.

[0037] The output shaft 50 is a central polygon-shaped power output shaft 50 which links the rotors of all the motors in the cluster.

[0038] The shaft 50 has lobes 50A, 50B and 50C formed therein which are used to position the shaft when connected to the encoder.

[0039] There is provided a common fixed relationship between the radial position of the magnets in each rotor 42, as discussed below. The output end of the shaft has lobes 61a 61b and 61c internally which substantially mate in a hole 64 in a rotor hub 60 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of each motor. The power output shaft 50, with external lobes closely dimensionally matching those in the hub 60 is passed through a central hole in the hubs 60.

[0040] Inserting the shaft 50 in the central rotor hub holes aligns all of the rotor hubs 60 within the linear cluster in the same manner. This establishes the magnetic synchronization of all the motors in the cluster.

[0041] In FIG. 4 there is shown a four motor cluster in accordance herewith. Regardless of the number of motors, each motor is substantially identical and includes a rotor and a stator.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 7, the fully assembled single motor and stator is depicted therein having the attachment points for securing the rotor and stator together as well as bus bar connections.

[0043] FIG. 6 more clearly depicts the structure of the stator used herein.

[0044] FIG. 6 depicts a three-phase stator assembly 113 which includes phases 100, 102 and 104 each having connection wires 106. Each phase is separated by a bus bar phase link electrical insulator 108, 110 and 112. Each stator modular assembly comprises a plurality of individual stators only one of which is shown at 114 which are interconnected. Each module includes coil wire leads 116 A-C which connect to bus bars 118, 120, 122 and which correspond to phases 100, 102 and 104. A common connection bus bar 124 may be included in the assembly.

[0045] Motor phase bus bar connection points 132 are disposed exteriorly of the assembly and are used to deliver electrical power to the motor.

[0046] Referring now to FIGS. 9-13, and in a second embodiment 200, the motors 12 are coupled or attached to one another and are electrically coupled and synchronized when coupled together.

[0047] Here, the male polygon lobe shaped extension 73 is provided on one end of a central hub 70(a) and is rotationally aligned with and dimensionally matched to slip fit into or telescope into the polygon shaped cavity 76 at the other end of an adjoining hub. There is a common fixed relationship between the radial position of the rotor magnets and the radial position of the polygon lobes on the central hub 70 as with the first embodiment. When one motor is attached to the other in a linear fashion, the male polygon shaped extension 73 of the hub 70 in the motor below fits into the female polygon cavity 76 of the motor hub 70 above. This establishes the magnetic and electrical synchronization of all the motors in the system. The output shaft 70 may include a first or female end 71 having a polygon shaped cross section for operationally connecting and synchronizing the rotors 80 of each of the motor modules 12 with one resolver or encoder 30 used to determine their collective rotational angle.

[0048] The end 71 is preferably a multi-lobe polygon shaped cross-section for establishing a rotational connection. Although the end is shown as having three lobes, the present invention is not to be construed as being so-limited. The rotor output shaft 70 may have a male multi-lobe configuration at a second end 73 opposite the end 71. The multi-lobe polygon power rotor shaft may be provided with a multi-lobe polygon hole extending along a center axis to both externally transmit the combined power of the motors and to coordinate the angular position and rotational motion of the individual motor rotors within the cluster.

[0049] The output shaft 70 may include a ring 74 attached to a central hub 75 from which the polygon shaft extends to the first and second ends 71 and 73, respectively. The central hub 75 includes an internal hub hole 76 in the shaft complementary within a close tolerance to an external configuration of the polygon shaped shaft 70 which passes through the hub hole 76 in the central hub hole 76, thereby connecting each rotor 12 and rotationally locking them together within the motor cluster assembly 200.

[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14, there is depicted the cross-sectional view of an assembled rotor and stator as used in this second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 14, which is an exploded view of the rotor, which generally comprises outer ring magnets 150 arrayed in opposite polarity and bounded by a backup iron ring 152. The rotor further includes a second ring of magnets 154 of opposing polarity configured in a circular fashion. The inner magnets are connected to an iron ring 156. The inner magnets telescope into the outer ring magnet array.

[0051] Both the inner ring and outer ring magnets are connected to a base 180. The base is dimensioned to seat the magnets thereon. As shown, the base has a central hole 182 which is shaped to enable the ring portion of the shaft 70 to project therethrough and fixedly attach to the base 180 and be oriented with respect to the magnets by attachment holes 182A, 182B and 182C via dowel pins 182D.

[0052] As shown, the shaft, proximate the base plate is stepped as at 184, 186. The step 184 has a shoulder 188 which is engaged by upper bearing 190. A lower bearing 192 is seated onto the terminus of the shaft 186. The assembly can be threaded together to combine and form the combined rotor and stator to define a motor.

[0053] Although not shown in the drawing, in operation, a source of power, such as a battery, generator or the like is connected to each of the stators such that a single source of power is used for the cluster.