# US 11,909,276 B2 · Electric motor with cover plate having insertion holes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,276 B2 - Document ID: US11909276B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/989,975 - Filed: 2020-08-11 - Published: 2020-11-26 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-14 - Assignees: Nidec Corporation - Applicants: Nidec Corporation - Inventors: Keisuke Fukunaga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909276B2 ## CPC - H02K 11/40: Structural association with grounding devices - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 19/04: Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers (G05B19/418 takes precedence) - G05B 19/0426: {Programming the control sequence} - H02K 5/04: Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof - H02K 5/15: Mounting arrangements for bearing-shields or end plates - H02K 5/161: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/165, H02K5/167, H02K5/173 take precedence)} - H02K 5/1732: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/1737 takes precedence)} - H02K 5/225: {Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132)} - H02K 11/30: Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits - H02K 11/33: Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) - G05B 2219/25067: Graphic configuration control system - G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house - G05B 2219/33125: System configuration, reconfiguration, customization, automatic - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract An electric motor includes a rotor assembly rotatable about a vertical center axis, a stator assembly around the rotor assembly, a housing inside of which the stator assembly is fixed, and a bearing mechanism rotatably supporting the rotor assembly. The housing includes a cylindrical wall portion inside of which the stator assembly is located, a bottom at a bottom vertical end of the cylindrical wall portion and extending radially outward, and a cover plate on one side of the stator assembly opposite to the bottom. The cover plate includes electrically conductive elements and at least one columnar projection protruding away from the stator assembly so that the at least one projection contacts at least one grounding contact of a controller on one side of the cover plate, the controller being electrically connected to a ground potential through the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric motor, comprising: a rotor assembly, which rotates about a vertical center axis extending in a vertical direction; a stator assembly, which is provided around the rotor assembly; terminals, which are connected electrically to the stator assembly; a housing inside of which the stator assembly is fixed; and a bearing mechanism, which rotatably supports the rotor assembly relative to the stator assembly; wherein the housing includes: a cylindrical wall portion, the stator assembly being located inside of the cylindrical wall portion; a bottom which is provided at a bottom vertical end of the cylindrical wall portion and which extends radially outward; and a cover plate which is on one side of the stator assembly that is opposite to the bottom; wherein the cover plate is fixed to a radially inner side surface of the cylindrical wall portion and covers an opening of the cylindrical wall portion; the bearing mechanism includes at least two bearings, one of the at least two bearings is supported by the cover plate and another one of the at least two bearings is supported by the bottom of the housing; the cover plate includes electrically conductive elements and columnar projections fixed on the cover plate and protruding away from the stator assembly so that the columnar projections each directly or indirectly contact respective ones of grounding contacts of a controller which drives and controls the electric motor on one side of the cover plate, the controller being electrically connected to a ground potential through the housing; the cover plate includes terminal holes, each of the terminal holes passing through one of the terminals; at least one of the terminal holes is arranged between two adjacent projections of the projections; the columnar projections include a pin which is inserted and fixed in an insertion hole of the cover plate; and a shape of the terminal holes is different from a shape of the insertion hole into which the pin is fixed when viewed in the vertical direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the insertion hole penetrates into the cover plate in the vertical direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An electric motor according to claim 1, wherein a radial length of the terminal holes is longer than a circumferential length of the terminal holes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the columnar projections are coated with a material which improves electrical conductance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) An electric motor according to claim 3, wherein the cover plate includes three of the columnar projections arranged at equal distances from each other in a circumferential direction and three of the terminal holes arranged at equal distances from each other in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An electric motor according to claim 5, wherein the housing includes a mounting plate to fix the electric motor to a car body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An electric motor according to claim 6, wherein the mounting plate includes two mounting holes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An electric motor according to claim 7, wherein the two mounting holes are positioned at equal distances from the vertical center axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An electric motor according to claim 7, wherein a first straight line passes through the two mounting holes and the vertical center axis; a second straight line passes through a center of a connector of the electric motor and the vertical center axis; and the first straight line and the second straight line intersect one another with an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line being 0 degrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) An electric motor according to claim 7, wherein a first straight line passes through the two mounting holes and the vertical center axis; a second straight line passes through a center of a connector of the electric motor and the vertical center axis; and the first straight line and the second straight line intersect one another with an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line being 60 degrees. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An electric motor assembly, comprising: the electric motor according to claim 1; a controller which drives and controls the motor; a controller case which covers at least a portion of the controller; wherein the controller is on the one side of the cover plate and the at least one columnar projection directly or indirectly contacts at least one grounding contact of the controller and the controller is connected to a ground potential through the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An electric motor assembly according to claim 11, wherein the mounting plate includes two mounting holes; a first straight line passes through the two mounting holes and the vertical center axis; a second straight line passes through a center of the connector and the vertical center axis; and the first straight line and the second straight line intersect one another with an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line being 0 degrees. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An electric motor assembly according to claim 11, wherein the mounting plate includes two mounting holes; a first straight line passes through the two mounting holes and the vertical center axis; a second straight line passes through a center of the connector and the vertical center axis; and the first straight line and the second straight line intersect one another with an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line being 60 degrees.