Bearing lockplate supporting electric motor shaft ground
AssigneeNidec Motor Corporation
InventorsSteven R. Palmer, Chetan O. Modi, Chuck Roessler, John H. Hussey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric motor includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly includes a rotor shaft that is rotatable relative to the stator assembly about a rotation axis. The motor also includes an endshield, a bearing assembly rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on the endshield, a shaft ground assembly electrically coupled to the rotor shaft, and a bearing lockplate. The bearing lockplate is fixedly coupled to the endshield. The shaft ground assembly is supported by the bearing lockplate on the endshield.
Claims20
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator assembly;
- a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft rotatable relative to the stator assembly about a rotation axis;
- an endshield;
- a bearing assembly rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on the endshield;
- a shaft ground assembly electrically coupled to the rotor shaft;
- and
- a bearing lockplate fixedly coupled to the endshield,
- said shaft ground assembly being supported by the bearing lockplate on the endshield,
- the endshield presenting an interior surface and including an annular wall extending axially inward from the interior surface,
- the annular wall defining a bearing pocket arranged substantially concentric with the rotation axis,
- the bearing assembly being positioned at least partially in the bearing pocket,
- the endshield including a plurality of internal tabs that extend axially inward from the annular wall,
- the bearing lockplate including a plurality of arcuate slots defined therein, with each of said slots receiving a respective one of the internal tabs,
- each of the internal tabs being arcuately undersized relative to the respective slot so as to permit limited arcuate shifting of the bearing lockplate relative to the endshield.
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator assembly;
- a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft rotatable relative to the stator assembly about a rotation axis;
- an endshield;
- a bearing assembly rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on the endshield;
- a shaft ground assembly electrically coupled to the rotor shaft;
- a bearing lockplate fixedly coupled to the endshield,
- said shaft ground assembly being supported by the bearing lockplate on the endshield;
- and
- a shaft ground fastener,
- the bearing lockplate including a plurality of shaft ground mounting holes,
- the shaft ground fastener being received in a respective one of the shaft ground mounting holes and coupling the shaft ground assembly to the bearing lockplate.
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator assembly;
- a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft rotatable relative to the stator assembly about a rotation axis;
- an endshield;
- a bearing assembly rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on the endshield;
- a shaft ground assembly electrically coupled to the rotor shaft;
- and
- a bearing lockplate fixedly coupled to the endshield,
- said shaft ground assembly being supported by the bearing lockplate on the endshield,
- the endshield including a plurality of axially extending internal tabs,
- the bearing lockplate including a plurality of arcuate slots defined therein, with each of said slots receiving a respective one of the internal tabs,
- each of the internal tabs being arcuately undersized relative to the respective slot so as to permit limited arcuate shifting of the bearing lockplate relative to the endshield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.