# US 12,184,119 B2 · Rotary electric machine and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,119 B2 - Document ID: US12184119B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/287,839 - Filed: 2020-01-08 - Published: 2021-12-09 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-05 - Assignees: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. - Inventors: Akeshi Takahashi; Minori Nagata; Masanori Sawahata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184119B2 ## CPC - H02K 1/16: Stator cores with slots for windings - B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors - H02K 3/12: arranged in slots - H02K 3/48: in slots - B60L 2220/50: Structural details of electrical machines - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An object of the present invention is to provide a highly efficient and highly reliable rotary electric machine. A rotary electric machine includes: a stator around which a plurality of coils are wound; and a rotor which is supported to be freely rotatable with a predetermined gap with respect to the stator. The coil has at least one connection portion per turn in a slot of the stator. Conductors to be connected mutually have steps at the connection portion, and are fitted with other conductors so as to mutually fill the steps. The steps have contact surfaces that come into contact with each other in the slot to be electrically conducted. A thermally expandable sheet capable of pressurizing the coil in a radial direction of the stator is arranged in the slot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rotary electric machine comprising: a stator around which a plurality of coils are wound; and a rotor which is supported to be freely rotatable with a predetermined gap with respect to the stator, wherein the coil is configured with two coil conductors each of which is inserted from opposite side of the slot, and has at least one connection portion in which the two coil conductors are connected, per turn in a slot of the stator, at the connection portion, the two coil conductors each forms L-shaped step including a contact surface faced to radial direction and a step surface faced to axial direction at the connection portion, and are fitted with another coil conductors so as to mutually fill the steps, a conductor in an upper half of the coil and a conductor in a lower half of the coil are configured to have the L-shaped step shape that allows contact with each other on the contact surfaces of the coil conductors, the contact surfaces that come into contact with each other in the slot are electrically conducted, a thermally expandable sheet capable of pressurizing the coil conductor in a radial direction of the stator is arranged to cover the coil conductor in the slot, the thermally expandable sheet expands and presses the contact surfaces of two or more coil conductors, and two or more coil conductors per winding are inserted to each of one side of the slot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein regarding a number of conductors forming the coil conductor, a number of conductors of the coil conductor closest to the gap is larger than a number of conductors of the coil conductor farthest from the gap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein regarding a thickness of the coil conductor in the radial direction of the stator, a thickness of the coil conductor closest to the gap is smaller than a thickness of the coil conductor farthest from the gap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the contact surfaces are covered with conductive plating at the connection portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein a side surface other than the contact surface of the conductor forming the coil conductor is covered with an insulating coating. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The rotary electric machine according to claim 5, wherein the contact surface protrudes from a portion covered with the insulating coating. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the conductor has a concave portion in which the thermally expandable sheet is invaginable, at a position in the slot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the thermally expandable sheet projects outward from an axial end surface of the slot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The rotary electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the thermally expandable sheet fills a spacing between the coil conductor and the slot on an axial end surface of the slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising: the rotary electric machine according to claim 1; a battery; and a power conversion device that converts DC power of the battery into AC power and supplies the AC power to the rotary electric machine.