Rotor shaft
AssigneeMetal Forming & Coining Corporation
InventorsTimothy John Cripsey, Robert Herston, Nicholas Brockett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotor shaft for an electric motor includes an axially extending tubular body having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow interior thereof with at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive a coolant therein. A plurality of circumferentially spaced splines extends radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface into the portion of the hollow interior configured to receive the coolant therein. Each of the splines is configured to provide a heat exchanging structure for transferring heat from the rotor shaft to the coolant. The splines are one of integrally formed with the tubular body or provided as inserts captured by the tubular body during a flow forming process.
Claims18
A rotor shaft for an electric motor comprising:
- an axially extending tubular body having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow interior thereof, at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive a coolant therein;
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced splines extending radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface into the at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive the coolant therein, each of the splines configured to provide a heat exchanging structure for transferring heat from the rotor shaft to the coolant;
- and
- an inner tube received axially within the hollow interior of the tubular body, wherein a first flow space for the coolant is formed within the inner tube and a second flow space for the coolant is formed between the inner tube and the tubular body with respect to a radial direction of the tubular body, wherein the splines extend radially inwardly into the second flow space.
A rotor shaft for an electric motor comprising:
- an axially extending tubular body having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow interior thereof, at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive a coolant therein;
- and
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced splines extending radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface into the at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive the coolant therein, each of the splines configured to provide a heat exchanging structure for transferring heat from the rotor shaft to the coolant, wherein the tubular body is divided axially into a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment, wherein each of the splines spans a joint present between the first shaft segment and the second shaft segment, and wherein a connecting unit is disposed within the hollow interior of the tubular body to span the joint present between and engage each of the first shaft segment and the second shaft segment.
A rotor shaft for an electric motor comprising:
- an axially extending tubular body having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow interior thereof, at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive a coolant therein;
- and
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced splines extending radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface into the at least a portion of the hollow interior configured to receive the coolant therein, each of the splines configured to provide a heat exchanging structure for transferring heat from the rotor shaft to the coolant, wherein each of the splines is provided as a cooling insert coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the tubular body, and wherein each of the cooling inserts is captured by the tubular body during a flow forming process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.