Automotive alternator

An automotive alternator comprising:

• a housing;
• a rotor that is rotatably disposed inside said housing by being fixed to a shaft that is rotatably supported by means of bearings in bearing mounting portions that are formed on two axial end portions of said housing such that a central axis thereof is aligned with an axial direction of said housing;
• a stator that has:
• a cylindrical stator core;
• and
• a stator winding that is mounted to said stator core,
• said stator being held by said housing so as to be disposed coaxially around an outer circumference of said rotor;
• a fan that is fixed to a first axial end surface of said rotor, and that is rotated together with said rotor;
• a rectifying apparatus that is disposed outside a first axial end of said housing;
• a protective cover that is formed so as to have a cylindrical cup shape, that is disposed on said first axial end of said housing so as to cover said rectifying apparatus, and on a floor portion of which a suction aperture for cooling air is formed in a region that corresponds to said rectifying apparatus;
• an air intake aperture that is formed on a wall surface of said housing that faces said first axial end surface of said rotor;
• and
• an air discharge aperture that is formed on a wall surface of said housing that faces a coil end at a first axial end of said stator winding,
• a flow channel being configured such that said cooling air flows into said protective cover through said suction aperture due to rotation of said fan, cools said rectifying apparatus, and then flows through said air intake aperture into said housing, is deflected centrifugally by said fan, and is discharged through said air discharge aperture, wherein:
• said rectifying apparatus comprises:
• a first heatsink that has a flat first rectifying element holding portion that is disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to said axial direction of said housing;
• a plurality of first rectifying elements that are held by said first rectifying element holding portion;
• a second heatsink that has a flat second rectifying element holding portion that is disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to said axial direction of said housing, said second rectifying element holding portion being spaced apart from said first rectifying element holding portion toward said housing;
• a plurality of second rectifying elements that are each held by said second rectifying element holding portion;
• and
• a circuit board that has a stator winding connecting portion, a voltage regulator connecting portion, first rectifying element connecting portions, second rectifying element connecting portions, and a housing linking portion;
• said circuit board is disposed between said first rectifying element holding portion and said second rectifying element holding portion such that said first rectifying element connecting portions are disposed in a loosely fitted state inside a second penetrating aperture that is formed on said second rectifying element holding portion, and said second rectifying element connecting portions are disposed in a loosely fitted state inside a first penetrating aperture that is formed on said first rectifying element holding portion;
• first leading electrodes of said plurality of first rectifying elements respectively extend axially and are connected to each of said first rectifying element connecting portions;
• and
• second leading electrodes of said plurality of second rectifying elements respectively extend axially and are connected to each of said second rectifying element connecting portions.