Rotor, motor, and rotor manufacturing method

A rotor comprising:

• a shaft extending along a central axis;
• a rotor core located radially outward of the shaft, fixed to the shaft directly or indirectly, and including a plurality of thin plate cores laminated;
• and
• a plurality of magnets fixed to the rotor core directly or indirectly;
• wherein
• the rotor core includes:
• an inner core portion located radially inward of the magnet;
• a plurality of outer core portions located at positions adjacent to a circumferential side surface of the magnet;
• and
• a connecting portion to connect the inner core portion and the outer core portion;
• wherein
• the plurality of outer core portions and the plurality of magnets are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction;
• the plurality of magnets are arranged in the circumferential direction so that circumferential end surfaces thereof, which are magnetic pole surfaces, face each other;
• a single thin plate core includes an inner plate portion defining a portion of the inner core portion and a plurality of outer plate portions defining a portion of the outer core portion;
• at least some of the plurality of laminated thin plate cores include the connecting portion, wherein a number of connecting portions is one or a plurality, and, when the number of connecting portions is a plurality, the connecting portions are disposed at positions other than both left and right sides of each other in the circumferential direction;
• and
• in plan view, the thin plate core includes the connecting portion at a position different from that of a connecting portion in another thin plate core adjacent in an axial direction.

A rotor manufacturing method, which is a method of manufacturing a rotor including an inner core portion disposed along a central axis, a plurality of outer core portions disposed side by side in a circumferential direction at a radially outer side of the inner core portion, and a connecting portion to connect the inner core portion and the outer core portion, the rotor manufacturing method comprising:

• a plate forming step of forming plates each including a scrap portion including a through-hole passing therethrough in an axial direction and a core plate portion disposed inside the through-hole so as to be continuous with the scrap portion and defining a portion of the inner core portion and the outer core portion;
• a laminating step of laminating the plates to form a laminated body including the inner core portion and the outer core portion;
• and
• a separating step of separating the scrap portion and the core plate portion;
• wherein
• in at least some of the plates formed in the plate forming step, the core plate portion includes an inner plate portion defining a portion of the inner core portion and a plurality of outer plate portions defining a portion of the outer core portion;
• a number of connecting portions to connect the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion is one or a plurality, and when the number of connecting portions is a plurality, the connecting portions are disposed at positions other than both left and right sides of each other in the circumferential direction, and, in the laminating step, the plate are laminated such that, in plan view, core plate portions adjacent in an axial direction include the connecting portions at different positions.