# US 2021/0281138 A1 · Electric motor having an interconnection unit and method for manufacturing an electric motor having an interconnection unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0281138 A1 - Document ID: US20210281138A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/261,378 - Filed: 2019-07-04 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-19 - Assignees: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Markus HEER; Domenik HETTEL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210281138A1 ## CPC - H02K 3/28: Layout of windings or of connections between windings (windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32) - H02K 3/522: {for generally annular cores with salient poles} - H02K 15/32: Manufacture of terminal arrangements; Connecting the terminals to external circuits - H02K 21/16: having annular armature cores with salient poles (with homopolar co-operation H02K21/20) - H02K 2203/09: Machines characterised by wiring elements other than wires, e.g. bus rings, for connecting the winding terminations - H02K 2203/12: Machines characterised by the bobbins for supporting the windings - H02K 2213/12: Machines characterised by the modularity of some components - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract An electric motor includes a rotor and a stator having a plurality of coils; each coil having two coil terminals; the coils being interconnected with the aid of an interconnection unit including a carrier part for holding a plurality of interconnection elements set apart from each other; each of the interconnection elements having two contacting regions set apart from each other and a connecting region joined to the contacting regions; the contacting regions of the interconnection elements being connected to one of the coil terminals at a connecting point; the region covered by the connecting region of one of the interconnection elements in the circumferential and radial directions overlapping a region covered by the connecting region of another interconnection element in the circumferential and radial directions; the first interconnection elements being manufactured identically. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 An electric motor, comprising: a rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation; and a stator including a plurality of coils and a plurality of stator segments, each coil including two coil terminals, each stator segment including a single coil, the coils being interconnected by an interconnection unit including a carrier part adapted to hold a plurality of interconnection elements set apart from each other, the interconnection elements including at least three first interconnection elements, each first interconnection elements including two contacting regions set apart from each other and a connecting region joined to the contacting regions, the contacting regions of each first interconnection element being connected to one of the coil terminals at a connecting point, a region covered by the connecting region of one of the first interconnection elements in circumferential and radial directions overlapping a region covered by the connecting region of another of the first interconnection elements in the circumferential and radial directions; wherein the first interconnection elements are identical. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the electric motor is arranged as a permanent-magnet synchronous motor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the coils are connected by a star connection. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the carrier part is arranged as substantially annular carrier part, is formed of an insulating material, and/or is adapted to hold at least four interconnection elements set apart from each other. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the interconnection unit is positioned at an axial end of the stator and/or concentrically to the axis of rotation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the first interconnection elements include exactly two contacting regions. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the connecting region is arranged between the contacting regions. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the contacting regions of each first interconnection element are electrically connected and/or integrally connected by laser welding to one of the coil terminals at the connecting point. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein regions covered by the connecting regions of the first interconnection elements in an axial direction are identical and/or regions covered by the connecting regions of the first interconnection elements in the radial direction are identical. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the contacting regions of each first interconnection element are shaped such that respective connecting points have substantially the same radial position at an outer circumference of the carrier part and/or have the same axial position. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the connecting region of each first interconnection element has an approximately rectangular cross section, having a dimension in an axial direction less than a dimension in the radial direction, at least one connecting region of one of the first interconnection elements includes two axial steps, and/or all of the connecting regions of the first interconnection elements include two axial steps. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein each first interconnection element includes a first attachment region for form-locked and/or integral connection to the carrier part, each first attachment region includes a first through-recess in an axial direction, the carrier part includes a plurality of rivet pins extending in an axial direction, a first rivet pin adapted to pass through each of the first recesses, free ends of the first rivet pins adapted to be deformed into rivet heads by ultrasonic welding, each first interconnection element including a second attachment region for form-locked and/or integral connection to the carrier part, each second attachment region including a second through-recess in the axial direction, a second rivet pin adapted to pass through each of the second recesses, and/or free ends of the second rivet pins adapted to be deformed into rivet heads by ultrasonic welding. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The electric motor according to claim 27, wherein the first attachment regions of each first interconnection element have the same first radial position and/or the same first axial position, and/or the second attachment regions of each first interconnection element have the same second radial position and/or the same second axial position, the first radial position and the second radial position being different, the first axial position and the second axial position being different. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the region covered by one of the first interconnection elements in the circumferential and radial directions overlaps two regions covered by two other first interconnection elements in the circumferential and radial directions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein a second interconnection element is provided having three and/or exactly three contacting regions, each contacting regions of the second interconnection element being connected to, electrically connected to, and/or integrally connected by laser welding to one of the coil terminals, the second interconnection element having two and/or exactly two attachment regions for form-locked and/or integral connection to the carrier part, each attachment region having a through-recess in the axial direction, a third rivet pin adapted to pass through each of the recesses, free ends of the third rivet pins adapted to be deformed into rivet heads by ultrasonic welding. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The electric motor according to claim 30, wherein the region covered by the second interconnection element in the radial direction and the region covered by at least one of and/or all of the first interconnection elements in the radial direction are identical and/or the region covered by the second interconnection element in the circumferential and radial directions and the region covered by at least one and/or two of the first interconnection elements in the circumferential and radial directions overlap. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein a plurality and/or exactly three third interconnection elements are provided, each third interconnection element having a first contacting region and a second contacting region that are different, the first contacting region of a third interconnection element being connected to, electrically connected to, and/or integrally connected by laser welding to one of the coil terminals, each third interconnection element having a first and a second attachment region for form-locked and/or integral connection to the carrier part, each attachment region having a through-recess in the axial direction, a fourth rivet pin adapted to pass through each recess, free ends of the fourth rivet pins adapted to be deformed into rivet heads by ultrasonic welding, each third interconnection element having a third attachment region for form-locked and/or integral connection to the carrier part, the third attachment region bordering on the first contacting region of the respective, third interconnection element, the third attachment region having a through-recess in the axial direction, through which a fifth rivet pin is passable, free ends of the fifth rivet pins adapted to be deformed into rivet heads by ultrasonic welding, the third interconnection elements being identical. ### Claim 33 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the carrier part includes a plurality of guide regions at an outer circumference adapted to guide the coil terminals in an axial direction, each contacting region connected to a coil terminal being assigned a guide region, a shape of the guide region being substantially identical to a shape of the respectively assigned contacting region. ### Claim 34 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the first interconnection elements is surrounded by an insulating part made of an injection molded insulating material, the surrounded first interconnection element and the surrounding insulating part are joined on two sides in a form-locked manner in the circumferential direction and/or joined on two sides in a form-locked manner in the axial direction and/or joined on one side in a form-locked manner in the radial direction. ### Claim 35 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein in the circumferential direction, only every second of the first interconnection elements is surrounded by a respective insulating part. ### Claim 36 (depends on 16) The electric motor according to claim 16, wherein the coil terminals are integrally connected by laser welding to the contacting regions of the first interconnection elements and/or to contacting regions of second interconnection elements and/or to a contacting regions of third interconnection elements, the contacting regions having a V-shaped notch adapted to receive a coil terminal. ### Claim 37 (depends on 16) A method for manufacturing an electric motor as recited in claim 16, comprising: providing a substantially annular carrier part made of an insulating material and/or an injection molded material; positioning a plurality of identical first interconnection elements on the carrier part in a circumferential direction, each first interconnection element including two and/or exactly two contacting regions, the first interconnection elements being positioned such that a region covered by one of the first interconnection elements in circumferential and radial directions overlaps a region covered by an adjacent first interconnection element in the circumferential and radial directions, the first interconnection elements being positioned so as to be spaced apart from each other; joining the first interconnection elements to the carrier part in a form-locked and/or integral manner to form an interconnection unit; connecting, electrically connecting, and or integrally connecting by laser welding each of the contacting regions of the first interconnection elements to a coil terminal of one of a plurality of coils having two coil terminals and being positioned on a stator of the electric motor to interconnect the coils to form a multiphase winding. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method according to claim 37, wherein in the positioning step, the first interconnection elements are positioned such that in the circumferential direction only every second of the first interconnection elements is surrounded by an insulating part made of an injection molded insulating material, the surrounded, first interconnection element and the surrounding insulating part being joined on two sides in the circumferential direction in a form-locked manner and/or joined on two sides in the axial direction in a form-locked manner and/or joined on one side in the radial direction in a form-locked manner. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method according to claim 37, wherein in the position step, a second interconnection element is positioned on the carrier part, the second interconnection element including three and/or exactly three contacting regions, and, in the joining step, the second interconnection element is joined to the carrier part in a form-locked and/or integral manner to form the interconnection unit, and, in the connecting step, each of the contacting regions of the second interconnection element is connected to, electrically connected to, and or integrally connected by laser welding to one of the coil terminals. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The method according to claim 37, wherein, in the position step, three and/or exactly three third interconnection elements are positioned on the carrier part, each third interconnection element having two different contacting regions, in the joining step, the third interconnection elements are joined to the carrier part in a form-locked and/or integral manner to form the interconnection unit, and, in the connecting step, one of the two contacting regions of the third interconnection elements is connected to, electrically connected to, and/or integrally connected by laser welding to one of the coil terminals. ### Claim 41 (depends on 37) The method according to claim 37, wherein in the connecting step, the stator, including the coils and the interconnection unit connected to the coil terminals, is encapsulated by potting compound. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The method according to claim 41, wherein contacting regions of third interconnection elements that are not connected to a coil terminal remain free of the potting compound.