Automotive alternator

An automotive alternator comprising:

• a case;
• an axially extending shaft that is rotatably supported by said case;
• a rotor that is accommodated inside said case and that has:
• a pole core that is fixed to said shaft;
• a field winding that is mounted to said pole core;
• and
• at least one centrifugal fan that is fixed to an axial end of said pole core;
• a stator that is fixed to said case so as to surround said rotor;
• a voltage regulator that adjusts magnitude of an alternating voltage that is generated in said stator;
• a voltage regulator heatsink that has a base portion and a plurality of fins that are disposed upright on a first surface of the base portion of said voltage regulator so as to be arrayed circumferentially at a predetermined pitch;
• and
• a connector that is disposed on an outer circumferential side of said voltage regulator and to which an external plug can be mounted,
• a plurality of cooling air intake apertures being formed on a side of said case that faces said centrifugal fan, and said voltage regulator being disposed such that said plurality of fins faces said case,
• wherein a cooling airflow introducing guide portion is disposed on a portion of said connector, faces radially-outer side surfaces of said fins of said voltage regulator heatsink, and forms a clearance between said cooling airflow introducing guide portion and said voltage regulator heatsink,
• wherein said clearance between said cooling airflow introducing guide portion and said voltage regulator heatsink is greater than that between said fins, and
• an outermost radial position of said voltage regulator heatsink is positioned radially outside said cooling air intake apertures,
• whereby a portion of the cooling airflow flows radially inward through between said fins, and a remaining portion of the cooling airflow flows radially outward between said fins, and then flows circumferentially between said fins and said cooling airflow introducing guide portion.