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US 9,312,730 B2Granted
Stator with a polymeric casing for an electric motor of a washing machine and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsHideraldo Vasconcelos Santos, Orlando Starke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stator for an electric motor and method of manufacturing the stator is disclosed. The stator has a stator core including an annular yoke and a plurality of teeth, a plurality of polymeric casings formed over the plurality of teeth, and plurality of polymeric bridges that extend between the polymeric casings. Each polymeric bridge connects the radial ends of adjacent teeth. A shell separate from the polymeric casings is formed over the annular yoke.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing a stator for a washing machine, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of stator segments, each stator segment including (i) a yoke section, (ii) a tooth body extending outwardly from the yoke section to an end, and (iii) a shoe at the end of the tooth body,
- forming a polymeric casing on each stator segment before engaging the yoke sections to form an annular yoke, each polymeric casing extending over only the tooth body and the shoe of the stator segment such that the yoke section of the stator segment is devoid of polymeric material, wherein forming the polymeric casing includes:
- (i) overmolding a first number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form a first chain of stator segments having a pin formed at a first shoe of the first chain, and (ii) overmolding a second number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form a second chain of stator segments having a notch formed at a last shoe of the second chain, each stator segment of the first chain and the second chain being connected by a polymeric bridge,
- connecting the first shoe of the first chain with the last shoe of the second chain by positioning the pin of the first chain in the notch of the second chain to form a polymeric bridge between the first shoe of the first chain and the last shoe of the second chain before engaging the yoke sections of the stator segments,
- engaging the yoke sections of the stator segments to form an annular yoke, and
- forming a central shell on the annular yoke, the central shell including a plurality of bores for mounting the stator,
- wherein a polymeric bridge extends between adjacent polymeric casings and connects the shoes of adjacent stator segments.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing a stator for a washing machine, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of stator segments, each stator segment including (i) a yoke section, (ii) a tooth body extending outwardly from the yoke section to an end, and (iii) a shoe at the end of the tooth body,
- overmolding a first number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form (i) a first chain of stator segments, (ii) a pin at one end of the first chain, and (iii) a polymeric casing on each stator segment of the first chain,
- overmolding a second number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form (i) a second chain of stator segments, (ii) a notch formed at one end of the second chain, and (iii) a polymeric casing on each stator segment of the second chain,
- connecting a first shoe of the first chain with a last shoe of the second chain by positioning the pin of the first chain in the notch of the second chain to couple the first shoe of the first chain to the last shoe of the second chain and form a polymeric bridge between the first shoe of the first chain and the last shoe of the second chain,
- after connecting the first shoe of the first chain with the last shoe of the second chain, engaging the yoke sections of the stator segments to form an annular yoke, and
- forming a central shell on the annular yoke, the central shell including a plurality of bores for mounting the stator,
- wherein (i) each polymeric casing extends over only the tooth body and the shoe of each stator segment such that the yoke section of the stator segment is devoid of polymeric material and (ii) a polymeric bridge extends between adjacent polymeric casings and connects the shoes of adjacent stator segments.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing a stator for a washing machine, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of stator segments, each stator segment including (i) a yoke section, (ii) a tooth body extending outwardly from the yoke section to an end, and (iii) a shoe at the end of the tooth body,
- overmolding a first number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form (i) a first chain of stator segments, (ii) a first passageway at one end of the first chain, and (iii) a polymeric casing on each stator segment of the first chain,
- overmolding a second number of stator segments of the plurality of stator segments with polymeric material to form (i) a second chain of stator segments, (ii) a second passageway at one end of the second chain, and (iii) a polymeric casing on each stator segment of the second chain,
- connecting a first shoe of the first chain of stator segments with a last shoe of the second chain of stator segments by positioning a pin in the first passageway of the first chain and in the second passageway of the second chain to couple the first shoe of the first chain to the last shoe of the second chain,
- after connecting the first shoe of the first chain with the last shoe of the second chain, engaging the yoke sections of the stator segments to form an annular yoke, and
- forming a central shell on the annular yoke, the central shell including a plurality of bores for mounting the stator,
- wherein (i) each polymeric casing extends over only the tooth body and the shoe of each stator segment such that the yoke section of the stator segment is devoid of polymeric material and (ii) a polymeric bridge extends between adjacent polymeric casings and connects the shoes of adjacent stator segments.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.