Insulated Thomson coil

Abstract

An assembly for manufacturing an insulating layer of a Thomson coil includes a substrate, a coil housing, and a cover plate. The substrate securely mounts the coil housing, and the coil housing securely mounts the Thomson coil and the cover plate. The cover plate has a number of ribs that hold the turns of the Thomson coil in place when epoxy resin is applied to the coil, thereby ensuring that the epoxy resin is uniformly distributed over the coil surface and the coil winding remains flat. The cover plate and coil housing are configured to receive a high pressure epoxy injection or to be used in an epoxy potting process during which all exposed areas of the Thomson coil are coated with liquid epoxy. After the epoxy has cured, the Thomson coil is coupled to the coil housing and the contained and insulated Thomson coil is removed from the assembly.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application serial number 63 / 398,602, filed on August 17, 2022, entitled "Thomson Coil Design and Potting Process." Technical Field

[0003] The disclosed concept relates generally to Thomson coils and, more particularly, to systems and methods for producing insulation layers for Thomson coils. Background Art

[0004] Thomson coil assemblies are used to achieve ultra-fast motion and / or displacement in a variety of applications. One well-known application is the use of a Thomson coil assembly as an actuator in a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker (including a hybrid circuit breaker). Typically, a circuit breaker includes a fixed separable contact and a movable contact that need to be in physical contact to conduct power. The fixed separable contact is connected to a fixed conductor that remains fixed in place, and the movable separable contact is connected to a movable conductor assembly that can be driven between a closed position and an open position by an actuator (such as a Thomson coil assembly). When the separable contacts are closed and a trip unit detects a fault condition, the trip unit sends a signal to cause the actuator to drive the movable conductor assembly away from the fixed separable contacts and to an open position to interrupt the flow of power.

[0005] Circuit breakers are designed to interrupt the flow of power quickly, and arcing may occur as a result of opening separable contacts. Hybrid circuit breakers reduce arcing by using electronics to commutate the current when the separable contacts are opened. However, the electronics can only withstand the flow of commutating current for a short period of time before damage occurs. Therefore, achieving ultra-fast movement and / or displacement of the separable contacts during the opening operation is particularly important in hybrid circuit breakers to achieve the required gap between the separable contacts (commonly referred to as "contact gap") in an extremely short period of time. Thomson coil actuators are able to achieve ultra-fast movement and displacement that other conventional switching mechanisms cannot achieve.

[0006] The Thomson coil assembly includes a coiled conductor (i.e., a Thomson coil) and a conductive plate positioned proximate to the Thomson coil. The Thomson coil is configured to receive an electric current, and when an electric current is supplied to the Thomson coil, a magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the coil exerts a repulsive force on the conductive plate, driving the conductive plate away from the Thomson coil. When the Thomson coil actuator is used in a circuit interrupter, the conductive plate is typically coupled to a movable conductor assembly. When a trip unit detects a fault condition, the trip unit sends a signal that causes current to be supplied to the Thomson coil, and the magnetic field generated by the Thomson coil acts on the conductive plate to drive the movable conductor assembly away from the fixed contacts.

[0007] The Thomson coil is typically covered with an insulating layer to provide insulation between the Thomson coil and the conductive plate to more precisely control the size and orientation of the magnetic field generated by the Thomson coil. The effectiveness of the Thomson coil actuator, particularly when used as a switching mechanism in a circuit breaker, relies on a manufacturing process for producing an insulating layer that can closely and consistently adhere to the design specifications. Known methods for mass-producing insulating layers for Thomson coils include the use of a potting process. The potting process is intended to be performed in such a way that the Thomson coil is held in a fixed position while an insulating material is applied to the Thomson coil so that a thin insulating layer will be formed on the Thomson coil. However, known potting processes often result in an insulating layer having a non-uniform thickness and causing the coil winding to be non-uniform due to the tendency of the conductor used to form the Thomson coil to spread out. This deviation from the design specification has a significant impact on the performance of the Thomson coil actuator.

[0008] Therefore, there is room for improvement in systems and methods for producing insulation layers for Thomson coils. Summary of the invention

[0009] These needs and other needs are met by an embodiment of an assembly for manufacturing an insulating layer of a Thomson coil disclosed herein. The disclosed assembly embodiment includes a substrate, a coil housing, and a cover plate. The substrate securely mounts the coil housing, and the coil housing securely mounts the Thomson coil and the cover plate. The cover plate has a number of ribs that hold multiple turns of the Thomson coil in place when epoxy is applied to the coil, thereby ensuring that the epoxy is evenly distributed on the coil surface and the coil winding remains flat. The cover plate and the coil housing are configured to receive a high-pressure epoxy injection or for an epoxy potting process, during which all exposed areas of the Thomson coil are coated with liquid epoxy. After the epoxy has cured, the Thomson coil is coupled to the coil housing, and the contained and insulated Thomson coil is removed from the assembly. After the contained and insulated Thomson coil is removed from the assembly, any area of ​​the Thomson coil that is joined by the ribs during the application of the epoxy can be overmolded with epoxy.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept, an insulation manufacturing assembly for manufacturing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil includes: a base plate; a coil housing configured to mount the Thomson coil; a cover plate including a plurality of ribs and a plurality of flow channels; and a plurality of fasteners fastening the cover plate, the coil housing, and the base plate to each other. The base plate mounts the coil housing and the coil housing mounts the cover plate. The ribs are configured to engage a plurality of turns of the Thomson coil and secure the plurality of turns in place so that the plurality of turns form a flat surface. The flow channels are configured to enable liquid epoxy to flow around the ribs and cover a top surface of the Thomson coil away from the coil housing.

[0011] In another exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept, an insulation manufacturing assembly for manufacturing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil includes: a substrate; a coil housing configured to mount the Thomson coil; a cover plate; and a plurality of fasteners fastening the cover plate, the coil housing, and the substrate to each other. The coil housing includes: a coil mounting surface having a central opening; and a groove disposed adjacent to the central opening. The cover plate includes: a plurality of ribs, a plurality of flow channels, and an overflow cutout. The substrate mounts the coil housing and the coil housing mounts the cover plate. The ribs are configured to engage a plurality of turns of the Thomson coil and secure the plurality of turns in place so that the plurality of turns form a flat surface. The flow channels are configured to enable liquid epoxy to flow around the ribs and cover a top surface of the Thomson coil away from the coil housing. The overflow cutout is aligned with the groove so that excess liquid epoxy can flow out of the insulation manufacturing assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A complete understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A is an exploded view of an insulation manufacturing assembly for producing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil using a high pressure injection process according to an example embodiment of the disclosed concept;

[0014] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A perspective view of the insulation manufacturing assembly shown in ;

[0015] Figure 1C It is along Figure 1B and Figure 5 The line S1-S1 shown in FIG. Figure 1B A cross-sectional view of an insulation manufacturing assembly shown in;

[0016] Figure 1D yes Figure 1C An enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. Figure 1C Details of the ribs of the cover shown in;

[0017] Figure 2A yes Figures 1A to 1C A perspective view of the top side of the coil housing shown in FIG.

[0018] Figure 2B yes Figures 1A to 1C A perspective view of the bottom side of the coil housing shown in FIG.

[0019] Figure 3A yes Figures 1A to 1C A perspective view of the top side of the Thomson coil shown in ;

[0020] Figure 3B yes Figures 1A to 1CA perspective view of the bottom side of the Thomson coil shown in FIG.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figures 1A to 1C A perspective view of the bottom side of the cover plate shown in FIG.

[0022] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1C The line S2-S2 shown in FIG. Figure 1C A cross-sectional view of the insulation manufacturing assembly shown in , showing the contact points between the ribs of the cover plate and the top side of the Thomson coil;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 1A A perspective view of an insulation manufacturing assembly shown in FIG. Figure 1A An alternative embodiment of the cover plate shown in ;

[0024] Figure 7 is an exploded view of an insulation manufacturing assembly for producing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil using a potting process according to another example embodiment of the disclosed concept; and

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A perspective view of the insulation manufacturing assembly shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Directional phrases used herein, such as left, right, front, back, top, bottom and their derivatives, refer to the orientation of elements shown in the drawings and do not limit the claims unless explicitly recited therein.

[0027] As used herein, the statement that two or more parts or components are "coupled" shall mean that the parts are joined or operate together, either directly or indirectly (i.e., through one or more intermediate parts or components), so long as contact occurs. As used herein, "directly coupled" means that two elements are in direct contact with each other. As used herein, "fixedly coupled" or "fixed" means that two components are coupled to move as a unit while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other.

[0028] As employed herein, when ordinal terms such as “first” and “second” are used to modify nouns, such usage is intended solely to distinguish one item from another and is not intended to require a sequential order unless specifically stated.

[0029] As employed herein, the term "number" shall mean an integer that is one or greater than one (ie, a plurality).

[0030] Embodiments of advantageously designed insulation manufacturing assemblies for producing insulation layers of Thomson coils are described herein. The disclosed insulation manufacturing assembly embodiments are configured to hold the Thomson coil securely in place during the manufacturing of the insulation layer, thereby ensuring that the insulation material is evenly distributed on the surface of the Thomson coil and the coil winding will be uniform and flat. It should be appreciated that the disclosed insulation manufacturing assembly embodiments facilitate better large-scale and automated manufacturing of insulation layers for Thomson coil assemblies.

[0031] Figures 1A to 1C An exploded view, a perspective view, and a cross-sectional view are respectively shown of an insulation manufacturing assembly 100 according to a first embodiment of the disclosed concept, the insulation manufacturing assembly 100 being configured for producing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil 10 using a high pressure injection process. Figure 1D Shows Figure 1C 1 and 2 to more clearly illustrate certain details of the insulation manufacturing assembly 100. For brevity, the insulation manufacturing assembly 100 is referred to as "assembly 100" hereinafter.

[0032] For clarity and ease of explanation, assembly 100, each of its components, and all other components discussed with respect to assembly 100 are referred to herein as having a top side and a bottom side. Figure 1A The arrow 1 in the figure indicates the orientation towards the bottom side of the component. Figure 1A For example, according to the arrow 2 in Figure 1A The arrows 1 and 2 indicate the directions "top" and "bottom", in Figure 1A Similarly, if a first component is positioned closer to the top side of a second component than to its bottom side, the terms "above" or "upward" may be used to describe the arrangement of the first component relative to the second component. Conversely, if a first component is positioned closer to the bottom side of a second component than to its top side, the terms "below" or "downward" may be used to describe the arrangement of the first component relative to the second component. In addition, assembly 100 includes a central axis 3 (at Figure 1A and Figure 1C Movement or orientation away from the central axis 3 may be described as "lateral", which is indicated by Figure 1A 4, while the movement or orientation towards the central axis 3 can be described as "inboard", which is indicated by the arrow 4 in Figure 1A Indicated by arrow 5.

[0033] The assembly 100 includes a cover plate 102 and a base plate 104 configured to be fixedly coupled together by a plurality of fasteners 106, and a coil housing 108 configured to be mounted on a top side of the base plate 104 and below the cover plate 102. The top side of the coil housing 108 is configured to mount the Thomson coil 10. The cover plate 102 includes a plurality of apertures 103, and the base plate 104 includes a plurality of apertures 105, wherein the apertures 103 and the apertures 105 are configured to receive fasteners 106. The fasteners 106 may include, for example, but not limited to, clamping fasteners, but it should be noted that the fasteners 106 may include any type of fastener suitable for maintaining the components of the assembly 100 in a fixed orientation relative to each other during the manufacturing process without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept. Figure 1A to Figure 1B Each of the fasteners 106 shown in FIG. 1 includes a bolt 106A and a nut 106B.

[0034] The components of assembly 100 are advantageously designed to ensure that all components used during the process of producing the insulating layer for Thomson coil 10 are correctly oriented and coupled to each other during the manufacturing process, i.e., so that the components of assembly 100 remain in a fixed orientation relative to each other. In particular, and as further detailed later herein, the top side of base plate 104 is configured to receive the bottom side of coil housing 108 to tightly mount coil housing 108, the top side of coil housing 108 is configured to receive the bottom side of Thomson coil 10 to tightly mount Thomson coil 10, and the bottom side of cover plate 102 is configured to engage the top side of coil housing 108 and surround the top side of Thomson coil 10 to ensure that Thomson coil 10 remains fixed within coil housing 108 during manufacturing of the insulating layer. After base plate 104, coil housing 108, Thomson coil 10, and cover plate 102 are installed as described above, fasteners 106 are inserted through apertures 103 and 105 and appropriately secured to ensure that the components of assembly 100 remain fixedly coupled to each other.

[0035] It should be noted that since the Thomson coil 10 is circular, the coil housing 108 is circular. Therefore, several features of the coil housing 108, which are described in detail later herein, are described and referred to in terms of properties inherent to a circle (including, but not limited to, "diameter," "circumference," etc.). However, to the extent that it may be desirable to produce an insulating layer for a Thomson coil having another planar, non-circular shape, it will be apparent from the detailed description of the disclosed concept that the designs disclosed herein for a circular Thomson coil 10 and a correspondingly circular coil housing 108 can be readily adapted to other planar shapes without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept.

[0036] As in Figure 1A and Figure 1C As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the top side of the substrate 104 is formed with a recess 111, and as shown in FIG. Figure 1Cand Figure 2B As can be seen in FIG, the bottom side of the coil housing 108 is formed with a protrusion 112, which is formed in the same shape as the recess 111 and is configured to fit tightly in the recess 111, so that the substrate 104 can tightly fit the coil housing 108. Figure 1A , Figure 3A (showing the top side of the Thomson coil 10) and Figure 3B As can be seen in FIG. 1 (showing the bottom side of the Thomson coil 10 ), the Thomson coil 10 includes a coiled planar portion 11 and two leads 12 extending laterally away from the center of the planar portion 11 (at Figure 1A 1 ), one lead is numbered 12A and the other lead is numbered 12B), where each lead 12 is one end of a conductor used to form the planar portion 11. Lead 12A can be considered to be the beginning of the outermost turn of the Thomson coil 10, and as the conductor is wound into smaller and smaller concentric rings to form the planar portion 11, lead 12B is routed from the center of the planar portion 11 to be positioned adjacent to and below the bottom side of the planar portion 11, and extends laterally beyond the outer edge of the planar portion 11. It should be understood that the leads 12 are proportionally long enough to be connected to a current source, such as when the Thomson coil 10 is placed in a circuit interrupter for operation, for example but not limited thereto.

[0037] As in Figure 1A and Figure 2A As can be seen in the top side of the coil housing 108, the top side of the coil housing 108 includes a central opening 113 and a groove 114. The groove 114 extends between the central opening 113 and the lateral edges of the coil housing 108, so that one end of the groove 114 is adjacent to the central opening 113, and the bottom surface of the groove 114 is disposed above the bottom side of the coil housing 108 and below the flat coil mounting surface 115 of the coil housing 108. Therefore, the groove 114 is constructed and positioned to receive the two leads 12 of the Thomson coil 10, and enables the bottom side of the coil planar portion 11 to be flat on the coil mounting surface 115, so that the coil 10 can be mounted on the top side of the coil housing 108.

[0038] like Figure 2A As shown in , the coil housing 108 includes a flange 116 that extends upward from the coil mounting surface 115, thereby forming a lip 117 around the flange 116, wherein the outer circumference of the flange 116 coincides with the inner circumference of the lip 117. Figure 2A and Figure 1D In the view shown in FIG. 1 , it can be seen that the top surface of the lip 117 is coplanar with the coil mounting surface 115. The flange 116 is proportionally fitted around the circumference of the Thomson coil 10. The flange 116 is also formed with a plurality of alignment grooves 118 ( Figure 2A), a plurality of alignment grooves are configured to receive corresponding alignment tabs (described in detail later herein) of the cover plate 102. Each alignment groove 118 is formed as a cutout in the top of the flange 116, such that the bottom surface of the alignment groove 118 is disposed above the lip 117 and the coil mounting surface 115, and such that the alignment groove 118 extends between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the flange 116.

[0039] Reference now Figure 4 The bottom side of the cover plate 102 is formed with a circular depression 120, which extends upward relative to the bottom flat surface 121 of the cover plate 102, so that the circular surface 122 of the circular depression 120 is arranged above the bottom flat surface 121 (it should be noted that the term "upward" is based on the Figure 1A 1 and 2 in the drawings). For reasons that will become apparent later herein, the circular surface 122 is hereinafter referred to as the "flow channel surface 122". The circular recess 120 is configured to receive the coil housing flange 116 so that when the cover plate 102 is installed on the coil housing 108, the flow channel surface 122 engages the top surface of the flange 116, as shown in FIG. Figure 1D The upward extension of the circular depression 120 relative to the bottom flat surface 121 enables the flow channel surface 122 to be disposed above the Thomson coil 10 in the assembly 100, as shown in FIG. Figure 1D As shown in . Still refer to Figure 1D , when the cover plate 102 is mounted on the coil housing 108, a chamber 123 is formed due to the engagement between the flow channel surface 122 and the flange 116. The coil mounting surface 115 of the coil housing 108 forms the bottom of the chamber 123, and the flow channel surface 122 of the cover plate 102 forms the top of the chamber 123. In the inside-to-outside dimension, the chamber 123 extends between a downwardly projecting edge 128 (described in detail later herein) of the cover plate 102 and the flange 116 of the coil housing 108.

[0040] Reference again Figure 4 The bottom side of the cover plate 102 is also formed with a plurality of alignment tabs 124, wherein each alignment tab 124 is configured to be inserted into the alignment groove 118 ( Figure 2A ). Although the cover plate 102 and the coil housing 108 are depicted in the drawings as having two alignment tabs 124 and two alignment grooves 118, respectively, it should be understood that these components may be formed with less than or more than two alignment tabs 124 and alignment grooves 118 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept. Inserting the alignment tab 124 into the alignment groove 118 prevents the cover plate 102 and the coil housing 103 from moving laterally relative to each other.

[0041] In addition to the features described above, each of the base plate 104, coil housing 108, and cover plate 102 includes features that align with the central axis 3 of the assembly 100 to ensure that all three components are properly centered when the assembly 100 is assembled. Figure 1C Specifically, the substrate 104 includes a central opening 125 and an upwardly protruding edge 126 surrounding the central opening 125 (see Figure 1A and Figure 1C ), the cover plate 102 includes a central opening 127 and a downwardly protruding edge 128 surrounding the central opening 127 (see Figure 1A , Figure 1C and Figure 4 ), and the coil housing 108 includes a central opening 113 (see Figure 1C as well as FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B ), the central opening is configured to receive the upwardly projecting edge 126 and the downwardly projecting edge 128. The downwardly projecting edge 128 is also configured to be received by the central opening 14 of the Thomson coil 10.

[0042] The upwardly protruding edge 126 and the downwardly protruding edge 128 are configured to serve as guide portions for guiding the coil housing 108 to be correctly installed on the substrate 104 and the cover plate 102 to be correctly installed on the coil housing 108, respectively. The upwardly protruding edge 126 and the downwardly protruding edge 128 are also configured to receive one of the fasteners 106, which can be referred to as a central fastener 106' (because it is aligned with the central axis 3 when inserted into the upwardly protruding edge 126 and the downwardly protruding edge 128). After the central fastener 106' is inserted into the upwardly protruding edge 126 and the downwardly protruding edge 128, the central fastener can be properly fixed to couple the substrate 104, the coil housing 108, the Thomson coil 10, and the cover plate 102 to each other during the insulating layer manufacturing process, and to maintain the central openings 127, 14, 113, 125 aligned with the central axis 3. Additionally, it should be noted that the downwardly projecting rim 128 of the cover plate 102 is configured to fit tightly within the central opening 113 of the coil housing to prevent liquid epoxy from flowing downwardly underneath the Thomson coil 10 during the process of producing the insulation layer, as described in detail later herein.

[0043] Reference again Figure 4 And combined with Figure 1D One of the advantageous features of the assembly 100 is the plurality of ribs 130 formed on the bottom side of the cover plate 102. Figure 1D As best shown in FIG. 1 , each rib 130 extends downwardly relative to the flow passage surface 122 of the circular depression 120. Figure 1DAs shown in FIG. 1 , when the Thomson coil 10 and the cover plate 102 are mounted on the coil housing 108, the bottom surface of each rib 130 engages the top surface of the Thomson coil 10, while the flow channel surface 122 of the cover plate 102 is kept spaced apart from the top surface of the Thomson coil 10 by a distance 131 (the distance 131 may also be referred to as "height 131" hereinafter, depending on the context). The space between the ribs 130 (i.e., the space of height 131 between the flow channel surface 122 and the Thomson coil 10 in the chamber 123) forms a material flow channel 133 (at Figure 1D , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The proportion and position of each rib 130 are designed to fix multiple turns 15 of the Thomson coil 10 at one time (turns 15 in Figure 1D In addition to holding the turns 15 of the Thomson coil 10 in place to ensure that the planar portion 11 forms a flat surface, the bottom surface of the rib 130 contacts a relatively small portion of the surface area of ​​the Thomson coil 10, thereby minimizing the surface area that cannot be covered by the injected insulating material.

[0044] refer to Figure 4 And combined with Figure 2A It should be noted that the cover plate 102 and the coil housing 108 are each formed with corresponding material injection cutouts 134, 135, and when the cover plate 102 is mounted on the coil housing 108, the material injection cutouts 134, 135 are aligned with each other to form a material injection path 136. The material injection path 136 is Figure 5 However, it should be noted that Figure 5 Only the bottom portion of the material injection path 136 can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. The material injection path 136 forms a passage from the outside of the component 100 to the chamber 123 (the chamber is Figure 1D ) and specifically one of the material flow channels 133 of the chamber 123. Therefore, the material injection path 136 is in fluid communication with the material flow channel 133 and is configured to receive a high-pressure injector that can inject a liquid insulation molding material (such as, but not limited to, liquid epoxy resin) into the chamber 123 to form the insulation layer of the Thomson coil 10. For the sake of brevity, the liquid insulation molding material will be referred to as liquid epoxy resin hereinafter, but it should be understood that liquid materials other than epoxy resin can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept, as long as the material can be hardened into a solid and has sufficient insulation capability to be used with the Thomson coil 10.

[0045] exist Figure 1D and Figure 5 1, it can be seen that there is a space 141 between the outer edge of the Thomson coil 10 and the inner circumference of the coil housing flange 116. This space 141 is hereinafter referred to as the "material flow passage 141". It should be noted that the width of the passage 141 varies in the lateral dimension. In addition, there is a gap 143 between all adjacent turns 15 of the Thomson coil 10 (see Figure 1D ), each gap 143 is hereinafter referred to as a "coil turn gap 143". When liquid epoxy is injected into the chamber 123 through the material injection path 136, the liquid epoxy flows through the material flow channel 133 onto the top surface of the Thomson coil 10, enters the material flow passage 141, and enters the coil turn gap 143. The epoxy filling the material flow passage 141 is used to keep the Thomson coil 10 fixed in place within the coil housing 108.

[0046] The cover plate 102 is also formed with an overflow cutout 145 ( Figure 4 ), the overflow cutout is positioned to align with the groove 114 ( Figure 2A ) are aligned with at least the lateral ends of the cover plate 102 to form an overflow passage 147 ( Figure 5 ). Overflow passage 147 allows chamber 123 ( Figure 1D ) can be in fluid communication with the exterior of assembly 100. Chamber 123 is configured so that after epoxy has been injected into chamber 123 and has filled all of material flow channels 133, material flow passages 141, and coil turn gaps 143, any excess epoxy will flow out of chamber 123 to the exterior of assembly 100 through overflow passage 147.

[0047] Once the epoxy injection is complete and the liquid epoxy has cured, the insulating layer is complete. The final product of the insulating manufacturing process using assembly 100 is a monolithic structure including a Thomson coil 10 mounted in coil housing 108 and coupled to the coil housing via epoxy, wherein the cured epoxy layer coats the Thomson coil 10, and the final product is hereinafter referred to as "contained and insulated Thomson coil 10'" (not shown). After the epoxy has cured, fasteners 106 are removed from assembly 100, cover plate 102 is disengaged from the top of coil housing 108, and coil housing 108 is disengaged from base plate 104.

[0048] Before the components of the assembly 100 are coupled together and epoxy is injected into the material injection path 136, a release primer is applied to the surface of the cover plate 102 to facilitate easy removal of the cover plate 102 from the epoxy-coated Thomson coil 10 and the coil housing 108 after the manufacturing process is completed. In addition, the downwardly protruding edge 128 of the cover plate 102 prevents epoxy from flowing into the central opening 14 of the coil and the central opening 113 of the coil housing 108 to facilitate easy removal of the cover plate 102 and the substrate 104 after the manufacturing process is completed.

[0049] If desired, any areas of the contained and insulated Thomson coil 10' not covered by the epoxy (i.e., those areas of the top side of the Thomson coil 10 engaged by the ribs 130 of the cover plate 102) may be filled with an insulating material using any suitable method (e.g., but not limited to, by overmolding, or using insulating tape or insulating plastic parts). However, in some cases, depending on the type of wire conductor used to form the Thomson coil, it may not be necessary to fill the uncovered areas. For example, wires typically include a thin film insulator, and many include an insulating finish (such as varnish or shellac) surrounding the conductive portions of the wire, which may eliminate the need to fill the areas of the Thomson coil 10 engaged by the ribs 130. However, shellac is particularly likely to crack, so it may be desirable to fill the gaps on the top surface of the Thomson coil 10 with epoxy, even if the wire includes an insulating finish.

[0050] It should be noted that Figure 5 The location of the material injection path 136 shown in FIG. 1 is representative, and the material injection path may be formed elsewhere in the assembly 100 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept. Figure 6 In one non-limiting illustrative example shown in , assembly 100 includes cover plate 102' instead of cover plate 102, and includes coil housing 108' instead of coil housing 108. (It should be noted that coil housing 108' is different from Figure 7 ) Because the cover plate 102' alternatively includes a through hole 137 extending from the top side of the cover plate 102' to the bottom side of the cover plate 102', the cover plate 102' does not include the material injection cutout 134, and the coil housing 108' does not include the material injection cutout 135. The through hole 137 is an alternative embodiment of the material injection path 136 and enables a high pressure epoxy injector to deposit epoxy directly into one of the material flow channels 133 from a position located above the top side of the Thomson coil 10. This manufacturing method allows for precise control of the thickness of the epoxy insulation layer on the top of the Thomson coil 10, which is an important factor in the performance of the Thomson coil 10. It should be noted that the through hole 137 is an alternative embodiment of the material injection path 136. Figure 61 is not drawn to scale and is depicted larger than its actual size to depict the access path to the top side of the Thomson coil 10 provided by the through hole 137 .

[0051] Reference now Figures 7 and 8 , shows an insulation manufacturing assembly 200 according to another embodiment of the disclosed concept, the insulation manufacturing assembly 200 being configured to produce an insulation layer for a Thomson coil 10 using a potting process. For the sake of brevity, the insulation manufacturing assembly 200 is hereinafter referred to as "assembly 200". Assembly 200 is identical to assembly 100 in several aspects, with only the cover plate 202 of assembly 200 being significantly different from the cover plate 102 of assembly 100. Therefore, in Figures 7 and 8 In the present invention, those features of component 200 that correspond structurally and functionally to features of component 100 are used in conjunction with Figures 1A to 6 The same reference numerals as used in the reference numerals in the drawings are numbered, but increased by 100. For example, but not limitation, the assembly 200 includes a base plate 202 and fasteners 206 that are the same as the base plate 102 and fasteners 106 of the assembly 100. The coil housing 208 is the same as the coil housing 108, except that the coil housing 208 does not include a material injection cutout. (As previously described in conjunction with Figure 6 As described in the description of the cover plate 102' and the coil housing 108' shown in FIG. Figure 7 ).

[0052] In addition, the components of assembly 200 are configured to be coupled together in the same manner as the components of assembly 100 before the insulation layer manufacturing process begins. It should be noted that assembly 200 is configured to produce an insulation layer for a Thomson coil 10 of the same type as assembly 100. For the sake of brevity, those features of assembly 200 that are structurally and functionally identical to the features of assembly 100 will not be described below. Only the features of cover plate 202 will be described in detail, and it should be understood that all other components of assembly 200 are structurally and functionally identical to their correspondingly numbered components of assembly 100.

[0053] Reference now Figure 8 . Unlike assembly 100, assembly 200 is configured to manufacture the insulating layer of Thomson coil 10 using a potting process rather than a high-pressure injection process. Therefore, the components of assembly 200 do not include features corresponding to the material injection cutouts 134, 135 and material injection path 136 of assembly 100. Instead, cover plate 202 includes several large openings 251, each of which serves as a potting section into which epoxy resin can be poured. Opening 251 may be referred to as "potting section 251" hereinafter as the context requires.

[0054] Although shaped and positioned differently from the ribs 130 of the cover plate, the cover plate 202 also includes a plurality of ribs 230, including both a plurality of partition ribs 230A and partial ribs 230B (described in further detail later herein). When the Thomson coil 10 and the cover plate 202 are mounted on the coil housing 208, the bottom surface of each rib 230 engages the top surface of the Thomson coil 10, and is proportioned and positioned to be able to fix a plurality of turns 15 of the Thomson coil 10 at one time to ensure that the Thomson coil 10 forms a flat surface when the epoxy resin layer is formed, that is, so that the turns 15 are flat relative to each other. Although the cover plate 202 is depicted in the figure as including four partition ribs 230A and four partial ribs 230B, it should be understood that more or less than four ribs 230A and 230B may be included in the cover plate 202 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept.

[0055] The partition ribs 230A extend from the lateral boundaries 252 of the cover plate 202 to the downwardly protruding edges 228 (aligned with the central axis 3) that receive the central fastener 206', wherein the partition ribs 230A form different potting sections 251 such that the interior of each potting section 251 is isolated from the interior of each other potting section 253. It should be understood that the number of potting sections 251 depends on the number of partition ribs 230A.

[0056] Within each potting segment 251 is a partial rib 230B that extends from the lateral boundary 252 toward the downwardly protruding edge 228 but does not reach the downwardly protruding edge 228. For each partial rib 230B, the end that is not connected to the lateral boundary 252 is a free end 254. The gap between each of the free ends 254 and the downwardly protruding edge 228 serves as a material flow channel 233 that allows epoxy poured into one area of ​​the potting segment 251 to flow and fill the entire potting segment 251. It should be understood that more than one partial rib 230B may be included in each potting segment 251 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept.

[0057] Once the epoxy is poured and the liquid epoxy has cured, the insulating layer is complete. The final product of the insulating manufacturing process using assembly 200 is a Thomson coil 10 mounted in coil housing 208 and coupled to the coil housing by epoxy, wherein the cured epoxy layer coats the Thomson coil 10, and the final product is hereinafter referred to as "contained and insulated Thomson coil 10" (not shown). After the epoxy has cured, fasteners 206 are removed from assembly 200, cover plate 202 is detached from the top of coil housing 208, and coil housing 208 is detached from base plate 204.

[0058] Before the components of the assembly 200 are coupled together and epoxy resin is poured into each of the potting sections 251, a release primer is applied to the surface of the cover plate 202 to facilitate easy removal of the cover plate 202 from the epoxy-coated Thomson coil 10 and the coil housing 208 after the epoxy resin has solidified. After pouring the epoxy resin, the assembly 200 is placed in a vacuum chamber to eliminate any bubbles that may be formed during the pouring of the epoxy resin. It should be understood that it is more difficult to achieve a uniform thickness of the insulating layer by potting using the assembly 200 than by the injection process performed using the assembly 100, so after the epoxy resin has solidified, the cover plate 202 is removed from the contained and insulated coil 10 '', and the potted epoxy resin layer is machined so that the epoxy resin layer has a uniform thickness. It should be understood that the potted epoxy resin layer can be homogenized using sanding, grinding or any other method suitable for flattening the surface.

[0059] Similar to the contained and insulated coil 10', any areas of the contained and insulated Thomson coil 10" not covered by the epoxy (i.e., those areas of the top side of the Thomson coil 10 engaged by the ribs 230 of the cover plate 202) may be filled with insulating material if desired using any suitable method (e.g., but not limited to, by overmolding, or using insulating tape or insulating plastic parts).

[0060] While there are clear differences between the structures of cover plate 202 and cover plate 102, assemblies 100 and 200 share significant common features. Ribs 130 and 230 enable epoxy to flow freely through material flow channels 133 and 233 while ensuring that all turns 15 of the Thomson coil remain flat and minimizing the exposed surface area of ​​the Thomson coil 10 that is prevented from being covered by epoxy during the injection or potting process. Both assemblies 100 and 200 contribute to greatly improved large-scale and automated manufacturing of contained and insulated Thomson coils with uniform insulation layers.

[0061] Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions to these details may be developed based on the overall teachings of the present disclosure. Therefore, the specific arrangements disclosed are intended to be illustrative only and not to limit the scope of the disclosed concept, which will be given by the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An insulation manufacturing assembly for manufacturing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil, the insulation manufacturing assembly comprising: substrate; a coil housing configured to mount the Thomson coil; a cover plate including a plurality of ribs and a plurality of flow channels; as well as a plurality of fasteners for fastening the cover plate, the coil housing and the base plate to each other, The coil housing is mounted on the substrate and the cover is mounted on the coil housing. wherein the rib is configured to engage the turns of the Thomson coil and secure the turns in place such that the turns form a flat surface, and The flow channel is configured to enable the liquid epoxy resin to flow around the ribs and cover a top surface of the Thomson coil away from the coil housing.

2. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 1, in, The coil housing includes a central opening configured to align with a central opening of the Thomson coil, wherein the base plate includes an upwardly projecting edge that is tightly inserted into the central opening of the coil housing, wherein the cover plate includes a downwardly protruding edge that is tightly inserted into the central opening of the coil housing, and wherein the upwardly projecting edge and the downwardly projecting edge are aligned with each other such that one of the plurality of fasteners is inserted through the downwardly projecting edge, the central opening of the Thomson coil, the central opening of the coil housing, and the upwardly projecting edge.

3. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 2, in, The coil housing is configured to mount a bottom surface of the Thomson coil, the bottom surface of the Thomson coil being disposed opposite to a top surface of the Thomson coil, wherein the cover plate comprises a flow channel surface, wherein the flow channel surface is configured to face the top surface of the Thomson coil, wherein the ribs extend from the flow channel surface toward the top surface of the Thomson coil, and wherein the flow channel surface is configured such that the flow channel is disposed between the ribs, and there is one continuous space formed to include the flow channel.

4. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 2, in, The coil housing includes a top side facing the cover plate and a bottom side facing the base plate and arranged opposite to the top side. wherein the top side of the coil housing is formed with a coil mounting surface, a flange and a lip, such that the flange surrounds the coil mounting surface and the lip surrounds the flange, wherein the flange is formed with an injection cutout, wherein the injection port is configured to receive a high pressure epoxy resin syringe, and The flow channel is configured to allow the injected liquid epoxy resin to flow freely along the top surface of the Thomson coil, into any space between the turns of the Thomson coil, and into any space between the outermost edge of the coil and the coil housing.

5. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 2, in, The cover plate includes a flow channel surface configured to face a top surface of the Thomson coil, wherein the ribs extend from the flow channel surface toward the top surface of the Thomson coil, wherein the cover plate comprises a through hole extending from the top side of the cover plate to the bottom side of the cover plate and arranged between the ribs, and The through hole is configured such that injecting the liquid epoxy resin into the through hole enables the liquid epoxy resin to flow through the flow channel.

6. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 2, in, The downwardly projecting rim is configured to prevent the liquid epoxy from flowing into the central opening of the Thomson coil and the central opening of the coil housing.

7. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 2, in, The coil housing is configured to mount a bottom surface of the Thomson coil, the bottom surface of the Thomson coil being disposed opposite to a top surface of the Thomson coil, wherein the cover plate comprises a plurality of partition ribs and a central portion having the downwardly protruding edge, wherein the partition rib extends from the border of the cover plate to the central portion, wherein the partition ribs form a plurality of potting sections, so that the interior of each potting section is isolated from the interior of each other potting section, wherein each potting segment comprises at least one partial rib extending from the border portion but not reaching the central portion, and The cover plate is configured such that the flow channel only allows the liquid epoxy resin poured into a given potting section to flow within the given potting section.

8. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 7, in, The downwardly projecting rim is configured to prevent the liquid epoxy from flowing into the central opening of the Thomson coil and the central opening of the coil housing.

9. An insulation manufacturing assembly for manufacturing an insulation layer for a Thomson coil, the insulation manufacturing assembly comprising: substrate; A coil housing, configured to mount the Thomson coil, the coil housing comprising: a coil mounting surface having a central opening; and a groove disposed adjacent to the central opening; A cover plate, the cover plate comprising: multiple ribs; a plurality of flow channels; and Overflow cut; a plurality of fasteners for fastening the cover plate, the coil housing and the base plate to each other, The coil housing is mounted on the substrate and the cover is mounted on the coil housing. wherein the rib is configured to engage the turns of the Thomson coil and secure the turns in place such that the turns form a flat surface, wherein the flow channel is configured to enable liquid epoxy resin to flow around the ribs and cover a top surface of the Thomson coil away from the coil housing, and The overflow cutout is aligned with the groove so that excess liquid epoxy resin can flow out of the insulation manufacturing assembly.

10. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 9, in, The groove is disposed below the coil mounting surface and is configured to receive any leads of the Thomson coil disposed below a planar portion of the Thomson coil.

11. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 9, in, The cover plate further includes a bottom flat surface and a flow channel surface disposed above the bottom flat surface, The plurality of ribs extend downwardly from the flow channel surface such that a bottom surface of each rib is disposed above the bottom flat surface.

12. The insulation manufacturing assembly according to claim 11, in, The overflow cutout is formed in the bottom planar surface.

Images