Improved device, motor or stator

Abstract

Motor for use in a washing machine, comprising: a stator (100), comprising: a core (108) made of magnetically permeable material, comprising an annular ring section (104) having an inner diameter of 120 mm to 250 mm and a radial width (134) of 5 mm to 15 mm, 27 radially extending poles (102) spaced apart around the outer circumference of the annular ring section (104), the poles (102) extending outwards from the annular ring by a distance of 15 mm to 40 mm, three phase windings, each winding comprising a plurality of coils arranged on one third of the pole cores (109), the windings on the pole cores (109) being arranged such that each pole core (109) is assigned only one winding, which is different from the winding assigned to each of two immediately adjacent pole cores (109). is,and the two immediately adjacent pole cores (109) are assigned to different windings, an insulator that insulates the pole cores from the windings, a rotor (36) that is concentric to the stator (100), with a permanent magnet ring (38) outside the stator (100) and rotor poles that point towards the ends of the stator poles (102), wherein the ratio of rotor poles to stator poles (102) is 4:3.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to electric motors and magnetic elements for use in such motors, and in particular to motors with an external rotor of a type used as the main drive motor for a household washing machine or other device. Background of the invention.

[0002] The present invention relates to motors, in particular for use in washing machines. The motors are of a type comprising an inner stator with radially extending stator poles and an external rotor with inwardly pointing rotor poles. In motors with a 4:3 ratio of rotor poles to stator poles, for use with direct-drive washing machines, more than 30 stator poles have been typical. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a stator, a motor containing a stator, or a washing machine containing a motor that improves upon conventional technology or at least offers a useful choice to the public or industry.

[0004] In one aspect, the present invention largely consists of a stator comprising: a core made of magnetically permeable material, containing an annular ring with an inner circumference between 120 mm and 250 mm in diameter and a width between 5 mm and 15 mm; 24 or 27 radially extending poles spaced apart around the circumference of the annular ring, the poles extending outwards from the annular ring by a distance of between 15 mm and 40 mm; three phase windings, each winding comprising a plurality of coils arranged on one-third of the pole cores, the windings on the pole cores being arranged such that each pole core is assigned only one winding, which differs from the winding assigned to each of two immediately adjacent pole cores, and the two immediately adjacent pole cores are assigned different windings.an insulator that isolates the pole cores from the windings.

[0005] According to another aspect, the core has a depth between 10 mm and 35 mm.

[0006] According to another aspect, the ring-shaped structure on an insulator is at least largely encapsulated.

[0007] According to another aspect, the insulator is a molded plastic material over the pole cores and the ring-shaped ring.

[0008] According to another aspect, the diameter of the inner circumference of the annular ring is between 150 mm and 230 mm.

[0009] According to another aspect, the diameter of the inner circumference of the annular ring is between 200 mm and 220 mm.

[0010] According to another aspect, the width of the annular ring is between 5 mm and 10 mm.

[0011] According to another aspect, the width of the annular ring is between 7 mm and 10 mm.

[0012] According to another aspect, the depth or thickness of the annular ring is between 12 mm and 15 mm.

[0013] According to another aspect, the depth or thickness of the annular ring is between 17 mm and 23 mm.

[0014] According to another aspect, the core has at least one stack of lamellae, in which each lamella lies in a plane that is essentially parallel to the plane of the annular ring.

[0015] According to another aspect, the lamella stack(s) has a stack formed from a helically wound steel strip, such that each layer in the stack has one turn in the screw.

[0016] According to another aspect, the steel strip contains a band that forms the annular ring and elongated sections that form the pole cores.

[0017] According to another aspect, the lamella stack(s) has several stacks connected at their ends, each stack containing a segment of the annular ring and one or more extending polar cores.

[0018] According to another aspect, each segment of the annular ring is connected to neighboring segments of the annular ring by interlocking shapes at the adjacent ends (such as a dovetail joint).

[0019] According to another aspect, each segment contains a plurality of radially extending polar cores.

[0020] According to another aspect, the stator contains 27 radially extending pole cores, and the core has 6 stacks, 3 stacks with 5 radially extending pole cores each and 3 stacks with 4 radially extending pole cores each.

[0021] According to another aspect, the stator has only 27 radially extending pole cores.

[0022] According to another aspect, the stator contains a plurality of mounting points for attaching the stator to a machine, each mounting point being centered at a distance radially within the inner surface of the annular ring of the core, this distance being greater than the length over which the pole cores extend beyond the outer surface of the annular ring.

[0023] According to another aspect, the mounting points for attaching the stator to the machine have centers more than 40 mm from the center of the stator.

[0024] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 40 mm and 80 mm from the center of the stator.

[0025] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 50 mm and 75 mm from the center of the stator.

[0026] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 60 mm and 70 mm from the center of the stator.

[0027] According to another aspect, the stator contains a plate section that extends inwards from the annular ring to cover an area within the circumference of the ring and which contains the mounting points.

[0028] According to another aspect, the fastening points have openings through the plate section.

[0029] According to another aspect, the plate section is ring-shaped and occupies an area between the ring-shaped ring and a circular opening, which is arranged at a distance inwards from the fastening points.

[0030] According to another aspect, the plate contains at least one essentially frustoconical surface in an area between the fixing points and the annular ring.

[0031] According to another aspect, the plate contains at least two essentially frustoconical sections between the attachment points and the annular ring, the frustoconical sections being joined to form a circular rib (when viewed from one side of the stator) and a valley (when viewed from the other side of the stator).

[0032] According to another aspect, the height of the rib or valley is less than the height of the ring-shaped ridge.

[0033] In another aspect, the present invention largely consists of a stator comprising: a core made of magnetically permeable material, containing an annular ring with an inner circumference between 120 mm and 250 mm in diameter and a width between 5 mm and 15 mm; a plurality of radially extending poles spaced apart from each other and around the circumference of the annular ring, the poles extending between 15 mm and 40 mm outwards from the annular ring; three phase windings, each winding comprising a plurality of coils arranged on one-third of the pole cores; an insulator isolating the pole cores from the windings; and a plurality of mounting points for attaching the stator to a machine, each mounting point being centered at a distance radially within the inner surface of the annular ring of the core, this distance being greater than the length of the core.around which the pole cores extend beyond the outer surface of the annular ring, and more than 40 mm from the center of the stator.

[0034] According to another aspect, the mounting points for attaching the stator to the machine have centers more than 40 mm from the center of the stator.

[0035] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 40 mm and 80 mm from the center of the stator.

[0036] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 50 mm and 75 mm from the center of the stator.

[0037] According to another aspect, the mounting points are located between 60 mm and 70 mm from the center of the stator.

[0038] According to another aspect, the stator contains a plate section that extends inwards from the annular ring to occupy an area within the circumference of the ring, and which provides the mounting points.

[0039] According to another aspect, the fastening points have openings through the plate section.

[0040] According to another aspect, the plate section is ring-shaped and occupies an area between the ring-shaped ring and a circular opening at a distance inwards from the mounting points.

[0041] According to another aspect, the plate contains at least one essentially frustoconical surface in an area between the mounting points and the annular ring.

[0042] According to another aspect, the plate contains at least two essentially frustoconical sections between the mounting points and the annular ring, the frustoconical sections being joined to form a circular rib (when viewed from one side of the stator) and a valley (when viewed from the other side of the stator).

[0043] According to another aspect, the height of the rib or valley is less than the height of the ring-shaped ridge.

[0044] In another aspect, it can be said that the present invention largely consists of a motor for use in a washing machine, wherein the motor comprises: a stator as described above, a rotor which is concentric to the stator, with a permanent magnet ring outside the stator and rotor poles which point towards the ends of the stator poles.

[0045] According to another aspect, the rotor comprises a plurality of magnetic elements with two side edges, each with magnetic domains that are anisotropically aligned to form a domain alignment pattern, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged to form a permanent magnet ring with an inner surface and an outer surface, a rigid support that holds the magnetic elements in the ring arrangement, wherein the magnetic domain alignment pattern in each magnetic element has an orientation that changes substantially continuously through at least a portion of the magnetic element between its side edges from an orientation having a predominantly radial component at one pole of the magnetic element to an orientation having at least some tangential component at one side edge of the magnetic element, wherein the magnetic elements are magnetized such that they generate a resulting magnetic flux field.

[0046] According to another aspect, one or more of the magnetic elements has a chamfer at an intersection of each side edge with the front edge, wherein the front edge is the edge on the inner surface of the rotor.

[0047] According to another aspect, the orientation of the magnetic domain alignment pattern has a significant tangential component at both side edges, resulting in a magnetic domain alignment pattern that has an orientation of at least 15 degrees with respect to the side edges.

[0048] According to another aspect, the orientation via the magnetic element does not change in a linear fashion.

[0049] According to another aspect, the resulting magnetic flux field has poles of alternating polarity spaced apart around the ring, the poles being radially aligned with respect to the permanent magnet ring, and wherein the resulting magnetic flux field of the permanent magnet ring is transverse between adjacent poles of opposite polarities and focused between these poles to extend beyond the boundary defined by the inner surface, but remains at least partially confined within the boundary defined by the outer surface of the permanent magnet ring.

[0050] According to another aspect, the section of the resulting magnetic flux field between adjacent poles, extending beyond the boundary defined by the inner surface of the permanent magnet ring magnet element, has an orientation that continuously changes, wherein: between the poles the orientation changes from an orientation having a predominantly radial component at the pole to an orientation having a predominantly tangential component at the midpoint between the poles, and the orientation, extending radially from the inner surface, changes from an orientation having a predominantly radial component at an inner surface to an orientation having an increasingly tangential component with increasing distance from the inner surface.

[0051] In another aspect, it can be said that the present invention largely consists of a washing machine which includes an electronically commutated motor as described above, wherein the stator is coupled to a non-rotating trough or housing of the washing machine, and wherein the rotor is coupled to a rotating drum of the washing machine.

[0052] According to another aspect, the washing machine is a top-loading washing machine that has an outer shell, a trough suspended in the outer shell, and a rotating drum in the trough.

[0053] According to another aspect, the washing machine is a horizontal axis washing machine that has an outer shell, a rotating drum housing and a rotating drum inside the housing.

[0054] According to another aspect, the washing machine is a horizontal axis washing machine with top-loading access, which has an outer shell, a trough and a rotating drum inside the trough.

[0055] In this description, where reference is made to patent descriptions, other external documents, or other sources of information, this generally serves the purpose of providing context for the discussion of the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an acknowledgment that these documents or other sources of information constitute prior art in any jurisdiction or form part of the generally accepted knowledge of the art.

[0056] The term “comprehensive,” as used in this description, means “consists at least partially of.” Related terms such as “encompass” and “includes” are to be interpreted in the same way.

[0057] A reference to a range of numbers revealed herein (for example, 1 to 10) shall also include a reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10), and also to every range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7).

[0058] Experts in the relevant field will themselves propose numerous design modifications and widely varying embodiments and applications of the invention without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The disclosures and descriptions herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Brief description of the drawings

[0059] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the stator of Fig. 1.

[0061] Fig. 3 is a side view of the stator of Fig. 2.

[0062] Fig. 4 is a cross-section through line BB of Fig. 3.

[0063] Fig. 5 is a cross-section through line CC of Fig. 4.

[0064] Fig. Figure 6 is a top view of a laminated core used for the stator of Fig. 1 is suitable.

[0065] Fig. Figure 7 is a top view of an alternative laminated stator core used for the stator of Fig. 1 is suitable.

[0066] Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view from one side of the rotor, which (to adapt to the number of rotor poles) is used with the stator of Fig. 1 is suitable.

[0067] Fig. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the rotor of Fig. 8 from the other side.

[0068] Fig. Figure 10 is a perspective view of another rotor, which (with adjustment of the number of rotor poles) is for use with the stator of Fig. 1 is suitable.

[0069] Fig. Figure 11 is a perspective view of another rotor, which (with adjustment of the number of rotor poles) is for use with the stator of Fig. 1 is suitable.

[0070] Fig. Figure 12 shows a schematic section view of a vertical axis washing machine which may contain a stator and / or motor according to the present invention.

[0071] Fig. Figure 13 shows a schematic view of a horizontal axis washing machine with front access, which may contain the stator and / or motor according to the present invention.

[0072] Fig. Figure 14 shows a schematic view of a horizontal axis washing machine with top or inclined access, which may contain the stator and / or motor according to the present invention.

[0073] Fig. Figure 15 shows a schematic view of a horizontal axis washing machine with inclined access, which may contain the stator and / or motor according to the present invention.

[0074] Fig. Figure 16 is a perspective view of a conventional stator.

[0075] Fig. Figure 17 is a perspective view of a conventional rotor. Detailed description of preferred designs

[0076] A stator according to one embodiment of the present invention is in the Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 shown.

[0077] The stator 100 has 27 poles 102 The stator generally contains an annular ring section. 104 , an assembly section 106within the ring section and a majority of Poles 102 , extending radially from the outer surface of the annular ring section 104 extend.

[0078] In its construction, the stator generally comprises a magnetically permeable core. 108 , an insulator structure that surrounds or largely surrounds the core, as well as conductive windings that are on the poles 102 are arranged.

[0079] In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating structure comprises a plastic layer molded over the magnetically permeable core. The molded plastic covers at least those parts of the core that support and position the conductive windings. In the illustrated embodiment, the plastic covers all radially extending pole cores, except for the outer end surfaces. 118 In an alternative version, the insulating plastic can also cover the end surfaces of the pole cores.

[0080] Holes or partial holes 110 These can extend through the plastic to the ring-shaped section of the stator. They can result from pins or other positioning devices used to hold the stator core in place during the forming process.

[0081] The magnetically permeable core 108 It can be formed from any suitable material, including, for example, sintered ferrite powder, but is most preferably formed from steel laminations. In its general form, the laminations of the laminated steel lie in planes that are essentially parallel to the plane of the annular ring of the stator. The top view of Fig. Figure 4 represents the outline shapes of the lamellae, while the cross-section of Fig. 5 edges of the lamellae.

[0082] The laminated steel can, for example, be a fully machined laminated steel with non-oriented grain size and a nominal loss of about 7 w / kg.

[0083] The plastic material used to form the core can be any suitable plastic. For example, a suitable material is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), available as "CRASTIN" from DuPont Corporation.

[0084] The stator mounting section 106 includes assembly points that are generally associated with 112 are designated. In the illustrated version, each fastening point contains 112 a mounting hole 114 The mounting holes 114 They may be slotted or otherwise larger than the outer diameter of the fastener that is to be inserted through the mounting holes. This allows for a manufacturing tolerance in the machine to which the stator is attached.

[0085] The assembly section 106can, in addition to the attachment points 112 , a positioning section 116 Included. The positioning section. 116 This can ensure that the stator is aligned concentrically to a shaft of the motor. For example, the positioning section. 116 a circular opening 120 be in the middle of the stator. A lip or a rim. 122 the opening 120 can be positioned on a corresponding feature or features of a bearing housing or a bearing supporting the drive shaft.

[0086] The attachment points 112 (with mounting holes) 114 ) are in the assembly section 106 between opening 120 and the ring-shaped ring section 104In the illustrated embodiment, these mounting points and mounting holes are centered more than 40 mm from the center of the stator. In some embodiments, they can be located more than 45 mm from the center of the stator, more than 50 mm from the center of the stator, more than 55 mm from the center of the stator, more than 60 mm from the center of the stator, and preferably more than 65 mm from the center of the stator, or about 68 mm from the center of the stator.

[0087] The mounting points and fastening holes 114 are located at a distance from the inner surface of the ring-shaped ring section 111 of the core 108 centered, which is greater than the distance by which the radially extending polar sections are separated 109 of the core 108 over the outer surface of the ring-shaped ring section of the core 108extend beyond this. For example, in one design, the mounting holes can be more than 30 mm from the inner surface of the annular ring section of the core. 108 be centered, more than 32 mm, more than 34 mm, and preferably more than 35 mm from the inner surface of the annular ring section of the stator core. The pole sections are located less than 30 mm from the outer surface of the annular ring section of the core. 108 The polar sections can extend more than 30 mm from the outer surface of the annular ring, for example up to 40 mm, in which case the mounting holes can be located more than 40 mm from the inner surface of the annular ring. The polar sections can also extend much less than 30 mm from the outer surface of the annular ring, for example only 15 mm.

[0088] In plan view, each pole section is T-shaped, with a crossbar section of each pole section being supported by a shaft section of each pole section at a distance from the annular ring section of the stator.

[0089] The assembly section 106 The stator can be made entirely of plastic. The mounting section 106 can be done in a process involving the reshaping of the core 108 be formed.

[0090] The assembly section can contain one or more frustoconical sections that are concentric to the annular ring section of the stator. The stator shown contains an inner frustoconical section. 124 and an outer frustoconical section 126 The frustoconical sections 124 and 126 together they form a circular rib 128 (when viewing from one side of the stator as in Fig. 1) and a circular valley130 (when viewed from the other side of the stator in Fig. 2).

[0091] The overall diameter 132 The stator diameter can be approximately 280 mm. In other versions, the diameter can be between 320 and 270 mm, between 290 and 270 mm, or between 290 and 240 mm.

[0092] The width 134 The annular section of the stator core can be approximately 9 mm wide. In other designs, the width of the annular section of the stator core can range between 5 mm and 15 mm.

[0093] The diameter 131 the inner surface of the stator core 108 It can be approximately 208 mm. In other versions, the diameter can be between 230 mm and 190 mm, or between 250 mm and 120 mm.

[0094] The radial distance 133The distance between the mounting points and the center of the stator can be approximately 68 mm. In other designs, the radial distance can be between 40 mm and 80 mm.

[0095] The thickness of the plastic insulator in the area of ​​the radially protruding pole cores can be approximately 1.5 mm. The thickness of the mounting section 106 can be approximately 4 mm near the attachment points 112 to be approximately 3 mm adjacent to the annular section 104 of the stator. The thickness of the mounting section. 106 approximately 2 mm in the area of ​​the frustoconical sections 124 and 126 be.

[0096] Preferably, the motor is wound such that each protruding pole contains a separate conductor winding, with each pole being assigned one of the three phase windings of the motor. Each phase winding is therefore assigned 1 / 3 of the poles of the stator.

[0097] The coils of each pole, assigned to a specific phase winding, are connected in series. The coils of a phase winding can be wound from a single continuous conductor, with the conductor forming a coil from each respective pole in series.

[0098] In the figures, the coils of the windings are represented as amorphous blocks of material. This serves to simplify the representation. In practice, each block shown is a conductor winding. Additional sections of conductor (not shown) connect the coils for a specific phase winding. These conductor sections connect the coils located near the annular section. 104 are arranged. A framework 125 from guideposts 127 and support surfaces 129This supports the arrangement of the conductor's connection sections. According to this arrangement, the first ends of the conductor of each phase winding terminate together at a connector. 117 The second ends of the conductor of each phase winding terminate together at connectors. 119 In different electrical configurations for the motor, it may be preferable for the end pairs to terminate together. In one electrical arrangement for the motor, the phase windings are connected in a star configuration. In this configuration, one end of each of the three windings is connected to a common connector. 117 interconnected.

[0099] In relation to Fig. 6 and Fig. Seven alternative cores are shown, according to different methods for manufacturing a laminate stack. In the Fig. In the arrangement shown in Figure 6, the stator core comprises a laminate formed from a helically wound strip. The strip contains a band section. 602 and polar sections extending radially at regular intervals 604 Because the strip is wound edge-to-edge, the pole sections run slightly diagonally apart. The strip's windings are stacked to form the laminated stator core. This helical stack of windings can be secured with multiple rivets. 608 secured, or alternatively by interlocking sections (not shown), wherein a tab of each strip layer is punched into a recess of the layer below, the recess being formed by punching out the tongue in that layer. One end 606The helically wound strip sits on top of the stack. The other end of the helically wound strip sits on the bottom of the stack.

[0100] Fig. 7 represents an alternative design in which the core is formed from several laminate stacks. Each laminate stack contains a segment. 702 or 704 of the annular ring section of the stator core and a plurality of radially extending pole core sections 706 .

[0101] For a stator with 27 poles, the core preferably comprises 3 laminate stacks, each with 5 pole cores, and 3 laminate stacks, each with 4 core poles. The 5-pole stacks 710 and the 4-pole stacks 708 can be assembled to form the stator core, with the stacks 708 and 710The individual laminate stacks alternate around the stator core. They can be joined together in any suitable manner. For example, the stacks can be butt-welded, or they can simply be held in place and together by the support they receive from the molded plastic insulating layer. However, they are preferably joined by interlocking moldings at the blunt ends of the annular ring section. 702 , 704 connected. For example, the interlocking shapes can form a dovetail joint.

[0102] The laminates within each stack can be riveted or otherwise secured to one another. For example, they can be secured by adhesive, or in some temporary manner until plastic deformation occurs, or they can be interlocked by suitable punched connections between layers of the laminate.

[0103] The height of the laminate stack can vary depending on the torque requirement of the motor. For example, the height of the laminate stack can range between 10 mm and 35 mm, depending on the power requirement of the motor.

[0104] Each layer of the laminate stack can be approximately 0.5 mm thick. For example, a laminate stack of 27 layers would have a stator core thickness of 13.5 mm. A stack of 38 layers would have a stator core thickness of 19 mm.

[0105] The inventors have discovered that the described stator, intended for use in a washing machine, produces less noise than conventional stators, as demonstrated in the Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 is shown and indicates “state of the art”, at speeds up to 1600 rpm.

[0106] The described stator is designed for use with an external rotor that has a ring of magnets pointing inwards towards the outer surfaces of the stator's poles. For example, rotors in the Fig. 8 to Fig. Figure 11 shows the stator in use on the machine, with a shaft of the machine passing through the inner opening. 120 the stator mounting section. The rotor is secured to the shaft.

[0107] The stator is designed for a motor with a 4:3 rotor pole or stator pole ratio. Accordingly, the rotor for use with a 27-pole stator, as shown, should have 36 poles. Alternatively, the inventors state that a 24-pole stator can achieve some of the advantages of the described stator. The corresponding rotor would have 32 poles.

[0108] Regarding the Fig. 8 to Fig. The rotor comprises 11 36a number of hard ferrite or neodymium iron-boron permanent magnet elements 37 , which form a permanent magnet ring 38 are arranged from such elements. The permanent magnet elements 37 They could also be made from a mixture of hard ferrite and neodymium-iron-boron material, or another magnetic material, such as, but not limited to, samarium-cobalt. Alternatively, the permanent magnet elements could 37 The ring contains a mixture of these magnetic materials and plastic materials. 38 made of magnetic material can be attached to a rigid rotor carrier or housing 39 It may be worn. This can have a molded plastic ring with a plastic hub. Alternatively, the housing could be made of pressed steel. 39a (as in the rotor of Fig. 10) in which the magnetic elements are mounted. A single or multi-part or multi-layer laminated support ring. 40 (see Fig. 8) could optionally be provided to enhance the resulting magnetic flux field generated by the magnetic material. Preferably, the ring has a permanent magnet material. 38 An inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the stator. This combination results in an air gap between 2.5 mm and 0.5 mm. Each section (and the ring) is preferably less than 20 mm thick. It is obvious to the expert that there are many possible variations in the design of a rotor. 36 for use in a washing machine motor.

[0109] The Fig. 8 and Fig. Figure 9 shows only one possibility in general form for illustrative purposes. Fig. 10 and Fig. Figure 11 shows an alternative possible rotor.

[0110] Further details of possible rotor designs are described in our US patent 5,040,285, our international PCT publication WO 2009 / 017430, and our pending US patent application US 61 / 358746. The entire contents of each application are hereby incorporated by reference. The preferred motor has a magnet-to-stator pole ratio of 4:3. The number of rotor magnets that are in the Fig. 10 and Fig. Figure 11 is for illustrative purposes only, to show the physical properties of the rotor / stator. The actual number of magnets may differ. As described in our WO 2009 / 017430, the rotor can 36 They are magnetized to produce a Halbach-like resulting magnetic flux field equal to or similar to that produced by a standard Halbach array.

[0111] As described in WO 2009 / 017430, any permanent magnet element can 37The rotor is manufactured in such a way that it has magnetic domains that are pre-aligned according to a magnetic domain orientation pattern. The term "magnetic domain orientation pattern" refers to the orientation of magnetic domains. 41These magnetic elements arise as a result of the manufacturing process. Multiple magnetic elements can be arranged together to create a magnetic material with pre-aligned magnetic domains, enabling the production of a Halbach-like resulting magnetic flux field when the magnetic material is subsequently magnetized through a magnetization pattern. A ring of such magnetic elements can be assembled to create a permanent magnet ring for the rotor. This ring can be magnetized to produce a Halbach-like resulting magnetic flux field. This field is stronger than that produced when isotropic or radially aligned anisotropic magnetic material is magnetized from the same flux field. A rotor with a Halbach-like resulting magnetic flux field is the desired field for generating improved motor performance characteristics.

[0112] The magnetic elements of the permanent magnet ring could be curved in conjunction with the curvature of the rotor.

[0113] “Halbach-like” refers to a resulting magnetic flux field that is the same as or similar to a magnetic flux field generated by a conventional Halbach array magnet arrangement. The term “magnetization pattern” refers to the external magnetic flux field used to excite the magnetic element according to the domain alignment pattern, thereby magnetizing the magnets. The term “resulting magnetic flux field” refers to the magnetic flux field present in the magnetic elements (and the surrounding structure, where applicable) after fabrication, assembly, and magnetization.

[0114] Further details, alternatives and options relating to the magnetic elements that may be used in some versions of a rotor for the motor herein are listed in WO 2009 / 017430.

[0115] One embodiment of the invention could comprise a washing machine with a motor as described above, or another embodiment could comprise the motor itself or the stator itself. Alternatively, the motor or stator could be used in another application, such as a power generator.

[0116] A washing machine using the described motor could take one of many forms. For example, in relation to Fig. 9. One embodiment is a top-loading washing machine with an outer casing and a trough suspended within the casing. A rotating drum with perforated walls is positioned within the suspended trough and rotates within it. A motor, comprising a stator and rotor as previously desired, is coupled to the rotating drum via a drive shaft. The rotor can be driven by a controller to cause the rotating drum to rotate and oscillate to perform the washing of clothes. The inventors have found that the described stator of the motor is less susceptible to resonance than conventional stators of similar size, weight, and power. This can result in the motor being less expensive overall or operating with less noise.

[0117] In relation to Fig. Figure 10 comprises another embodiment of a front-loading horizontal-axis washing machine with an outer shell and a rotating drum housing suspended within the outer shell. A rotating drum is arranged within the rotating drum housing and is rotatable. A door provides access to the rotating drum for loading or unloading clothes for washing. A seal may be included to provide a seal between the door and the rotating drum. A rotor is coupled to the rotating drum via a drive shaft, and the stator is coupled to the rear of the drum. The motor can be driven by a controller to cause the rotating drum to rotate and oscillate to perform the washing action. The inventors have found that the described stator of the motor is less susceptible to resonance than conventional stators of similar size, weight, and power.These can make the engine less expensive overall or allow it to operate with less noise.

[0118] In relation to Fig. Figure 11 includes another embodiment of a top-loading or inclined-loading horizontal-axis washing machine. The washing machine has an outer casing and a trough suspended within the outer casing. A rotating drum can rotate within the trough. Clothes can be inserted into and removed from the rotating drum through an opening in the top of the drum. A motor, comprising a stator and rotor as previously desired, is arranged to drive the rotating drum via a rotating shaft. The motor can be operated by a controller to cause the rotating drum to rotate and oscillate to perform the washing of clothes. The inventors have found that the described stator of the motor is less susceptible to resonance than conventional stators of similar size, weight, and power. This can result in the motor being less expensive overall or operating with less noise.

[0119] Fig. Figure 12 shows a tilt-loading horizontal-axis washing machine. The washing machine has an outer casing and a trough suspended within the casing. A rotating drum can rotate within the trough. Clothes can be loaded and unloaded by tilting the drum. A motor, comprising a stator and rotor as previously desired, is arranged to drive the rotating drum via a rotating shaft. The motor can be controlled by a controller to make the rotating drum rotate and oscillate to perform the washing action. The inventors have found that the described stator of the motor is less susceptible to resonance than conventional stators of similar size, weight, and power. This can result in the motor being less expensive overall or operating with less noise.

[0120] It goes without saying that the Fig. 9 to Fig.Figure 12 shows only four examples of washing machines that could use a motor with a rotor containing magnetic elements manufactured in the manner described above. Other embodiments of the present invention could include other washing machines operated by a motor as described above. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0121] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0122] US 5040285

[0110] WO 2009 / 017430 [0110, 0110, 0111, 0114]

Claims

[1] Stator, comprising: a core made of magnetically permeable material, containing an annular ring with an inner circumference between 120 mm and 250 mm in diameter and a width between 5 mm and 15 mm, 24 or 27 radially extending poles spaced apart around the circumference of the annular ring, the poles extending outwards from the annular ring by a distance of between 15 mm and 40 mm, three phase windings, each winding having a plurality of coils arranged on one third of the pole cores, the windings on the pole cores being arranged such that each pole core is assigned only one winding which differs from the winding assigned to each of two immediately adjacent pole cores, and the two immediately adjacent pole cores are assigned different windings, an insulator that isolates the pole cores from the windings. [2] Stator according to claim 1, wherein the core has a depth between 10 mm and 35 mm. [3] Stator according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the annular ring on an insulator is at least largely encapsulated. [4] Stator according to claim 3, wherein the insulator is a molded plastic material over the pole cores and the annular ring. [5] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the diameter of the inner circumference of the annular ring is between 150 mm and 230 mm. [6] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the diameter of the inner circumference of the annular ring is between 200 mm and 220 mm. [7] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the annular ring is between 5 mm and 10 mm. [8] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the annular ring is between 7 mm and 10 mm. [9] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the depth or thickness of the annular ring is between 12 mm and 15 mm. [10] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the depth or thickness of the annular ring is between 17 mm and 23 mm. [11] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the core has at least one stack of laminations, wherein each lamination lies in a plane which is substantially parallel to the plane of the annular ring. [12] Stator according to claim 11, wherein the lamella stack(s) comprise a stack formed from a helically wound steel strip such that each layer in the stack has one turn in the screw. [13] Stator according to claim 12, wherein the steel strip includes a band forming the annular ring and extended sections forming the pole cores. [14] Stator according to claim 11, wherein the lamella stack(s) comprise several stacks connected at their ends, each stack containing a segment of the annular ring and one or more extending pole cores. [15] Stator according to claim 14, wherein each segment of the annular ring is connected to adjacent segments of the annular ring by interlocking forms at the adjacent ends (such as a dovetail joint). [16] Stator according to claim 14 or 15, wherein each segment contains a plurality of radially extending pole cores. [17] Stator according to claim 16, wherein the stator 27 contains radially extending pole cores, and the core 6 has stacks, 3 stacks with 5 radially extending pole cores each and 3 stacks with 4 radially extending pole cores each. [18] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the stator has only 27 radially extending pole cores. [19] Stator according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the stator comprises a plurality of mounting points for attaching the stator to a machine, each mounting point being centered at a distance radially within the inner surface of the annular ring of the core, wherein this distance is greater than the length over which the pole cores extend beyond the outer surface of the annular ring. [20] Stator according to claim 19, wherein the fastening points for attaching the stator to the machine have centers more than 40 mm from the center of the stator. [21] Stator according to claim 20, wherein the mounting points are located between 40 mm and 80 mm from the center of the stator. [22] Stator according to claim 20, wherein the mounting points are located between 50 mm and 75 mm from the center of the stator. [23] Stator according to claim 20, wherein the mounting points are located between 60 mm and 70 mm from the center of the stator. [24] Stator according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the stator includes a plate section extending inwards from the annular ring to cover an area within the circumference of the ring and containing the mounting points. [25] Stator according to claim 24, wherein the fastening points have openings through the plate section. [26] Stator according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the plate section is annular and covers an area between the annular ring and a circular opening which is arranged at a distance inwards from the mounting points. [27] Stator according to one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the plate contains at least a substantially frustoconical surface in a region between the mounting points and the annular ring. [28] Stator according to claim 27, wherein the plate contains at least two substantially frustoconical sections between the attachment points and the annular ring, the frustoconical sections being connected to form a circular rib (when viewed from one side of the stator) and a valley (when viewed from the other side of the stator). [29] Stator according to claim 28, wherein the height of the rib or the valley is less than the height of the annular ring. [30] Stator, comprising: a core made of magnetically permeable material, comprising an annular ring with an inner circumference between 120 mm and 250 mm in diameter and a width between 5 mm and 15 mm, a plurality of radially extending poles spaced apart from each other and around the circumference of the annular ring, the poles extending outwards from the annular ring between 15 mm and 40 mm, 3 phase windings, each winding having a plurality of coils arranged on 1 / 3 of the pole cores, an insulator that isolates the pole cores from the windings, a plurality of mounting points for attaching the stator to a machine, each mounting point being centered at a distance radially inside the inner surface of the annular ring of the core, this distance being greater than the length by which the pole cores extend beyond the outer surface of the annular ring and more than 40 mm from the center of the stator. [31] Stator according to claim 30, wherein the fastening points for attaching the stator to the machine have centers more than 40 mm from the center of the stator. [32] Stator according to claim 31, wherein the mounting points are located between 40 mm and 80 mm from the center of the stator. [33] Stator according to claim 31, wherein the fastening points are located between 50 mm and 75 mm from the center of the stator. [34] Stator according to claim 31, wherein the mounting points are located between 60 mm and 70 mm from the center of the stator. [35] Stator according to any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein the stator includes a plate section extending inwards from the annular ring to cover an area within the circumference of the ring and containing the mounting points. [36] Stator according to claim 35, wherein the fastening points have openings through the plate section. [37] Stator according to claim 35 or claim 36, wherein the plate section is annular and occupies an area between the annular ring and a circular opening at a distance inwards from the mounting points. [38] Stator according to one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the plate contains at least a substantially frustoconical surface in a region between the mounting points and the annular ring. [39] Stator according to claim 36, wherein the plate contains at least two substantially frustoconical sections between the mounting points and the annular ring, the frustoconical sections being connected to form a circular rib (when viewed from one side of the stator) and a valley (when viewed from the other side of the stator). [40] Stator according to claim 39, wherein the height of the rib or the valley is less than the height of the annular ring. [41] Stator as essentially herein with regard to the Fig. 1 to Fig. 6 described and illustrated. [42] Motor for use in a washing machine, the motor comprising: a stator according to any one of claims 1 to 41, a rotor that is concentric to the stator, with a permanent magnet ring outside the stator and rotor poles that point towards the ends of the stator poles. [43] Motor according to claim 42, wherein the rotor comprises: a plurality of magnetic elements with two side edges, each with magnetic domains that are anisotropically aligned to form a domain alignment pattern, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged to form a permanent magnet ring with an inner surface and an outer surface, a rigid support that holds the magnetic elements in the ring arrangement, wherein the magnetic domain orientation pattern in each magnetic element has an orientation which changes substantially continuously through at least a portion of the magnetic element between its side edges from an orientation having a predominantly radial component at one pole of the magnetic element to an orientation having at least some tangential component at one side edge of the magnetic element, wherein the magnetic elements are magnetized in such a way that they generate a resulting magnetic flux field. [44] Motor according to claim 43, wherein one or more of the magnetic elements has a chamfer at an intersection of each side edge with the front edge, wherein the front edge is the edge on the inner surface of the rotor. [45] Motor according to claim 43, or 44, wherein the orientation of the magnetic domain alignment pattern has a significant tangential component at both side edges, resulting in the magnetic domain alignment pattern having an orientation of at least 15 degrees with respect to the side edges. [46] Motor according to one of claims 43 to 45, wherein the orientation via the magnetic element changes in a substantially non-linear manner. [47] Motor according to any one of claims 43 to 46, wherein the resulting magnetic flux field has poles of alternating polarity spaced apart around the ring, the poles being radially aligned with respect to the permanent magnet ring, and wherein the resulting magnetic flux field of the permanent magnet ring is transverse between adjacent poles of opposite polarities and is focused between these poles to extend beyond the boundary defined by the inner surface, but remains at least partially confined within the boundary defined by the outer surface of the permanent magnet ring. [48] ​​Motor according to any one of claims 43 to 47, wherein the section of the resulting magnetic flux field between adjacent poles extending beyond the boundary defined by the inner surface of the permanent magnet ring magnet element has an orientation that changes continuously, wherein: between the poles, the orientation changes from an orientation that has a predominantly radial component at the pole to an orientation that has a predominantly tangential component at the midpoint between the poles, and the orientation, extending radially from the inner surface, changes from an orientation that has a predominantly radial component at an inner surface to an orientation that has an increasingly tangential component at a distance from the inner surface. [49] Washing machine comprising an electronically commutated motor according to any one of claims 42 to 48, wherein the stator is coupled to a non-rotating trough or housing of the washing machine, and wherein the rotor is coupled to a rotating drum of the washing machine. [50] Rotor according to claim 49, wherein the washing machine is a top-loading washing machine comprising an outer shell, a trough suspended in the outer shell and a rotating drum in the trough. [51] Rotor according to claim 49, wherein the washing machine is a horizontal axis washing machine comprising an outer shell, a rotating drum housing and a rotating drum in the housing. [52] Rotor according to claim 49, wherein the washing machine is a horizontal axis washing machine with top loading access, comprising an outer shell, a trough and a rotating drum in the trough.