Assembly comprising an electrical machine and a decoupled signal connector

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly (1) for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a rotating electric machine (10) and a signal connector (50) arranged to be electrically connected to said electric machine (10), characterized in that it further comprises an elastic return element (5) arranged to decouple the signal connector (50) from the electric machine (10). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 4

Description

Title of the invention: Assembly comprising an electrical machine and a decoupled signal connector

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a rotating electrical machine and a signal connector. The invention finds applications in the field of rotating electrical machines for vehicles, in particular automobiles, and, in particular, in the field of high-power reversible electrical machines capable of operating in alternator mode and in motor mode coupled with a gearbox.

[0002] In a manner known per se, rotating electrical machines comprise a stator and rotor secured to a shaft. The rotor may be secured to a driving and / or driven shaft and may belong to a rotating electrical machine in the form of an alternator, an electric motor, or a reversible machine capable of operating in both modes.

[0003] The stator is mounted in a casing configured to rotate the shaft, for example by means of bearings. The rotor comprises a body formed by a stack of metal sheets held in the form of a packet by means of a suitable fastening system. The rotor comprises poles formed, for example, by permanent magnets housed in cavities formed in the magnetic mass of the rotor. Alternatively, in a so-called "salient" pole architecture, the poles are formed by coils wound around arms of the rotor.

[0004] Furthermore, the stator comprises a body consisting of a stack of thin sheets forming a crown, the inner face of which is provided with inwardly open notches to receive phase windings. These windings pass through the notches in the stator body and form buns projecting on either side of the stator body. The phase windings are obtained, for example, from a continuous wire covered with enamel or from conductive elements in the form of pins connected together by welding. These windings are polyphase windings connected in a star or delta configuration, the outputs of which are connected to an electrical control module.

[0005] A power connector called an interconnector and a signal connector are typically arranged between the electrical machine and the electrical control module in order to provide an electrical connection between an incoming / outgoing signal from the electrical machine and an incoming / outgoing signal from the module.

[0006] In certain types of motor vehicle powertrains, a high-power reversible rotating electric machine is coupled to the gearbox of the vehicle or to a train of the motor vehicle. The electric machine is then able to operate in an alternator mode to supply energy in particular to the battery and / or to the on-board network of the vehicle, and in an engine mode, not only to ensure the starting of the thermal engine, but also to participate in the traction of the vehicle alone or in combination with the thermal engine.

[0007] During operation of the rotating electrical machine, the signal connector which is in direct contact with the electrical machine will vibrate at the same frequency as the latter and at a different frequency from the electrical control module. Thus, at the connection between the signal connector and the electrical control module, friction will exist, causing contact wear. By vibrating at different frequencies, all the electrical connections deteriorate, which can lead to electrical outages and therefore a loss of signal.

[0008] The invention aims to propose an assembly making it possible to avoid contact wear at the signal connector.

[0009] To this end, the invention relates to an assembly for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a rotating electrical machine, a signal connector arranged to be electrically connected to said electrical machine and an elastic return member arranged to decouple the signal connector from the electrical machine.

[0010] The elastic return member thus acts as a decoupling member to prevent the unwanted transfer of energy from the electrical machine to the signal connector. Since the electrical machine and the signal connector are decoupled, they will no longer vibrate at the same frequency. Indeed, the elastic return member prevents the vibrations from the electrical machine from being transmitted to the signal connector.

[0011] In the description and the claims, the terms "external" and "internal" as well as the orientations "axial" and "radial" will be used to designate, according to the definitions given in the description, elements of the rotor, the stator and / or the electrical machine. By convention, the "radial" orientation is directed orthogonally to the axial orientation. The axial orientation relates, depending on the context, to the axis of rotation of the rotor, the stator and / or the electrical machine. The "circumferential" orientation is directed orthogonally to the axial direction and orthogonally to the radial direction. The terms "external" and "internal" are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another, with respect to the reference axis, an element close to the axis is thus qualified as internal as opposed to an external element located radially on the periphery.

[0012] In the remainder of the description, the front-to-rear orientation of the electric machine corresponds to an orientation going from left to right in Figure 2. Thus, a "front" element is understood to mean an element located on the side of the grooved end of the shaft of the machine and a "rear" element is understood to mean an element located on the opposite side, that is, on the side of the interconnector or the electrical control module.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the assembly further comprises an electrical control module comprising a complementary connector element intended to be electrically connected to said signal connector, said elastic return member also being arranged to bring the module and the signal connector into contact so that they vibrate at the same frequency. Indeed, the elastic return member will exert a return force which will keep the signal connector and the electrical control module in contact. The signal connector being in contact with the electrical control module and decoupled from the electrical machine, it will vibrate at the same frequency as the electrical control module.

[0014] Advantageously, the electrical control module comprises an inverter.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the signal connector is of the female type and said complementary connector element is of the male type. Alternatively, the signal connector is of the male type and said complementary connector element is of the female type.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the electric machine is cooled by water or by oil, preferably by water.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the elastic return member is oblong in shape.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the elastic return member comprises a lip in This lip deforms when the return member is installed on the connector and thus allows the stiffness of the return member itself to remain unchanged.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the elastic return member is an elastomer, preferably a silicone elastomer. Advantageously, the elastomer is free of sulfide. Indeed, when the material comprises sulfides and heats up, there will be an emanation of sulfides which can cause damage to the silver connections.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the electrical machine comprises: • a rotor mounted on a shaft extending along an axis X, • a stator mounted around the rotor and provided with a body and a winding, the winding comprising a plurality of phase windings, • a bearing mounted at one end of the rotor and the stator and receiving the shaft, and • an interconnector fixed on said bearing and receiving the phase windings, said elastic return member bearing against the signal connector and a bearing face of said interconnector.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the connector comprises a shoulder on which said elastic return member bears so that it is crushed between said bearing face of the interconnector and said shoulder.

[0022] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description and upon examining accompanying figures. These figures are given only for illustrative purposes but in no way limit the invention.

[0023] [fig. 1] represents a perspective view of an assembly according to the present invention.

[0024] [fig.2] represents a longitudinal sectional view of the rotating electrical machine of figure 1.

[0025] [fig.3] represents a top view of the rear part of the electric machine of the Figure 2.

[0026] [fig.4] represents a partial sectional view illustrating the connection between the signal connector and interconnector according to the present invention.

[0027] [fig.5] represents a partial sectional view illustrating the connection between the signal connector and the complementary connector element of the electrical control module according to the present invention.

[0028] [fig.6] represents a perspective view of the signal connector visible in the figure 3.

[0029] [fig.7] represents a perspective view of the signal connector of figure 5 with the elastic return organ.

[0030] Identical, similar or analogous elements retain the same reference from one figure to another.

[0031] Figure 1 represents an assembly 1 for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a rotating electrical machine 10 and an electrical control module 55. Advantageously, the electrical control module 55 is arranged on a rear end face of the rotating electrical machine 10. The electrical control module 55 preferably comprises a power inverter.

[0032] Figure 2 shows the electrical machine 10 comprising a polyphase stator 11 surrounding a rotor 12 of axis X mounted on a shaft 13. The stator 11 of the machine 10 surrounds the rotor 12 with the presence of an air gap between the internal periphery of the stator 11 and the external periphery of the rotor 12. The stator 11 is carried by a casing 14 provided with a front bearing 17 and a rear bearing 18. The bearings 17 and 18 each comprise a rolling bearing 15 in order to ensure rotational mounting of the shaft 13 relative to the casing 14 of the electrical machine 10. Preferably, the bearings 17, 18 are made of steel or aluminum.

[0033] The assembly of the electric machine 10 is carried out from the rear by means of fixing rods 19 allowing the assembly of the bearings 17 and 18, the stator 11, and the rotor 12 to be held in place. Four rods 19 are preferably used, spaced two by two at an angle of 90 degrees plus or minus 10 degrees, as shown in FIG. 1. One of the bearings 17 or 19 may also include ears for fixing to an element of a gearbox or to another element of the motor vehicle.

[0034] The rotor 12 - bearings 17 and 18 - fixing rods 19 assembly is mounted in the same side of the electric machine 10 (from back to front). This allows a simplified, standard, and automated assembly process to be implemented.

[0035] The shaft 13 is equipped with straight, helical or smooth grooves with clamping to achieve coupling with a gearbox, or a differential of a motor vehicle train.

[0036] This electric machine 10 may be intended to be coupled to a gearbox belonging to a motor vehicle powertrain. The machine 10 is then capable of operating in an alternator mode to supply energy in particular to the battery and the on-board network of the vehicle, and in a motor mode, not only to ensure the starting of the thermal engine of the vehicle, but also to participate in the traction of the vehicle alone or in combination with the thermal engine. The power of the machine 10 may be between 10kW and 50kW. Alternatively, the electric machine 10 may be installed on an axle of the motor vehicle, in particular a rear axle.

[0037] More specifically, the rotor 12 comprises a body 19 in the form of a stack of sheets to reduce eddy currents. Permanent magnets are implanted in openings of the body 19. The magnets can be implanted in a V-shaped configuration. Alternatively, the magnets are implanted radially inside the cavities, the facing faces of two adjacent magnets being of the same polarity. This is then a flux concentration configuration. The magnets may be made of rare earth or ferrite depending on the applications and the desired power of the machine 10. Alternatively, the poles of the rotor 12 may be formed by coils.

[0038] Furthermore, the rotor 12 comprises two flanges 22 each pressed against an axial end face of the rotor 12. These flanges 22 ensure axial retention of the magnets inside the cavities and also serve to balance the rotor 12. A spring may also be inserted inside each cavity in order to radially maintain the magnets inside the cavities.

[0039] Furthermore, the stator 11 comprises a body 20 consisting of a stack of metal sheets and a winding 21. The body 20 is formed by a stack of sheets of metal sheets independent of each other and held in the form of a stack by means of a suitable fastening system. The stack of metal sheets is provided with notches, for example of the semi-closed type, equipped with notch insulation for mounting the winding 21 of the stator 11. The body 20 is provided with teeth delimiting two by two notches for mounting the winding 21 of the stator 11.

[0040] The winding 21 comprises a set of phase windings 48 passing through the notches of the body 21 of the stator 11 and forming buns 25 extending projecting on either side of the body 20 of the stator 11. The phase windings 48 are obtained here from conductive elements in the form of pins connected together for example by welding. These windings are, for example, three-phase windings connected in star or delta. The outputs of the phase windings 48 are connected to the electrical control module 55, preferably a power inverter, via an interconnector 54. This module comprises power elements, such as MOFSET type transistors, connected to the phase and neutral outputs, as well as an electronic circuit for controlling said power elements.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the interconnector 54 comprises two input / output blocks 48a, 48b of the phase windings 48, each block comprising three inputs / outputs of the phase windings 48. These phase windings 48, which can also be called more simply phase inputs / outputs, can be phase inputs by which the stator bearings are electrically supplied or phase outputs by which the power generated by the windings is collected. The phase inputs / outputs 48 can also be neutral points, in particular in the case of a star connection.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will understand that a rotating electrical machine operating in single three-phase mode comprises a single input / output block, that a rotating electrical machine operating in double three-phase mode - as in the example of the present invention - comprises two input / output blocks, that a rotating electrical machine operating in triple three-phase mode comprises three input / output blocks, etc.

[0043] The rear bearing 18 further comprises a plurality of openings for the passage of the phase inputs / outputs 48.

[0044] The interconnector 54 is fixed on a face of the rear bearing 18 facing the outside of the electrical machine 10. It will be possible to provide indexing means to guarantee correct positioning of the interconnector 54 relative to the bearing 18, in particular to guarantee the phase outputs 48 and the neutral outputs opposite the corresponding stations of the interconnector 54.

[0045] The means for fixing the interconnector 54 to the bearing 18 may consist of fixing members 57, such as screws, passing through fixing holes made in the interconnector and located in coincidence with tapped holes made in the rear bearing 18.

[0046] The interconnector 54 comprises a body 53 overmolded on phase and neutral conductive tracks. Each track is embedded in the body 53 with the exception of free end portions 49. In this case, the free ends 49 are folded axially upwards relative to the overmolded connecting portion. The body 53 is advantageously made of an insulating material, in particular plastic. The body 53 has an annular shape substantially coaxial with the shaft 13.

[0047] Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 3, an inlet 34 and an outlet (not visible on the sectional plane) for cooling liquid are arranged for allow the circulation of the liquid inside a chamber 38 extending along the external periphery of the stator 11 (see figure 2). The cooling liquid may for example be a water or oil tank, preferably water-based. The chamber 38 is delimited by the external periphery of the front bearing 17 and by the internal periphery of the rear bearing 18. Two seals 39 are located at the axial ends of the chamber 38 to ensure its sealing.

[0048] As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the interconnector 54 is intended to be electrically connected with a signal connector 50. The signal connector 50 is intended to be inserted inside a cavity 66 formed in a projecting part 58 of the interconnector 54. The fixing of the signal connector 50 with the interconnector 54, in particular with the part 58, may be carried out for example by snap-fastening using locking means 59, such as two clips 59 visible in Figure 4. These clips thus make it possible to hold the signal connector 50 in position before it is itself connected to the electrical control module 55 which will compress it to the bottom of the cavity 66 (see Figure 5). In other words, the signal connector 50 is in contact with the interconnector 54 only by means of these clips 59 and only when it is not connected with the electrical control module 55.When the signal connector 50 is connected with the electrical control module 55, the clips 59 no longer serve to lock the signal connector 50 in the cavity 66 of the interconnector 54.

[0049] As can be seen in Figure 5, the signal connector 50 is intended to be electrically connected with a complementary connector element 60 belonging to the electrical control module 55.

[0050] The signal connector 50 carries the low-voltage control signals, such as signals relating to the angular position of the rotor originating for example from a Hall effect sensor or temperature signals originating for example from a sensor integrated into the stator of the electrical machine 10.

[0051] The assembly 1 further comprises an elastic return member 5 arranged to decouple the signal connector 50 from the electrical machine 10. The elastic return member thus makes it possible to separate these two parts. In the example considered, the elastic return member 5 bears against the signal connector 50 and the interconnector 54, in particular a bearing face 80 of said interconnector 54.

[0052] As illustrated in Figures 4 to 7, the signal connector 50 comprises a shoulder 51 on one face of which an elastic return member 5 is mounted to bear. The elastic return member 5 goes around the signal connector 50, in particular a projecting part 52 located towards the front, and has an oblong shape.

[0053] The elastic return member 5 is a material based on elastomer, and / or rubber and / or silicone, preferably a silicone elastomer.

[0054] Furthermore, it should be noted that when the signal connector 50 positioned inside the cavity 66 of the interconnector 54 cooperates with the complementary connector element 60, the elastic return member 5 comes to bear against the inner bearing face 80 of the interconnector 54 so as to be crushed between the bearing face 80 of the interconnector 54 and said shoulder 51.

[0055] In a variant not shown, the elastic return member 5 may bear against the signal connector 50 and a bearing face of the bearing 18.

[0056] Furthermore, the elastic return member 5 comprises an inner lip 6 arranged in contact with the projecting part 52 of the signal connector 50.

[0057] In the example considered, the signal connector 50 is of the female type and said complementary connector element 60 is of the male type. The connector element 60 comprises terminals connected to switching elements of the control module 55 and intended to cooperate with the power terminals of the signal connector 50.

[0058] The connector element 60 also comprises electrical terminals connected to a control unit and intended to cooperate with the terminals of the signal connector 50 carrying the control signals.

[0059] Of course, the preceding description has been given by way of example only and does not limit the scope of the invention, which would not be exceeded by replacing the various elements with any other equivalents.

[0060] Furthermore, the various features, variations, and / or embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other in various combinations, provided that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

Claims

Claims

1. Assembly (1) for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a rotating electrical machine (10) and a signal connector (50) arranged to be electrically connected to said electrical machine (10), characterized in that it further comprises an elastic return member (5) arranged to decouple the signal connector (50) from the electrical machine (10).

2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that it further comprises an electrical control module (55) comprising a complementary connector element (60) intended to be electrically connected to said signal connector (50), said elastic return member (5) also being arranged to bring the module (60) and the signal connector (50) into contact so that they vibrate at the same frequency.

3. Assembly (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said signal connector (50) is of the female type and said complementary connector element (60) is of the male type.

4. Assembly (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the electric machine is water-cooled.

5. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic return member (5) is oblong in shape.

6. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic return member (5) comprises an inner lip (6).

7. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic return member (5) is an elastomer, preferably a silicone elastomer.

8. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical machine (10) comprises: - a rotor (12) mounted on a shaft (13) extending along an axis (X), - a stator (11) mounted around the rotor and provided with a body (20) and a winding (21), the winding comprising a plurality of phase windings (48), - a bearing (18) mounted at one end of the rotor and the stator and receiving the shaft (13), and - an interconnector (54) fixed on said bearing (18) and receiving the phase windings (48), said elastic return member (5) bearing against the signal connector (50) and a bearing face (80) of said interconnector (54).

9. Assembly (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said connector (50) comprises a shoulder (51) on which said elastic return member (5) bears so that it is crushed between said bearing face (80) of the interconnector (54) and said shoulder (51).

10. Assembly (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the interconnector (54) comprises locking means (59) of the signal connector (50).

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