Housing, motor, and blower

Abstract

A housing (11) that accommodates a stator (30) of a motor (10) comprises: an opening (15) for accommodating the stator (30); an outer edge part (17), which is formed in a circumferential direction so as to surround the outer circumference (30A) of the stator (30) on the radially outward side with respect to the opening (15), and which extends in the radial direction; and an accommodating groove (40) in which a solder portion (16) is accommodated, said solder portion being where conductors including a winding (35a) of the stator (30) are soldered to each other and being drawn out to the outer edge part (17). The accommodating groove (40) is located on the outer edge part (17), and extends in any direction from the normal direction of the outer circumference (30A) at the circumferential position where the accommodating groove (40) is located to the tangential direction of the outer circumference (30A) at said circumferential position.

Description

Housing, motor and blower

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing that accommodates a stator of a motor, a motor having a stator accommodated in the housing, and a blower to which the motor is applied.

[0002] A structure has been proposed for arranging the ends of conducting wires, such as windings forming coils and lead wires for supplying power to the windings, in a housing that accommodates a motor stator so as not to interfere with other components. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for a brushless motor in which a stator winding is attached to a stator core via an insulating layer, and one end of the stator windings constituting each phase is directly connected to the same potential to form a neutral connection, and a fastener, hole, or the like is provided in part of the insulating layer for arranging the neutral connection. In the technology of Patent Document 1, the neutral connection is inserted into the fastener or hole and fixed with an adhesive or protrusion.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-308738

[0004] However, in the technique of fixing and arranging the neutral connection with adhesive or the like, as in Patent Document 1, external forces are easily applied to the neutral connection during the fixing process, which can lead to deformation of the neutral connection. In particular, if the neutral connection is soldered, deformation of the soldered portion due to external forces during the fixing process can result in a decrease in connection quality. Similar issues can arise not only in neutral connections that connect one end of each winding to the other, but also in structures that arrange soldered portions (hereinafter referred to as "soldered portions") connecting windings and lead wires, or connecting lead wires to each other. Therefore, there is room for improvement in an arrangement structure that can suppress deformation of the soldered portions where conductors, including windings, are soldered together in a housing that accommodates a stator.

[0005] The housing, motor, and blower of the present invention were devised in consideration of these issues, and one of their objectives is to suppress deformation of the soldered joints and ensure connection quality. However, other objectives of the present invention are not limited to this objective, but are to achieve effects that cannot be obtained by conventional techniques, which are derived from the configurations shown in the detailed description of the invention described below.

[0006] The disclosed housing, motor, and blower can be realized as the following disclosed embodiments (application examples), which solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems. Embodiments 2 to 4 are all embodiments that can be selected as appropriate and are all optional. None of Embodiments 2 to 4 discloses an embodiment or configuration that is essential to the present invention.

[0007] Aspect 1. The disclosed housing is a housing that accommodates a stator of a motor, and includes an opening for accommodating the stator, an outer edge portion that is formed in the circumferential direction radially outward of the opening to surround the outer periphery of the stator and extends in the radial direction, and an accommodating groove that accommodates soldered wires including windings of the stator and that accommodates solder portions drawn out to the outer edge portion, the accommodating groove being disposed in the outer edge portion and extending in any direction from a normal direction to the outer periphery at a circumferential position where the accommodating groove is disposed to a tangential direction to the outer periphery at that circumferential position.

[0008] Aspect 2. In Aspect 1 above, it is preferable that the radial length of the outer edge portion is set shorter than the longitudinal length of the solder portion, and that the accommodating groove extends in a direction intersecting the normal direction. Aspect 3. In Aspect 1 or 2 above, it is preferable that the accommodating groove extends in a direction intersecting both the normal direction and the tangential direction. Aspect 4. In any one of Aspects 1 to 3 above, it is preferable that the accommodating groove accommodates the solder portion in a state where the solder portion is simply placed therein without being fixed.

[0009] Aspect 5. The disclosed motor includes the housing according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, a stator housed in the housing, and a rotor disposed radially opposite the stator. Aspect 6. The disclosed blower includes the motor according to Aspect 5, and an impeller fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor.

[0010] According to the disclosed housing, motor, and blower, the soldered portion where the conductors including the windings are soldered together is accommodated in an accommodating groove arranged on the outer edge, thereby suppressing deformation of the soldered portion drawn out to the outer edge.

[0011] It is a plan view for explaining the blower of the embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 1. It is an enlarged view of a main part of the housing in Figure 1. It is a schematic view for explaining the extension direction of the accommodation groove. It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Figure 3.

[0012] A housing, a motor, and a blower will be described as embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the following embodiments. The components of the present embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0013] In the embodiment, a housing for accommodating a stator of a motor used in a blower will be described as an example of a housing. In the following description, the direction in which the rotation shaft of the motor extends (rotation shaft direction) is defined as the axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, away from the rotation shaft and toward the rotation shaft, is defined as the radial direction. In addition, in the radial direction, the rotation shaft side is defined as the radially inner side, and the opposite side (the side away from the rotation shaft) is defined as the radially outer side. The direction perpendicular to the axial direction and going around the rotation shaft is defined as the circumferential direction.

[0014] [1. Configuration] Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a blower 1 according to this embodiment, with the end bell 12 (see Fig. 2) omitted so that the internal structure can be seen. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1. The blower 1 according to this embodiment is a blower that sends gas (e.g., air) by rotating an impeller 2 (see Fig. 2).

[0015] 1 and 2 , the blower 1 includes an impeller 2, a motor 10 as a drive source for the impeller 2, and a blower housing 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "housing 11") that forms a case body that houses the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The motor 10 of this embodiment is an inner rotor type brushless motor, and includes a shaft 21 (rotational axis) having a rotation center X, a rotor 20 that rotates integrally with the shaft 21, and a stator 30 located radially outward (hereinafter simply referred to as the "outward") of the rotor 20. The stator 30 is housed in the housing 11, and the rotor 20 is disposed radially opposite the stator 30 (inward in the radial direction in this embodiment).

[0016] 2, the rotor 20 has a magnet 22 fixed to the shaft 21 and two balancers 23 that axially sandwich the magnet 22, and is rotatably fixed to the housing 11 and the end bell 12 by bearings 24. The stator 30 has a stator core 31 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the housing 11, and a coil 35 wound around the stator core 31 with an insulator 32 interposed therebetween.

[0017] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, a stator 30 having six coils 35 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction is taken as an example. The six coils 35 of the stator 30 are formed by windings 35a wound in, for example, a Y-connection. More specifically, the six coils 35 constitute one of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, and two coils 35 constituting the same phase are connected to each other by a crossover wire (not shown).

[0018] Lead wires 14 for supplying power to the windings 35a are connected by soldering to the ends (e.g., winding start) of the windings 35a that form the coil 35. The ends (hereinafter referred to as "winding end") of the windings 35a of each phase that are not connected to the lead wires 14 form a combined neutral point, and these ends (winding end) of the windings 35a are connected to each other by soldering.

[0019] In this specification, the soldered portions of the conductors, including the winding 35a of the stator 30, are referred to as "soldered portions." Note that the winding 35a and the lead wires 14 are both elements included in the "conductors" defined in the claims.

[0020] In the following description, as an example of a "solder portion," a solder portion 16 formed by soldering together the ends of the windings of the coils 35 of each phase will be described. Because this solder portion 16 is formed by bundling and soldering together the ends of multiple windings 35a, the solder portion 16 is formed into a shape that extends along the direction in which the windings 35a extend (the longitudinal direction), such as a substantially cylindrical or ellipsoidal shape. Note that, in practice, the solder portion 16 is not necessarily formed into a perfect shape such as a substantially cylindrical or ellipsoidal shape, but is formed into a shape whose longitudinal direction is at least the direction in which the windings 35a extend.

[0021] Additionally, grooves 14A are formed on the top surface of the housing 11 so that each of the multiple (here, five) lead wires 14 can be pulled out from inside the housing 11 and the end bell 12 to the outside. The number of grooves 14A is the same as the number of lead wires 14, and by arranging each lead wire 14 in each groove 14A, the lead wires 14 can be appropriately routed from inside the housing 11 to the outside. In this embodiment, three of the five lead wires 14 are connected to the winding 35a, and the remaining two are connected to electronic equipment other than the winding 35a, such as a temperature sensor. Note that the number of lead wires 14 and the objects to which they are connected are not limited to this.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the impeller 2 is fixed to one end of the shaft 21. The impeller 2 is an impeller for blowing air, and is configured, for example, to include a disk-shaped base portion fixed to the shaft 21 and a plurality of fins radially extending from the disk surface of the base portion. When the motor 10 is operated and the shaft 21 rotates, the impeller 2 rotates integrally with the shaft 21.

[0023] The housing 11 has a bottomed cylindrical portion 11A and an annular portion 11B as portions for accommodating the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The cylindrical portion 11A is a portion that forms an arrangement space for the motor 10 (i.e., the rotor 20 and the stator 30) inside, and the annular portion 11B is a portion that forms an arrangement space for the impeller 2 between itself and a cover member (not shown) outside the cylindrical portion 11A. The annular portion 11B is formed continuously from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 11c of the cylindrical portion 11A to the outside. The upper end of the annular portion 11B functions as a flange portion 11f that extends outward from the side wall portion 11c.

[0024] In the housing 11 of this embodiment, the bottom 11d of the cylindrical portion 11A is provided with a through hole through which the shaft 21 is inserted and a step 11e to which the bearing 24 and the O-ring 25 are fixed. The lower end of the shaft 21 protrudes from the through hole to the lower surface of the housing 11, and the impeller 2 is fixed to this lower end. A cover member is attached to the lower surface of the housing 11.

[0025] In this embodiment, the case body of the blower 1 is formed by combining the end bell 12 and a cover member with the housing 11. In other words, the housing 11 is one of the components that make up the case body. This case body has a substantially circular appearance when viewed from the axial direction, and the impeller 2 and motor 10 are disposed (accommodated) inside. The dimensions of the case body of the blower 1 are set so that it can accommodate at least the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The end bell 12 is a cover member that is combined with the housing 11. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral end 12a of the end bell 12 is placed on the flange portion 11f of the housing 11, and the end bell 12 is fixed to the housing 11.

[0026] The interior of the cylindrical portion 11A, i.e., the space surrounded by the side wall portion 11c and the bottom portion 11d, is the arrangement space for the rotor 20 and the stator 30. For convenience, in the axial direction, the side on which the end bell 12 is arranged with respect to the housing 11 will be referred to as the "first direction D1," and the opposite side will be referred to as the "second direction D2." Furthermore, assuming that the axial direction is the up-down direction, the first direction D1 side will be referred to as the "upper" and the second direction D2 side will be referred to as the "lower."

[0027] 1 and 2, the housing 11 has an opening 15 for accommodating the stator 30. The opening 15 accommodates the stator 30 from the axial direction. The opening 15 is a region at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 11A that is surrounded by the upper edge of the side wall portion 11c, and forms an opening for disposing the rotor 20 and the stator 30 inside the cylindrical portion 11A.

[0028] Opening 15 has a substantially circular outline when viewed from first direction D1. Note that substantially circular is not limited to a perfect circle (circle) and includes shapes that can be considered circular. For example, opening 15 may have a polygonal shape that can be considered circular when viewed from first direction D1. Opening 15 of tubular portion 11A is covered by end bell 12, as schematically shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 .

[0029] 3 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the housing 11. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the housing 11 is provided with an outer edge portion 17 that is formed in the circumferential direction so as to surround the outer periphery 30A of the stator 30 radially outward from the opening 15 and that extends radially, and an accommodation groove 40 that accommodates the solder portion 16 drawn to the outer edge portion 17.

[0030] When viewed from the first direction D1, the outer edge portion 17 is a ring-shaped portion formed in a planar shape from the upper edge of the side wall portion 11c toward the radially outward direction. This planar outer edge portion 17 forms an area for arranging the solder portion 16 drawn out radially outward from the stator 30 side. The accommodating groove 40 is disposed in the outer edge portion 17 and is a groove-shaped portion for arranging the solder portion 16 drawn out to the outer edge portion 17 so as to suppress deformation. Specifically, the accommodating groove 40 is configured to arrange the solder portion 16 so as not to interfere with other components such as the stator 30 and the winding 35a, i.e., to prevent physical contact between the solder portion 16 and other components and to electrically insulate the solder portion 16 from these other components.

[0031] Note that "accommodating the solder portion 16" means that at least a portion of the solder portion 16 is contained within the accommodating groove 40. However, if it is desired to avoid contact between the solder portion 16 and the conductor by, for example, arranging a conductor around the solder portion 16, it is possible to ensure that no portion of the solder portion 16 is exposed outside the accommodating groove 40. Note that the winding 35a is covered with an insulating material except for the portion that will become the solder portion 16, so as long as at least the solder portion 16 is accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 (in other words, even if the unsoldered, covered winding 35a is exposed outside the accommodating groove 40), electrical insulation can be ensured.

[0032] In the housing 11 of this embodiment, one accommodating groove 40 is provided corresponding to one solder portion 16. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the position of the accommodating groove 40 in the outer edge portion 17 may be set appropriately depending on the position where the solder portion 16 is drawn out from the stator 30, and is preferably set so that the distance from the position where the solder portion 16 is drawn out from the stator 30 to the accommodating groove 40 is the shortest. The position of this accommodating groove 40 may be determined depending on the specifications of the coil 35 (i.e., the arrangement of the winding 35a of each phase).

[0033] 1 and 3, the housing groove 40 extends in any direction Dg from a normal direction Dn (see FIG. 4) of the outer periphery 30A at a position (circumferential position) 30B where the housing groove 40 is disposed to a tangential direction Dt (see FIG. 4) of the outer periphery 30A at the position 30B. More specifically, the housing groove 40 is a portion that extends linearly from the position 30B where the housing groove 40 is disposed on the outer periphery 30A in the direction Dg. Hereinafter, the extending direction of the housing groove 40 will also be referred to as the "extending direction Dg."

[0034] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extension direction Dg of the accommodating groove 40. The circle in FIG. 4 represents the outer periphery 30A of the stator 30. Position 30B on the outer periphery 30A is the position where the accommodating groove 40 is disposed (the radially inner end position of the accommodating groove 40). Also, in FIG. 4, the accommodating groove 40 in the housing 11 in FIG. 1 is schematically represented by a dashed line. The normal direction Dn of the outer periphery 30A is the extension direction of a virtual normal line passing through position 30B on the outer periphery 30A, which coincides with the radial direction of the circle (stator 30). The tangential direction Dt of the outer periphery 30A is the extension direction of a virtual tangent line passing through position 30B on the outer periphery 30A. The normal direction Dn can also be said to be a direction that perpendicularly intersects with the tangential direction Dt in a plane in which the outer periphery 30A extends.

[0035] The extension direction Dg of the accommodating groove 40, i.e., any direction Dg from the normal direction Dn to the tangential direction Dt, is any direction within the range of approximately 90° from the normal direction Dn at position 30B to the tangential direction Dt extending in one direction from position 30B and the angle range Rb of approximately 90° from position 30B to the tangential direction Dt extending in the other direction (i.e., within 180° from one tangential direction Dt to the other tangential direction Dt).

[0036] 3, the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 in the extension direction Dg is determined by the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 (the dimension of the outer edge portion 17 extending in the radial direction) and the extension direction Dg of the accommodating groove 40. From the viewpoint of ensuring the ability to accommodate the solder portion 16 without deformation, the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 is preferably set to be at least longer than the solder portion 16. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of making the housing 11 compact, it is desirable to set the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) as short as possible.

[0037] Therefore, in order to set the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 as short as possible and set the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 as long as possible, the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 is set shorter than the longitudinal length Ls of the solder portion 16, and the accommodating groove 40 is extended in a direction intersecting the normal direction Dn. In this way, by providing the accommodating groove 40 at an angle toward the tangential direction Dt with respect to the normal direction Dn (i.e., by having the extension direction Dg not coincide with the normal direction Dn), the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 in the extension direction Dg can be set longer than the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17. In other words, even if the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 is set shorter than the length Ls of the solder portion 16, the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 can be set shorter than the length Ls of the solder portion 16.

[0038] Furthermore, the accommodating groove 40 of this embodiment extends in a direction intersecting both the normal direction Dn and the tangential direction Dt in order to ensure the ability to accommodate the solder portion 16 without deforming it. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the extension direction Dg of the accommodating groove 40 is set so as not to coincide with either the normal direction Dn or the tangential direction Dt.

[0039] The solder portion 16 is drawn out to the outer edge portion 17 in a position in which it extends in a direction intersecting both the normal direction Dn and the tangential direction Dt. Therefore, when attempting to draw out this solder portion 16 in a direction that coincides with the normal direction Dn or the tangential direction Dt, a large external force tends to be applied to the solder portion 16. In contrast, a configuration in which the accommodating groove 40 extends in a direction that intersects both the normal direction Dn and the tangential direction Dt can be said to be a configuration in which an external force that deforms the solder portion 16 is less likely to be applied when the solder portion 16 is accommodated in the accommodating groove 40.

[0040] Next, the structure for accommodating the solder portion 16 in the accommodating groove 40 will be described. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 3. As shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the accommodating groove 40 has a space 44 capable of accommodating the solder portion 16, which is defined by wall surfaces 41, 42, and 43 arranged on three sides (both circumferentially and radially outward) relative to the solder portion 16 that has been drawn out to the outer edge portion 17 and accommodated in the accommodating groove 40.

[0041] The wall surfaces 41, 42 are wall portions located on both circumferential sides of a bottom surface 45 of the accommodation groove 40. The wall surface 43 is a wall portion located radially outward from the bottom surface 45. Furthermore, no wall portions are provided on the upper surface side and the radially inner side of the accommodation groove 40, and the accommodation groove 40 is open. Note that, hereinafter, when distinguishing between the wall surfaces 41, 42 and the wall surface 43, the wall surfaces 41, 42 will be referred to as "side walls 41, 42" and the wall surface 43 will be referred to as "outer wall 43."

[0042] In the exemplary configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the side walls 41, 42 extend in the first direction D1 from the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17 and are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and generally parallel to each other. The outer wall 43 extends in the first direction D1 from the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17. In this embodiment, the outer wall 43 is formed as part of the outer peripheral wall 18 protruding from the outer periphery (the radially outer periphery) of the outer edge portion 17. However, the outer wall 43 may be formed as an independent part or component, and may also be formed as part of another part or component. In FIG. 5 , the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17 and the bottom surface 45 of the housing groove 40 are located at approximately the same axial position. However, the former may be located closer to the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 than the latter. The widths of the two side walls 41, 42 do not necessarily have to be the same.

[0043] The three dimensions of the accommodation groove 40, namely, the height Tg (depth), width Wg, and length Lg in the extension direction Dg, are set to be longer than the height Ts, width Ws, and longitudinal length Ls of the solder portion 16, respectively, so as to form a space 44 capable of accommodating the solder portion 16. The height Tg of the accommodation groove 40 is the dimension in the axial direction, and is the dimension from the bottom surface 45 to the upper surfaces of the wall surfaces 41, 42, and 43. In the accommodation groove 40 shown in FIG. 5, the side walls 41 and 42 and the outer wall 43 are formed to have the same height.

[0044] The width Wg of the accommodation groove 40 is the distance between the side walls 41, 42 in the circumferential direction. In other words, the width Wg is the distance between the opposing surfaces of the side walls 41, 42, and can also be considered the circumferential dimension (width) of the space 44. The length Lg (see FIG. 3 ) of the accommodation groove 40 in the extension direction Dg can be considered the distance from a position 30B on the outer periphery 30A of the accommodation groove 40 to the outer wall 43 (the linear length connecting the position 30B and the outer wall 43). This length Lg is determined by the extension direction Dg of the accommodation groove 40 and the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17.

[0045] The height Ts and width Ws of the solder portion 16 are the lengths of the portions corresponding to the outer diameter when the solder portion 16 is considered to be, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. In reality, the shape of the solder portion 16 is not necessarily a substantially cylindrical shape, so the height Ts of the solder portion 16 can also be considered the axial dimension when the solder portion 16 is placed on the bottom surface 45, and the width Ws of the solder portion 16 can also be considered the circumferential dimension when the solder portion 16 is placed on the bottom surface 45.

[0046] The length Ls of the solder portion 16 is the length of the portion corresponding to the height when the solder portion 16 is considered to be approximately cylindrical. In reality, the shape of the solder portion 16 is not necessarily approximately cylindrical, so the length Ls of the solder portion 16 is the length in a direction intersecting the height Ts and width Ws, and can also be considered a dimension of the solder portion 16 along the direction in which the winding 35a extends. Since the length Ls of the solder portion 16 is usually longer than the height Ts and width Ws, the length Ls of the solder portion 16 can be considered to be the dimension of the solder portion 16 in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] In order to suppress external forces acting on the solder portion 16 during the operation of accommodating the solder portion 16 within the accommodating groove 40, it is preferable that the dimensions of the accommodating groove 40 (particularly the width Wg and length Lg) be set to a size that has sufficient leeway relative to the dimensions (particularly the width Ws and length Ls) of the solder portion 16. If the dimensions of the accommodating groove 40 are small relative to the dimensions of the solder portion 16, the solder portion 16 may be forced into the accommodating groove 40 or may be deformed during the operation of accommodating the solder portion 16 within the accommodating groove 40.

[0048] In the accommodating groove 40 of this embodiment, the solder portion 16 drawn out to the outer edge portion 17 is accommodated in the space 44 from the open areas on the upper side and radially inner side of the accommodating groove 40. The accommodating groove 40 accommodates the solder portion 16 in an unfixed state, simply placed therein. In other words, when accommodating the solder portion 16, the solder portion 16 is not fixed in the accommodating groove 40 with adhesive, protrusions, or the like. In other words, the accommodating groove 40 is not provided with a structure for fixing the accommodated solder portion 16.

[0049] 1 to 5. When assembling the housing 11, the rotor 20 and stator 30 are first placed inside the cylindrical portion 11A of the housing 11. Next, the conductors, such as the winding 35a and the lead wires 14 and the ends of the windings 35a, are soldered together. Then, the soldered portion 16 formed by soldering the ends of the windings 35a is placed in the housing groove 40. The soldered portion of the winding 35a and the lead wires 14 is also placed in a predetermined position. After that, the end bell 12 is combined with the housing 11 to cover the opening 15.

[0050] Finally, the structures of the motor 10 and blower 1 will be described. The motor 10 includes the housing 11 described above, a stator 30 housed in the housing 11, and a rotor 20 disposed radially opposite the stator 30. The blower 1 of this embodiment is configured to include the motor 10 and an impeller 2 fixed to a shaft 21 (rotating shaft) of the motor 10.

[0051] [2. Effects] (1) In the housing 11 described above, the accommodating groove 40 is provided in the outer edge portion 17 formed radially outward from the opening 15, and this accommodating groove 40 extends in any direction Dg between the normal direction Dn and the tangential direction Dt of the position 30B on the outer periphery 30A. Therefore, the solder portion 16 drawn radially outward from the opening 15 can be accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 arranged in the outer edge portion 17.

[0052] The solder portion 16, which solders together the conductors including the winding 35a, is accommodated in the accommodation groove 40, thereby suppressing deformation of the solder portion 16. Furthermore, because the configuration simply accommodates the solder portion 16 in the accommodation groove 40, deformation of the solder portion 16 due to external forces is suppressed compared to conventional techniques that use adhesive or protrusions to fix the neutral connection. This ensures connection quality, which in turn improves the quality of the motor 10 and the blower 1.

[0053] Furthermore, the accommodating groove 40 of this embodiment has a space 44 defined by three wall surfaces 41, 42, and 43, and this space 44 is capable of accommodating the solder portion 16. As a result, the solder portion 16 accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 is isolated from other components such as the stator 30 and the winding 35a by the wall surfaces 41, 42, and 43. This prevents the solder portion 16 accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 from interfering with other components. Therefore, with a configuration having the space 44 as in this embodiment, deformation of the solder portion 16 can be further suppressed.

[0054] (2) In the housing 11 described above, the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 is set shorter than the longitudinal length Ls of the solder portion 16, and the accommodating groove 40 extends in a direction intersecting with the normal direction Dn. Therefore, the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 can be formed longer than the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17, and the distance (length) over which the solder portion 16 can be accommodated within the accommodating groove 40 can be set longer.

[0055] Therefore, even if the length Ls of the solder portion 16 is longer than the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17, the solder portion 16 can be accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 without being bent (deflected). This further reduces deformation of the solder portion 16 due to external forces, ensuring connection quality. Furthermore, since the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 can be set long and the radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 can be reduced, this contributes to making the housing 11 more compact (reducing its size).

[0056] (3) In addition, in the housing 11 described above, the accommodating groove 40 extends in a direction intersecting both the normal direction Dn and the tangential direction Dt. This allows the solder portion 16 drawn to the outer edge portion 17 to be accommodated in the accommodating groove 40 without being subjected to excessive bending deformation. This further prevents the solder portion 16 from being deformed by external forces, ensuring connection quality.

[0057] (4) Furthermore, in the housing 11 described above, the solder portion 16 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 40 without being fixed, but simply resting on the bottom surface 45, so compared to conventional techniques in which the neutral point connection is fixed using adhesive or protrusions, external forces are less likely to be applied when accommodating the solder portion 16 in the accommodation groove 40. This reduces the possibility that the solder portion 16 will be deformed by external forces, ensuring connection quality.

[0058] (5) A motor 10 including the housing 11 described above can achieve at least the same effects as those described in (1) above for the housing 11. Furthermore, a motor 10 including a housing 11 having the configurations described in (2) to (4) above can also achieve the same effects as those described in (2) to (4) above.

[0059] (6) Furthermore, the blower 1 including the motor 10 and the impeller 2 fixed to the shaft 21 of the motor 10 can provide at least the same effects as those described above in (5) for the motor 10. Furthermore, by providing the blower 1 with the motor 10 including the housing 11 having the configurations described above in (2) to (4), the blower 1 can also provide the same effects as those described above in (2) to (4).

[0060] [3. Other] The above-described housing 11, motor 10, and blower 1 are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described configurations. For example, the housing groove 40 is not limited to a structure having a space 44 defined by wall surfaces 41, 42, and 43 erected from the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17, but may also have a structure having a space formed by excavating the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17. In this case, in the space formed by excavating the upper surface of the outer edge portion 17, the wall surfaces arranged on three sides (both circumferentially and radially outward) are the wall surfaces that define the space.

[0061] It is desirable to reduce the axial dimension (thickness) of the case body of the blower 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Therefore, the axial dimension (thickness) of the housing 11 is also reduced. With such a thin housing 11, it is difficult to ensure the thickness required to excavate the outer edge portion 17. Therefore, the structure of the above-described accommodation groove 40, which has a space 44 defined by upright walls 41, 42, and 43, is advantageous in that it allows the housing 11 to be thin and makes it easy to set the height Tg sufficient to accommodate the solder portion 16. It is not necessary for the housing 11 to have a space defined by walls arranged on three sides. For example, a structure that suppresses deformation of the solder portion 16 may be achieved by providing walls on the sides (two directions) of the solder portion 16.

[0062] The extension direction Dg of the accommodating groove 40 may be a direction that coincides with the normal direction Dn or a direction that coincides with the tangential direction Dt. The radial length Ld of the outer edge portion 17 may be equal to or greater than the longitudinal length Ls of the solder portion 16. In this case, even if the accommodating groove 40 is configured to extend in a direction that coincides with the normal direction Dn, the length Lg of the accommodating groove 40 may be set to be equal to or greater than the longitudinal length Ls of the solder portion 16.

[0063] The solder portion 16 is not limited to the portion where the ends of the winding 35a are soldered together, but may also be the portion where the winding 35a and the lead wire 14 are soldered together, or the portion where the lead wires 14 are soldered together.

[0064] Furthermore, the shape of the housing 11 is not limited to the illustrated shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape that does not have the annular portion 11B shown in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the type of motor 10 is not limited to an inner rotor brushless motor, and may be an outer rotor motor or a brushed motor. The application of the housing 11 having the above-described housing groove 40 is not limited to the blower 1, and it can be applied to any device. An example of an object other than a blower to which the housing 11 having the housing groove 40 can be applied is a plastic gearbox.

[0065] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 blower 2 impeller 10 motor 11 blower housing (housing) 11A cylindrical portion 11B annular portion 11c side wall portion 11d bottom portion 11e step portion 11f flange portion 12 end bell 12a outer peripheral end portion 14 lead wire (conductor) 14A groove portion 15 opening portion 16 solder portion 17 outer edge portion 18 outer peripheral wall 20 rotor 21 shaft 22 magnet 23 balancer 24 bearing 25 O-ring 30 stator 30A outer periphery 30B position (circumferential position) 31 stator core 32 insulator 35 coil 35a winding (conductor) 40 accommodation groove 41, 42 side wall (wall surface) 43 outer wall (wall surface) 44 space 45 Bottom surface D1 First direction D2 Second direction Dg Extension direction of the receiving groove Dn Normal direction Dt Tangential direction Ld Radial length of the outer edge Lg Length of the receiving groove Ls Length of the solder part (length in the longitudinal direction) Ra, Rb Angle range

Claims

1. A housing that accommodates a stator of a motor, comprising: an opening for accommodating the stator; an outer edge portion formed circumferentially radially outward of the opening so as to surround the outer periphery of the stator and extending in the radial direction; and an accommodating groove into which conductors including windings of the stator are soldered and in which solder portions drawn out to the outer edge portion are accommodated, wherein the accommodating groove is disposed in the outer edge portion and extends in any direction from a normal direction to the outer periphery at the circumferential position where the accommodating groove is disposed to a tangential direction to the outer periphery at that circumferential position.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the radial length of the outer edge is set shorter than the longitudinal length of the solder portion, and the accommodating groove extends in a direction intersecting the normal direction.

3. The housing according to claim 2, wherein the receiving groove extends in a direction intersecting both the normal direction and the tangential direction.

4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation groove accommodates the solder portion in a state where the solder portion is simply placed therein without being fixed.

5. A motor comprising: a housing according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a stator accommodated in said housing; and a rotor disposed radially opposite said stator.

6. A blower comprising the motor according to claim 5 and an impeller fixed to the rotary shaft of the motor.

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