Vehicle Alternator Terminal Block Sealing Strategy
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle-use alternating current generators face issues with cooling air leakage and increased product weight due to unnecessary through holes in the rear bracket when the number of leads from the stator winding is reduced, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced standardization of the rear bracket.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-use rotating electric machine design where a stopper portion extended from the terminal block seals the through holes of the rear bracket, preventing cooling air leakage and allowing for the common use of the rear bracket across different specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the number of leads drawn out from the stator winding is reduced, then the product complexity is reduced, but the rear bracket cannot be commonly used across different specifications
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal block is segmented into multiple regions, each capable of receiving either a tubular member or a stopper portion. This segmentation allows the same rear bracket to be used across different specifications by simply changing which regions receive tubular members versus stopper portions, thereby maintaining standardization while accommodating varying lead configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of the terminal block configuration by varying the number and positions of tubular members versus stopper portions. This parameter change allows the same rear bracket structure to adapt to different lead configurations without requiring custom brackets for each specification, thus resolving the contradiction between reduced complexity and maintained standardization.
2Reliability
If the rear bracket is newly fabricated to block through holes when leads are eliminated, then cooling performance is maintained, but product cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal block is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as an electrical connection component and as a cooling air seal. The stopper portions in the terminal block simultaneously provide electrical terminal functions and seal through holes to prevent cooling air leakage. This eliminates the need for separate blocking structures, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the function of blocking through holes with the terminal block structure itself. Instead of using separate blocking components or fabricating custom brackets, the terminal block integrates both electrical connection and sealing functions, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining reliable cooling performance.
3Reliability
If the rear bracket is used with blocked through holes, then cooling air leakage is prevented, but product weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper portions are designed as thin-walled structures that effectively seal through holes while minimizing material usage and weight. These stopper portions act as flexible sealing elements that prevent cooling air leakage without adding significant weight to the product, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining cooling air seal and minimizing product weight.
4Device complexity
If tubular members are removed from the terminal block when leads are eliminated, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling air leaks from remaining through holes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing tubular members when leads are eliminated, the invention inverts the approach by installing stopper portions in the regions where tubular members would otherwise be located. This inversion ensures that all through holes are sealed regardless of lead configuration, maintaining cooling air seal reliability while allowing flexibility in tubular member placement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A configuration of a rectifying device (21) configuring a vehicle-use rotating electric machine (1) is such that when a lead (14a) drawn out from a stator winding (14) is inserted into a through hole (3a) of a rear bracket (3) forming a casing, a periphery of the lead (14a) is enclosed, and the through hole (3a) sealed, by a tubular member (24a) extended from a main body portion of a terminal block (24), and the through hole (3a) not blocked by the tubular member (24a) is sealed by a stopper portion (24b) extended in the same way from a main body portion of the terminal block (24). Even when the number of leads (14a) drawn out is reduced, standardization of the rear bracket (3) is carried out by the through hole (3a) of the rear bracket (3) being sealed by the stopper portion (24b).