Shaftless Rotor Assembly With Single-Fastener End Cap Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional rotor assemblies in vehicles, such as hybrid or electric vehicles, suffer from increased weight due to the inclusion of a shaft and fastening components, leading to reduced operational efficiency and strain on the rotor assembly, as well as high resource demand and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A shaftless rotor assembly design using a single fastener to affix end caps to a rotor core, eliminating the need for a shaft and allowing for a hollow rotor cavity, reducing weight and complexity while enabling material hybridization with less expensive materials like aluminum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a shaft and fastening components are used to hold the rotor assembly together, then the rotor assembly is structurally stable and components are aligned, but the weight of the rotor assembly increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the shaft from the rotor assembly, extracting the heavy metal component that was causing excessive weight. The shaftless design uses end caps with integrated alignment features and a single fastener to hold the rotor core together, eliminating the need for the traditional shaft while maintaining structural stability through the end cap fastening system.
2Reliability
If multiple fasteners are used to secure end caps to the rotor core, then the rotor assembly is securely fastened, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fastening functions into a single fastener system. The single fastener extends through both end caps and the rotor core, integrating the fastening of multiple components into one operation. This reduces the number of fasteners from multiple to one, simplifying the assembly process and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining secure fastening of the rotor assembly.
3Strength
If traditional steel materials are used for the rotor assembly, then the structural strength is sufficient, but the resource demand and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction by using aluminum for the end caps and steel only for the rotor core laminations. This hybrid material approach replaces solid steel construction with a composite structure where aluminum provides the non-magnetic end cap functions and steel provides the electromagnetic core functions, thereby reducing overall steel consumption and manufacturing cost while maintaining necessary structural strength.
4Reliability
If a shaft with shoulder and multiple fastening components are used, then the rotor components are held together securely, but the number of parts and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the shaft, shoulder, and associated multiple fastening components from the rotor assembly design. This elimination of unnecessary parts simplifies the component list and reduces assembly steps, directly improving manufacturing efficiency and productivity while the remaining end cap and single fastener system maintains secure component retention.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems are provided for a rotor assembly including a single fastener. In one example, a system may include a shaftless rotor core positioned between a first end cap and a second end cap, and a fastener extending through the first end cap, second end cap, and a cavity formed by the rotor core to affix the first end cap and second end cap to the rotor core without any other fasteners.