Stator Sensor Substrate Lead Routing for Compact Motor Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional molded electric motors face difficulties in lead routing due to the limited size of the sensor substrate, especially when the stator's outer diameter is small, making it challenging to dispose board-in connectors and route leads effectively.

Innovation Solution

A stator design that includes a sensor substrate with a bearing through hole and notches for lead routing, where the sensor-lead board-in connector is positioned between the bearing through hole and the notch, and the power-supply-lead board-in connector is placed on the opposite side, allowing leads to be routed efficiently regardless of the stator's outer diameter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the stator outer diameter is reduced, then the motor size is reduced, but the sensor substrate size is limited making it difficult to dispose board-in connectors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor sizeVSAvoidconnector disposal
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a two-dimensional surface mounting approach to a three-dimensional routing approach by introducing a through-hole through the sensor substrate. This allows connectors to be disposed on one surface while leads pass through the substrate to the other surface, enabling connector placement even when surface area is limited due to reduced stator outer diameter.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the sensor substrate into functional zones: one surface for mounting the rotation detection circuit and board-in connector, and the other surface for routing leads outward. The through-hole creates separate entry and exit points, segmenting the lead routing path from the circuit mounting area, allowing independent optimization of each function even in compact designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If board-in connectors are disposed on the sensor substrate surface, then lead routing is achieved, but the routing structure becomes complex and costly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelead routingVSAvoidrouting structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the lead routing function from the circuit board surface by using a through-hole that passes completely through the sensor substrate. This separates the connector mounting function (on one surface) from the lead exit function (on the other surface), simplifying the overall routing structure by eliminating the need for complex surface trace routing and reducing the number of connection points required on each surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Volume of moving object

If the sensor substrate size is limited, then the motor can be compact, but lead routing becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor sizeVSAvoidlead routing
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the through-hole dimension to enable lead routing in compact designs. By routing leads through the thickness of the substrate rather than across its surface, the design accommodates limited substrate size while maintaining effective lead routing capability. The leads enter through one surface, pass through the substrate thickness, and exit through the other surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The through-hole is pre-formed in the sensor substrate before connector attachment and lead installation. This preliminary structural preparation creates a predetermined routing path that guides lead placement and simplifies subsequent assembly steps, making the routing process easier even when the substrate size is constrained by compact motor requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3062424B1Stator, electric motor, and air conditioner
Publication Date: 2020.06.24 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3062424B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3062424B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3062424B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A stator 61 includes: a sensor substrate 1 attached to one end of a stator core 62 in an axial direction of the stator core, the sensor substrate 1 being provided with a bearing through hole 15 and being provided with a notch 13 on a periphery, the notch 13 being used for leading out a power supply lead 2 and a sensor lead 3; a sensor-lead board-in connector 5 disposed between the bearing through hole 15 and the notch 13 on the surface of the sensor substrate 1 on the counter-stator side, the sensor lead 3 being connected to the sensor-lead board-in connector 5; and a power-supply-lead board-in connector 4 disposed on the surface of the sensor substrate 1 on the counter-stator side such that the power-supply-lead board-in connector 4 faces the sensor-lead board-in connector 5 with the bearing through hole 15 therebetween, the power supply lead 2 being connected to the power-supply-lead board-in connector 4.