Title of Invention

"A DEVICE FOR MECHANICALLY ASSEMBLING AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING TOGETHER TWO SUBASSEMBLIES OF AN ALTERNATOR"

Abstract

A device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies (1,2) of an alternator, in particular a motor vehicle alternator, one of the subassemblies (1) including at least two first conductor elements (11, 12) mounted on a support (13) and the other subassembly including at least two second conductor elements (21, 22) mounted on a support (23) and designed to be connected to the first conductor elements, and the supports of the first and second subassemblies include fittings (150, 250) designed to co-operate with clamping fastener means (3), said assembling means being suitable for maintaining contact pressure between corresponding contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first conductor elements (11, 12) and of the second conductor elements (21, 22), and the contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first and second conductor elements is provided in the vicinity of one another on respective fittings (150, 250) suitable for receiving a single fastener member (3), the device being characterized in that said corresponding contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements are distributed around said fastener member (3).

Full Text

The present invention relates to a device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies of an alternator. The present invention relates in general to devices for simultaneously mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies of an alternator, in particular an alternator for a motor vehicle. It relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to mechanical assembly and electrical interconnection of a rectifier subassembly and a regulator and brush-support subassembly of such an alternator. Figure 1 is an exploded plan view of two prior, art subassernblies of this type. The rectifier subassembly 1 is designed to be mechanically and electrically associated with the regulator subassembly 2, the electrical connection between the two subassemblies having two terminals carrying the output voltage from the rectifier bridge (itself generally of the three-phase type). The rectifier subassembly conventionally comprises a body or structure of insulating material 13, a plurality of rectifier diodes (not shown), and a positive connector 11 and a negative connector 12 connected to the various diodes. In conventional manner, the positive and negative connectors 11 and 12 include diode connection fittings respectively referenced 111 and 121, and stator conductor connection fittings respectively referenced 112 and 122. For the purposes of mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together the rectifier subassembly 1 and the regulator subassembly 2, the positive connector 11 of the rectifier subassembly 1 has an annular connection zone 113 provided at an assembly zone 131 of the insulating body 13 in which a circular opening 141 is formed. Similarly, the negative connector 12 possesses an annular connection zone 123 provided at an assembly zone 132 of the insulating body 13 in which a circular opening 142 is formed. Also, the regulator subassembly 2 includes, in conventional manner, an insulating body 23 on which there are mounted in particular an integrated circuit 25 for performing regulation and a pair of brush carriers 24. This subassembly includes a positive conductor 21 connected to the integrated circuit and including an annular zone 213 having an opening 214 passing therethrough, and a negative conductor 22 likewise connected to the integrated circuit and including an annular zone 223 having an opening 224 going therethrough. Two bolts (not shown) are provided to pass through respective pairs of openings 141 & 214 and 142 & 224, and to co-operate with appropriate tapping formed in the back bearing of the alternator, thereby serving, for example, to clamp together the respective pairs of annular zones 113, 213, and 123, 223, while also fixing both subassemblies to said bearing. Thus, to make two electrical connections between the subassemblies, it is necessary to provide two distinct bolting points which are spaced apart from each other, whereas from a purely mechanical point of view, a single bolting point would suffice. More generally, it is necessary to provide as many fastening points (by means of bolts or otherwise) as there are electrical connections to be made by the assembly. That known solution is naturally expensive insofar as it requires a plurality of bolts and a plurality of associated tapped holes or nuts, thereby lengthening the time required for assembly. That known solution is also disadvantageous in that the electrical contacts made between the two subassemblies are achieved merely by pressing together conductive surfaces, so they are exposed to the Accordingly, there is provided a device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies of an alternator, in particular a motor vehicle alternator, one of the subassemblies including at least two first conductor elements mounted on a support and the other subassembly including at least two second conductor elements mounted on a support and designed to be connected to the first conductor elements, and the supports of the first and second subassemblies include fittings designed to co-operate with clamping fastener means, said assembling means being suitable for maintaining contact pressure between corresponding contact portions of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements, and the contact portions of the first and second conductor elements being provided in the vicinity of one another on respective fittings suitable for receiving a single fastener member, the device being characterized in that said corresponding contact portions of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements are distributed around said fastener member. Accordingly, there is also provided an alternator, characterized in that it includes first and second subassemblies that are mechanically assembled and electrically connected together by means of a device. The present invention thus provides a device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting environment and therefore run the risk of corrosion and deterioration in the contact quality. Also known, from document US-A-5 268 605 is a device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies of an alternator, in particular a motor vehicle alternator, one of the subassemblies including at least two first conductor elements mounted on a support and the other subassembly including at least two second conductor elements mounted on a support and designed to be connected to the first conductor elements, and the supports of the first and second subassemblies include fittings designed to cooperate with clamping fastener means, said assembling means being suitable for maintaining contact pressure between corresponding contact portions of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements, and the contact portions of the first and second conductor elements being provided in the vicinity of one another on respective fittings suitable for receiving a single fastener member. That device makes it possible, at a single fastening point (fastening performed by a bolt, for example), to provide a plurality of electrical contacts between the two subassemblies. Nevertheless, that known device is disadvantageous in that it requires contacts to be stacked, thereby necessarily imparting considerable thickness thereto in the axial direction. Also, the contact zones are largely exposed on the outside, and risks of short-circuiting can appear, particularly under the effect of bad weather. The object of the present invention is to propose a mechanical assembly and electrical connection device of the above-specified type which is compact both.axial,l-y-and transversely, and which also provides good protection for the surfaces to be put into contact. together two subassemblies of an alternator as defined above, which device is characterized in that said corresponding contact portions of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements are distributed around said fastener member. Preferred but non-limiting features of the device of the invention are specified in dependent claims 2 to 6. The invention also provides an alternator, characterized in that it includes first and second subassemblies that are mechanically assembled and electrically connected together by means of a device as defined above. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is an exploded plan view of a rectifier subassembly and of a regulator subassembly of a prior art alternator; Figure 2 is an exploded plan view of a rectifier subassembly and of a regulator subassembly of an alternator of the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of an alternator half-case in which the two subassemblies of Figure 2 have been assembled and incorporated; Figure 4 is a cross-section view on chain-dotted line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section on line V of Figure 4 through a fastening and contact portion of the assembly of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 6 is a section on line VI of a fastening and contact portion of the assembly of Figures 3 and 4; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fastening and contact portion of the assembly of Figures 3 and 4. With reference now to Figures 2 to 4, there can be seen two subassemblies of a motor vehicle alternator, namely a rectifier subassembly 1 and a regulator subassembly 2. Overall these two subassemblies are described above in the preamble, and the same reference symbols are used for elements in common. The description below is therefore restricted to the dispositions specific to the present invention for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together these two subassemblies. As can be seen in Figure 2, the positive conductor 11 of the rectifier subassembly 1 includes a contact portion 115 that is generally in the form of a half-annulus, while the negative conductor 12 includes a contact portion 125 that is generally in the form of a half-annulus, disposed symmetrically relative to the half-annulus 115, and facing it. These two contact portions 115 and 125 are received in an appropriate fitting 150 of the insulating body 13 of the subassembly 1, as described below. In analogous manner, the positive and negative conductors, respectively 21 and 22, of the regulator subassembly 2 respectively include two contact portions 215 and 255 which are generally in the form of half-annuluses disposed symmetrically and facing each other at a certain spacing apart. These contact portions are formed on a particular fitting 250 of the insulating body 23 of the subassembly 2. The contact portions 115 and 125 are of substantially the same shape and size as the contact portions 215 and 225. Now with reference to Figures 5 to 7, it can be seen that the fitting 150 of the subassembly 1 is constituted mainly by two concentric axial annular skirts, namely an outer skirt 151 and an inner skirt 152, which together define an annular cavity 156 with the two contact portions 115 and 125 being flush with the bottom thereof. Also, going from the bottom of the cavity 156 between the skirts 151 and 152, there extend two diametrically opposite radial ribs 153 and 154 integrally formed with the rest of the fitting 150 and serving to insulate the two contact portions 115 and 125 from each other. At this point, it should be observed, as shown in particular in Figure 7, that the outer skirt 151 of the fitting 150 may optionally be interrupted at the ribs 153 and 154. Finally, the fitting 150 has a cylindrical central through hole 155 coaxial with the skirts 151 and 152 and designed to receive the shank of a single fastening bolt (referenced 3 in Figures 3 and 4). The fitting 250 formed on the insulating body of the subassembly 2 comprises a projecting annular ring 251 with the two contact portions 215 and 225 of the conductors 21 and 22 being flush with the axial end surface thereof. This ring 251 is complementary in shape to the cavity 156 defined in the fitting 150 of the first subassembly 1. In this respect, it has two radially-extending grooves 253 and 254 which are diametrically opposite and which separate the two contact portions 215 and 225 from each other. This fitting 250 has a cylindrical axial through hole 255 of diameter that is preferably close to that of the hole 155. When the two subassemblies are to be fitted to the back bearing of the alternator, the fastening fittings 150 and 250 of the two subassemblies are mutually engaged with male/female type co-operation such that the contact portions 115 and 125 of the first subassembly come respectively into register with the contact portions 215 and 225 of the second subassembly. During this engagement, the ribs 153 and 154 penetrate into the grooves 253 and 254 to ensure that the two half-cavities in which respective electrical connections are established are effectively separated from each other. The bolt 3 is then inserted in the aligned holes 155 and 255 and is screwed into a tapped hole formed in the back bearing of the alternator, thereby clamping the two fittings 150 and 250 together thus establishing appropriate electrical connection between the respective pairs of contact portions 115 & 215 and 125 & 225. Once the bolt has been tightened, the contacts are protected from the external environment, in particular by the outer skirt 151 which defines contact cavities that are closed or essentially closed. Where appropriate, it is possible to incorporate grease in the cavities to improve protection of the contacts. The invention makes it possible, using a single fastener element, specifically the bolt 3, to fasten together two subassemblies while also providing a plurality of electrical connections between the two subassemblies. Naturally, the person skilled in the art will be capable of making the necessary modifications in the vicinity of the single fastener to achieve a number of connections greater than two. It may be observed at this point that the insulating bodies of the two subassemblies are advantageously made by being overmolded on their respective conductors. Naturally, the present invention is not limited in any way to mechanically assembling and electrically connecting a rectifier subassembly and a regulator subassembly, and can be used with any other components of an alternator. WE CLAIM : 1. A device for mechanically assembling and electrically connecting together two subassemblies (1,2) of an alternator, in particular a motor vehicle alternator, one of the subassemblies (1) including at least two first conductor elements (11, 12) mounted on a support (13) and the other subassembly including at least two second conductor elements (21, 22) mounted on a support (23) and designed to be connected to the first conductor elements, and the supports of the first and second subassemblies include fittings (150, 250) designed to co-operate with clamping fastener means (3), said assembling means being suitable for maintaining contact pressure between corresponding contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first conductor elements (11, 12) and of the second conductor elements (21, 22), and the contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first and second conductor elements is provided in the vicinity of one another on respective fittings (150, 250) suitable for receiving a single fastener member (3), the device being characterized in that said corresponding contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) of the first conductor elements and of the second conductor elements are distributed around said fastener member (3). 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fittings are male-female fittings (250; 150) defining at least two contact cavities (156) distributed around said fastener member. 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said contact portions (115, 125; 215, 225) and said contact cavities are in the form of concentric ring portions. 4. A device as claimed in claims 2 and 3, wherein said fittings include two facing faces on which said contact portions are situated, and in that one of the faces has projections (153, 154) separating the contact portions of the conductor elements (115, 125) of the subassembly (1) under consideration, and the other face has setbacks (253, 254) complementary to said projections, and separating the contact portions (215, 225) of the conductor elements of the other subassembly (2). 5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the female fitting has an inner skirt (152) surrounding a through hole (155) for the fastener member, and an outer skirt (151) situated at a distance from the inner skirt and co-operating therewith to define said cavities. 6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first subassembly (1) is a rectifier subassembly of the alternator and in that the second subassembly (2) is a regulator and brush support subassembly of the alternator. 7. An alternator, having first and second subassemblies (1,2) that are mechanically assembled and electrically connected together by means of a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. A device for mechanically assembling arid electrically connecting together two subassemblies substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings (Fig. 2 to 7).

Documents:

2915-del-1997-abstract.pdf

2915-del-1997-claims.pdf

2915-del-1997-correspondence-others.pdf

2915-del-1997-correspondence-po.pdf

2915-del-1997-description (complete).pdf

2915-del-1997-drawings.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-1.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-13.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-19.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-2.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-3.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-4.pdf

2915-del-1997-form-6.pdf

2915-del-1997-gpa.pdf

2915-del-1997-petition-137.pdf

2915-del-1997-petition-138.pdf