Electrical Connectors for Magneto Stator

The present invention relates to a multipolar stator for a magneto. More particularly this invention concerns such a stator which is fixed adjacent a flywheel-mounted rotor and which incorporates various active circuit elements such as ignition points and voltage-generating coils.

A magneto generating system such as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,486 has several different windings which are fixed on a stator adjacent a rotor such as described in my commonly owned and copending patent application 883,570 filed Mar. 6, 1978, the entire disclosure of which is herewith encorporated by reference. At least one of the windings of such a stator normally is connected to a set of points mounted on the stator and cooperating with a cam on the rotor, and to the vehicle ignition system. Another winding energizes the headlight, and yet another serves to trickle-charge the battery that in turn is responsible for powering of the running lights, directional lights, horn, instrument lights, and the like. Thus it is normally necessary to provide quite a few active circuit elements on the stator. At least four coils are needed, a set of points or an electromagnetic sensor for controlling the ignition, and an ignition condenser. All of these active circuit components must be exactly positioned, in particular the coils. At the same time they must be kept out of the path of the rotor which moves at high speed.

In a two-wheeled vehicle it is also essential that the magneto assembly be as compact and lightweight as possible. Thus this magneto assembly is usually a very complex device which must be assembled with extreme care and which therefore is quite expensive. Furthermore each such magneto stator must virtually be custom-made for the particular requirements, so that it is necessary for a parts dealer to stock a great number of such stators at a correspondingly high cost, as it is impossible to adapt one type of stator for use in another application.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved multipolar stator for a magneto.

Another object is the provision of such a stator which can easily be assembled and which can also be produced at relatively low cost.

A further object is the provision of an improved multipolar magneto stator which is set up so that it can readily be adapted for different applications.

These objects are attained according to the present invention in a multipolar stator comprised basically of a central metallic plate which is surrounded by an insulating synthetic-resin ring. The plate has a front face and a periphery and is adapted to be fixed adjacent the rotor with its face turned toward the rotor. A plurality of bosses formed on this face within the periphery each have a threaded bore for the mounting of a plurality of active circuit components including at least one coil. Each component has at least one terminal extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the metallic ring and the ring is provided with a plurality of connections each alignable with a respective one of the terminals. Means, typically in the form of simple terminal screws, are provided for connecting each of the connections to a respective one of the terminals and the connections are provided in turn each with a respective conductor leading from the ring.

More particularly according to this invention the ring is formed with a plurality of concentric annular grooves each receiving a respective one of the conductors which therefore are recessed in the annular ring.

Thus in accordance with the instant invention the active circuit components are all rigidly mounted on the metal plate that itself is bolted adjacent the flywheel of the vehicle and immediately next to the rotor carrying permanent magnets as described in the above-cited copending application. The necessary terminals of these components extend outwardly and are secured to the insulating ring where the various connections are made to the wires or cables that extend to the vehicle lighting system, ignition system, and so on. The assembly can be put together in very simple stages and it is possible to vary the wiring simply by switching its outer rings. Thus a parts supplier can stock a plurality of standard internal plates with coils and the like, and a plurality of external rings, any of which can be combined with any other to form a very large number of different stator assemblies adapted to different applications.

According to further features of this invention the central metal plate, which is grounded inherently by being normally tightly bolted to the motor block or motor-vehicle frame carries a plurality of coils angularly equispaced about the central rotation axis for the rotor and each serving its respective function. In addition this plate carries either a set of points or an electromagnetic angular-position indicator for operating the ignition system, as well as a ignition condenser. The terminal for the coil that energizes the ignition system, for the live one of the set of points, and for the ungrounded side of the ignition condenser can all be connected together on the semirigid synthetic-resin ring so that only a single conductor need lead out of this ring to the ignition system. The other conductors can respectively go to the battery-charging network, the headlight switch, and so on. The mounting of the coils on the rigid metal plate formed of cast aluminum ensures that they will exactly be aligned within the rotor.

Each of the coils according to this invention is formed by a stack of ferromagnetic plates held between a pair of end plates and traversed by throughgoing holes through which extend securing rivets. In addition each such core is surrounded by a synthetic-resin sheath forming a pair of end flanges and finally a coil of wire is wrapped around this sheath. The one end flange is notched and the one end of the coil is wound around a tab formed on one of the end plates for grounding of one side of the respective coil. The other side of the coil is connected in a socket formed in the one synthetic-resin end plate to a metal tab that in turn forms the terminal for the respective coil.

The ring and the plate are formed with interfitting grooves and ridges so as securely to lock them together once the screws interconnecting the terminals and the connection are in place.

FIG. 1 is a top view partly in section of a stator according to this invention with the coil windings removed for clarity of view;

FIG. 2 is a partly broken away section view of the stator ring of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sheaths surrounding a coil core according to this invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a coil core end plate according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is an axial section through a portion of a fully assembled magneto according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a connector tab for a coil according to this invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a conductor strip usable in the arrangement of FIGS. 1-6; and

FIG. 9 is an axial section through a magneto according to the instant invention.

A stator according to the instant invention basically comprises a cast-aluminum central plate 10 formed at its center on an axis A with a circular throughgoing hole 11 and having an outer rim formed with an axially downwardly projecting rim 12 received in a corresponding upwardly open groove 13 of a semirigid synthetic-resin disk 14. The internal metal plate 10 carries four angularly equispaced coils 15 and, diametrically opposite each other, an ignition condenser 16 and a movable point 17. To this end the plate 10 is formed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with eight substantially angularly equispaced bosses 18 having threaded holes 18' to which are secured the coils 15, and with diametrically opposite internally threaded bosses 19 for the condenser 16 and pivotal point 17.

Each coil 15 is formed of a stack of ferromagnetic plates 20 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 each having a pair of ends 21 and 22 whose outer edges conform to a cylindrical surface having a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the rotor in which the stator is to fit. Between their ends 21 and 22 the stack of plates 20 is formed with a pair of punched-out holes in which rivets 23a are received. The lowermost end plate 20' is formed with the small downwardly bent tab 25 to which one end of a winding shown diagrammatically at 55 in FIG. 6 is secured for grounding of this end of the winding. At each of the poles 21 and 22 there is formed an axially throughgoing hole 23 through each of which extends as shown in FIG. 9 a machine screw 29 whose lower end is threaded into the hole 18' of the respective boss 18. The holes 18' are counterbored at 30 so that the lips 30' formed on the plate 20' at each bore 23 extend into these counterbores 30 and ensure excellent centering of the holes 23 over the holes 18'.

In addition as shown in FIG. 4 there is provided between each of the windings 55 in the core formed by the plates 20 a synthetic-resin square-section sheath 26 having a pair of unitarily molded end flanges 27 and 28. The one end flange 28 is formed with the notch 24 that normally lies adjacent the above-mentioned tab 25 so that the end of the wire at the inner side of the coil 55 can pass out through this notch 24 and be secured to the tab 25. Adjacent this notch 24 the end flange 28 is formed with a rectangular-section socket 55 into which is inserted the other end of the winding 55. A double L-shaped connector tab 32 shown in FIG. 7 has one leg formed with an outwardly extending barb 33 that is fitted into the socket 31 and another end formed with an eye 34 that normally extends radially outwardly beyond the outer rim of the plate 10.

The ignition condenser 16 extends radially of the axis A and has an inner connector tab 35 held via a machine screw to the threaded bore of the respective boss 19 and an outer tab 36 which extends outwardly past the rim of the plate 10 into a corresponding radially inwardly open recess of the ring 14.

The live point 17 is pivotal on a respective boss 19 about an axis parallel to the axis A in a manner well known in the art. This live point 17 has a portion riding on the periphery of the shaft 52 so that when engaged by a cam bump 53 on this rotor shaft 52 it will separate from a grounded point 54 directly screwed to the plate 10. Thus the electrical ground connection between the points 17 and 54 will be opened each time the shaft 52 makes a full revolution. An insulated conductor 37 extends from this live point 17 underneath one of the coils 15 and extends outwardly past the rim of the plate 10.

The ring 14 has a thickened securing portion 38 formed with an upwardly extending thin rim 39 forming a shoulder 40 on which rests a magneto cover 51 shown in FIG. 9. In addition the thickened portion 38 is formed with concentric grooves 56 one of which is visible in FIG. 9.

Each of the connector tabs 32 from the ungrounded ends of the respective coils 55 is traversed by a machine screw 41 threaded into the ring 14 and having a head 48 bearing tightly on the eye portion 34 of the tab 32. A similar such screw 42 is threaded through the eye formed in the outer ungrounded tab of the condenser 16 and yet another such screw 43 is threaded downwardly through the eye on the insulated conductor for the live point 17 diametrically opposite the condenser 16. Insulated conductors 44 lying in the grooves 56 have eyes at their outer ends which are connected to these various terminals 41-43. These four insulated conductors 44 all extend out through the outer rim of the ring 14 through a hole 45 which may be provided with a plug-in connector. The screw at the terminal for one of the coils 15 is connected as shown in FIG. 1 by a flat conductor 46 shown in greater detail in FIG. 8. This arcuate flat brass conductor 46 is formed with three throughgoing holes 47 through which also pass the screws 42 and 43 for the condenser 16 and live point 17. Thus the respective wire 44 can be connected directly to the ignition coil, as the interconnection of the one coil 15, the condenser 16, and the live point 17 is made inside the stator.

In use the shaft 42 of a rotor 50 having a hub 49 passes through the hole 11 as shown in FIG. 9. Details of the construction of this rotor can be seen in the above-cited commonly filed and commonly owned patent application Ser. No. 883,579 whose entire disclosure is herewith incorporated by reference.

The above-described stator therefore comprises two basic subassemblies, namely the central plate 10 carrying all of the active components, and the outer ring 14 carrying the various connections and wires. Though interconnection can take place exclusively through snug interfitting in combination with insertion of the screws at the terminals, as the outer assembly is relatively light and does not need to be bolted as securely as the internal plate 10. Furthermore since the plate 10 is invariably bolted directly to the motor block or vehicle frame it will provide an excellent ground for the grounded ends of the coils 15 as well as for the grounded side of the condenser 16 and the grounded point 54.

It is also noted that it is completely within the scope of this invention to replace the movable live point 17 and grounded point 54 with an electromagnetic-sensing device. This is normally done by providing a small permanent magnet upon the shaft 52 and using a small coil in the place of the live element 17 that in turn operates a transistor circuit to replace the mechanical points. Such an arrangement is useful in an electronic ignition system.