Apparatus and method for dissipating heat from a motor

Heat-conductive masses of material encapsulate end turns of a stator fixed in a housing of a motor to dissipate heat from the stator through the side and one end of the housing. In one embodiment, a resilient heat-conductive pad is interposed between a front plate of the housing and a side of one of the heat-conductive masses of material facing the front plate. The pad has a thickness greater than the manufacturing tolerances associated with assembling an end of the stator at an end of the housing adjacent to the front plate. In another embodiment, the heat-conductive mass of material adjacent to the front plate extends into contact with the front plate. The contact can be assured, even without the presence of a resilient pad, by forming the heat-conductive mass between the stator and the front plate after the stator is assembled to the housing.

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What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for dissipation of heat from an electric motor having a shaft, a housing and a stator mounted in the housing, the stator having opposite ends, comprising:

the housing extending across one of the ends of the stator toward the shaft, said one end of the stator being encapsulated in a mass of material; and

a resilient pad extending between and contacting the housing and said mass of material,

wherein said mass and said resilient pad are made of heat conductive materials.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said ends of the stator have end turns, the end turns at said one end of the stator being encapsulated in the mass of material.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein said mass of material has a side in contact with the housing of the motor.

4. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein the end turns at an opposite end of the stator are encapsulated in a mass of heat conductive material having a side in contact with the housing of the motor.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the material of the mass of material is a cured plastic resin.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the resilient pad is made of a silicone polymer filled with alumina.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the dimension of the resilient pad from said one end of the stator to said element of the housing is greater than the dimensional tolerances involved in assembling the stator in the housing.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the mass of material, the element of the housing and the resilient pad are annular in shape.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said mass of material has a side contacting the resilient pad, and the resilient pad has a side contacting the mass of material, the contacting sides of the mass and the resilient pad being in contact withone another over most of the areas of each of the contacting sides.

10. The arrangement of claim 9, wherein the mass of material, the element of the housing and the resilient pad are annular in shape.

11. A method of making an electric motor having a shaft, a housing and a stator mounted in the housing, the stator having opposite ends, comprising:

providing the housing that extends toward the shaft;

positioning a resilient pad made of a heat conducting material in heat transferring contact with said housing;

encapsulating one of the ends of the stator in a mass of heat conducting material; and

securing the stator in the housing, with the mass of heat conducting material in heat transferring contact with said resilient pad in order to dissipate heat from the stator.