Abstract: An alternator for a vehicle has a rotor with a field wiring, a stator with a three-phase stator wiring, a regulator, and a rectifier. The regulator and rectifier are disposed away from each other with the rotor between. An alternating current is generated in the stator wiring in response to a rotation of the rotor and a field current received in the field wiring. The rectifier converts the alternating current into a direct current and outputs the direct current as an electrical energy generated in the alternator. The regulator regulates a value of the filed current to control the electrical energy. The rectifier acts as a heat generating member, but heat generated in the rectifier is hardly transmitted to the regulator disposed away from the rectifier.

Abstract: A vehicle alternator for generating electric power is driven by an engine mounted on a vehicle driven through a driving belt. The alternator has a pulley part joined to and directly receiving a driving force from the engine through the driving belt, a field magnet part located in separation from the pulley part, a rotation speed changing part placed between the pulley part and the field magnet part. The rotation speed changing part converts the number of revolutions between the pulley part and the field magnet part. The rotation speed changing part decreases a speed changing ratio “S” according to increasing of the number of revolutions of the engine, where the speed changing ratio “S” is obtained by dividing the number of revolutions of the field magnet part by the number of revolutions of the pulley part.

Abstract: A rolling bearing is adapted for an auxiliary device driven by an internal combustion engine via a belt. The rolling bearing comprises an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner race and the outer race for rolling capabilities. A substantially half of a tolerance value of a clearance in a radial direction of the rolling bearing falls in a negative value, under a condition where the rolling bearing is mounted in the auxiliary device.

Abstract: A method of designing a roller bearing is disclosed upon clarifying mechanisms of damage patterns in respect of two kinds of brinelling, involved in the bearing, wherein white-banded flaking (brittle flaking) is a plastic instability phenomenon appearing under high-speed deformation accompanied by adiabatic shear deformation status with the resultant occurrence of adiabatic shear band (also called white band) inside material of the bearing. This enables all of the damage patterns to be determined upon making comparison between shear strain and shear strain rate, occurring inside the bearing, and discriminated values.

Abstract: An automotive alternator includes a rotary shaft, a pulley, a stator, a rotor, and a magnetic fluctuation suppressor. The pulley is provided on the rotary shaft to transmit rotating power from an engine to the rotary shaft. The stator includes a stator winding. The rotor is mounted on the rotary shaft and configured to provide a first rotating magnetic field to the stator. The magnetic fluctuation suppressor includes a magnetic body and a magnetic source. The magnetic body is mounted on the rotary shaft such that the magnetic body is rotatable along with the rotary shaft at a rotational speed different from that of the rotary shaft. The magnetic source is fixed to the rotary shaft so as to create a second rotating magnetic field which induces a magnetic attraction between the magnetic body and the magnetic source, by which fluctuations in rotational movement of the rotary shaft are suppressed.

Abstract: A rolling bearing assembly according to the present invention includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the inner and outer rings, and a magnet provided to cause magnetic attraction between the rolling elements and at least one of the inner and outer rings. With the magnetic attraction, it is possible to avoid any collision between the rolling elements and the inner and outer rings, thereby preventing brittle flaking from occurring in the rolling bearing assembly.

Abstract: A method of calculating torque of a Lundell-type synchronous generator is disclosed in which only power generation output current and a rotational speed are input for calculation of the amount of electric power and the amount of losses for thereby enabling calculation of power generating torque, based on a sum of the amount of electric power and the amount of losses, which is generated as an output. The present method establishes formulae enabling calculation based on only output current and the rotational speed, enabling a minimal number of inputs to shorten a calculation time interval.

Abstract: An alternator for a vehicle has a rotor with a field wiring, a stator with a three-phase stator wiring, a regulator, and a rectifier. The regulator and rectifier are disposed away from each other with the rotor between. An alternating current is generated in the stator wiring in response to a rotation of the rotor and a field current received in the field wiring. The rectifier converts the alternating current into a direct current and outputs the direct current as an electrical energy generated in the alternator. The regulator regulates a value of the filed current to control the electrical energy. The rectifier acts as a heat generating member, but heat generated in the rectifier is hardly transmitted to the regulator disposed away from the rectifier.

Abstract: A vehicle alternator for generating electric power is driven by an engine mounted on a vehicle driven through a driving belt. The alternator has a pulley part joined to and directly receiving a driving force from the engine through the driving belt, a field magnet part located in separation from the pulley part, a rotation speed changing part placed between the pulley part and the field magnet part. The rotation speed changing part converts the number of revolutions between the pulley part and the field magnet part. The rotation speed changing part decreases a speed changing ratio “S” according to increasing of the number of revolutions of the engine, where the speed changing ratio “S” is obtained by dividing the number of revolutions of the field magnet part by the number of revolutions of the pulley part.

Abstract: A method of designing a roller bearing is disclosed upon clarifying mechanisms of damage patterns in respect of two kinds of brinelling, involved in the bearing, wherein white-banded flaking (brittle flaking) is a plastic instability phenomenon appearing under high-speed deformation accompanied by adiabatic shear deformation status with the resultant occurrence of adiabatic shear band (also called white band) inside material of the bearing. This enables all of the damage patterns to be determined upon making comparison between shear strain and shear strain rate, occurring inside the bearing, and discriminated values.

Abstract: A rotor and a stator are contained in a housing composed of front and rear frames, and a rectifier is mounted on the rear frame and covered with a rear cover having axial and radial openings. A minus heatsink plate having cooling fins extending in the axial direction is disposed to face the radial openings, forming radial air passages, and another air passage is formed between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Cooling air introduced from the radial openings flows through the cooling fins and through the passage between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Thus, efficiency for cooling the rectifier is enhanced.

Abstract: A method of calculating torque of a Lundell-type synchronous generator is disclosed in which only power generation output current and a rotational speed are input for calculation of the amount of electric power and the amount of losses for thereby enabling calculation of power generating torque, based on a sum of the amount of electric power and the amount of losses, which is generated as an output. The present method establishes formulae enabling calculation based on only output current and the rotational speed, enabling a minimal number of inputs to shorten a calculation time interval.

Abstract: In a vehicle ac generator, a regulator that controls output voltage is mounted to a connector case. The connector case is constructed of a common connector and an individual connector. The common connector includes internal terminals that connect the regulator with internal circuits of such as a rectifying device and a rotor. The individual connector includes external terminals that receive and transmit electric information from and to external circuits. The common connector and the individual connector have intermediate terminals that contact with each other. Further, the common connector and the individual connector have engaging portion to engage with each other. The common connector can be shared with individual connectors having different shapes.

Abstract: A rolling bearing is adapted for an auxiliary device driven by an internal combustion engine via a belt. The rolling bearing comprises an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner race and the outer race for rolling capabilities. A substantially half of a tolerance value of a clearance in a radial direction of the rolling bearing falls in a negative value, under a condition where the rolling bearing is mounted in the auxiliary device.

Abstract: In an on-vehicle alternator using a serpentine drive system with a poly-V belt, a damping ratio of the alternator is rendered 0.5 or more as other auxiliary machines by considering six contributors to the damping ratio (i.e., pulley radii, a belt span, a moment of inertia, the number of belt ribs, an elasticity modulus of a single-body belt, and a hysteresis loss of a single-body belt). In one example, a pulley ratio of the alternator relative to an engine crankshaft pulley is rendered 2 or less. In another example, belt span lengths on both sides of the alternator are reduced by fixing the alternator to an on-vehicle engine using a side mounting system. The damping ratio of the alternator is thus increased to 0.5 or more, leading to a significant reduction in vibration in the serpentine drive system fixed to the on-vehicle engine.

Abstract: An AC generator has negative pole-side rectifier devices press-fitted to a holder fin so as to dispose a bottom face of the rectifier device on a surface of the holder fin. The holder fin is disposed in such a manner that the bottom face of the rectifier device faces a rear frame of the AC generator. A clearance is formed between the rear frame and the bottom face through which the cooling wind for the rectifier device flows. The rear frame is provided with a slant face on its outer wall face for inducing the cooling wind introduced through an opening of the protection cover of the AC generator to the rectifier devices. Thus, the cooling wind induced by the slant face can hit on the bottom face of the rectifier devices directly, so as to cool the rectifier device well.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a rolling bearing for supporting a rotary shaft of an automotive accessory includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the inner and outer rings, and grease. The grease has a withstand pressure greater than a predetermined range in which plastic deformation of at least one of surfaces of the inner and outer rings and rolling elements occurs in absence of an elastohydrodynamic lubrication film of the grease on the surface. With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably avoid plastic deformation of the inner and outer rings and rolling elements regardless of presence of elastohydrodynamic lubrication films between the inner and outer rings and the rolling elements. As a result, brittle flaking is reliably prevented from occurring in the rolling bearing.

Abstract: A rolling bearing assembly according to the present invention includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the inner and outer rings, and a magnet provided to cause magnetic attraction between the rolling elements and at least one of the inner and outer rings. With the magnetic attraction, it is possible to avoid any collision between the rolling elements and the inner and outer rings, thereby preventing brittle flaking from occurring in the rolling bearing assembly.

Abstract: A rotor and a stator are contained in a housing composed of front and rear frames, and a rectifier is mounted on the rear frame and covered with a rear cover having axial and radial openings. A minus heatsink plate having cooling fins extending in the axial direction is disposed to face the radial openings, forming radial air passages, and another air passage is formed between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Cooling air introduced from the radial openings flows through the cooling fins and through the passage between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Thus, efficiency for cooling the rectifier is enhanced.

Abstract: A rotor and a stator are contained in a housing composed of front and rear frames, and a rectifier is mounted on the rear frame and covered with a rear cover having axial and radial openings. A minus heatsink plate having cooling fins extending in the axial direction is disposed to face the radial openings, forming radial air passages, and another air passage is formed between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Cooling air introduced from the radial openings flows through the cooling fins and through the passage between the minus heatsink plate and the rear frame. Thus, efficiency for cooling the rectifier is enhanced.