An AC dynamo in which a rectifier, a voltage regulator and brush holders are disposed in stacked relationship, all these elements being secured to an end bracket of the dynamo by common securing means which provide electrical connection means between the elements as well as serve as electrical terminal means.
A voltage regulator and brush assembly for an alternator has a body of the voltage regulator mounted on a housing of the brush assembly. A screw passes through an apertured flange at one end of the body of the voltage regulator and engages in a screw threaded hole in a recessed surface on the housing of the brush assembly. At the other end of the body of the voltage regulator there are provided two tongues which define a slot having an inwardly tapering free end. A recess facing the fixing screw is provided in the brush housing and the tongues engage in the recess so that the slot between the tongues abuts against a correspondingly shaped shoulder in the recess whereby when the screw is tightened the tongues engage in the recess with a wedging action which provides a firm, vibration-free connection between the voltage regulator and the brush housing.
A rectifier and brush assembly for an alternator has a rectifier comprising two parallel spaced phase plates carrying respective sets of diodes. The terminals of respective diodes of the sets are soldered to respective connectors. One terminal of each of a set of field diodes is also soldered to each connector while the other terminal of each field diode is soldered to a connector common to all the field diodes. This common connector has an integral apertured flange which is secured by a screw against a conductive plate carried by a housing for the brushes. The conductive plate is electrically connected with one of the brushes in the brush housing. The brush housing also carries a voltage regulator of which a lead is crimped to an apertured electrical connector secured by the screw to the conductive plate.
Bus strips of steel or brass, rivetted where necessary to the brush holder and to a flat plate member integral therewith serve to connect the terminals of the voltage regulator mounted on the flat plate to the brush holder and to terminals for positive and negative voltage, the exicitor winding of a generator and the D+ and D- terminals. The bus strips are soldered or welded to the terminals they connect so as to provide reliable connections for the life of the device. The negative terminal connection includes a bushing in a mounting eye of the flat plate and the positive terminal is provided as a pressure contact.
To prevent connecting difficulties in the manufacture of automotive-type alternators of the claw pole generator type, resilient spring compression terminals, or contacts are formed, respectively, on a terminal board or on a voltage regulator terminal for engagement with a spring terminal element connected to the fieldwinding so that mere placement of the terminal board or a voltage regulator, respectively, against the springy terminal connections will effect electrical connection and not requiring any internal connecting steps within the alternator and especially at locations of impaired accessibility since they are hidden behind the terminal board, or voltage regulator, respectively.
A brush holder for a charging generator for a car comprises a one-piece resin-molded body in which a pair of recesses for holding brushes are formed and a plurality of terminal plates are embedded except for small exposed parts to which lead wires of a voltage regulator and lead wires of said brushes are soldered. A brush is disposed in each of the recesses, and each of the brushes is connected to one of the lead wires which is also connected to a corresponding one of the terminals.
