US 6,982,508 B2
Automotive alternator having rectifier and voltage regulator mounted thereon
Satoshi Kumagai, Toyokawa (Japan)
Assigned to Denso Corporation, Kariya (Japan)
Filed on Feb. 06, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/772,384.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-053686 (JP), filed on Feb. 28, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2004/0217663 A1, Nov. 04, 2004
Int. Cl. H02K 11/00 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 310—71 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An alternator for use in an automotive vehicle, the alternator comprising:
an armature having multi-phase windings generating alternating current therein;
a rectifier having a plurality of rectifier elements for rectifying the alternating current into direct current and a phase terminal connected to one of the multi-phase windings, the phase terminal extending from the rectifier; and
a voltage regulator for controlling voltage generated in the armature, the voltage regulator including a detector terminal connected to the phase terminal, wherein:
the detector terminal is bent in a U-shape thereby forming a first portion extending from the voltage regulator, a second portion positioned in parallel to the first portion, and a U-shaped portion positioned between the first and the second portions;
the phase terminal is sandwiched between the first and the second portions of the detector terminal and is welded to the detector terminal by resistance welding; and
a slit window is formed in the detector terminal, so that an amount of current, bypassing the phase terminal, flowing through the first portion, the U-shaped portion and the second portion in a process of the resistance welding is suppressed by the slit window.