CN116746006A

CN116746006A - Brush holder assembly

Info

Publication number: CN116746006A
Application number: CN202180091914.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 罗伯特·S·科茨福斯; 柯蒂斯·杰瑞米·舒尔茨
Original assignee: Cutsforth Inc
Current assignee: Cutsforth Inc
Priority date: 2020-12-01
Filing date: 2021-11-30
Publication date: 2023-09-12

Abstract

A brush assembly for use in a brush holder assembly (12) of an electrical machine is disclosed. The brush assembly includes a carbon brush (114), a conductive terminal (142), and a conductive lead assembly (136) attached to both the carbon brush and the conductive terminal. In some cases, the conductive lead assembly includes a splice joint (150) between and spaced apart from the conductive terminal and the carbon brush. In some cases, the conductive terminal includes an inner core layer (66) between a first conductive metal layer (68 a) and a second conductive metal layer (68 b).

Description

Brush holder assembly

The present application claims priority from U.S. C. ≡119 to U.S. provisional application serial No. 63/243,314 filed on month 9 and 13 of 2021 and U.S. provisional application serial No. 63/119,803 filed on month 12 of 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates generally to brushes and brush holder assemblies that may be used in electrical devices and/or slip ring assemblies. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to brush holder assemblies configured to hold brushes in contact with a moving conductive surface.

Background

The purpose of the brush in the electrical device is to transfer electrical current from the fixed contact to the moving contact surface and vice versa. The brush and brush holder may be used in electrical devices such as generators, motors and/or slip ring assemblies, or in slip-joint applications, for example, slip ring assemblies on rotating machines such as rotating cranes or linear slip joints on monorail trains. Brushes in many electrical devices are units or other structures made of conductive materials such as graphite, carbon graphite, electro-graphite, metal graphite, etc. that are adapted to contact one or more conductive surfaces to transfer an electrical current. A conductive lead or shunt extends from the brush to provide an electrical path to the brush from the other conductive member and/or to the brush from the other conductive member.

In some designs, a brush box brush holder or other type of brush holder may be used to support the brush in contact with a moving contact surface of the electrical device during operation. The brush and brush box may be designed such that the brush is slidable within the brush box to provide constant contact between the brush and a moving contact surface contacted by the brush. Brushes, brush holders, related components, and methods for manufacturing brushes, brush holders, and related components are discussed herein.

Disclosure of Invention

A first example is a brush assembly comprising a carbon brush, a conductive terminal and a conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the conductive terminal. The conductive lead assembly comprises a splicing joint which is positioned between the conductive terminal and the carbon brush and is separated from the conductive terminal and the carbon brush.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive lead assembly includes a first lead coupled to a second lead at a splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead is fixed to and extends from the conductive terminal to the splice joint, and the second lead is fixed to and extends from the carbon brush to the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the splice joint is formed by soldering the first end region of the first lead to the first end region of the second lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes a second end region secured to the carbon brush and the second lead includes a second end region secured to the carbon brush.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes an intermediate region located between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive terminal is secured to the intermediate region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the second end region of the first lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a first location and the second end region of the second lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a second location, wherein the first location is spaced from the second location.

Additionally or alternatively, a portion of the intermediate region of the first lead is welded to the first end region of the first lead and/or the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the splice joint includes a wear mark, wherein the wear mark is used as a reference point to determine wear reduction of the carbon brush.

Additionally or alternatively, the splice joint is formed by welding the first and second end regions of the first lead to the first end region of the second lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes an intermediate region between the first end region and the second end region of the first lead, wherein the intermediate region of the first lead is secured to the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the intermediate region of the first lead is ultrasonically welded to the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive lead assembly includes a third lead coupled to the first and second leads at a splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the splice joint is formed by welding the first and second end regions of the first lead to the first and third end regions of the second lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the second end region of the second lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a first location and the second end region of the third lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a second location, and wherein the first location is spaced from the second location.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive terminal includes an inner core layer positioned between the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer.

Additionally or alternatively, the inner core layer comprises steel.

Additionally or alternatively, the first conductive metal layer, the second conductive metal layer, or both the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer comprise copper.

Another example is a method of manufacturing a brush assembly. The method includes bonding a first end region of a first lead to a first end region of a second lead. Before the welding step, the first lead wire is pre-fixed to the conductive terminal and the second lead wire is pre-fixed to the carbon brush. The welding forms a splice joint between the first lead and the second lead. The splice joint is positioned between the carbon brush and the conductive terminal and is separated from the carbon brush and the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the second end region of the first lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a first location and the second end region of the second lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush at a second location prior to securing the first lead to the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes an intermediate region located between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead, and the conductive terminal is secured along the intermediate region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead is longer than the second lead and the conductive terminal is secured along an intermediate region of the first lead at a first end region that is closer to the first lead than a second end region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the step of welding further comprises welding a portion of the intermediate region of the first lead to the first end region of the first lead and/or the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, prior to the soldering step, the first end region of the first lead, the first end region of the second lead, and the intermediate region of the first lead are positioned in a soldering fixture, and the first end region of the first lead overlaps the first end region of the second lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the method includes forming wear indicia on a surface of the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the welding step further comprises welding the second end region of the first lead to the first end region of the third lead at the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the method includes positioning the first end region and the second end region of the first wire in the weld fixture, positioning the first end region of the second wire in the weld fixture, and positioning the first end region of the third wire in the weld fixture prior to the step of welding. The first end region of the first lead overlaps the first end region of the second lead, and the second end region of the first lead overlaps the first end region of the third lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the method includes welding the first end region of the third lead to the first end region of the first lead and the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint. The third lead wire is fixed to the carbon brush in advance before the welding step.

Another example is a brush holder assembly for positioning a conductive carbon brush in contact with a conductive surface of an electrical device. The assembly comprises: a brush holder including a brush box and a beam fixed to the brush holder; a carbon brush slidably provided in the brush box; and a conductive terminal releasably attached to the beam of the brush holder. The assembly further includes a first lead fixed to the conductive terminal and a second lead fixed to and extending from the carbon brush. The first end region of the first lead is secured to the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint. The splice joint is positioned between and spaced apart from the carbon brush and the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the first end region of the first lead is ultrasonically welded to the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes an intermediate region between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead, wherein the conductive terminal is secured along the intermediate region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead is longer than the second lead, and the conductive terminal is secured along an intermediate region of the first lead at a first end region that is closer to the first lead than a second end region of the first lead.

Additionally or alternatively, the splice joint is formed by welding together a first end region of the first lead, a second end region of the first lead, and a portion of an intermediate region of the first lead.

Another example is a brush assembly comprising: a carbon brush having an upper surface and a lower surface; a conductive terminal; and a conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the conductive terminal. The conductive terminal comprises an inner core layer, and the inner core layer is positioned between the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive lead assembly is soldered directly to the first conductive metal layer of the conductive terminal.

Additionally or alternatively, the inner core layer comprises steel.

Additionally or alternatively, the conductive lead assembly includes a splice joint positioned between and spaced from both the conductive terminal and the carbon brush.

Additionally or alternatively, the first lead includes an intermediate region located between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead, wherein the second end region of the first lead is secured to the carbon brush and the intermediate region of the first lead is secured to the conductive terminal.

The above summary of some implementations, aspects, and/or examples is not intended to describe each implementation or every embodiment of the present disclosure. The figures and detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.

Drawings

Aspects of the present disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary brush holder assembly positioned adjacent to a rotating component of an electrical machine;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a brush assembly of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a brush assembly of the exemplary brush holder assembly shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates leads of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates the lead wire of FIG. 5 shaped for use with a brush holder assembly;

FIG. 7 illustrates a terminal of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

fig. 8 shows the terminal of fig. 7 bonded to the lead of fig. 5, 6 prior to being secured to the lead segment during a manufacturing step;

fig. 9 shows the terminal and lead shown in fig. 8 after being secured together;

FIG. 10 illustrates additional leads of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 illustrates the components shown in FIG. 10 shaped for a brush holder assembly;

FIG. 12 illustrates the leads shown in FIG. 10 after attachment to the brush of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary fixture for securing together the lead ends of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 illustrates leads of an exemplary brush holder assembly positioned along the exemplary fixture shown in FIG. 13 prior to being secured together;

FIG. 15 illustrates the leads of the brush holder assembly of FIG. 14 after being secured together;

FIG. 16A is a front view of a brush assembly of the exemplary brush holder of FIG. 15;

FIG. 16B is a side view of the brush assembly of the exemplary brush holder of FIG. 15; and is also provided with

FIG. 17 is an illustration of an exemplary brush holder assembly positioned adjacent to a rotating component of an electrical machine;

FIG. 18 illustrates terminals attached to leads of another exemplary brush holder assembly;

FIG. 19 illustrates the leads of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 18 prior to being secured together;

FIG. 20 illustrates the leads of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 19 positioned along an exemplary fixture prior to being secured together;

FIG. 21 illustrates the leads of the brush holder assembly of FIG. 20 after being secured together;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of the exemplary brush holder assembly of FIG. 21 positioned adjacent a rotating component of an electrical machine.

While aspects of the present disclosure may be modified in various changes and alternative forms, details thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit aspects of the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the following defined terms, these definitions shall be applied, unless a different definition is given in the claims or elsewhere in this specification.

It is assumed herein that all numerical values are modified by the term "about," whether or not explicitly indicated. The term "about" generally refers to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to a recited value (i.e., having the same function or result). In many cases, the term "about" may be meant to include a significant number rounded to the nearest.

The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5).

Although certain suitable dimensions, ranges and/or values have been disclosed in connection with various components, features and/or specifications, those skilled in the art will appreciate in light of the present disclosure that the desired dimensions, ranges and/or values may deviate from those explicitly disclosed.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally employed in its sense including "and/or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered identically. The detailed description and drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict illustrative embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The depicted illustrative embodiments are intended to be examples only. Selected features of any of the illustrative embodiments can be incorporated into additional embodiments unless explicitly stated to the contrary.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 10 that may include a brush holder assembly 12. In certain aspects, the brush holder assembly 12 may have similarities to U.S. patent No. 7034430 entitled "brush holder assembly apparatus, brush holder assembly, and method," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, the illustrative system 10 includes features as described herein.

Fig. 1 further illustrates that the brush holder assembly 12 may include a brush holder 16 with the carbon brush 14 positioned within the brush holder 16. Fig. 1 illustrates that in some examples, one or more sides of brush 14 may be surrounded by brush holder 16 (e.g., a brush box), whereby brush holder 16 may include a plurality of guide surfaces for guiding linear or longitudinal movement of brush 14 toward conductive surface 18 of rotating member 20. In other words, as brush 14 wears, brush 14 may translate linearly within the aperture defined by the plurality of guide surfaces of brush holder 16. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that brush holder 16 can take the form of a cartridge, but can include one or more guide surfaces, such as channels, rods, or posts, adjacent to and/or surrounding one or more sides of the brush holder and/or extending into or through brush 14 or a portion thereof for guiding linear or longitudinal movement of brush 14.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, a handle 22 may be coupled to or otherwise disposed on the brush holder assembly 12 (including the brush holder 16) to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the brush 14 with the conductive surface 18.

Fig. 1 further illustrates that brush 14 may include a first or upper end surface 24 and a second or lower end surface 26 and a length extending therebetween. The second end surface 26 may be in electrical contact with the conductive surface 18 of the moving (e.g., rotating, sliding, etc.) component 20 of an electrical machine (e.g., slip ring, or commutator) and conduct electrical current therefrom. Brush holder assembly 12 may be configured to place brush 14 in contact with a conductive surface 18, such as a surface of a rotating component 20 of an electrical machine. Brush 14 may extend from a lower edge of brush holder 16 such that second end surface 26 of brush 14 engages conductive surface 18.

As shown in fig. 1, brush assembly 12 may include an upper beam 30 and a lower beam 32 that are hingedly or pivotally coupled to one another. When upper beam 30 and lower beam 32 are aligned with one another (e.g., the longitudinal axis of upper beam 30 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of lower beam 32), brush holder 16 may be considered in an engaged or locked position such that brush 14 may be adjacent to or in direct electrical contact with conductive surface 18.

FIG. 1 further illustrates that the brush holder assembly 12 may include a wear state monitor 38 and a spacer 40. Other aspects of the wear state monitor 38 and related structures and functions are described in U.S. patent publication nos. 2020/012133 and 2020/012223, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Spacer 40 may be attached to first end surface 24 of brush 14. Fig. 1 shows that the wear state monitor 38 may be coupled to a spring 41. In some examples, a portion of the spring 41 may be coiled around a portion of the wear state monitor 38, with an elongated portion of the spring 41 extending from the coiled portion. Thus, the wear state monitor 38 may be positioned within the coiled portion of the spring 41.

As described above, in some examples, the wear state monitor 38 may be mounted adjacent a surface of the spring 41 or otherwise within the spring 41, such as within a coiled portion of the spring 41. Spring 41 may comprise a constant force spring that provides tension to brush 14, wear state monitor 38, or both brush 14 and wear state monitor 38 to bias brush 14 toward and into contact with conductive surface 18 of rotating component 20. In other words, spring 41 may include a coiled portion designed to provide a force to engage brush 14 with rotating component 20 of an electrical machine, such as a slip ring, commutator, or the like.

Fig. 1 further illustrates that brush holder assembly 12 may include an electrically conductive lead assembly 36 that extends from first end surface 24 of brush 14 to one or more different components of brush holder assembly 12 to conduct electricity from brush 14 to terminals 42. For example, conductive lead assembly 36 may extend from first end surface 24 of brush 14 and attach to terminal 42, which terminal 42 may in turn attach to a mounting block (not shown), a portion of lower beam 32, a portion of upper beam 30, or a portion of both lower beam 32 and upper beam 30. Although not shown for simplicity, in some examples, the underbeam 32 can releasably engage another structure such as a mounting block (not shown).

As described above, brush holder assembly 12 may be configured to hold conductive surface 26 of brush 14 against conductive surface 18 of rotating member 20. When current is generated by an electrical machine (e.g., slip rings, or commutators), movement (e.g., rotation, sliding, etc.) of member 20 may transfer the current to brush 14, whereby the current may continue through conductive lead assembly 36 to terminal 42. In addition, because the terminal 42 is engageable with a mounting block (not shown), it can transfer current to/from the mounting block.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the various components of the brush holder assembly 12 shown in fig. 1. Specifically, fig. 2 shows the conductive lead assembly 36, terminals 42, and brush 14, all of which are spaced apart from the remainder of the brush holder assembly 12 (for ease of viewing). It will be appreciated that the broken line of fig. 2 shows the remainder of the brush holder assembly 12. Fig. 2 illustrates the alignment of each component (e.g., terminals 42, conductive lead assemblies 36, and brushes 14) with the lower beam 32 of the brush holder assembly 12. It should also be noted that the wear state monitor 38, the spacer 40 and the spring 41 have been omitted from fig. 2 for simplicity.

Fig. 2 further illustrates that the conductive lead assembly 36 may include a first electrical lead 46, as will be described in more detail below, the first electrical lead 46 may be spliced with the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44b to form a splice joint (e.g., splice joint, solder joint) along the conductive lead assembly 36. Referring back to fig. 1, it can be appreciated that when fully assembled, second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b can define portions of conductive assembly 36 attached to brush 14 (e.g., a portion of second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b can be embedded within brush 14 as will be described in more detail below). As will be further appreciated from fig. 1 (and described in greater detail below), when fully assembled, the first electrical lead 46 may be attached (e.g., welded) to the terminal 42, which terminal 42 may be releasably attached to the underbeam 32.

Fig. 3 shows brush assembly 45 of brush holder assembly 12 (shown in fig. 2) including conductive lead assemblies 36 attached to both terminals 42 and brushes 14. Conductive lead assembly 36 extends between terminal 42 and brush 14. As will be discussed below, it may be beneficial to attach the first electrical lead 46 of the conductive lead assembly 36 to the terminal 42 in a separate manufacturing step, attach the second and/or third electrical leads 44a, 44b to the brush 14 in another separate manufacturing step, and then splice (e.g., join, attach, connect) the second and/or third electrical leads 44a, 44b together with the first electrical lead 46 to form the unitary brush assembly 45 shown in fig. 3. Further, the combined structure of terminal 42, conductive lead assembly 36, and brush 14 shown in fig. 3 may then be coupled to the remaining components of brush holder assembly 12 to achieve system 10 shown in fig. 1. As brush 14 wears during use, worn brush assembly 45 (including terminals 42, conductive lead assemblies 36, and worn brush 14) may be removed from the brush holder of brush holder assembly 12 and replaced with another new brush assembly 45 that includes a new, unused brush 14 and associated terminals 42 and conductive lead assemblies 36.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of several of the components of the brush assembly 45 shown in fig. 3. Brush 14 is omitted from fig. 4 for simplicity. Thus, fig. 4 shows the terminal 42 spaced from the conductive lead assembly 36. Fig. 4 shows that the conductive lead assembly 36 may also include a strap 48 (shown spaced from the conductive lead assembly 36). It should be noted that while the ribbon 48 is shown attached to the first electrical lead 46 above the splice 50, it is contemplated that the ribbon 48 may also be attached to the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44b below the splice 50 without any change in performance or function of the system 10 or any individual component thereof. In some cases, the ribbon 48 may be a clip, strip, or other structure configured to surround an end region of the first electrical lead 46 proximate the splice 50 (or, in alternative embodiments, an end region of the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44 b).

As can be seen in fig. 4, the terminals 42 may include one or more features designed to engage the lower beam 32 and/or mounting blocks (not shown) of the brush holder assembly 12. For example, fig. 4 shows that the terminal 42 may include a first sidewall 55a and a second sidewall 55b (not visible in fig. 4, but shown in fig. 7). The first and second sidewalls 55a, 55b may each be designed to engage, interlock, or otherwise removably couple with a portion of the underbeam 32 and/or the mounting block to fixedly attach the terminal 42 to the underbeam 32 and/or the mounting block to transfer electrical current therebetween.

Fig. 4 further illustrates that the terminal 42 may include a first engagement arm 56a and a second engagement arm 56b. It will be appreciated that, along with the first and second side walls 55a, 55b, the first and second engagement arms 56a, 56b may be configured to slidably engage a portion of the underbeam 32. For example, the first engagement arm 56a and the second engagement arm 56b may each include a distal end region 58a/58b, which may be designed to engage a portion of the underbeam 32. For example, the first engagement arm 56a and the second engagement arm 56b may be designed to slide (e.g., hook, clip, etc.) onto a portion of the underbeam 32 with the first and second engagement arms 56a/56b on a first side of the rear wall and the first and second side walls 55a/55b of the underbeam 32 and the lower surface 59 on an opposite second side of the rear wall of the underbeam 32. Fig. 4 illustrates that the terminal 42 may define a gap between the lower surfaces 59 of the first and second engagement arms 56a, 56b and the distal end regions 58a/58b within which a portion of the lower beam 32 may slide. In other words, coupling the terminal 42 to the lower beam 32 may include sliding a portion of the rear wall of the lower beam 32 between the lower surface 59 and the distal end regions 58a/58b of the first engagement arms 56a and 56a/58b, respectively.

Fig. 4 further shows that the lower surface 59 may include a tab 60 (e.g., protrusion, projection, bump, etc.) extending or protruding from a surface of the lower surface 59. It will be appreciated that the tabs 60 may engage mating holes (not shown in fig. 4) in a portion of the underbeam 32. The tabs 60 may be used to properly align and retain the terminals with the lower beam 32 and/or mounting blocks (not shown) when the brush holder assembly 12 is engaged and disengaged from the electrical machine. Further, engagement of the tabs 60 with the apertures in the lower beam 32 may provide an interlocking interface between the terminal 42 and the lower beam 32, which may releasably couple the terminal 42 to the lower beam 32. The engagement of the terminals 42 with the lower beam 32 via the tabs 60 interlocking with the apertures of the lower beam 32 may increase the threshold force required to remove the terminals 42 from the lower beam 32 and thereby may prevent accidental release of the terminals 42 from the lower beam 32 when the system 10 is attached to an electrical machine.

Fig. 4 shows that the terminal 42 may include an attachment surface 54. The attachment surface 54 may lie in the same plane as the lower surface 59 described above (e.g., the attachment surface 54 and the lower surface 59 may define a continuous and planar sheet of material). The attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42 may be defined as the portion of the terminal 42 that may be soldered or otherwise secured to a portion of the first electrical lead 46.

Fig. 4 further illustrates an attachment region 52 positioned along a portion of the first electrical lead 46 that is designed to be welded or otherwise secured to an attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42 (fig. 3 illustrates the attachment region 52 of the first electrical lead 46 welded to the terminal 42 along the attachment surface 54 shown in fig. 4). Notably, fig. 4 depicts the attachment region 52 as a substantially planar surface positioned along a portion of the first electrical lead 46. However, as will be shown in more detail below, the shape of the attachment region 52 of the first electrical lead 46 may be the shape of the first electrical lead 46 after it has been welded to the attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42. In other words, the first electrical lead 46 may be shaped substantially cylindrically along the attachment region 52 prior to being welded to the attachment surface 54.

Further, referring to both fig. 3 and 4, it will be appreciated that the terminal 42 may be designed to include a first opening 57a and a second opening 57b, both positioned adjacent to and on both sides of the terminal 42 between the surface 54 and the first and second engagement arms 56a/56b of the terminal 42. The openings 57a/57b may be defined by a particular geometry of the first engagement arm 56a and the second engagement arm 56 b. For example, the first and second engagement arms 56a, 56b may each be shaped (e.g., bent, curved) to define (in combination with the attachment surface 54) a first opening 57a and a second opening 57b. In addition, as shown in fig. 3 and discussed further below with reference to fig. 8, the first opening 57a and the second opening 57b may be designed to allow a portion of the first electrical lead 46 to extend therethrough.

As described above, fig. 4 shows that the conductive lead assembly 36 may include a strap 48. The ribbon 48 may be positioned over a portion of the first electrical lead 46. The ribbon 48 may also be positioned over a portion of the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44 b. It is understood that the ribbon 48 may be designed to wrap over the splice 50 (i.e., between the splice 50 and the terminal 42) and be securely fastened to the first end 47 and the second end 49 of the first electrical lead 46. However, it is also contemplated that in some examples, ribbon 48 can be releasably coupled to second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b (i.e., between splice 50 and brush 14).

As described above (and as will be shown in greater detail below with reference to fig. 14-15), constructing the conductive lead assembly 36 may include splicing (e.g., ultrasonic welding) the ends of the first electrical lead 46 and the ends of the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44 b. Specifically, fig. 4 shows a splice (e.g., weld) area 50 of the first electrical lead 46 with the second electrical lead 44a and the third electrical lead 44 b. It is understood that the splice area 50 may be defined as a welded structure (e.g., a welded joint) that is formed by splicing the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46, the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44 b. It should be noted that in some cases, the splice area 50 may include the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46, the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44 b. In other cases, the splice area 50 may include one or more end regions (e.g., only one or two end regions) of the second electrical lead 44a and/or the third electrical lead 44b spliced to one or more end regions (e.g., only one or two end regions) of the first electrical lead 46. In other cases, the splice area 50 may include one end region of the first electrical lead 46 spliced to only an end region of only one of the second electrical lead 44a or the third electrical lead 44 b.

Fig. 5-9 and the accompanying description describe example manufacturing steps for attaching (e.g., soldering) third electrical lead 46 to terminal 42.

Fig. 5 illustrates first electrical lead 46 in a preformed (e.g., raw material) configuration (e.g., the configuration of first electrical lead 46 prior to being formed and soldered to terminal 42). As shown in fig. 5, the preformed configuration of the first electrical lead 46 may be substantially similar to a cylindrical wire having a first end region 47 (described above with reference to fig. 4) and a second end region 49 (described above with reference to fig. 4) opposite the first end region 47. In some examples, the first electrical lead 46 may be composed of copper. However, it is understood that in other examples, the first electrical lead 46 may be formed from a variety of different electrically conductive materials. For example, the first electrical lead 46 may be composed of aluminum, silver, metallization, or the like.

Fig. 5 further illustrates that the first electrical lead 46 may be of a multi-wire (multifilar) configuration formed from a plurality of individual wires 51 that are wound together along the longitudinal axis of the first electrical lead 46. Fig. 5 shows that the first electrical lead 46 includes eleven individual wires 51 that are wound together to form the first electrical lead 46. However, it is understood that the first electrical lead 46 may include more or less than eleven individual wires 51 wound together to form the first electrical lead 46. For example, the first electrical lead 46 may be formed of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or more individual wires 51. Further, although not shown in the figures, in some examples, the first electrical lead 46 may be formed from a single solid wire (e.g., the first electrical lead 46 may be formed from a single solid cylindrical wire).

Fig. 6 illustrates the first electrical lead 46 shown in fig. 5 after being formed (e.g., bent, formed, etc.) into the configuration shown in fig. 6. As described above, fig. 6 shows a plurality of individual wires 51 that are commonly wound together to form the first electrical lead 46.

It will be appreciated that the form of the first electrical lead 46 shown in fig. 6 may vary. The first electrical lead 46 shown in fig. 6 may include a shape substantially similar to the shape of the first electrical lead 46 shown in fig. 1-4 (e.g., the shape of the electrical lead 46 shown in the fully assembled system 10 of fig. 1). It will also be appreciated that fig. 6 shows the first electrical lead 46 prior to being soldered to the terminal 42 (the soldering of the second electrical wire 46 to the terminal 42 will be described below with reference to fig. 8-9). The terminal 42 may be soldered to the first electrical lead 46 either before or after the lead is formed into the shape of fig. 6.

Fig. 6 illustrates that manufacturing the preformed raw material first electrical lead 46 illustrated in fig. 5 into a shaped configuration of the first electrical lead 46 may include positioning a first end region 47 of the wire 46 adjacent a second end region 49 of the wire 46. Further, fig. 6 shows that the shaped configuration of the wire 46 may include a curved portion 53 (including the portion of the attachment region 52 described previously with reference to fig. 4).

Fig. 7 shows the terminal 42 in a preformed configuration (e.g., the configuration of the terminal 42 prior to being formed and soldered to the first electrical lead 46). As shown in fig. 7, the terminals 42 may resemble a sheet of material prior to being formed (e.g., bent, formed, stamped, machined, etc.) into their final assembled configuration (e.g., as previously shown in fig. 1-4). It will be appreciated that the preformed terminal 42 shown in fig. 7 may be machined (e.g., cut) from a stock sheet stock material. In other words, the preformed terminal 42 shown in fig. 1-4 may be initially machined (e.g., cut) from a flat sheet stock into the shape shown in fig. 7. After being cut into the geometry shown in fig. 7, it may also be processed into the shape of the terminal 42 shown in fig. 1 to 4 above by bending, forming, stamping, machining, etc.

Fig. 7 illustrates a preformed configuration of terminal 42, including lower surface 59, a portion of which may be formed as tab 60 (discussed above with reference to fig. 4). The preformed configuration of terminal 42 may also include a first sidewall 55a and a second sidewall 55b, which may be positioned adjacent to lower surface 59 and extend away from lower surface 59. Fig. 7 illustrates that the preformed configuration of the terminal 42 may also include an attachment surface 54, which may define a portion of the terminal 42 that is capable of being soldered to an attachment region 52 (shown in fig. 4) of the first electrical lead 46.

Fig. 7 shows that the preformed configuration of the terminal may also include a first engagement arm 56a and a second engagement arm 56b, both of which may be positioned on either side of the upper surface 80 and extend from the upper surface 80. Fig. 7 illustrates that the first engagement arm 56a and the second engagement arm 56b may each include a distal end region 58a/58b, respectively.

As described above (and in more detail below), example manufacturing steps of the system 10 may include welding (e.g., ultrasonic welding) the first electrical lead 46 to the terminal 42, such as to the attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42. As described above, in some examples, the first electrical lead 46 may be formed from copper. It will be appreciated that soldering copper wires to the terminals 42 may require that at least a portion of the terminals 42 be compatible with soldering. In other words, conventional welding techniques may require that the materials to be bonded together be compatible with the welding process. In some cases, it may be advantageous to form at least a portion of terminal 42 from copper and/or copper alloy when first electrical lead 46 is soldered to terminal 42. In some examples, copper and copper alloys used herein may include non-ferrous (cu) copper and copper alloys.

The detailed view of fig. 7 shows that in some examples, the terminal 42 may be formed from a copper clad material (copper cladded material). For example, the detailed view of fig. 7 shows a cross section of the wall of the terminal 42. The cross-sectional view shown in the detailed view of fig. 7 illustrates that the terminal 42 may include a first copper layer 68a, a second copper layer 68b, and a core material 66 between the first and second copper layers 68a/68 b. It is understood that the core material 66 may be "sandwiched" between a first copper layer 68a and a second copper layer 68b, wherein the first copper layer 68a extends continuously over the entire first side of the core material 66 and the second copper layer 68b extends continuously over the entire opposing second side of the core material 66. The core material 66 may be steel, such as spring steel, or other metallic material. In one instance, the core material 66 may be 1065 steel having an ultimate tensile strength of about 630 to 690MPa, a yield tensile strength of about 380 to 490MPa, and an elastic modulus of about 190 to 210 GPa. In some examples, the material configuration of terminal 42 shown in the detailed view of fig. 7 may be referred to as a "copper plated" or "copper clad" material. It will also be appreciated that forming the terminals 42 from multiple layers of material (e.g., electroplated material, clad material, copper clad steel) may result in exposed edges of the terminals 42 exhibiting the formation of each of the multiple layers of material. In the example described herein, the exposed edges of the copper clad steel plate will show the edges of the first copper layer 68a, the second copper layer 68b, and the core material 66 (e.g., steel).

It will also be appreciated that after the terminal 42 has been formed into its assembled configuration (as shown in fig. 1-4), the second copper layer 68b may define an inward surface of the terminal 42 that may contact and/or be bonded to the first electrical lead 46. For example, it is understood that the second copper layer 68b may be formed from a copper alloy that may be soldered to the copper wire 51 forming the first electrical lead 46.

In some examples, after the terminal 42 has been formed into its assembled configuration (as shown in fig. 1-4), the entire outer surface area of the terminal 42 may be plated with nickel. In some examples, the nickel used to plate the terminals 42 may be low phosphorous nickel. The low phosphorous nickel may help prevent corrosion. Additionally, it will be appreciated that plating the entire outer surface of the terminal 42 with a low phosphorous nickel material may facilitate the first electrical lead 46 being ultrasonically welded to the terminal 42. In some examples, the nickel plating may have a thickness of about 0.25 to 30 microns, or about 0.50 to 15 microns, or about 0.75 to 10 microns, or about 1 to 5 microns, or less than 5 microns.

In addition, as can be seen from fig. 7 and the discussion above, as the first copper layer 68a separates from the second copper layer 68b, current passing through the nickel plating to the second copper layer 68b (e.g., via the conductive lead assembly 36) will pass through the inner core layer 66 to the first copper layer 68a. Thus, current may flow from surface 18 of rotating component 20 of the electromechanical machine through brush 14, through second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b, through first electrical lead 46, through nickel plated layer, through second copper layer 68b, through inner core layer 66, through first copper layer 68a, to the nickel plated layer, whereby the current may then contact the mounting block and pass current thereon.

In some examples, the core material 66 may be formed of steel, such as 1065 steel, 1080 steel, or similar steel materials. As described above, the core material 66 may include a first surface and an opposing second surface, each of which may be covered with a material different from the core material 66. While the above examples describe the core material 66 being covered with a copper material (i.e., copper and/or copper alloy), it is contemplated that a variety of materials (e.g., metals, metal alloys, etc.) can be used to cover various surfaces of the core material 66. Example materials that may be used to cover the various surfaces of the core material 66 may include silver, aluminum, cadmium alloys, or similar metals and metal alloys.

In some examples, the ratio of the composition of the core material 66 to the first copper layer 68a and the second copper layer 68b may be 80/10/10. In other words, in the overall thickness of the terminal 42 (excluding the nickel plated material layer), the first copper layer 68a may account for 10% of the overall thickness of the terminal 42, the second copper layer 68b may account for 10% of the overall thickness of the terminal 42, and the core material 66 may account for 80% of the overall thickness of the terminal 42. The thickness of each layer may be adjusted as desired. For example, in some cases, the thickness of the first copper layer 68a may be about 5%, the thickness of the second copper layer 68b may be about 5%, and the thickness 66 of the core material may be about 90%. In other cases, for example, the thickness of the first copper layer 68a may be about 15%, the thickness of the second copper layer 68b may be about 15%, and the thickness of the core material 66 may be about 70%. In other cases, the thickness of the first copper layer 68a may be about 5% to 15%, the thickness of the second copper layer 68b may be about 5% to 15%, and the thickness of the core material 66 may be about 70% to 90%.

Fig. 8 illustrates another example manufacturing step in the process of attaching (e.g., soldering) the first electrical lead 46 to the terminal 42. Fig. 8 illustrates that prior to soldering first electrical lead 46 to terminal 42, first electrical lead 46 may be positioned through opening 57a and opening 57b of terminal 42 such that attachment region 52 of first electrical lead 46 is aligned with (e.g., juxtaposed with) attachment surface 54 of terminal 42. As described above, it is understood that the openings 57a/57b of the terminals 42 may be defined by the first and second engagement arms 56a and 56b, respectively.

As can be further appreciated from fig. 8, prior to soldering the first electrical lead 46 to the terminal 42, the first electrical lead 46 may extend longitudinally along the attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42, with the first end region 47 extending from a first side of the terminal 42 and the second end region 49 extending from an opposite second side of the terminal 42. Thus, the attachment region 52 of the first electrical lead 46, which may be a middle region of the first electrical lead 46, can be aligned with the terminal 42 such that the opposite end regions extend from both directions of the terminal 42. For example, the length of the end region of the first electrical lead 46 extending from the terminal 42 may be 1 inch or more, 2 inches or more, or 3 inches or more. It will be appreciated that the pre-weld set-up configuration shown in fig. 8 is achieved and the raw material electrical leads 46 shown in fig. 5 may be inserted through the respective openings 57a/57b of the terminals 42 until the attachment areas 52 of the first electrical leads 46 are properly aligned with the attachment surfaces 54 of the terminals 42. Thus, the terminal 42 is generally centered on the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46, and the lengths of the first electrical leads 46 extending from generally two sides of the terminal 42 are equal.

Fig. 9 illustrates another example manufacturing step in the process of attaching (e.g., soldering) the first electrical lead 46 to the terminal 42. Fig. 9 shows the first electrical lead 46 after the attachment region 52 of the first electrical lead 46 has been welded or otherwise secured to the attachment surface 54 of the terminal 42, and the first electrical lead 46 has been formed in a bent configuration (similar in shape to the fully assembled first electrical lead previously shown in fig. 1-4).

As described above, fig. 9 shows that after the first electrical lead 46 is soldered and bent, the first electrical lead 46 remains positioned through the openings 57a and 57b of the terminal 42, and the opposite end regions 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46 extend from the terminal 42. In other words, after the electrical leads 46 are soldered and bent into the configuration shown in fig. 9, portions of the first electrical leads 46 extend away from the attachment surface 54 through the respective openings 57a/57b before assuming a bent shape by aligning the first end region 47 with the second end region 49.

Fig. 10-12 and the accompanying description describe example manufacturing steps to couple second electrical lead wire 44a and/or third electrical lead wire 44b to brush 14.

Fig. 10 illustrates exemplary second and third electrical leads 44a/44b in a preformed (e.g., raw material) configuration prior to second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b being formed and attached to brush 14. As shown in fig. 10, the preformed structure of each of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b may be substantially similar to a cylindrical wire having a first end 62a/62b (described above with reference to fig. 4) and a second end 62a/62b (described above with reference to fig. 4) opposite the first end 62a/62 b. In some examples, the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may be composed of copper. However, it is understood that in other examples, the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may be formed from a variety of different electrically conductive materials. For example, the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may be composed of aluminum, silver, or the like.

Fig. 10 further illustrates that the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may be multi-wire configuration, formed from a plurality of individual wires 61 that are wound together along the longitudinal axis of the electrical leads 44a/44b. Fig. 10 shows that the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b each include eleven individual wires 61 that are wound together to form the electrical leads 44a/44b. However, it is understood that the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may include more or less than 11 individual wires 61 that are wound together to form the electrical leads 44a/44b. For example, the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may each be formed of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or more individual wires 61. Although not shown in the figures, in some examples, the second and third electrical leads 44 may be formed from a single solid wire (e.g., electrical leads 44a/44b may be formed from a single solid cylindrical wire).

Fig. 11 illustrates the second electrical lead 44a after being formed (e.g., bent, formed, etc.) into the configuration illustrated in fig. 11, positioned adjacent to the third electrical lead 44b. As described above, fig. 11 illustrates that the second electrical lead 44a and the third electrical lead 44b may each be formed from a plurality of individual wires 61, with the individual wires 61 collectively forming the electrical leads 44a/44b.

It is to be appreciated that the form of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b shown in fig. 11 can be substantially the same as the shape of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b shown in fig. 1-4 (e.g., the shape of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b shown in the fully assembled system 10 of fig. 1). It will also be appreciated that fig. 11 shows the second electrical lead 44a and the third electrical lead 44b prior to being attached to brush 14.

Fig. 11 illustrates that the fabrication of the two separate preformed raw material electrical leads 44a/44b illustrated in fig. 10 into the shaped configuration of the second electrical lead 44a and the third electrical lead 44b may include positioning the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a adjacent to the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44 b.

Fig. 12 illustrates an example manufacturing step in which a portion of second electrical lead 44a and third electrical lead 44b are secured to brush 14. Attaching second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b to brush 14 may include positioning each of second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b in a respective cavity (e.g., a preformed hole, aperture, and/or slit) within brush 14, whereby after placing each second end region 64a/64 of each of second and third leads 44a, 44b into a respective cavity in brush 14, each individual cavity is filled (e.g., stacked) with additional powder material (e.g., carbon powder material) to secure second end regions 64a/64b of second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b to brush 14. The embedded second end regions 64a/64b of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b in brush 14 are depicted by the dashed lines of fig. 12. In other words, fig. 12 shows that brush 14 may include two or more individual electrical leads extending from brush 14, with the end regions of each individual lead embedded in or otherwise secured to brush 14. The free opposite end of each individual lead may extend from brush 14 to be secured to another electrical lead at splice area 50. In other cases, only a single electrical lead (e.g., second electrical lead 44 a) may be secured to brush 14 (e.g., with an end region embedded in a hole of brush 14) and extend from brush 14 to be secured to another electrical lead (extending from terminal 42) at splice region 50.

Fig. 12 further illustrates that after second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b are attached to brush 14, first end region 62a of second electrical lead 44a may be positioned adjacent to first end region 62b of third electrical lead 44 b. Further, fig. 12 shows that the respective ends of second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b may be spaced apart from each other at the point where each segment of second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b exits brush 14. The lateral distance defining the spaced ends of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b is depicted as dimension Y in fig. 12. However, FIG. 12 further illustrates that the respective ends 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b may converge and curve toward the centerline of the brush 14, whereby the first end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b are positioned adjacent one another. The outboard lateral distance between the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b is depicted as dimension X in fig. 12 where the first end regions 62a/62b are positioned adjacent one another. It will be appreciated that in some examples, dimension Y may be greater than dimension X.

Fig. 13-15 and the accompanying description describe example manufacturing steps for welding (e.g., ultrasonic welding) the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b to the first electrical lead 46.

Fig. 13 illustrates an example weld fixture 72. As shown in fig. 14, the example fixture 72 may be configured to secure the end first ends of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b to the first and second terminal ends of the first electrical lead 46 when soldered together. In addition, the fixture 72 may be designed to align the first terminal ends of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b as they are soldered together with the first and second terminal ends of the first electrical lead 46.

Fig. 13 shows that the fixture 72 may include a first pair of alignment channels 73a/73b. As shown in fig. 14, the first pair of alignment channels 73a/73b may be configured to position (e.g., align) the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46, respectively, within the cavity of the fixture 72. In addition, FIG. 13 further illustrates that the fixture 72 may include a second pair of alignment channels 74a/74b. As shown in fig. 14, the first pair of alignment channels 73a/73b may be configured to position (e.g., align) the first end region 62a and the first end region 62b of the second electrical lead 44a and the third electrical lead 44b, respectively, within the cavity of the fixture 72.

In other cases, the fixture 72 may include a single alignment channel for receiving the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 in a side-by-side arrangement within the cavity of the fixture 72. Further, the fixture may include a single alignment channel for receiving the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b in a side-by-side arrangement within the cavity of the fixture 72.

In addition, the fixture 72 shown in FIG. 13 may be designed such that the alignment channels 74a/74b (or the single alignment channel for the first end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44 b) may be spaced apart from the first pair of alignment channels 73a/73b (or the single alignment channel for the first and second end regions 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46) to define a weld region 75 in the cavity of the fixture 72. The alignment of the first terminal ends of the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b with the ends of the first electrical lead 46 within the weld region 75 is described below with reference to fig. 14.

In addition, the fixture 72 may include one or more clamping members 82a/82b for clamping or otherwise aligning the ends of the first, second, and third leads 46, 44a, 44b during the welding process. For example, the fixture 72 may include a first clamping member 82a on a first side of the welding region 75 and a second clamping member 82b on a second side of the welding region 75. The first and second clamping members 82a/82b may be actuatable toward one another to clamp, compress, or otherwise align the ends of the first, second, and third leads 46, 44a, 44b within the fixture 72.

Fig. 14 shows that the first end 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, the first end 62b of the third electrical lead 44b, and the first and second ends 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46 are positioned within the weld area 75 prior to welding via the welding device 76. Specifically, fig. 14 shows that the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a is positioned within the alignment channel 74a of the fixture 72, the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b is positioned within the alignment channel 74b of the fixture 72, the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46 is positioned within the alignment channel 73a of the fixture 72, and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 is positioned within the alignment channel 7b of the fixture 72.

As described above, in other cases, the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 may be positioned in the soldering region 75 by a single alignment channel arranged side-by-side. Further, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b may be disposed side-by-side in the soldering region 75 by a single alignment channel.

Fig. 14 further shows that first end region 62a of second electrical lead 44a and first end region 62b of third electrical lead 44b (which have been pre-secured to brush 14) are positioned atop (i.e., vertically above and overlapping) first end region 47 and second end region 49 (which have been pre-secured to terminal 42) of first electrical lead 46. In other words, the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 are positioned below the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44 b. Referring back to fig. 13, it can be appreciated that the fixture 72 can be designed to position the end regions 47/49 of the first electrical leads 46 below the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b by raising the second pair of alignment channels 74a/74b (or the single alignment channel for the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44 b) higher relative to the first pair of alignment channels 73a/73b (or the single alignment channel for receiving the end regions 47/49 of the first electrical leads 46). It should be noted that in another embodiment, the fixture 72 may be designed to position the end regions 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46 over the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads.

Further, fig. 14 illustrates that, in some examples, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b may overlap (e.g., extend beyond) a portion of the first electrical lead prior to welding. The end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 are positioned within the soldering region 75. In other words, prior to welding, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b, the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46, and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46 may each be positioned within the weld region 75 such that the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a and the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b may extend alongside the first end region 47 and the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46.

Fig. 14 further illustrates that prior to soldering second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b to first electrical lead 46, first electrical lead 46 may be attached (e.g., soldered) to terminal 42 (as described above) and second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b may be attached (e.g., embedded) to brush 14. Fixture 72 may be designed to allow for soldering of first electrical lead 46 to second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b after first electrical lead 46 has been attached to terminal 42 and second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44b has been attached to brush 14.

Once the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b and the end regions 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46 are aligned in the cavity of the fixture 72, the clamping members 82a/82b may be actuated to clamp, compress, or otherwise align the end regions 62a/62b and the end regions 47/49 together. Furthermore, a bonding device 76, such as an ultrasonic bonding machine, if positioned over the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b and closing the top of the cavity of the fixture 72 defining the bonding region 75, may be advanced toward the bonding region 75 to press against the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b (or the end regions 47/49 of the first electrical lead 46). While compressed together, end regions 62a/62b and end regions 47/49 may be welded together using a welding device 76 (e.g., an ultrasonic welder). For example, the welding device 76 may be moved back and forth with high frequency vibrations in a direction parallel to the axis of the end regions of the electrical leads 44a/44b/46 in the fixture 72 to ultrasonically weld the end regions together.

Fig. 15 shows the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b, the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46, and the second end 49 of the first electrical lead 46, all of which are welded together by a welding device 76 (shown in fig. 14) to form a welded (e.g., spliced) region 50. The weld region 50 may be referred to as a weld joint, or the like. It will be appreciated that the assembly shown in fig. 15 shows the electrically conductive lead assembly 36, i.e., the first electrical lead 46 is directly attached to the terminal 42 and the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b are directly attached to the brush 14. Accordingly, second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b may be directly attached to brush 14, but do not extend all the way to terminals 42. Likewise, first electrical lead 46 may be directly attached to terminal 42, but not extend all the way to brush 14. In other words, second and/or third electrical leads 44a, 44b may extend only between weld splice 50 to brush 14, and first electrical lead 46 may extend only between weld splice 50 and terminal 42. It will be appreciated that the assembly shown in fig. 15 may be integrated with the remaining assemblies of the brush holder assembly 12 (e.g., brush holder 16, lower beam 32, upper beam 30, and handle 22) previously described.

Fig. 16A shows a front view of the assembly shown in fig. 15, while fig. 16B shows a side view of the assembly shown in fig. 15. Specifically, fig. 16A shows a front view of the first electrical lead 46 and the second and third electrical leads 44a/44b, wherein the first end region 62a of the second wire 44a, the first end 62b of the third wire 44b, the first end region 47 of the first wire 46, and the second end region 49 of the first wire 46 terminate in the solder joint region 50.

Further (and referring back to the discussion with respect to fig. 12), fig. 16A shows that the respective two ends of second electrical lead 44a and third electrical lead 44b may be spaced apart from each other at a point where each end region exits brush 14. As discussed in fig. 12, the outer width of the spaced apart ends defining the second and third electrical leads 44a, 44b is depicted as dimension Y of fig. 16A (this is dimension Y shown in fig. 12).

Further, fig. 16A shows that the outside dimensions defined by the first end region 47 of the first electrical lead 46, the second end region 49 of the first electrical lead 46, the first end region 62a of the second electrical lead 44a, the first end region 62b of the third electrical lead 44b, and the outside edge of the soldering region 50 are all less than dimension Y. It will be appreciated that maintaining the width of the weld region 50 (and the first end region 47 of the first wire 46, the second end region 49 of the first wire 46, the first end region 62a of the second wire 44a, and the first end region 62b of the third wire 44b, which terminate at the weld region 50, less than the width Y may prevent portions of the first electrical lead 46, the second electrical lead 44a, and the third electrical lead 42b from capturing on the brush holder 16 or the edge of the brush holder 16 when the brush 14 transitions (and effectively pulls the first wire 46, the second wire 44a, and the third wire 44 b) to the interior space defined by the side walls of the brush holder 16 and toward the surface 18 (shown in fig. 1) of the electromechanical rotating component 20 (shown in fig. 1).

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 16B, it is noted that by locating the first end regions 62a/62B of the second and third electrical leads 44a/44B closer to the front surface of the brush 14 than the end regions 46 of the first electrical leads 47/49, the terminal ends of the first electrical leads 46 (facing or directly toward the brush 14) will not be easily captured at the top edge of the brush holder 16 because the weld splice 50 moves into the brush holder interior 16 as the length of the brush 14 wears and decreases. Thus, end regions 47/49 of first electrical lead 46 are positioned closer to the longitudinal central axis of brush 14 than first end regions 62a/62b of second and third electrical leads 44a/44b, and first end regions 62a/62b of second and third electrical leads 44a/44b are closer to the leading edge of brush 14. In other words, the arrangement of the end regions of the wires 44a/44b/46 prevents the terminal ends of the first lead 46 from interfering with the movement of the solder joint 50 into the interior of the brush holder 16, while allowing the end regions 62a/62b of the second and third leads 44a/44b to guide the solder joint 50 into the interior of the brush holder 16.

Further, returning to fig. 15, it will be appreciated that the pre-weld arrangement of the end regions of wires 44a/44b relative to the terminal ends of first leads 46 (as shown in fig. 14, the end regions of wires 44a/44b are positioned closer to the leading edge of the brush than the terminal ends of first leads 46) results in weld splice 50 that may include a downwardly facing ledge (ridge) 63 (e.g., lip, edge, surface, etc.) toward the top surface of brush 14, however, ledge 63 is positioned inwardly toward the centerline of brush 14 such that ledge 63 is prevented from being caught on the upper edge of brush holder 16 because weld splice 50 moves into the interior of brush holder 16 as the length of brush 14 wears and decreases. The downwardly facing ledge 63 of the solder joint 50 is formed by the terminal end of the first lead 46. As shown in fig. 15, the ends of second and third electrical leads 44a/44b also form ledges 65 (e.g., lips, edges, surfaces, etc.) of weld splice 50 facing upward away from brush 14. The orientation of the upwardly facing ledge 65 does not interfere with the movement of the weld splice into the interior of the brush holder 16.

Fig. 17 illustrates an example brush holder assembly 12 described herein positioned along a conductive surface 18 of a rotating component 20 of an electrical machine. Fig. 17 shows brush 14 positioned in brush holder 16 (as previously described with reference to fig. 1), wherein a lower surface 26 of brush 14 engages conductive surface 18 of rotating member 20. It will be appreciated that as lower surface 26 is maintained in contact with conductive surface 18 of rotating member 20, lower surface 26 may wear, thereby causing upper surface 24 of brush 14 to translate linearly into conductive surface 18 in brush holder 16.

In some examples, it may be desirable to monitor the distance upper surface 24 transitions in brush holder 16 to determine the degree of wear of brush 14. For example, it may be desirable to monitor the distance that upper surface 24 of brush 14 moves relative to upper edge 78 of brush holder 16 or other reference point at a fixed distance from conductive surface 18. It will be appreciated that the distance that upper surface 24 moves relative to upper edge 78 (or other fixed reference point) of brush holder 16 may be representative of the amount of brush material removed from lower surface 26 of brush 14 (i.e., how much brush 14 has worn or decreased during use).

In some examples, it may be difficult to monitor the distance that upper surface 24 moves relative to upper edge 78 of brush holder 16. Thus, in some examples, other components of brush assembly 12 located at a fixed distance from conductive surface 18 may be used as a reference point to determine the distance upper surface 24 of brush 14 has moved relative to upper edge 78 of brush holder 16.

Fig. 17 shows that in some examples, band 48 (attached to first electrical lead 46 (or second electrical lead 44a and/or third electrical lead 44 b)) may be used as a reference point to determine the distance that upper surface 24 of brush 14 has moved relative to upper edge 78 of brush holder 16. For example, fig. 17 depicts the initial distance of the band 48 from the upper edge 78 as the dimension Z at the first time instant. Thus, as lower surface 26 of brush 14 wears, distance Z will decrease. Monitoring the change in distance Z may provide an indication of the amount of brush material removed from lower surface 26 of brush 14 and, thus, how much or how much brush 14 wears down in length during use. Once brush 14 wears beyond a threshold amount, brush 14, along with terminal 42 and associated conductive lead assembly 36, may be removed and replaced with a new brush assembly 45.

Similarly, fig. 17 illustrates that in some examples, the weld or splice area 50 may be used as a reference point to determine the distance that the upper surface 24 of the brush 14 has moved relative to the upper edge 78 of the brush holder 16. For example, fig. 17 depicts the initial distance of the weld or splice area 50 from the upper edge 78 as the dimension W at the first time instant. Thus, as lower surface 26 of brush 14 wears, distance W will decrease. Monitoring the change in distance W may provide an indication of the amount of brush material removed from lower surface 26 of brush 14 and, thus, how much or how much brush 14 wears down in length during use. Once brush 14 wears beyond a threshold amount, brush 14, along with terminal 42 and associated conductive lead assembly 36, may be removed and replaced with a new brush assembly 45.

In some cases, the brush holder assembly 12 described herein may include alternative conductive lead assemblies having one or more components and/or methods of manufacture that are different from the conductive lead assembly 36 but function in a similar manner as the conductive lead assembly 36. For example, fig. 18 illustrates various components of another exemplary conductive lead assembly 136 engaged with and extending from brush 114. Brush 114 may be similar in form and function to brush 14 described herein.

Fig. 18 illustrates an exemplary manufacturing step in which the first electrical lead 146 and the second electrical lead 144 have been pre-secured to the brush 114. Fig. 18 illustrates that the first electrical lead 146 can include a first end region 147, a second end region 149, and an intermediate region extending between the first end region 147 and the second end region 149. The second electrical lead 144 may include a first end region 164 and a second end region 165. Additionally, as can be appreciated from fig. 18, the first electrical leads 146 may be longer than the second electrical leads 144 before being soldered together (which occurs in a subsequent manufacturing step). In other words, the first electrical lead 146 may have a first length measured from the upper surface of the carbon brush 114 to the free end of the first electrical lead 146 at the first end region 147, and the second electrical lead 144 may have a second length measured from the upper surface of the carbon brush 114 to the free end of the second electrical lead 144 at the first end region 164. The first length may be greater than the second length.

The first electrical lead 146 (e.g., the second end region 149 of the first electrical lead 146) and/or the second electrical lead 144 (e.g., the second end region 165 of the second electrical lead 144) can be secured to the carbon brush 114 in any desired manner. Attaching the first electrical lead 146 and/or the second electrical lead 144 to the brush 114 may include positioning each of the first electrical lead 146 and the second electrical lead 144 in a respective cavity (e.g., a preformed hole, aperture, and/or slit) within the brush 114, whereby after placing the second end region 149 of the first lead 146 and the second end region 165 of the second lead 144 in the respective cavities in the brush 114, each individual cavity is filled (e.g., stacked) with additional powder material (e.g., carbon powder material) to secure the second end regions 149/165 of both the first electrical lead 146 and the second electrical lead 144 to the brush 114. Similar to that shown in fig. 12, the embedded second end regions 149/165 of the first and second electrical leads 146/144 in the brush 114 are depicted by the dashed lines of fig. 18. In other words, fig. 18 illustrates that the brush 114 may include two or more individual electrical leads extending from the brush 114, wherein an end region of each individual lead is embedded or otherwise secured to the brush 114. As will be described below, the free, opposing first ends 147/164 of the first and second leads 146, 144, respectively, may extend from the brush 114 to be secured to one another at the splice area 150 (as shown in fig. 21).

Similar to that shown in fig. 12, fig. 18 illustrates that the second ends 149/165 of the first and second electrical leads 146, 144, respectively, may be spaced apart from each other at the point where each segment of the first and second electrical leads 146, 144 exits the brush 114.

Further, fig. 18 illustrates that prior to welding the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 to the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, the terminal 142 may be attached (e.g., welded) to an intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 at a location between the first end region 147 and the second end region 149 such that the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 extends from a first side of the terminal 142 and the second end region 149 of the first electrical lead 146 extends from an opposite second side of the terminal 142. It is to be appreciated that the terminal 142 may be similar in form and function to the terminal 42 described herein. Additionally, fig. 18 illustrates that in some cases, the terminal 142 may be soldered along the first electrical lead 146 at a location closer to the first end region 147 than the second end region 149 of the first electrical lead 146 (embedded in the brush 114). In other words, the terminal 142 may be welded to the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 such that the first electrical lead 146 extends between the terminal 142 and the carbon brush 114 longer than the first electrical lead 146 extends from the terminal 142 to the free end of the first electrical lead 146 (at the first end region 147).

It will be appreciated that the terminal 142 shown in fig. 18 may be attached to the first electrical lead 146 after the second end region 149 of the first electrical lead 146 is inserted and attached to the brush 114 and before the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 is welded to the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144. For example, it will be appreciated that prior to achieving the configuration shown in fig. 18, the first wire 146 may have been inserted through an opening of the terminal 142 (e.g., similar to openings 57a/57b of the terminal 42), whereby the terminal 142 is then properly aligned along the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146. For example, as shown in fig. 18, the terminal 142 may be positioned generally closer to the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, wherein the first electrical lead 146 has a generally shorter length of the first electrical lead 146 extending from the terminal 142 on a side away from the brush 114 and a longer length of the first electrical lead 146 extending from the terminal 142 on a side closer to the brush 114.

After positioning the terminal 142 at a desired location along the lead 146, the first electrical lead 146 may be soldered or otherwise secured to the terminal 142. The attachment of the terminal 142 to the first lead 146 may be performed using a process similar to that described above with respect to the terminal 42 and the lead 46 attached in fig. 8-9. Soldering or otherwise securing the terminals 142 to the first leads 146 may be performed before or after the first leads 146 and/or the second leads 144 are attached to the brush 114.

Fig. 19 illustrates another exemplary manufacturing step for forming conductive assembly 136. Specifically, fig. 19 illustrates a manufacturing step in which the first electrical lead 146 is bent such that the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 is positioned adjacent to the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144 and the free end of the first electrical lead 146 is adjacent to the free end of the second electrical lead 144. Fig. 19 shows that the first electrical lead 146 can be bent in such a way that the first electrical lead 146 forms a loop. Fig. 19 shows that when the first wire 146 is formed as a loop, the terminal 142 is positioned such that it is generally aligned at the apex of the loop formed opposite the brush 114.

In addition, as can be appreciated from fig. 19, portions of both the first electrical lead 146 and the second electrical lead 144 can be adjacent to each other (e.g., free ends of the first and second electrical leads 146/144). For example, fig. 19 illustrates that the first and second electrical leads 146, 144 may converge and bend toward the centerline of the brush 114, whereby the first and second electrical leads 146, 144 are positioned adjacent to one another prior to being welded together.

Fig. 20 and 21 illustrate example manufacturing steps, which may be similar to the manufacturing steps described with reference to fig. 14 and 15. For example, fig. 20 shows that the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 (including the free end of the first electrical lead 146) and the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144 (including the free end of the second electrical lead 146) are positioned within the weld region prior to welding via the welding device 76. In some cases, the intermediate portion of the first electrical lead 146 may also be positioned within a weld region juxtaposed the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 144 and the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 146. For example, fig. 20 shows the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and an intermediate portion of the first electrical lead 146 held in pre-welded alignment by a fixture 172. It is to be understood that the fixture 172 may be similar in form and function to the fixture 72 described herein.

Fig. 20 also shows that the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144 (the second end region 165 of the second electrical lead 144 has been pre-secured to the brush 114) overlaps (i.e., is vertically above and overlaps) the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 (the second end region 149 of the first electrical lead 146 has been pre-secured to the brush 114). In such a configuration, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144 may be positioned over the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146. In other words, the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 is positioned below the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144. Similar to what is described herein with respect to fixture 72, it is understood that fixture 172 may be designed to position first end region 147 of first electrical lead 146 under second end region 164 of second lead 144 prior to soldering the leads together. Thus, fig. 20 illustrates that, in some examples, prior to welding, the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 may overlap (e.g., extend beyond) a portion of the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 146 within the welding region of the welding device 76.

Fig. 20 also illustrates that the first electrical lead 146 can be attached (e.g., welded) to the terminal 142 (as described above) and the first electrical lead 146 and the second electrical lead 144 can be attached (e.g., embedded) to the brush 114 prior to welding the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 to the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144 and optionally the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 to the first end regions 147/164 of the first and second electrical leads 146/144. The fixture 172 may be designed to allow the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and/or the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 to be welded together after the first electrical lead 146 has been attached to the terminal 142 and the first electrical lead 146 and/or the second electrical lead 144 has been attached to the brush 114.

Once the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and/or the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 are aligned in the fixture 172, a welding device 76, such as an ultrasonic welder, may be advanced toward the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and/or the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 to ultrasonically weld the end regions 147/164 together to form a splice joint. During the welding process, the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 may be welded to the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144. Additionally, in some cases, a portion of the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 that is juxtaposed with the first end region 147/164 of the first and second electrical leads 146/144 may be welded to the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146 and/or the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144. The process of soldering the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and/or the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 may be similar to the soldering process described above with reference to fig. 14 and 15.

Fig. 21 illustrates the first end region 147 of the first electrical lead 146, the first end region 164 of the second electrical lead 144, and the intermediate region of the first electrical lead 146 after being all soldered together by the soldering device 76 (shown in fig. 20) to form a splice joint 150 (e.g., splice joint, solder joint) along the electrically conductive lead assembly 136. The splice joint 150 may be referred to as a weld joint, a weld zone, a weld joint, or the like, created by splicing (e.g., ultrasonic welding) together a first end region 147 of the first wire lead 146, a first end region 164 of the second wire lead 144, and optionally a portion of an intermediate region of the first wire lead 146. Note that in some cases, the weld or splice area 150 may be formed by merely welding the first end area 147 of the first electrical lead 146 to the first end area 164 of the second electrical lead 144. It will be appreciated that the assembly shown in fig. 21 illustrates the electrically conductive lead assembly 136 wherein the first electrical lead 146 is directly attached to the terminal 142 and the first portion 152 of the first electrical lead 146 extends continuously from the terminal 142 to the brush 114 through a welded or spliced joint or region 150, while the second portion 154 of the first electrical lead 146 extends from the terminal 142 and terminates at the welded or spliced joint or region 150. Thus, the first portion 152 of the first electrical lead 146 may be directly attached to the brush 114 and extend through the splice joint 150 up to the terminal 142, while the second portion 154 of the first electrical lead 146 may be directly attached to the terminal 142, but not extend all the way to the brush 114 (i.e., terminate at the splice joint 150). Further, the second electrical lead 144 may extend only between the solder joint 150 and the brush 114.

Additionally, fig. 21 illustrates that some examples of the conductive lead assembly 136 may include wear markings 151 placed along one or more surfaces of the weld joint 150. The wear marks 151 may be etched into the weld joint 150, stamped, applied as ink, or otherwise applied or formed on the weld joint 150. The wear scar 151 may be placed at a given distance from the upper surface of the brush 114. For example, the wear indicia 151 may be placed about 1.5 inches from the upper surface of the brush 114 with the conductive lead assembly 136 extending away from the upper surface of the brush 114. As will be described in more detail below, the wear indicia 151 may allow for visual indication of wear or reduction of the brush 114 during use.

It will be appreciated that the conductive lead assembly 136 shown in fig. 21 may be integrated with the remaining components of the brush holder assembly 12 (e.g., brush holder 16, lower beam 32, upper beam 30, and handle 22) previously described.

Fig. 22 illustrates an exemplary conductive lead assembly 136 integrated with the brush holder assembly 12 whereby the brush holder assembly 12 is positioned along the conductive surface 18 of the rotating component 20 of the electrical machine. For example, fig. 22 shows a brush 114 positioned within the brush holder 16 (similar to that previously described with reference to fig. 1), wherein a lower surface 126 of the brush 114 engages the conductive surface 18 of the rotating member 20. It will be appreciated that as the lower surface 126 remains in contact with the conductive surface 18 of the rotating member 20, the lower surface 126 may wear, whereby the upper surface 124 of the brush 114 translates linearly within the brush holder 16 toward the conductive surface 18.

As described herein, it may be desirable to monitor the distance that the upper surface 124 of the brush 114 translates within the brush holder 16 to determine the extent of wear of the length reduction of the brush 114. For example, it may be desirable to monitor the distance that the upper surface 124 of the brush 114 moves relative to the upper edge 78 of the brush holder 16 or other reference point at a fixed distance from the conductive surface 18. It will be appreciated that the distance that the upper surface 124 moves relative to the upper edge 78 (or other fixed reference point) of the brush holder 16 may be indicative of the amount of brush material that is removed from the lower surface 126 of the brush 114 (i.e., how much the brush 114 wears or decreases in length during use).

Fig. 22 illustrates that, in some examples, the wear indicia 151 along the splice area 150 can be used as a reference point to determine the distance that the upper surface 124 of the brush 114 has moved relative to the upper edge 78 of the brush holder 16. For example, fig. 22 depicts the initial distance of the wear indicia 151 from the upper edge 78 as the dimension a at the first time instant. Thus, as the lower surface 126 of the brush 114 wears, the distance A will decrease. Monitoring the change in distance a may provide an indication of the amount of brush material removed from the lower surface 126 of the brush 114 and, thus, an indication of how much the brush 114 wears or decreases in length during use. Once the brush 114 wears beyond a threshold amount, the brush 114, along with the terminal 142 and associated conductive lead assembly 136, may be removed and replaced with a new brush assembly.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of forms other than the specific embodiments described and contemplated herein. Accordingly, changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A brush assembly comprising:

a carbon brush having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a conductive terminal; and

a conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the conductive terminal,

the conductive lead assembly comprises a splicing connector, wherein the splicing connector is positioned between the conductive terminal and the carbon brush and is separated from the conductive terminal and the carbon brush.

2. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive lead assembly comprises a first lead coupled to a second lead at the splice joint.

3. The brush assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first lead is fixed to and extends from the conductive terminal to the splice joint, and the second lead is fixed to and extends from the carbon brush to the splice joint.

4. A brush assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the splice joint is formed by welding a first end region of the first lead to a first end region of the second lead.

5. The brush assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first lead includes a second end region fixed to the carbon brush, the second lead includes a second end region fixed to the carbon brush, and wherein the splice joint is formed by welding the first end region of the first lead to the first end region of the second lead.

6. The brush assembly of claim 5, wherein the first lead includes an intermediate region between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead, wherein the conductive terminal is secured to the intermediate region of the first lead.

7. The brush assembly of claim 6, wherein a portion of the intermediate region of the first lead is welded to the first end region of the first lead and/or the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint.

8. The brush assembly according to claim 7, wherein the splice joint includes a wear marker, wherein the wear marker is used as a reference point to determine wear reduction of the carbon brush.

9. The brush assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein,

the conductive terminal includes an inner core layer positioned between a first conductive metal layer and a second conductive metal layer;

the inner core layer comprises steel; and is also provided with

Wherein the first conductive metal layer, the second conductive metal layer, or both the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer comprise copper.

10. A method of manufacturing a brush assembly, the method comprising:

welding a first end region of a first lead to a first end region of a second lead, wherein the first lead is pre-fixed to a conductive terminal and the second lead is pre-fixed to a carbon brush prior to the welding step;

the welding is performed to form a splicing joint between the first lead and the second lead, and the splicing joint is positioned between the carbon brush and the conductive terminal and is separated from the carbon brush and the conductive terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to securing the first lead to the conductance terminal:

a second end region of the first lead is embedded in a top surface of the brush in a first position; and is also provided with

The second end region of the second lead is embedded in the top surface of the brush in a second position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first lead includes an intermediate region located between the first end region of the first lead and the second end region of the first lead, wherein the conductive terminal is secured along the intermediate region of the first lead.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first lead is longer than the second lead, and the conductive terminal is secured along the intermediate region of the first lead at the first end region that is closer to the first lead than the second end region of the first lead.

14. A brush holder assembly for contacting a conductive carbon brush with a conductive surface of an electrical device, the brush holder assembly comprising:

a brush holder including a brush box and a beam fixed to the brush holder;

a carbon brush slidably provided in the brush box;

a conductive terminal releasably attached to the beam of the brush holder;

a first lead fixed to the conductive terminal; and

a second lead wire fixed to and extending from the carbon brush,

Wherein the first end region of the first lead is fixed to the first end region of the second lead at a splice joint positioned between and spaced apart from the carbon brush and the conductive terminal.

15. The brush holder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first end region of the first lead is ultrasonically welded to the first end region of the second lead at the splice joint.

16. A brush holder assembly according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the first lead comprises an intermediate region located between the first end region of the first lead and a second end region of the first lead, and wherein the conductive terminal is fixed along the intermediate region of the first lead.

17. The brush holder assembly according to claim 16, wherein the first lead is longer than the second lead, and the conductive terminal is secured along the intermediate region of the first lead closer to the first end region of the first lead than to the second end region of the first lead.

18. A brush assembly comprising:

A carbon brush having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a conductive terminal comprising an inner core layer positioned between a first conductive metal layer and a second conductive metal layer; and

and a conductive lead assembly attached to both the carbon brush and the conductive terminal.

19. The brush holder assembly according to claim 18, wherein the conductive lead assembly is welded directly to the first conductive metal layer of the conductive terminal.

20. A brush holder assembly according to claim 18 or 19, wherein,

the inner core layer comprises steel; and is also provided with

The first conductive metal layer, the second conductive metal layer, or both the first conductive metal layer and the second conductive metal layer comprise copper.