WO2023148823A1

WO2023148823A1 - Manufacturing device and manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: WO2023148823A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/003847
Authority: WO
Inventors: 仁津川; 聡光木; 隆博菊川
Original assignee: 平田機工株式会社
Priority date: 2022-02-01
Filing date: 2022-02-01
Publication date: 2023-08-10

Abstract

The present invention provides a manufacturing device that manufacturers an assembly of a plurality of conductor segments arranged in a ring shape that attaches to a stator core of a motor. The manufacturing device comprises: a jig unit having a plurality of jigs that assemble the assembly in stages, and a support on which the plurality of jigs are mounted; a conveyance device that conveys the jig unit; and a plurality of work devices arranged along the conveyance route of the jig unit. The plurality of work devices include at least one drive device that has an assembly operation performed by the work object jig to which the plurality of conductor segments are supplied by the at least one supply device, and at least one transfer device that transfers an intermediate assembly assembled by the work object jig to the jig at the next stage.

Description

Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing method

The present invention relates to motor manufacturing technology.

An assembly having a plurality of conductor segments is known as a stator coil attached to a stator core of a motor. This assembly is inserted into slots in the stator core. Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose manufacturing techniques for assembling an assembly from a plurality of conductor segments. In these manufacturing techniques, individual conductor segments are arranged and aligned in a ring using jigs.

JP-A-2004-72839 Japanese Patent No. 4214469 Japanese Patent No. 3118837 Japanese Patent No. 3199068

In order to improve the manufacturing efficiency of assemblies, it is necessary to continuously assemble more assemblies. Conventional techniques have room for improvement in terms of manufacturing efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of manufacturing an assembly of multiple conductor segments.

According to the invention,
A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an assembly having a plurality of annularly arranged conductor segments to be attached to a stator core of a motor, comprising:
a jig unit having a plurality of jigs for assembling the assembly in stages, and a support on which the plurality of jigs are mounted;
a conveying device that conveys the jig unit;
a plurality of work devices arranged along a transport path of the jig unit by the transport device;
The plurality of work devices are
at least one feeding device for feeding a plurality of conductor segments to a fixture to be worked;
at least one driving device for causing the jig to be worked to which the plurality of conductor segments are supplied by the at least one supplying device to perform an assembly operation;
At least one transfer device for transferring the intermediate assembly assembled with the jig to be worked on to a jig at the next stage,
A manufacturing apparatus characterized by the following is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the manufacturing efficiency of an assembly of a plurality of conductor segments.

Layout diagram of the manufacturing system. FIG. 2 is a side view of a manufacturing apparatus that constitutes the manufacturing system of FIG. 1; The perspective view of a jig unit. The elements on larger scale of each jig. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2; The layout diagram of the manufacturing apparatus of another example. The perspective view of the jig unit of another example. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a manufacturing example using the jig unit of FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a manufacturing example using the jig unit of FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a manufacturing example using the jig unit of FIG. 13; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a plurality of different jig units;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

<First embodiment>
<Manufacturing system>
FIG. 1 is a layout diagram schematically showing a manufacturing system 100 for manufacturing stators for three-phase AC motors. In each figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates a vertical direction. The manufacturing system 100 includes a cutting device 110 , a processing device 120 , a conveying device 130 , a manufacturing device 1 , a supply device 140 , a mounting device 150 and a processing device 160 . To summarize the operation of the manufacturing system 100 , the cutting device 110 , the processing device 120 , the conveying device 130 , and the manufacturing device 1 manufacture the stator coil assembly 10 , and the supply device 140 supplies the stator core 141 . The mounting device 150 performs the work of mounting the assembly 10 in the slot 142 of the stator core 141 , and the processing device 160 performs processing of the end portion of the assembly 10 mounted on the stator core 141 .

The cutting device 110 includes a reel 111 around which a wire material for the stator coil is wound. The wire is, for example, a metal wire (for example, copper wire) having a rectangular cross section, and its surface is covered with an insulating film. The wire pulled out from the reel 111 is formed into a straight line by the shape correcting device 112 and then cut to a predetermined length by the cutting device 113 to manufacture the bar-shaped conductor wire 114 . The insulating films on the surfaces of both ends of the conductor wire 114 are peeled off by a peeling device (not shown).

The conductor wire 114 is supplied to the processing device 120 . The processing device 120 includes a bending device 121 . Bending is performed in two steps. At the first stage, the bending device 121 bends the conductor wire 114 into a substantially U shape on the same plane. Subsequently, in the second step, bending is performed in a direction intersecting the same plane to bend a connecting portion C, which will be described later. Thereby, the conductor segment CS is manufactured. The conductor segment CS integrally includes a pair of legs F to be inserted into the slots 142 of the stator core 141 and a connecting portion C connecting the ends of the pair of legs F. As shown in FIG. The pair of legs F extend linearly parallel to each other. The connecting portion C has a roof shape or a mountain shape. The curved connection portion C facilitates the insertion of the pair of legs F into the slot 142, and a ring-shaped assembly can be obtained by assembling a plurality of conductor segments CS by a method described later.

The conveying device 130 is a device that supplies the conductor segments CS manufactured by the processing device 120 to the manufacturing device 1 . The conveying device 130 includes, for example, a shooter that sequentially feeds the conductor segments CS to the stocker 7 of the manufacturing device 1 .

In the case of this embodiment, two sets of the cutting device 110, the processing device 120, and the conveying device 130 are provided, one set on each side of the production line (the line in the X direction) of the manufacturing apparatus 1. A manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing an assembly 10 in which a plurality of conductor segments CS are arranged in a ring. Details will be described later.

The supply device 140 sequentially supplies the stator cores 141 to the mounting device 150 . Stator core 141 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and a plurality of slots 142 opening in its inner peripheral surface are radially formed. The mounting device 150 mounts the assembly 10 to the stator core 141 by inserting the legs F of the conductor segments CS of the assembly 10 into the slots 142 of the stator core 141 . A pair of legs F of each conductor segment CS are inserted into different slots 142 respectively. The processing device 160 performs a bending process of bending the legs F protruding from the stator core 141 to the outside, a process of welding the adjacent legs F, and the like.

<Manufacturing equipment>
The configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 2 is a side view of the manufacturing apparatus 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the jig unit 2 used for assembling the assembly 10. As shown in FIG. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of jig units 2, a transport device 3 that cyclically transports the jig units 2, and a plurality of work devices 4 that are arranged along the transport path of the jig units 2 by the transport device 3. 6 and a plurality of stockers 7.

The conveying device 3 includes an upper conveyor 30 and a lower conveyor 31, which are arranged vertically in two stages. Conveyor 30 forms the forward route of the transfer route of jig unit 2 , and conveyor 31 forms the return route of the transfer route of jig unit 2 .

The conveyors 30 and 31 are roller conveyors that extend in the X direction and have a plurality of rows of rollers RL arranged in two rows spaced apart in the Y direction. As indicated by arrows in FIG. 2, the conveyor 30 conveys the jig unit 2 placed on the rollers RL in one direction in the X direction, and the conveyor 31 conveys the jig unit 2 placed on the rollers RL in the X direction. convey in the opposite direction.

Moving conveyors 32 are arranged at both ends of the conveyors 30 and 31 in the X direction. The moving conveyor 32 is a roller conveyor in which a plurality of rows of rollers RL are arranged in two rows spaced apart in the Y direction, and has a length on which one jig unit 2 can be placed. The moving conveyor 32 is moved up and down by a lifting device 33 between a position continuous with the conveyor 30 (solid line position in FIG. 2) and a continuous position with the conveyor 31 (broken line position in FIG. 2).

After the jig unit 2 is conveyed from one end of the conveyor 30 in the X direction to the other end, it is lowered by the moving conveyor 32 and transferred to the conveyor 31 . After the jig unit 2 is conveyed from the other end of the conveyor 31 to the one end in the X direction, the jig unit 2 is lifted by the moving conveyor 32 and transferred to the conveyor 30 . In this manner, the jig unit 2 is cyclically transported by the transport device 3 .

The jig unit 2 has a plurality of

jigs

22 and 23 for assembling the assembly 10 in stages, and a support 20 on which the

jigs

22 and 23 are mounted. One assembly 10 can be manufactured with one jig unit 2 . In this embodiment, the support 20 has a plurality of support portions 21 on a plate-like main body. The

jigs

22 and 23 are supported by the supporting portion 21 respectively. The

jigs

22 and 23 are arranged side by side in the X direction, with the jig 22 being the leading jig and the jig 23 being the subsequent jig when viewed in the conveying direction of the conveying device 30 . In the case of this embodiment, the

jigs

22 and 23 are mounted on the support 20 in the assembly order of the assembly 10 in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 by the conveyor 30 . Although the arrangement of the

jigs

22 and 23 is not limited to the order of assembly, according to the arrangement of the present embodiment, the jigs to be worked on move in order in the conveying direction, so that the progress of assembly can be easily understood, and the assembly process can be simplified. Management and layout of the working devices 4 to 6 are facilitated.

The jig 22 has an inner jig 221 and an outer jig 222 surrounding the inner jig 221 . In this embodiment, both the inner jig 221 and the outer jig 222 have a cylindrical shape, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner jig 221 is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer jig 222 . The inner jig 221 and the outer jig 222 are relatively rotatable around a rotation center line 22a in the Z direction. In this embodiment, the inner jig 221 is fixed to the support portion 21 and the outer jig 222 is rotatably supported by the support portion 21 . However, the inner jig 221 may be rotatably supported and the outer jig 222 may be fixed.

In the case of this embodiment, the outer jig 222 has a pressed portion 223 protruding radially from its outer peripheral surface, and rotates when an external force acts on the pressed portion 223 in the Y direction. However, the rotation mechanism of the outer jig 222 is not limited to this, and may be configured to rotate the outer jig 222 by a drive source mounted on the support 20 or the support section 21, for example.

The jig 23 has a structure similar to that of the jig 22. The jig 23 has an inner jig 231 and an outer jig 232 surrounding the inner jig 231 . In this embodiment, both the inner jig 231 and the outer jig 232 have a cylindrical shape, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner jig 231 is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer jig 232 . The inner jig 231 and the outer jig 232 are relatively rotatable around the rotation center line 23a in the Z direction. In this embodiment, the inner jig 231 is fixed to the support portion 21 and the outer jig 232 is rotatably supported by the support portion 21 . However, the inner jig 231 may be rotatably supported and the outer jig 232 may be fixed.

The

jigs

22 and 23 each have a holding portion that holds the leg portion F of the conductor segment CS. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the

jigs

22 and 23, and is a plan view showing a part of the

jigs

22 and 23. FIG.

The inner jig 221 of the jig 22 is formed with a plurality of inner holding portions 224 , and the outer jig 222 is formed with a plurality of outer holding portions 225 . In the case of this embodiment, the inner holding part 224 is a hole having depth in the Z direction, and in the case of this embodiment, it is a hole penetrating the inner jig 221 in the Z direction. When viewed in cross-sectional shape on the XY plane, the inner holding portion 224 has a size into which one leg portion F can be inserted. The plurality of inner holding portions 224 are annularly arranged around the rotation center line 22a at equal pitches in the circumferential direction.

The outer holding part 225 is a groove that has a depth in the Z direction and is open on the inner peripheral surface of the outer jig 222. In this embodiment, it is a groove penetrating the outer jig 222 in the Z direction. When viewed in cross-sectional shape on the XY plane, the outer holding portion 225 has a width into which one leg portion F can be inserted, and extends in the radial direction so that the leg portion F can be displaced in the radial direction. It is The plurality of outer holding portions 225 are annularly arranged around the rotation center line 22a at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. The number of inner holding portions 224 and outer holding portions 225 are the same, and the pitch in the circumferential direction is also the same.

The inner jig 231 of the jig 23 is formed with a plurality of inner holding portions 234 , and the outer jig 232 is formed with a plurality of outer holding portions 235 . In the case of this embodiment, the inner holding part 234 is a hole having depth in the Z direction, and in the case of this embodiment, it is a hole penetrating the inner jig 231 in the Z direction. Looking at the cross-sectional shape in the XY plane, the inner holding part 234 has a width that allows one leg F to be inserted, and a length that allows a plurality of legs F to be arranged and inserted in the radial direction. ing. The plurality of inner holding portions 234 are annularly arranged around the rotation center line 23a at equal pitches in the circumferential direction.

The outer holding part 235 is a groove that has a depth in the Z direction and is open on the inner peripheral surface of the outer jig 232. In this embodiment, it is a groove penetrating the outer jig 232 in the Z direction. When viewed in cross-sectional shape on the XY plane, the outer holding portion 235 has a width into which one leg portion F can be inserted, and extends in the radial direction so that the leg portion F can be displaced in the radial direction. It is The plurality of outer holding portions 235 are annularly arranged around the rotation center line 23a at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. The number of inner holding portions 234 and outer holding portions 235 are the same, and the pitch in the circumferential direction is also the same.

The work devices 4 to 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. The working devices 4 to 6 are arranged on the side of the conveying device 3. There are four working devices 4 and two working devices 5 for performing various operations on the jig unit 2 conveyed by the conveyor 30. , one work device 6 is arranged, but the number and arrangement of each work device can be designed as appropriate.

The working device 4 is a multi-axis robot that moves the working head 4a in each of the X, Y, and Z directions, and supplies the conductor segments CS one by one from the stocker 7 to the jig 22 or jig 23 to be worked. . In the case of this embodiment, the working device 4 is a vertically articulated robot, and is provided with a grasping portion 4b capable of grasping the conductor segment CS at its distal end. The work device 4 is of a vertical articulated type, but a horizontal articulated robot or other well-known industrial robots can be used.

The working device 5 is a driving device that causes the jig 22 or jig 23 to be worked to perform an assembly operation. In the case of this embodiment, the working device 5 is a pusher that reciprocates the pressing portion 5a in the Y direction, presses the pressed portion 223 of the outer jig 222 or the pressed portion 233 of the outer jig 232, and The tool 222 or the outer jig 232 is rotated. The pusher of this embodiment is an air actuator that expands and contracts the pressing portion 5a in the Y direction.

The work device 6 is a transfer device that transfers the intermediate assembly assembled by the jig 22 to the jig 23 . The working device 6 has a holding head 6a that holds the intermediate assembly, an elevating section 6b that elevates the holding head 6a, and a moving section 6c that moves the elevating section 6b in the X direction. The intermediate assembly of the jig 22 is held by the holding head 6a, the intermediate assembly is lifted from the jig 22 by the elevating unit 6b, the holding unit 6a and the elevating unit 6b are moved to the jig 23 by the moving unit 6c, and the elevating unit The intermediate assembly is transferred to the jig 23 by lowering the holding portion 6a at 6b.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of work devices 4 and 5 are provided separated from each other in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 by the conveyor 30 . Specifically, four working devices 4 and two working devices 5 are provided. Work on a plurality of jig units 2 can be performed simultaneously, and manufacturing efficiency can be improved. Although one work device 6 is provided in this embodiment, a plurality of work devices 6 may be provided at intervals in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 .

<Manufacturing method>
Each manufacturing process of the assembly 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 11. FIG. In manufacturing the assembly 10, the jig unit 2 is transported by the transport device 3 and stopped. The working devices 4 to 6 work on the jig unit 2 while the transportation of the jig unit 2 is stopped. Thereafter, transportation and stopping of the jig unit 2 and work on the jig unit 2 are repeated.

The contents of the work for the jig unit 2 will be explained. The assembly 10 is manufactured by using two working devices 4 and one working device 5 on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 1) in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 in the conveying device 30 with respect to the jig 22 . , and the work device 6 transfers the intermediate assembly from the jig 22 to the jig 23 . Further, the working devices 4 and 5 on the downstream side (the right side in FIG. 1) in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 in the conveying device 30 work on the jig 23 to obtain the assembly 10 .

I will explain in detail. First, for example, the process of supplying a plurality of conductor segments CS to the jig 22 denoted by G in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing this process. The working device 4 takes out the conductor segments CS one by one from the stocker 7 using the grip part 4 b and inserts them into the jig 22 . During insertion, one leg F of the pair of legs F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner holding portion 224 and the other leg F is inserted into the outer holding portion 225 . In this manner, the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner jig 221 and the outer jig 222 so as to straddle them. By repeating the supply operation of the conductor segments CS by the working device 4 , a plurality of conductor segments CS are arranged in a loop around the jig 22 . 5, one leg F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner holding portion 224, and the other leg F is the inner holding portion into which the one leg F is inserted. It is inserted into an outer holding portion 225 located at a different position in the circumferential direction from the portion 224 .

Next, the jig unit 2 is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 22 at the position G in FIG. 1 is conveyed to the position H and stopped. After the jig 22 is stopped at the position H, the working device 5 is driven to cause the jig 22 to perform the assembly operation. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram thereof. The pressed portion 223 of the jig 22, into which the plurality of conductor segments CS have been inserted, is pressed by the pressing portion 5a of the working device 5, and the outer jig 222 is rotated in the direction of the arrow. Thereby, the intermediate assembly 11 is manufactured. FIG. 7 shows the assembly operation in more detail than FIG.

As the outer jig 222 rotates, the leg F inserted in the outer holding portion 225 is displaced in the circumferential direction of the outer jig 222 and radially inward. are arranged in a ring. Finally, the leg F held by the outer holding part 225 is displaced to a position adjacent to the leg F of another conductor segment CS held by the inner holding part 224, and the pair of legs F are aligned. The assembled intermediate assembly 11 is completed. The intermediate assembly 11 has two layers (two rows) of legs F arranged in an annular shape in the radial direction.

As for the configuration for reversing the outer jig 222 after rotation to its original position, for example, a drive source (not shown) for reversing may be provided in the support 20 or the support section 21 . Alternatively, the outer jig 222 may be reversed by a working device 5 other than the working device 5 that rotates the outer jig 222 . Alternatively, the jig unit 2 may be reversed by a work device (not shown) while the jig unit 2 is conveyed by the conveyor 21 .

Next, the working device 6 is driven to transfer the intermediate assembly 11 assembled with the jig 22 at the position H in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing this process.

The working device 6 holds the intermediate assembly 11 of the jig 22 with the holding head 6a. At the tip of the holding head 6a, there are a plurality of pins 6d that can be inserted into and removed from the intermediate assembly 11 in the radial direction. It holds the intermediate assembly 11 . A large number of pins 6 d may be provided in the circumferential direction of the intermediate assembly 11 . After the pin 6d is radially inserted from below each connecting portion C, the holding head 6a starts to be lifted by the elevating portion 6b, so that the intermediate assembly 11 is lifted together and lifted from the jig 22. FIG. After the intermediate assembly 11 is pulled up from the jig 22, the moving part 6c moves the holding head 6a and the lifting part 6b to the jig 23 at the position I in FIG. be positioned at Next, the holding head 6a is lowered by the lifting part 6b, and the leg part F of the intermediate assembly 11 is inserted into the hole of the inner holding part 234 of the jig 23. As shown in FIG. After the insertion, the insertion of the pin 6d is released, and the transfer of the intermediate assembly 11 to the jig 23 is completed.

The leg portion F of the intermediate assembly 11 is inserted into the hole of the inner holding portion 234 of the inner jig 231 . As shown in the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, two layers (two legs) of leg portions F are inserted into the holes of one inner holding portion 234 .

Next, the jig unit 2 is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 23 at the position I is conveyed to the position J in FIG. 1 and stopped. After the jig 23 is stopped at the position J, a plurality of conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23 by the work device 4 . FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing this process. The working device 4 takes out the conductor segments CS one by one from the stocker 7 by using the grip part 4 b and inserts them into the jig 23 . During insertion, one leg F of the pair of legs F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner holding portion 234 and the other leg F is inserted into the outer holding portion 235 . The leg portion F inserted into the inner holding portion 234 is inserted outside the already inserted intermediate assembly 11 .

Thus, the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner jig 231 and the outer jig 232 so as to straddle them. By repeating the supply operation of the conductor segments CS by the work device 4 , a plurality of conductor segments CS are arranged in a circle around the intermediate assembly 11 on the jig 23 . 9, one leg F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner holding portion 234, and the other leg F is inserted into the conductor segment CS, as shown in the BB line cross-sectional view and the like. It is inserted into an outer holding portion 235 located at a different position in the circumferential direction from the inner holding portion 234 .

FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state in which the conductor segment CS is inserted into the jig 23. FIG. Into each inner holding portion 234 of the inner jig 231, the legs F of two layers of the intermediate assembly 11 and one leg F of the conductor segment CS are inserted. The other leg F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into each outer holding portion 235 of the outer jig 232 .

Next, the jig unit 2 is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 23 at the position J in FIG. 1 is conveyed to the position K and stopped. After the jig 23 is stopped at the position of symbol K, the work device 5 is driven to cause the jig 23 to perform the assembly operation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram thereof. The pressing portion 5a of the work device 5 presses the pressed portion 233 of the jig 23 in which the work of inserting the intermediate assembly 11 and the plurality of conductor segments CS is completed, and the outer jig 232 is rotated. As a result, an assembly 10, which is a final assembly, is manufactured.

As with the jig 22 described with reference to FIG. 7, the legs F inserted in the outer holding portions 235 are displaced in the circumferential direction of the outer jig 232 as the outer jig 232 rotates. While being displaced inward in the radial direction, the connecting portions C of the adjacent conductor segments CS are aligned in a ring shape. Finally, the leg F held by the outer holding part 235 is displaced to a position adjacent to the leg F of another conductor segment CS held by the inner holding part 234, and the pair of legs F are aligned. be done. The assembly 10 has two layers (two rows) of legs F arranged in a ring on the outside of the intermediate assembly 11 in the radial direction, and has four layers of legs F in the radial direction as a whole. . After that, the jig unit 2 is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 23 at the position K in FIG. . After the jig 23 is stopped at the position L, the assembly 10 is transferred to the mounting device 150 by a working device or an operator (not shown).

As for the configuration for reversing the outer jig 232 after rotation to its original position, for example, a drive source (not shown) for reversing may be provided in the support 20 or the support section 21 . Alternatively, the outer jig 232 may be reversed by a working device 5 other than the working device 5 that rotates the outer jig 232 . Alternatively, the jig unit 2 may be reversed by a work device (not shown) while the jig unit 2 is conveyed by the conveyor 21 .

The jig unit 2 from which the assembly 10 has been removed is lowered by the lifting device 33 from a position continuous with the conveyor 30 to a position continuous with the conveyor 31 . Next, the jig unit 2 is conveyed from the other end (right end in FIG. 1) of the conveyor 31 in the X direction to one end (left end in FIG. It is lifted and transferred to the conveyor 30 . In this way, the jig unit 2 is cyclically conveyed by the conveying device 3, and the assembling work of the assembly 10 is continuously and repeatedly performed by the working devices 4-6.

As described above, in this embodiment, the assembly 10 is assembled by the working devices 4 to 6 while intermittently transporting the jig unit 2 in the X direction. Line production of the assembly 10 becomes possible, and the manufacturing efficiency of the assembly 10 can be improved. Since the jig unit 2 is cyclically transported, the assembly 10 can be manufactured continuously without delay, and the manufacturing efficiency can be further improved. In addition, there is no need to lift or lower the

jigs

22 and 23 during the assembly manufacturing process, and there is no need to transfer the

jigs

22 and 23 from another storage location to the assembly position. Therefore, there is no need for complicated management and storage of jigs.

In this embodiment, the intermediate assembly 11 is transferred to the jig 23 and then the conductor segments CS are supplied. After that, the intermediate assembly 11 may be transferred.

<Second embodiment>
When the assembly 10 is used as the stator coil of a three-phase AC motor, the 1st-2nd layer coil and the 3rd-4th layer coil are electrically inter-layered for each of the three phases (U-phase, V-phase, W-phase). It is necessary to perform connection work. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the wiring work is performed after manufacturing the assembly 10, but the same conductor segment as the conductor segment CS may be used and incorporated into the assembly as a conductor segment for interlayer connection. . Note that the conductor segment for interlayer connection may be different from the conductor segment CS. For example, the gap between the pair of legs F may be different, or the shape of the roof or mountain of the connecting portion C may be different.

FIG. 12 is a layout diagram of the manufacturing apparatus 1A in this embodiment. The manufacturing apparatus 1A manufactures an assembly 10A incorporating conductor segments for connection as a final assembly. The basic configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 1A is the same as that of the manufacturing apparatus 1, but the number and arrangement of jig units and working devices 4 to 6 are different.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the jig unit 2A used in this embodiment. The basic configuration of the jig unit 2A is the same as that of the jig unit 2, but the number of jigs is different. The jig unit 2A has a plurality of jigs 22-24 for assembling the assembly 10 in stages, and a support 20 on which the jigs 22-24 are mounted. One assembly 10 can be manufactured with one jig unit 2 . In this embodiment, the support 20 has a plurality of support portions 21 on a plate-like main body. The jigs 22 to 24 are supported by the supporting portion 21 respectively.

The jigs 22 to 24 are arranged side by side in the X direction. is the subsequent fixture. A jig 23 is the last jig, and a jig 24 is an intermediate jig between the

jigs

22 and 23 . In the case of this embodiment, jigs 22 , 24 , and 23 are mounted on the support 20 in the assembly order of the assembly 10 in the conveying direction of the jig unit 2 by the conveyor 30 . That is, the assembly 10 is assembled in the order of work using the jig 22 , work using the jig 24 , and work using the jig 23 . The arrangement of the

jigs

22, 24, and 23 is not limited to the assembly order, but according to the arrangement of the present embodiment, the progress of assembly with the assembly 10 can be easily understood, and the management of the assembly process and work can be facilitated. The layout of the devices 4-6 is facilitated.

The configurations of the

jigs

22 and 23 are similar to the configurations of the

jigs

22 and 23 described in the first embodiment. The configuration of the jig 24 is the same as that of the jig 23 except for the size, and includes an inner jig 241, an outer jig 242, and a pressed portion 243. The outer jig 242 rotates around the rotation center line 24a. You are free. An inner holding portion 244 and an outer holding portion 245 similar to the inner holding portion 234 and the outer holding portion 235 of the jig 23 are formed in the inner jig 241 and the outer jig 242 (see FIG. 14).

Each manufacturing process of the assembly 10A will be explained. First, the conductor segment CS is supplied by the working device 4 to the jig 22 at the position M in FIG. 12 in the same procedure as in the first embodiment. In parallel with or after supplying the conductor segments CS to the jig 22, as shown in FIG. . The connection segment DS is the same segment as the conductor segment CS.

The work device 4 takes out the connection segments DS (conductor segments CS) one by one from the stocker 7 using the grip part 4 b and inserts them into the jig 24 . During insertion, one leg F of the pair of legs F of the connecting segment DS is inserted into the inner holding portion 244 and the other leg F is inserted into the outer holding portion 245 . In this way, the connection segment DS is inserted into the inner jig 241 and the outer jig 242 so as to straddle them. A plurality of connection segments DS are arranged in a fan shape on the jig 24 by repeating the supply operation of the connection segments DS by the working device 4 . In this embodiment, the number of layers is 2 between the 1-2 layer coil and the 3-4 layer coil, and the number of phases is 3 (U phase, V phase, W phase), so 2×3= A fixture 24 is supplied with six connecting segments DS.

In the present embodiment, a portion of the second layer leg F group (6 pieces) and a portion of the third layer leg portion F group (6 pieces) are connected to the leg F of the connection segment DS. Form. Therefore, the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 22 after being thinned out by the number of connection segments DS.

Next, the conveyor 30 conveys the jig unit 2A downstream in the conveying direction, and conveys the

jigs

22 and 24 at positions M and N in FIG. 12 to positions P and Q. , to stop. After the

jigs

22 and 24 are stopped at the positions P and Q, the working device 5 is driven to cause the jig 22 to perform the assembly operation.

Next, the conveyor 30 conveys the jig unit 2A downstream in the conveying direction, conveys the

jigs

22 and 24 at positions P and Q in FIG. 12 to positions R and S, stop.

After the

jigs

22 and 24 are stopped at positions R and S in FIG. 11 is transferred. The intermediate assembly 11 is inserted into the inner jig 241 of the jig 24 .

FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the intermediate assembly 11 transferred to the jig 24. FIG. In the illustrated example, the leg F of the conductor segment CS forming the intermediate assembly 11 is indicated by 11, and the leg F of the connection segment DS is indicated by DS. In the six inner holding portions 244, two layers (two rows) of leg portions F are formed by the leg portions F of the conductor segments CS and the leg portions F of the connection segments DS. In the inner holding portion 244 into which one leg F of the connection segment DS is inserted, one leg F of the intermediate assembly 11 is inserted inside the leg F of the connection segment DS. be done. In the remaining inner holding portions 244 (inner holding portions 244 in which the leg portions F of the connecting segments DS are not inserted), only two layers (two) of the leg portions F of the intermediate assembly 11 are inserted.

Next, the work device 5 is driven to cause the jig 24 at the position S in FIG. 12 to perform the assembly operation. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram thereof. The pressing portion 5a of the working device 5 presses the pressed portion 243 of the jig 24 after inserting the six connection segments DS and the intermediate assembly 11, and the outer jig 242 is rotated. An intermediate assembly 12 is manufactured by adding six connection segments DS to the intermediate assembly 11 . The intermediate assembly 12 partially forms a leg portion F of the third layer by the six leg portions F of the connecting segments DS.

Subsequently, the work device 6 transfers the intermediate assembly 12 from the jig 24 at the position S in FIG. 12 to the jig 23 at the position T in FIG. Intermediate assembly 12 is inserted into inner jig 231 of jig 23 . Two layers (two) of leg portions F and one leg portion F of the connection segment DS are inserted into the six inner holding portions 234 . Only two layers (two) of legs F are inserted into the remaining inner holding portion 234 .

Next, the jig unit 2A is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 23 at the T position is conveyed to the U position and stopped. After the jig 23 is stopped at the position U, a plurality of conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23 by the working device 4, as in the first embodiment. The working device 4 takes out the conductor segments CS one by one from the stocker 7 by using the grip part 4 b and inserts them into the jig 23 . During insertion, one leg F of the pair of legs F of the conductor segment CS is inserted into the inner holding portion 234 and the other leg F is inserted into the outer holding portion 235 . The leg F inserted into the inner retainer 234 is inserted outside the already inserted intermediate assembly 12, but the inner retainer 234 into which the leg F of the connecting segment DS is inserted has no conductors. Do not insert leg F of segment CS. A plurality of conductor segments CS are arranged in a ring around the jig 23 so as to surround the intermediate assembly 12 .

Next, the jig unit 2A is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveyor 30, and the jig 23 at the U position is conveyed to the V position and stopped. After the jig 23 is stopped at the position V, the working device 5 is driven in the same manner as in the first embodiment to cause the jig 23 to perform the assembly operation, thereby completing the assembly 10A. The assembly 10A has two layers (two rows) of leg portions F arranged in an annular shape on the outside of the intermediate assembly 12 in the radial direction. It has four layers of coils. The legs F of the connection segments DS are mixed in the second-layer coil and the third-layer coil. The assembly 10A generally has a structure having four layers of leg portions F of the conductor segments CS in the radial direction.

Thus, the manufacturing apparatus 1A can relatively easily obtain an assembly having a different structure from the manufacturing apparatus 1 by changing the jig unit 2 (adding the jig 24) and changing the layout of the working devices 4-6. be able to. In this embodiment, the intermediate assembly 11 is transferred to the jig 24 after the connection segment DS is supplied. After that, the connecting segment DS may be provided.

Further, in the present embodiment, the procedure of supplying the conductor segments CS to the jig 23 after the intermediate assembly 12 is transferred, but conversely, after the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23 , the intermediate assembly 12 may be transferred.

<Third embodiment>
The manufacturing apparatus 1 can obtain a further different assembly by changing the jig unit 2 and changing the layout of the working devices 4-6. A configuration example of a jig unit and a structural example of an assembly obtained from the jig unit will be described below.

A jig unit 2B in FIG. 17 has a jig 22, a jig 23A and a jig 23B. The

jigs

23A and 23B have the same configuration as the jig 23 of the first embodiment, and include

inner jigs

231A and 231B corresponding to the inner jig 231 and outer jigs 231B corresponding to the outer jig 232. 232A and 232B.

A six-layer structure assembly can be obtained by the jig unit 2B. Generally speaking, jig 22 provides an intermediate assembly similar to intermediate assembly 11 of the first embodiment, transfers this intermediate assembly to jig 23A, and supplies conductor segments CS to jig 23A. By performing the assembling operation with the first embodiment, a four-layer intermediate assembly similar to the final assembly 10 of the first embodiment is obtained. This intermediate assembly is transferred to a jig 23B, and the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23B for assembling operation to obtain a six-layer final assembly.

A jig unit 2C in FIG. 17 has a jig 22 and jigs 23A to 23C. The jigs 23A to 23C have the same configuration as the jig 23 of the first embodiment, and include

inner jigs

231A, 231B, and 231C corresponding to the inner jig 231 and outer jigs corresponding to the outer jig 232. 232A, 232B, and 232C.

An assembly with an eight-layer structure can be obtained with the jig unit 2C. Generally speaking, jig 22 provides an intermediate assembly similar to intermediate assembly 11 of the first embodiment, transfers this intermediate assembly to jig 23A, and supplies conductor segments CS to jig 23A. By performing the assembling operation with the first embodiment, a four-layer intermediate assembly similar to the final assembly 10 of the first embodiment is obtained. This intermediate assembly is transferred to a jig 23B, and the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23B for assembly, thereby obtaining a six-layer intermediate assembly. This intermediate assembly is transferred to a jig 23C, and the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23C for assembling operation to obtain an eight-layer final assembly.

A jig unit 2D in FIG. 17 has a jig 22, a jig 24A, a jig 23A, a jig 24B, and a jig 23B. The

jigs

inner jigs

231A and 231B corresponding to the inner jig 231 and outer jigs 231B corresponding to the outer jig 232. 232A and 232B. The

jigs

24A and 24B have the same configuration as the jig 24 of the second embodiment, and include

inner jigs

241A and 241B corresponding to the inner jig 241 and outer jigs corresponding to the outer jig 242. 242A and 242B.

The jig unit 2D has a six-layer structure, and connects between the coils on the 1st and 2nd layers and the coils on the 3rd and 4th layers, and between the coils on the 3rd and 4th layers and the coils on the 5th and 6th layers, respectively. It is possible to obtain an assembly in which conductor segments (connection segments DS) for interlayer connection are incorporated. Generally speaking, jig 22 provides an intermediate assembly similar to intermediate assembly 11 of the first embodiment. After the connection segment DS is supplied to the jig 24A and the intermediate assembly is transferred to the jig 24A, an intermediate assembly similar to the intermediate assembly 12 of the second embodiment is produced by assembling the jig 24A. is obtained. This intermediate assembly is transferred to a jig 23A, and the conductor segments CS are supplied to the jig 23A for assembling operation to obtain an intermediate assembly similar to the final assembly 10A of the second embodiment.

After the connection segments DS are supplied to the jig 24B and the intermediate assembly is transferred to the jig 24B, the jig 24B is assembled, whereby the connection segments DS are arranged in the final assembly 10A of the second embodiment. An intermediate assembly is obtained. A final assembly is obtained by transferring the intermediate assembly to a jig 23B, supplying the conductor segments CS to the jig 23B, and carrying out an assembly operation. This final assembly has a six-layer structure, and the leg portions F of the connection segments DS are mixed in the leg portion F groups of the second, third, fourth, and fifth layers. That is, this final assembly has connection segments DS connecting between the coils on the 1-2 layers and the coils on the 3-4 layers and between the coils on the 3-4 layers and the coils on the 5-6 layers. It is an embedded assembly.

Based on the above embodiments, the number N of jigs constituting the jig unit is N=(the number of layers of the final assembly)/2 when the connection segments for interlayer connection are not incorporated. Also, the number of jigs for incorporating connection segments for interlayer connection is N=(the number of layers in the final assembly)−1.

Although the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an assembly having a plurality of annularly arranged conductor segments to be attached to a stator core of a motor, comprising:
a jig unit having a plurality of jigs for assembling the assembly in stages, and a support on which the plurality of jigs are mounted;
a conveying device that conveys the jig unit;
a plurality of work devices arranged along a transport path of the jig unit by the transport device;
The plurality of work devices are
at least one feeding device for feeding a plurality of conductor segments to a fixture to be worked;
at least one driving device for causing the jig to be worked to which the plurality of conductor segments are supplied by the at least one supplying device to perform an assembly operation;
At least one transfer device for transferring the intermediate assembly assembled with the jig to be worked on to a jig at the next stage,
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
Each conductor segment is
a pair of legs inserted into different slots of the stator core; and a connecting portion connecting ends of the pair of legs,
the assembly operation includes an operation of moving the legs for a plurality of conductor segments to align the pair of legs;
The plurality of jigs are
a leading jig from which the first stage intermediate assembly is assembled;
at least one trailing fixture;
The leading jig includes a first inner jig and a first outer jig surrounding the first inner jig, and the first inner jig and the first outer jig The tool is provided so as to be capable of relative rotation about a first rotation center line,
The first inner jig has a plurality of first inner holding parts that are annularly arranged around the first rotation center line and hold one of the pair of legs,
The first outer jig has a plurality of first outer holding portions which are annularly arranged around the first rotation center line and hold the other of the pair of legs so as to be radially displaceable. have
The at least one subsequent jig includes a second inner jig and a second outer jig surrounding the second inner jig, and the second inner jig and the second The outer jig of is provided so as to be capable of relative rotation around the second rotation center line,
The second inner jig has a plurality of second inner holding parts that are annularly arranged around the second rotation center line and hold the assembly at the previous stage and one of the pair of legs. have
The second outer jig has a plurality of second outer holding portions that are annularly arranged around the second rotation center line and that hold the other of the pair of legs so as to be radially displaceable. have
The at least one driving device is a device for relatively rotating the first inner jig and the first outer jig, and relatively rotating the second inner jig and the second outer jig. and
The at least one transfer device is a device that transfers the intermediate assembly to the plurality of second inner holding portions of the at least one subsequent jig in the next stage.
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
The conveying device is
cyclically conveying the jig unit;
The transport route includes an outward route on which work is performed by the plurality of work devices and a return route,
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
one of the at least one trailing jig;
An intermediate assembly in which the legs are arranged in two layers in the radial direction is assembled by the leading jig,
the second inner jig of the trailing jig holds the two-layer intermediate assembly;
the subsequent jig assembles a final assembly of four layers of legs radially;
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
The plurality of conductor segments includes a plurality of connection segments for interlayer connection,
the at least one subsequent fixture includes a fixture in which the plurality of connecting segments are held by the second inner fixture and the second outer fixture;
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2,
A first subsequent jig and a second subsequent jig are provided as the at least one subsequent jig,
The plurality of conductor segments includes a plurality of connection segments for interlayer connection,
An intermediate assembly in which the legs are arranged in two layers in the radial direction is assembled by the leading jig,
the second inner jig of the first trailing jig holds the two-layer intermediate assembly;
The plurality of connecting segments are held by the second inner jig and the second outer jig of the first subsequent jig,
said first subsequent jig assembling an intermediate assembly having said legs in two radial layers and said plurality of connecting segments;
the second inner fixture of the second trailing fixture retains an intermediate assembly having the plurality of connecting segments;
the second follow-on jig assembles a final assembly having the plurality of connecting segments and the legs having four radial layers;
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
The plurality of jigs are mounted on the support in the assembly order of the assembly in the conveying direction of the jig unit.
A manufacturing device characterized by:
The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
A plurality of the at least one feeding device and the at least one driving device are provided,
A manufacturing device characterized by:
A manufacturing method for manufacturing an assembly of a plurality of annularly arranged conductor segments to be attached to a stator core of a motor, comprising:
a conveying step of conveying the jig unit;
a work step of performing work on the jig unit transported by the transport step;
The jig unit has a plurality of jigs for assembling the assembly in stages, and a support on which the plurality of jigs are mounted,
The working process includes:
a supply step of supplying a plurality of conductor segments to a fixture to be worked;
a driving step of causing the jig to be worked to which the plurality of conductor segments are supplied by the supplying step to perform an assembly operation;
a transfer step of transferring the intermediate assembly assembled with the jig to be worked on to a jig at the next stage;
A manufacturing method characterized by:
The manufacturing method according to claim 9,
Each conductor segment is
a pair of legs inserted into different slots of the stator core; and a connecting portion connecting ends of the pair of legs,
the assembly operation includes an operation of moving the legs for a plurality of conductor segments to align the pair of legs;
The plurality of jigs are
a leading jig from which the first stage intermediate assembly is assembled;
at least one trailing fixture;
The leading jig includes a first inner jig and a first outer jig surrounding the first inner jig, and the first inner jig and the first outer jig The tool is provided so as to be capable of relative rotation about a first rotation center line,
The first inner jig has a plurality of first inner holding parts that are annularly arranged around the first rotation center line and hold one of the pair of legs,
The first outer jig has a plurality of first outer holding portions which are annularly arranged around the first rotation center line and hold the other of the pair of legs so as to be radially displaceable. have
The at least one subsequent jig includes a second inner jig and a second outer jig surrounding the second inner jig, and the second inner jig and the second The outer jig of is provided so as to be capable of relative rotation around the second rotation center line,
The second inner jig has a plurality of second inner holding parts that are annularly arranged around the second rotation center line and hold the assembly at the previous stage and one of the pair of legs. have
The second outer jig has a plurality of second outer holding portions that are annularly arranged around the second rotation center line and that hold the other of the pair of legs so as to be radially displaceable. have
In the driving step, the first inner jig and the first outer jig are relatively rotated, or the second inner jig and the second outer jig are relatively rotated,
In the transferring step, the intermediate assembly is transferred to the plurality of second inner holding portions of the at least one succeeding jig in the next stage.
A manufacturing method characterized by:
The manufacturing method according to claim 9,
In the transporting step, the jig unit is cyclically transported on an outward path and a return path,
the work step is performed on the jig unit conveyed on the forward path;
A manufacturing method characterized by: