Core unit manufacturing apparatus and core unit manufacturing method

Abstract

A core cell manufacturing apparatus and a core cell manufacturing method are provided, comprising: a molding apparatus for filling voids in a core body with resin; a resin transfer unit for supplying resin material to the molding apparatus; and a core transfer unit for moving the core body into and out of a portion between a pair of molds in the molding apparatus. The resin transfer unit and the core transfer unit are arranged such that: the resin transfer unit supplies resin to the molding apparatus from a lateral position on one side of the molding apparatus; and the core transfer unit moves the core body into and out of the molding apparatus from another lateral position on the other side of the molding apparatus, the other lateral position being different from the first lateral position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to equipment for manufacturing core units of stators or rotors of rotating electrical machines. Background Technology

[0002] In the stator or rotor of a rotating electrical machine such as an electric motor or generator, a laminated core is typically used for the core containing coils and permanent magnets.

[0003] In the existing technology, various efforts have been made to arrange coils and permanent magnets in the core of such laminated cores.

[0004] For example, in the case of rotor cores, especially in the case of rotor cores of IPM motors, a structure has been adopted in which magnets are inserted and fixed in magnet sockets of laminated cores. In this structure, when the permanent magnet is fixed after being inserted into the magnet socket, a resin in a molten and fluid state, such as a thermosetting resin, is injected into the gaps in the magnet socket, excluding the portion where the permanent magnet is located, to fill the gaps. After this, the permanent magnet is fixed by fixing the resin.

[0005] An example of the manufacture of such a core in a prior art rotary motor is disclosed in patent document JP2012-235697A.

[0006] The manufacturing of the core of a conventional rotary motor is carried out using the method described in patent document JP2012-235697A, which requires transporting the core body and the resin material for injection into a molding apparatus (resin sealing device) for injecting resin into the laminated core. For example, when the core body and resin material are moved in and supplied on the same side of the molding apparatus, the article can enter and exit the molding apparatus in one position, simplifying the structure of the molding apparatus itself. However, when operating one of the moving parts, a separate mechanism is required to temporarily retract the moving part out of its movable range to ensure that other moving parts do not become obstructions and have adverse effects, complicating the various mechanisms associated with the moving part. Furthermore, steps for retracting and returning the mechanism are required, making it difficult to improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0007] In molding devices where the resin material is introduced before the laminating core is introduced, a reliable step is required to retract the resin material introduction mechanism outside the movable range of the introduction mechanism on the laminating core side during core introduction. Furthermore, the laminating core cannot be placed between the upper and lower molds of the molding device immediately after the resin material is introduced. Therefore, the time required to inject heated and molten resin into the laminating core becomes longer, and as this time passes, not only does the fluidity of the molten resin decrease, but the resin also tends to solidify before injection and filling are complete. Consequently, the quality of the resin that has filled the laminating core deteriorates or unfilled areas (voids) are created. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This disclosure provides a core unit manufacturing apparatus having a structure in which resin material and core body are respectively moved into a molding device from two different directions, and wherein the moving mechanisms do not adversely affect each other, thereby avoiding complexity of the mechanism and improving manufacturing efficiency through proper moving.

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a core unit manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing core units for stators or rotors in rotating electric machines is disclosed. The core unit is formed by filling resin into voids in a core body that are designated as resin filling targets. The core body is formed by laminating multiple thin sheets made of a magnetic metal material. The core unit manufacturing apparatus includes: a molding device that fills the resin into the voids in the core body; a resin conveying unit that conveys resin material to the molding device to supply the resin material to the molding device; and a core conveying unit that moves the core body into and out of a portion between a pair of molds of the molding device. The resin conveying unit and the core conveying unit are arranged such that: the resin conveying unit supplies the resin to the molding device from one of the sides of the molding device; and the core conveying unit moves into and out of the core body from another side of the molding device, the other side being different from the first side.

[0010] According to this disclosure, the molding apparatus fills the gaps in the core body of the rotary motor, which is the target of resin filling, with resin. A core conveying unit for moving the core body in and out, and a resin conveying unit for conveying and supplying resin material, respectively move the core body into and out of the molding apparatus and supply resin to the molding apparatus from different directions. The molding apparatus is then used to fill the gaps in the core body with resin. Therefore, the movement paths of the core body and resin material to the molding apparatus are simplified, the structure of the molding apparatus or each conveying unit does not need to be complex, manufacturing costs are suppressed, and maintainability is improved.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the molding apparatus can be configured to: melt resin material to form resin; and fill voids using molten resin.

[0012] According to this disclosure, a molding apparatus is used to inject molten resin into the voids of a core body. Within the molding apparatus, the core body is moved in and out by a core conveying unit from different directions, and the resin material is conveyed and supplied by a resin conveying unit. Therefore, the movement paths of the core body and the resin material to the molding apparatus do not overlap, allowing the resin material and the core body to be sequentially placed in the molding apparatus without time interval. Furthermore, after the resin material is supplied to the heating unit of the molding apparatus, for example, before the molten resin heated by the heating unit solidifies, the voids of the core body can be filled with resin, ensuring the quality of the resin used to fill the voids.

[0013] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the core unit may be the rotor of the rotary motor, the core unit being formed to secure a permanent magnet to a magnet socket disposed in the core body. The gap may be at least a portion of the magnet socket. The molding apparatus may be configured to: melt the resin material to form the resin; and fill the gap with the molten resin. The molding apparatus may feed supplied resin material into the magnet socket of the core body, and then melt the fed resin material to fill the gap with molten resin. Furthermore, the core unit manufacturing equipment is configured such that the permanent magnet is inserted into the magnet socket after the resin material is fed into the magnet socket and before or during the melting of the resin material.

[0014] According to this disclosure, when a permanent magnet is fixed to a magnet socket of a core body to manufacture a core body unit as a rotor, a molding apparatus is used in which the core body is moved in and out by a core conveying unit from different directions, and resin material is conveyed and supplied by a resin conveying unit. After the resin material is fed into the magnet socket of the core body, the permanent magnet is fed into the magnet socket, and the resin material is further melted to fill the gaps with resin. Therefore, the movement paths of the core body and the resin material to the molding apparatus do not overlap, and the resin material and the core body can be set sequentially in the molding apparatus without time interval. The steps of feeding the resin material into the magnet socket in the molding apparatus, feeding the permanent magnet, and filling the magnet socket can be performed continuously and rapidly, and the resin filling step of the molding apparatus can be effectively advanced.

[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, the molding apparatus may be configured with a plurality of molding apparatuses. The plurality of molding apparatuses may be arranged in alignment. A resin delivery unit may include a conveying mechanism capable of moving resin material at least along the alignment direction of the molding apparatuses, the resin delivery unit being configured to supply the resin material moved to one lateral position among the sides of each of the molding apparatuses. Furthermore, for each of the molding apparatuses, a core delivery unit is arranged at a lateral position opposite to the one lateral position, the core delivery unit being configured to move the core body into and out of each of the molding apparatuses.

[0016] According to the present invention, the plurality of molding devices are arranged in alignment, and according to this arrangement, resin material is moved along the alignment direction of the molding devices by a resin transfer unit. The resin material can also be supplied to any of the molding devices. Furthermore, the core transfer unit is positioned on the side of the molding device opposite to the side where the resin transfer unit is located. Therefore, the resin material can be appropriately supplied by moving it to the plurality of molding devices via the resin transfer unit, and the efficiency of resin injection into the core body can be improved. In addition, the core transfer unit, which moves the core body into and out of the molding device, is positioned on the side of the molding device opposite to the resin transfer unit. Each part does not interfere with the operation of the resin transfer unit in conveying and supplying resin material, and each part of the resin transfer unit is also configured not to interfere with the movement related to the processing of the core body by the core transfer unit. Therefore, the movement of each mechanism can be simplified without any problems, the cost of each mechanism can be reduced, the operation of each mechanism related to the movement of the core body or resin material is simplified, the entry of the core body and the supply of resin material can be reasonably stabilized, and the transition from the core body entry step and the resin material supply step to the resin injection step via the molding device can be smoothly achieved.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, the molding apparatus may be configured with a plurality of molding devices. The plurality of molding devices may be arranged in alignment. The core transfer unit may include a sub-transfer mechanism capable of moving the core body along the alignment direction of the molding device before the core body is moved into the molding device and after it is moved out of the molding device. The core transfer unit is configured in the sub-transfer mechanism to move the core body into and out of the molding device at a position on the opposite side of the side of each of the molding devices. A resin transfer unit may be arranged at a position on one side of each of the molding devices opposite to the opposite side position. The resin transfer unit is configured to supply the resin material to each of the molding devices.

[0018] According to the present invention, the plurality of molding devices are arranged in alignment, and according to this arrangement, the core body is moved by the main conveying mechanism of the core conveying unit along the alignment direction of the molding devices. The core body can be moved into and out of any of the molding devices by the core conveying unit. Furthermore, by positioning the resin conveying unit on the side of the molding device opposite to the side where the core conveying unit is located, and moving the core body to the plurality of molding devices by the main conveying mechanism, the core body can be properly handled, the efficiency of resin injection into the core body can be improved, and the step of removing the core body from the molding device can be quickly transitioned to, and subsequent steps can be performed quickly. The resin conveying unit that supplies resin to the molding device is positioned relative to the molding device on the opposite side of the core conveying unit, and each part does not interfere with the operation of the core conveying unit in moving the core body in and out, and each part of the core conveying unit is also arranged not to interfere with the movement related to resin delivery and supply by the resin conveying unit. Therefore, the movement of each mechanism can be simplified without any problems, the cost of each mechanism can be reduced, the operation of each mechanism related to the movement of the core body or resin material is simplified, the core body insertion and resin material supply can be reasonably stabilized, and the transition from the core body insertion step and the resin material supply step to the resin injection step through the molding device can be smooth.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the core cell manufacturing apparatus may further include a preheating device for preheating the core body. The core transfer unit may be configured to remove the preheated core body from the preheating device, move the core body to the other side position of the molding apparatus, and transfer the core body into the molding apparatus. The secondary transfer mechanism of the core transfer unit may include a path for moving the core body before it is transferred into the molding apparatus, a portion of which is positioned adjacent to the preheating device.

[0020] According to this disclosure, the path for moving the core body via the sub-transfer mechanism of the core transfer unit also exists near the preheating device. The core body preheated by the preheating device is moved out of the core transfer unit and then moved to the molding device via the sub-transfer mechanism. Therefore, the preheated core body can be quickly moved into the molding device for resin injection, allowing resin to be introduced into the molding device without significantly changing the temperature of the preheated core body. Furthermore, when molten resin is injected into the voids of the core body, it is not affected by temperature differences, allowing for appropriate resin injection to fill the voids of the core body and cure the resin, thus improving the quality of the cured resin.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the resin delivery unit and the core delivery unit can be arranged such that one lateral position is perpendicular to the other lateral position relative to the molding apparatus.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the path of the resin material supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path of the core body moving into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit can be designed not to overlap with each other.

[0023] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for manufacturing a core unit for a stator or rotor in a rotating electric machine is disclosed. The core unit is formed by filling resin into voids in a core body that are designated as resin filling targets. The core body is formed by laminating multiple thin plates made of a magnetic metal material. The method includes: as a resin transfer step, transferring resin material to a molding apparatus via a resin transfer unit to supply the resin material to the molding apparatus; as a core insertion step, inserting the core body into a portion between a pair of molds in the molding apparatus via a core transfer unit; as a molding step, filling the voids in the core body with the resin via the molding apparatus; and as a core removal step, removing the core body from the portion between the pair of molds in the molding apparatus via the core transfer unit. The supply of resin material to the molding apparatus via the resin transfer unit and the insertion and removal of the core body from the molding apparatus via the core transfer unit are performed from two lateral positions of different directions of the molding apparatus. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic plan view of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a plan view of a core body placed on a fixture before resin filling by a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the core body placed on a fixture before resin filling by the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a view showing the state in which a material supply unit in a resin transfer unit of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure supplies resin sheets to an arrangement unit.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a view showing the state in which the transport unit and the opening / closing member in the resin transport unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure reach the arrangement mechanism.

[0029] Figure 6This is a view showing the movement state of the arrangement mechanism above the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a view showing the state of the resin sheet moving from the arrangement mechanism in the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure to the transport unit.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a view showing the movement state of the opening and closing member in the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure to the transport unit.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a view showing the movement state of the arrangement mechanism in the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a bottom view of the opening and closing member in the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first position.

[0034] Figure 11 This is a bottom view of the opening and closing member in the second position of the resin transfer unit of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 12 This is a view showing the state in which the core body is moved into the molding apparatus of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 13 This is a view showing the state in which the resin sheet is moved into the molding apparatus of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 14 This is a view showing the state of the heating unit of the molding apparatus in a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, where the resin sheet moves.

[0038] Figure 15 This is a view showing the state in which the transport unit and opening / closing member of the resin transport unit are retracted to the outside of the molding apparatus in a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 16 This is a view showing the state in which the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus in the core unit manufacturing equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention press the core body.

[0040] Figure 17 This is a view showing the state of molten resin being injected through a molding apparatus in a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 18 This is a plan view of the core body after it has been filled with resin by the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 19 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the core body after it has been filled with resin by a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 20 This is a view showing the state in which a resin sheet is moved into a molding apparatus in a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 21 This is a view showing the state of the resin sheet moving into the lower mold receiving hole of the molding apparatus in the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 22 This is a view showing the state in which the transport unit and opening / closing member of the resin transport unit are retracted to the outside of the molding apparatus in the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 23 This is a view showing the state in which the core body is moved into the molding apparatus of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 24 This is a view showing the state in which the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus in the core unit manufacturing equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention press the core body.

[0048] Figure 25 This is a view showing the state of molten resin being injected through a molding apparatus in a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 26 This is a schematic plan view of a core unit manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 27 This is a schematic plan view of a first example of a core cell manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 28 This is a schematic plan view of a second example of a core cell manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0052] (First embodiment of this disclosure)

[0053] In the following text, based on Figures 1 to 19 A core cell manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0054] In each of the above figures, the core unit manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment fills a plurality of voids in a core body 11 having a laminated structure with molten resin and cures the molten resin to manufacture a core unit 10 constituting a rotor of a rotary electric motor. Specifically, the core unit manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a molding apparatus 20 that fills the core body 11 with molten resin; a resin conveying unit 30 that supplies resin material as a melting target to the molding apparatus 20; and a core conveying unit 40 that moves the core body 11 in and out between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20.

[0055] The core unit 10 manufactured by the core unit manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes: a core body 11 formed by laminating a plurality of thin plates 11a made of magnetic metal material; a plurality of permanent magnets 12 disposed in the core body 11 and configured to be inserted into respective magnet sockets 11b; and a resin filler 13 configured to fill the portion of each magnet socket 11b except for the permanent magnets (see reference). Figure 18 and 19 The core unit 10 has a known structure as the rotor of a rotating electric motor (electric motor or generator), and its detailed description will be omitted.

[0056] The core body 11 is a laminated core formed by laminating multiple thin plates 11a made of magnetic metal material. The thin plates 11a forming the core body 11 are punched from thin plate material made of electromagnetic steel or amorphous alloy.

[0057] The core body 11 is provided with a plurality of magnet insertion holes 11b for mounting permanent magnets 12. The magnet insertion holes 11b are holes that penetrate the core body 11 in the stacking direction of the thin plates 11a and are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumference of the core body 11. The position, shape and number of magnet insertion holes 11b can be appropriately set according to the application of the rotary motor and the required performance.

[0058] In addition, a shaft hole 11c penetrating the core body 11 in the stacking direction of the thin plate 11a is provided at the center of the core body 11, and the rotating shaft (shaft) of the rotor can be inserted into and fixed in the shaft hole 11c.

[0059] The permanent magnet 12 is configured to be inserted into each magnet socket 11b of the core body 11 to serve as the field magnet of the rotor. Since the permanent magnet 12 is formed in a magnet socket 11b slightly smaller than the core body 11, a gap is created between the permanent magnet 12 and the core body 11 when the permanent magnet 12 is inserted into the respective magnet socket 11b. In other words, each magnet socket 11b in which the permanent magnet 12 is inserted is partially still in a void state. The remaining portion of the magnet socket 11b, excluding the permanent magnet 12, serves as a void for resin filling in the core body 11.

[0060] The filler 13 is injected resin. After the permanent magnet 12 is inserted, the filler 13 fills the remaining portion of the magnet socket 11b in a molten state and then cures. The resin used to prepare the filler 13 is, for example, a thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin, or a thermoplastic resin, and is obtained by melting and then curing a resin material supplied as a resin sheet or the like.

[0061] The filler 13 secures the permanent magnet 12 in the magnet socket 11b and also helps to strengthen the connection between adjacent laminates 11a.

[0062] The molding apparatus 20 injects and fills the voids in the core body 11 with molten resin as the resin filling target.

[0063] The molding apparatus 20 includes: an upper mold 21 and a lower mold 22 that clamp the core body 11 from both sides in the axial direction; a clamp 23 that supports the core body 11; a heating unit 24 that heats the resin material; and an extrusion unit 25 that extrudes the heated and melted resin toward the magnet insertion hole 11b of the core body 11.

[0064] In the molding apparatus 20, the core body 11, placed on the clamp 23, is held and pressed from both sides in the axial direction by the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. Therefore, a predetermined load is applied to the core body 11 in the height direction, and the axial ends of the core body 11 can be closed except for the respective magnet sockets 11b.

[0065] The upper mold 21 is positioned above the core body 11 placed on the lower mold 22, and together with the lower mold 22, clamps the core body 11 and the clamp 23. The upper mold 21 is, for example, a mold formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, and is configured to have a plurality of through holes 21a. The plurality of through holes 21a are positioned at predetermined intervals at positions corresponding to the respective magnet insertion holes 11b of the core body 11 when the core body 11 is clamped between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22.

[0066] The lower mold 22 is used to clamp the core body 11 and the clamp 23 together with the upper mold 21 while placing and supporting the core body 11 and the clamp 23. The lower mold 22 is, for example, a mold formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, and is provided with recesses or protrusions as needed. These recesses or protrusions fit into protrusions or recesses provided on the lower surface of the clamp 23 to prevent unnecessary movement of the clamp.

[0067] The clamp 23 includes a base member 23a and an insertion post 23b. The core body 11 can be placed on the base member 23a, and the insertion post 23b protrudes upward from approximately the center of the base member 23a (see attached diagram). Figure 2 and 3 ).

[0068] The base member 23a is, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped platform member, and supports the core body 11 by placing the core body 11 thereon. The insert post 23b is formed in a cylindrical shape and is configured to protrude upwards substantially at the center of the upper surface of the base member 23a. The dimensions of the cylindrical shape of the insert post 23b correspond to the shaft hole 11c of the core body 11, and the insert post 23b can be inserted into the shaft hole 11c of the core body 11.

[0069] The heating unit 24 heats and melts the resin sheet 80, which is a resin material supplied from the resin transfer unit 30, to obtain molten resin 81.

[0070] The heating unit 24 is configured to face the lower mold 22 and be able to contact the core body 11 and the clamp 23 from above, which are placed on the lower mold 22. The heating unit 24 can be pressed from above by the upper mold 21, and when the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 clamp the core body 11 and the clamp 23, a predetermined load is applied from above to the upper part of the core body 11 via the heating unit 24.

[0071] The heating unit 24 is provided with a plurality of receiving holes 24a, which are configured to correspond to a plurality of magnet insertion holes 11b of the core body 11 and are constructed to accommodate a predetermined number of resin sheets 80.

[0072] Each receiving hole 24a is a continuous hole in the height direction of the heating unit 24, and each receiving hole is capable of accommodating at least one resin sheet. When multiple resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the receiving holes 24a, the resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the holes in a row in the direction of continuous holes.

[0073] The heating unit 24 is provided with a heater 24b. The heater 24b heats the heating unit 24 and is capable of heating the resin sheet 80 housed in each receiving hole 24a. When the resin sheet 80 is heated by the heater 24b, the resin sheet 80 melts and becomes molten resin 81. The heater 24b is not limited to being installed inside the heating unit 24, but can also be installed outside the heating unit 24.

[0074] The extrusion unit 25 is capable of extruding molten resin 81 into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11, and is configured, for example, to be capable of moving up and down by a plurality of plungers driven by a predetermined drive source.

[0075] Each extrusion unit 25 is configured to be inserted from above into the receiving hole 24a of the heating unit 24 through the through hole 21a of the upper die 21 (see attached diagram). Figure 16 and 17 Each extrusion unit 25 can be driven to move up and down by a corresponding drive source for each extrusion unit, or multiple extrusion units can be driven together by a single drive source to move up and down as a whole.

[0076] like Figure 1 As shown, the resin conveying unit 30 conveys and supplies the resin sheet 80, which is the resin material, to the heating unit 24 between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20. The resin conveying unit 30 includes: a material supply unit 31 for feeding the resin sheet 80; an arrangement mechanism 32 for holding the resin sheet 80 in a position for conveying; and a transport mechanism 35 for holding and moving the resin sheet 80.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, the material supply unit 31 sequentially feeds one or more resin sheets 80 from a large number of resin sheets 80 in a stored state, while aligning the resin sheets 80 in a predetermined direction and guiding the resin sheets 80 to the arrangement mechanism 32.

[0078] like Figure 5 As shown, the arrangement mechanism 32 includes: an arrangement unit 33 that holds a plurality of resin sheets 80; and a lifting unit 34 that moves the resin sheets 80 in the arrangement unit 33.

[0079] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the arrangement unit 33 is provided with a plurality of receiving holes 33a and a plurality of insertion holes 33b, and is capable of holding a predetermined number of resin sheets 80. The arrangement unit 33 can move up and down and rotate about a vertical central axis by being driven by a drive source such as a motor.

[0080] Each receiving hole 33a is respectively configured to correspond to each magnet insertion hole 11b of the core body 11, and is a continuous hole in the height direction of the arrangement unit 33, and each receiving hole can accommodate at least one resin sheet 80. When multiple resin sheets 80 are accommodated, the resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the hole in a row in the direction of continuous hole.

[0081] Each insertion hole 33b is located below and communicates with each receiving hole 33a. Similar to the receiving hole 33a, the insertion holes 33b are continuous in the height direction of the arrangement unit 33. Each insertion hole 33b is designed with a smaller opening area than the receiving hole 33a, and to prevent the resin sheet 80 received in the receiving hole 33a from entering the insertion hole 33b and falling out.

[0082] The lifting unit 34 is a mechanism capable of extending and retracting in the vertical direction, such as a hydraulic cylinder. The end portions of each of the multiple lifting units 34 can be inserted from below the arrangement unit 33 into the insertion hole 33b and the receiving hole 33a, and can move vertically within each hole. When the end portion of the lifting unit 34 rises while the resin sheet 80 is received in the receiving hole 33a, the resin sheet 80 is pushed upwards out of the receiving hole 33a by that end portion.

[0083] The conveying mechanism 35 includes: a conveying unit 36 ​​that holds a plurality of resin sheets 80; and an opening and closing member 37 that controls the resin sheets 80 to enter and leave the conveying unit 36.

[0084] The transport unit 36 ​​is provided with a plurality of receiving holes 36a, which are configured to correspond to each magnet insertion hole 11b of the core body 11 and are capable of holding a predetermined number of resin sheets 80.

[0085] Each receiving hole 36a is continuous in the height direction of the conveying unit 36, and each receiving hole 36a can accommodate at least one resin sheet 80. When accommodating multiple resin sheets 80, the resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the holes in a row in the direction of continuous holes.

[0086] like Figure 10 and 11 As shown, the opening / closing member 37 is disposed adjacent to the lower part of the conveying unit 36. The opening / closing member 37 is provided with a plurality of through holes 38 continuously in the height direction.

[0087] Each through-hole 38 includes: a first hole portion 38a, configured to correspond to the receiving hole 36a of the conveying unit 36; and a second hole portion 38b, communicating with the first hole portion 38a in a direction in which the first hole portion 38a and the second hole portion 38b are arranged side by side. The first hole portion 38a is configured to be large enough to allow the resin sheet 80 to pass through it. Meanwhile, the second hole portion 38b allows the end portion of the lifting unit 34 to pass through it, and is configured to be smaller than the size of the bottom surface of the resin sheet 80, and the size of the second hole portion 38b is sufficient to prevent the resin sheet 80 from passing through it.

[0088] The opening and closing member 37 is movable in the horizontal direction relative to the lower surface of the transport unit 36 ​​by a predetermined drive source, and is configured to move between, for example, a first position and a second position, in the first position, a first hole 38a is configured to overlap with the receiving hole 36a of the transport unit 36, and in the second position, a second hole 38b is configured to overlap with the receiving hole 36a.

[0089] When the opening / closing member 37 is in the first position (refer to...) Figure 10 The resin sheet 80 can enter and exit the receiving hole 36a through the first hole 38a of the opening / closing member 37. When the opening / closing member 37 is in the second position (see reference...), Figure 11 While preventing the resin sheet 80 contained in the receiving hole 36a from falling through the through hole 38, it allows the end portion of the lifting unit 34 to pass through the second hole 38b.

[0090] Driven by a predetermined drive source, the transport unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 constituting the transport mechanism 35 can move in the front-back direction (approach and separation direction) of the molding apparatus 20 between a lateral position on the side of the molding apparatus 20 (described later) and a predetermined position on the heating unit 24 between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20 (see reference). Figure 13 and 15 The side is an opening for transferring resin material into the molding device 20, and the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening and closing member 37 are capable of moving laterally between the upper part of the arrangement mechanism 32 and the side of each molding device 20 along the alignment direction of these molding devices 20.

[0091] Therefore, the resin sheet 80, which is a resin material, held by the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening and closing member 37, can be moved from the upper part of the arrangement mechanism 32 to the side position of each molding device 20 along the alignment direction of the molding device 20, and furthermore, the resin sheet 80 can be supplied from the side position of the molding device 20 between the upper and lower molds of the molding device 20.

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, the core transfer unit 40 is positioned on the side of the molding apparatus 20 opposite to the side to which the resin transfer unit 30 supplies resin material to the molding apparatus 20, and moves the core body 11 in and out between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20.

[0093] like Figure 1 and Figure 12 As shown, the core transfer unit 40 has the following functions: it moves the core body 11 placed on the clamp 23 together with the clamp 23 in the front-back direction (approaching and separating direction) between a lateral position on the side of the molding device 20 where the opening for moving the core body is located and a predetermined position below the heating unit 24 between the upper and lower molds of the molding device 20, moving the core body 11 and the clamp 23 into and out of the molding device 20, and along the alignment direction of the molding device 20, it moves the core body 11 and the clamp 23 supplied from the preheating device, etc., for filling resin, to a lateral position of the molding device 20 where the core body 11 and the clamp 23 can be moved into and out of the molding device 20.

[0094] For example, the core transfer unit 40 includes: a main transfer mechanism 41, which is capable of clamping and releasing a clamp 23 on which a core body 11 is placed, and is capable of moving the clamping part back and forth relative to the molding apparatus 20 integrally with the clamp 23 and the core body 11 held by the clamping part, and is capable of moving the clamp 23 and the core body 11 into and out of the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20; and a secondary transfer mechanism 42, which, for each of the main transfer mechanisms 41, enables the main transfer mechanism 41 to move laterally on a guide rail that is continuous along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus 20, and is capable of moving the clamp 23 and the core body 11 held by the main transfer mechanism 41.

[0095] In other words, the secondary transfer mechanism 42 enables the core body 11 and the fixture 23 to move along the alignment direction of the molding device 20 before being transported into the molding device 20 and after being removed from the molding device 20, and further, at the lateral positions of each molding device 20 in the secondary transfer mechanism 42, the main transfer mechanism 41 is able to move the core body 11 and the fixture 23 into and out of each molding device 20.

[0096] When the secondary conveyor 42 is configured such that a portion of the path for moving the core body 11 and the clamp 23 is positioned near the preheating device 50 of the preheating core body 11 (see reference) Figure 1 The core transfer unit 40 can move the preheated core body 11 out of the preheating device 50, move the preheated core body 11 to the side of each molding device 20, and move the core body 11 into the molding device 20.

[0097] Next, the manufacturing process of the core cell using the core cell manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.

[0098] As a prerequisite, it is assumed that the core body 11 is obtained in advance by stacking multiple thin plates 11a cut from sheet material using a known manufacturing method. Then, with the permanent magnet 12 inserted into the magnet socket 11b, heated by the preheating device 50 and preheated to an appropriate temperature, the core body 11 and the fixture 23 on which the core body 11 is placed can be moved toward the molding device 20 by the core transfer unit 40.

[0099] While held by the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40, the core body 11 and the fixture 23 on which the core body 11 is placed are moved sequentially along the alignment direction of the molding device 20 by the operation of the auxiliary conveying mechanism 42.

[0100] When the core body 11 and the jig 23 reach the side of the molding device 20 (refer to...) Figure 1As a core insertion step, the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40 moves the core body 11 and the clamp 23 from the side position of the molding device 20 through the opening on the side of the molding device 20 for inserting and removing the core body to a predetermined position below the heating unit 24 between the upper and lower molds of the molding device 20.

[0101] When the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40 releases the clamp 23 placed on the core body 11 from the holding state and places the clamp 23 on the core body 11 onto the lower mold, the transfer of the core body 11 and the clamp 23 into the molding apparatus 20 is completed (see reference). Figure 12 After the transfer is completed, the main transfer mechanism 41 of the core transfer unit 40 retracts outside the molding device 20 and is used to move the new core body 11 and the fixture 23.

[0102] Simultaneously, resin sheets 80 are aligned in a predetermined direction within the material supply unit 31, and one or more are sequentially transported toward the arrangement mechanism 32 at a time (see reference). Figure 4 ).

[0103] The resin sheet 80 is moved to the upper part of the arrangement unit 33 of the arrangement mechanism 32 via the material supply unit 31 and positioned above the predetermined receiving hole 33a of the arrangement unit 33.

[0104] Then, the material supply unit 31 releases the resin sheet 80 above the receiving hole 33a. The released resin sheet 80 is supplied into and accommodated in the predetermined receiving hole 33a of the arrangement unit 33.

[0105] When one or more resin sheets 80 to be accommodated are accommodated in a receiving hole 33a, the arranging unit 33 can be rotated about the central axis by a predetermined angle, such that another receiving hole 33a, which is planned to be supplied with and accommodate the next resin sheet 80, corresponds to the position where the resin sheet 80 is released by the material supply unit 31 (see reference). Figure 4 ).

[0106] When more than one resin sheet 80 is accommodated in all the receiving holes 33a of the arrangement unit 33, the transport unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 of the transport mechanism 35 are located above the arrangement unit 33 (see reference). Figure 5 The respective receiving holes 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​are positioned above the respective receiving holes 33a of the arrangement unit 33. Then, relative to the conveying unit 36, the opening / closing member 37 is in a first position where the first hole portion 38a overlaps with the receiving hole 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​(see reference). Figure 10 ).

[0107] In this state, the arrangement unit 33 moves upward so that its upper surface approaches the lower surface of the opening / closing member 37 (see reference). Figure 6 Furthermore, each lifting unit 34 is operated to raise its end portion. Therefore, one or more resin sheets 80 from the receiving holes 33a of the arrangement unit 33 emerge from the receiving holes 33a, move into the receiving holes 36a of the transport unit 36, and are received (see reference). Figure 7 ).

[0108] Next, the opening / closing member 37 relative to the transport unit 36 ​​changes to a second position where the second hole 38b overlaps with the receiving hole 36a of the transport unit 36 ​​(see reference). Figure 8 and 11 The lifting unit 34 lowers its end portion and returns to its initial position below the arrangement unit 33, and the arrangement unit 33 also moves downward to return to its initial position (see reference). Figure 9 ).

[0109] The resin sheet 80 housed in the receiving hole 36a of the transport unit 36 ​​will not fall through the second hole 38b of the through hole 38, which is smaller than the resin sheet 80, but will be supported from below by the opening and closing member 37. In this way, the resin sheet 80 is held by the transport unit 36 ​​and the opening and closing member 37, and can be moved to the molding apparatus 20 together with the transport unit 36 ​​and the opening and closing member 37.

[0110] The conveying unit 36 ​​and opening / closing member 37 of the resin sheet 80 are moved laterally from above the arrangement mechanism 32 to a side position of the molding device 20 (see reference). Figure 1 Following this movement, as a step of transferring the resin sheet 80 into the molding apparatus 20, the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 move forward from a side position to an upper position of the heating unit 24 through an opening in the side of the molding apparatus 20 for transferring the resin material (see reference). Figure 13 ).

[0111] In this way, when the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 reach the upper position of the heating unit 24, it is preferable to operate the heater 24b of the heating unit 24 to preheat the heating unit 24 to a predetermined temperature.

[0112] When the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 are positioned above the heating unit 24 and the respective receiving holes 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​are positioned above the respective receiving holes 24a of the heating unit 24, the opening / closing member 37 moves against the conveying unit 36 ​​to a first position where its first hole portion 38a overlaps with the receiving hole 36a of the conveying unit 36. Therefore, one or more resin sheets 80 from the respective receiving holes 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​emerge from the receiving hole 36a, are supplied to the receiving hole 24a of the heating unit 24, and are received (see reference). Figure 14 ).

[0113] Therefore, heating begins on the resin sheet 80 contained in each receiving hole 24a. In each receiving hole 24a, the resin sheet 80, heated by the heat from the heater 24b, melts and becomes molten resin 81.

[0114] After the resin transfer step, in which the resin sheet 80 leaves the receiving hole 36a and is supplied to the heating unit 24, is completed, the transport unit 36, together with the opening and closing member 37, retracts from the upper part of the heating unit 24 back to the outside of the molding apparatus (see reference). Figure 15 Furthermore, the transport unit 36 ​​moves laterally to return to the upper position of the arrangement mechanism 32, and as a resin transfer step, supplies the resin sheet 80 to the receiving hole 24a again.

[0115] After the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 retract from the upper part of the heating unit 24, the state changes to a state where the core body 11 is clamped and pressed by the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 on which the core body 11 is placed by lowering the upper mold 21 or by raising the lower mold 22 on which the core body 11 is placed (see [link]). Figure 16 ).

[0116] In this state, by bringing the heating unit 24 and the clamp 23 against each other and pressing them together, all ends of the core body 11 in the axial direction can be closed, except for the portion of the permanent magnet 12 present in the magnet insertion hole 11b (the gap portion).

[0117] After the core body is sealed from the outside by the molding device 20, a molding step is performed to inject molten resin 81.

[0118] Here, for the molten resin 81 in each receiving hole 24a of the heating unit 24, each extrusion unit 25 reaches the receiving hole 24a of the heating unit 24 through the through hole 21a of the upper die 21 and is inserted into the receiving hole 24a. Therefore, the molten resin 81 is extruded from the receiving hole 24a to the magnet insertion hole 11b of the lower core body 11 by the extrusion unit 25 (see reference). Figure 17 In this way, molten resin 81 is injected and filled into the magnet socket 11b.

[0119] When the molten resin 81 filling each magnet socket 11b solidifies, the extrusion unit 25 is pulled up to return to its original state, and the upper mold 21 is separated from the heating unit 24 by raising the upper mold 21 or lowering the lower mold 22. The pressing of the heating unit 24 onto the core body 11 ends, and thus the core body 11 and the clamp 23 can be removed from between the upper and lower molds.

[0120] Following this, the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40 moves to a side position of the molding apparatus 20, and further, as a core removal step, the main conveying mechanism 41 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20, and the clamp 23 and the resin-filled core body 11 placed on the clamp 23 are held by the main conveying mechanism 41. Then, the main conveying mechanism 41 removes the core body 11 and the clamp 23 from between the heating unit 24 and the lower mold 22 out of the molding apparatus 20, and the core body 11 and the clamp 23 are removed from the molding apparatus 20.

[0121] With the core body 11 and jig 23 removed from the molding apparatus 20 and held by the main transfer mechanism 41 of the core transfer unit 40, after being further moved along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus 20 by the operation of the secondary transfer mechanism 42, the core body 11 and jig 23 are taken out of the core transfer unit 40 and transferred to the next step.

[0122] After the resin sheet 80 and the core body 11 are moved into a molding device 20, the resin sheet 80 is melted in the molding device 20 to become molten resin 81 and the molten resin 81 is injected into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11 and fills the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11. At the same time, the resin sheet 80 and the core body 11 are moved into another arranged molding device by the resin transfer unit 30 and the core transfer unit 40, and the multiple molding devices 20 are operated alternately to effectively continue the filling of resin into the core body 11.

[0123] In this way, in the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment, the core transfer unit 40 for moving the core body 11 in and out, and the resin transfer unit 30 for transferring and supplying the resin sheet 80, can move the core body 11 in and out of the molding apparatus 20 and supply the resin sheet 80 respectively from different directions, and inject molten resin into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11 through the molding apparatus 20. Therefore, the movement paths of the core body 11 and the resin sheet 80 to the molding apparatus 20 can be simplified, the structure of the molding apparatus 20 or each transfer unit does not need to be complex, manufacturing costs can be suppressed, and maintainability can be improved. In addition, since the movement paths of the core body 11 and the resin sheet 80 to the molding apparatus 20 do not overlap, for example, the supply of resin material to the heating unit for supplying resin material to the molding apparatus and the setting of the core body in the molding apparatus can be performed sequentially without time interval, the resin can fill the voids of the core body before the resin melted by the heating unit solidifies, and the quality of the resin that has filled the voids can be ensured.

[0124] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment, in the molding apparatus 20, with the heating unit 24 containing molten resin 81 in direct contact with the core body 11, the molten resin 81 is extruded from the heating unit 24 and injected into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and a configuration can be adopted in which a plate-shaped sorting plate having a recess or through hole is attached to the upper side of the core body 11, the recess or through hole serving as a resin flow path capable of communicating with the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11, and the molten resin 81 extruded from the heating unit 24 is injected into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11 through the sorting plate.

[0125] In this case, after the molten resin 81 has cured, the remaining portion of the cured resin at the top of the core body can be removed by removing the plate, and unnecessary resin is more easily removed.

[0126] (Second embodiment of this disclosure)

[0127] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the heating unit 24 is disposed between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and as a second embodiment, such as Figures 20 to 25 As shown, heater 27b can be disposed in the lower mold 27 of molding device 20 to serve as a heating unit.

[0128] In this case, similar to the first embodiment, the core unit manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a molding device 20, a resin transfer unit 30, and a core transfer unit 40, but the difference is that the molding device 20 melts the resin sheet 80 in the lower mold 27 and injects the molten resin from the lower mold 27 side into the core body 11. The resin transfer unit 30 and the core transfer unit 40 have the same structure as in the first embodiment, and their detailed description will be omitted.

[0129] Similar to the first embodiment, the molding apparatus 20 includes an upper die 26, a lower die 27, a clamp 28, and an extrusion unit 29, but differs in that, as Figure 24 As shown, the lower mold 27 also serves as a heating unit, housing the resin sheet 80 and heating the resin sheet 80.

[0130] Similar to the first embodiment, the upper mold 26 and the lower mold 27 clamp the core body 11 and the fixture 28, and apply a predetermined load to the core body 11 in the height direction. Except that the upper mold 26 does not have a hole through it, the upper mold 26 has the same construction as in the first embodiment, and its detailed description will be omitted.

[0131] Similar to the first embodiment, the lower mold 27 is used to support the core body 11 and the clamp 28, but the difference is that multiple receiving holes 27a are provided corresponding to the multiple magnet insertion holes 111b of the core body 11, and a heater 27b for heating the lower mold 27 is provided.

[0132] The receiving holes 27a of the lower mold 27 are continuous in the height direction of the lower mold 27, and each receiving hole can accommodate at least one resin sheet. When multiple resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the receiving holes 27a, the resin sheets 80 are accommodated in the holes in a row in the continuous direction of the holes.

[0133] Heater 27b heats lower mold 27 and is capable of heating resin sheets 80 housed in each receiving hole 27a. When the resin sheets 80 are heated by heater 27b, the resin sheets 80 melt and become molten resin 81. Heater 27b is not limited to being disposed within lower mold 27, but can also be disposed outside lower mold 27.

[0134] Similar to the first embodiment, the clamp 28 includes a base member 28a and an insertion post 28b, but the difference is that the base member 28a has a plurality of through holes 28c penetrating therethrough. The plurality of through holes 28c in the base member 28a are continuous in the height direction of the base member 28a and are configured to correspond to the plurality of magnet insertion holes 11b in the core body 11 and the respective receiving holes 27a in the lower mold 27.

[0135] like Figure 25 As shown, the extrusion unit 29 can extrude molten resin 81 into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11, and is configured, for example, to be able to move up and down by a plurality of plungers driven by a predetermined drive source.

[0136] Each extrusion unit 29 is configured to be inserted into the receiving hole 27a of the lower die 27 from below. Each extrusion unit 29 can be driven by a corresponding drive source for each extrusion unit to move up and down, or multiple extrusion units can be driven together by a single drive source to move up and down as a whole.

[0137] Next, the manufacturing process of the core cell using the core cell manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.

[0138] As a pre-processing step, similar to the first embodiment, a core body 11 is obtained by pre-stacking multiple thin plates 11a. With the permanent magnet 12 inserted into the magnet socket 11b and preheated by the preheating device 50, the core body 11 and the clamp 23 on which the core body 11 is placed can be moved together toward the side of the molding device 20 by the core transfer unit 40.

[0139] First, before the core body 11 and the fixture 28 are moved into the molding apparatus 20 by the core transfer unit 40 as a core transfer step, the resin sheet 80 is transported and supplied to the molding apparatus 20 by the resin transport unit 30 as a resin transport step.

[0140] The process involves one or more resin sheets 80 being supplied by the material supply unit 31, released onto the receiving holes 33a of the arrangement unit 33 of the arrangement mechanism 32, and placed into the receiving holes 33a, with all resin sheets 80 contained in their respective receiving holes 33a. This process achieves a state where, through the upward movement of the arrangement unit 33 and the raising of the end portions of each lifting unit 34, the resin sheets 80 are moved into the respective receiving holes 36a of the transport unit 36 ​​of the transport mechanism 35, and are held in the receiving holes 36a by further moving to the second position of the opening and closing member 37 relative to the receiving holes 36a, while simultaneously moving the resin sheets 80 into the receiving holes 36a and the opening and closing member 37 and towards the molding device 20. This process is similar to the process in the first embodiment.

[0141] The conveying unit 36 ​​and opening / closing member 37 of the resin sheet 80 are moved laterally from above the arrangement mechanism 32 to a side position of the molding apparatus 20. After this movement, as a step of moving the resin sheet 80 into the molding unit 20, the conveying unit 36 ​​and opening / closing member 37 are moved from the side position to the upper side of the lower mold 27 (see reference) via an opening in the side of the molding apparatus 20 for moving the resin material into the side. Figure 20 ).

[0142] In this way, when the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 reach the upper side of the lower mold 27, it is preferable to operate the heater 27b of the lower mold 27 to preheat the lower mold 27 to a predetermined temperature.

[0143] When the conveying unit 36 ​​and the opening / closing member 37 are positioned above the lower mold 27 and the respective receiving holes 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​are positioned above the respective receiving holes 27a of the lower mold 27, the opening / closing member 37 moves to a first position relative to the conveying unit 36, at which the first hole 38a overlaps with the receiving hole 36a of the conveying unit 36. Therefore, one or more resin sheets 80 from the respective receiving holes 36a of the conveying unit 36 ​​emerge from the receiving hole 36a, are supplied to the receiving hole 27a of the lower mold 27, and are received (see reference). Figure 21 ).

[0144] Therefore, heating begins on the resin sheets 80 contained in each receiving hole 27a. In each receiving hole 27a, the resin sheets 80, heated by the heat from the heater 27b, melt and become molten resin 81.

[0145] After the resin transport step, in which the resin sheet 80 leaves the receiving hole 36a and is supplied to the lower mold 27, is completed, the transport unit 36, together with the opening and closing member 37, retracts from the upper side of the lower mold 27 back to the outside of the molding device 20 (see reference). Figure 22 Furthermore, the transport unit 36 ​​moves laterally to return to the upper position of the arrangement mechanism 32, and again supplies the resin sheet 80 to the receiving hole 27a as a resin transport step.

[0146] Meanwhile, while held in the state by the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40, the core body 11 and the clamp 28 on which the core body 11 is placed move along the alignment direction of the molding device 20 through the operation of the auxiliary conveying mechanism 42, reach the side of the molding device 20, and stop.

[0147] After the transport unit 36 ​​and opening / closing member 37 of the resin transport unit 30 retract from the upper side of the lower mold 27, the main transport mechanism 41 of the core transport unit 40 moves the core body 11 and the clamp 28 from the side position of the molding device 20 to a predetermined position on the lower mold 27 between the upper and lower molds of the molding device 20 through the opening, the opening being used to move the core body into and out of the side of the molding device 20.

[0148] When the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40 releases the clamp 28 on which the core body 11 is placed and places the clamp 28 on which the core body 11 is placed onto the lower mold, the core transfer step of transferring the core body 11 and the clamp 28 into the molding apparatus 20 is completed (see...). Figure 23 After the transfer is completed, the main transfer mechanism 41 of the core transfer unit 40 retracts to the outside of the molding device 20 and is used to move the new core body 11 and the fixture 28.

[0149] After the core body 11 and the clamp 28 are placed on the lower mold 27, the core body 11 is clamped and pressed by the upper mold 26 and the lower mold 27 on which the core body 11 is placed by lowering the upper mold 26 or by raising the lower mold 27 on which the core body 11 is placed (see reference). Figure 24 ).

[0150] On the two end faces of the core body 11 in the axial direction, by abutting and pressing the upper mold 26 and the clamp 28 against each other, all ends of the core body 11 in the axial direction except for the remaining part (gap) of the magnet insertion hole 11b can be closed.

[0151] After the core body 11 is sealed from the outside by the molding device 20, a molding step of injecting molten resin 81 is performed.

[0152] Here, for the molten resin 81 in each receiving hole 27a of the lower die 27, each extrusion unit 29 reaches from below into each receiving hole 27a of the lower die 27 and inserts into each receiving hole 27a. Therefore, the molten resin 81 is extruded from the receiving hole 27a through the through hole 28c of the clamp 28 by the extrusion unit 29 into the magnet insertion hole 11b of the upper core body 11 (see reference). Figure 25 In this way, molten resin 81 is injected and filled into the magnet socket 11b.

[0153] When the molten resin 81 filling each magnet socket 11b solidifies, the extrusion unit 29 descends to return to its original state, and the upper mold 26 is separated from the core body 11 by raising the upper mold 26 or by lowering the lower mold 27. The pressing of the upper mold 26 onto the core body 11 ends, and the core body 11 and the clamp 28 can be removed from between the upper and lower molds.

[0154] Subsequently, as a core removal step, the main conveying mechanism 41 of the core conveying unit 40 moves to a side position of the molding apparatus 20, and further, the main conveying mechanism 41 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20, where the clamp 28 and the resin-filled core body 11 placed on the clamp 28 are held by the main conveying mechanism 41. Then, the main conveying mechanism 41 moves the core body 11 and the clamp 28 out of the molding apparatus 20 from between the upper mold 26 and the lower mold 27, and the core body 11 and the clamp 28 are removed from the molding apparatus 20.

[0155] With the core body 11 and fixture 28 removed from the molding apparatus 20 held by the main transfer mechanism 41 of the core transfer unit 40, after being further moved along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus 20 by the operation of the secondary transfer mechanism 42, the core body 11 and fixture 28 are taken out of the core transfer unit 40 and transferred to the next step.

[0156] In the case of the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment, both the resin transfer unit 30 supplying the resin sheet 80 to the molding apparatus 20 and the core transfer unit 40 for moving the core body 11 into and out of the molding apparatus 20 reach the upper side of the lower mold 27 between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus 20, and most of the height positions of the paths used to move the resin sheet 80 or the core body 11 overlap with each other. However, since the resin transfer unit 30 and the core transfer unit 40 supply the resin sheet 80 and move the core body 11 into and out of the molding apparatus 20 at different times and from two different directions, these operations can be performed without any problems, ensuring that the step of injecting resin into the core body 11 by the molding apparatus 20 is carried out effectively and smoothly.

[0157] (Third embodiment of this disclosure)

[0158] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the resin transfer unit 30 and the core transfer unit 40 are disposed on the sides of two opposing sides of the molding apparatus 20 and are separated from each other by the molding apparatus 20. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and as a third embodiment, such as Figure 26 As shown, the following configuration can be adopted, wherein the resin conveying unit 30 and the core conveying unit 45 are respectively disposed on the sides of the two sides of the molding device 20 that are arranged at right angles.

[0159] In this case, for multiple molding devices 20, the resin conveying unit 30 can move the resin sheet 80, which is the resin material, along the alignment direction of the molding device 20, and the resin sheet moved to the side of each molding device can be supplied between the upper and lower molds of the molding device 20.

[0160] On the other hand, the core transport unit 45 is arranged to be clamped by the molding device 20 and is able to move the core body 11 in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the molding device 20 before being moved into the molding device 20 and after being moved out of the molding device 20. By moving the core body 11 to approach one molding device 20 and move away from another molding device 20 respectively, the core body 11 can be moved in and out between the upper and lower molds of each molding device 20.

[0161] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment, the movement path of the resin sheet 80 through the resin transfer unit 30 and the movement path of the core body 11 through the core transfer unit 45 partially intersect each other. However, when the resin transfer unit 30 and the core transfer unit 45 are configured such that the height of the movement path of the resin sheet 80 and the height of the movement path of the core body 11 are different from each other, similar to the embodiments, it is also possible to ensure that the step of injecting resin into the core body 11 by the molding device 20 can be performed efficiently and smoothly.

[0162] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the various embodiments, a plurality of molding devices 20 are arranged. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and as shown in the appendix... Figure 27 and 28 As shown, a construction can also be adopted in which only one molding device 20 is used to allow resin to be injected into the core body 11.

[0163] In this case, it is not necessary to provide a resin material conveying mechanism in the resin conveying unit 30 that can move the resin material along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus, and it is not necessary to provide a sub-conveying mechanism in the core conveying unit 40 that can move the core body along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus, which simplifies the device structure.

[0164] In the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to various embodiments, the resin sheet 80 is used as the resin material to be injected into the core body 11 in the molding apparatus 20. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and a configuration may be adopted in which other forms of resin materials are used, such as powder having the same composition as the sheet.

[0165] Furthermore, in the core unit manufacturing apparatus according to the above embodiments, in the molding apparatus 20, when the resin material is fed into the heating unit 24 or the lower mold 27, the resin sheet 80 is melted, the molten resin 81 is extruded from the heating unit 24 or the lower mold 27, and the molten resin 81 is injected into and fills the magnet socket 11b, in which the permanent magnet 12 has been inserted and disposed in the core body 11. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and a configuration can be adopted in which the molding apparatus feeds the supplied resin material, such as granular, powdered, or sheet-like resin material, into the magnet socket 11b of the core body 11, and melts the resin material fed into the magnet socket 11b, and the permanent magnet 12 is inserted into the magnet socket 11b after the resin material is fed into the magnet socket 11b, before the resin material is melted, or during the melting process. In addition to melting the core body 11 by heating, the resin material can also be melted by inserting a heated permanent magnet 12 into the magnet socket 11b.

[0166] In this case, before or after inserting the permanent magnet 12, the resin material in the magnet socket 11b can be melted to fill the remaining part of the magnet socket 11b that is a gap, except for the permanent magnet 12, and finally, the permanent magnet 12 is fixed to the core body 11 by the cured resin.

[0167] In this embodiment, the molds holding the core body in the molding apparatus are described as an upper mold and a lower mold, but this is only for convenience and does not limit the scope of the claims. In other words, the molds can be set in any way as long as the molding apparatus clamps the core body together axially from both sides by a pair of molds and fills the core body with resin, and for example, the molds can be set such that the core body is clamped between the left mold and the right mold.

Claims

1. A core unit manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing core units of a stator or rotor in a rotating electric machine, said core unit being formed by filling resin into voids in a core body that are set as resin filling targets, said core body being formed by laminating a plurality of thin plates made of a magnetic metal material, said core unit manufacturing apparatus comprising: A molding apparatus that fills the resin into the voids in the core body; A resin conveying unit that conveys resin material to the molding apparatus to supply the resin material to the molding apparatus; as well as A core transfer unit that moves the core body into and out of a portion between a pair of molds in the molding apparatus, wherein... The resin conveying unit and the core conveying unit are arranged such that: The resin delivery unit supplies the resin material to the molding apparatus from one of its side positions; and The core transfer unit moves into and out of the molding apparatus from one of the sides of the molding apparatus, the other side being different from the first side.

2. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, wherein, The molding apparatus is configured as follows: Melting the resin material to form the resin; and The voids are filled with molten resin.

3. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, wherein, The core unit is the rotor of the rotary electric motor, and the core unit is configured to fix a permanent magnet into a magnet insertion hole provided in the core body. The gap is at least a portion of the magnet socket. The molding apparatus is configured to: melt the resin material to form the resin; and fill the voids with the molten resin. The molding apparatus feeds the supplied resin material into the magnet socket of the core body, then melts the fed resin material to fill the voids with the molten resin, and The core unit manufacturing equipment is configured such that the permanent magnet is inserted into the magnet socket after the resin material is fed into the magnet socket and before or during the melting of the resin material.

4. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The molding apparatus is configured with multiple molding devices. The plurality of molding devices are arranged in alignment. The resin delivery unit includes a conveying mechanism capable of moving the resin material at least along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus. The resin delivery unit is configured to supply resin material moved to a lateral position on one of the sides of each of the molding apparatuses. For each of the molding devices, the core transfer unit is arranged at the opposite side position to the first side position, and the core transfer unit is configured to move the core body into and out of each of the molding devices.

5. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The molding apparatus is configured with multiple molding devices. The plurality of molding devices are arranged in alignment. The core transfer unit includes a secondary transfer mechanism capable of moving the core body along the alignment direction of the molding apparatus before the core body is moved into the molding apparatus and after the core body is moved out of the molding apparatus. The core transfer unit is configured to move the core body into and out of the molding apparatus at a position on the opposite side of one of the sides of each of the molding apparatuses, within the secondary transfer mechanism. The resin delivery unit is arranged in one of the molding devices at a side position opposite to the other side position, and the resin delivery unit is configured to supply the resin material to each of the molding devices.

6. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 5 further includes a preheating device for preheating the core body, wherein, The core transfer unit is configured to remove the preheated core body from the preheating device, move the core body to the other side of the molding device, and move the core body into the molding device. The sub-transfer mechanism of the core transfer unit includes a path for moving the core body before it is moved into the molding apparatus, a portion of which is positioned adjacent to the preheating device.

7. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The resin delivery unit and the core delivery unit are arranged such that the one lateral position and the other lateral position are perpendicular to the molding apparatus.

8. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The path through which the resin material is supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path through which the core body moves into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit are designed to not overlap.

9. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 4, wherein, The path through which the resin material is supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path through which the core body moves into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit are designed to not overlap.

10. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 5, wherein, The path through which the resin material is supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path through which the core body moves into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit are designed to not overlap.

11. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, wherein, The path through which the resin material is supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path through which the core body moves into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit are designed to not overlap.

12. The core unit manufacturing equipment according to claim 7, wherein, The path through which the resin material is supplied from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and the other path through which the core body moves into and out of the molding apparatus from the core delivery unit are designed to not overlap.

13. A method for manufacturing a core unit for a stator or rotor in a rotating electric machine, comprising forming the core unit by filling resin into voids in a core body that are designated as filling targets of the resin, the core body being formed by laminating a plurality of thin plates made of a magnetic metal material, the method comprising: As a resin transfer step, resin material is transferred to the molding apparatus via a resin transfer unit to supply the resin material to the molding apparatus. As a core transfer step, the core body is transferred into the portion between a pair of molds of the molding apparatus by a core transfer unit; As a molding step, the voids in the core body are filled with the resin using the molding apparatus; as well as As a core removal step, the core body is removed from the portion between the pair of molds of the molding apparatus by the core conveying unit, wherein... The supply of resin material to the molding apparatus via the resin transfer unit and the movement of the core body into and out of the molding apparatus via the core transfer unit are performed from one of two lateral positions with different orientations of the molding apparatus.

14. The core unit manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein, The molding step includes filling the voids with molten resin using the molding apparatus.

15. The core unit manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein, The core unit is the rotor of the rotary electric motor, and the core unit is configured to fix a permanent magnet into a magnet socket provided in the core body. The gap is at least a portion of the magnet socket. The molding step includes feeding the supplied resin material into the magnet socket of the core body through the molding device, melting the fed resin material, and filling the gaps with the resin. The core unit manufacturing method further includes: in the molding step, after feeding the resin material into the magnet socket and before or during melting the resin material, inserting the permanent magnet into the magnet socket.

16. The method for manufacturing a core unit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The molding apparatus is configured with multiple molding devices. The resin delivery unit includes a conveying mechanism that, for the plurality of molding devices arranged in an aligned manner, is capable of moving the resin material at least along the alignment direction of the molding devices. The resin transfer step includes supplying the resin material, which has been moved to one lateral position of each of the molding devices, via the conveying mechanism of the resin transfer unit. The core insertion step and the core removal step include moving the core body into and out of each of the molding devices by means of the core transfer unit located at the other side position opposite to the one side position of each of the molding devices.

17. The method for manufacturing a core unit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The molding apparatus is configured with multiple molding devices. For multiple molding devices arranged in an aligned manner, the core transfer unit includes a secondary transfer mechanism capable of moving the core body along the alignment direction of the molding device before the core body is moved into the molding device and after the core body is moved out of the molding device. The resin delivery step includes supplying resin material to each of the molding devices via a resin delivery unit located at one side position opposite to the other side position of each of the molding devices, and The core insertion step and the core removal step include: in the sub-transfer mechanism of the core transfer unit, moving the core body into and out of each of the molding devices at the other side position of each of the molding devices.

18. The core cell manufacturing method as described in claim 17, further comprising: The core body is preheated by a preheating device; as well as The preheated core body is removed from the preheating device, moved to the other side of the molding device, and then moved into the molding device, wherein... The sub-transfer mechanism of the core transfer unit includes a path for moving the core body before it is moved into the molding apparatus, a portion of which is positioned adjacent to the preheating device.

19. The method for manufacturing a core unit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The resin delivery unit and the core delivery unit are arranged such that the two lateral positions are perpendicular to the molding apparatus.

20. The method for manufacturing a core unit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The path for supplying the resin material from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and another path for moving the core body from the core delivery unit into and out of the molding apparatus are designed to not overlap.

21. The core unit manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein, The path for supplying the resin material from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and another path for moving the core body from the core delivery unit into and out of the molding apparatus are designed to not overlap.

22. The core unit manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein, The path for supplying the resin material from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and another path for moving the core body from the core delivery unit into and out of the molding apparatus are designed to not overlap.

23. The core unit manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein, The path for supplying the resin material from the resin delivery unit to the molding apparatus and another path for moving the core body from the core delivery unit into and out of the molding apparatus are designed to not overlap.

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