Position adjustment method

Abstract

This invention provides a position adjustment method that allows for repeatable and accurate adjustment of the position of a conveyor belt and annular gears regardless of the operator's skill level. The position adjustment method relates to this invention is a method for adjusting the position of a conveyor belt in a device that arranges multiple coil segments in an annular configuration. The method includes the following steps: when transferring the coil segments from a belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, with the coil segments positioned at maximum inclination between the multiple holding portions of the conveyor belt, calculating a first width in the conveying direction at each position of the upper and lower ends of the coil segments on the first and second annular gears; and when transferring the coil segments from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, calculating a target position where the center of the first width coincides with the center of the inter-tooth slit width of the first and second annular gears.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a position adjustment method, and more particularly to a position adjustment method for a conveyor belt and annularly arranged gears. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which multiple coil segments are received from a previous process, the multiple coil segments are held, and the multiple coil segments are transported to an annular arrangement fixture (annular arrangement gear) via a conveyor belt with stops and supplied to the annular arrangement fixture.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-112066 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to transfer the coil segment from the conveyor belt with stops to the annular gears, the conveyor belt-gear position needs to be accurately adjusted. If this adjustment is not precise enough, excessive contact between the coil segment and the annular gears can cause scratches / deformation of the coil segment.

[0005] Traditionally, operators manually feed a conveyor belt with stops, using the conveyor belt to press a phase alignment fixture against a reference surface to establish a reference position. Based on this reference position, the transfer positions of multiple coil segments to the annular gear arrangement are determined. However, to prevent scratching the coil segments, the conveyor belt with stops is made of soft resin such as polyurethane, resulting in poor rigidity and easy deformation under external forces. Therefore, the reaction force transmitted from the reference surface to the conveyor belt may vary depending on the operator's pressing method. In other words, because the position of the conveyor belt can easily change based on the operator's feel, repeatability cannot be guaranteed.

[0006] This invention was made to solve this problem, and its purpose is to provide a position adjustment method that can repeatedly and effectively adjust the position of the conveyor belt regardless of the skill level of the operator.

[0007] The position adjustment method of this invention relates to a method for adjusting the position of a conveyor belt and annular gears in an apparatus for arranging multiple coil segments in a ring. The apparatus includes: a belt conveyor having a conveyor belt having a plurality of holding portions arranged at predetermined intervals along a conveying direction for holding coil segments; and first and second annular gears respectively disposed above and below the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor, with the teeth of each gear aligned with each other. The position adjustment method includes the following steps: when transferring the coil segments from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, with the coil segments arranged at maximum inclination between the plurality of holding portions of the conveyor belt, calculating a first width in the conveying direction of the coil segments at each position at the upper and lower ends of the first and second annular gears. The following steps are taken: When transferring the coil segment from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, the target position is calculated as the location where the center of the first width coincides with the center of the inter-tooth slit width of the first and second annular gears; the insertion part of the phase alignment fixture is inserted between the plurality of holding parts of the conveyor belt, and the contact surface of the phase alignment fixture is fixed perpendicular to the conveying direction; the measuring instrument is fixed relative to the first and second annular gears; and the phase alignment fixture is moved along the conveying direction via the conveyor belt, the contact surface of the phase alignment fixture contacts the probe of the measuring instrument, and the conveyor belt is stopped at the position where the measuring instrument displays the distance between the phase alignment fixture and the measuring instrument corresponding to the target position.

[0008] Invention Effects

[0009] According to the present invention, a position adjustment method is provided that can repeatedly and effectively adjust the position of the conveyor belt and the annular gears regardless of the skill level of the operator. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the device involved in the embodiment, together with the coil segment.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the position adjustment method involved in the implementation method.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the method for fixing the measuring instrument according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the preparation method for adjusting the measuring instrument involved in the implementation method.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the calculation method of the target position in the position adjustment method according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the calculation method of the target position in the position adjustment method according to the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the device 1 according to the embodiment, together with coil segment 21.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, coil segment 21 has: a pair of legs; and a connecting portion connecting one end of the pair of legs to each other. Coil segment 21 is generally shaped into a U-shape by a forming unit (not shown) used as a preceding process. Device 1 receives multiple coil segments 21 thus formed from the preceding process and arranges the multiple coil segments 21 in a ring. In a coil segment type stator, the coils are arranged in a ring shape in order to insert the formed coil segments into the stator core. Device 1 includes a belt conveyor 10 and a ring-arranged gear 15.

[0019] A belt conveyor 10 is disposed between the coil supply section (not shown) of the forming unit and the annular gear 15. In the receiving section 11, multiple coil segments 21 are received from the coil supply section and conveyed to the annular gear 15. The belt conveyor 10 includes: a conveyor belt 2; multiple retaining parts 22 (also called stops) arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction on the conveyor belt 2; and a drive source 23. The conveyor belt 2 is made of a soft resin such as polyurethane to prevent scratching the coil segments. The conveyor belt 2 is also referred to as a conveyor belt with stops. One leg of each coil segment 21 is held between the multiple retaining parts 22. The drive source 23 drives the conveyor belt 2 to rotate clockwise, thereby moving the coil segments 21 held by the retaining parts 22 toward the annular gear 15.

[0020] The belt conveyor 10 transfers the coil segment 21 to the annular gear 15 in the supply section 14.

[0021] The annular gear 15 causes multiple coil segments 21 to be arranged in a ring and transported to the next process. The annular gear 15 has multiple teeth arranged at a predetermined pitch in its circumferential direction. The annular gear 15 may have more than one annular gear. Figure 1 In the example, there are two ring-shaped gears 15a and 15b.

[0022] In the supply section 14, the annular gear 15 engages the legs of the coil segments 21 supplied from the belt conveyor 10 between multiple teeth, thereby holding the coil segments 21. Furthermore, the annular gear 15, driven by a drive source (not shown), rotates circumferentially to receive the multiple coil segments 21 sequentially supplied from the belt conveyor 10, arranging them in a circumferential annular pattern. The annular gear 15 then moves the arranged coil segments 21 to the next process. Additionally, the rotational speeds of the drive source of the belt conveyor 10 and the drive source of the annular gear 15 are adjusted (synchronized) to enable the transfer of coil segments.

[0023] In this embodiment, the annular gear 15 has a plurality of annular gears 15a and 15b. The plurality of annular gears 15a and 15b are arranged side-by-side at a predetermined distance from each other in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the plurality of annular gears 15a and 15b can hold the legs of the coil segment 21 in a manner that the legs of the coil segment 21 are substantially parallel to the axial direction of the annular gear 15 (i.e., the arrangement direction of the annular arrangement clamp 16). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the annular gear 15 has a generally disc-shaped form. Thus, the apparatus 1 can receive the formed coil segment 21 from the previous process, arrange it in an annular configuration, and then move it to the next process.

[0024] To prevent jamming during the transfer of the coil segment from the belt conveyor to the annular gears, position adjustment is required. The conventional adjustment method is as follows: The insertion part of the phase alignment clamp is fully inserted between the holding parts 22 of the conveyor belt 2. An operator manually moves the conveyor belt toward the annular gears and presses it onto a reference surface (transfer position), thus setting a reference position. The transfer position is then determined based on the set reference position. However, the conveyor belt is made of a soft resin such as polyurethane, so its deflection is easily affected by the operator's applied force. Therefore, the degree to which the operator presses the reference surface may vary. As a result, the position of the conveyor belt during position adjustment changes depending on the operator, resulting in a lack of repeatability. Furthermore, the position adjustment may change during each periodic inspection or for each piece of equipment located at each site. Therefore, stable maintenance is required.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the position adjustment method involved in the implementation method.

[0026] The position adjustment method described in this implementation uses a measuring instrument 5 to quantify and read the position of the conveyor belt, thus eliminating operator dependency and ensuring the repeatability of the conveyor belt position. The measuring instrument 5 can be a digital display dial indicator, but is not limited to this. Firstly, as... Figure 2As shown in the diagram above, the operator fully inserts the two insertion portions 31 of the phase alignment fixture 3 between the holding portions 22 of the conveyor belt 2. The insertion portions 31 of the phase alignment fixture 3 are thicker than the coil section 21 and are fully inserted between the two adjacent holding portions 22. Thus, the contact surface 32 of the phase alignment fixture 3 remains perpendicular to the conveying direction. In other words, the contact surface 32 of the phase alignment fixture 3 can maintain a planar orientation relative to the probe 51 of the measuring instrument 5. The operator manually moves the conveyor belt toward the measuring instrument 5, which is fixed to the annular gear arrangement.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown in the diagram below, the operator moves the contact surface 32 of the phase alignment fixture 3 along the conveyor belt 2, bringing it into contact with the probe 51 of the measuring instrument 5. This causes the value displayed on the display unit 52 of the probe 51 to become a predetermined value (target position) or enter a value range (including the target position), thereby moving the conveyor belt. This allows for adjustment of the conveyor belt's position. Details regarding the calculation method for the target position will be described later.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the method for fixing the measuring instrument according to the embodiment.

[0029] The measuring instrument 5 is fixed to the profile guide plate 4 via the base 41. The annular gear 15 is positioned relative to the measuring instrument 5 by inserting the pin 42 into the insertion hole at the front end of the base 41 and the insertion hole of the annular gear 15. The phase alignment fixture 3 can maintain the vertical orientation of the fixture by moving along the profile guide plate 4.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the preparation method for adjusting the measuring instrument involved in the implementation method.

[0031] The mounting part 55 is vertically mounted along the outer edge of the guide plate 4. Then, by setting the position where the probe 51 of the measuring instrument 5 contacts the surface of the mounting part 55 as the zero point, the surface of the mounting part 55 can be used as a reference plane. The position of the conveyor belt can be managed based on the distance from this reference plane.

[0032] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the calculation method of the target position in the position adjustment method according to the embodiment.

[0033] like Figure 5 As shown, if the conveyor belt is adjusted to the target position, the coil segment 21 can be transferred from between the holding portions 22 of the conveyor belt 2 to between the teeth 151 of the annularly arranged gear 15. In particular, as Figure 5As shown in the enlarged view, after the conveyor belt is adjusted to the target position, the coil segment 21 carried by the conveyor belt is arranged without contact between the two teeth 151 of the annular gear 15 during transmission.

[0034] Furthermore, the coil segment 21 in the conveying process experiences a frictional force opposite to the conveying direction (friction with the positioning guide in the vertical direction) at the connection between the ends of the pair of legs, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the coil segment is tilted in the forward and backward direction. Within the constraints of the conveyor belt stops, the tilt angle of the coil segment is at its maximum. Circular gears 15a and 15b are arranged above and below the conveyor belt 2. Furthermore, the positions of the teeth 151a and 151b and the positions of the slits 150a and 150b in the circular gears 15a and 15b are aligned with each other. Thus, the coil segment maintains its circular arrangement posture. When transferring the tilted coil segment, it can be positioned without contact within the slits 150a and 150b between two adjacent teeth 151a and 151b at the height of the upper and lower circular gears 15a and 15b. At the height of the upper and lower circular gears 15a and 15b, the coil segment 21 only needs to be within the width of the slits between two adjacent teeth 151a and between two adjacent teeth 151b.

[0035] Here, Figure 6 The first width 'a' shown represents the lateral width of the coil segment passing between the upper and lower annular gears 15a and 15b. Specifically, the first width 'a' is the lateral width of the coil segment 21 in the conveying direction at each position x and y of the upper and lower ends of the first and second annular gears 15a and 15b, when the coil segment 21 is arranged at its maximum inclination between the plurality of holding portions 22 of the conveyor belt 2. The second width 'b' represents the slit width of the slits 150a and 150b of the upper and lower annular gears 15a and 15b.

[0036] The position adjustment method involved in this invention is carried out through the following steps.

[0037] Based on the shape and configuration of the coil segment, conveyor belt, and upper and lower annular gears, calculate the maximum inclination of the coil segment and the target position of the conveyor belt where the centers of widths a and b coincide during transmission (S1). For example, operators can calculate the maximum inclination of the coil segment and the target position during transmission by inputting the shape and configuration of the coil segment, conveyor belt, and upper and lower annular gears into a computer. Since the maximum inclination may change due to the deterioration of the conveyor belt over the years, this calculation can be performed periodically to address this issue.

[0038] At the location where the centers of the conveyor belts with widths a and b coincide, calculate... Figure 2 The distance (S2) between the phase alignment fixture 3 and the measuring instrument 5 fixed to the annular gear 15 is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the operator aims at the calculated distance, and while measuring with measuring instrument 5, moves the position of the conveyor belt to perform position adjustment (S3).

[0039] Here, the position is adjusted to target a position where the center of width a coincides with the center of width b. However, the range of width a within width b can also be set as an allowable range. This allows the coil segment to be transferred to the annular gear without contact.

[0040] In some embodiments, a method for adjusting the position of a conveyor belt and annular gears in an apparatus for arranging multiple coil segments in a ring is provided. The apparatus includes: a belt conveyor with a conveyor belt arranged at predetermined intervals along a conveying direction and having multiple holding portions for holding coil segments; and first and second annular gears respectively disposed above and below the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor, with the positions of their teeth aligned with each other. The position adjustment method includes the following steps: when transferring the coil segments from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, with the coil segments arranged at maximum inclination between the multiple holding portions of the conveyor belt, calculating a first width in the conveying direction at each position of the upper and lower ends of the first and second annular gears; when transferring the coil segments from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, calculating the conveyor belt position where the center of the first width coincides with the center of the inter-tooth slit width of the first and second annular gears. The phase alignment fixture is inserted between the plurality of holding parts of the conveyor belt to the target position, and the contact surface of the phase alignment fixture is fixed perpendicular to the conveying direction. The measuring instrument is fixed relative to the first and second annular gears. The phase alignment fixture is moved along the conveying direction via the conveyor belt, and the contact surface of the phase alignment fixture contacts the probe of the measuring instrument. The conveyor belt is stopped at the position where the measuring instrument displays the distance between the phase alignment fixture and the measuring instrument corresponding to the target position.

[0041] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0042] Symbol Explanation

[0043] 1-Device, 2-Conveyor belt, 3-Phase alignment fixture, 4-Outline guide plate, 5-Measuring instrument, 10-Belt conveyor, 11-Receiving unit, 14-Supply unit, 15-Annular gear, 15a-Annular gear, 15b-Annular gear, 16-Annular fixture, 21-Coil segment, 22-Holding unit, 23-Drive source, 31-Insertion unit, 32-Contact surface, 41-Base, 42-Pin, 51-Probe, 52-Display unit, 55-Mounting unit, 150a-Slit, 150b-Slit, 151-Gear, 151a-Gear, 151b-Gear.

Claims

1. A position adjustment method for adjusting the position of a conveyor belt and annularly arranged gears in an apparatus for arranging a plurality of coil segments in a ring, the apparatus comprising: a belt conveyor having a conveyor belt having a plurality of holding portions arranged at predetermined intervals along a conveying direction for holding coil segments; and first and second annularly arranged gears respectively disposed above and below the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor, with the teeth of each gear aligned with each other, the position adjustment method characterized by comprising the following steps: When the coil segment is transferred from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, with the coil segment arranged at the maximum inclination between the plurality of holding portions of the conveyor belt, the first width of the coil segment in the conveying direction at each position of the upper and lower ends of the first and second annular gears is calculated. When transferring the coil segment from the belt conveyor to the first and second annular gears, the target position is calculated as the position where the center of the first width coincides with the center of the inter-tooth slit width of the first and second annular gears. The insertion part of the phase alignment clamp is inserted between the plurality of holding parts of the conveyor belt, and the contact surface of the phase alignment clamp is fixed perpendicular to the conveying direction; The measuring instrument is fixedly configured relative to the first and second annularly arranged gears; and The phase alignment fixture is moved along the conveying direction via the conveyor belt, and the contact surface of the phase alignment fixture contacts the probe of the measuring instrument. The conveyor belt is stopped at the position where the measuring instrument displays the distance between the phase alignment fixture and the measuring instrument corresponding to the target position.

2. The position adjustment method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor belt is made of soft resin.

3. The position adjustment method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measuring instrument is a digital display indicator.

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