Positioning jig

Abstract

To appropriately correct positional displacement in a connection pair of electric conductors which are connected to each other even if a degree of the positional displacement becomes large in the connection pair.SOLUTION: A positioning jig is used for positioning connections of electric conductors which are connected to each other. Multiple connection pairs which are combinations of the connections of the electric conductors connected to each other are arranged side by side on a straight line in a connection direction of the connection pairs so as to form a connection row. The positioning jig comprises: rotation members which are disposed at one side and the other side with the straight line interposed therebetween and rotate around a rotation axis along the straight line; and pressing pieces extending from the rotation member in a radial direction of the rotation axis. When the rotation member at the one side and the rotation member at the other side are disposed at angular positions where the mutual pressing pieces are opposed, the connection pair is held between the pressing piece of the rotation member at the one side and the pressing piece of the rotation member at the other side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning jig. [Background technology]

[0002] A segment coil is formed by connecting an electric conductor protruding from a side surface in the central axis direction of an annular stator core with another electric conductor. The electric conductors are connected to each other by bending the end side regions of each electric conductor in the radial and circumferential directions of the stator core, bringing the end side regions of the electric conductors to be connected into contact with each other, and then welding the connecting regions (connecting parts) of the electric conductors to each other. When viewed from the central axis direction in the state before welding, on the side surface of the stator core in the central axis direction, multiple connection pairs, which are combinations of connection parts of electrical conductors to be welded to each other, are lined up at intervals in the radial direction passing through the central axis of the stator core to form a connection row. Furthermore, multiple connection rows are radially lined up at intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis. When the electrical conductor is bent, stress caused by the bending accumulates in the electrical conductor, which may cause the positions of the connection parts constituting the connection part pair to shift.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a positioning jig for positioning a pair of connection portions of electrical conductors in a segment coil. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-171260 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The positioning jig in Patent Document 1 has two plate members, each of which has an opening through which the connecting portion pair can be inserted. In Patent Document 1, plate members are overlapped with each other so that there is an overlapping area of ​​the openings, and then the two plate members are arranged so that each connection portion pair in the connection portion row passes through the overlapping area of ​​the openings. The two plate members are displaced relative to one another in the circumferential direction so that the overlapping area of ​​the openings is narrowed, and the connection portion pair of the electrical conductors is positioned by the narrowed area of ​​the openings.

[0006] Here, if the amount of relative displacement between the two plate members in the circumferential direction is large, other adjacent rows of connection parts may interfere with the plate members. Therefore, the amount by which the two plate members can be relatively displaced is limited. For example, if the positional misalignment of the connection part pairs is large, it is necessary to roughly correct the positional misalignment in a separate process (preceding process).

[0007] Therefore, there is a demand for a connection pair of electrical conductors that are connected to each other, so that even if the degree of positional misalignment of the connection pair becomes large, the misalignment can be appropriately corrected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is A positioning jig used for positioning a connection portion of electrical conductors to be connected to each other, comprising: a plurality of connection part pairs, which are combinations of connection parts of the electrical conductors to be connected to each other, are arranged in a straight line along a connection direction of the connection part pairs to form a connection part row; The positioning jig is a rotation member disposed on one side and the other side of the straight line and configured to rotate about a rotation axis along the straight line; a pressing piece extending from the rotating member in a radial direction of the rotating shaft, When the rotating member on one side and the rotating member on the other side are positioned at an angle such that their pressing pieces face each other, the connection pair is gripped between the pressing piece of the rotating member on one side and the pressing piece of the rotating member on the other side. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, even if the degree of misalignment of a connection portion pair of electrical conductors connected to each other increases, the misalignment can be corrected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a motor. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical conductor. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a coil made of an electrical conductor. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of slots and electrical conductors. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a connection pair. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating bending of the connection portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the positional misalignment of the connection portion pair. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the positioning jig. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the positioning jig. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a rotating member. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a rotating member. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a rotating member. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a rotating member. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a rotating member. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the operation unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the operation unit. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the operation unit. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the positioning of the connection portion pair by the positioning jig. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the positioning of the connection portion pair by the positioning jig. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] First, the definitions of terms used in this specification will be explained. "Overlapping when viewed in a predetermined direction" means that a plurality of elements are arranged in a predetermined direction, and is synonymous with "overlapping in a predetermined direction." The "predetermined direction" is, for example, an axial direction, a radial direction, a gravitational direction, etc. When a drawing shows multiple elements (parts, portions, etc.) arranged in a specified direction, it may be assumed that the description in the specification contains a sentence explaining that they overlap when viewed in the specified direction.

[0012] "Not overlapping when viewed in a predetermined direction" and "offset when viewed in a predetermined direction" mean that multiple elements are not lined up in a predetermined direction, and are synonymous with "not overlapping in a predetermined direction" and "offset in a predetermined direction." The "predetermined direction" is, for example, the axial direction, the radial direction, the direction of gravity, etc. When a drawing shows that multiple elements (parts, portions, etc.) are not lined up in a specified direction, it may be assumed that the description in the specification contains a sentence explaining that they do not overlap when viewed in the specified direction.

[0013] "When viewed from a predetermined direction, a first element (part, section, etc.) is located between a second element (part, section, etc.) and a third element (part, section, etc.)" means that when observed from a predetermined direction, it can be observed that the first element is located between the second element and the third element. The "predetermined direction" refers to an axial direction, a radial direction, a direction of gravity, etc. For example, when the second element, the first element, and the third element are arranged in that order along the axial direction, it can be said that the first element is located between the second element and the third element when viewed in the radial direction. When the drawing shows that the first element is between the second element and the third element when viewed in a specific direction, it may be deemed that the description in the specification contains a sentence explaining that the first element is between the second element and the third element when viewed in the specific direction.

[0014] Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, a positioning jig 7 used when forming the coil 53 of the motor 1 will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a motor 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the electric conductor 6 that constitutes the coil 53. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the coil 53. As shown in FIG. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the electric conductors 6 in the stator 5. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Note that in the region to the left of the center line C in Fig. 4, the electric conductors 6 are omitted and only the slots 52 are shown. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the connection pair 66. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the cross section taken along line BB in Fig. 1. Note that in Fig. 5, the slots 52 of the stator core 51 are omitted. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating bending of the connection portion 65. As shown in FIG. In Fig. 6, the region to the left of the center line C shows the insertion process, and the region to the right of the center line C shows the expansion process and the twisting process. In the region to the right of the center line C in Fig. 6, the position of the connection part 65 after the expansion process is shown by a virtual line. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the positional deviation of the connection pair 66. Fig. 7 is a view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5. In Fig. 7, one of the connection parts 65 (connection part 65F) constituting the connection pair 66 is cross-hatched to make it easier to understand the positional relationship.

[0015] 1, in the motor 1, a rotor 4 and a stator 5 are housed in a housing HS. The housing HS is formed by assembling a case 2 and a cover 3 in the direction of the rotation axis X of the motor 1.

[0016] The rotor 4 is fitted onto the motor shaft 40. The rotor 4 is restricted from rotating relative to the motor shaft 40. One end 40a of the motor shaft 40 in the direction of the rotation axis X is rotatably supported via a bearing Ba by a support portion 33 on the cover 3 side. Although not shown in the figure, the other end of the motor shaft 40 is rotatably supported via a bearing by a support portion on the case 2 side.

[0017] The stator 5 has a cylindrical stator core 51 surrounding the rotation axis X. That is, the rotation axis X constitutes the central axis of the stator core 51. Further, slots 52 are formed in the stator core 51. The slots 52 open to an inner periphery 51a of the stator core 51 and traverse the stator core 51 in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0018] 4, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the slots 52 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X. The slots 52 are provided over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X.

[0019] In the stator core 51, the slots 52 are formed linearly along a diameter line Lx passing through the rotation axis X. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the slots 52 are bottomed holes with openings facing the rotation axis X. The slots 52 are formed with the same circumferential width W52 over the entire length in the radial direction of the rotation axis X.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, in the stator 5, a coil 53 is provided in the slot 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the coil 53 is formed by connecting a plurality of electrical conductors 6 in a spiral shape and connecting them in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the electric conductors 6 constituting the coil 53 is formed into a substantially U-shape by bending a rod-shaped or flat metal material between one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction. The electric conductor 6 has a linear portion 61a located on one side in the longitudinal direction, a linear portion 61b located on the other side, and a bent portion 60 connecting the linear portions 61a and 61b. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the linear portions 61a and 61b, they will simply be referred to as linear portion 61.

[0021] As an example, the electrical conductor 6 is made of a conductive metal material, such as copper. The surface of the electrical conductor 6 is covered with an insulating material except for the tips 610, 610 of the linear portion 61 (cross-hatched area in FIG. 2). The area of ​​the electrical conductor 6 on the tip 610 side that is not covered with the insulating material constitutes a connection portion 65 that is connected to another electrical conductor 6.

[0022] 1, the electric conductor 6 is assembled to the stator core 51 in a direction along the rotation axis X. At this time, the linear portions 61 (61a, 61b) of the electric conductor 6 are accommodated in different slots 52. The different slots 52 refer to slots 52 that are located at different angular positions in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X.

[0023] 1, six linear portions 61 (61A to 61F) are arranged in order in the radial direction and housed in one slot 52. The linear portions 61A to 61F belong to six different electric conductors 6, respectively.

[0024] As shown in the area to the right of the center line C in Figure 4, when one electrical conductor 6 is assembled to the stator core 51, one linear portion 61a is inserted into the inner diameter side of the slot 52, and the other linear portion 61b is inserted into the outer diameter side of the other slot 52.

[0025] As shown in the enlarged area of ​​FIG. 1, when the linear portions 61 (61A to 61F) are inserted into the slots 52, the respective connection portions 65 (65A to 65F) protrude from the end face 51b of the stator core 51 in the direction of the rotation axis X toward the cover 3. Although not shown, the bent portions 60 (see FIG. 2) also protrude from the end face of the stator core 51 on the side opposite the cover 3 in the direction of the rotation axis X. In the following description, when the connection portions 65A to 65F are not to be distinguished from one another, they are simply referred to as connection portion 65.

[0026] Here, as shown in FIG. 6, when connecting the connection portions 65, 65, the region of the electrical conductor 6 where the connection portion 65 is provided is bent in the radial direction of the rotation axis X and in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X.

[0027] The bending of the connecting portion 65 is performed in the following order using a molding device (not shown). (A) The electric conductor 6 is inserted into the slot 52. In this state, the connection portions 65A to 65F are aligned in the radial direction with no gaps (insertion step, see the region to the left of the center line C in FIG. 6). (B) Among the connection portions 65A to 65F, the connection portions 65C and 65D and the connection portions 65E and 65F are bent in an overlapping state so as to expand toward the outer diameter side (expansion step, see the imaginary lines in FIG. 6). (C) When viewed from the direction of rotation axis X, connection portions 65B, 65D, and 65F are each bent in the clockwise direction CW, and connection portions 65A, 65C, and 65E are each bent in the counterclockwise direction CCW (twisting process, see the area to the right of center line C in Figure 6).

[0028] The connecting portion 65 is gripped at the tip 610 side by a molding device. Therefore, the tip 610 side of the connecting portion 65 maintains the orientation along the rotation axis X before and after the expanding step and the twisting step (see FIG. 7).

[0029] In the twisting process, the connection portion 65F and the connection portion 65E inserted into the different slots 52, 52 are displaced in a direction approaching each other in the circumferential direction (arrows a, b) and overlap at a predetermined position (see FIG. 7), thereby forming a connection portion pair 66C at a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 6, the connection portions 65D and 65C, and the connection portions 65B and 65A are similarly displaced to form connection portion pairs 66B and 66A at predetermined positions.

[0030] As shown in the enlarged area of ​​Fig. 1, the two connection portions 65A, 65B located on the inner diameter side have a linear shape extending from the linear portions 61A, 61B in the direction of the rotation axis X. The four connection portions 65C-65F located on the outer diameter side are each bent from the linear portions 61C-61F to the outer diameter side, and then further bent so that the tip 610 side faces in the direction along the rotation axis X.

[0031] 1, the connecting portions 65A, 65C, and 65E are bent from the linear portions 61A, 61C, and 61E in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X (toward the viewer in the drawing). The connecting portions 65B, 65D, and 65F are bent from the linear portions 61B, 61D, and 61F in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X (toward the viewer in the drawing). In this state, the connecting portions 65A to 65F have a length such that the tips 610 of the connecting portions 65A to 65F are positioned on the same plane perpendicular to the rotation axis X.

[0032] In this embodiment, the two connection parts 65A', 65B located on the inner diameter side, the two connection parts 65E', 65F located on the outer diameter side, and the two connection parts 65C', 65D between them are connected to each other by welding. Here, the connection parts 65A', 65C', 65E' are connection parts of the electric conductor 6 that are different from the connection parts 65A, 65C, 65E.

[0033] The connecting portions 65A' and 65B connected to each other form a connecting portion pair 66A. The connecting portions 65C' and 65D connected to each other form a connecting portion pair 66B. The connecting portions 65E' and 65F connected to each other form a connecting portion pair 66C. In the following description, the connection portions 65A', 65C', and 65E' will be simply referred to as connection portions 65A, 65C, and 65E.

[0034] 5, the bent connection portions 65A, 65B, 65C, 65D, and 65E, 65F are connected in the direction of a straight line Lr. The straight line Lr is a straight line along a radial line passing through the rotation axis X. The connection pairs 66A are provided along a virtual circle Im1 centered on the rotation axis X. In the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X, the connection pairs 66A are disposed at predetermined angles θ and are provided so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the rotor 4.

[0035] A plurality of connection portion pairs 66B are provided along an imaginary circle Im2 having the rotation axis X as its center. The imaginary circle Im2 has a larger diameter than the imaginary circle Im1 described above (Im2>Im1). In the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X, the multiple connection portion pairs 66B are disposed at predetermined angle θ intervals. In addition, in the radial direction of the rotation axis X, the connection portion 65C on the inner diameter side of the connection portion pair 66B is disposed at a position facing the connection portion 65B on the outer diameter side of the connection portion pair 66A with a gap CL therebetween.

[0036] A plurality of connection portion pairs 66C are provided along an imaginary circle Im3 having the rotation axis X as its center. The imaginary circle Im3 has a larger diameter than the imaginary circle Im2 described above (Im3>Im2). In the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X, the multiple connection portion pairs 66C are disposed at predetermined angle θ intervals. In the radial direction of the rotation axis X, the connection portion 65E on the inner diameter side of the connection portion pair 66C is disposed at a position facing the connection portion 65D on the outer diameter side of the connection portion pair 66B with a gap CL therebetween.

[0037] As a result, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C are arranged side by side on a common straight line Lr that passes through the rotation axis X. The connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C arranged on the straight line Lr constitute a connection portion row 66L. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the connection portion rows 66L are arranged in a radial pattern with a spacing W between them in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X.

[0038] 5, the connection portions 65A to 65F have the same cross-sectional shape in a cross section taken along the radial direction of the rotation axis X. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the connection portions 65A to 65F is substantially rectangular. Therefore, the interval W between adjacent connection portion rows 66L, 66L in the circumferential direction narrows from the outer diameter side toward the inner diameter side.

[0039] Here, the positions at which the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C are disposed as viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X are determined in advance (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the connection portions 65A to 65F are bent in predetermined directions so that the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C are formed at predetermined positions. In the following description, when the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C are not to be distinguished from one another, they will be simply referred to as the connection portion pair 66.

[0040] Here, in the connection part pair 66, it is preferable that the opposing surfaces of the connection parts 65, 65 are in contact with each other over the entire surface. However, when the above-mentioned expansion step and twisting step are performed, stress due to curvature accumulates in the electric conductor 6. Therefore, the degree of bending of the connection part 65 may vary. In addition, there is a small gap (insertion allowance) between the slot 52 and the electric conductor 6. Therefore, during the expansion step and twisting step, the electric conductor 6 is slightly displaced inside the slot 52, and the external force acting from the molding device side is released, so that the connection part 65 may not be bent to a predetermined shape. As a result, the relative positions of the connection parts 65, 65 may be slightly shifted from the ideal position shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] For example, as shown in the enlarged area of ​​Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, a gap Dr may be formed in the direction of the straight line Lr at the connections 65F and 65E of the connection pair 66C. A circumferential misalignment Dc may occur at the connections 65D and 65C of the connection pair 66B. Although not shown, both the gap Dr in the direction of the straight line Lr and the misalignment Dc in the circumferential direction may occur.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, after the twisting step is completed and before welding is performed, the position of the connection portion 65 is corrected using a positioning jig 7.

[0043] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the positioning jig 7. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the positioning jig 7 is disposed above the stator 5 in the vertical direction. In Fig. 8, the region in which the multiple connection portion pairs 66 are located is shown in a ring shape and hatched. In the enlarged region of Fig. 8, one connection portion 65F constituting a connection portion pair 66C is cross-hatched. 9 is a diagram illustrating the positioning jig 7. FIG 9 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along plane A in FIG 8. 10 is a diagram for explaining a pair of rotating members 8A and 8B. FIG 10 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along line AA in FIG 9.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 8, the positioning jig 7 is used with the stator 5 set in the holder 10. The holder 10 can be, for example, a cylindrical member provided in a vertical direction. The lower side of the holder 10 in the vertical direction is fixed to a workbench (not shown) or the like.

[0045] The upper surface 10a of the holder 10 is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical line, and has a sufficient area to support the positioning jig 7. An accommodating hole 11 is opened in the upper surface 10a of the holder 10. The accommodating hole 11 has an inner diameter that allows the stator 5 to be inserted therein.

[0046] When the stator 5 is inserted into the accommodating hole 11, the rotation axis X of the stator core 51 is oriented along the vertical line. The connection pair 66 protrudes upward in the vertical line direction from the end face 51b of the stator core 51. Although not shown, a stopper is provided in the accommodating hole 11 of the holder 10. The stopper causes the connection pair 66 to protrude from the upper surface 10a of the holder 10 by a distance h1 (see FIG. 9).

[0047] 8, the positioning jig 7 has an inner ring 71, an outer ring 72 surrounding the inner ring 71, and an opening / closing body 73 provided between the inner ring 71 and the outer ring 72. The opening / closing body 73 connects or blocks the space R between the inner ring 71 and the outer ring 72. The positioning jig 7 also has an operation unit 9 that operates the opening / closing body 73.

[0048] In the positioning jig 7, the center lines of the inner ring 71 and the outer ring 72 are arranged concentrically with the rotation axis X. In the following explanation, the configuration of each part of the positioning jig 7 will be explained based on the rotation axis X.

[0049] 9, the opening / closing body 73 has a shaft 75 (rotation shaft) provided across the inner ring 71 and the outer ring 72, and two rotation members 8A and 8B rotatably provided on the shaft 75. The shaft 75 is provided in a direction along the radial direction of the rotation axis X.

[0050] 8, the opening / closing body 73 is formed by arranging a plurality of the shafts 75 and the rotating members 8A, 8B at intervals in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X, with the basic components being one shaft 75 and two rotating members 8A, 8B (see FIG. 9). Therefore, in the opening / closing body 73, the plurality of shafts 75 and the rotating members 8A, 8B extend radially from the inner ring 71 toward the outer ring 72.

[0051] 10, the rotating members 8A and 8B have the same shape. The rotating members 8A and 8B are rotatably mounted on a shaft 75 to form a pair of hinges. In the following description, the configuration of each part of the rotating member 8B will be described by taking the rotating member 8B as an example.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, the rotating member 8B has a cylindrical portion 81 into which the shaft 75 is inserted, and a plate portion 80 (pressing piece) that is formed integrally with the cylindrical portion 81 and extends in the radial direction of the shaft 75.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 9, the rotating member 8B has two tubular portions 81 spaced apart in the radial direction of the rotation axis X. The rotating member 8A also has two tubular portions 81 spaced apart in the radial direction of the rotation axis X. The tubular portions 81 of the rotating member 8A and the tubular portions 81 of the rotating member 8B are arranged alternately in the radial direction of the rotation axis X (the left-right direction in Fig. 9).

[0054] 9, the plate portion 80 is a band-shaped member with its longitudinal direction oriented along the radial direction of the rotation axis X. The plate portion 80 has a length L2 in the radial direction of the rotation axis X that is longer than the length L1 of the connection portion row 66L (L2>L1). In other words, the plate portion 80 has a length sufficient to grip the connection portion row 66L in the direction of the straight line Lr (see FIG. 6).

[0055] The plate portion 80 has a free end on the side of an end face 80a that constitutes a side edge on the outer diameter side in the radial direction of the shaft 75. The end face 80a is an inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from the cylindrical portion 81 as it moves from the inner ring 71 side toward the outer ring 72 side in the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75.

[0056] Three recesses 85 (85A, 85B, 85C) of the same shape are opened on the end surface 80a of the plate portion 80. The recesses 85 are formed by cutting out a part of the plate portion 80. These recesses 85A, 85B, 85C are provided at intervals in the radial direction of the rotation axis X. Although details will be described later, the recesses 85A, 85B, 85C are provided at positions corresponding to the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, 66C. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the recesses 85A, 85B, and 85C, they will simply be referred to as recesses 85.

[0057] 10, the plate portion 80 has a first abutment surface 80b (first side surface) and a second abutment surface 80c connected to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 81. The first abutment surface 80b and the second abutment surface 80c are flat surfaces that are perpendicular to each other from the cylindrical portion 81.

[0058] The first contact surface 80b is connected to the end surface 80a at an end opposite the axis Ca. The second contact surface 80c is connected to a side surface 80d at an end opposite the axis Ca. The side surface 80d is a flat surface parallel to the first contact surface 80b.

[0059] The side surface 80d is connected to the end surface 80a via the guide surface 80e. The side surface 80d and the guide surface 80e constitute a second side surface of the plate portion 80. The guide surface 80e is an inclined surface that inclines in a direction that reduces the thickness T8 of the plate portion 80 in the circumferential direction around the axis Ca toward the end surface 80a. The first side surface, the first abutment surface 80b, and the second side surface, the side surface 80d and the guide surface 80e, are provided on one side and the other side of the plate portion 80 in the circumferential direction around the axis Ca when viewed from the direction of the axis Ca, and extend along the radial direction of the axis Ca.

[0060] The recess 85B is provided in a region spanning the first contact surface 80b and the guide surface 80e of the plate portion 80. Although not shown, the other recesses 85A and 85C are also similarly provided in regions spanning the first contact surface 80b and the guide surface 80e.

[0061] 10, when viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75, the plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B are oriented in a line-symmetrical manner with respect to the rotation axis X. The rotating members 8A, 8B are rotated (arrows a1, a2 and arrows b1, b2) around the shaft 75 by an operating unit 9 described later. This allows the hinge to be switched between a closed state and an open state.

[0062] Specifically, the rotating members 8A, 8B are capable of switching between a position where the first abutment surfaces 80b, 80b abut against each other (the position shown by the solid lines in FIG. 10, the closed position) and a position where the second abutment surfaces 80c, 80c abut against each other (the position shown by the virtual lines in FIG. 10, the open position).

[0063] In the closed position, the plate portions 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B overlap with the first abutment surfaces 80b in contact with each other, and the area in which the guide surfaces 80e are provided has a tapered shape in which the circumferential thickness around the axis line Ca decreases as it moves away from the axis line Ca. In the closed position, the rotating members 8A and 8B face each other with a gap between them in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X. Therefore, the above-mentioned space R is in communication with each other in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0064] In the open position, the end faces 80a of the rotating members 8A and 8B abut against the adjacent rotating members 8A' and 8B' in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X. Therefore, communication with the space R in the direction of the rotation axis X is blocked (see the imaginary line in FIG. 10).

[0065] 9, when the inner ring 71 and the outer ring 72 are arranged concentrically about the rotation axis X, the inner ring 71 is arranged on the inner diameter side of the connection part pair 66A. The outer ring 72 is arranged on the outer diameter side of the accommodation hole 11 of the holder 10. The rotating members 8A and 8B are arranged in a range that crosses the connection part row 66L in the radial direction (left and right direction in the figure). In the direction of the rotation axis X, the recesses 85A, 85B, and 85C are arranged at positions that overlap the connection part pairs 66A, 66B, and 66C, respectively.

[0066] Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the rotating members 8A and 8B. Fig. 11 is a view taken along the arrow BB in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the rotating members 8A and 8B disposed at the closed position and the connection portion row 66L. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the rotating members 8A and 8B. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the rotating members 8A and 8B arranged in the open position and the connection portion row 66L. Fig. 12 shows only one connection portion row 66L and the rotating members 8A and 8B provided on one side and the other side of the connection portion row 66L. Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining the rotating members 8A and 8B. Fig. 13 shows a state in which the rotating members 8A and 8B shown in Fig. 11 are arranged at the open position. In addition, in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, the rotating members 8A and 8B are cross-hatched differently in order to make it easier to distinguish between the rotating members 8A and 8B. 14 is a diagram for explaining the rotating members 8A and 8B. FIG 14 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along line AA in FIG 13.

[0067] 11, a plurality of shafts 75 are arranged at predetermined angles θa. Therefore, a pair of rotating members 8A, 8B that are fitted onto the shaft 75 are also arranged side by side at angles θa. The angle θa is an angle that is approximately consistent with the angle θ of the connecting portion row 66L arranged in the circumferential direction (θa≒θ).

[0068] In addition, the thickness (T8×2) of the two plate portions 80 of the rotating members 8A and 8B when placed in the closed position is set to be narrower than the distance W between the connecting portion pairs 66A adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (T8×2 <W)。 As a result, in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X, the connection portion row 66L (straight line Lr) and the pair of rotating members 8A, 8B are arranged alternately.

[0069] 11 and 12, the axis Ca of the shaft 75 is oriented along the straight line Lr. Rotating members 8A and 8B are disposed on one side (the upper side of the straight line Lr in FIG. 12) and the other side (the lower side of the straight line Lr in FIG. 12) of the straight line Lr, respectively. The rotating member 8A on one side of the straight line Lr and the rotating member 8B on the other side are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction and constitute another pair of rotating members 8A, 8B. The rotating member 8A on one side of the straight line Lr and the rotating member 8B on the other side each rotate around the shaft 75, thereby switching between a state in which there is a gap between them (see FIG. 11) and a state in which they are in contact with each other (see FIG. 12).

[0070] 12, the length L80 of the plate portion 80 in the radial direction of the straight line Lr is set to a length extending from the shaft 75 (axis Ca) to the straight line Lr. Therefore, when the rotating member 8A on one side and the rotating member 8B on the other side sandwiching the straight line Lr are in the open position, the end faces 80a of the plate portions 80 abut against each other. Therefore, the connecting portion pair 66 (connecting portion pair 66A, 66B, 66C) is gripped between the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8A on one side and the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8B on the other side sandwiching the straight line Lr.

[0071] 13, in the open position, an end face 80a of the rotating member 8A on one side and an end face 80a of the rotating member 8B on the other side across the straight line Lr abut against each other. In this case, a pair of recesses 85A, 85A, a pair of recesses 85B, 85B, and a pair of recesses 85C, 85C facing each other in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X form through holes 86A, 86B, 86C. The through holes 86A, 86B, 86C each penetrate the plate portions 80, 80 in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0072] In the positioning jig 7, the positions at which the through holes 86A, 86B, and 86C are formed correspond to the positions of the predetermined pairs of connecting portions 66A, 66B, and 66C (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the through holes 86A, 86B, and 86C are aligned in a direction along a straight line Lr, which is a radial line passing through the rotation axis X. The through hole 86A is provided on an imaginary circle Im1' centered on the rotation axis X. The through hole 86B is provided on an imaginary circle Im2' centered on the rotation axis X. The through hole 86C is provided on an imaginary circle Im3' centered on the rotation axis X.

[0073] These imaginary circles Im1', Im2', Im3' are circles with diameters that approximately match the imaginary circles Im1, Im2, Im3 (see FIG. 5) in which the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, 66C are arranged (Im1'≒Im1, Im2'≒Im2, Im3'≒Im3). Therefore, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the positions of the through holes 86A, 86B, 86C coincide with the positions of the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, 66C. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the through holes 86A, 86B, and 86C, they will be simply referred to as through holes 86.

[0074] 13, the recess 85B constituting the through hole 86 has a bottom surface 88 (first side portion) parallel to the end surface 80a. The bottom surface 88 is provided at a position offset from the end surface 80a of the plate portion 80 toward the shaft 75. The recess 85B has an inclined surface 87 (second side portion) that connects the bottom surface 88 and the end surface 80a. The inclined surface 87 is connected to the inner diameter side end portion of the bottom surface 88 in the direction of the straight line Lr. The recess 85B has an inclined surface 89 (third side) that connects the bottom surface 88 and the end surface 80a. The inclined surface 89 is connected to the outer diameter side end of the bottom surface 88 in the direction of the straight line Lr.

[0075] The inclined surface 87 is inclined toward the inner diameter side from the bottom surface 88 toward the end surface 80a. The inclined surface 89 is inclined toward the outer diameter side from the bottom surface 88 toward the end surface 80a. The inclined surfaces 87, 89 are inclined at the same inclination angle α when viewed from the bottom surface 88. That is, the inclined surfaces 87, 89 are inclined such that the width in the direction of the straight line Lr narrows from the end surface 80a toward the bottom surface 88.

[0076] In through hole 86, bottom surfaces 88, 88 are arranged parallel to each other. Sloped surface 87 on the rotating member 8A side and sloping surface 89 on the rotating member 8B side are arranged parallel to each other. Sloped surface 89 on the rotating member 8A side and sloping surface 87 on the rotating member 8B side are arranged parallel to each other. Therefore, when viewed from the direction of rotation axis X, through hole 86 has a hexagonal shape.

[0077] Here, the connection portion pair 66 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis X. In this embodiment, the rectangular connection portion pair 66 is inscribed in the hexagonal through-hole 86.

[0078] Specifically, the length L88 of the bottom surface 88 in the direction of the straight line Lr is set to be shorter than the length L66 of the connection part pair 66 (the length in the joining direction of the connection parts 65, 65) (L88 < L66). The interval W86 between the bottom surfaces 88, 88 in the circumferential direction is set to be longer than the circumferential width W66 of the connection part pair 66 (W86 > W66, see Fig. 14). The connection part between the inclined surface 87 and the end surface 80a is located on the inner diameter side with respect to the connection part pair 66. The connection part between the inclined surface 89 and the end surface 80a is located on the outer diameter side with respect to the connection part pair 66.

[0079] As shown in the enlarged area of Fig. 13, for example, in the connection part pair 66B, the corner of the connection part 65C abuts against the inclined surfaces 87, 87 of the rotating members 8A, 8B. Also, the corner of the connection part 65D abuts against the inclined surfaces 89, 89 of the rotating members 8A, 8B. As a result, the connection part pair 66B is inscribed in the through hole 86B. Although the description is omitted, the connection part pairs 66A, 66C are also inscribed in the through holes 86A, 86C, respectively.

[0080] Here, in the present embodiment, the switching between the closed position (see Fig. 11) and the open position (see Fig. 12) of the rotating members 8A, 8B is performed via the operation part 9. Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation part 9. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of the C-C cross section of Fig. 9. Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation part 9. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of the A-A cross section of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a diagram for explaining the operation part 9. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of the B-B cross section of Fig. 15.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 15, the operation part 9 includes link mechanisms 90A, 90B provided on the rotating members 8A, 8B, and a support plate 95 that supports the link mechanisms 90A, 90B. As shown in the enlarged area of ​​Fig. 8, the link mechanisms 90A, 90B are provided one-to-one with one pair of rotating members 8A, 8B. Therefore, a plurality of link mechanisms 90A, 90B are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X. The support plate 95 has a ring shape surrounding the rotation axis X, and collectively supports the plurality of link mechanisms 90A, 90B lined up in the circumferential direction.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 15, each of the link mechanisms 90A and 90B has a first arm 91 constituting a driving link and a second arm 82 constituting a driven link. The first arm portion 91 is a band-shaped member with its longitudinal direction aligned along the vertical line. An upper end 911 of the first arm 91 in the vertical direction is connected to the second arm 82. A lower end 912 of the first arm 91 in the vertical direction is connected to the support plate 95.

[0083] A bent portion 913 is formed in the first arm portion 91 between an upper end portion 911 and a lower end portion 912. The bent portion 913 of the link mechanism 90A and the bent portion 913 of the link mechanism 90B are bent in directions away from each other when viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75.

[0084] The second arms 82, 82 are formed integrally with the rotating members 8A, 8B, respectively. 15, when viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75, the second arm portion 82 is provided at the boundary between the second contact surface 80c and the side surface 80d of the plate portion 80. The second arm portion 82 is provided flush with the second contact surface 80c and protrudes from the side surface 80d by a distance T82.

[0085] 16, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the second arm portion 82 of the rotating member 8B is provided at the end portion on the outer diameter side of the plate portion 80. An upper end portion 911 of the first arm portion 91 abuts against the second arm portion 82 of the rotating member 8B from the outer diameter side in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0086] Through holes 820, 911a are formed in the second arm portion 82 and the first arm portion 91 of the rotating member 8B, respectively. These through holes 820, 911a have the same hole diameter and are provided in a direction along a straight line Lb parallel to the axis Ca of the shaft 75. The through holes 820, 911a are provided at positions offset from the axis Ca of the shaft 75 by a distance L9.

[0087] A pin P is inserted into the through holes 820, 911a. The pin P is prevented from falling out of the through holes 820, 911a by snap rings Sr provided at both ends. As a result, the second arm portion 82 and the first arm portion 91 of the rotating member 8B are connected to be relatively rotatable around the straight line Lb.

[0088] 16, in the rotating member 8A, the second arm 82 is similarly provided at the end of the outer diameter side of the plate portion 80 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis X. An upper end 911 of a first arm 91 abuts against the second arm 82 of the rotating member 8A from the outer diameter side in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0089] Through holes 820, 911a are formed in the second arm portion 82 and the first arm portion 91 of the rotating member 8A, respectively. These through holes 820, 911a have the same hole diameter and are provided in a direction along a straight line La parallel to the axis Ca of the shaft 75. The through holes 820, 911a are provided at positions offset from the axis Ca of the shaft 75 by a distance L9.

[0090] A pin P is inserted into the through holes 820, 911a. The pin P is prevented from falling out of the through holes 820, 911a by snap rings Sr provided at both ends. This allows the second arm portion 82 and the first arm portion 91 of the rotating member 8A to be connected to each other so as to be capable of relative rotation around the straight line La. The second arm 82 of the rotating member 8A is provided at a position offset radially outward by a thickness T91 of the first arm 91 from the second arm 82 (on the right side in the figure) of the rotating member 8B.

[0091] As shown in Figure 15, when viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75, the first arm 91 of the link mechanism 90A and the first arm 91 of the link mechanism 90B have their respective lower ends 912, 912 connected to the support plate 95 in an overlapping state on the rotation axis X.

[0092] The support plate 95 has a ring-shaped base 950 that surrounds the rotation axis X, and a connection piece 951 that protrudes from the base 950 to one side in the direction of the rotation axis X (upward in the vertical direction). When viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75, the connection pieces 951 are provided on the rotation axis X passing through the axis Ca of the shaft 75. Although not shown, the connection pieces 951 are provided in the same number as the shafts 75 and are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 17, a surface 950a on the other side (vertical lower side) of the base portion 950 in the direction of the rotation axis X is a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis X. As shown in FIG. 9, in a state in which the support plate 95 is separated from the stator core 51 in the direction of the rotation axis X, the distance h2 between the surface 950a of the support plate 95 and the recess 85A is set to be shorter than the distance h1 between the upper surface 10a of the holder 10 and the tip 610 of the connection portion pair 66 (h2

[0094] 17, a lower end 912 of the link mechanism 90B abuts against the connecting piece 951 from the outer diameter side in the direction of the rotation axis X. Moreover, a lower end 912 of the link mechanism 90A abuts against the lower end 912 of the link mechanism 90B from the outer diameter side in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0095] Through holes 951a, 912a, and 912a are formed in the connecting piece 951 and the lower end portions 912, 912 of the link mechanisms 90A and 90B, respectively. These through holes 951a, 912a, and 912a have the same hole diameter and are provided in a direction along a straight line Lc that is parallel to the axis Ca of the shaft 75 (see FIG. 9).

[0096] ​ A pin P is inserted into the through holes 951a, 912a, and 912a. The pin P is prevented from falling out of the through holes 951a, 912a, and 912a by snap rings Sr provided at both ends. As a result, the first arms 91, 91 of the link mechanisms 90A and 90B are connected to the support plate 95 so as to be rotatable relative to the support plate 95 around the straight line Lc.

[0097] For example, as shown in Fig. 9, when the positioning jig 7 is moved toward the stator core 51 (in the direction of the downward arrow in the figure) to press the support plate 95 against the holder 10, a reaction force of the pressing force from the holder 10 acts on the support plate 95. This reaction force becomes an external force that acts in a direction that brings the support plate 95 closer to the rotating members 8A, 8B (in the direction of the thick upward arrow in Fig. 15). As a result, the support plate 95 and the first arm 91, which is the driving link, are displaced upward. As the first arm 91 is displaced, the second arm 82, which is the driven link, also tries to displace upward.

[0098] In this case, the second arms 82, 82 of the rotating members 8A, 8B are each connected to the first arm 91 at a position offset by a distance L9 from the axis Ca of the shaft 75 (see FIG. 16). Therefore, the second arms 82, 82 rotate in the circumferential direction about the axis Ca of the shaft 75 and move to the upper side of the shaft 75 (in the direction of arrows a1, b1 in FIG. 15). The plate portion 80 formed integrally with the second arm portion 82 also rotates in the same direction as the second arm portion 82. As a result, the plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B rotate in directions away from each other (see the imaginary lines in FIG. 10).

[0099] At this time, the first arms 91, 91 of each of the link mechanisms 90A, 90B rotate about the straight line Lc with the connecting piece 951 as the center. Specifically, the first arms 91, 91 rotate in directions approaching each other (arrows a3, b3 in FIG. 15).

[0100] When the plate portions 80, 80 rotate a predetermined amount and the second contact surfaces 80c come into contact with each other (see the imaginary line in FIG. 10), the movement of the link mechanisms 90A, 90B is restricted, and the rotating members 8A, 8B are positioned in the open position (see FIG. 12).

[0101] On the other hand, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, when the positioning jig 7 is moved away from the stator core 51 (in the direction of the upward arrow in the figure) to separate the support plate 95 from the stator core 51, gravity acts on the support plate 95. Gravity becomes an external force that acts in a direction in which the support plate 95 moves away from the rotating members 8A, 8B (in the direction of the bold downward arrow in Fig. 15). This causes the support plate 95 and the first arm 91 to be displaced downward. As the first arm 91 is displaced, the second arm 82 also tries to be displaced downward.

[0102] In this case, the second arm portions 82 and the plate portion 80 of each of the rotating members 8A and 8B rotate in the circumferential direction about the axis Ca of the shaft 75. The plate portion 80 is disposed below the shaft 75 (arrows a2 and b2 in FIG. 15). As a result, the plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B rotate in directions approaching each other (see solid lines in FIG. 10).

[0103] At this time, the first arms 91, 91 of each of the link mechanisms 90A, 90B rotate about the straight line Lc with the connecting piece 951 as the center. Specifically, the first arms 91, 91 rotate in directions away from each other (arrows a4, b4 in FIG. 15).

[0104] When the plate portions 80, 80 rotate a predetermined amount and the first contact surfaces 80b come into contact with each other (see solid lines in FIG. 10), the movement of the link mechanisms 90A, 90B is restricted, and the rotating members 8A, 8B are positioned in the closed position (see FIG. 11).

[0105] In this embodiment, the link mechanisms 90A, 90B and the support plate 95 are disposed below the rotating members 8A, 8B in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the positioning jig 7 is not used, a force is applied to the support plate 95 by gravity (a downward external force) in a direction away from the rotating members 8A, 8B. Therefore, the rotating members 8A, 8B are positioned in the closed position (a state in which the first contact surfaces 80b are in contact with each other).

[0106] The positioning of the connection portion pair 66 by the positioning jig 7 will now be described. Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining the positioning of the connection portion pair 66 by the positioning jig 7. Fig. 18(a) to (c) sequentially show the process of positioning the connection portion pair 66 as viewed from the DD direction in Fig. 9. Also, in Fig. 18(a) to (c), the outer ring 72 is omitted, and parts of the rotating members 8A and 8B are shown in cross section with the recessed portion 85 exposed. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining the positioning of the connection portion pair 66 by the positioning jig 7. Fig. 19(a) to (d) show the state in which the positioning jig 7 is viewed from above in the vertical direction, and sequentially illustrate the process in which the connection portion pair 66 is positioned. 18 and 19 show an example of the process in which the connection portion pair 66C is positioned.

[0107] First, as shown in Fig. 9, the positioning jig 7 is placed above the stator core 51, and a pair of rotating members 8A, 8B is placed between a plurality of connection portion rows 66L arranged in the circumferential direction (see Fig. 11). The positioning of the positioning jig 7 in the circumferential direction may be performed visually by an operator. Alternatively, although not shown, the positioning jig 7 in the circumferential direction may be positioned by forming a projection and a notch that engage with each other in the holder 10 and the outer ring 72, and engaging the projection and the notch.

[0108] 18(a), the positioning jig 7 is brought closer to the stator core 51 (in the direction of the downward arrow in the figure). Then, the surface 950a of the support plate 95 of the operation portion 9 of the positioning jig 7 first comes into contact with the upper surface 10a of the holder 10. Then, the recesses 85C of the rotating members 8A and 8B are positioned lower than the tips 610 of the connection portion pair 66C.

[0109] The rotating members 8A, 8B are inserted between the pair of connecting parts 66C, 66C from the guide surface 80e side. The plate parts 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B have a tapered shape in which the region where the guide surface 80e is provided becomes thinner in the circumferential direction around the axis Ca as it moves away from the axis Ca. This makes it easier to insert the rotating members 8A, 8B between the pair of connecting parts 66C, 66C.

[0110] Further, the guide surface 80e is inclined in a direction away from the connection portion pair 66C as it approaches the stator core 51 side in the direction of the rotation axis X. Therefore, even if there is a connection pair 66C that is significantly misaligned in the circumferential direction, the misaligned connection pair 66C can slide on the guide surface 80e as the insertion of the positioning jig 7 progresses (see the enlarged area in (a) of FIG. 18). At this time, the significantly misaligned connection pair 66C is displaced away from the other connection pairs 66C (in the direction of the outlined arrow in the figure), and the misalignment is roughly corrected. This makes it easier to guide the connection pair 66C into the recess 85C.

[0111] As a result, the rotating members 8A and 8B are disposed on one side (above the line Lr in the drawing) and the other side (below the line Lr in the drawing) of the line Lr, respectively (see FIG. 19(a)). In the circumferential direction about the rotation axis X, the side surfaces 80d, 80d of the rotating members 8A, 8B are disposed opposite to each other with a gap therebetween, sandwiching the connection portion pair 66C therebetween.

[0112] 18(b), when the positioning jig 7 is further pressed in a direction approaching the stator core 51, a reaction force corresponding to the pressing force acts on the support plate 95 (hatched arrow in the figure). This reaction force is an upward external force acting on the support plate 95 from the upper surface 10a of the holder 10. Note that the enlarged view in FIG. 18(b) shows only the cross section of the rotating member 8B.

[0113] Then, the link mechanisms 90A, 90B are driven, and the rotating members 8A, 8B each rotate around the axis Ca of the shaft 75. The plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B rotate in directions away from each other (in the directions of arrows a1, b1). This causes the rotating members 8A, 8B to move from the closed position to the open position. In the process of moving from the closed position to the open position, the connecting portion pair 66C of the rotating members 8A, 8B is accommodated in the recess 85C.

[0114] 19(b), for example, when the connecting portion 65E of the connecting portion pair 66C is misaligned with respect to the straight line Lr toward the rotating member 8A, the inclined surface 87 of the recess 85C of the rotating member 8A abuts against the connecting portion 65E. When the connecting portion 65F of the connecting portion pair 66C is misaligned with respect to the straight line Lr toward the rotating member 8B, the inclined surface 89 of the recess 85C of the rotating member 8B abuts against the connecting portion 65F.

[0115] 19(c), when the rotating member 8A is further rotated around the axis Ca, the connection portion 65E is pushed by the inclined surface 87. The connection portion 65E slides on the inclined surface 87 toward the outer diameter side in the radial direction of the rotation axis X and toward the straight line Lr in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X (indicated by the hollow arrow in the figure). Furthermore, when the rotating member 8B is further rotated around the axis Ca, the connection portion 65F is pressed by the inclined surface 89. The connection portion 65F slides on the inclined surface 89 toward the inner diameter side in the radial direction of the rotation axis X and toward the straight line Lr side in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X (indicated by the white arrow in the figure). As a result, the radial gap Dr of the connecting portions 65E and 65F about the rotation axis X and the circumferential deviation Dc are narrowed, and the positions of the connecting portions 65E and 65F are corrected.

[0116] 18(c), when the positioning jig 7 is pressed toward the stator core 51, the rotation of the rotating members 8A, 8B progresses, and the second abutment surfaces 80c, 80c (see FIG. 10) of the plate portions 80, 80 abut against each other. As a result, the rotating members 8A, 8B are fixed in the open position.

[0117] In this case, a through hole 86C consisting of the recesses 85C, 85C is formed between the rotating members 8A, 8B and the other rotating members 8A', 8B' adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. The connection portion pair 66C is housed in the through hole 86C.

[0118] 19(d), when the rotating members 8A, 8B are positioned at the open position and stop rotating, the sliding of the connecting portions 65E, 65F also stops. In this state, the connecting portion pair 66C is inscribed in the hexagonal through-hole 86C.

[0119] Specifically, the connection portion 65E abuts against the inclined surfaces 87, 87 of the rotating members 8A, 8B on the radial inner diameter side of the rotation axis X. The connection portion 65F abuts against the inclined surfaces 89, 89 of the rotating members 8A, 8B on the radial outer diameter side of the rotation axis X. In addition, the connection portions 65E, 65F abut against each other between the inclined surfaces 87, 89 in the radial direction of the rotation axis X. As a result, the connection portions 65E, 65F are aligned along the straight line Lr and are fixed in the through-hole 86C so as to be immovable relative to one another.

[0120] In this way, the positional deviation of the connection parts 65E, 65F is corrected in the process of positioning the rotating members 8A, 8B to the open position (see Fig. 19(a) to (d)). The other connection part pairs 66A, 66B are similarly fixed in their positions within the through holes 86A, 86B. As a result, each connection part pair 66 is positioned at a predetermined position (see Fig. 5). Therefore, the positioning jig 7 can correct any positional deviation of the connection portion pair 66 simply by moving it in the direction of the rotation axis X (up and down direction).

[0121] When the positioning jig 7 is lifted in a direction away from the holder 10, a force acts on the support plate 95 due to its own weight (a downward external force) in a direction away from the rotating members 8A, 8B. Therefore, the plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B naturally rotate in a direction approaching each other. As a result, by simply moving the positioning jig 7 away from the holder 10, the rotating members 8A, 8B are naturally positioned in the closed position while releasing the connection portion pair 66C from the through-hole 86C.

[0122] The connection part pair 66 is welded after the positional deviation is corrected. In this case, the welding of the connection part pair 66 may be performed with the positioning jig 7 attached to the connection part pair 66, or may be performed after removing it. In addition, the positioning jig 7 may be manually attached and detached by an operator, or may be automatically attached and detached by a robot arm or the like.

[0123] Examples of the positioning jig 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention are listed below. (1) The positioning jig 7 is used to position the connection portions 65, 65 of the electrical conductors 6 that are to be connected to each other. A plurality of connection portion pairs 66 (connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, 66C), which are combinations of connection portions 65, 65 of electrical conductors 6 connected to each other, are lined up on a straight line Lr along the connection direction of the connection portions 65, 65, forming a connection portion row 66L. The positioning jig 7 is Rotating members 8A and 8B are disposed on one side and the other side of a straight line Lr, respectively, and rotate around shafts 75 and 75 (rotating axes) along the straight line Lr; The plate portion 80 (pressing piece) extends radially from the rotating members 8A and 8B to the shaft 75 (rotating shaft). When the rotating member 8A on one side and the rotating member 8B on the other side are arranged in an angular position (see Figure 12) in which the plate portions 80 face each other, the connection portion pair 66 (connection portion pair 66A, 66B, 66C) is gripped between the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8A on one side and the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8B on the other side.

[0124] With this configuration, the rotating member 8A and the rotating member 8B are disposed on one side and the other side of the straight line Lr, respectively, when viewed in the radial direction of the straight line Lr (see FIG. 11). In this state, the rotating members 8A and 8B are rotated in a direction in which the plate portions 80 approach each other, so that the rotating member 8A on one side and the rotating member 8B on the other side are positioned in an angular position in which their plate portions 80 face each other (see FIG. 12). Here, the length L80 of the plate portion 80 in the radial direction of the straight line Lr is set to the length extending from the shaft 75 (axis line Ca) to the straight line Lr. Then, the connection pair 66 (connection pair 66A, 66B, 66C) can be gripped between the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8A on one side of the straight line Lr and the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8B on the other side, so that the connection pair 66 can be positioned on the straight line Lr. Therefore, the positional deviation of the pair of connection portions 66 of the electric conductors 6 connected to each other can be appropriately corrected.

[0125] Here, in the case of Patent Document 1, the specification is such that the connection part pair of the electric conductor is positioned by displacing the two plate members relative to each other in the circumferential direction. If the amount of relative displacement of the two plate members in the circumferential direction is large, interference with other adjacent rows of connection parts may occur. Therefore, the amount by which the two plate members can be relatively displaced in the circumferential direction is limited. For example, if the positional deviation of the connection part pair is large, it is possible to roughly correct the positional deviation in a separate process (preceding process).

[0126] In response to this, the positioning jig 7 is adapted to rotate the plate portions 80 of the rotating members 8A and 8B about the shafts 75, 75, respectively, so that the connection portion pair 66 can be positioned. Therefore, since there is no need to consider the relative displacement in the circumferential direction of the plate portion 80, the positioning jig 7 has more space in the circumferential direction than that of Patent Document 1. As a result, even if the positional deviation of the connection portion pair is large, the positional deviation can be corrected in one process without providing a separate process.

[0127] (2) The electrical conductor 6 is provided in annular stator core 51 . When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X (center axis) of the stator core 51, the straight line Lr is a radial line passing through the rotation axis X (see FIG. 5). The connection portion rows 66L are provided radially in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X at intervals. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis X, the shaft 75 of the positioning jig 7 is provided along a radial line. The shafts 75, 75 are arranged alternately with the straight line Lr in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X. A length L2 of the plate portion 80 in a radial direction (radial direction of the rotation axis X) is longer than the length L1 of the connection portion row 66L (see FIG. 9).

[0128] With this configuration, when the positioning jig 7 is brought close to the stator core 51 from the direction of the rotation axis X, the rotating member 8A and the rotating member 8B are respectively positioned on one side and the other side of the connection portion row 66L in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis X (see FIG. 12). In this state, the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8A and the plate portion 80 of the rotating member 8B are rotated around the shafts 75, 75 in directions in which they approach each other, whereby the connection pair 66 can be positioned on the straight line Lr.

[0129] In particular, the length L2 of the plate portions 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B is longer than the length L1 of the connection portion row 66L in the radial direction of the rotation axis X. Therefore, the plate portions 80 are provided in a range extending from the connection portion pair 66A located on the innermost radial side of the connection portion row 66L to the connection portion pair 66C located on the outermost radial side. Therefore, the connection portion pairs 66A, 66B, 66C included in the connection portion row 66L can be positioned at once. This allows each of the pairs of connection portions 66 of the electric conductors 6 protruding from the end surface 51b of the stator core 51 in the rotation axis X direction to be appropriately positioned.

[0130] (3) The rotating members 8A and 8B are two rotating members provided on one shaft 75 which is a rotation axis. The pivoting members 8A, 8B provided on one shaft 75 are displaceable between a closed position (first position) in which the first abutment surfaces 80b of the plate portions 80 (pressing pieces) are in contact with each other, and an open position (second position) in which the connection portion pair 66 is gripped by the plate portions 80, 80 (pressing pieces) of the pivoting members 8A, 8B provided on the other adjacent shaft 75 with the connection portion row 66L sandwiched therebetween.

[0131] When configured in this manner, the rotating members 8A and 8B each constitute a pair of hinges that are rotatable about the shaft 75 (see FIG. 10). For example, with the plate portions 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B placed in the closed position (closed legs), the positioning jig 7 can be brought closer to the stator core 51, whereby the plate portions 80, 80 can be inserted between the radially arranged rows of connection portions 66L (see Figure 11). In this state, when the plate portions 80, 80 of the rotating members 8A, 8B are rotated in directions away from each other to be placed in the open position (spread), the connecting portion pair 66 can be gripped between the plate portions 80, 80 of the adjacent rotating members 8A, 8B (see FIG. 12). This allows the connecting portion pair 66 to be positioned on the straight line Lr.

[0132] (4) The plate portion 80 has a recess 85 that opens to an end face 80a (side edge on the outer diameter side) in the radial direction of the shaft 75 (rotation axis). When viewed from the radial direction of the shaft 75, the recess 85 is A bottom surface 88 (first side portion) that is offset from the end surface 80a and is parallel to the end surface 80a; an inclined surface 87 (second side portion) extending from an inner diameter side end portion of the bottom surface 88 in the direction of the straight line Lr toward the end surface 80a; and an inclined surface 89 (third side portion) extending from the outer diameter side end of the bottom surface 88 in the direction of the straight line Lr toward the end surface 80a. The inclined surfaces 87 and 89 are inclined such that the width in the direction of a straight line Lr that is the direction along the axis Ca of the shaft 75 (the direction of the rotation axis) becomes narrower from the end surface 80a toward the bottom surface 88. When the rotating members 8A, 8B are arranged in the open position, the recesses 85 form through holes 86 (positioning holes) that accommodate the connection portion pairs 66 between themselves and the recesses 85 of the plate portions 80 of the adjacent rotating members 8A, 8B.

[0133] With this configuration, the size of the through hole 86 is formed to be sized so that it can circumscribe the connection portion pair 66 and position the connection portions 65, 65 of the connection portion pair 66 in a predetermined position for welding, thereby allowing the connection portions 65, 65 of the connection portion pair 66 to be positioned in a predetermined position. Furthermore, the rotating members 8A, 8B rotate from the closed position to the open position to form the through hole 86. If the shape of the through hole 86 is a hexagon circumscribing the connection portion pair 66, and if the connection portions 65, 65 are misaligned in the radial or circumferential direction of the rotation axis X, the connection portions 65, 65 will come into contact with the inclined surfaces 87 and 89 in the process of forming the through hole 86. The inclined surfaces 87, 89 have a narrower width in the direction of the straight line Lr toward the bottom surface 88. Therefore, the misaligned connecting portions 65, 65 slide along the inclined surfaces 87 and 89 and are displaced toward each other as the plate portion 80 rotates toward the open position. As a result, any radial and circumferential misalignment of the connection parts 65, 65 about the rotation axis X is corrected as the plate part 80 rotates toward the open position, and the connection parts 65, 65 ultimately abut against each other while aligned on the straight line Lr. In particular, the rotation of the rotating members 8A, 8B forms the through hole 86 and corrects the positional misalignment of the connection portions 65, 65, thereby reducing the possibility of the rotating members 8A, 8B interfering with surrounding parts, etc., compared to the case of Patent Document 1, in which the positional misalignment is corrected by relatively displacing two plate members.

[0134] (5) When viewed from the direction of the axis Ca of the shaft 75 (the direction of the rotation axis), the plate portion 80, which is a pressing piece of the rotating members 8A, 8B, has a first side surface and a second side surface extending radially of the axis Ca on one and the other circumferential sides about the axis Ca. The first side surface is a first abutment surface 80b that abuts against the first side surface of the plate portion 80 of another rotating member 8A, 8B that rotates around the same axis Ca when the rotating members 8A, 8B are positioned in the first position (closed position). The second side surface has a guide surface 80e (inclined surface) in which the thickness of the plate portion 80 in the circumferential direction about the axis Ca decreases toward an end surface 80a, which is the side edge on the outer diameter side.

[0135] When configured in this manner, with the rotating members 8A, 8B arranged in the closed position, the plate portions 80 overlap with the first abutment surfaces 80b in contact with each other, and the area in which the guide surfaces 80e are provided has a tapered shape that becomes thinner as it moves away from the axis Ca (see FIG. 10). As shown in (a) of Figure 18, when the positioning jig 7 is brought closer to the stator core 51 along the direction of the rotation axis X with the rotating members 8A and 8B placed in the closed position, the rotating members 8A and 8B are inserted between the pair of connection parts 66C and 66C from the side of the tapered guide surface 80e.

[0136] For example, when using rotating members 8A, 8B that do not have guide surfaces 80e, if the connection pair 66 is significantly misaligned, the plate portions 80, 80 may interfere with the connection pair 66 during the process of inserting the positioning jig 7. Therefore, by providing guide surface 80e as in the present application, it becomes easier to insert rotating members 8A, 8B between connection portion pairs 66C, 66C. Also, as the insertion of positioning jig 7 progresses, misaligned connection portion pair 66 slides on guide surface 80e and is displaced away from other connection portion pairs 66 (in the direction of the outlined arrow in the figure), so that the misalignment is roughly corrected and it becomes easier to guide it into recess 85.

[0137] (6) The positioning jig 7 has link mechanisms 90A and 90B that operate the rotating members 8A and 8B. The link mechanisms 90A and 90B each have a second arm portion 82 (driven link) that is integrally provided with the rotating members 8A and 8B, and a first arm portion 91 (driving link) that is connected to the second arm portion 82. The first arm 91 is connected to the second arm 82 at a position offset radially from the axis Ca of the shaft 75 by a distance L9, and is oriented along the rotation axis X. When an external force is input in a direction along the rotation axis X to a lower end 912, which is the end of the first arm 91 opposite to the second arm 82, the second arm 82 rotates around the shaft 75 (rotation axis) together with the rotating members 8A and 8B.

[0138] With this configuration, the rotating members 8A and 8B can be positioned in the open position by the pressing force simply by moving the positioning jig 7 in the direction of the rotation axis X and pressing it against the stator core 51. On the other hand, the rotating members 8A and 8B are positioned in the closed position by their own weights simply by moving the positioning jig 7 away from the stator core 51 in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0139] For example, in Patent Document 1, after positioning in the direction of the rotation axis X, the two plates are displaced in the circumferential direction. That is, in Patent Document 1, two actions are required to correct the connection pair. In contrast, the positioning jig 7 according to this embodiment is capable of correcting the connection portion pair 66 by a single action of pressing it into the stator core 51 in the direction of the rotation axis X.

[0140] 9, the link mechanisms 90A, 90B are provided between the rotating members 8A, 8B and the outer ring 72, but are not limited to this position. For example, the link mechanisms 90A, 90B may be provided between the rotating members 8A, 8B and the inner ring 71, or may be provided both between the rotating members 8A, 8B and the outer ring 72 and between the rotating members 8A, 8B and the inner ring 71.

[0141] 9, the present embodiment has been described with an example having three recesses 85A, 85B, and 85C, but is not limited to this. The number of recesses 85 can be changed as appropriate in accordance with the number of connection part pairs that configure the connection part row 66L.

[0142] In addition, in this embodiment, the through hole 86 is hexagonal in shape, but is not limited to this. Any shape may be used as long as it circumscribes the connection portion pair 66. For example, the through hole 86 may be a quadrangle having inclined surfaces 87 and 89. The through hole 86 may also be an even-numbered polygon or a circle.

[0143] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment merely shows one application example of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration of the above embodiment. Appropriate modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1 Motor 5 Stator 6 Electrical Conductors 7 Positioning jig 8A, 8B Rotating members 9 Control section 51 Stator core 65(65A~65F) Connection 66(66A, 66B, 66C) Connection Pair 66L Connection Row 75 Shaft (rotating shaft) 80 Plate part (pressure piece) 82 Second arm (follower link) 80a End face (outer diameter side edge) 80b 1st contact surface (1st side) 80e Guide surface (inclined surface) 85 (85A, 85B, 85C) Recess 86 (86A, 86B, 86C) Through hole (positioning hole) 87 Inclined surface (second side) 88 Bottom (first side) 89 Inclined surface (third side) 90A, 90B Link mechanism 91 First arm (driving link) 95 Support plate Ca Shaft axis Lr Straight line (straight line along the connection direction) X rotation axis (central axis of stator core)

Claims

1. A positioning jig used for positioning a connection portion of electrical conductors to be connected to each other, comprising: a plurality of connection part pairs, which are combinations of connection parts of the electrical conductors to be connected to each other, are arranged in a straight line along a connection direction of the connection part pairs to form a connection part row; The positioning jig is a rotation member disposed on one side and the other side of the straight line and configured to rotate about a rotation axis along the straight line; a pressing piece extending from the rotating member in a radial direction of the rotating shaft, A positioning jig in which, when the one side rotating member and the other side rotating member are positioned at an angular position where their pressing pieces face each other, the connection pair is gripped between the pressing piece of the one side rotating member and the pressing piece of the other side rotating member.

2. In claim 1, The electrical conductor is provided in an annular stator core, When viewed from a central axis direction of the annular stator core, the straight line is a radial line passing through the central axis, The rows of connection portions are radially arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction around the central axis, When viewed from the central axis direction, the rotation axis is provided along the radial line and is provided alternately with the connection portion rows in a circumferential direction around the central axis, The pressing piece has a length in the radial direction longer than the row of connection portions.

3. In claim 2, Two of the rotating members are provided for each of the rotating shafts, The two rotating members have a first position where the pressing pieces are in contact with each other, and a positioning jig that is displaceable between a pressing piece of another rotating member adjacent to the connecting portion row and a second position where the connecting portion pair is gripped;

4. In claim 3, The pressing piece has a recess that opens to a side edge on an outer diameter side in a radial direction of the rotating shaft, When viewed from a radial direction of the rotation shaft, the recessed portion is a first side portion extending along the pivot axis at a position offset from the outer diameter side edge; A second side portion extending from one end of the first side portion toward a side edge on the outer diameter side; a third side portion extending from the other end of the first side portion toward the outer diameter side edge, the second side portion and the third side portion are inclined such that a width in the rotation axis direction becomes narrower from a side edge on the outer diameter side toward the first side portion, The recess forms a positioning hole for the connection portion pair between the recess and the recess of the pressing piece of the other rotating member when the rotating member is placed at the second position.

5. In claim 4, When viewed from the rotation axis direction, the pressing piece of the rotating member has a first side surface and a second side surface extending in a radial direction of the rotation axis on one side and the other side in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis, the first side surface is an abutment surface that abuts against a first side surface of a pressing piece of another rotating member that rotates around the same rotation axis when the rotating member is disposed at the first position, The second side surface has an inclined surface in which the thickness of the pressing piece in the circumferential direction around the pivot axis becomes thinner toward the side edge on the outer diameter side.

6. In any one of claims 2 to 5, A link mechanism for operating the rotating member is further provided. the link mechanism includes a driven link provided on the rotating member and a drive link connected to the driven link, The drive link is connected to the driven link at a position radially offset from the pivot shaft and is oriented along the central axis, When an external force in a direction along the central axis is input to the end of the drive link opposite the driven link, the driven link rotates around the rotation axis together with the rotating member.

Images