Molding die unit

Abstract

To improve a productivity in a manufacturing of a segment coil by enabling an ease and quick exchange of a plurality of molding dies.SOLUTION: A molding die unit includes: a base member; a fixing mold that is fixed to the base member; a first movable mold that is supported by the base member so as to be close and separated to / from the fixing mold along a first direction, and molds a curvature part of a first curvature direction to a wire material in cooperation with the fixing mold; a second movable mold that is supported by the base member so as to be close and separated to / from the fixing mold along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and molds the curvature part of a second curvature direction to the wire material in cooperation with the fixing mold; and a pair of wire material curvature members that is movably supported by the base member along the second direction, and folds a part projected from the fixing mold of the wire material and the first and second movable molds to both sides. Both of the first and second movable molds and the pair of wire material curvature members are coupled to a driving device that is installed to an arrangement space of the molding die unit and is corresponded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a forming die unit for manufacturing a segment coil by forming a plurality of bent portions in a straight wire. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a coil forming device is known that forms a straight conductor wire to form a segment coil of a stator coil having a pair of straight leg parts on both sides of a coil end part (for example, see Patent Document 1). This coil forming device includes a fixed mold having a forming surface of the coil end part, a movable mold having a forming surface that cooperates with the forming surface of the fixed mold, a pair of forming pins having a support part that supports the conductor wire when forming the coil end part and the straight leg part and that can move independently of the movable mold, and a pair of bending dies that are rotatably arranged on both sides of the forming surface of the fixed mold, sandwiching the forming surface of the fixed mold. Furthermore, the coil forming device includes a forming pin feed mechanism, a movable mold drive mechanism, and a bending mold drive mechanism. The forming pin feed mechanism moves the pair of forming pins from a supply position where the conductor wire is supplied onto the support part to a forming position where the conductor wire is pressed and held against the forming surface of the fixed mold, in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable mold. When the pair of forming pins are in the forming position, the movable mold drive mechanism drives the movable mold to process the conductor wire located between the pair of forming pins. The bending die drive mechanism, in cooperation with the movable die drive mechanism, rotates the pair of bending dies around the pair of forming pins to bend the straight leg portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-047059 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the stator coil is formed by a plurality of types of segment coils having different shapes, and when the size of the stator coil changes, the size and shape of the segment coil also change. Therefore, when the segment coil to be manufactured by the coil forming device is changed, at least the fixed mold and the movable mold need to be replaced in order to continue to operate the coil forming device. However, the above-mentioned conventional coil forming device has an extremely complicated structure, and it takes time and effort to replace the fixed mold, the movable mold, etc.

[0005] Therefore, the main objective of the present disclosure is to further improve productivity in the manufacture of segment coils by making it possible to easily and quickly replace multiple molding dies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The forming die unit of the present disclosure is a forming die unit for manufacturing a segment coil by forming a plurality of bent portions in a straight wire, and includes a base member, a fixed die fixed to the base member, a first movable die supported movably by the base member so as to be able to approach and move away from the fixed die along a first direction, and working together with the fixed die to form the bent portion in the wire in a first bending direction, a second movable die supported movably by the base member so as to be able to approach and move away from the fixed die along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and working together with the fixed die to form the bent portion in the wire in a second bending direction, and a pair of wire bending members supported movably along the second direction by the base member, and bending portions of the wire protruding on both sides from the fixed die and the first and second movable dies, and the first and second movable dies and the pair of wire bending members are connected to corresponding driving devices installed in the arrangement space of the forming die unit.

[0007] According to the molding die unit of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily and quickly replace multiple molding dies, thereby further improving productivity in the manufacture of segment coils. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mold unit according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing an example of a segment coil manufactured using the molding die unit of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a molding die unit according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Next, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a molding die unit 10 of the present disclosure. The molding die unit 10 shown in the figure is used to manufacture a segment coil 1 as exemplified in Fig. 2. The segment coil 1, together with a plurality of other segment coils (not shown) having a different shape from the segment coil 1, forms a stator coil included in a stator (not shown) of a three-phase AC motor used as a driving source and / or generator for a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a hybrid vehicle (HEV, PHEV).

[0011] As shown in Fig. 2, the segment coil 1 includes two (a pair) of legs 2, 3 each extending linearly, a crossover section 4 connecting the two legs 2, 3, and a protrusion 5 and a crank section 6 formed on the crossover section 4. The legs 2, 3 of the segment coil 1 are inserted into different slots of the stator core. Then, multiple (three) stator coils are formed by electrically joining (welding) the tips of the corresponding legs 2, 3 of multiple segment coils 1 etc. assembled to the stator core.

[0012] In this embodiment, the segment coil 1 is formed by bending a rectangular wire (e.g., a conductive material such as a copper wire) having a rectangular cross section and an insulating coating made of, for example, enamel resin, on the surface of the wire, into a substantially U-shape using a mold unit 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the segment coil 1 includes a plurality of flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 bent in the flatwise direction (first bending direction) by the mold unit 10, and a plurality of edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, and e6 bent in the edgewise direction (second bending direction) by the mold unit 10. The flatwise direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the long side of the cross section of the rectangular wire, and the edgewise direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the short side of the cross section of the rectangular wire. As shown in FIG. 2, the crank portion 6 of the crossover portion 4 is formed by the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2. In addition, the convex portion 5 of the crossover portion 4 is formed by the edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, and e4. Furthermore, the edgewise bent portion e5 forms a shoulder portion connecting one leg portion 2 and the crossover portion 4, and the edgewise bent portion e6 forms a shoulder portion connecting the other leg portion 3 and the crossover portion 4.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the forming die unit 10 includes a base member 15 including a base plate 11 and a support frame 12, a fixed die 20, a first movable die 30, a second movable die 40, and a pair of wire bending members 50. The base plate 11 of the base member 15 is formed in a flat plate shape from metal. The support frame 12 is also formed from metal and is fixed onto the base plate 11 so as to extend in the z-axis direction in Fig. 1.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the fixed die 20 has a flatwise forming surface 21 for forming the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 in the rectangular wire and curving the crossover portion 4, and an edgewise forming surface 22 for forming the edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, and e6 in the rectangular wire. The flatwise forming surface 21 is a concave surface in which the forming portions of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 are partially convex. However, the flatwise forming surface 21 may be a convex surface in which the forming portions of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 are partially concave. The edgewise forming surface 22 includes a plurality of curved surfaces corresponding to the edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, and e6. The fixed die 20 is fixed to the surface (upper surface) of the base plate 11 so that the flatwise forming surface 21 faces upward. As a result, the flatwise forming surface 21 of the fixed mold 20 extends along the xy plane in Figures 1 and 3. Moreover, the edgewise forming surface 22 extends in the z-axis direction in Figures 1 and 3 and intersects with the xy plane.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 3, the first movable die 30 includes a flatwise forming surface 31 for forming the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 in the rectangular wire and curving the crossover portion 4. The flatwise forming surface 31 is a convex surface where the forming portions of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 are partially concave, but the flatwise forming surface 31 may also be a concave surface where the forming portions of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 are partially convex. The first movable die 30 is supported by the support frame 12 of the base member 15 so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die 20 on the base plate 11 along the z-axis direction (first direction) in Figs. 1 and 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a linear guide 35 is fixed to the support frame 12, which supports the slider 34 so that it can slide freely in the z-axis direction, i.e., the up-and-down direction (in this embodiment, the vertical direction), and the first movable mold 30 is fixed to the slider 34 so that the flatwise molding surface 31 faces the flatwise molding surface 21 of the fixed mold 20.

[0016] The second movable die 40 includes an edgewise forming surface 42 for forming edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, and e4 in the rectangular wire. The second movable die 40 is supported by the base plate 11 so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die 20 on the base plate 11 along the x-axis direction (second direction) perpendicular to the z-axis direction in Figs. 1 and 3. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, a linear guide (not shown) that supports a slider 44 slidably in the x-axis direction is fixed to the base plate 11, and the second movable die 40 is fixed to the slider 44 so that the edgewise forming surface 42 faces the edgewise forming surface 22 of the fixed die 20. As a result, the edgewise forming surface 42 of the second movable die 40 extends in the z-axis direction in Figs. 1 and 3 and intersects with the xy plane.

[0017] Each of the pair of wire bending members 50 includes a forming roller 51 which forms edgewise bent portions e5, e6 in the rectangular wire together with the edgewise forming surface 22 of the fixed die 20. Each wire bending member 50 is supported movably by the base plate 11 so that the forming roller 51 can approach and move away from the corresponding side portion of the fixed die 20 on the base plate 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of linear guides 55 are fixed to the base plate 11, each of which supports a slider 54 slidably in the x-axis direction, and each wire bending member 50 is fixed to the slider 54 so that the forming roller 51 faces the corresponding portion (side surface) of the edgewise forming surface 22 of the fixed die 20.

[0018] The molding die unit 10 configured as described above is fixed to a unit fixing location in a segment coil manufacturing station (arrangement space) in a factory. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the first movable die 30 of the molding die unit 10 is connected to a first actuator 300 as a drive device installed in the segment coil manufacturing station. The first actuator 300 includes, for example, a fluid pressure cylinder or an electric motor, and moves the first movable die 30 forward and backward in the z-axis direction in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. Furthermore, the second movable die 40 of the molding die unit 10 is connected to a second actuator 400 as a drive device installed in the segment coil manufacturing station. The second actuator 400 includes, for example, a fluid pressure cylinder or an electric motor, and moves the second movable die 40 forward and backward in the x-axis direction in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3.

[0019] Further, the pair of wire bending members 50 of the forming die unit 10 are connected to a third actuator 500 as a driving device installed in the segment coil manufacturing station. The third actuator 500 includes, for example, a fluid pressure cylinder or an electric motor, and moves the pair of wire bending members 50 forward and backward in the x-axis direction in Figs. 1 and 3. The first, second and third actuators 300, 400, 500 are all controlled by a control device (not shown). Note that, instead of the second and third actuators 400, 500, an actuator (driving device) that moves the second movable die 40 and the pair of wire bending members 50 forward and backward in the x-axis direction in conjunction with each other may be installed in the segment coil manufacturing station.

[0020] When manufacturing the segment coil 1 using the forming die unit 10, the control device (not shown) controls the first actuator 300 to move the first movable die 30 from the initial position along the z-axis direction toward the fixed die 20 by a predetermined distance, and the flatwise forming surfaces 21 and 31 are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval larger than the thickness of the rectangular wire in the short side direction. The control device also controls a wire feeder (not shown) to feed the rectangular wire between the flatwise forming surfaces 21 and 31. Furthermore, the control device controls the first actuator 300 to move the first movable die 30 further toward the fixed die 20 along the z-axis direction. As a result, the flatwise forming surface 21 of the fixed die 20 and the flatwise forming surface 31 of the first movable die 30 cooperate to form flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 in the straight rectangular wire, and the portion of the rectangular wire corresponding to the crossover portion 4 is curved. In this embodiment, the first actuator 300 is disposed so as to be located directly above the forming portions (load center) of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 (crank portion 6) of the flatwise forming surfaces 21 and 31. This makes it possible to effectively suppress deterioration in the forming accuracy of the flatwise bent portions f1 and f2 (crank portion 6) caused by bending of the fixed die 20 and the first movable die 30.

[0021] Next, the control device controls the second actuator 400 to move the second movable die 40 from the initial position to the fixed die 20 by a predetermined distance along the x-axis direction while the rectangular wire (crank portion 6) is held by the fixed die 20 and the first movable die 30 (the insulating coating is not dragged). As a result, the edgewise forming surface 42 of the second movable die 40 enters the gap in the z-axis direction between the flatwise forming surface 21 of the fixed die 20 and the flatwise forming surface 31 of the first movable die 30. Then, the edgewise forming surface 42 of the second movable die 40 and the edgewise forming surface 22 of the fixed die 20 cooperate to form edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, and e4 in the rectangular wire. In this embodiment, the second actuator 400 is disposed so as to face the processing center (load center) of the edgewise forming surfaces 22 and 42. This makes it possible to effectively prevent deterioration in the forming accuracy of the edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, and e4 due to bending of the fixed die 20 and the second movable die 40.

[0022] Furthermore, the control device controls the third actuator 500 to move the pair of wire bending members 50 a predetermined distance along the x-axis direction in a direction approaching the fixed die 20 while the rectangular wire is held by the fixed die 20 and the first and second movable dies 30, 40. As a result, each wire bending member 50 bends one of the corresponding parts of the rectangular wire protruding from the fixed die 20 and the first and second movable dies 30, 40 on both sides, and presses the end of the rectangular wire against the edgewise forming surface 22 (side surface) of the fixed die 20. As a result, edgewise bent portions e5, e6, i.e., two straight-extending leg portions 2, 3, are formed in the rectangular wire, and the manufacture of one segment coil 1 is completed. In this embodiment, the third actuator 500 is arranged so as to face the edgewise forming surface 22 and the processing center (load center) of the pair of wire bending members 50. This effectively prevents deterioration of the forming accuracy of the edgewise bent portions e5, e6 due to bending of the fixed die 20 and the pair of wire bending members 50.

[0023] As described above, the forming die unit 10 is used to manufacture the segment coil 1 by forming a plurality of flatwise bent portions f1, f2 and a plurality of edgewise bent portions e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6 in a straight rectangular wire (wire material), and includes a base member 15, a fixed die 20, a first movable die 30, a second movable die 40, and a pair of wire bending members 50. The fixed die 20 is fixed to the base plate 11 of the base member 15. The first movable die 30 is supported by the support frame 12 of the base member 15 so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die 20 along the z-axis direction (first direction). The second movable die 40 is supported by the base plate 11 of the base member 15 so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die 20 along the x-axis direction (second direction) perpendicular to the z-axis direction. The pair of wire bending members 50 are supported by the base plate 11 of the base member 15 so as to be movable along the x-axis direction. The first and second movable dies 30, 40 and the pair of wire bending members 50 are connected to the corresponding first, second or third actuators 300, 400, 500 installed in the segment coil manufacturing station, which is the arrangement space of the forming die unit 10. The first movable die 30 is driven by a corresponding drive device and cooperates with the fixed die 20 to form flatwise bent parts f1, f2 in the flatwise direction (first bending direction) on the rectangular wire. The second movable die 40 is driven by a corresponding drive device and cooperates with the fixed die 20 to form edgewise bent parts e1, e2, e3, e4 in the edgewise direction (second bending direction) on the rectangular wire. The pair of wire bending members 50 are driven by a corresponding drive device and bend the corresponding one of the parts protruding on both sides from the fixed die 20 and the first and second movable dies 30, 40 of the rectangular wire.

[0024] As a result, by preparing a forming die unit 10 for each of the segment coil 1 and other segment coils that form the stator coil, when the manufacturing target of the coil manufacturing station is changed from the segment coil 1 to another segment coil, by replacing (changing stages) the forming die unit 10, it is possible to easily and quickly replace multiple forming dies such as the fixed die 20, the first and second movable dies 30, and the pair of wire bending members 50 all at once, which makes it possible to further improve productivity in manufacturing the segment coil 1, etc. In addition, in a manufacturing facility including the forming die unit 10, the influence of the bending of the fixed die 20, the first and second movable dies 30, 40, and the pair of wire bending members 50 can be effectively reduced, so that the forming accuracy of the segment coil 1 can be effectively ensured, and the support structure that suppresses the bending of the movable die in particular can be simplified to reduce the size of the facility.

[0025] The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above embodiment is merely a specific form of the invention described in the Summary of the Invention, and does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0026] The invention disclosed herein can be used in the segment coil manufacturing industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 segment coil, 10 forming die unit, 15 base member, 20 fixed die, 21, 31 flatwise forming surface, 22, 42 edgewise forming surface, 30 first movable die, 40 second movable die, 50 wire bending member, 51 forming roller, 300 first actuator, 400 second actuator, 500 third actuator, e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6 edgewise bending portion, f1, f2 flatwise bending portion.

Claims

[Claim 1] A forming die unit for manufacturing a segment coil by forming a plurality of bent portions in a straight wire, A base member; A fixed mold fixed to the base member; a first movable die supported by the base member so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die along a first direction, and which cooperates with the fixed die to form the bent portion in the wire in a first bending direction; a second movable die supported by the base member so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed die along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and which cooperates with the fixed die to form the bent portion in the wire in a second bending direction; a pair of wire bending members that are supported by the base member so as to be movable along the second direction and that bend portions of the wire that protrude from both sides of the fixed die and the first and second movable dies, The first and second movable dies and the pair of wire bending members are connected to corresponding driving devices installed in the arrangement space of the forming die unit.

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