Flat wire bending apparatus

Abstract

To provide a flat wire bending apparatus capable of accurately bending portions that should be bent of a plurality of flat wires without positional deviation.SOLUTION: A flat wire bending apparatus 10 is for simultaneously bending in an edgewise direction a plurality of flat wires 1 that are stacked in a thickness direction, comprises: a first holding member 20 that holds a portion M of the stacked flat wires that should be bent of the plurality of flat wires 1 to clamp one side of the portion M; a second holding member 40 that clamps the other side; and a connecting shaft 60. The portion M that should be bent is arranged at a position that overlaps the connecting shaft 60, and the plurality of flat wires 1 are held between the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40. One side 1b of the plurality of flat wires 1 is bent while being pressed against the connecting shaft 60 by rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20 in this state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bending device for flat wires, which overlaps a plurality of flat wires in the thickness direction and simultaneously bends them in the edgewise direction. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional structure is known in which a rectangular wire is bent into a hairpin shape and both ends are inserted into two designated slots in a stator core, but in this structure, it is common to stack multiple rectangular wires to improve motor performance. In this case, the rectangular wires are bent into a hairpin shape one by one and then stacked in multiple pieces.

[0003] As an apparatus for bending a rectangular wire, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes a winding device that includes a wire supply means for feeding and holding the coil wire, a bending guide provided on the wire supply means side, a bending means for abutting the coil wire against the bending guide to bend it and form a coil, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the bending means.

[0004] In this winding device, while the coil wire material, which has been made into a flat wire, is fed through a wire material supply means, one widthwise side of the coil wire material is bent in the widthwise direction (edgewise direction) perpendicular to the thickness direction of the coil wire material by appropriately rotating a bending roller constituting the bending means in a clockwise direction (see Figures 3(a), (b), (c), and (d) of Patent Document 1).

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 listed below describes a winding device for a multi-stage coil for a transformer, which includes a supply unit that supplies a plurality of rectangular electric wires individually or in a stacked state, a forming unit that rolls and forms the wire portion that will become a curved portion when the rectangular electric wire is wound into a disk, and a winding unit that stacks the rectangular electric wires formed in the forming unit while winding them into a disk.

[0006] Before forming, this winding device guides the feed with a pair of left and right guide rollers, and a pair of upper and lower forming rollers roll and curve the portion that will become the curved portion of the disk. That is, the pair of forming rollers roll and stretch the curved portion more strongly toward the outside in the radial direction of the curvature, thereby forming the curve (see paragraph 0017 of Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6476472 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5155732 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The winding device described in Patent Document 1 cannot bend multiple flat wires at the same time. Also, the winding device described in Patent Document 2 bends multiple flat wires using a pair of upper and lower forming rollers, but the positions where the wires should be bent can sometimes be misaligned, making it impossible to bend multiple flat wires accurately.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bending device for rectangular wires that can accurately bend a plurality of rectangular wires without misalignment at the points where they should be bent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a flat wire bending device for stacking multiple flat wires in the thickness direction and simultaneously bending them in the edgewise direction, the device comprising: a first holding member that clamps the portion of the stacked multiple flat wires to be bent and holds one side of the portion; a second holding member that clamps the other side of the portion; and a connecting shaft that rotatably connects the first holding member and the second holding member, the portion to be bent is positioned so that it overlaps the connecting shaft, and the multiple flat wires are held by the first holding member and the second holding member, and in this state, by rotating the second holding member relative to the first holding member, one side of the multiple flat wires is pressed against the connecting shaft and bent.

[0011] According to the above invention, the first holding member and the second holding member are rotatably connected via a connecting shaft, and while both sides of the multiple flat square wires are held by the first holding member and the second holding member, by rotating the second holding member relative to the first holding member, one side of the multiple flat square wires is pressed against the connecting shaft and bent, so that the parts to be bent can be bent accurately without being misaligned.

[0012] In addition, since the first holding member and the second holding member are rotatably connected via a connecting shaft, the strength of the part that applies bending stress is increased, making it possible to create a structure that can easily withstand the high load when bending multiple flat wires in the edgewise direction.

[0013] In the flat wire bending device of the present invention, the portion of the connecting shaft that presses the multiple flat wires may be circular in shape and formed to fit the inner circumference of the bending portion of the multiple flat wires that is bent at the location to be bent.

[0014] According to the above aspect, the part of the connecting shaft that presses the flat wire has the above-mentioned shape, so that the inner peripheral shape of the bending part that is bent and molded at the place where the flat wire should be bent can be accurately bent and molded into an R shape.

[0015] In the flat wire bending device of the present invention, the first holding member has a base plate, a first holding plate supported opposite the base plate at a distance suitable for the width of the flat wire, an insertion portion for the multiple flat wires provided between the base plate and the first holding plate, and a first pressing portion that presses the flat wires inserted into the insertion portion in the thickness direction to maintain the overlapped state; the second holding member may have a pair of side plate portions that are rotatably supported relative to the first holding member via the connecting shaft, a second holding plate that is connected to both sides of the pair of side plate portions and is supported so that its inner surface is located on the same plane as the inner surface of the first holding plate when supported at an angle parallel to the first holding plate, and a second pressing portion that presses the multiple flat wires in the thickness direction to maintain the overlapped state when the multiple flat wires are inserted between the pair of side plate portions and the second holding plate.

[0016] According to the above aspect, the base plate, the first holding plate, and the first pressing portion of the first holding member can press both sides of the width direction and both sides of the thickness direction of the overlapping flat wires, thereby preventing the flat wires from shifting relative to each other during bending. Furthermore, the second holding member has a pair of side plates, a second holding plate, and a second pressing portion, so that the flat wires can be bent while pressing one side of the width direction of the multiple flat wires with the same surface, and the flat wires can be prevented from shifting relative to each other during bending. Furthermore, after bending is complete, the second holding plate can be moved away from the bent portion of the flat wire by the second holding plate and returned to its original rotated position.

[0017] In the bending and forming device for flat wires according to the present invention, a feeding device may be arranged on the opposite side of the first holding member from the connecting shaft, which feeds out the plurality of flat wires toward the connecting shaft.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned embodiment, after bending a predetermined portion of a plurality of flat wires, a predetermined length is fed out by a feeding device, and the operation of bending a different portion of the plurality of flat wires is repeated, thereby bending the flat wires at a plurality of positions, and manufacturing a hairpin-shaped coil that can be inserted into a slot of a stator core of a motor, for example. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the first holding member and the second holding member are rotatably connected via a connecting shaft, and while both sides of the multiple flat square wires are held by the first holding member and the second holding member, by rotating the second holding member relative to the first holding member, one side of the multiple flat square wires is pressed against the connecting shaft and bent, so that the parts to be bent can be bent accurately without being misaligned. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a flat wire bending device according to the present invention, showing a state before a second holding member is rotated relative to a first holding member. FIG. [Figure 2] 10 is a perspective view of the bending apparatus in a state where the second holding member has rotated relative to the first holding member. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a plan view of the bending apparatus in a state before the second holding member is rotated relative to the first holding member. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a side view of the bending apparatus in a state before the second holding member rotates relative to the first holding member. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bending apparatus in a state before the second holding member is rotated relative to the first holding member. FIG. [Figure 6A] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bending apparatus in a state before the second holding member rotates relative to the first holding member. FIG. [Figure 6B] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bending apparatus in a state where a second holding member has rotated relative to a first holding member. FIG. [Figure 7A] 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the first step of the bending process of a rectangular wire using the bending device. FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the second step. [Figure 7C] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the third step. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the fourth step. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the fifth step. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the sixth step. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the seventh step. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the bending device for rectangular wire according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] (One embodiment of a bending device for rectangular wire) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the bending apparatus for rectangular wires according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this flat wire bending device 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "bending device 10") is used to stack multiple flat wires 1 in the thickness direction T and simultaneously bend them in the edgewise direction.

[0023] The flat wire 1 extends a predetermined length, and its cross section (transverse cross section) perpendicular to its axial direction is rectangular. The direction along the thickness of the flat wire 1 is referred to as the "thickness direction T," and the direction along the width of the flat wire 1 perpendicular to the thickness is referred to as the "width direction W." Bending the flat wire 1 edgewise means bending it in the width direction W of the flat wire 1. As shown in Figure 2, the surface of the flat wire 1 in the thickness direction T is referred to as "surface 1a," one side of the width direction W is referred to as "one side 1b," and the other side of the width direction W is referred to as "other side 1c."

[0024] The bending device 10 in this embodiment includes a first holding member 20 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "first holding member 20") that clamps the portion M (see Figures 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B) of the overlapping flat wires 1 to be bent and holds one side of the portion M, a second holding member 40 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "second holding member 40") that clamps the other side of the portion M, and a connecting shaft 60 that rotatably connects the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40.

[0025] That is, of the portions of the flat wires 1 located on both sides of the desired bending point M in the extension direction (which can also be said to be both sides of the bending point M in between), one side (which can also be said to be one side in the extension direction) is clamped by the first holding member 20, and the other side (which can also be said to be the other side in the extension direction) is clamped by the second holding member 40.

[0026] In addition, this bending device 10 is configured so that the area M to be bent is positioned so that it overlaps the connecting shaft 60, and multiple flat wires 1 are held by the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40 (see Figures 1, 3, 5, and 6A), and by rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20 in this state, one side 1b of the multiple flat wires 1 in the width direction is pressed against the connecting shaft 60 and bent (see Figures 2, 4, and 6B).

[0027] First, the first holding member 20 will be described in detail.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5, the first holding member 20 has a substrate 21, a first holding plate 22 supported opposite the substrate 21 at a distance that matches the width of the flat wire 1, an insertion portion 23 (see Figure 5) for multiple flat wires 1 that is provided between the substrate 21 and the first holding plate 22, and a first pressing portion 24 that presses the flat wire 1 inserted into the insertion portion 23 in the thickness direction T to maintain the overlapped state.

[0029] In this embodiment, the substrate 21 is a substantially rectangular plate having a predetermined width and a predetermined length. The direction in which the rectangular wire 1 is fed out of the substrate 21 is referred to as the "extension direction X," the direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the substrate 21 in a plan view is referred to as the "width direction Y," and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the "thickness direction Z." These directions X, Y, and Z have the same meanings in the other members of the first holding member 20 other than the substrate 21 and in the second holding member 40.

[0030] A stepped bearing portion 21b is formed along the width direction Y at the tip end 21a of the substrate 21 in the extension direction X. The bearing portion 21b supports both ends of the connecting shaft 60. A recess 21c of a predetermined depth is formed on one side of the substrate 21 in the width direction Y, near the tip end 21a. The recess 21c prevents interference between the surface of the substrate 21 and a pair of pressing members 28, 28 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, and contributes to improving the operability of the pair of pressing members 28, 28.

[0031] The first holding plate 22 has a generally rectangular plate shape and is smaller than the base plate 21, and is fixed to the base plate 21 by a plurality of fixing members 25 (bolts, etc.). A narrow protruding piece 22a protrudes from the tip of the first holding plate 22 in the extension direction X.

[0032] Furthermore, a pair of guide grooves 22b, 22b extending parallel to each other in the width direction Y are formed on the base end side of the protrusion 22a and at a location near the tip end of the first holding plate 22. Also, a plurality of screw holes 22d, 22d (see FIGS. 3 and 5) are formed on one side 22c of the first holding plate 22 in the width direction Y, at a position near the tip end in the extension direction X. The surface of the first holding plate 22 facing the other side 1c in the width direction of the rectangular wire 1 in the thickness direction Z is referred to as an "inner surface 22e" (see FIG. 6).

[0033] 5, an insertion section 23 having a notched groove shape is formed on the inside of the first holding plate 22, extending along the extension direction X of the first holding plate 22. A plurality of flat wires 1 are inserted into this insertion section 23 in a state where they are stacked in the thickness direction T. Here, the plurality of flat wires 1 are stacked with their surfaces 1a facing the thickness direction T facing each other.

[0034] 5, a pressing body 26 having a substantially rectangular block shape is disposed on one side in the width direction Y (the lower side of the paper in FIG. 5) within the insertion portion 23. A plurality of rectangular wires 1 are disposed in a stacked state between this pressing body 26 and the other inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 in the width direction Y (the inner surface on the upper side of the paper in FIG. 5).

[0035] Furthermore, one end of a pair of screw-shaft-shaped guide members 27, 27 slidably inserted into the pair of guide grooves 22b, 22b is fixed to the upper surface of the thickness direction side of the pressing body 26. This allows the pressing body 26 to be slidably guided in a direction approaching or moving away from the plurality of flat wires 1.

[0036] Furthermore, a pair of screw-shaft-shaped pressing members 28, 28 are rotatably connected to one side of the pressing body 26 in the width direction Y and are screwed into a pair of screw holes 22d, 22d of the first holding plate 22. Therefore, by rotating the pair of pressing members 28, 28 relative to the pair of screw holes 22d, 22d in the fastening direction or in the loosening direction opposite to the fastening direction, it is possible to perform an advance / retraction movement of the pressing body 26 so as to move it closer to or away from the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 (see FIG. 5).

[0037] Then, by bringing the pressing body 26 close to the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 via the pair of pressing members 28, 28, the plurality of flat wires 1 are clamped between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26, and the plurality of flat wires 1 are pressed in the thickness direction T. This pressing body 26 and the pair of pressing members 28, 28 form the "first pressing portion 24" in the present invention.

[0038] In this way, one side of the multiple flat wires 1 is overlapped in the thickness direction T, and is clamped between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26 and pressed in the thickness direction T, thereby being held by the first holding member 20.

[0039] In addition, it is preferable to provide a widthwise clamp on the first holding member 20, in which the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 is brought close to or separated from the surface of the substrate 21, so that both sides 1b, 1c of the flat wire 1 in the width direction W can be clamped between the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 and the surface of the substrate 21.

[0040] Next, the second holding member 40 will be described in detail.

[0041] The second holding member 40 has a pair of side plate portions 41, 42 supported rotatably relative to the first holding member 20 via a connecting shaft 60, a second holding plate 43 connected on both sides to the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 and supported so that when supported at an angle parallel to the first holding plate 22, its inner surface 43a (see Figure 6A) is positioned on the same plane as the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22, and a second pressing portion 44 (see Figure 5) that presses the multiple flat square wires 1 in the thickness direction T to maintain the overlapping state when the multiple flat square wires 1 are inserted between the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 and the second holding plate 43.

[0042] The pair of side plate portions 41, 42 are generally rectangular in shape and extend a predetermined length, and are arranged parallel to each other. A generally rectangular second holding plate 43 is fixed to one end surface of the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 in the thickness direction Z by a plurality of fixing members 45.

[0043] As described above, by assembling a pair of side plate portions 41, 42 and the second retaining plate 43, a storage section 46 is formed inside which multiple flat wires 1 are stored and arranged, and an assembly having an approximately U-shaped frame shape is formed, with one side 1b (lower side) in the width direction W of the flat wire 1 and the extension direction side (front side) of the flat wire 1 being open.

[0044] The surface of the second holding plate 43 in the thickness direction Z, which faces the other side 1c in the width direction of the rectangular wire 1, is referred to as an "inner surface 43a" (see FIG. 6).

[0045] In addition, base ends 41a, 42a of the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 in the extension direction X protrude slightly further than the base end of the second holding plate 43, and these pair of base ends 41a, 42a are rotatably arranged on both sides of the protruding piece 22a of the first holding plate 22 in the width direction Y (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, shaft insertion holes 41b, 42b, through which the connecting shaft 60 is inserted, are formed in the base ends 41a, 42a of the pair of side plate portions 41, 42.

[0046] The connecting shaft 60 will be described in relation to the shaft insertion holes 41b, 42b. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft 60 has a generally cylindrical shape that extends longer than the maximum width between the base ends 41a, 42a of the pair of side plate portions 41, 42. The connecting shaft 60 is rotatably inserted into the shaft insertion holes 41b, 42b, and both axial ends thereof are inserted into the pair of shaft insertion holes 41b, 42b of the second holding member 40. The inserted portions 61 are placed on the bearing portions 21b of the first holding member 20 and are pressed and fixed by the pair of bearing members 30.

[0047] In addition, notched grooves are provided on both sides of the protrusion 22a of the first retaining plate 22 in the width direction Y, into which the base ends 41a, 42a of the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 fit, and the second retaining member 40 is rotatably connected to the first retaining member 20 via a connecting shaft 60.

[0048] By rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20 via the connecting shaft 60, one side 1b in the width direction W of the multiple flat wires 1 stacked in the thickness direction T is pressed against the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60, and is bent along the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60. The portion of the connecting shaft 60 that presses the multiple flat wires 1 has a circular shape formed to fit the inner periphery of the bent portion of the multiple flat wires 1 to be bent at the location M to be bent (here, the inner periphery of one side 1b in the width direction W of the bent portion of the multiple flat wires 1). In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the middle portion 62 of the connecting shaft 60 has a circular shape that fits the R-shape of the inner periphery of one side 1b in the width direction W of the bent portion of the multiple flat wires 1.

[0049] Returning to the explanation of the second holding member 40, a pair of guide grooves 43b, 43b extending parallel to each other in the width direction Y are formed on the base end side of the second holding plate 43 between the pair of side plate portions 41, 42. In addition, a plurality of screw holes 41c, 41c are formed in one of the side plate portions 41 at positions closer to the base end in the extension direction X.

[0050] 5, a pressing body 47 having a substantially rectangular block shape is disposed inside the accommodation portion 46 on one side in the width direction Y (the lower side of the paper in FIG. 5). A plurality of rectangular wires 1 are disposed in a stacked state between the pressing body 47 and the inner surface 42c in the width direction Y of one side plate portion 41 (the inner surface on the upper side of the paper in FIG. 5).

[0051] One end of a pair of screw-shaft-shaped guide members 48, 48 slidably inserted into the pair of guide grooves 43b, 43b is fixed to the upper surface of the pressing body 47 in the thickness direction. This allows the pressing body 47 to be slidably guided in a direction approaching or moving away from the plurality of flat wires 1.

[0052] Furthermore, a pair of screw-shaft-shaped pressing members 49, 49 are rotatably connected to one side of the pressing body 47 in the width direction Y and are screwed into a pair of screw holes 41c, 41c of the side plate portion 41. Therefore, by rotating the pair of pressing members 49, 49 relative to the pair of screw holes 41c, 41c in the fastening direction or in the loosening direction opposite to the fastening direction, the pressing body 47 can be advanced or retreated so as to approach or move away from the inner surface 42c of the other side plate portion 42.

[0053] Then, by bringing the pressing body 47 close to the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 via the pair of pressing members 49, 49, the plurality of flat wires 1 are clamped between the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47, and the plurality of flat wires 1 are pressed in the thickness direction T. This pressing body 47 and the pair of pressing members 49, 49 form the "second pressing portion 44" in the present invention.

[0054] The multiple flat wires 1 are clamped and held between the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47, but the pressing force is adjusted so that when a strong tensile force is applied during the process of bending and forming the multiple flat wires 1, they will slip against the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47, allowing them to shift in the extension direction X.

[0055] In the embodiment described above, the pressing action of the first pressing part 24 and the second pressing part 44 against the flat wire 1 is performed by a so-called screw shaft structure, which moves back and forth, but the pressing action of each pressing part may also be performed by, for example, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, an electric actuator, etc., and is not particularly limited.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the connecting shaft 60 is held at both ends by the bearing portion 21b and the pair of bearing members 30, 30, but the holding structure of the connecting shaft 60 is not limited to this.

[0057] When bending multiple flat wires 1 using this bending device 10, first, as shown in Figures 4 and 6A, the points M of the multiple flat wires 1 to be bent are positioned so that they overlap the connecting shaft 60, and then, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the multiple flat wires 1 are held by the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40.

[0058] In the above state, as shown in Figures 2, 4 (imaginary lines), and 6B, by rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20, one side 1b of the width direction of the multiple flat square wires 1 is bent and formed while being pressed against the connecting shaft 60.

[0059] Also, as shown in Figure 6A, before the second holding member 40 rotates relative to the first holding member 20, the second holding member 40 takes a position in which the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 of the first holding member 20 and the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43 of the second holding member 40 are on the same plane.

[0060] On the other hand, when the second holding member 40 rotates relative to the first holding member 20 via the connecting shaft 60, the second holding member 40 rotates relative to the first holding member 20 via the connecting shaft 60 so that the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43 of the second holding member 40 approaches the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 of the first holding member 20, as shown in Figure 6B. At this time, the other side 1c of the multiple flat wires 1 in the width direction W is pressed against the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43 of the second holding member 40.

[0061] The rotation of the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20 can be achieved, for example, by pressing the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20 with a rod or pusher operated by a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, an electric actuator, or the like, or by disposing an opening / closing device that opens and closes with a motor or the like between the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40. In this embodiment, the rod R shown in FIG. 3 presses the second holding plate 43, causing the second holding member 40 to rotate relative to the first holding member 20.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a feeding device 70 for feeding the plurality of rectangular wires 1 toward the connecting shaft 60 is disposed on the opposite side of the first holding member 20 from the connecting shaft 60.

[0063] The feeding device 70 of this embodiment has an operating unit 71 that can move back and forth in the extension direction of multiple flat wires 1 by a driving means not shown, and a holding unit 73 that is connected to the operating unit 71 and has a pair of holding arms 73a, 73a that can hold the base ends (ends on one side in the extension direction) of multiple flat wires 1.

[0064] (Rectangular wire bending process) 7A, 7B, 7C, 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B, the bending (bending) process of a plurality of rectangular wires 1 using the bending device 10 will be described below. Note that in FIGS. 7 to 9, the configuration of the bending device 10 is shown in a simplified state.

[0065] First, the flat wires 1 are stacked in the thickness direction T with their surfaces 1a facing each other, as shown in Figure 7A, and one side of each of the flat wires 1 is inserted into the insertion portion 23 of the first holding member 20, and the other side is accommodated in the accommodation portion 46 of the second holding member 40, and the flat wires 1 are arranged such that one widthwise side 1b at the location M where the flat wires 1 are to be bent is in contact with the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60.

[0066] In addition, by bringing the pressing body 26 of the first pressing portion 24 close to the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23, one side of the multiple flat square wires 1 is clamped between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26 and pressed in the thickness direction T, and by bringing the pressing body 47 of the second pressing portion 44 close to the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42, the other side of the multiple flat square wires 1 is clamped between the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47 and pressed in the thickness direction T.

[0067] At this time, the second pressing portion 44 restricts the movement of the multiple flat wires 1 in the width direction W, but when a strong tensile force is applied during bending, the pressing force on the multiple flat wires 1 is adjusted so that the first and second holding members 20, 40 are allowed to move in the extension direction X.

[0068] In addition, a feeding device 70 is arranged outside the base end of the flat wire 1 in the extension direction, and the base end of the flat wire 1 is previously held by a pair of holding arms 73a, 73a of the holding portion 73. By moving the feeding device 70, the flat wire 1 is inserted into the insertion portion 23 of the first holding member 20 and the storage portion 46 of the second holding member 40, and the position in the feeding direction is adjusted so that one side 1b in the width direction of the portion M to be bent of the multiple flat wires 1 is in contact with the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60.

[0069] 7C, in the above state, the second holding member 40 is rotated relative to the first holding member 20 so that the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43 approaches the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22. As a result, one side 1b in the width direction W of the portions M to be bent of the flat wires 1 is pressed against the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60 and bent edgewise (first bending). At this time, since the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60 is circular, one side 1b in the width direction W of the flat wires 1 becomes an arc-shaped inner periphery that fits the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60.

[0070] After bending the flat wires 1 at a predetermined angle in the edgewise direction in this way, the pair of pressing members 28, 28 is loosened to weaken the clamping force between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26, allowing the flat wires 1 to move in the feed direction. Similarly, the pair of pressing members 49, 49 is loosened to weaken the clamping force between the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47, allowing the flat wire 1 to move in the feed direction.

[0071] 8A, the operating part 71 of the feeding device 70 is advanced to feed the plurality of flat wires 1 forward (the bent portions M' of the plurality of flat wires 1 are fed in a direction away from the connecting shaft 60). Here, the plurality of flat wires 1 are fed until one side 1b in the width direction W of the portion M to be bent next overlaps with the connecting shaft 60.

[0072] Then, the pair of pressing members 28, 28 are fastened to clamp one side of the flat wire 1 between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26, and the pair of pressing members 49, 49 are fastened to clamp the other side of the flat wire 1. In this state, as shown in Fig. 8B, by rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20, one side 1b in the width direction W of the portions M to be bent of the multiple flat wires 1 is pressed against the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60 and bent (second bending).

[0073] Next, the pair of pressing members 28, 28 are loosened to weaken the clamping force between the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23 and the pressing body 26, and the pair of pressing members 49, 49 are loosened to weaken the clamping force between the inner surface 42c of the side plate portion 42 and the pressing body 47, allowing the flat wire 1 to move in the feeding direction. Then, as shown in Figure 9A, the operating part 71 of the feeding device 70 is advanced to feed the multiple flat wires 1 forward (the bent portions M' of the multiple flat wires 1 are fed in a direction away from the connecting shaft 60). Then, one side 1b in the width direction W of the portion M to be bent next in the multiple flat wires 1 is fed to a position overlapping the connecting shaft 60.

[0074] Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, by rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20, one side 1b in the width direction W of the portions M to be bent of the multiple flat wires 1 is bent while being pressed against the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 60 (third bending).

[0075] As a result, the flat wires 1 are bent at three locations at a predetermined interval in the direction of extension (see bent portion M'), and are formed into a bent shape (approximately a hairpin shape) that is roughly U-shaped with the bottom bent to form an approximately triangular mountain shape (see Figure 9B).

[0076] (Action and effect) Next, the effects of the bending apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.

[0077] That is, in this bending device 10, the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40 are rotatably connected via a connecting shaft 60, and both sides of the multiple flat square wires 1 (one side and the other side of the point M to be bent) are held by the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40. By rotating the second holding member 40 relative to the first holding member 20, one side 1b in the width direction W of the multiple flat square wires 1 is pressed against the connecting shaft 60 and bent. Therefore, the multiple flat square wires 1 can be bent accurately without the point M to be bent being misaligned.

[0078] Furthermore, since the first holding member 20 and the second holding member 40 are rotatably connected via the connecting shaft 60, the strength of the part that applies bending stress is increased, making it possible to create a structure that can easily withstand the high load when bending multiple flat wires 1 in the edgewise direction.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of the connecting shaft 60 that presses the multiple flat wires 1 has a circular shape formed to fit the inner circumference of the bending portion of the multiple flat wires 1 that is bent and formed at the location M to be bent.

[0080] According to the above embodiment, the part of the connecting shaft 60 that presses the flat wire 1 has the above-mentioned shape, so that the inner peripheral shape of the bending portion that is bent and molded at the location M where the multiple flat wires 1 should be bent can be accurately bent and molded to have an R shape.

[0081] In addition, in this embodiment, the first holding member 20 has a substrate 21, a first holding plate 22 supported opposite the substrate 21 at a distance that matches the width of the flat square wire 1, an insertion portion 23 for multiple flat square wires 1 that is provided between the substrate 21 and the first holding plate 22, and a first pressing portion 24 that presses the flat square wire 1 inserted into the insertion portion 23 in the thickness direction T to maintain the overlapped state.

[0082] Furthermore, the second holding member 40 has a pair of side plate portions 41, 42 supported rotatably relative to the first holding member 20 via a connecting shaft 60, a second holding plate 43 connected on both sides to the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 and supported so that when supported at an angle parallel to the first holding plate 22, its inner surface 43a (see Figure 6A) is positioned on the same plane as the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22, and a second pressing portion 44 that presses the multiple flat square wires 1 in the thickness direction T to maintain the overlapping state when the multiple flat square wires 1 are inserted between the pair of side plate portions 41, 42 and the second holding plate 43.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, the substrate 21, the first holding plate 22 and the first pressing portion 24 of the first holding member 20 can press both sides 1b, 1c in the width direction W and both sides 1a, 1a in the thickness direction T of the overlapping flat square wires 1, thereby suppressing the flat square wires from shifting relative to each other during bending.

[0084] Furthermore, the second holding member 40 has a pair of side plates 41, 42, a second holding plate 43, and a second pressing portion 44, so that both sides 1b, 1c of the flat wires 1 in the width direction W can be pressed by the same surface (the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43) as the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 to bend the flat wires 1, and can suppress misalignment of the flat wires during bending. Furthermore, after bending is completed, the second holding plate 43 can be moved away from the bent portion of the flat wire 1 and returned to its original rotated position.

[0085] In this embodiment, a feeding device 70 that feeds out the plurality of rectangular wires 1 toward the connecting shaft 60 is disposed on the opposite side of the first holding member 20 from the connecting shaft 60.

[0086] According to the above embodiment, after bending a predetermined portion of a plurality of flat wires 1, a predetermined length is fed out by the feeding device 70, and by repeating the operation of bending a different portion of the plurality of flat wires 1, the flat wire 1 can be bent at a plurality of positions, and for example, a hairpin-shaped coil can be manufactured to be inserted into a slot of a stator core of a motor.

[0087] (Another embodiment of the bending device for rectangular wire) Another embodiment of the bending apparatus for bending rectangular wire according to the present invention is shown in Figure 10. Note that parts that are essentially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0088] The flat wire bending apparatus 10A of this embodiment (hereinafter also referred to simply as "bending apparatus 10A") differs from the previous embodiment mainly in that it is equipped with a width-directional clamp 35 and a third holding member, and that the connecting shaft has a double-tube structure.

[0089] A widthwise clamp 35 is disposed above the first holding plate 22 constituting the first holding member 20, and as this widthwise clamp 35 moves up and down, the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 approaches or moves away from the surface of the substrate 21. This widthwise clamp 35 presses the other side 1c in the width direction W of the multiple flat wires 1, and both sides 1b, 1c of the flat wires 1 in the width direction W are clamped between the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22 and the surface of the substrate 21, thereby making it possible to hold multiple flat wires 1.

[0090] The connecting shaft 60A has a double-tube structure consisting of a generally cylindrical central shaft 64 and a generally cylindrical outer tubular portion 65 that is axially slidable radially outward of the central shaft 64. The outer tubular portion 65 moves toward or away from the flat wires 1 in the thickness direction T, and its axial tip portion 65a presses the surfaces 1a of the flat wires 1 in the thickness direction T.

[0091] Furthermore, this bending device 10A is provided with a third holding member 80 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "third holding member 80") for holding a portion of each of the plurality of flat wires 1 that is closer to one end than the portion held by the first holding member 20.

[0092] This third holding member 80 is composed of a base 81 having a slot 81a into which multiple flat square wires 1 are inserted while stacked in the thickness direction T, a third pressing portion 83 that is slidably arranged on one side of the width direction Y of the base 81 and presses and holds the surfaces 1a of the multiple flat square wires 1 in the thickness direction T, and a widthwise clamp 85 that presses and holds the other side 1c of the multiple flat square wires 1 in the width direction W.

[0093] In addition, this embodiment has a structure for preventing slippage between the rectangular wires 1 and between the rectangular wire 1 and each pressing portion.

[0094] For example, (1) the surface of the substrate 21, where one side 1b of the flat wire 1 in the width direction W is arranged, (2) the inner surface 22e of the first holding plate 22, (3) the inner surface 23a of the insertion portion 23, (4) the tip pressing surface of the first pressing portion 24 (the surface pressing the surface 1a in the thickness direction T of the flat wire 1), (5) the inner surface 43a of the second holding plate 43, (6) the tip pressing surface of the second pressing portion 44 (the surface pressing the surface 1a in the thickness direction T of the flat wire 1), (7) the slot of the third holding member 80. It is preferable to apply a surface treatment (e.g., filing, knurling, sallaz polishing, etc.) to one or all of the following surfaces to increase the friction between each component and the flat wire 1: (1) the inner surface of the clamp 81a (the surface on which one side 1b of the flat wire 1 in the width direction W is placed), (2) the tip pressing surface of the third pressing portion 83 (the surface that presses the surface 1a in the thickness direction T of the flat wire 1), and (3) the tip pressing surface of the width-direction clamp 85 (the surface that presses the other side 1c of the flat wire 1 in the width direction W).

[0095] According to the above configuration, the same effects as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 can be obtained.

[0096] However, when bending multiple flat wires 1 using the bending forming device 10A, the portion M of the multiple flat wires 1 to be bent may bulge toward the other side 1c of the width direction W of the flat wire 1, etc.

[0097] At this time, in this embodiment, the tip 65a of the outer tube portion 65 of the connecting shaft 60A, which has a double tube structure as described above, presses the surface 1a in the thickness direction T of the multiple flat square wires 1, particularly the flat square wire 1 (the flat square wire 1 on the front side of the paper in Figure 10) that is arranged closer to one of the side plate portions 41 among the multiple flat square wires 1, so that the flat square wire 1 can be bent while suppressing bulging at the point M to be bent as described above.

[0098] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 10,10A Rectangular Wire Bending Machine (Bending Machine) 20 First holding member (first holding member) 21 PCB 22 1st holding plate 23 Insertion section 24 First pressing part 30 Bearing material 40 second holding member (second holding member) 41,42 Side plate part 43 Second holding plate 44 Second pressing part 60,60A connecting shaft 70 Delivery device 80 third holding member (third holding member)

Claims

1. A flat wire bending device for overlapping a plurality of flat wires in the thickness direction and simultaneously bending them in the edgewise direction, a first holding member that sandwiches a portion of the plurality of overlapping flat wires to be bent and holds one side of the portion; a second holding member that holds the other side of the portion; a connecting shaft that rotatably connects the first holding member and the second holding member, A flat wire bending device characterized in that the area to be bent is positioned so that it overlaps the connecting shaft, the multiple flat wires are held by the first holding member and the second holding member, and in this state, the second holding member is rotated relative to the first holding member, so that one side of the multiple flat wires is pressed against the connecting shaft and bent.

2. The portion of the connecting shaft that presses the plurality of rectangular wires is 2. The bending device for a rectangular wire according to claim 1, wherein the bending device has a circular shape formed to fit the inner periphery of the bent portion of each of the plurality of rectangular wires to be bent at the location to be bent.

3. The first holding member has a substrate, a first holding plate supported opposite the substrate at a distance that matches the width of the flat wire, an insertion portion for the flat wires provided between the substrate and the first holding plate, and a first pressing portion that presses the flat wires inserted into the insertion portion in the thickness direction to maintain the overlapped state, The second holding member has a pair of side plate portions that are rotatably supported relative to the first holding member via the connecting shaft, a second holding plate that is connected to both sides of the pair of side plate portions and is supported so that its inner surface is located on the same plane as the inner surface of the first holding plate when supported at an angle parallel to the first holding plate, and a second pressing portion that presses the multiple flat wires in the thickness direction to maintain a stacked state when the multiple flat wires are inserted between the pair of side plate portions and the second holding plate.

4. The flat wire bending device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a feeding device is arranged on the opposite side of the connecting shaft in the first holding member, which feeds out the plurality of flat wires toward the connecting shaft side.

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