System and process for assembling a stator or rotor winding - Patents.com

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assembly and insertion system for assembling and inserting a winding (200) having one or more layers of elementary conductors into a stator pack (400). The system comprises a circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) of elementary conductors having a series of spaces or slots (550), as well as a removable insertion means (210, 220, 230) for inserting the elementary conductors into the circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) and a rotation means for such circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) about a winding axis (200A). The system further comprises a rotary table (300) configured to rotate about a table axis (300A) to bring the circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) from a first winding assembly position (200) to a winding insertion position for insertion into the stator pack (400). The windings are assembled on one side of the table, while the feeding means of the stator pack (400) as well as the relative introduction means of said windings (200) into the stator pack (400) at said insertion position act on the opposite side. The present invention further relates to a process for assembly and insertion of a stator winding (200) into a stator pack (400), the process making use of the assembly and insertion system of the present invention.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and process for assembling a stator winding or rotor winding. [Background technology]

[0002] It is generally known to manufacture stators or rotors for application in electric machines such as generators or motors, for example hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), where the stator or rotor winding consists of a number of bent rod conductors, variously interconnected with each other to obtain an electrical winding, also known as a "rod winding". Said bent rod conductors are also called "hairpin conductors" or simply "hairpins". The rod winding may be constituted by one or more groups of concentric windings, sometimes known as "crowns", each group of windings already being a winding ("winding set") in itself.

[0003] In particular, windings with hairpins having a circular cross section (also called "round wire conductors") or a rectangular cross section, or with conductors having a variable cross-sectional shape along their length (e.g. a round conductor that is rectangularized at the portion received in the slot), are known in the prior art. In this regard, a "rectangular" or "square" conductor wire means herein a wire having four substantially flat sides, each joined to an adjacent side by a generally rounded edge. Bar conductors having a trapezoidal cross section are also known.

[0004] The aforementioned rod conductors are usually preformed by starting from a straight rod conductor and bending it into a "U" or "P" shape. In US Patent No. 7,480,987, an example of a method for preforming a straight rod conductor to form a hairpin is described. A "U" or "P" shaped preform conductor is also often called a "preformed base conductor" in the art and generally has adjacent legs of equal or different lengths, each leg being provided with a free end and an opposite end connected to the other leg by a bridge-like connection. The ends protrude when inserted into a rotor or stator, and are therefore referred to below as "free protrusions" and "opposite protrusion connections". The protruding connections may also be referred to as "heads" or "bridge-like connections". The entirety of the "heads" of the legs of the same hairpin forms a so-called "bridge-like connection".

[0005] 1(a), a hairpin 255 is preformed from a rod conductor (not shown) by bending it to form a first leg 255a with a corresponding free protruding end 255aE and a second leg 255b with a corresponding free protruding end 255bE. The bent shape simultaneously forms a bridge-like connection 255c between the two legs 255a, 255b. The preformed hairpin is in this example in the shape of a flattened "U". It is known to subject preformed hairpins, for example "U" or "P" shaped, to two different types of twisting in order to form stators for electric machines.

[0006] The stator core or rotor core of a radial flux electric machine is essentially a ring with two flat faces and two cylindrical surfaces, with the generator perpendicular to the two flat faces parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor of the electric machine. Radial, circumferential and axial directions refer hereinafter to the latter axis, unless otherwise specified. One of the two cylindrical surfaces is at least partially adjacent to the air gap of the electric machine to which said stator or rotor belongs and defines a series of slots in which straight sections of the windings are accommodated. The two flat faces are divided into an insertion face or insertion side and a surface or side opposite to the insertion side. The part of the winding protruding from said core is called the head. The free end of the conductor, which is mainly subject to welding, belongs to the head protruding from the side opposite the insertion side. If there are protruding parts of the windings that are connected in a bridge-like manner to the legs inserted in the stator slots, they belong to the head protruding from the insertion side. The parts protruding from the insertion side, either free or connected in a bridge-like manner, are hereinafter referred to as parts protruding from the insertion side.

[0007] The areas of the stator or rotor core between the slots and adjacent slots are called teeth. The number of teeth is equal to the number of slots. Also, the connection of the teeth of the core that defines the portion of each slot and is located relatively opposite the slot opening on the machine air gap is called the yoke.

[0008] The slots may be divided into an array of respective positions in which the legs of the elementary conductors may be placed. Conductors accommodated in the same radial position of the slots define a so-called winding layer.

[0009] In the first type of twisting, also called "insertion-side twisting", the preformed elementary conductors are suitably inserted into corresponding radially aligned pockets or "slots" provided in a twisting device adapted to deform such conductors after insertion. The twisting device is essentially used to "spread out" the legs of a "U" or "P" shape, so that the two legs of each conductor can be inserted into a corresponding pair of slots of the stator core after withdrawal of the latter from the device, the pair of slots being angularly offset from each other by a predetermined distance substantially equal to the angular distance between the slots into which the legs are inserted, and each radially spaced apart by the radial distance between the slot positions occupied by the legs.

[0010] Starting from the preformed hairpin, for example but not limited to, a hairpin of a shape suitable for insertion into a stator (or rotor) as shown in FIG. 1(a) is formed by spreading the legs 255a, 255b and forming a bridge-like connection 255c, for example to obtain the shape of FIG. 1(b). Reference 255p indicates the pitch of the hairpin, i.e. the linear or angular distance between the legs, or the distance related to the slot pitch. It should be noted in this case that the central apex 255c2 of the formed hairpin is a basic conductor whose cross section undergoes a rotation of 180° with respect to the central surface of the hairpin (the surface passing through the inside of the hairpin and including the two legs). Such a rotation is useful for hairpins of several layers defined below after transposing the layers (exchanging slot positions), thus reducing the eddy currents flowing through the ends of the layers when they are welded, compared to the case when the same layers run parallel without exchanging slot positions in the transition from one leg to the other.

[0011] Patent application published under US2009 / 0178270 discloses an example of an insertion-side twisting method for twisting a preformed rod conductor with a uniform pitch after a hairpin is inserted into a pocket of a twisting device having a rectangular cross section.

[0012] According to the prior art, and referring to Figure 2, hairpins can also be obtained by molding, a process in which a straight conductor is pressed against a backing member in a punch and die type system. Figure 2(a) shows such a molded conductor, which does not have a cross section rotated relative to the mid-plane of the hairpin.

[0013] This molded hairpin obtained as described above or the preformed and expanded hairpin can be subjected to so-called "weld side twist" when it is possible to introduce a "step-like" shape into the protruding portions of the legs 255a, 255b, for example when the leg 255a has a first straight portion 255a1, a step-like portion 255a2, and a second straight portion 255a3 (substantially corresponding to portion 255aE in FIG. 1) as shown in FIG. 2(b).

[0014] 3, the shape of the insertion protrusion or bridge-like connection 255c of the molded hairpin may have three portions 255c1, 255c3, 255c2 (not visible from the perspective of FIG. 3) starting from the connection with the second leg 255b and ending with the connection with the first leg 255a. The portion 255c1 has a main extension direction B and a radius of curvature RB, the portion 255c3 has a main extension direction A and a radius of curvature RA, and the portion 255c2 has a main extension direction C (and possibly its curvature, not shown). In the following, the portion 255c2 is referred to as a "layer-changing bend" and indeed whereby the head and legs of the hairpin are in different layers when inserted into their respective slots in the stator pack. Reference α1 denotes the angle between direction A and direction C, reference α2 denotes the angle between direction A and direction B, and reference α3 denotes the angle between direction B and direction C, which is equal to the sum of angles α1 and α2. This is only one final possible shape of the hairpin, all other shapes with different parts and structures of both the bridge and the legs can be used in the devices and methods according to the present specification.

[0015] There are also conductors defined as "reverse" conductors (not shown), which are hairpins whose bend direction in the bridge-like connection is opposite to most of the hairpins forming the same winding. These are used to go from the last layer of one crown to the first layer of the next crown.

[0016] Still referring to FIG. 4A, there is a layered ("strand") hairpin with a cross-sectional inversion at the bending point (FIG. 4A(a)), which causes an exchange of positions occupied by the layers. As can be seen from the type of hatching in the cross-section of FIG. 4A(a), with said inversion or exchange of positions, the top layer in the pair of layers in the left slot is below the other layer in the right slot. In other hairpin shapes, the transposition can be continuous along the hairpin portion housed in the slot (FIG. 4A(b); US3837072). The variant shown in FIG. 4B is a layered hairpin without inversion and is shown in US8552611B2. FIG. 4C (taken from FIG. 6 of US6894417B2) shows a variant of the arrangement of the legs of a layered hairpin in a double crown winding with different positions of the slots. The references A and B indicate the crowns to which the legs (belonging to different hairpins) shown in the slots belong.

[0017] Furthermore, there are conductors called "I-pins", i.e. conductors housed in a single slot and having a portion with free ends protruding from both flat faces of the stator core when in the slot. Figure 4D shows an example of an I-pin, which does not necessarily have all the illustrated changes of direction, but could have none, and which can be bent from the output side of the assembly drum of the hairpin winding. The end of the I-pin can be welded to the end of another conductor protruding from the slot or to a third element (e.g. busbar, eyelet) or can serve as a layer terminal. The portion can be subjected to a "weld side" type of bend. An example of an I-pin can be found in the conductor shown in reference 81-83 of document US7622843B2. "W-shaped conductors" are also known, see for example again US7,622,843B2 and figure 4E. A W-shaped conductor can be formed by welding a molded hairpin to one I-pin or by welding a fourth conductor to three I-pins. Again, the W-pin does not necessarily have to have all the direction changes shown, it could have none, and could be bent from the output side of the assembly drum of the hairpin winding.

[0018] With reference to FIG. 4F (taken from US10749399B2), there are so-called "reverse hairpins", i.e. hairpins that can be formed by spreading the legs (rather than the insert-side twist method described above) or molded by a "press and die" system, characterized in that the legs of each slot occupy the same radial position, i.e. belong to the same layer. Thus, both ends are bent in the same direction on the twist side. In practice, the protrusions on the bridge-like connection side can be bent in the same tangential direction or can take a V-shape. At least two layer-change bends are required for the connection part.

[0019] Finally, there are hairpin pairs whose homologous legs belong to different layers (Fig. 4G) or to the same layer (Fig. 4H), and which are organized and sized to overlap.

[0020] In the following, all hairpin types, I-pins and W-pins are also included in the definition of "basic conductor".

[0021] After being subjected to the first type of twist or shaped, the elementary conductors are generally preassembled in a winding set as described above. The preassembly device generally has a series of slots associated with the windings and corresponding in number to the slots of the stator into which the legs of the respective hairpins are inserted, and generally differs from the twisting device.

[0022] The winding sets are then inserted collectively into slots of the stator core through a first side of the core (the so-called "insertion side" or "insertion face") with their free portions protruding from the opposite second side (the so-called "welding side" or "connection side" or "welding face" or "flank face").

[0023] Depending on the particular winding pattern to be achieved, the free parts of the elementary conductors protruding from the opposite side to the insertion side can thus be subjected to a second type of twist, also called "twist from the weld side", for example after being inserted into pockets made in a suitable twist fixture, the purpose of which here is to bend or twist the free parts of the conductors in order to properly form such free parts, and so that a proper electrical connection can be achieved between the conductors to complete the winding. An example of a method for twist from the weld side of the above mentioned type is described in the patent application published under US2009 / 0302705.

[0024] Systems for assembling the stator and / or rotor motor windings are known, as are systems for moving the windings and inserting them into the stator pack.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 5A, Odawara's patent application US2019 / 0190359 describes a system in which basic conductors are formed, then assembled into windings, and inserted into a stator in a single device. Odawara's application mainly describes the basic conductor formation portion, and not the winding assembly and insertion portion. However, for the latter, it refers to a "guiding means", which is shown for example in FIG. 24A of Odawara's application with reference numeral 112, the disclosure of which is reproduced herein as FIG. 5A. Odawara's application also describes: In-line forming of the basic conductor (with partial rotation of some elements) and A slide guide means 112; Radial approach of the basic conductor 17S, The diameter of the driving gear 123 of the cylinder 900 is larger than that of the former. The following part is described.

[0026] Further reference to Figure 29 of Odawara (Figure 5B herein) makes clear that the gear mechanism 123 is such as to ensure precision in the rotation of the drum by the servo motor (see paragraph 205 of the referenced specification) and is therefore essential to the Odawara solution.

[0027] Furthermore, the cylinder blade movement mechanism 108 has a rotation axis 121 which must be acted on axially by moving a cam 130 acting on another element 129 connected to the axis 121, and not on the wheel 123 (Fig. 31, here shown as Fig. 5C). The wheel 123 and the ring gear 135 are adapted to pull off the windings and must therefore have a larger radius than the drum and the blades, despite being arranged on the axis. The mechanism requires the insertion of a hairpin in the radial direction.

[0028] Indeed, in the Odawara patent, the insertion system into the stator requires a thrust ring gear 135, as shown in corresponding FIG. 34 and FIG. 5D herein.

[0029] This overall configuration has several drawbacks, including that the hairpin insertion is performed with a movement that has both radial and circumferential components approaching the drum. With the coexistence of these two movements, a closing system of the first leg (non-grip leg) of the hairpin that can keep up with an excessively fast hairpin forming cadence (e.g., 1.5 seconds) becomes extremely difficult. Furthermore, in the prior art, due to the type of movement (possibly involving both radial and circumferential movements), the precision of the insertion of the hairpin leg into the assembly drum is low. It should also be noted that in the prior art, the Odawara guide must remain at a distance (at least temporarily) away from the drum to allow for the radial insertion of the elementary conductor, so there is a high possibility of undesired leg movement (possible escape) in the drum slot. Even with the addition of standard confinement, other parts of the device must be complicated to maintain the above mentioned movements.

[0030] Application ITRM20100371A1 describes a twisting machine with a rotatable table adapted to move the twisting device between the various work stations, in particular between a preformed basic conductor loading station, a subsequent special conductor loading station, a twisting station and a drawing station. The conductors processed by this machine are in fact preformed or "P" shaped as indicated above. In any case, these conductors are formed, drawn from the machine and only inserted into the stator pack to form the windings. The insertion is mentioned but is not included in the machine described in that patent document and in fact the method is not described. The machine forms the windings outside the stator pack and is not adapted to insert the entire winding into the stator pack.

[0031] The application US2009265909A1 also describes a device in which preform conductors can be twisted together and then pulled together for insertion into a stator pack. This pulling is done by pushing the conductors vertically from the side of their free legs. However, this pushing and pulling is very complicated and time-consuming, and requires a gripping device, which has a series of double fingers, as many as there are slots, stabilizers and all other elements that rotate to capture the hairpin legs in a position defined for insertion into the stator. The gripping device then moves to the same side as the pulling and descends above the stator. However, this work is not finished, since the windings still need to rise again to release the gripping device, in particular the aforementioned fingers. In this way, the windings remain above the stator input face and require additional pushing means from above to complete the insertion. As a result, although US2009265909A1 describes assembly in the same device and insertion into the stator, many complex, time-consuming, costly and material-intensive procedures are required, many different work steps are required, the winding hairpins are not well calibrated, and it goes without saying that the only windings that can be processed are those that can be made by simultaneous twisting, which is only a subset of the possible windings.

[0032] There is a strong need to assemble the entire winding in one system, without any restrictions on the type of assembly, and easily and reliably insert it into the stator pack without complex and expensive mechanisms, while pursuing today's increasingly stringent cycle times and accuracy specifications. Summary of the Invention

[0033] It is an object of the present invention to provide a process and system for assembling stator or rotor windings that solves, in whole or in part, the problems and overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0034] It is an object of the present invention to provide a process and a system for assembling a stator winding or rotor winding according to the appended claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] The invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with particular reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1A shows a preform flattened "U" shaped hairpin (a) and a formed hairpin (b) according to the prior art. [Diagram 2] Shown is a formed conductor (a) and a conductor twisted on the welded side (b). [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the hairpin (a) of FIG. 2 according to the prior art. [Figure 4A] 1A shows a prior art layered ("stranded") hairpin with a cross-sectional inversion at the bend point (a) and a layered ("stranded") hairpin with a continuous transposition along the portion of the hairpin that is received in a slot (b). [Figure 4B] 1 shows the type of layered hairpin. [Figure 4D] 1 shows an example of an I-pin according to the prior art. [Figure 4E] 1 shows an example of a "W-pin" according to the prior art. [Figure 4F] 1 shows an example of a prior art "inverted hairpin." [Figure 4G] 1 shows an example of overlapping hairpins in different layers according to the prior art. [Figure 4H] 1 shows an example of overlapping hairpins in the same layer according to the prior art. [Figure 5A] This corresponds to Figure 24A of Odawara patent application US2019 / 0190359, with some of the elements discussed above circled. [Figure 5B] This corresponds to Figure 29 of Odawara's patent application US2019 / 0190359, with some of the elements discussed above circled. [Figure 5C] This corresponds to Figure 31 of Odawara's patent application US2019 / 0190359, with some of the elements discussed above circled. [Figure 5D]This corresponds to Figure 34 of Odawara's patent application US2019 / 0190359, with some of the elements discussed above circled. [Figure 6] 1 shows a first proposed layout of an assembly-insertion system for assembling and inserting windings into a stator according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 7A] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional perspective and cross-sectional views perpendicular to the winding axis, respectively, of an example of a winding assembly with a single circular containment according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 7B] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional perspective views of an example of winding tightening according to one aspect of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the winding axis. [Figure 7C] 13 illustrates an example of the transfer of a winding to a pack according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 7D] 13 illustrates partial opening of the circular containment according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 7E] 1 illustrates an example of compressing a winding into a pack according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 7F] 13 illustrates the full opening of the circular containment according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 shows an assembly solution with multiple circular containments according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 9A] 1A and 1B show an example of a winding assembly with multiple circular containments according to one aspect of the present invention, in which (a) is a cross-sectional perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the winding axis. [Figure 9B] 1 illustrates recompression of a winding according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9C] 1 illustrates tangential clamping according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9D] Shows separation of medial containment. [Figure 9E] 1 shows the transfer of the winding to the pack. [Figure 9F] Shows the opening of the lower circular storage. [Figure 9G] Shows the opening of the central circular storage compartment. [Figure 9H] Shows the opening of the upper circular storage. [Figure 10]3 shows possible operations for circular storage. [Figure 11] It shows the action of the cam from outside the diameter of the hole, an action that causes impact with the surrounding parts. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of a table with circular storage. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the drive assembly. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the drive assembly being released. [Figure 15] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the drive assembly being inserted. [Figure 16] 1 shows a principle diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] FIG. 13 shows a principle diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 1 shows the overall solution chosen for winding assembly and transfer to the stator pack. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the rotary table assembly. [Figure 20] 1 shows an embodiment of a circular containment. [Figure 21] The containment wall is shown in detail. [Figure 22] 1 shows the inner containment support assembly. [Diagram 23] 1 shows an example of a motor unit for operation in a circular containment with belt transmission. [Figure 24] 1 shows an example of a motor unit for operation in circular containment with gear transmission. [Diagram 25] 1 shows an example of a circular containment pneumatic clamp assembly. [Figure 26] 1 shows a support surface assembly having a motorized adjustable lift. [Figure 27] 1 shows the winding press-up assembly in the pack, (a) in the closing step and (b) in the pressing step. [Figure 28] 1 shows the base frame assembly.

[0036] As those skilled in the art can easily understand from this specification, it should be noted that the elements of different embodiments hereinafter can be combined without any limitation on the technical concept of the present invention to provide further embodiments.

[0037] Moreover, the specification also refers to the prior art for implementation with respect to detailed features not described, such as minor elements commonly used in the prior art in solutions of the same type.

[0038] Whenever an element is introduced, it is understood that it can be "at least one" or "one or more."

[0039] Where a list of elements or features is presented herein, it is understood that the inventive findings "comprise" or alternatively "consist of" such elements.

[0040] When features are listed in the same sentence or bulleted list, one or more of the individual features may be included in the invention without being linked to other features in the list. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] FIG. 6 shows an example of a component arrangement 1000 for the assembly of windings 200 (not shown in that figure) and their transfer to a stator pack 400. The input stator 400I is initially empty. The windings are assembled on the rotary table 300 on the left while the stator moves along a linear path indicated by the arrow on the right. Of course, the positions can be reversed and not 180°. The rotary table 300 then rotates (e.g. clockwise as indicated by the arrow) about its axis 300A (going out of the plane of the paper) until it meets the empty stator 400I at an intermediate position (or generally any other convenient position) along the path where the windings are inserted. In this way, a stator pack 400F with inserted windings is obtained at the output. The rotary table 300 can simultaneously work at two stations, one for assembling the windings and the other for transferring to the stator pack, thus reducing the cycle time of production.

[0042] The elements that make up the system are: one or more removable inserters 100 (or "detachable inserting means") capable of receiving various basic conductors from respective supplying means 210, 220, 230 and capable of inserting them successively, one after the other, in a circular storage (following) starting from an assembly area; a circular containment 500 (or circumferential containment means) configured to receive the elementary conductors when the windings are assembled and to properly align the windings with sufficient precision to ensure direct insertion into the stator pack, the circular containment being conveniently received in a corresponding hole in the rotary table; an optional base conductor support surface 700 disposed below the rotary table 300 to support the base conductor from below as the windings are assembled; A thrust assembly 800 that pushes the stator pack from below to a predetermined height to insert the windings into the stator pack; and / or A moving assembly 900 configured to lower the winding by pushing the winding from the basic conductor head side until the basic conductor terminal is inserted into the slot by approximately several tens of millimeters; Optional support 610 for inner containment 600 useful for assembling the windings; Contains:

[0043] Each supply means 210, 220, 230 may supply the elementary conductors of layers 1 and 2 (210), the elementary conductors of layers 3 and 4 (220), and the elementary conductors of layers 5 and 6 (230), respectively.

[0044] The selection of a rotary table allows the system to be made compact, and as described below, the space above and below the table (i.e., the first table surface side and the second table surface side opposite the first table surface) can be utilized. Furthermore, the cycle time can be improved since the assembly of additional windings to be inserted into further stator packs can proceed while the windings are being inserted into each stator pack.

[0045] It should further be noted that the inserter cannot insert all the conductors of the winding before moving by rotating the table: the missing elementary conductors can be inserted in an intermediate station (not shown) and / or in an insertion station into the stator before being inserted into the stator pack.

[0046] Additionally, the arrows showing the feeding of the stator packs 400I indicate any feeding direction, although preferred. The stator packs may be fed into the winding insertion location from any direction and in any manner, so long as the stator packs are fed from the side of the table opposite the inserter 100.

[0047] The inserter 100 (not shown in detail) can be of various known or unknown types, since it intervenes from the outside and does not affect the storage and insertion of the windings. Preferably, the inserter is located above the circular storage shown, and therefore only on one side of the table.

[0048] Circular storage

[0049] The first function of the circular containment 500 is to support the elementary conductors laterally and externally when assembling the windings. This is done by using a containment with a circumferential geometry with the same number of walls as the stator pack so as to replicate a pack-like structure. However, as will be described later, the slots formed by the walls of the circular containment have a variable width due to the radially variable cross section of the walls. This allows the crown to be expanded as needed to assemble the windings.

[0050] For radial movement of the wall, as shown with reference to FIG. 14, a cam 910 is provided in a circular housing which actually moves the wall radially.

[0051] The second function of the circular store 500 is to hold (calibrate) the windings during the rotation (movement) of the table, and the third function of the circular store is to organize and align the conductors of the moved windings for insertion into the stator pack.

[0052] As will be shown below, multiple circular storage (collectively "circumferential storage means") may be used simultaneously.

[0053] The circular storage 500 can be handled by a dedicated circular motion transmission system 917 shown in FIG.

[0054] Using a single circular containment

[0055] This solution is based on the idea that the winding containment and gripping system (or "circular containment" or "circumferential containment means") a circular containment 500 having fingers or positioners 510 of predetermined length and radially varying thickness, and having the containment and calibration functions as described above; An optional inner containment 600 which functions as a reference abutment for the inner winding diameter 200; an optional support surface 700, with possible recesses for elementary conductors longer than the elementary conductors and possible edges to prevent the elementary conductors from escaping, located on the side of the table opposite to the side of the inserter 100 but still in the assembly position; (FIG. 7A).

[0056] In the following, an example of a process with successive work steps is given, some of which are optional as shown, but which advantageously uses all the elements just listed:

[0057] Step F1 shown in Fig. 7A consists of the assembly of the windings with a single circular housing 500. Initially, the circular housing 500 is in the winding assembly position, the support surface 700 is raised and the inner housing 600 prevents the elementary conductors from moving inwards. In this step, a series of elementary conductors are inserted into the slots 550 of the circular housing 500 with their free ends and with each insertion, the circular housing 500 rotates (by suitable rotation means around the winding axis 200A, one or more slot pitches defined as the angular distance between the slots) carrying therein the assembled winding. An assembled winding is finally obtained.

[0058] Step F2, shown in FIG. 7B, consists of tightening the winding, the circular containment 500, whose cross section (orthogonal to the axis 200A) is at least partially tapered, presses the basic conductor radially against the containment, the support surface 700 remaining elevated, so that the inner containment 600 remains in a fixed position and acts as an abutment for the basic conductor.

[0059] The elementary conductors can be clamped radially (for example by a shoulder, as described below) and / or tangentially according to the wall thickness. In fact, generally tangential clamping is most suitable when the insulating paper (usually used in the technical field) is "S" shaped, double "S", "B" shaped, or more generally when the paper crosses the slot internally, since the radial distance between the conductors belonging to the same slot must be ensured.

[0060] Radial clamping, on the other hand, works better when the paper is "O" type, or generally when the insulation is only at the edges of the slot, because the circular containment compresses the conductors together and presses them against the inner abutment. The positioner walls can align the conductors tangentially so that they do not protrude beyond the area of ​​the slot (excluding the paper).

[0061] Step F3, shown in Fig. 7C, consists of inserting the windings into the stator pack by suitable introduction means. The rotary table 300 (shown in Fig. 6) takes over the circular storage with the windings to the stator pack 400 with a rotation about the rotary table axis 300A, the stator pack being raised (or the windings lowered) until the elementary conductors are inserted into the corresponding slots of the stator pack (for example about 10-20 mm). Typically, the rotary table moves the circular storage means from an assembly position to an insertion position of the stator pack. Conveniently, the stator pack is moved by specific feeding means to the insertion position from the side of the rotary table opposite to the side where the inserter is in the assembly position.

[0062] Step F4, shown in Figure 7D, consists of a partial opening (radial direction) of the circular containment 500. While the stator pack 400 is stationary, the positioner 510 of the circular containment 500 moves slightly backwards to create some clearance between the wall and the primary conductors.

[0063] Step F5, shown in Figure 7E, consists of pressing the windings against the pack: while the stator pack 400 is stationary, for example the upper abutment 310, presses the elementary conductors against the stator pack itself.

[0064] Step F6 shown in FIG. 7F consists of a wider or complete opening of the circular containment 500, with the stator pack 400 stationary, the circular containment open, and the inner containment 600 (not shown in that figure) raised.

[0065] Using only one circular containment is possible and has the advantages of fewer components and a smaller footprint.

[0066] Using multiple circular containment

[0067] To better control the windings and reduce the radial movement of the circular containment 500, other circular containments can be used, preferably dealing with the tightening of the windings. With reference to Fig. 8, it is advantageous to place additional circular containments 540, 580 directly below and above the already described circular containments. Examples of the use of multiple circular containments in successive work steps are described below. It should be understood that even one additional circular containment can be used, as shown above and summarized below.

[0068] Step S1 shown in FIG. 9A consists of tangential clamping, with the upper and lower circular housings 540, 580 fully retracted, the middle circular housing 500 in the assembly position, and the support surface 700 (optional, not shown in this figure) raised to support the basic conductors.

[0069] In this step, all expected conductors are inserted one after the other, and with each insertion the central circular containment 500 rotates taking therein the winding 200. Step S1 ends with the assembly of the entire winding. Tangential shoulders 513 for radial compression can be present on one or both of the upper and lower circular containments 540, 580 (FIG. 9A(b)).

[0070] Step S2, shown in Figure 9B, consists of compressing the winding 200. In this step, the circular enclosures 540, 580 are fully retracted while the central circular enclosure 500 advances, radially compressing the elementary conductor against the enclosure 600, and the support surface 700 is raised.

[0071] Step S3 shown in FIG. 9C comprises the upper and lower circular containments 540, 580 being advanced until the base conductor is tangentially clamped and the circular containments compress the windings against the containment 600 as in step S2, and the support surface 700 remains elevated in the containment position (not always shown).

[0072] With regard to the radial movement of the positioners 510, elastic means (e.g., springs) arranged behind each positioner 510 may be used to compensate for manufacturing tolerances of both the positioners and the basic conductors and to ensure optimal positioning of the basic conductors in storage (elastic means not shown in the figures).

[0073] Step S4 shown in Fig. 9D comprises the separation of the inner containment 600 while the winding is still in the assembly position to the left of Fig. 6. In this step, the tangential circular containment 540, 580 presses tangentially against the elementary conductor while the circular containment 500 is in the same position as in step 2, and finally the support surface 700 (not shown in that figure) is lowered.

[0074] Step S5 shown in FIG. 9E relates to the insertion of the winding 200 into the stator pack 400 after the rotary table moves the winding from the assembly position to the insertion position (e.g., 180°, although other positions are possible according to the concept of the present invention, e.g., four 90° positions).

[0075] In this step, the windings are positioned above the stator pack, the upper and lower circular containments 540, 580 are gripping, and the middle circular containment 500 is positioned as in step 2, and the stator is raised to accommodate the basic conductors (by their free ends).

[0076] Step S6, shown in Figure 9F, includes the opening of the lower circular housing 580. In this step, the upper circular housing 540 is gripped while the lower circular housing 580 is retracted and the stator 400 is lifted to continue the insertion, and the middle circular housing 500 is in the same position as in step 2.

[0077] Step S7 shown in Figure 9G comprises the opening of the central circular containment, in which the upper circular containment 540 is gripping and the lower circular containment 580 is retracted while the central circular containment 500 retracts and the stator 400 rises to continue the insertion.

[0078] Step S8, shown in Fig. 9H, consists of opening the upper circular housing 540. In this step, the lower circular housing 580 and the circular housing 500 are retracted, while the upper circular housing 540 is retracted and the stator 400 rises and continues the insertion. In this way, the windings are inserted into the stator pack, resulting in the complete stator pack 400F of Fig. 6 (i.e. the stator before twisting and welding the inserted windings), from which the stator pack can be driven by suitable removal means and / or feeding means and / or positioning means to form a single assembly.

[0079] As a result, according to the invention, one or more circular stores may be used depending on the height of the stator pack, in packs of limited height only one circular store may be used, in packs of high height it is preferable to use several circular stores for uniform storage along the height of the windings.

[0080] Comparison of some possible solutions for assembly insertion systems.

[0081] For the consideration of the entire assembly insertion system, especially in the analysis of the necessary automation, the starting point is the movement of the circular storage. In fact, by using a rotary table to move the windings from the assembly work station to the insertion work station into the stator pack, it became clear that various configurations are possible with components located outside the rotary table or integral with the rotary table.

[0082] Regarding the assembly of the winding itself, it can operate in two ways: for example, in the first case, the circular housing can be kept fixed and the inserter can be rotated around the axis of the winding while inserting the basic conductor, and in the second case, the inserter can be kept fixed and the circular housing below it can be rotated.

[0083] Since the inserter usually has a structure that does not allow easy rotation around the entire circumference of the winding when inserting the basic conductor, it is preferable to keep the inserter fixed and rotate the circular winding storage in the assembly. In many cases, only one circular storage can be used for both assembly and winding calibration and tightening. According to the invention, two movements can be performed in the circular storage (as shown in Figures 10 and 11): a rotational movement 500r of the entire circular storage, and a circumferential arc movement 500s that moves a cam (described in more detail below) in the circular storage body 520 and advances the positioner of the circular storage radially. Various means can be provided for the radial movement of the positioner.

[0084] The placement of the circular containment 500 above the rotary table 300, and in particular the choice to rotate the circular containment when assembling the windings, involves the use of a circular containment rotation means, which can be realized in many different ways.

[0085] For example, one possible option is to provide a hole 912 (engagement hole, see Figs. 12 and 14) in the base of the circular housing so that a pin 918 (shown in Fig. 14) of the drive system can engage with the circular housing itself. Also, a cam 910 moves from under the circular housing with a pin 911 that is connected to a fork of the entire circular housing coaxial with the drive assembly 955. See also Fig. 14 for the engagement pin 911 for the positioning of the cam 910. The cam can be moved by a system 916 shown in Fig. 23.

[0086] The base plate 520 of the circular containment of Fig. 14 has two ( / one or more) recesses 925 into which two ( / respective) pins 918 are inserted at 180° (Figs. 14-16) used to transmit the rotation of the entire circular containment from the rotating means 950 (Fig. 23), and furthermore there are two ( / one or more) slits 913 into which two ( / respective) pins 911 connected to cams protrude. A relative movement between the cam pins 911 and the base plate 520 can for example govern the rotation of the cams and thus the radial movement of the positioner. Reference number 920 denotes a drive assembly which rotates the base plate 520.

[0087] From the consideration of the process steps, it is found that in the winding assembly station of the rotary table, it is necessary to perform both the actions 500r and 500s (FIG. 10), where the action 500r is used to rotate the whole storage system for the insertion of the basic conductors, and the action 500s is used to move the individual positioners radially, not necessarily by 360°, both in the first assembly work station and in the work station for preliminary insertion of the stator pack. In the winding insertion work station into the stator pack, the cam action alone may be sufficient (but it is preferable to provide both actions for some specific insertion of the basic conductors). This led to the conclusion that it is preferable to mount a cam movement assembly on the motor 950 of the rotary table (with reduction gear 951 and belt tensioner 941) to avoid repeated insertion and removal for transport (as in FIGS. 17, 18 and 24), and it is also possible to take advantage of said assembly to keep the cam stationary during the table rotation.

[0088] Single motor integrated with the rotary table

[0089] Referring to embodiment 2000 of FIG. 17, in order to reduce the number of motors used, since the movement of the cam is short compared to the movement of the circular storage body, an insertion and removal system of pulleys 915 connected to the circular storage body can be inserted, thus transmitting movement only to the cam while keeping the circular storage body stationary.

[0090] This embodiment 2000 may be implemented by using an electrically controlled brake connected to a pulley on the circular containment body or by utilizing an electromagnetic clutch (not shown).

[0091] The operation of Solution 2000 (which can be combined with Solution 1000) with a single motor integrated with the rotary table is as follows: Lifting the support surface 700 and coupling it to the movement system of the circular containment body 520 (pneumatic lock retract); Initiating assembly of the winding 200 as the circular containment body 520 and the cam 910 rotate; When assembly is complete, activate the pneumatic lock and release the electromagnetic brake. Slightly lowering the support surface 700 to facilitate insertion of conductors into the stator pack 400 where electrical actuation is required; rotating cam 910 to clamp winding 200; fully lowering the support surface 700; Rotating the rotary table 300; Lifting the stator pack 400 to feed the conductors; rotating cam 910 to a vertical guide position; Pressing the stator pack 400 from below to insert the winding 200 into the stator pack (or conversely pressing the base conductor from above); Rotating cam 910 for full opening; lowering the stator pack 400 with the inserted windings 200; repositioning the cam 910 during assembly; Rotating the rotary table 300 can be diagrammatically shown in several successive steps.

[0092] The advantages offered by solution 2000 are the possibility of rotating the circular storage at the winding insertion station, which makes it easy to reach different positions to work with special hairpins and to place the winding in any angular position relative to the stator pack, and the use of a single electric motor for the circular storage body and cam eliminates the weight of the rotary table, as well as reducing the overall dimensions under the rotary table.

[0093] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0094] Solution 2000 is the preferred embodiment of the present invention since it is efficient in achieving the objectives of the present invention.

[0095] Optionally, one motor is used to rotate both the circular containment body 520 and the cam 910. As mentioned above, an electromagnetic clutch can insert or remove one of the two motion transmission pulleys 915.

[0096] The graphical version of the solution is structured as shown in the overall diagram in Figure 18.

[0097] An embodiment of each of the assemblies that form the overall system (excluding the inserter, which can be of any type as described above) is shown in detail below.

[0098] Rotary Table Assembly

[0099] As can be seen, the rotary table 300 is selected for example to work simultaneously with two stations, one for assembling the windings under the inserter 100 and the other for inserting the windings into the stator pack 400, with a very short rotation time of the table. Rotating the table 180° in one direction and 180° in the opposite direction is preferred to avoid complex electrical and pneumatic connection systems. In all embodiments of the invention, the two (or more) stations can be accommodated in corresponding holes 310, 320 of the rotary table.

[0100] One rolling element that can be considered is for example the element TR315 manufactured by Bettinelli shown in Figure 19, on which is attached a working surface 330 made of two straight cuts from the circumference with a diameter of (for example) about 1900 mm and two holes 310, 320 to accommodate the circular housings at the two work stations. Cross roller bearings 340 such as THK RB45025 are housed in each hole and on top of which is connected a plate to which the circular housings are connected.

[0101] The table 330 may also be configured to accommodate storage (not shown) of any special base conductors that are inserted into the mobile station.

[0102] Circular Containment Assembly

[0103] The circular containment assembly 1500 shown in FIG. a base plate 530 having indentations (teeth as shown in FIG. 25) on its outer surface for pneumatically locking the circular containment in one of 48 desired positions (even, multiple, or dividend of the number of slots in the stator pack being processed); A cam 910 that moves the wall of the circular containment by rotating; a cover 521 suitably designed for the function of guiding the positioner 510; A positioner 510 having the same number of slots as the stator pack to reproduce the pack-like structure; a slider 531 that transmits motion to the positioner and is preferably equipped with a spring (not shown); A transmission connection 532 in which a particular element is engaged and allows the movement (gear, belt pulley, etc.) configured to rotate the cam; It may have one or more of the following elements.

[0104] The circular housing 500 is connected by a base plate 530 on the rotary table 300 (not shown in that figure) and is free to rotate.

[0105] As the thickness of the positioner 510 (the part in contact with the conductors) increases radially, it is possible to rotate the cam to create a somewhat narrower stator-like slot. The concept is thus to recreate a wide slot during assembly, and then recreate a narrower slot to align the primary conductors, with the obvious advantage of simple and efficient assembly and insertion of the windings into the stator.

[0106] The positioner can be conveniently guided by special guides provided on the plate cover element 521 (not shown), which make it possible to maintain a defined stroke during all working steps.

[0107] The cam 910 is provided with an outer projection 532 on which a pulley or wheel is supported and secured for rotation.

[0108] Looking in detail at the positioner 510 in FIG. 21 (and in any embodiment), the positioner may be guided in the respective block 511 by a spring (for better tangential grip, see above).

[0109] The positioner 510 may also be shaped to have a first portion at its radially inner end having a constant thickness 515 in cross section and a second tapered portion (wedge-shaped) 514 toward its radially outer end.

[0110] Advantageously, the second portion comprises a first sub-section of a first sub-length having a first taper angle and a second sub-section of a second sub-length, contiguous with said first sub-section, having a second taper angle.

[0111] Preferably, each positioner 510 has a first end and a second vertical end along the winding axis direction 200A at least in the second sub-portion, a first vertical portion having the taper at the first vertical end, a second vertical portion having the taper at the second vertical end, and a central portion 512 without a taper between the first and second vertical portions having the taper.

[0112] Additionally, a T-shaped shoulder 513, for example at the radially outer end, may be included to radially bundle the conductors.

[0113] Inner Storage Support Assembly

[0114] The optional inner containment support assembly 1600 shown in FIG. 22 may have two main subassemblies, a fixed support 610 integral with the rotating table 300 and a support structure 620 which may be configured according to the size of the winding to be processed.

[0115] The tool structure 620 has an inner containment 600 of circular shape that is used to provide a reference for the inner diameter of the windings, thus facilitating their insertion into the stator pack, and is crossed by the latter by having the same number of slots as the walls of the positioner.

[0116] For example, the inner containment 600 (which prevents the basic conductors of the windings from falling radially inwards) is supported by a support 620 (or basket) rigidly connected to a fixed support 610 which connects the two assembly positions and the insertion position on a rotating table in a 180° configuration.

[0117] Circular storage motor unit

[0118] The motor unit 1950 of the circular containment shown in FIG. 23 is an assembly in which both the entire circular containment 500 and the cam can only rotate, which is possible thanks to an electromagnetic clutch 960 that engages and disengages the rotation of two pulleys 940 or gears 931-934 (see FIG. 24) for transmission.

[0119] It is possible to provide the device according to the invention with transmission means (for example above the rotary table), which are used to put the inner cam and the circular housing in rotation and are permanently connected to the motor. These transmission means can be made, for example, of a single motor, whose shaft is connected to the rotating part of the circular housing, while the rotating part of the cam is provided by being connected independently to the shaft, when necessary, by a mechanism such as an electrically controlled clutch.

[0120] Circular Retractable Lock Assembly

[0121] An optional pneumatic locking assembly 1970 shown in FIG. 25 is used to lock the circular containment 500 in case the electromagnetic clutch separates the transmission of the circular containment to the body 520 and there is a danger of it moving.

[0122] The pneumatic lock 970 is designed in an always closed configuration and therefore must be operated to open the circular containment due to safety concerns.

[0123] The lock may be placed on top of the table 300 and may act directly on the base plate 530 of the circular storage, with the peripheral positioning recesses 971 being made equal to or a multiple of the number of stator slots, making it possible to lock the circular storage at least at the respective slot pitch.

[0124] Advantageously, when assembling the system, the lock assembly can be aligned with the recess of the circular containment, since any error in doing so will result in displacement of the body of the circular containment when the clutch is released and the pneumatic lock is activated, resulting in a step error between the upper and lower transmissions. In this regard, it is advantageous to provide at least one angular adjustment of the pneumatic locking unit.

[0125] If the accuracy of the pneumatic locking device 970 is too low for a particular application or if the precautions to be taken are too complicated, an electromagnetic type brake can also be used together with the clutch. In this way, the brake is always actuated before the clutch (with the circular enclosure stationary), with the advantage that once the clutch is released the brake does not have the problem of settling, but remains exactly where it is. The clutch is then re-actuated and the brake is released to re-engage the transmission of the body of the circular enclosure.

[0126] Such a solution not only allows more precise control with quick and easy commands, but also frees the clamping system from the angular position of the circular containment body, saving costs compared to additional machining work on the base plate.

[0127] Support Surface Assembly

[0128] The support and moving surface assembly 1700 shown in FIG. 26 is positioned on the ground below the rotating table and serves to support the base conductors from below as the windings are assembled.

[0129] It has been found to be preferable to have a system capable of handling different lifting heights, both when the winding strategy is changed and during the winding step of the winding, and therefore a motorized movement 730 (or motorized lift system) connected by a belt drive to a worm screw that moves the plate vertically (not shown) is preferred.

[0130] In the mobile subassembly 1750, the support 765, which rotates freely with respect to the lift system by means of bearings, is connected with and provided with pins 720 that allow it to be coupled to a circular housing in which the associated bushings are housed (they are like 911 in FIG. 12 and are used to drive the rotational movement of the entire idle support assembly). The idle support system 740 of the lift system can also be in a fixed position, as can the pneumatic locking system 750.

[0131] In fact, when assembling the windings, the support surface 700 is connected to the circular containment by the aforementioned supports and rotates with the containment itself. Once the assembly is finished, the walls of the circular containment move forward, clamping the windings against the inner containment, and the support surface 700 moves down and its supports separate from the circular containment. A pneumatic cylinder 710 locks the support surface in a reference position to which it must return before it can move down.

[0132] By moving the support surface 700 before the circular containment advances to the clamping position, it is also possible to manage the height at which the windings must be clamped, which is most convenient for transfer to the stator pack. The length of the pins 718 (see above) must therefore be such that the basic conductors can be supported at different heights without losing connection with the circular containment transmission.

[0133] The support surface 700 can advantageously track the projections on the insertion side of the elementary conductors for effective support. Since it does not make sense to have a support surface with the exact recesses of each elementary conductor and not be sure of their placement, it is actually possible to simplify the support surface when the difference between the elementary conductors is a few millimeters. Furthermore, having naps on the insertion side of the elementary conductors that are not perfectly horizontal does not pose a problem for the assembly of the windings.

[0134] Alternatively, it may be advantageous to create recesses where significant length terminals, such as step terminals or jumpers, are to be placed, and to create chamfers to facilitate their insertion.

[0135] For example, the stroke of the lift system thus created is about 200 mm, sufficient to manage windings of a height of the order of 300-350 mm (at the PDT step).

[0136] Winding Press Assembly

[0137] The winding press-on assembly 800 shown in FIG. 27 is intended to press the primary conductors onto the stator pack when the conductor terminals have already been inserted into the stator pack.

[0138] It is designed to press the elementary conductors from above down with a single surface pressing all the conductors together, thus providing a single horizontal surface for the nap.

[0139] The proposed solution has an electric shaft (not shown in full) that moves a plate (not shown) to which the entire force assembly 800 is connected.

[0140] The pressing assembly 800 may have means for opening and closing the half-rings 810 to avoid interference with other elements. The pressing means 800, 810 has means 800E configured to move the two half-disks 810 in a plane perpendicular to the winding axis from an open position to a closed position forming a single pressing disk at the head end. Base Frame Assembly

[0141] The base frame assembly 760 shown in FIG. 28 must bring the rotary table 300 and all elements that interact with it to a nominal height.

[0142] The base frame assembly (one possible embodiment) is constructed from an electrically welded structure 761 .

[0143] The table's centering rollers 980 and stator pack lifter (not shown) may be fixed to this base frame, while the table's rotation motor 762 may be located below the rotary table 300.

[0144] Two or more of the above-described parts (elements, devices, systems) may be freely associated with each other and considered as a kit of parts according to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 100: Inserter 200: Basic conductor winding 200A: Winding shaft 210: Means for supplying basic conductor layer 1 and layer 2 to the inserter 220: Means for supplying basic conductor layer 3 and layer 4 to the inserter 230: Means for supplying basic conductor layer 5 and layer 6 to the inserter 300: Rotating table 300A: Rotary table rotation axis 310: First work station hole 320: 2nd work station hole 330: Rotating table workbench 340: Cross roller bearing 400: Stator pack 400I: Input status 400F: Output stator 1500: Circular Containment Assembly 500: (Center) Circular storage 500r: Circular storage rotation movement 500s: Limited angular movement of circular containment body 510: Circular retractable blade or positioner 511: Positioner housing block 512: Fixed thickness part of the positioner 513: T-shaped shoulder at the radially outer end of the positioner 514: Positioner wall thickness or flare 515: A wall portion at the radially inner end of the positioner having a constant thickness 520: Circular storage body 521:Circular storage cover 530:Circular storage base plate 531: Positioner slider for cam operation 532: Transmission and connection part 550: Slot 540: Upper circular storage 580: Lower circular storage 1600: Inner containment assembly 600: Internal storage 610: Inner storage support 620: Inner containment support structure (or basket) 1700: Support Surface Assembly 700: Support surface 710: Pneumatic cylinder 720: Lifting system for supporting surfaces 730: Electric lift system 740: Idol Support System 750: Pneumatic position lock system 760: Base Frame Assembly 761: Electric welding base structure 762: Table rotation motor 765:Free support 800: Winding press assembly 800E: Electric axis 810: Winding pressing half disk 800A: Electric shaft rotation shaft 900: Moving Assembly 910: Cam 911: Campin 912: Engagement hole 913: Slit 915: Pulley 916: Cam transmission system 917:Circular containment body transmission system 918: Base plate pin 920: Drive 925: Hole for pin 918 955: Circular Retractable Drive Assembly 1950: Circular Retractable Motor Assembly 940: Belt 941: Belt tensioner 950: Circular storage motor 951: Reduction gear 960: Electromagnetic clutch 931: 1st Gear (Campaign) 932: 2nd gear (cam crown) 933: Additional 1st gear (circular housing body pinion) 934: Further second gear (circular housing body crown) 1970: Circular containment pneumatic lock assembly 970: Pneumatic lock 971: Recess lock position 980: Stator pack centering roller 1000: First embodiment for circular storage movement 2000: Further embodiments for circular storage movement

[0146] Although preferred embodiments have been described above and several variations of the present invention have been proposed, it is understood that those skilled in the art can make modifications and changes without departing from the relevant scope of protection, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An assembly insertion system (1000, 2000) for assembling and inserting a stator winding (200) having one or more layers into a stator pack (400), each layer consisting of a circumferential arrangement of elementary conductors (255, 255-R, 255-IP, 255-IVP), said elementary conductors having a head end and one or more legs with respective free insertion ends, said assembly insertion system (1000, 2000) comprising: circumferential containment means (500, 540, 580) for said elementary conductors (255, 255-R, 255-IP, 255-IVP) for assembling said stator winding (200), wherein said circumferential containment means defines a series of spaces or slots (550) for inserting said legs of said elementary conductors, the angular distance between two slots being called the slot pitch; Removable insertion means (210, 220, 239) for inserting said basic conductors (255, 255-R, 255-IP, 255-IVP) into said circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580); a rotating means for rotating the circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) around the winding axis (200A); wherein the rotating means is configured to effect rotation of one or more slot pitches about the winding axis (200A); The assembly insertion system (1000, 2000) further comprises a rotary table (300) having a first receiving hole of the circumferential storage means; the rotary table has a first table surface and a second table surface opposite the first table surface; the circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) is configured to receive the basic conductors starting from the free insertion end on the side of the first table surface in an assembly position; The assembly insertion system (1000, 2000) comprises: the rotary table is configured to rotate about a table axis (300A) to bring the circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) from a winding assembly position to a winding insertion position for inserting the stator winding into the stator pack (400); a means for feeding the stator pack (400) from the second table surface side at the winding insertion position, the stator pack having a series of stator pack slots; A relative introduction means for relatively introducing the stator winding (200) into the stator pack (400) at the winding insertion position is included. It is characterized by The circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) has a series of positioners (510) arranged circumferentially and configured to slide radially, and a space or slot (550) of the series of spaces or slots is defined between each successive set of positioners.

2. a second receiving hole is provided in which a second circumferential storage means is received and which is disposed 180° around the table axis (300A) from the first receiving hole; The system of claim 1 .

3. means for positioning and removing the stator pack after insertion of the stator windings; The system of claim 1 .

4. A cross section of each positioner (510) perpendicular to the winding axis (200A) has a radially outward tapered portion. The system of claim 1 .

5. Each positioner (510) has a first radially inner end and a second radially outer end, a first portion (515) of the cross section having a first length from the first radially inner end is not tapered, and a second portion (514) of the cross section having a second length from the first portion to the second radially outer end is an outer tapered portion. The system of claim 4.

6. the second portion has a first sub-section of a first sub-length having a first taper angle and a second sub-section of a second sub-length contiguous with the first sub-section and having a second taper angle; The system of claim 5.

7. The second radially outer end is provided with a "T" shaped shoulder (513). The system of claim 5.

8. Each positioner (510) has, at least in the second sub-section, a first vertical end and a second vertical end along the winding axis direction (200A), the first vertical end having a first vertical portion with the tapered edge, the second vertical end having a second vertical portion with the tapered edge, and a central portion (512) without the tapered edge between the first vertical portion with the tapered edge and the second vertical portion with the tapered edge. The system of claim 6.

9. Each positioner (510) is moved by a cam means (910) that urges said positioner radially upon rotation of said circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580); The system of claim 1 .

10. The circumferential storage means (500, 540, 580) comprises a first circumferential storage means (540) configured to act on a first end of the stator winding along the winding axis (200A), a second circumferential storage means (580) configured to act on a second end of the stator winding along the winding axis (200A) opposite the first end, and a third circumferential storage means (500) configured to act between the first and second ends of the stator winding along the winding axis (200A). The system of claim 1 .

11. In the assembly position and the winding insertion position of the stator pack (400), an inner containment (600) of the stator winding (200) is provided. The system of claim 1 .

12. The relative introduction means includes a pressing means for directing the stator pack (400) toward the free insertion end of the basic conductor of the stator winding (200) until the leg of the basic conductor is introduced into the stator pack slot. The system of claim 1 .

13. The relative introduction means includes a pressing means (800, 810) for the stator winding (200) configured to press the head end of the basic conductor until the free insertion end of the basic conductor is introduced into the slot of the stator pack (400). The system of claim 1 .

14. The pressing means (800, 810) has a means (800E) configured to move two half disks (810) in a plane perpendicular to the winding axis from an open position to a closed position forming a single pressing disk at the head end. The system of claim 13.

15. The supply means of the stator pack (400) is arranged in a straight line to bring the stator pack from a first supply position (400I) to a second insertion position (400F) and finally to a third output position (400F). The system of claim 1 .

16. a support surface (700) for the free insertion end of the basic conductor in the assembly position is provided on the second table surface side, the support surface (700) has a surface facing the second table surface, and the facing surface is shaped so that the head end of the basic conductor of the stator winding (200) is maintained at the same height along the winding axis (200A), and the support surface (700A) is configured to be removed in the axial direction from the second table surface side before the rotating table (300) rotates toward the winding insertion position into the stator pack (400). The system of claim 1 .

17. 1. An assembly insertion process for assembling and inserting a stator winding (200) having one or more layers into a stator pack (400), each layer consisting of a circumferential arrangement of elementary conductors (255, 255-R, 255-IP, 255-IVP), said elementary conductors having a head end and one or more legs with respective free insertion ends, said assembly insertion process comprising: A. Providing an assembly and insertion system for assembling and inserting a stator winding (200) into a stator pack (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 16; B. Assembling the stator winding (200) at the assembly position by a removable inserting means (100, 210, 220, 230) for inserting the basic conductors on the first table surface side of the rotary table; C. Rotating the rotary table (300) until the stator winding (200) reaches the winding insertion position; D. Bringing the stator pack (400) on the second table surface of the rotary table to the winding insertion position; E. Introducing the stator winding (200) into the stator pack (400) with a relative approaching movement between the stator winding and the stator pack. A process comprising the steps of:

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