Nozzle unit, winding machine, and winding method

Abstract

To accurately change the attitude of a nozzle without moving the tip of the nozzle and without changing the attitude of a long part for connecting the nozzle to a driving source with a simple mechanism in the nozzle for delivering a wire rod from the tip.SOLUTION: In the nozzle unit 100 including the nozzle 111 that feeds out the wire from the tip and the nozzle support portion 110 that supports the nozzle 111, the first operation member 130 connected to the nozzle support portion 110 is provided, the slit 122,123 is provided on one of the nozzle support portion 110 and the housing as the track that defines the arc-shaped trajectory around the tip of the nozzle 111, and the convex portion 112 is provided on the other as the moving body that is movable along the track. The projection part 112 is moved along the slit 122,123 according to the operation of the first operation member 130, and the nozzle support part 110 and the nozzle 111 are rotationally moved around the tip of the nozzle 111 according to the movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a winding machine and a winding method for winding a wire around a workpiece having a plurality of salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion, and to a nozzle unit that can be used in such a winding machine. [Background technology]

[0002] A known method for winding wire around the salient poles of a workpiece, which is an armature having multiple salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion, is to drive a nozzle unit having a nozzle from which the wire is fed and a workpiece holder that can hold the workpiece and rotate it by using a motor, and to move the nozzle tip relative to the salient poles of the workpiece while feeding the wire from the nozzle tip. It is also known that this winding is performed with the nozzle facing radially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece.

[0003] Furthermore, when winding multiple salient poles in succession, it is known that after winding one salient pole, wire is wound around the workpiece from that salient pole to the next salient pole to be wound, and then winding is performed on the next salient pole. Such wiring connecting the windings formed on multiple salient poles is called a "crossover wire." The crossover wire may be provided so as to be hung over a crossover wire stopper provided on the axial end face of the workpiece in the annular portion located on the outer periphery of the workpiece. The crossover wire may be provided on the wire supply source side to the nozzle or on the opposite side as viewed from the workpiece.

[0004] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a mechanism for positioning the nozzle in a position suitable for forming a crossover wire in the latter case, when the nozzle unit including the nozzle passes through the center of the workpiece and protrudes to the opposite side of the wire supply source to form a crossover wire. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a mechanism for changing the attitude of the nozzle from a different perspective than Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0005] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the side opposite the wire rod supply side to the nozzle as viewed from the workpiece will be referred to as the "back side." Correspondingly, the wire rod supply side will be referred to as the "front side." Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms "back" and "front" will be used in this specification with the same meaning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4628052 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5630890 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6423985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Both the mechanisms described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are mechanisms for orienting the nozzle in an oblique direction relative to the rotation axis of the workpiece, from a position protruding from the back side of the workpiece toward the back surface of the workpiece, in consideration of the fact that when forming a jumper wire on the back side of the workpiece, if the nozzle is facing in the same radial direction as when winding on the salient pole, it will be difficult to form the jumper wire.

[0008] That is, when the nozzle is facing radially, the crossover locking portion (for example, as shown by reference numeral 36 in FIG. 3B of the present application) rising from the end face of the workpiece becomes an obstacle, preventing the nozzle end from approaching sufficiently close to the crossover forming position located radially outside the crossover locking portion, limiting the accuracy of crossover placement. In contrast, by orienting the nozzle in a direction oblique to the rotation axis, the crossover locking portion can be avoided and the nozzle end can be brought close to the crossover forming position, allowing the crossover to be formed accurately at the desired position.

[0009] The mechanism described in Patent Document 1 rotates the entire nozzle bracket 60, including the nozzle 3, around a rotation axis 71 whose center coincides with the tip of the nozzle 3, thereby rotating the nozzle 3 with almost no displacement of the tip of the nozzle 3, and making it possible to change the position of the nozzle 3 between the above-mentioned radial direction and the direction toward the back surface of the workpiece (see Figure 7 of Patent Document 1).

[0010] In the mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the entire nozzle bracket 60 is rotated, so that the nozzle side end 601 of the relatively long nozzle bracket 60, which connects the nozzle 3 to its drive source, also rotates together with the nozzle 3 (see Figures 7, 9, and 10 of Patent Document 1). It is believed that this mechanism can be used to form crossover tracks in workpieces with large openings in the center and small thickness (size in the direction of the rotation axis), as shown in Figures 9 and 10 of Patent Document 1. However, if the opening in the center of the workpiece is small or the workpiece is thick, the nozzle side end 601 will interfere with the workpiece, limiting the angle at which the nozzle 3 can be rotated and potentially preventing it from being oriented at the desired angle.

[0011] Furthermore, in the mechanism described in Patent Document 2, the crank 24 is driven in the vertical direction by the crank drive unit 26, thereby rotating the nozzle rotation unit 22 equipped with the nozzle 12 around the axis 21a provided at the end of the nozzle support unit 21, thereby changing the position of the nozzle 12 (see Figures 4 and 6 of Patent Document 2).

[0012] The mechanism described in Patent Document 2 allows the position of the nozzle 12 to be changed without moving the relatively long nozzle support part 21 that connects the nozzle 12 to its drive source. However, if the nozzle 12 is only rotated, the tip of the nozzle 12 moves together with the wire 11 being paid out from the tip as the nozzle 12 rotates, and this movement could cause the wire 11 to bend or come off the crossover wire locking part.

[0013] Here, it is conceivable to rotate the nozzle 12 so that the tip of the nozzle 12 does not move while the nozzle support part 21 remains parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece by simultaneously moving the nozzle support part 21 in a translational manner by an amount that cancels out the movement of the tip of the nozzle 12 that accompanies the rotation. However, since the tip of the nozzle 12 moves in an arc-shaped trajectory as the nozzle 12 rotates, in order to cancel out this position change and keep the tip of the nozzle 12 in the same position, it is necessary to precisely control the vertical movement of the nozzle support part 21 in the direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece and the lateral movement (radial direction of the workpiece) of the nozzle support part 21 so as to return the position change caused by the rotation as the nozzle 12 rotates. This complicates the control operation, which inevitably reduces the winding speed, and leads to an increase in the size and cost of the device.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a nozzle that pays out wire from its tip, capable of changing the nozzle position with high precision using a simple mechanism without moving the nozzle tip or changing the position of the long portion that connects the nozzle to a drive source. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple mechanical device that enables high-speed and accurate winding of wire, including jumper wires, around a workpiece that has multiple salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The nozzle unit of the present invention is intended to achieve the above object and includes a nozzle that pays out a wire rod from its tip, a nozzle support part that supports the nozzle, an operating member connected to the nozzle support part, and a housing that supports the nozzle support part. One of the nozzle support part and the housing has a track that defines an arc-shaped locus centered on the tip of the nozzle, and the other has a movable body that is movable along the track. In response to operation of the operating member, the movable body moves relative to the track along the track, and as the relative movement occurs, the nozzle support part and the nozzle rotate about the tip of the nozzle.

[0016] In such a nozzle unit, the track is a recess, the moving body is a convex part that is inserted into the recess, and the cross section in a plane perpendicular to the protruding direction has a shape that is approximately the same width and curvature as the recess and the longitudinal direction is along the recess, and the moving body slides inside the recess during the relative movement.

[0017] Alternatively, the track may be a recess, the moving body may be a protrusion that is inserted into the recess, and the rollers may be rollers that contact one side of the recess and rotate following the relative movement, each roller being positioned at a different longitudinal position of the recess. Alternatively, the housing may have a recess as the track, and the nozzle support may have a protrusion as the moving body that is inserted into the recess.

[0018] Alternatively, the operating member may comprise a first member rotatably connected to the nozzle support portion and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, and the movable body may move relatively along the trajectory as the second member is moved linearly, and the orientation of the first member may change as the second member is moved linearly.

[0019] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a biasing portion that biases the second member toward one side in the operation direction of the movement operation. Furthermore, in a state where the second member is positioned at the one end of the movable range, the nozzle may face in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing. Furthermore, as the second member is moved from the one end by the linear movement operation, the nozzle may be rotationally moved from the first direction toward the wire supply path side.

[0020] The present invention also provides a winding machine that includes any one of the nozzle units described above. It also includes a nozzle unit holding unit that holds the nozzle unit and can move the nozzle unit, and an operating unit that operates the operating member. It also includes a work holding unit that holds a work and can move the work, the work including a plurality of salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion and a restricting member that positions a crossover wire that is located at one axial end of the annular portion and runs along the circumferential direction of the annular portion, connecting windings formed on different magnetic poles. It also includes a first control unit that controls operation of the nozzle unit holding unit and / or the work holding unit, and moves the nozzle unit relative to the work held by the work holding unit while at least a portion of the nozzle unit is inside the annular portion, thereby winding the wire fed from the nozzle around the salient poles to form the winding, and forming the crossover wire at the one axial end of the annular portion while the nozzle unit passes through the inside of the annular portion. Further, a second control unit is provided which controls the operation of the operating unit, and while the winding is being formed, directs the nozzle in a first direction parallel to the protruding direction of the salient pole, and then rotates and moves the nozzle by operating the operating member, so that while the crossover wire is being formed, directs the nozzle in a second direction from a position protruding from the one end side of the annular portion toward the one end side of the annular portion.

[0021] In such a winding machine, the regulating member of the workpiece has a slit, and after forming a winding around one salient pole, the first control unit moves the nozzle unit in a translational motion relative to the workpiece held in the workpiece holding unit, causing the nozzle to pass through the slit and moving the tip of the nozzle radially outward of the regulating member, after which the second control unit operates the operating unit to orient the nozzle in the second direction, and thereafter the first control unit starts forming the crossover wire.

[0022] Alternatively, the operating member of the nozzle unit may comprise a first member rotatably connected to the nozzle support portion, and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, and in the nozzle unit, the movable body moves relatively along the track as the second member is moved linearly, and the orientation of the first member changes as the relative movement occurs, and the operating member operates to move the second member linearly relative to the second member.

[0023] Furthermore, the nozzle unit may include a biasing portion that biases the second member in a direction that causes the second member to protrude from the housing along the path of the movement operation, and in a first state in which the protruding length of the second member from the housing is at its maximum, the nozzle faces the first direction, and as the second member is moved from the first state by the linear movement operation, the nozzle rotates and moves from the first direction toward the two directions, and the operating portion may be capable of performing a first operation of performing the linear movement operation by pressing the second member in the first state, and a second operation of releasing the second member. Furthermore, the operating unit may include a pad that presses the end of the second member during the first operation, and a first surface of the pad that abuts against the second member may be approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the work held by the work holding unit.

[0024] The present invention is not limited to the device and method described above, but can be embodied in any form, such as a system including multiple devices, a program for controlling a winding machine, a recording medium storing such a program, a winding method, an armature wound by a winding machine, a rotating electric machine including such an armature, etc. Furthermore, the present invention can be embodied as a nozzle unit used for purposes other than being mounted on a winding machine, and a method of using such a nozzle unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the above-described configuration of the present invention, the nozzle that pays out wire from its tip can be accurately changed with a simple mechanism without moving the tip of the nozzle or changing the position of the long portion that connects the nozzle to the drive source. Furthermore, using a device with a relatively simple mechanism, winding including jumper wires can be performed accurately and quickly on a workpiece that has multiple salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a winding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of functions related to driving and controlling the nozzle unit and the workpiece in the winding machine shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration of a workpiece to be wound by the winding machine shown in FIG. 1, where FIG. 3A is a bottom view and FIG. 3B is an end view taken along line 3B-3B in FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are side views of the nozzle unit provided in the winding machine shown in FIG. 1, with FIG. 4A showing the nozzle oriented for winding around a salient pole, and FIG. 4B showing the nozzle oriented for forming a crossover wire. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of the internal mechanism of the nozzle unit shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, with the front side of the housing removed. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are partial perspective views showing the tip portion of the nozzle unit in the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the configuration of the vicinity of the nozzle support portion of the nozzle unit in the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, with attention focused on the supply path of the wire W. FIG. [Figure 8] 8A to 8E are diagrams showing an example of a winding procedure using the winding machine shown in FIG. 1 in order. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a side view of the vicinity of the nozzle support portion, showing the configuration of a modified nozzle unit in a state corresponding to FIG. 5A. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are side views of the vicinity of the nozzle support portion, showing the configuration of another modified nozzle unit in a state corresponding to FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the trajectory and the moving body in the nozzle unit shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the trajectory and the moving body in yet another modified example of the nozzle unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] First, a winding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is equipped with a nozzle unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, will be described. First, the general configuration of this winding machine 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side view showing the general configuration of the winding machine 1.

[0029] The winding machine 1, the details of which will be described later with reference to Fig. 3A etc., is a device for winding a workpiece 30, which is an armature having a plurality of magnetic poles (salient poles) 32 provided so as to protrude radially inward from an annular portion 31. The wound workpiece 30 can be used, for example, as a stator of an inner rotor type motor.

[0030] The winding machine 1 comprises a base 2, a nozzle unit holding section 10 provided on the base 2, a work holding section 20 provided so as to protrude from the base 2 to the right in the figure, a pad driving section 50 on the upper side in the figure, and a nozzle unit 100 held by the nozzle unit holding section 10. In Fig. 1, in order to show the positional relationship between the nozzle unit 100 and the work 30 during winding, only the general arrangement of the work holding section 20 and the work 30 is shown by imaginary lines.

[0031] The nozzle unit holding part 10 is a unit that holds the nozzle unit 100 and can move the nozzle unit 100. The nozzle unit holding part 10 has a nozzle unit fixing part 11 for fixedly holding the nozzle unit 100, and can translate the nozzle unit 100 held by the nozzle unit fixing part 11 independently in the X direction (depth direction in the figure), Y direction (horizontal direction in the figure), and Z direction (up and down direction in the figure) shown in the figure. Driving mechanisms 12 to 14 are mechanisms for this translational movement. A motor, which serves as a driving source, is provided inside the base 2.

[0032] Nozzle unit fixing portion 11 holds a part of housing 120 of nozzle unit 100. Nozzle unit 100 may be easily detachable or may be fixed with bolts or the like. The drive mechanisms 12 to 14 and their drive sources may be configured by appropriately using known techniques, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted. The configuration of the nozzle unit 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4A to 7B.

[0033] The workpiece holding unit 20 is a unit that can hold the workpiece 30 and move the workpiece 30. The workpiece holding unit 20 includes a workpiece setting unit 21 for detachably holding the workpiece 30, and can move the workpiece 30 held by the workpiece setting unit 21 in translation independently in the radial direction and the rotation axis direction of the workpiece 30, as well as in rotation about the rotation axis. A known configuration may also be adopted appropriately for the workpiece holder 20, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that, although the rotation axis of the workpiece 30 faces the Z direction in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the arrangement is not limited to this.

[0034] Although it has been described here that both the nozzle unit 100 and the workpiece 30 can be moved in the direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece 30, it is also possible to allow only one of the nozzle unit 100 and the workpiece 30 to move in the axial direction. In this case, it is generally preferable to move the nozzle unit 100, which is lighter, from the perspective of simplifying the device.

[0035] The pad driving unit 50 is a unit that operates the nozzle unit 100 held by the nozzle unit holding unit 10 to change the direction of the nozzle 111. The pad driving unit 50 is fixed to the base 2 via a vertical frame 3 that rises from the base 2 and a horizontal frame 4 that is fixed to the top of the vertical frame 3.

[0036] Pad driving unit 50 includes a housing 51, a driving source 52 arranged inside housing 51, and a rod 53 driven in the Z direction by driving source 52. A pad 55 is provided on a tip end 54 of rod 53. By driving rod 53 downward in the figure using driving source 52 and pressing pad 55 into contact with end 143 of second operating member 140 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) of nozzle unit 100, nozzle unit 100 can be operated to change the orientation of nozzle 111.

[0037] It is sufficient for drive source 52 to be able to drive rod 53 in the Z direction, and drive in other directions is not essential. However, if nozzle unit 100 moves in the X direction or Y direction during winding around workpiece 30 and it is necessary to push end 143 in at different positions in the X direction or Y direction, it may be possible to provide a mechanism that moves rod 53 and pad drive unit 50 in the X direction or Y direction following nozzle unit 100. Alternatively, it may be possible to increase the size of pad 55 to an extent that it can push end 143 in no matter where the nozzle unit is in the X direction or Y direction.

[0038] When winding the wire onto the workpiece 30, the nozzle 111 is moved relative to the workpiece 30. This relative movement can be achieved by any of the following methods: (1) moving only the nozzle unit 100; (2) moving both the nozzle unit 100 and the workpiece 30; or (3) moving only the workpiece 30.

[0039] However, from the viewpoint of simplifying the configuration of the pad driving unit 50, it is preferable to realize relative movement at least in the X and Y directions by method (3). In this case, if the positioning is performed in advance, the orientation of the nozzle 111 can be changed at any time during winding by simply driving the rod 53 in the Z direction. Of course, even in this case, the method (1) or (2) can be adopted for movement in the Z direction.

[0040] It is also preferable that the surface (first surface) of the pad 55 that comes into contact with the end 143 is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece 30. This is because even if the positional relationship in the X direction or Y direction between the pad 55 (including the pad driving unit 50) and the nozzle unit 100 deviates slightly from the expected position, the movement amount of the end 143 corresponding to the drive amount of the rod 53 does not change. As will be described later, the orientation of the nozzle 111 depends on the movement amount of the end 143 (including the second operating member 140), so it is preferable that the movement amount of the end 143 can be controlled as accurately as possible.

[0041] Next, the functional block diagram of FIG. 2 shows the configuration of functions related to driving and controlling the nozzle unit and the workpiece 30 in the winding machine 1 shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle unit holding section 10 includes a horizontal linear drive section 16 for translating the nozzle unit 100 in the X and Y directions, and a vertical linear drive section 17 for translating the nozzle unit 100 in the Z direction. These correspond to the drive mechanisms 12 to 14 and the motors that serve as their drive sources in FIG. 1. The wire feed section 18 is a unit that feeds the nozzle unit 100 with the wire to be discharged from the nozzle 111.

[0042] The workpiece holding unit 20 includes a rotational drive unit 26 for rotating the workpiece 30, a radial linear drive unit 27 for translating the workpiece 30 in the radial direction and an axial linear drive unit 28 for translating the workpiece 30 in the axial direction, respectively. Each of these drive units includes a motor as a drive source. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the pad driving unit 50 has a function of moving the rod 53 in the Z direction.

[0043] The winding machine 1 is equipped with a control unit 60 that is a computer that operates by executing software, a dedicated control circuit, or a combination of these, and the control unit 60 controls the operation of each part in Figure 2 according to settings input to the winding machine 1 or pre-stored therein, thereby winding wire around the workpiece 30, including forming crossover wires.

[0044] Next, an example of the configuration of workpiece 30 is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A is a bottom view of workpiece 30, and Figure 3B is an end view taken along line 3B-3B in Figure 3A. That is, Figure 3A is a view of workpiece 30 as seen from the side indicated by arrow 3A in Figure 3B. Also, in Figure 3B, part of the outline of workpiece 30 seen on the far side of the end face appearing on line 3B-3B is shown by a virtual line.

[0045] The workpiece 30 has a plurality of magnetic poles (salient poles) 32 that protrude radially inward from the annular portion 31. Here, nine salient poles 32 are provided. The annular portion 31 and the salient poles 32 are configured as a continuous, integrated metal part, as shown in FIG. 3B. Resin insulating materials 43, 33 are disposed on the front and back sides of this metal part, respectively. In FIG. 3A, everything that appears in the drawing except for a portion of the annular portion 31 is insulating material 33 disposed on the back side of the workpiece 30.

[0046] The back-side insulating material 33 includes a winding placement portion 34, an inner flange portion 35, an outer flange portion 36, claw portions 37, and a base portion 38. The front-side insulating material 43 includes a winding placement portion 44, an inner flange portion 45, an outer flange portion 46, and claw portions 47. The winding arrangement portion 34 of the insulating material 33 is a generally flat area sandwiched between the inner flange portion 35 and the outer flange portion 36, and the same is true for the winding arrangement portion 44 of the insulating material 43. The winding for the salient pole 32 is wound around these winding arrangement portions 34 and 44.

[0047] In this embodiment, the crossover wire is formed on the back side of the workpiece 30, radially outward of the outer flange 36, and circumferentially along the outer flange 36. Therefore, the outer flange 36 functions as a restricting member for positioning the crossover wire. In addition, the claws 37 formed radially outward at the ends of the outer flange 36 and the base 38 extending outward from the outer flange 36 with roughly the same thickness as the winding arrangement portion 34 also function as restricting members for restricting the axial position of the crossover wire. Instead of or in addition to the base 38, it is also possible to provide a recess for accommodating the crossover wire on the radially outer surface of the outer flange 36.

[0048] The outer flange 36 is also provided with a slit 36a for drawing the wire material after winding around the salient pole 32 outward to form a crossover wire, and a slit 36b for drawing the wire material after forming the crossover wire inward to wind it around the next salient pole 32. The slit 36a is formed at a position corresponding to the gap between adjacent salient poles 32, and the slit 36b is formed at a position corresponding to the salient pole 32.

[0049] The crossover wire can be formed, for example, as shown by dashed arrow L in Fig. 3A, so as to pass through these slits 36a and 36b and follow the outer peripheral surface of the outer flange portion 36. It is arbitrary to determine from which slit 36a the crossover wire is pulled out and from which slit 36b the crossover wire is pulled in. In addition, the virtual lines in Figure 3B show the contours of the outer flange portions 36, 46, the inner flange portions 35, 45, and the salient pole 32 located at the back side of the end face, as well as the contour of the outer flange portion 36 located at the back side of the slit 36b at the bottom right of the figure.

[0050] Next, the configuration and operation of the nozzle unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 7B. 4A and 4B are side views of the nozzle unit 100 included in the winding machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, with FIG. 4A showing a state in which the nozzle 111 is oriented for winding a wire around the salient pole 32 and FIG. 4B showing a state in which the nozzle 111 is oriented for forming a crossover wire. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of the internal mechanism of the nozzle unit 100 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, with the front side of the housing 120 removed. FIGS. 6A and 6B are partial perspective views showing the tip of the nozzle unit 100 in the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively.

[0051] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the configuration of the nozzle support portion 110 and its vicinity in the nozzle unit 100 in the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, with a focus on the supply path of the wire rod W. FIG. 7A and 7B show cross sections perpendicular to the thickness direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIGS. 4A and 4B) at the center position in the thickness direction of the nozzle unit 100. Also, FIGS. 4A to 6B show the nozzle unit 100 in a state where it does not hold the wire rod W.

[0052] As shown in these figures, the nozzle unit 100 comprises a nozzle 111, a nozzle support part 110 that supports the nozzle 111, and a first operating member 130 and a second operating member 140 as operating members for operating the nozzle support part 110, and these are arranged inside the housing 120 with a portion of them exposed.

[0053] The nozzle 111 can discharge wire W such as a conductor wire for forming windings and crossover wires from an opening at its tip. The nozzle 111 has a roughly cylindrical shape and includes a conveying path 111a (see FIG. 7A) therein, which is a hollow for passing the wire W therethrough. Nozzle support part 110 fixedly supports nozzle 111 and includes protrusion 112, which is a movable body that moves within a track described below, and rotation shaft 113 for connecting to first operating member 130. Also, on the surface opposite to the surface shown in Figures 4A and 5A, a protrusion of the same shape and size as protrusion 112 is formed at a position that overlaps with protrusion 112 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface.

[0054] Furthermore, a conveying path for passing the wire rod W to be supplied to the nozzle 111 is also formed inside the nozzle support part 110. The nozzle support part 110 also has a guide roller 151 therein for guiding the wire rod W to be supplied to the nozzle 111 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). The guide roller 151 is rotatable about a shaft 151a fixed to the nozzle support part 110. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the nozzle support part 110 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 4B or the like, the rotation shaft 113 can also be involved in guiding the wire rod W.

[0055] The first operating member 130 has a connection part 132 at one end connected to the nozzle support part 110 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 113. A connection part 131 at the other end is connected to the second operating member 140 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 146. The second operating member 140 has a connecting portion 145 provided at one end of a rod-shaped main body 141, which is connected to the first operating member 130 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 146. The other end is provided with an end portion 143 for contacting the pad 55, as shown in FIG. 1. A flange 142 is provided near the end portion 143, and a spring 144 whose upper end position is restricted by the flange 142 is provided around the main body 141. One end of the spring 144 may be fixed to the flange 142.

[0056] Housing 120 is an exterior component that houses nozzle support portion 110, first operating member 130, and part of second operating member 140. In addition, slits 122 and 123, which are recesses with a curved longitudinal shape, are provided near the end of housing 120 on the side that houses nozzle support portion 110. Unless otherwise specified, in this specification, the term "recess" is used to include not only a depression shape with a bottom, but also a shape that has no bottom and penetrates the base material, such as slits 122 and 123.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 6A, the end of housing 120 that houses nozzle support part 110 is bifurcated into the side that appears in Fig. 4A and the side that is hidden behind it. Slit 122 is formed in the part that appears in Fig. 4A, and slit 123 is formed in the part that is hidden behind it, with slit 122 and slit 123 having the same shape and size and positioned to overlap when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 4A.

[0058] Housing 120 also includes walls 125 and 126, which define a generally cylindrical passage therebetween for passing second operating member 140. A tubular member 127 is provided within this passage, and second operating member 140 is placed through an opening in the center of tubular member 127, thereby limiting the movement direction of second operating member 140 to approximately only the longitudinal direction of the tubular member. The diameter of the opening of tubular member 127 is approximately the same as that of second operating member 140. A flange 127a exposed to the outside of housing 120 is provided at the rear end (upper side in FIG. 5A) of tubular member 127, and this flange 127a regulates the position of the lower end of spring 144.

[0059] Furthermore, the housing 120 is provided with a guide roller 152 that is rotatable around an axis 152a fixed to the housing 120, and this guide roller 152 guides the wire W to be supplied to the nozzle 111 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). In the example described here, the wire W is supplied in a direction generally along the longitudinal direction of the housing 120. 6A, the portions of the housing 120 that are not provided with the walls 125, 126 on the surface that is vertical in Fig. 4A and perpendicular to the paper surface are openings, and the nozzle support part 110 and the second operating member 140 can be moved to positions that protrude from the housing 120. The wire W can also be drawn in from outside the housing 120 through these openings.

[0060] 5A and 5B show a state in which the front side of housing 120 has been removed, but this is for the sake of convenience in order to clearly show the internal structure of nozzle unit 100, and housing 120 does not necessarily have to be separable into a front part and a rear part. In Figures 5A and 5B, slit 122 formed in the front part of housing 120 is shown by a virtual line.

[0061] In the nozzle unit 100 described above, a pair of protrusions 112 provided on the front and back of the nozzle support portion 110 are accommodated in a pair of slits 122, 123 provided in the housing 120, and can move within the slits 122, 123, sliding against the side surfaces of the slits 122, 123, respectively.

[0062] 4A and 4B, the slits 122 and 123 have a curved shape that defines an arc-shaped locus that follows part of the locus of an imaginary circle C of radius r centered at the tip position of the nozzle 111. Furthermore, the convex portion 112 protrudes approximately perpendicularly from the side surface of the nozzle support portion 110 and approximately parallel to the inner side surfaces of the slits 122 and 123. The cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 112 in a plane perpendicular to the protruding direction (a plane parallel to the side surface of the nozzle support portion 110) has approximately the same width and curvature as the slits 122 and 123, and its longitudinal direction is oriented along the longitudinal direction of the slits 122 and 123.

[0063] 4A, when the pad driving unit 50 presses down the second operating member 140 and applies a downward force to the nozzle support part 110 in FIG. 4A, the pair of protrusions 112 slide within the slits 122 and 123, respectively, and move downward in the figure. As this movement occurs, the nozzle support part 110 also moves downward in the figure, but at the same time, the orientation of the nozzle support part 110 changes as it is guided by the side surfaces of the slits 122 and 123. The slits 122 and 123 can also be referred to as arc-shaped cam grooves, and the protrusions 112 that engage with these can also be referred to as arc-shaped cams.

[0064] As described above, if the slits 122, 123 are shaped to define a trajectory along a part of the imaginary circle C centered on the tip position of the nozzle 111, the nozzle support part 110 will also be rotated around the tip position of the nozzle 111. 4B, the orientation of nozzle 111 can be changed without changing the position of the tip of nozzle 111. Although there is no physical rotation axis at the tip of nozzle 111, a simple mechanical configuration in which convex portion 112 is guided and moved by arc-shaped slits 122 and 123 makes it possible to rotate nozzle support portion 110 with the tip of nozzle 111 as a virtual rotation axis.

[0065] In this embodiment, by pushing the end 143 of the second operating member 140 toward the housing 120, a downward force is applied to the first operating member 130 connected to the second operating member 140 in Figure 4A, and a downward force is also applied to the nozzle support part 110 through the first operating member 130.

[0066] At this time, not only the nozzle support part 110 but also the first operating member 130 and the second operating member 140 are moved downward. Furthermore, because the first operating member 130 is rotatably connected to both the second operating member 140 and the nozzle support part 110, any change in the positional relationship between the nozzle support part 110 and the second operating member 140 that accompanies the rotational movement of the nozzle support part 110 is absorbed by the rotation of the first operating member 130. Therefore, the nozzle support part 110 can be rotationally moved simply by pushing the second operating member 140 in with a linear operation. In the example of FIG. 1, this operation is performed by pad 55.

[0067] Furthermore, when the nozzle support unit 110 is pressed in as shown in FIG. 4B, the spring 144 is compressed, urging the second operating member 140 upward in FIG. 4B along the operating direction. Therefore, when the pressing by the pad driving unit 50 is released and the second operating member 140 is released, the second operating member 140 is operated upward by the urging force of the spring 144, returning to the state shown in FIG. 4A. Accordingly, the nozzle support unit 110 rotates in the opposite direction to the transition from FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B. This rotation also naturally centers around the tip of the nozzle 111.

[0068] By using the nozzle unit 100 described above, the nozzle 111 can be rotated around its tip by a very simple operation of linearly operating (pressing) the second operating member 140. Therefore, the orientation (posture) of the nozzle 111 can be changed without applying unintended force (pulling or loosening force) to the wire W being discharged from the nozzle 111. The mechanism for this is also relatively simple, allowing for mass production at low cost. Furthermore, there is no need to simultaneously move other parts to maintain the position of the tip when rotating the nozzle 111. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned simple operation, high-speed position changes are possible, which contributes to speeding up the entire winding process.

[0069] That is, the nozzle support 110 is linearly connected to the first and second operating members 130 and 140 to form a link mechanism, and the nozzle 111 can be rotated around its tip simply by pressing the second operating member 140 with the pad driving unit 50. This simplifies the configuration, eliminating the need for multi-axis control. Furthermore, the control for rotating the nozzle 111 around its tip simply requires operating the pad driving unit 50 to press the second operating member 140—in other words, simply turning on the drive source 52, such as an air cylinder, that extends the rod 53. The time required for the nozzle 111 to rotate around its tip is simply the time required for the extension stroke of the rod 53, which is significantly shorter than the multi-axis control envisioned in Patent Document 2. This allows for significantly higher winding speeds.

[0070] Even when controlling the nozzle 111 to return to a position perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece for normal winding, the control is an OFF control that simply retracts the rod 53, and in this case, as with the above, the time is overwhelmingly shorter than the multi-axis control that may be envisioned in Patent Document 2. Moreover, in this embodiment, the nozzle 111 is automatically restored to its normal winding position by the biasing force of the spring 144. In other words, a self-restoring configuration is achieved in which the restoring operation of the nozzle 111 is separated from the ON / OFF control of the pad driver 50 by the controller 60, and the pad driver 50 and the nozzle unit 100 do not need to be mechanically connected, allowing for greater flexibility in manufacturing and also contributing to a simplified configuration.

[0071] When using the nozzle unit 100 for winding, for example, as shown in Fig. 4A, it is preferable to orient the nozzle 111 in a direction (first direction) parallel to the protruding direction of the salient pole 32 so as to be suitable for winding around the salient pole 32 of the workpiece 30 without applying any external force. This allows winding to be performed without using any power to rotate the nozzle 111.

[0072] It is preferable that nozzle 111 faces the first direction when convex portion 112 is at the upper end (one end of the movable range) of slits 122, 123 in Fig. 4A. Furthermore, if spring 144 is slightly compressed in this position compared to its natural state (unloaded state) and still biases second operating member 140 upward, this is preferable because it allows nozzle 111 to be stabilized in a state facing the first direction even if second operating member 140 is not fixed.

[0073] In many cases, the protruding direction of the salient pole 32 is perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece 30, and by making the longitudinal direction of the casing 120, which is the longitudinal direction of the nozzle unit 100, parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the workpiece 30, it becomes easy to pass the nozzle unit 100 through an opening in the center of the workpiece 30 and move the nozzle 111 to the back side of the workpiece 30. For this reason, it is preferable that the first direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the casing 120.

[0074] On the other hand, for example, when the second operating member 140 is pushed in as shown in Fig. 4B, the nozzle 111 may be oriented in a direction (second direction) that faces the second operating member 140 side (which is also the supply path side of the wire W) more toward the second operating member 140 than the first direction, which is suitable for forming a crossover wire. As will be described later, in the case where a crossover wire is formed on the back side of the workpiece 30 while the nozzle unit 100 is passing through the inside of the workpiece 30 (see Fig. 8E), this is the direction in which the nozzle 111 faces the back surface of the workpiece 30 from a position protruding from the back side of the workpiece 30.

[0075] Here, the amount of depression of second operating member 140 can be easily adjusted, and it is also possible to stop the depression halfway, rather than until convex portion 112 abuts the lower ends of slits 122 and 123 as shown in FIG. 4B . That is, the direction in which nozzle 111 faces can be adjusted by the amount of depression of second operating member 140. On the other hand, the specific number of degrees of rotation from the first direction that constitutes the preferred second direction may vary depending on the size and shape of workpiece 30. Therefore, from the perspective of easily adjusting the direction of nozzle 111, it is preferable to form the crossover wire with second operating member 140 depressed. However, this is not limited to this, and it is not prevented from positioning the nozzle 111 at an angle that forms a winding when the second operating member 140 is pushed in and a crossover when the second operating member 140 is not pushed in.

[0076] It is not essential to apply a biasing force to the second operating member 140 using a biasing member such as the spring 144. The second operating member 140 may be both pushed in and pulled out using the power of a motor or the like. However, by providing spring 144 and eliminating the need for external power except when second operating member 140 is pressed, nozzle unit 100 can be completely disconnected from the power source for rotating nozzle 111 while the second operating member 140 is not being pressed. Therefore, there is no need to move the power source along with nozzle unit 100, particularly during winding. Because the power source is relatively heavy, this significantly reduces the weight of the moving parts, enabling faster winding, more precise position control, and a more compact and cost-effective winding machine 1 through simplification of drive mechanisms 12-14 and the drive source.

[0077] 8A to 8E, an example of a procedure in which the winding machine 1 winds a wire around the workpiece 30 using the nozzle unit 100 will be described. The procedure described here is one embodiment of the winding method of the present invention.

[0078] FIGS. 8A through 8E illustrate the winding procedure step by step. In these figures, only the nozzle unit 100 near the end portion on the nozzle support portion 110 side is shown, with the front side of the housing 120 removed, as in FIGS. 5A and 5. The outline of the workpiece 30 is shown schematically. For simplicity, winding is described here as being performed by moving either the nozzle unit 100 or the workpiece 30. However, unless otherwise noted, all movements described using FIGS. 8A through 8E are relative movements that change the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 111 and the nozzle unit 100 and the workpiece 30. Either the nozzle unit 100 or the workpiece 30, or both, may be moved. The procedure described here is performed by the control unit 60 shown in FIG. 2 functioning as the first and second control units and controlling the operation of each drive unit and the wire supply unit 18.

[0079] When winding a wire around the workpiece 30, the winding machine 1 first inserts the nozzle unit 100 into the space 40 in the center of the workpiece 30, as shown by arrow D in Fig. 8A, and moves the nozzle 111 to the vicinity of the salient pole 32 to be wound. Prior to this, a step of entangling the end of the wire W in an end wire holder provided on the workpiece 30 is often carried out, but a description of this step will be omitted.

[0080] Thereafter, the nozzle 111 is caused to wind the wire W around the salient pole 32 while discharging the wire W from the nozzle 111, thereby forming the winding 41 on the salient pole 32, as shown in Fig. 8B. At this time, by moving the position of the nozzle 111 along the protruding direction of the salient pole 32 as the winding progresses, the winding 41 can be formed evenly on the salient pole 32. When winding around one salient pole 32 is completed, the winding machine 1 stops the nozzle unit 100 with the nozzle 111 positioned on the back side of the workpiece 30 as shown in Figure 8C in order to form a crossover wire on the back side of the workpiece 30.

[0081] Thereafter, the winding machine 1 translates the nozzle unit 100 toward the radially outer side of the workpiece 30, and as shown in Fig. 8D, the nozzle 111 passes through the slit 36a of the outer flange 36, causing the nozzle 111 to protrude radially outward from the outer flange 36. In this state, when the workpiece 30 is rotated about the rotation axis to form a crossover wire, the nozzle 111 comes into contact with the outer flange 36.

[0082] Therefore, by operating the pad driving unit 50 in the state shown in FIG. 8D and performing an operation (first operation) to push in the end 143 of the second operating member 140 of the nozzle unit 100 with the pad 55, the nozzle support unit 110 is rotated as shown in FIG. 8E to a state corresponding to FIG. 4B. This procedure is the first nozzle rotation procedure. As can be seen from FIG. 8E, in this state, even if the workpiece 30 is rotated around the rotation axis to form a crossover wire, the nozzle 111 does not come into contact with the outer flange portion 36. Therefore, by rotating the workpiece 30 at any angle, a crossover wire can be formed radially outside the outer flange portion 36 over that angle range.

[0083] 8E, the position of the tip of the nozzle 111 does not change, so no force is applied to the wire W, and no loosening or rubbing occurs. In addition, the nozzle unit 100 and the workpiece 30 do not move (are not required to move) in synchronization with this transition, making it easy to control the transition.

[0084] Furthermore, the reason why nozzle 111 is first moved to the position shown in FIG. 8D and then nozzle support part 110 is rotated is that precise position adjustment is required because the width of slit 36a cannot be made very wide due to placement restrictions, and there is no room for leeway in the width of nozzle 111, and it is easier to adjust the position by passing it through slit 36a in the same position as when it was wound. However, it is also possible to first rotate the nozzle support part 110 to change the orientation of the nozzle 111, and then translate the nozzle unit 100 toward the radially outer side of the workpiece 30, thereby passing the nozzle 111 through the slit 36a.

[0085] The crossover wire is formed up to the position of slit 36b corresponding to the salient pole 32 to be wound next, and the winding machine 1 stops the rotation of the workpiece 30 at this position. Then, the pad driving unit 50 is operated to perform a second operation to release the end 143 from being pressed by the pad 55. As a result, the second operating member 140 is moved by the biasing force of the spring 144, causing the nozzle support unit 110 to rotate to a state corresponding to Figure 4A, and the nozzle 111 enters the slit 36b to assume a position corresponding to Figure 8D. This procedure is the second nozzle rotation procedure. Thereafter, the winding machine 1 translates the nozzle unit 100 toward the inside in the radial direction of the workpiece 30, pulls the nozzle 111 out of the slit 36b, and moves it toward the inside in the radial direction of the outer flange portion 36. That is, the state is returned to that shown in FIG. 8C. Thereafter, the nozzle 111 is caused to circle around the salient pole 32 while discharging the wire W from the nozzle 111, thereby winding the wire W around the next salient pole 32.

[0086] By repeating the above steps, the winding machine 1 can form, on the workpiece 30, windings 41 around the plurality of salient poles 32 and crossover wires connecting these windings. In this operation, by utilizing the rotation mechanism of the nozzle support portion 110 provided in the nozzle unit 100, the effects described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 6B can be obtained.

[0087] [Modification] 9A to 12, various modified examples of the rotation mechanism of the nozzle support part 110 will be described. In the modified examples described here, components that are common to or correspond to those of the embodiment described above will be designated by the same reference numerals as those of the embodiment described above, and descriptions of the common parts will be omitted as necessary.

[0088] FIG. 9 is a side view of the vicinity of the nozzle support portion 110, showing the configuration of a modified example of the nozzle unit 100 in a state corresponding to FIG. 5A. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle support portion 110 includes a moving body 115 having a plurality of rollers 116 instead of the fixed convex portion 112 as a moving body that moves within the slits 122 and 123 .

[0089] In the nozzle unit 100′ shown in Fig. 9, the movable body 115 has two rollers 116 on each side thereof. When the movable body 115 is inserted into the slit 122, the rollers 116 on each side of the movable body 115 abut against both side surfaces of the slit 122. When a downward force in the figure is applied from the first operating member 130 to the nozzle support part 110, the movable body 115 moves downward within the slit 122 in the same manner as in the case of the convex part 112 in Fig. 4A etc., and at this time, the rollers 116 abut against the side surfaces of the slit 122 and are rotated accordingly.

[0090] In this configuration, the configuration is more complex than when the convex portion 112 slides within the slit 122, but friction can be reduced, so the nozzle support portion 110 can be rotated with less force and the durability of the nozzle support portion 110 can be improved. 9 shows only the movable body 115 inserted into the slit 122, the nozzle support part 110 also has a movable body 115 and rollers 116 of the same configuration inserted into the slit 123 on the surface opposite to the surface shown in the figure. The opposite surface may also have a convex part 112 similar to that shown in FIG. 4A etc.

[0091] Next, Figures 10A and 10B respectively show the configuration of another modified example of the nozzle unit 100 in a state corresponding to Figures 5A and 5B. As with Figure 9, only the vicinity of the nozzle support part 110 is shown. Nozzle unit 100″ shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B differs from the configuration shown in FIG. 5A etc. in that nozzle support part 110 has slit 117 as a track, and housing 120 has protrusion 128 as a moving body that is inserted into slit 117 and slides inside.

[0092] 10A and 10B, when a downward force is applied from first operating member 130 to nozzle support part 110, convex part 128 moves inside slit 117 relative to slit 117. However, unlike the example in FIG. 5 etc., the absolute position of convex part 128 does not change, and nozzle support part 110 including slit 117 moves. If slit 117 is shaped to define an arc-shaped locus centered on the tip of nozzle 111, this action can rotate nozzle 111 around its tip, as in the case of FIGS. 5A and 5B etc.

[0093] It is preferable that the protrusions 128 are provided on both sides of the housing 120 so as to protrude inward toward the nozzle support portion 110. The slits 117 may be provided on both sides of the nozzle support portion 110, or may be provided so as to penetrate the nozzle support portion 110. In either case, it is preferable that the protrusions 128 can be inserted into the slits 117 from both sides of the nozzle support portion 110. In the configurations of Figures 10A and 10B, in order to form slits 117 in nozzle support part 110 that are long enough to obtain a sufficient rotation angle, the size of nozzle support part 110 needs to be slightly larger than in the case of Figures 5A and 5B, but the same effect as in the case of Figures 5A and 5B can be obtained.

[0094] Next, we will explain an example in which the track that defines the movement path of the nozzle support part 110 is provided in a convex shape. Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams for this explanation, with Figure 11 being a diagram for explaining the relationship between the track and the moving body in the nozzle unit 100 shown in Figures 4A and 4B, and Figure 12 being a diagram for explaining the relationship between the track and the moving body in this modified example of the nozzle unit 100. In the examples described so far, as shown schematically in FIG. 11, a convex portion such as convex portion 112 is inserted as a moving body into a track formed by concave portions such as slits 122 and 123, and is moved within the track.

[0095] 12, for example, a track may be provided as a rail-shaped convex portion 229 inside the housing 120, and a moving body 210 that moves on this track may be provided on the nozzle support portion 110. The moving body shown in FIG. 12 is configured to include rollers 211 that come into contact with the side surfaces of the convex portion 229 and rotate following the convex portion 229, but may also slide relative to the convex portion 229. Even with the above configuration, as in the case of the embodiment and modified examples described so far, the movable body can be moved on a track in response to the force applied to the nozzle support part 110 from the first operating member 130, and as a result, the nozzle support part 110 can be caused to perform a rotational movement (or directional displacement) defined by the shape of the track. This makes it possible to rotate the nozzle 111 in the same way as in the case of the embodiment and modified examples described so far.

[0096] Although the preferred embodiment and some modified examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiment and modified examples, and various further modifications and alterations are possible.

[0097] For example, in the above-described embodiment, as described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 6B , convex portions 112 are provided on both surfaces of nozzle support portion 110, and these convex portions 112 are inserted into slits 122, 123 provided on both surfaces of housing 120 that sandwich nozzle support portion 110. However, convex portion 112 and slit 122 may be provided on only one side of nozzle support portion 110. Providing them on both sides is preferable in terms of operational stability, but even if they are provided on only one side, the rotational movement of nozzle support portion 110 itself is possible in the same way as when they are provided on both sides, as long as the structure is such that convex portion 112 does not fall off slit 122.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a winding machine that uses one nozzle unit 100 to perform winding has been described, but it is also possible to configure a winding machine that uses two nozzle units 100 to simultaneously wind two workpieces. In this case, if the pads 55 corresponding to each nozzle unit 100 are connected to a common rod 53, then it is sufficient to provide a single drive source 52 for the pad drive unit 50 that is common to both nozzle units 100.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the workpiece 30 is the stator of an inner rotor motor, but the present invention can also be applied to the winding of the rotor of an outer rotor motor. Furthermore, the use of the mechanism for rotating the nozzle unit 100 and the nozzle support part 110 is not limited to winding. From the embodiments described above, it is also possible to extract only the nozzle unit 100 or the mechanism for rotating the nozzle support part 110 and use it for another purpose.

[0100] Furthermore, the configurations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by extracting only a portion thereof, and the configurations described in the above description may be applied in any combination as long as they are not mutually contradictory. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely examples of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...winding machine, 2...base, 3...vertical frame, 4...horizontal frame, 10...nozzle unit holding section, 11...nozzle unit fixing section, 12-14...driving mechanism, 16...horizontal linear driving section, 17...vertical linear driving section, 18...wire supply section, 20...workpiece holding section, 21...workpiece setting section, 26...rotational driving section, 27...radial linear driving section, 28...axial linear driving section , 30... work, 31... annular portion, 32... salient pole, 33, 43... insulating material, 34, 44... winding arrangement portion, 35, 45... inner flange portion, 36, 46... outer flange portion, 36a, 36b... slit, 37, 47... claw portion, 38... base portion, 40... space, 41... winding, 50... pad drive portion, 51... housing, 52... drive source, 53... rod, 54... tip portion, 55... pad, 60... control portion, 100, 100', 100"... nozzle unit, 110... nozzle support portion, 111... nozzle, 111a... conveyance path, 112... convex portion, 113... rotating shaft, 115... moving body, 116... roller, 117... slit, 120... housing, 122, 123... slit, 125, 126... wall portion, 127... cylindrical member, 127a... flange portion, 128... convex portion, 130... first operating member, 131, 132... connecting portion, 140... second operating member, 141... main body portion, 142... flange portion, 143... end portion, 144... spring, 145... connecting portion, 146... rotating shaft, 151, 152... guide roller, 151a, 152a... shaft, 210... moving body, 211... roller, 229... convex portion, C... imaginary circle, W... wire rod

Claims

1. A nozzle that unwinds wire from the tip, a nozzle support portion that supports the nozzle; an operating member connected to the nozzle support portion; a housing that supports the nozzle support portion, one of the nozzle support part and the housing has a track that defines an arc-shaped locus centered on the tip of the nozzle, and the other has a movable body that is movable along the track; A nozzle unit characterized in that the movable body moves relative to the orbit along the orbit in response to operation of the operating member, and as this relative movement occurs, the nozzle support part and the nozzle rotate around the tip of the nozzle.

2. The nozzle unit according to claim 1, the track is a recess; The nozzle unit is characterized in that the movable body is a convex portion that is inserted into the concave portion, and the cross section of the plane perpendicular to the protruding direction has a shape with approximately the same width and curvature as the concave portion and a longitudinal direction that is along the concave portion, and slides inside the concave portion during the relative movement.

3. The nozzle unit according to claim 1, the track is a recess; The nozzle unit is characterized in that the movable body is a convex portion that is inserted into the recess, and is provided with a plurality of rollers that contact one side surface of the recess and rotate following the relative movement, each roller being positioned at a different longitudinal position of the recess.

4. The nozzle unit according to claim 1, the housing has a recess as the track, The nozzle unit is characterized in that the nozzle support portion has a protrusion that serves as the movable body and is inserted into the recess.

5. The nozzle unit according to claim 1, the operating member includes a first member rotatably connected to the nozzle support portion and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, A nozzle unit characterized in that the movable body moves relatively along the track as the second member is linearly moved, and the orientation of the first member changes as the relative movement occurs.

6. The nozzle unit according to claim 5, A nozzle unit comprising a biasing portion that biases the second member toward one side of an operation direction of the movement operation.

7. The nozzle unit according to claim 6, A nozzle unit characterized in that, when the second member is positioned at the one end of its movable range, the nozzle faces a first direction that is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing.

8. The nozzle unit according to claim 7, A nozzle unit characterized in that, as the second member is moved from the end on one side by the linear movement operation, the nozzle rotates and moves from the first direction toward the wire supply path side.

9. A nozzle unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a nozzle unit holding section that can hold the nozzle unit and move the nozzle unit; an operating unit for operating the operating member; a workpiece holder that holds a workpiece and can move the workpiece, the workpiece having a plurality of salient poles that protrude radially inward from the annular portion and a restricting member that positions a crossover wire that is located at one axial end of the annular portion and that runs along the circumferential direction of the annular portion and connects windings formed on different magnetic poles; a first control unit that controls operation of the nozzle unit holding unit and / or the work holding unit, and moves the nozzle unit relative to the work held by the work holding unit while at least a portion of the nozzle unit is inside the annular portion, thereby winding the wire rod fed from the nozzle around the salient pole to form the winding, and also forms the crossover wire on the one axial end side of the annular portion while the nozzle unit passes inside the annular portion; a second control unit that controls the operation of the operating unit, and directs the nozzle in a first direction parallel to the protruding direction of the salient pole while the winding is being formed, and then rotates and moves the nozzle by operating the operating member, so that, while the crossover wire is being formed, the nozzle is directed in a second direction from a position protruding beyond the one end side of the annular portion toward the one end side of the annular portion.

10. 10. The winding machine according to claim 9, The regulating member for the workpiece has a slit, the first control unit, after forming a winding around one salient pole, moves the nozzle unit in a translational manner relative to the workpiece held by the workpiece holding unit, causing the nozzle to pass through the slit and moving a tip end of the nozzle radially outward of the regulating member; Then, the second control unit operates the operation unit to direct the nozzle in the second direction, The winding machine is characterized in that the first control unit then starts forming the crossover wire.

11. 10. The winding machine according to claim 9, the operating member of the nozzle unit includes a first member rotatably connected to the nozzle support portion and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, In the nozzle unit, the movable body moves relatively along the track in accordance with the linear movement of the second member, and the orientation of the first member changes in accordance with the relative movement; The winding machine, characterized in that the operating unit performs an operation to move the second member linearly relative to the second member.

12. 12. The winding machine according to claim 11, the nozzle unit includes a biasing portion that biases the second member in a direction that protrudes from the housing along a path of the moving operation, In a first state in which the protruding length of the second member from the housing is at a maximum, the nozzle faces the first direction, and as the second member is moved from the first state by the linear movement operation, the nozzle rotates and moves from the first direction toward the two directions; The operating unit is capable of performing a first operation of performing the linear movement operation by pressing the second member in the first state, and a second operation of releasing the second member.

13. 13. The winding machine according to claim 12, the operating portion includes a pad that presses the distal end of the second member during the first operation, A winding machine, characterized in that a first surface of the pad that abuts against the second member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the work held by the work holding portion.

14. a winding method for winding a wire around the salient poles and forming the connecting wire at the one axial end of the annular portion, the method comprising: moving a nozzle that pays out wire from a tip thereof relative to a workpiece that includes a plurality of salient poles that protrude radially inward from an annular portion; and a restricting member for positioning a connecting wire that is located at one axial end of the annular portion and runs along the circumferential direction of the annular portion, the connecting wire being connected between windings formed on different magnetic poles; a first nozzle rotation step of operating an operating member connected to a nozzle support part that supports the nozzle, to move the nozzle support part along a trajectory that defines an arc-shaped locus centered on the tip of the nozzle, the trajectory being formed on one of the nozzle support part and a housing supported by the nozzle support part, and rotating the nozzle around the tip of the nozzle as a result of this movement; The crossover wire is formed on one axial end side of the annular portion with the housing passing through the inside of the annular portion, the nozzle is oriented in a first direction parallel to a protruding direction of the salient poles while the winding is being formed, and then the first nozzle rotation step is performed to rotate the nozzle, so that while the crossover wire is being formed, the nozzle is oriented in a second direction from a position protruding beyond the one end side of the annular portion toward the one end side of the annular portion.

15. 15. The winding method according to claim 14, The regulating member for the workpiece has a slit, After forming a winding around one of the salient poles, the nozzle is translated relative to the workpiece held by the workpiece holder, causing the nozzle to pass through the slit and moving the tip of the nozzle radially outward of the restricting member; thereafter performing the first nozzle rotation procedure to orient the nozzle in the second direction; and thereafter, the formation of the crossover wire is started.

16. 15. The winding method according to claim 14, the operating member includes a first member rotatably connected to the nozzle support portion and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, the first nozzle rotation step is a step in which the nozzle support part moves along the track in accordance with a linear movement operation performed on the second member, and the orientation of the first member changes in accordance with the movement.

17. 17. The winding method according to claim 16, the second member is biased in a direction to protrude from the housing along a path of the moving operation, In a first state in which the protruding length of the second member from the housing is at a maximum, the nozzle faces the first direction, and as the second member is moved from the first state by the linear movement operation, the nozzle rotates and moves from the first direction toward the two directions; In the first nozzle rotation step, the linear movement operation is performed by pressing the second member to orient the nozzle in the second direction; a second nozzle rotation step of rotating the nozzle, which was facing the second direction, to face the nozzle in the first direction by releasing the second member after forming the crossover wire.

18. 18. The winding method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, comprising the steps of: A winding method, characterized in that neither the housing nor the workpiece moves in the first nozzle rotation step.

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