Manufacturing method for electromagnetic component cores

Abstract

To improve the manufacturing efficiency of electromagnetic component cores. [Solution] The iron core manufacturing method comprises the steps of: preparing a first reel 40 having a pair of main body parts 41, 42 and a cavity 45 provided between them (S10); winding a thin wire 11 around the pair of main body parts 41, 42 of the first reel 40 (S11); cutting the thin wire 11 in the cavity 45 (S15); and removing a plurality of pieces 12 of the thin wire 11 from each of the pair of main body parts 41, 42 to obtain a pair of lateral parts 20, 30 of the iron core 10 (S19).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stator core of an axial gap type rotating electric machine as an example of an electromagnetic component core. The manufacturing method of the stator core in Patent Document 1 includes a step of preparing a relatively short soft magnetic thin wire and a relatively long soft magnetic thin wire, a step of bundling the thin wires such that a bundle of long thin wires sandwiches a bundle of short thin wires, and a step of bending at least one end of the long thin wire at a right angle. When only one end is bent, a T-shaped stator core can be obtained. When both ends are bent, an I-shaped or H-shaped stator core can be obtained.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above method, the steps of preparing one piece of the thin wire, bundling the thin wires, and bending a part thereof are separated. There is room for improvement in productivity.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the manufacturing efficiency of an electromagnetic component core.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core composed of a plurality of fine wires having soft magnetism, wherein the electromagnetic component core has a central portion formed by bundling a plurality of pieces of the fine wires extending along a first direction, and a pair of lateral portions formed by bundling a plurality of pieces of the fine wires and flanking the central portion from both sides in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and each of the pair of lateral portions is bundled with the central portion and has a parallel portion extending in the first direction, and is continuous from at least one of the first and second ends of the parallel portion and moves away from the central portion The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core, comprising: a flange extending along the second direction; a first winding frame having a pair of main bodies and a cavity provided between the pair of main bodies; winding the thin wire around the pair of main bodies of the first winding frame; cutting the thin wire in the cavity; removing the plurality of pieces of the thin wire from one of the pair of main bodies to obtain one of the pair of side portions; and removing the plurality of pieces of the thin wire from the other of the pair of main bodies to obtain the other of the pair of side portions.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the electromagnetic component core has a central section and a pair of lateral sections, each lateral section having a parallel section and a flange section. In manufacturing such an electromagnetic component core, a thin wire is wound onto a first reel, and the wound thin wire is cut using the cavity of the first reel. The divided thin wire is then removed from the first reel as a pair of lateral sections. In this way, two lateral sections having a parallel section and a flange section can be obtained simultaneously simply by winding and cutting the thin wire onto the first reel. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of electromagnetic component cores is improved compared to conventional methods.

[0008] The surfaces of the pair of main bodies are provided with a plurality of grooves that match the outer shape of the thin wire, so that when the thin wire is wound around the pair of main bodies, the thin wire may be wound in an aligned manner.

[0009] With the above configuration, the presence of grooves makes it easier to lay thin wires along the pair of main body sections. This prevents misalignment of the thin wires and increases the space utilization ratio of the pair of lateral sections.

[0010] The method may further include fixing the thin wires together with an adhesive while winding them around the pair of main bodies. The method may further include fixing the thin wires with an adhesive after winding them around the pair of main bodies but before cutting them.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the pair of side sections can be removed from the first winding frame while bundled together. This further improves the manufacturing efficiency of electromagnetic component cores.

[0012] The pair of main body parts may be made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0013] With the above configuration, even if adhesive is applied to the thin wire while it is wound around the first reel, multiple pieces can be easily removed from the main body.

[0014] The method may further include magnetically annealing the fine wire before winding it onto the first reel.

[0015] With the above configuration, when a thin wire is wound onto the first winding frame, springback is easily suppressed.

[0016] The method may further include pressing the corners of the thin wire while it is wound around the pair of main bodies and before obtaining the pair of side portions from each of the pair of main bodies, and magnetically annealing the pair of side portions obtained from each of the pair of main bodies.

[0017] According to the above configuration, since the thin wire before annealing is wound onto the first winding frame, there is a possibility that the corners of the wound thin wire may lift away from the main body due to springback. By pressing these corners, the thin wire is straightened and the lifting is eliminated.

[0018] The method may further include shaping the pair of side portions by cutting a portion continuous from the second end of the parallel portion in each of the pair of side portions obtained from the pair of main body portions, and the flange portion may extend along the second direction only from the first end of the parallel portion.

[0019] According to the above configuration, a T-shaped electromagnetic component core can be efficiently manufactured.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the manufacturing efficiency of the electromagnetic component core can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of an axial gap type rotating electric machine provided with a stator core that can be manufactured using the method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the electromagnetic component core according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] Exploded view of the central portion of FIG. 3A. [Figure 3B] Exploded view of the electromagnetic component core of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the first bobbin. [Figure 6] Partial cross-sectional view of the first bobbin in a state where soft magnetic fine wires are wound. <...... (The remaining tags are unchanged as they are just tags without specific text to translate)......]]Partial enlarged view of FIG. 6. [Figure 8A] Schematic diagram showing an example of soft magnetic fine wires within the cutting region of FIG. 6. [Figure 8B] Schematic diagram showing another example of soft magnetic fine wires within the cutting region of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] Perspective view of the second bobbin. [Figure 10] Partial cross-sectional view of the second bobbin in a state where soft magnetic fine wires are wound. [Figure 11] Flowchart showing a part of the method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram of an axial gap type rotating electric machine having a stator core that can be manufactured using a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] A schematic diagram of an axial gap type rotating electric machine having a stator core that can be manufactured using a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing a part of the manufacturing method for an electromagnetic component core according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] [First Embodiment] (Axial gap type rotating electric machine) Figure 1 schematically shows a part of a rotating electric machine 1. A rotating electric machine is a general term for electric motors, generators, and electric motor / generator combinations. The rotating electric machine 1 comprises a rotor 2 that holds a plurality of permanent magnets (not shown) and a stator 3 that faces the rotor 2 in the axial direction of the rotating electric machine 1. The stator 3 comprises a coil 4 and a stator core 5. The stator core 5 has a coil winding section 6 that extends in the axial and radial directions of the rotating electric machine 1, and a rotor-facing section 7 provided at the axial end of the coil winding section 6 that extends in the radial and circumferential directions of the rotating electric machine 1. The coil 4 is wound around the coil winding section 6. The rotor-facing section 7 faces the rotor 2.

[0024] The rotating electric machine 1 is an axial gap type, in which an air gap is provided between the rotor 2 and the stator 3. The axial gap type rotating electric machine 1 can be classified into the following three types A to C depending on the relative positions of the rotor 2 and the stator 3.

[0025] A: Double rotor, single stator type (see Figure 1) Two rotors 2 sandwich the stator 3 in the axial direction. The stator core 5 is I-shaped. Two rotor opposing sections 7 are provided at each end of the coil winding section 6. B: Single rotor, single stator type (see Figure 12) One rotor 2 faces one side of the stator 3. The stator core 5 is T-shaped, and one rotor-facing portion 7 is provided at one end of the coil winding portion 6. C: Single rotor, double stator type (see Figure 13) Both sides of one rotor 2 face the stator 3. The stator core 5 is T-shaped.

[0026] The stator 3 is an example of an electromagnetic component. The stator core 5 is an example of an electromagnetic component core (hereinafter also simply referred to as "core 10"), and can be manufactured by a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment is suitable for manufacturing the I-shaped structure shown in Figure 1.

[0027] (Electromagnetic component core) Figure 2 shows an iron core 10 manufactured using the manufacturing method according to this embodiment. When the iron core 10 is applied to the stator core 5, the length direction X of the iron core 10 is oriented in the radial direction of the rotating electric machine 1, the width direction Y (second direction) of the iron core 10 is generally oriented in the circumferential direction of the rotating electric machine 1, and the height direction Z (first direction) of the iron core 10 is oriented in the axial direction of the rotating electric machine 1. The length direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are all orthogonal to either of the other two directions.

[0028] The iron core 10 is constructed by bundling together pieces 12 of multiple fine wires 11. The fine wires 11 are made from soft magnetic materials with excellent magnetic properties, such as pure iron, low-carbon steel, or Si-added steel.

[0029] The outline or cross-section of the thin wire 11 may be a shape that allows for monohedral tiling, such as a triangle, quadrilateral, or parallelogram. In geometry, tiling or tessellation refers to covering a plane with a specific type of shape without gaps or overlaps. Monohedral tiling refers to tiling using only one type of shape. Multiple unit shapes are arranged in a plane without the vertices of each unit shape (e.g., a regular hexagon) touching the edges of other unit shapes. If the outline of the thin wire 11 is such a shape, it becomes theoretically possible to bundle multiple pieces 12 together so as to eliminate gaps between them, thereby increasing the space occupied by the iron core 10.

[0030] In particular, if the outer shape of the thin wire 11 is a regular hexagon, the thin wire 11 can be used to tile a plane in the same orientation without having to alternately rotate it 180 degrees like a triangle, and there are no overhangs like with a parallelogram. Therefore, even when bundling the wires using a winding frame as described later, it is easy to achieve a tight seal between the pieces 12, similar to tiling.

[0031] The iron core 10 has a central portion 15 and a pair of lateral portions 20 and 30. Both the central portion 15 and the pair of lateral portions 20 and 30 are made by bundling multiple pieces 12 of thin wire 11. The central portion 15 and its pieces 12 extend along the height direction Z. The pair of lateral portions 20 and 30 sandwich the central portion 15 from both sides in the width direction Y. The central portion 15 and the pair of lateral portions 20 and 30 also extend in the length direction X.

[0032] Referring to Figures 2, 3A, and 3B, the central portion 15 is symmetrical with respect to a center line extending in the length direction X when viewed in the height direction Z. Macroscopically, the central portion 15 is isosceles triangular in shape when viewed in the height direction Z.

[0033] The central section 15 has a median section 16 and a pair of protruding sections 17 and 18. The median section 16 separates the pair of protruding sections 17 and 18 in the width direction Y. The protruding sections 17 and 18 are mirror images of each other and, macroscopically, form a right triangle when viewed in the height direction Z, and protrude from the median section 16 to opposite sides in the width direction Y. The protruding sections 17 and 18 protrude more and more as they move from one side to the other in the length direction X (from the lower left side to the upper right side of Figure 2).

[0034] In the median section 16, multiple pieces 12 form an odd number of rows (including one) aligned in the width direction Y, and each row extends in the length direction X. As a result, when bundling the pieces 12 to tile a regular hexagon, the pair of protruding sections 17 and 18 do not shift in the length direction X, and the central section 15 becomes symmetrical.

[0035] Referring to Figures 2 and 3B, the lateral portion 20 has a parallel portion 21, a first flange portion 22, and a second flange portion 23. The parallel portion 21 is adjacent to one side of the central portion 15 in the width direction Y (lower right side of the page in Figure 2), bundled with the protruding portion 17 of the central portion 15, and extends in the height direction Z. The first flange portion 22 is continuous with the first end of the parallel portion 21 in the height direction Z (upper end of the page in Figure 2), and extends along the width direction Y, moving away from the central portion 15. The second flange portion 23 is continuous with the second end of the parallel portion 21 in the height direction Z (lower end of the page in Figure 2), and extends along the width direction Y, moving away from the central portion 15. Since the lateral portions 20 are bundled to the central portion 15 from one side in the width direction Y, the first flange portion 22 and the second flange portion 23 protrude from the parallel portion 21 to one side in the width direction Y.

[0036] Thus, in this embodiment applicable to the type A stator core 5, the first flange portion 22 and the second flange portion 23 are provided at each end of the parallel portion 21. The lateral portion 20 and its side 12 are bent into a U shape.

[0037] The lateral portion 30 is in a mirror image relationship with the lateral portion 20 described above. The lateral portion 30 and its side 12 are also bent into a U shape, and the lateral portion 30 has a parallel portion 31, a first flange portion 32, and a second flange portion 33. The parallel portion 31 is adjacent to the other side of the central portion 15 in the width direction Y (upper left side of the paper in Figure 2) and is bundled with the protruding portion 18. The first flange portion 32 and the second flange portion 33 project from both ends of the parallel portion 31 to the other side in the width direction Y.

[0038] The core 10 has first flange portions 22 and 32 that project from the first end in the height direction Z of the central portion 15 to both sides in the width direction Y. The core 10 also has second flange portions 23 and 33 that project from the second end in the height direction Z of the central portion 15 to both sides in the width direction Y.

[0039] When the iron core 10 is applied to the I-shaped stator core 5, the central portion 15 and the parallel portions 21, 31 constitute the coil winding portion 6. The first flange portions 22, 32 constitute one of the two rotor-facing portions 7. The second flange portions 23, 33 constitute the other of the two rotor-facing portions 7. The central portion 15 has a certain dimension in the width direction Y. Therefore, it can be said that the end face of the first end of the central portion 15 also constitutes the rotor-facing portion 7 together with the first flange portions 22, 32, and the end face of the second end also constitutes the rotor-facing portion 7 together with the second flange portions 23, 33.

[0040] (Manufacturing method for electromagnetic component cores) Referring to Figure 4, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment includes a fine wire manufacturing process for obtaining a fine wire 11, and this process comprises the following steps. Step S1: A process of preparing a fine wire 11 made of a soft magnetic material. Step S2 involves annealing the fine wire 11 and applying an insulating coating to the fine wire 11.

[0041] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment further comprises a side portion manufacturing process for obtaining a pair of side portions 20, 30, and this process comprises the following steps. Prepare the first frame 40 (see Figure 5) (Step S10). • Wind the thin wire 11 onto the first reel frame 40 (step S11). • Secure the thin wire 11 with adhesive during or after winding (step S12). • Cut the wound thin wire 11 (step S15). • Remove piece 12 from the first reel frame 40 to obtain the side sections 20 and 30 (step S19).

[0042] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment further comprises a process for manufacturing protruding parts to obtain a pair of protruding parts 17, 18, and this process comprises the following steps. Prepare the second frame 50 (see Figure 9) (Step S20). • Wind the thin wire 11 onto the second winding frame 50 (step S21). • Secure the thin wire 11 with adhesive during or after winding (step S22). • Cut the wound thin wire 11 (step S25). • Remove piece 12 from the second reel frame 50 to obtain protruding parts 17 and 18 (step S29).

[0043] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment further comprises a median portion manufacturing process (step S30) for obtaining the median portion 16.

[0044] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment further comprises a core assembly process in which the multiple obtained parts are fixed to each other to assemble the core 10, and this process comprises the following steps. The protruding parts 17 and 18 are fixed to the median part 16 to obtain the central part 15 (step S41). The lateral parts 20 and 30 are fixed to the central part 15 to obtain the iron core 10 (step S42).

[0045] In the flowchart, the above processes are shown sequentially in the order they are described. However, the side section manufacturing process, the protruding section manufacturing process, and the median section manufacturing process may be performed between step S1 and the core assembly process. There are no particular restrictions on the order in which these three processes are performed, and they can be performed in parallel.

[0046] Regarding the manufacturing process of the fine wire, in step S1, the fine wire 11 is manufactured from a soft magnetic material to have the above-described external shape. In this embodiment, step S2 is performed before the manufacturing process of the lateral portion and the manufacturing process of the protruding portion, and the annealed fine wire 11 is wound onto a winding frame. This makes it possible to suppress springback in the wound fine wire 11.

[0047] Regardless of whether step S2 is performed before or after winding, at the start of the lateral section manufacturing process and the protruding section manufacturing process, the thin wire 11 having the above-described shape is wound around the coil. Multiple pieces 12 are simultaneously generated by cutting in steps S15 and S25, and a bundled state is obtained at the same time. This method differs from the conventional method of preparing multiple pieces 12 in advance and bundling them together.

[0048] In the illustrated example, during the core assembly process, after the central portion 15 is obtained, a pair of lateral portions 20 and 30 are fixed to the central portion 15. This is just one example; the lateral portions 20 may be fixed to the corresponding protruding portions 17 first, and then the protruding portions 17 with the lateral portions 20 attached may be fixed to the median portion 16. All five parts may be fixed simultaneously.

[0049] The manufacturing process for the lateral sections will be explained below with reference to Figures 5 to 8B, and the manufacturing process for the protruding sections will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 10. The detailed shapes of the lateral sections 20, 30 and the protruding sections 17, 18 shown in Figures 5 to 10 (for example, the number and arrangement of the pieces 12) are slightly different from those shown in Figures 2, 3A, and 3B. However, the illustrations in Figures 2, 3A, and 3B are simplified for ease of understanding, and there is no contradiction between the above and below explanations.

[0050] (Side section manufacturing process) Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the first reel 40 comprises a pair of main body sections 41 and 42, and a pair of support frames 43 and 44 that support the pair of main body sections 41 and 42. One of the support frames 43 and 44 also serves as a connection point to the winding machine 61. When the winding machine 61 is in operation, the pair of main body sections 41 and 42, together with the pair of support frames 43 and 44, rotate together around the central axis A1. Although the central axis A1 is shown as a hypothetical axis, the first reel 40 may also be provided with a rotating shaft (not shown) extending along the central axis A1, thereby connecting the pair of support frames 43 and 44 to each other.

[0051] Here, the direction of extension of the central axis A1 is defined as the axial direction P1 of the first reel frame 40. The pair of support frames 43 and 44 are separated from each other in the axial direction P1. The pair of main body parts 41 and 42 are separated from each other in the reel frame height direction Q1, which is perpendicular to the axial direction P1. Each main body part 41 and 42 is a long, thick plate. The longitudinal direction of each main body part 41 and 42 is oriented in the axial direction P1, and its plate thickness is oriented in the depth direction R1, which is perpendicular to both the axial direction P1 and the reel frame height direction Q1.

[0052] The axial direction P1 of the first reel frame 40 corresponds to the longitudinal direction X of the core 10. The reel frame height direction Q1 of the first reel frame 40 corresponds to the width direction Y of the core 10. The depth direction R1 of the first reel frame 40 corresponds to the height direction Z of the core 10.

[0053] The main body 41 is positioned on one side of the winding frame height direction Q1 (upper side of the paper in Figure 5), and the main body 42 is positioned on the other side of the winding frame height direction Q1 (lower side of the paper in Figure 5). The pair of main body 41 and 42 are mirror images of each other and are symmetrical with respect to the central axis A1 when viewed in the depth direction R1.

[0054] The main body 41 has a mounting portion 41a at one end in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the axial direction P1) (the lower right end in Figure 5) which is attached to the support frame 43. The main body 41 has a mounting portion 41b at the other end in the longitudinal direction (the upper left end in Figure 5). The mounting portions 41a and 41b are attached to the support frames 43 and 44 so that the orientation of the main body 41 around the three axes of the axial direction P1, the winding frame height direction Q1, and the depth direction R1 remains unchanged relative to the support frames 43 and 44. As will be described later, the main body 41 can be supported so as to be displaceable in the winding frame height direction Q1 and the depth direction R1.

[0055] The main body 41 has a winding portion 41c between a pair of mounting portions 41a and 41b around which the thin wire 11 is wound. The thin wire 11 is wound around three winding surfaces of the winding portion 41c, in particular the outer end face in the winding frame height direction Q1 and both sides in the depth direction R1. The outer side in the winding frame height direction Q1 is the side away from the central axis A1 (the upper side of the paper in Figure 5 for the main body 41). Unless otherwise specified, this outer end face in the winding frame height direction Q1 is simply called the "outer surface".

[0056] The outer surface of the winding portion 41c is offset inward in the winding frame height direction Q1 relative to the outer surfaces of the pair of mounting portions 41a and 41b. Therefore, the outer surface of the winding portion 41c is connected to the outer surfaces of the pair of mounting portions 41a via a stepped surface 41d, and to the outer surfaces of the pair of mounting portions 41b via a stepped surface 41e. The stepped surfaces 41d and 41e are planes perpendicular to the axial direction P1.

[0057] Furthermore, the outer surface of the winding portion 41c is inclined with respect to the axial direction P1. In this example, the outer surface moves away from the central axis A1 to the outside in the winding frame height direction Q1, from one side of the axial direction P1 to the other (from the lower right to the upper left side of Figure 5).

[0058] Multiple grooves 41f are provided on the winding surface, which match the outer shape of the thin wire 11. For example, if the outer shape of the thin wire 11 is a regular hexagon, the cross-section of the groove 41f is an isosceles triangle with a vertex angle of 120 degrees. The grooves 41f are connected in the axial direction P1, making the winding surface serrated. On the outer surface of the winding portion 41c, multiple grooves extend parallel to the depth direction R1. On both sides in the depth direction R1, multiple grooves 41f extend parallel to the winding frame height direction Q1. Each of the grooves 41f on the outer surface is continuous with the grooves 41f on both sides in the depth direction R1.

[0059] Similarly, the main body 42 also has a pair of mounting parts 42a, 42b, a winding part 42c, stepped surfaces 42d, 42e, and a plurality of grooves 42f. The winding part 42c also has three winding surfaces: the outer end face in the winding frame height direction Q1 (bottom side of the paper in Figure 5) and both sides in the depth direction R1. The outer surface of the winding part 42c is connected to the outer surfaces of the mounting parts 42a, 42b via the stepped surfaces 42d, 42e. A plurality of grooves 42f are provided on the winding surface.

[0060] Furthermore, the main body 41 consists of a first half 41A and a second half 41B separated in the depth direction R1. The first half 41A and the second half 41B are mirror images of each other, formed and arranged symmetrically when viewed in the winding frame height direction Q1, and have the same external shape when viewed in the depth direction R1 and are completely superimposed. The first half 41A and the second half 41B are supported by support frames 43 and 44 so that they can be displaced relative to each other in the depth direction R1. This makes it possible to adjust the distance between the two sides of the main body 41 in the depth direction R1. Similarly, the main body 42 also consists of a first half 42A and a second half 42B that can be displaced relative to each other in the depth direction R1.

[0061] The first halves 41A and 42A are located on one side of the depth direction R1 (lower left side of Figure 5), and the second halves 41B and 42B are located on the other side of the depth direction R1 (upper right side of Figure 5). The side surfaces of the first halves 41A and 42A on one side of the depth direction R1 and the side surfaces of the second halves 41B and 42B on the other side of the depth direction R1 function as the winding surfaces of the main body portions 41 and 42 and have grooves 41f and 42f.

[0062] On the other hand, the other side surface of the first halves 41A and 42A and the one side surface of the second halves 41B and 42B face each other and do not function as winding surfaces. Also, in both the main body portion 41 and the main body portion 42, the inner end surface in the winding frame height direction Q1 does not function as a winding surface. No grooves are provided on these surfaces.

[0063] A cavity 45 is provided in the first reel frame 40. The central axis A1 passes through the cavity 45. The cavity 45 is formed between a pair of support frames 43, 44 in the axial direction P1 and between a pair of main body parts 41, 42 in the reel frame height direction Q1.

[0064] The main body sections 41 and 42 are supported by the support frames 43 and 44 so as to be displaceable in the winding frame height direction Q1. The first half 41A and the second half 41B are displaced synchronously in the winding frame height direction Q1. The same applies to the first half 42A and the second half 42B. This makes it possible to adjust the distance between the outer surface of the main body section 41 and the outer surface of the main body section 42. However, even when the main body sections 41 and 42 are brought as close together as possible within the movable range, the main body sections 41 and 42 are separated in the winding frame height direction Q1, and the cavity 45 exists.

[0065] In the manufacturing process of the lateral section, first, the first reel frame 40 configured as described above is prepared (step S10).

[0066] Step S10 may include adjusting the distance between the main body portions 41 and 42 in the winding frame height direction Q1 according to the width direction Y dimension of the core 10 to be manufactured. Step S10 may also include adjusting the distance between the winding surfaces of the first halves 41A and 42A and the winding surfaces of the second halves 41B and 42B according to the height direction Z dimension of the core 10 to be manufactured. In this case, the winding surfaces of the first halves 41A and 42A are positioned at the same location in the depth direction R1. The same applies to the winding surfaces of the second halves 41B and 42B.

[0067] Next, the thin wire 11 is wound around a pair of main body sections 41 and 42 of the first reel frame 40 (step S11). The thin wire 11 is pulled out of the coil and enters the cavity 45. With the thin wire 11 hooked onto the main body sections 41 and 42, the winding machine 61 is operated. As a result, the main body sections 41 and 42 rotate around the central axis A1, and the thin wire 11 is wound around the main body sections 41 and 42.

[0068] The thin wire 11 is sequentially wound around one side of the winding portion 41c, the outer surface of the winding portion 41c, and the other side of the winding portion 41c, passes through the cavity 45 in the winding frame height direction Q1, and is sequentially wound around the other side of the winding portion 42c, the outer surface of the winding portion 42c, and one side of the winding portion 42c, before returning to the cavity 45. In this way, the thin wire 11 is wound around the first winding frame 40 for one turn. The thin wire 11 is shifted in the axial direction P1 within the cavity 45, and the winding for the next turn is performed in the same manner as described above.

[0069] Referring to Figure 6, the thin wire 11 is wound in one stage on the main body portions 41 and 42 from one end to the other in the axial direction P1 of the winding surface, without creating any gaps in the axial direction P1. That is, the thin wire 11 is wound in an aligned manner. The thin wire 11 is wound in multiple stages (for example, three stages) on the first winding frame 40. Once the specified number of stages of winding is complete, the thin wire 11 is cut from the coil, which is the source of the thin wire 11. At each stage, the side surface of the thin wire 11 may abut against the stepped surface 41d at one end in the axial direction P1, thereby positioning the thin wire 11 in the axial direction P1. Similarly, the side surface of the thin wire 11 may abut against the stepped surface 41e at the other end in the axial direction P1.

[0070] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the outer surface of the wound portion 41c. Focusing on one groove 41f, one vertex of the regular hexagon, which is the outer shape of the thin wire 11, and the two sides forming it, are in contact with the inner surface of the groove 41f. The other four sides of the regular hexagon are exposed from the groove 41f. This type of fitting configuration is also generated in the adjacent groove 41f. As a result, the sides of the thin wires 11 fitted into the two adjacent grooves 41f come into contact with each other, and the two regular hexagons are aligned without gaps in the axial direction P1 in the same orientation. Furthermore, these two adjacent hexagons form a groove with the same shape as groove 41f. The thin wire 11 in the upper row is fitted into the groove formed by the two regular hexagons in the same manner as described above. In this way, a tiled pattern of regular hexagons is realized within the illustrated cross-section. This tiled state is realized not only in the cross-section of the outer surface of the wound portion 41c, but also in any cross-section of other wound surfaces.

[0071] Adhesive is applied to the thin wire 11 (step S12). The application of the adhesive may be performed during the winding process in step S11 or after the completion of the winding process. This fixes the thin wires 11 together. The adhesive is, for example, an epoxy type. The pair of main body parts 41 and 42 are made of, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This allows the thin wire 11 to be easily removed from the main body parts 41 and 42 in the subsequent step S19, even if the adhesive is applied to the thin wire 11 while it is wound on the first reel frame 40.

[0072] Next, the thin wire 11 is cut in the cavity 45 (step S15). The thin wire 11 passes through the cavity 45 in the winding frame height direction Q1 on both sides in the depth direction R1 between the main body parts 41 and 42. A cutting machine 63 is used for cutting. In the drawing, for ease of understanding, the cutting machine 63 is shown as a pair of scissors, but the cutting machine 63 may be an electric tool such as a shear.

[0073] Cutting lines CL are set at two locations separated in the winding frame height direction Q1, on each side of the depth direction R1. Each cutting line CL extends along the axial direction P1. On each side of the depth direction R1, a cutting region CA is set between the two cutting lines CL. Thin wires 11 within the cutting region CA are discarded and do not constitute the iron core 10.

[0074] On one side of the winding frame height direction Q1 relative to the cutting region CA, the thin wire 11 remains in the main body 41 in a state where multiple pieces 12 are bundled together. On the other side of the winding frame height direction Q1 relative to the cutting region CA, the thin wire 11 remains in the main body 42 in a state where multiple pieces 12 are bundled together.

[0075] Therefore, the multiple pieces 12 are removed from the main body 41 to obtain the side portion 20, and the multiple pieces 12 are removed from the main body 42 to obtain the side portion 30 (step S19). The multiple pieces 12 remaining on the main body 41 are engaged with the three winding surfaces of the winding portion 41c. The portion engaged with the outer surface of the winding portion 41c and extending in the depth direction R1 becomes the parallel portion 21 of the side portion 20. The portions engaged with each of the two sides of the winding portion 41c and extending in the winding frame height direction Q1 become the first flange portion 22 and the second flange portion 23 of the side portion 20. The relationship between the multiple pieces 12 remaining on the main body 42 and the side portion 30 is the same.

[0076] Referring to Figure 8A, the cutting region CA includes a non-linear section 11a between turns. The end 11b (start or end) of the thin wire 11 is also located within the cutting region CA. The lateral sections 20 and 30 do not have such non-linear sections or end sections, making it easy to shape multiple pieces into the desired shape. As shown in Figure 8B, the thin wire 11 may be wound diagonally, in which case the non-linear section can be eliminated from the beginning. Even in this case, the end 11b is still located within the cutting region CA.

[0077] As described above, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment is a method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core (core 10) composed of a plurality of fine wires 11 having soft magnetism, wherein the electromagnetic component core (core 10) has a central portion 15 formed by bundling a plurality of pieces 12 of the fine wires 11 extending along a first direction (height direction Z), and a pair of lateral portions 20, 30 formed by bundling a plurality of pieces 12 of the fine wires 11, which sandwich the central portion 15 from both sides in a second direction (width direction Y) perpendicular to the first direction (height direction Z), and each of the pair of lateral portions 20, 30 is bundled with the central portion 15 and has a parallel portion 21, 31 extending in the first direction (height direction Z), and first flange portions 22, 32 and second flange portions 23, 33 which are continuous from the first and second ends of the parallel portion 31, respectively, and extend along the second direction (width direction Y) away from the central portion 15.

[0078] The manufacturing method comprises: preparing a first reel 40 having a pair of main body parts 41, 42 and a cavity 45 provided between the pair of main body parts 41, 42 (step S10); winding a thin wire 11 around the pair of main body parts 41, 42 of the first reel 40 (step S11); cutting the thin wire 11 in the cavity 45 (step S15); removing a plurality of pieces 12 of the thin wire 11 from one of the pair of main body parts 41, 42 to obtain one of the pair of side parts 20, 30, and removing a plurality of pieces 12 of the thin wire 11 from the other of the pair of main body parts 41, 42 to obtain the other of the pair of side parts 20, 30 (step S19).

[0079] In this way, the thin wire 11 wound around the first reel frame 40 is cut using the cavity 45 provided in the first reel frame 40. The divided thin wire 11 is removed from the first reel frame 40 as a pair of lateral sections 20 and 30. In this way, by simply winding the thin wire 11 around the first reel frame 40 and cutting it, two lateral sections 20 and 30, each consisting of multiple pieces 12 and having parallel sections 21 and 31, first flange sections 22 and 32, and second flange sections 23 and 33, can be obtained simultaneously. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of the iron core 10 is improved compared to the conventional method.

[0080] Multiple grooves 41f, 42f are provided on the surfaces of the pair of main body parts 41, 42, which match the outer shape of the thin wire 11. When winding the thin wire 11 around the pair of main body parts 41, 42, the thin wire 11 is wound in an aligned manner. The presence of grooves 41f, 42f makes it easy to lay the thin wire 11 along the pair of main body parts 41, 42. This prevents misalignment of the thin wire 11 and increases the space occupied by the pair of lateral parts 20, 30.

[0081] The manufacturing method further includes fixing the thin wires 11 together with adhesive (step S12) while winding the thin wires 11 onto the pair of main body parts 41, 42, or after winding the thin wires 11 onto the pair of main body parts 41, 42 but before cutting the thin wires 11. This allows the pair of side parts 20, 30 to be removed from the first reel frame 40 in a bundled state, improving the manufacturing efficiency of the iron core 10. If the pair of main body parts 41, 42 are made of PTFE, multiple pieces 12 can be easily removed from the main body parts 41, 42 even if adhesive has been applied to the thin wires 11.

[0082] The manufacturing method further includes magnetic annealing of the fine wire 11 before winding it onto the first reel frame 40 (step S2). This makes it easier to suppress springback of the fine wire 11 when it is wound onto the first reel frame 40.

[0083] (Manufacturing process for protruding parts) Referring to Figures 9 and 10, the second reel 50 has a main body 51 and a connecting part (not shown). The connecting part holds the main body 51 and is connected to the winding machine 62. When the winding machine 62 is in operation, the main body 51 rotates around the central axis A2. In the same manner as with the first reel 40, the direction of extension of the central axis A2 is defined as the axial direction P1 of the second reel 50.

[0084] The main body 51 has a pair of mounting portions 51a and 51b, and a winding portion 51c provided between the mounting portions 51a and 51b in the axial direction P2. The pair of mounting portions 51a and 51b are generally rectangular parallelepipeds.

[0085] The winding portion 51c has winding surfaces on both sides in the winding frame height direction Q2, which is perpendicular to the axial direction P2. The winding surfaces are provided with a plurality of grooves 51f that match the outer shape of the thin wire 11. The plurality of grooves 51f are arranged in the axial direction P2 and extend parallel to the depth direction R2, which is perpendicular to both the axial direction P2 and the winding frame height direction Q2. The winding surfaces are offset toward the central axis A2 with respect to the end faces of the mounting portions 51a and 51b in the winding frame height direction Q2. Both ends of the winding surfaces in the axial direction P2 are connected to the end faces of the mounting portions 51a and 51b via stepped surfaces 51d and 51e. The winding surfaces are inclined with respect to the axial direction P2, moving away from the central axis A2 toward the winding frame height direction Q2 from one side of the axial direction P2 to the other side (from the lower right to the upper left of the paper in Figure 9). The winding portion 51c has a pair of side surfaces on both sides in the depth direction R2, which is perpendicular to both the axial direction P2 and the winding frame height direction Q2. These side surfaces do not necessarily have grooves 51f as shown in the illustrated example.

[0086] In the manufacturing process of the protruding section, first, the second reel frame 50 configured as described above is prepared (step S20). Next, the thin wire 11 is wound around the second reel frame 50 (step S21). The thin wire 11 is pulled out from the coil and hooked onto the main body 51. When the winding machine 62 is operated, the main body 51 rotates around the central axis A2, and the thin wire 11 is wound around the main body 51.

[0087] The thin wire 11 is wound around one winding surface of the winding section 51c, travels along one side of the winding section 51c in the winding frame height direction Q2, is wound around the other winding surface of the winding section 51c, travels along one side of the winding section 51c in the winding frame height direction Q2, and returns to the first winding surface. In this way, the thin wire 11 is wound around the second winding frame 50 for one turn. The thin wire 11 is shifted in the axial direction P2 within the region facing the side surface, and the winding for the next turn is performed in the same manner as above. As shown in Figure 10, the thin wire 11 is wound around the winding section 51c such that it fills the slope of the winding surface and the position in the winding frame height direction Q2 is aligned from one end to the other in the axial direction P2.

[0088] Adhesive is applied to the thin wire 11 (step S22). The application of the adhesive may be performed during the winding process in step S21, or after the completion of the relevant process. The adhesive is, for example, an epoxy type, and the main body 51 is made of, for example, PTFE.

[0089] Next, the thin wire 11 is cut (step S25). The thin wire 11 is cut at both ends in the depth direction R2 of each winding surface. As a result, the portion of the wound thin wire 11 that was facing the pair of sides of the winding portion 51c is cut off. The thin wire 11 remains on the pair of winding surfaces in a bundle of multiple pieces 12.

[0090] Therefore, multiple pieces 12 are removed from the winding surface on one side in the winding frame height direction Q2 to obtain a protruding portion 17, and multiple pieces 12 are removed from the winding surface on the other side in the winding frame height direction Q2 to obtain a protruding portion 18 (step S29).

[0091] In the manufacturing process of the protruding portion, two protruding portions 17 and 18, each consisting of multiple pieces 12, can be obtained simultaneously simply by winding the thin wire 11 onto the second winding frame 50 and cutting it. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of the iron core 10 is improved compared to the conventional method.

[0092] [Second Embodiment] Figure 11 shows a part of the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment. The process shown in Figure 11 proceeds from step S1 to step S20 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4, and is executed in place of the process between step S1 and step S20 shown in Figure 4.

[0093] In this embodiment, the magnetic annealing and insulating coating process in step S2 is performed after the side manufacturing process. In this case, when the thin wire 11 is wound onto the first reel frame 40, the thin wire 11 is prone to springback. If the springback is large, the thin wire 11 will lift up from the main body 41, 42 at the corners between the portion that lies on the outer surface of the wound portions 41c, 42c and the portion that lies on the side surfaces of the wound portions 41c, 42c.

[0094] Therefore, in this embodiment, the corners are pressed after the thin wire has been wound around the main body portions 41 and 42 and before the side portions 20 and 30 are removed from the main body portions 41 and 42 (step S13). In the illustrated flow chart, pressing is performed after the application of adhesive, but pressing may be performed during or before the application of adhesive. During pressing, the pusher may press the thin wire 11 in the winding frame height direction Q1 and press it against the outer surface, or it may press the thin wire 11 in the depth direction R1 and press it against the side surface, or both.

[0095] This straightens the thin wire 11 and eliminates lifting at the corners. In addition, in the manufacturing process of the protruding portion, pressing before removal from the second reel frame 50 and magnetic annealing after removal from the second reel frame 50 may be performed in the same manner.

[0096] [Third Embodiment] Figure 12 shows an axial gap type rotating electric machine 1 of type B (single rotor, single stator type). Figure 13 shows an axial gap type rotating electric machine 1 of type C (single rotor, double stator type). In both types of rotating electric machines 1, the stator core 5 is T-shaped. The lateral sections 20, 30 have parallel sections 21, 31 and first flange sections 22, 32 that are continuous from the first ends of the parallel sections 21, 31. The lateral sections 20, 30 do not have a second flange section that is continuous from the second ends of the parallel sections 21, 31.

[0097] Figure 14 shows a part of the manufacturing method according to the third embodiment. The process shown in Figure 14 proceeds from step S2 to step S20 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4, and is executed in place of the process between step S2 and step S20 shown in Figure 4.

[0098] In this embodiment, the thin wire 11 is not only cut in the cavity 45 (step S15A) in the same manner as in step S15 of the first embodiment (see Figure 4), but is also cut at one end of the depth direction R2 of the outer surface of the wound portions 41c and 42c (step S15B). As a result, multiple pieces 12 remain engaged with the two wound surfaces of the outer surface and one side of the main body portion 41. Similarly, multiple pieces 12 remain engaged with the two wound surfaces of the outer surface and one side of the main body portion 42.

[0099] Therefore, the multiple pieces 12 are removed from the main body 41 to obtain the side portion 20, and the multiple pieces 12 are removed from the main body 42 to obtain the side portion 30 (step S19). With respect to the multiple pieces 12 remaining on the main body 41, the portion that engages with the outer surface of the winding portion 41c and extends in the depth direction R1 becomes the parallel portion 21 of the side portion 20, and the portion that engages with one side surface of the winding portion 41c and extends in the winding frame height direction Q1 becomes the first flange portion 22 of the side portion 20. The relationship between the multiple pieces 12 remaining on the main body 42 and the side portion 30 is the same.

[0100] Thus, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a T-shaped iron core 10 can be manufactured and is suitably applicable to type B and type C stator cores 5.

[0101] Although embodiments have been described so far, the above configuration is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. Rotating electric machine 2 rotors 3 stata 4 coils 5 Stator Core 6. Coil winding section 7 Rotor opposing section 10. Iron core (iron core for electromagnetic components) 11 Thin line 11a Non-linear part 11b End 12 pieces 15 Central part 16 Median section 17,18 Overhang 20,30 Lateral part 21,31 Parallel section 22,32 First guard section 23,33 Second guard section 40 Volume 1 Frame 41,42 Main body 41A,42A 1st half 41B,42B 2nd half 41a, 41b, 42a, 42b Mounting part 41c, 42c Winding section 41d,41e,42d,42e Step surface 41f,42f groove 43,44 Support frame 45 Cavity 50 Volume 2 Frame 51 Main body 51a, 51b Mounting part 51c Wound part 51d,51e Step surface 51f Groove 61, 62 Winding machine 63 Cutting machine A1,A2 center axis CL cutting line CA cutting area P1,P2 Axial direction Q1, Q2 Winding frame height direction R1, R2 Depth direction X-length direction Y width direction Z (height direction)

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core composed of multiple fine wires having soft magnetism, The aforementioned electromagnetic component core, A central portion formed by bundling together multiple pieces of the thin wire extending along the first direction, It is formed by bundling together multiple pieces of the aforementioned thin wire, and has a pair of lateral parts that sandwich the central part from both sides in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, Each of the pair of side portions is, The central portion is bundled with the parallel portion extending in the first direction, It has a flange portion that is continuous with at least one of the first and second ends of the parallel portion and extends along the second direction away from the central portion, The method described above is A first reel frame is prepared, having a pair of main body parts and a cavity provided between the pair of main body parts. The thin wire is wound around the pair of main bodies of the first reel frame, The thin wire is cut in the aforementioned cavity, Remove the multiple pieces of the thin wire from one of the pair of main bodies to obtain one of the pair of side parts, and remove the multiple pieces of the thin wire from the other of the pair of main bodies to obtain the other of the pair of side parts. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core, comprising the following features.

2. Multiple grooves are provided on the surface of the pair of main body parts, which are aligned with the outer shape of the thin wire. When the thin wire is wound around the pair of main bodies, the thin wire is wound in an aligned manner. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to claim 1.

3. The method further comprises fixing the thin wires together with an adhesive while winding them around the pair of main bodies. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to claim 1.

4. The method further comprises winding the thin wire around the pair of main bodies but before cutting the thin wire, and then fixing the thin wire with an adhesive. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to claim 1.

5. The pair of main bodies are made of polytetrafluoroethylene. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The method further comprises magnetically annealing the fine wire before winding it onto the first reel. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. After winding the thin wire around the pair of main bodies and before obtaining the pair of side portions from the pair of main bodies, the corner portions of the thin wire are pressed while it is wound around the pair of main bodies. The pair of side portions obtained from each of the pair of main body portions are subjected to magnetic annealing. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the above.

8. The process further includes shaping the pair of side portions obtained from the pair of main body portions by cutting off the portion that is continuous with the second end of the parallel portion, The flange portion extends from only the first end of the parallel portion along the second direction. A method for manufacturing an electromagnetic component core according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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