Wire processing machine and busbar manufacturing method

Abstract

This invention discloses a technology that enables edgewise bending and other processing to be performed on a single wire processing machine. [Solution] In the wire processing machine 10 of this embodiment, the actuator 13 presses one side of the strip-shaped wire 90 against the side support roller, and edgewise bending is performed while the strip-shaped wire 90 is clamped in the thickness direction by a pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B. The wire processing machine 10 is also equipped with a press mechanism 59 between the variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B and the feeding device 25, so that the strip-shaped wire 90 can also be pressed.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire processing machine that bends a wire fed by a feeding device, and a method for manufacturing a bus bar using the wire processing machine.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of wire processing machine, there is known a machine that performs so-called edgewise bending processing in which a wire to be processed is strip-shaped and the strip-shaped wire is bent in the width direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the present application, a technique for enabling the above-described edgewise bending processing and other processing to be performed by one wire processing machine is disclosed.

[0005] One aspect of the invention made to solve the above problems is a feeding device for feeding a strip of wire, a side support roller positioned on one side of the feeding path of the strip of wire from the feeding device and rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the thickness direction of the strip of wire, and a pair of opposing plates facing each other in a first direction which is the axial direction of the side support roller, wherein the pair of opposing plates can switch between a first state in which the strip of wire is clamped and a second state in which the clamping force is weaker than in the first state or the pair of opposing plates are open, and a variable clamping mechanism that presses one side of the strip of wire, which is clamped by the pair of opposing plates in the first state and being fed by the feeding device, against the side support roller, A wire processing machine comprising an actuator capable of performing edgewise bending of a strip-shaped wire, the machine further comprising: a press mechanism having a punch that reciprocates in the first direction and press-works the strip-shaped wire between the feeding device and the side support rollers; and a power supply mechanism having a power output unit that reciprocates in the first direction, the power output unit moving in one direction in the first direction to supply power to the variable clamping mechanism to hold the pair of opposing plates in the first state, and the power output unit moving in the other direction in the first direction to supply power to the press mechanism for the punch to press-work the strip-shaped wire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the wire processing machine of this disclosure, one side of the strip-shaped wire is pressed against a side support roller by an actuator, and edgewise bending is performed while the strip-shaped wire is clamped in the thickness direction by a pair of opposing plates of a variable clamping mechanism. In addition, a press mechanism is provided between the feeding device that feeds the strip-shaped wire and the variable clamping mechanism, allowing press processing to be performed on the strip-shaped wire. In other words, the wire processing machine of this disclosure can perform edgewise bending and press processing, one of the other processing methods, in a single wire processing machine. Furthermore, the variable clamping mechanism and the press mechanism are driven by power received from a common power supply mechanism, and the power supplied to either the variable clamping mechanism or the press mechanism is switched depending on the direction of the reciprocating movement of the power output section of the power supply mechanism. This simplifies the structure of the power transmission section, making the entire wire processing machine more compact. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a wire processing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2A is a side cross-sectional view of an edgewise bending tool, Figure 2B is a perspective view of a flatwise bending tool, and Figure 2C is a perspective view of a twisting tool. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a perspective view of a strip-shaped wire rod, and Figure 3B is a perspective view of a busbar, which is a wire rod processed product. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a side cross-sectional view of the wire clamping mechanism and the pressing mechanism. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wire clamping mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first variable clamping mechanism. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the press mechanism. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a plan view of the wire clamping mechanism. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the wire clamping mechanism and the pressing mechanism. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a front view of the rotating base after it has been rotated from its origin position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a wire processing machine 10 and a busbar 95 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. As shown in Figure 1, the wire processing machine 10 comprises a common base plate 11 and opposing actuators 13 and a wire feeding system 20. Hereinafter, the horizontal direction in which the wire feeding system 20 and the actuator 13 face each other will be referred to as the front-rear direction H1, the horizontal direction perpendicular to it will be referred to as the lateral direction H2, the side of the wire feeding system 20 and actuator 13 closer to each other will be referred to as the front side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side.

[0009] The actuator 13 has, for example, four drive axes, which are driven by four servo motors (not shown) to control the position of the tool at any desired location. Specifically, the actuator 13 includes an XY table mechanism (not shown) having a slide table that can move to any position in the front-rear direction H1 and the lateral direction H2, a rotating base 14 mounted on the slide table and rotated around a first rotation axis J1 extending in the front-rear direction H1, and a tool table 15 supported by a projection 14A that protrudes forward at a position offset from the first rotation axis J1 on the rotating base 14 and rotated around a second rotation axis J2 perpendicular to the first rotation axis J1. The tool table 15 is, for example, circular in shape, and has, for example, an edgewise bending tool 16, a flatwise bending tool 17, and a twisting tool 18 attached to three locations that divide its outer edge into three equal parts.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2A, the edgewise bending tool 16 has a roller 16B that is rotatably supported around a third rotation axis J3 parallel to the second rotation axis J2. The roller 16B also has a support groove 16C on its outer circumference. The support groove 16C has a depth of approximately half the width of the strip-shaped wire 90, which will be described later. The support groove 16C is positioned such that the first rotation axis J1 is contained within the plane containing the center in its width direction. When in use, the second rotation axis J2 and the third rotation axis J3 are aligned on the first rotation axis J1, and the third rotation axis J3 is positioned in front of the second rotation axis J2.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2B, the flatwise bending tool 17 has, for example, a cylindrical body 17A extending parallel to the second rotation axis J2. When in use, the cylindrical body 17A is positioned in front of the second rotation axis J2. Furthermore, the cylindrical body 17A is at a height where the first rotation axis J1 is perpendicular to its approximate center in the height direction.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2C, the twisting tool 18 has, for example, a pair of cylindrical bodies 18A extending parallel to the second rotation axis J2. The pair of cylindrical bodies 18A face each other with a gap slightly larger than the thickness of the strip-shaped wire 90, which will be described later. When in use, the pair of cylindrical bodies 18A are positioned symmetrically on both sides of the first rotation axis J1, in front of the second rotation axis J2. The pair of cylindrical bodies 18A of the twisting tool 18 are approximately the same height as the cylindrical bodies 17A of the flatwise bending tool 17.

[0013] Furthermore, the actuator 13 in this embodiment is not limited to the number and shape of its drive shafts. Also, although the actuator 13 has a structure specifically for the wire processing machine 10, a general-purpose robot may be used as the actuator for the wire processing machine 10. Moreover, in this embodiment, the actuator 13 is positioned opposite the wire feeding system 20, but the actuator 13 may also be mounted on the front of the support wall 21 of the wire feeding system 20, which will be described later. Additionally, although the actuator 13 is equipped with the three tools described above, the number of tools is not limited to three, as long as it is equipped with the edgewise bending tool 16, and the uses of tools other than edgewise bending are not limited to the uses described above.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the wire feeding system 20 includes a fixed base 20A that includes front and rear support walls 21 and 22 that rise from the base plate 11 and face each other in the front-rear direction H1. Through holes 21A and 22A are formed in both support walls 21 and 22 on a central axis J5 that extends in the front-rear direction H1. The rotating base 23 is rotatably supported by both support walls 21 and 22, with its ends passing through the through holes 21A and 22A. The front support wall 21 is larger than the rear support wall 22 both above and to the side. A cover 22C that surrounds the entire rear support wall 22 from above and to the side is stretched between the two support walls 21 and 22, surrounding the portion of the rotating base 23 located between the two support walls 21 and 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "intermediate part of the rotating base 23").

[0015] The rotary base 23 can be position-controlled at an arbitrary rotational position by a base rotation servo motor 23M attached to the front support wall 21. Also, an origin position is set within the rotatable range of the rotary base 23, and FIG. 1 shows a state where the rotary base 23 is disposed at the origin position. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the description of the structure of each part will be continued assuming that the rotary base 23 is disposed at the origin position.

[0016] The rotary base 23 is provided with a feeding path L extending along the central axis J5 which is the center of rotation. And a strip-shaped wire 90 is fed forward along the feeding path L. As shown in FIG. 3A, the strip-shaped wire 90 has a flat front surface and back surface and both side surfaces bulging in a semi-arc shape. In other words, the strip-shaped wire 90 is a wire having an oval cross-section. Note that the strip-shaped wire 90 may have a rectangular cross-section. Also, regardless of the shape of the side surfaces, the strip-shaped wire 90 is generally called a flat bar or a flat wire, etc.

[0017] The strip-shaped wire 90 is guided by a plurality of guide portions including guide blocks 50 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) provided at a plurality of locations in the feeding path L, and is fed in a state where the thickness direction is oriented in the vertical direction. For that feeding, a feeding device 25 is provided at an intermediate portion of the rotary base 23.

[0018] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the feeding device 25 includes a pair of feeding belts 24 disposed on both the upper and lower sides sandwiching the feeding path L for sandwiching the strip-shaped wire 90, and a feeding servo motor 24M for driving the pair of feeding belts 24 to rotate symmetrically. Also, the feeding device 25 includes a plurality of pressure rollers 26 disposed behind the pair of feeding belts 24 for removing the winding kinks etc. of the strip-shaped wire 90 and extending it linearly. Note that the feeding device 25 is not limited to feeding the strip-shaped wire 90 with the feeding belts 24, and for example, it may feed with feeding rollers.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a flange portion 23F having a front surface orthogonal to the central axis J5 is provided at a position near the front end of the rotary base 23. As shown in FIG. 4, a support block 27A is fixed to the front surface of the flange portion 23F so as to overlap a lower portion of the feeding path L, and projects forward from the flange portion 23F. And, a wire clamping mechanism 39 is provided in the front side portion and a pressing mechanism 59 is provided in the rear side portion on the upper surface of the support block 27A.

[0020] The wire clamping mechanism 39 includes an additional support block 27B fixed to the front side portion on the upper surface of the support block 27A. As shown in FIG. 5, the additional support block 27B has a horizontally long roller accommodating space 27K penetrating in the front-rear direction H1 (a direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 5). Also, the wire clamping mechanism 39 includes first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A, 45B.

[0021] The first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A, 45B are arranged on both sides of the feeding path L, and each includes a side support roller 31 that supports the strip-shaped wire 90 of the feeding path L from the lateral direction H2, and a pair of opposing disks 41, 42 that clamp the strip-shaped wire 90 in the thickness direction. Also, the second variable clamping mechanism 45B has the same structure as the first variable clamping mechanism 45A, except that the outer diameters of the pair of opposing disks 41, 42 are each smaller than the outer diameters of the opposing disks 41, 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A. Therefore, only the structure of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A will be described.

[0022] Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A. As shown in the figure, the side support roller 31 included in the first variable clamping mechanism 45A is a flattened disc shape in the vertical direction and has a circumferential groove 32 with a semicircular cross-section corresponding to the side shape of the strip wire 90 on its outer surface. The pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 are discs concentric with the side support roller 31 and have recesses 41A and 42A at the center of their opposing surfaces that receive a portion of the side support roller 31 in the thickness direction. A movable sleeve 34 is integrally provided on one of the opposing plates 41, which is positioned below, and extends upward from the center of the opposing plate 41. The movable sleeve 34 passes through a central hole formed in the center of the other opposing plate 42 and the side support roller 31, and the opposing plate 42 and the side support roller 31 are supported by the movable sleeve 34 so as to be rotatable and so as to be able to move linearly up and down. Furthermore, the portion of the movable sleeve 34 that extends above the opposing plate 42 is supported by the additional support block 27B.

[0023] In the additional support block 27B for this purpose, a through hole 28A penetrates the portion above the roller housing space 27K at a position offset to one side in the lateral direction H2 from the feeding path L. In addition, a recess 28B is formed in the portion of the additional support block 27B below the roller housing space 27K, coaxially with the through hole 28A. The support sleeve 33 is fixed in a fitted state in the through hole 28A, and its inner surface is covered with a sliding metal 33M. Furthermore, a thrust bearing 35 is fitted into the movable sleeve 34 in addition to the side support roller 31 and the opposing plate 42. The movable sleeve 34 is fitted into the support sleeve 33 from below and protrudes upward from the support sleeve 33. When the opposing plate 41 moves upward together with the movable sleeve 34, the opposing plate 42 contacts the lower end of the support sleeve 33 via the thrust bearing 35, restricting its upward movement, and the opposing plates 41 and 42 press against the strip wire 90 from above and below. At this time, a gap is formed between one of the opposing plates 41, 42 and the side support roller 31. Also, when the opposing plate 41 moves downward together with the movable sleeve 34, the opposing plate 41 comes into contact with the opening edge of the recess 28B, and a gap is formed between one of the opposing plates 41, 42 and the strip wire 90. Furthermore, when the movable sleeve 34 moves upward when the strip wire 90 is not placed in the feeding path L, the opposing plates 41, 42 press against the side support roller 31 from above and below.

[0024] A power transmission rod 36 passes through the inside of the movable sleeve 34. The power transmission rod 36 has a head portion 36H at its lower end and a male threaded portion 36N (see Figure 5) at its upper end. A compression coil spring 37 and a washer W are inserted sequentially through the power transmission rod 36 and it is passed into the movable sleeve 34 from below. The head portion 36H, the compression coil spring 37 and the washer W are received in the recess 28B. The inner surface of the movable sleeve 34 is covered with a sliding metal 34M, and the power transmission rod 36 is supported by the movable sleeve 34 so that it can move in a straight line. The upper end of the power transmission rod 36 is connected to a power input member 38, which will be described later.

[0025] As described above, the second variable clamping mechanism 45B has the same structure as the first variable clamping mechanism 45A, and as shown in Figure 5, a pair of power transmission rods 36 of the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B are arranged symmetrically across the feed path L. A pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A extend beyond the central axis J5 to a position adjacent to a pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 on the second variable clamping mechanism 45B side. As shown in Figure 8, both pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 protrude slightly in front of the additional support block 27B from the roller housing space 27K, with the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A protruding more than the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the second variable clamping mechanism 45B.

[0026] As shown in Figure 9, the additional support block 27B has a pair of beak-like sections 29 attached to the strip-shaped wire material 90 of the feeding path L, adjacent to it from above and below, in front of the opposing plates 41 and 42. As shown in Figure 8, the front ends of the pair of beak-like sections 29 are located in approximately the same position as the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A. In addition, the rear ends of the pair of beak-like sections 29 are provided with an arcuate surface 29A that curves along the outer circumferential surfaces of the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 and is adjacent to them.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the power input member 38 has a structure in which an extension 38B extends upward from the center of a horizontal section 38A that extends in the lateral direction H2, and a power input section 38C protrudes rearward from the upper end of the extension 38B. A pair of power transmission rods 36 of the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B are inserted from below through through holes 38H that penetrate both ends of the horizontal section 38A vertically, and are fixed to the through holes 38H by screwing nuts N onto the male threaded portions 36N at their upper ends. In addition, a disc-shaped cushion sheet 34S is laid on the upper surface of the movable sleeve 34.

[0028] When upward power is applied to the power input section 38C of the wire clamping mechanism 39 from the power application mechanism 60 (described later), the opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B are pressed against the strip wire 90 by the combined force of this power and the repulsive force of the compression coil spring 37, resulting in a first state. When power is no longer applied to the power input member 38, the opposing plates 41 and 42 are pressed against the strip wire 90 with less force than in the first state, solely by the repulsive force of the compression coil spring 37, resulting in a second state. The position of the power input member 38 when the opposing plates 41 and 42 are in the second state is referred to as the origin position of the power input member 38.

[0029] In this embodiment, the distance between the opposing plates 41 and 42 remains unchanged between the first and second states, and only the pressing force (i.e., clamping force) of the opposing plates 41 and 42 against the strip-shaped wire 90 changes. However, the distance between the opposing plates 41 and 42 may be changed between the first and second states by, for example, eliminating the compression coil spring 37 or adjusting the axial length of the compression coil spring 37. In this embodiment, the side support roller 31 and the upper opposing plate 42 are rotatably mounted relative to the movable sleeve 34 which is integrated with the lower opposing plate 41, but they may be mounted in a non-rotatable manner. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opposing plates 41 and 42 were provided separately from the side support roller 31, but for example, one of the upper or lower opposing plates 41 or 42 and the side support roller 31 may be provided integrally. Furthermore, the side support roller 31 was provided with a circumferential groove 32, but it may be configured without a circumferential groove 32. In this embodiment, the outer diameters of the side support rollers 31 of the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B are the same, but they may be different. Alternatively, the first variable clamping mechanism 45A may be equipped with side support rollers 31 and a pair of opposing plates 41 and 42, while the second variable clamping mechanism 45B may be equipped with side support rollers 31 but not opposing plates 41 and 42, or it may be equipped with support columns that simply slide against the side surface of the strip-shaped wire 90 instead of side support rollers 31.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the press mechanism 59 includes a guide block 50 fixed to the portion of the upper surface of the support block 27A that is rearward from the additional support block 27B. As shown in Figure 7, the guide block 50 is, for example, divided into two parts vertically, with the portion below the dividing surface forming a die holder 51. The die holder 51 has a guide groove 50A through which it passes, for example, the same cross-sectional shape as the strip wire 90. The die holder 51 also has a pair of die receiving holes 51A formed vertically at two locations along the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 50A, and a punching die 52 is received in each of these pair of die receiving holes 51A. The punching die 52 is, for example, cylindrical and has a circular or oval punching hole 52A. The support block 27A also has a pair of discharge holes 51H formed coaxially with the pair of die receiving holes 51A. The discharge hole 51H is smaller than the outer diameter of the punching die 52, but larger than the punching hole 52A. The punching die 52 is supported from below by the upper opening edge of the discharge hole 51H.

[0031] The portion of the guide block 50 above the dividing surface is a punch guide 53, and the punch guide 53 has a pair of punch guide holes 53A that correspond to a pair of punched holes 52A.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, a ram 54 of the press mechanism 59 is provided above the guide block 50. As shown in Figure 7, the ram 54 is supported so as to be able to move linearly in the vertical direction by a plurality of support columns 55 that rise from the support block 27A. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the upper ends of a pair of punches 56 are fixed to the ram 54, and the lower ends of the punches 56 are received in a pair of punch guide holes 53A. When the ram 54 is at top dead center, the pair of punches 56 are positioned above the feed path L (guide groove 50A), and as the ram 54 moves from top dead center to bottom dead center, the lower ends of the pair of punches 56 pass through the feed path L and enter the inside of a pair of punching dies 52, pressing a pair of through holes 95A into the strip wire 90.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, multiple compression coil springs 57 are fitted to multiple support columns 55, and these compression coil springs 57 are sandwiched between the flange portion 55F of the support column 55, which overlaps the upper surface of the support block 27A, and the ram 54. When the ram 54 is not receiving any driving force, it is held at top dead center by the multiple compression coil springs 57. Hereafter, the top dead center of the ram 54 will also be referred to as the origin position of the ram 54.

[0034] The upper surface of the ram 54 shown in Figure 4 is a first power input section 54A for receiving downward power from the power supply mechanism 60, which will be described later. An extension 54B rises from the rear end of the upper surface of the ram 54, and a second power input section 54C protrudes forward from its upper end, receiving upward power from the power supply mechanism 60.

[0035] In this embodiment, the ram 54 is supported so as to be able to move in a straight line by a plurality of support columns 55. However, for example, a pair of support rails extending in the vertical direction may be fixed to the upper part of the front surface of the flange portion 23F above the guide block 50, and a plurality of sliders that slidably engage with this pair of support rails may be fixed to the ram 54 so as to be able to move in a straight line.

[0036] The wire clamping mechanism 39 and the pressing mechanism 59 described above operate by receiving power from a common power supply mechanism 60. As shown in Figure 1, the power supply mechanism 60 is, for example, attached to the upper part of the rotating base 23 of the support wall 21 of the fixed base 20A, and comprises, for example, a servo motor 61, a power conversion mechanism 62 having a slider-crank mechanism that converts the rotation output of the servo motor 61 into a linear movement output oriented in the vertical direction, and a power output unit 63 fixed to the output unit of the power conversion mechanism 62. Specifically, the servo motor 61 is fixed to the rear surface of the support wall 21 with its rotation axis oriented in the front-rear direction H1, and is connected to the rotating disc 62A via a reduction gear 61G fixed to the rear surface of the support wall 21. The rotating disc 62A is provided with a connecting shaft 62B that protrudes forward at a position offset from the center of rotation. Furthermore, below the turntable 62A, a vertically extending guide rail 62G is fixed to the front of the support wall 21, and a power output unit 63 is fixed to a slider 62S with which the guide rail 62G slides and engages. The ends of a link 62L are rotatably connected to a connecting shaft 62D that protrudes forward from the top of the power output unit 63 and to a connecting shaft 62B of the turntable 62A. This constitutes a slider-crank mechanism, and the rotational output of the servo motor 61 is converted into a vertically oriented linear motion output of the power output unit 63.

[0037] Furthermore, the power conversion mechanism 62 is not limited to a slider-crank mechanism, but may be, for example, a ball screw mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, etc. Also, the drive source for the power supply mechanism 60 does not have to be a servo motor 61, but may be, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or a linear motor.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the lower part of the power output section 63 is provided with an extension section 63A that extends in the vertical direction and a contact section 64 connected to its lower end. When viewed from the side H2, the contact section 64 is bent in a crank shape and has a first horizontal section 64A that extends in the front-rear direction, a vertical section 64B that hangs down from the front end of the contact section 64, and a second horizontal section 64C that protrudes forward from the lower end of the vertical section 64B. The extension section 63A is connected to the first horizontal section 64A at a position closer to the rear end.

[0039] Then, as shown in Figure 4, when the power output unit 63 is positioned at the origin of the movable range, and both the ram 54 of the press mechanism 59 and the power input member 38 of the wire clamping mechanism 39 are positioned at the origin (hereinafter referred to as the "overall origin position state"), the first horizontal section 64A faces the first power input section 54A of the ram 54 from above with a gap between them, the rear end of the first horizontal section 64A faces the second power input section 54C of the ram 54 from below with a gap between them, and the second horizontal section 64C faces the power input section 38C of the power input member 38 from below with a gap between them.

[0040] Then, when the power output unit 63 moves upward from the overall origin position, upward power is applied to the power input unit 38C, and the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the wire clamping mechanism 39 switch from the second state to the first state. At this time, upward power is not applied to the second power input unit 54C of the ram 54, but it may be applied if desired. On the other hand, when the power output unit 63 moves downward from the overall origin position, downward power is applied to the first power input unit 54A of the ram 54, and the strip wire 90 is pressed by the press mechanism 59. Also, in the overall origin position, the power application mechanism 60 is disconnected from both the wire clamping mechanism 39 and the press mechanism 59, and the rotating base 23 becomes rotatable.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, a pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70 (only one of the cutter drive mechanisms 70 is shown in Figure 1) are provided on the front surface of the support wall 21 of the fixed base 20A. The pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70 are positioned at two locations that sandwich the rotating base 23 in the thickness direction (hereinafter referred to as the "specific inclination direction") of the strip wire material 90 in the feed path L, when viewed from the front of the rotating base 23, for example, as shown in Figure 10, after it has been rotated counterclockwise by a predetermined angle (for example, 30 degrees). Each cutter drive mechanism 70 has the same basic structure as the power supply mechanism 60 and has a power output section 72 that slides in the specific inclination direction, with a cutter 71 fixed to the power output section 72. When the pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70 are activated with the rotating base 23 in the specific position, the strip wire material 90 can be cut from the additional support block 27B forward by being sandwiched in the thickness direction by the pair of cutters 71.

[0042] In this embodiment, the wire processing machine 10 is equipped with a pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70, and the strip-shaped wire 90 is cut by clamping it with the pair of cutters 71. However, for example, it may be equipped with only one cutter drive mechanism 70, and one of the pair of beak-shaped parts 29 described above may be made into a fixed cutter, and the strip-shaped wire 90 may be cut by that cutter and the cutter 71 of the cutter drive mechanism 70. Alternatively, the cutter 71 may be moved back and forth in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped wire 90 on the rotating base 23 at the origin position to cut the strip-shaped wire 90. Specifically, the pair of cutters 71 provided in the pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70 of this embodiment may be shaped so that their cutting edges extend in the lateral direction H2, so that the strip-shaped wire 90 on the rotating base 23 at the origin position can be cut. In this case as well, one of the beak-shaped portions 29 may be a fixed cutter, allowing it to cut the strip-shaped wire 90 between it and the cutter 71 of a single cutter drive mechanism 70.

[0043] This concludes the explanation of the configuration of the wire processing machine 10 in this embodiment. Next, an example of a busbar manufacturing method for the busbar 95 illustrated in Figure 3B, manufactured using the wire processing machine 10, will be described. In the following explanation, when distinguishing between one side and the other side in the width direction (lateral direction H2) of the strip-shaped wire 90, the side with the first variable clamping mechanism 45A will be referred to as the "right side," and the side with the second variable clamping mechanism 45B will be referred to as the "left side."

[0044] For the manufacture of the busbar 95, the wire processing machine 10 is first set to its overall home position, and the strip wire 90 is fed to the press mechanism 59. Then, the power output section 63 of the power supply mechanism 60 descends from the home position, and power is supplied to the press mechanism 59. As a result, a pair of punches 56 descend and a pair of through holes 95A are punched in the strip wire 90. Then, the power output section 63 returns to the home position, and the pair of punches 56 move upward away from the strip wire 90. At this time, the return of the ram 54 of the press mechanism 59 to the home position (hereinafter referred to as "return to home position") is possible by the repulsive force of the compression coil spring 57 alone, but it returns quickly by supplying upward power to the ram 54 (specifically, the second power input section 54C) when the power output section 63 rises.

[0045] Next, with the entire assembly in its origin position, the strip wire 90 is fed in and stopped when the central portion between one pair of through holes 95A of the strip wire 90 is positioned in front of the beak portion 29. During this time, the rotating base 23 is driven to rotate from the origin position to a specific position shown in Figure 10. Then, a pair of cutter drive mechanisms 70 are activated and the central portion between one pair of through holes 95A of the strip wire 90 is cut by a pair of cutters 71. Note that when manufacturing the first busbar 95, the front portion of the strip wire 90 is discarded at the above cutting position.

[0046] Next, the rotating base 23 is driven to rotate back to its origin position, and once the strip-shaped wire 90 has been fed to a predetermined length, the power output section 63 of the power supply mechanism 60 rises from its origin position, supplying power to the wire clamping mechanism 39. As a result, the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 change from the second state to the first state and firmly clamp the strip-shaped wire 90.

[0047] In this state, the actuator 13 operates and, as shown in Figure 8, receives the left side of the strip wire 90 that extends forward from the beak portion 29 into the support groove 16C of the roller 16B of the edgewise bending tool 16. Then, while feeding the strip wire 90, the roller 16B presses the strip wire 90 to the right, and edgewise bending is performed so that the strip wire 90 is wrapped around the side support roller 31 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A, and the strip wire 90 is bent, for example, by 90 degrees.

[0048] Here, during edgewise bending, in front of the pair of side support rollers 31, the strip-shaped wire 90 separates from the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 on the second variable clamping mechanism 45B side (left side) and is clamped only by the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 on the first variable clamping mechanism 45A side (right side). In view of this, in the wire processing machine 10 of this embodiment, the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the second variable clamping mechanism 45B is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A. As a result, the clamping force on the strip-shaped wire 90 by the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the first variable clamping mechanism 45A is greater than the clamping force on the strip-shaped wire 90 by the pair of opposing plates 41 and 42 of the second variable clamping mechanism 45B, allowing the strip-shaped wire 90 to be easily wrapped around the side support roller 31 on the first variable clamping mechanism 45A side, thus stabilizing the processing accuracy of the edgewise bending process.

[0049] After the edgewise bending process is completed, the power output unit 63 of the power supply mechanism 60 returns to its home position, and consequently, the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 return to a second state in which the clamping force is smaller than that of the first state described above. In other words, the entire assembly returns to its home position. During this time, the actuator 13 retracts, changing the tool to be used next from the edgewise bending tool 16 to the flatwise bending tool 17. When the strip wire 90 has been fed to a predetermined length, as described above, the power output unit 63 of the power supply mechanism 60 rises, power is supplied to the wire clamping mechanism 39, the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 return to the first state, and the strip wire 90 is strongly clamped. The actuator 13 then presses the flatwise bending tool 17 against the strip wire 90 from above, performing flatwise bending and bending the strip wire 90 downwards. Then, returning to the overall origin position, the strip wire 90 is fed in slightly, and then power is again supplied from the power supply mechanism 60 to the wire clamping mechanism 39, so that the two pairs of opposing plates 41 and 42 return to the first state. Then, the flatwise bending processing tool 17 is pressed against the strip wire 90 from below, performing flatwise bending and bending the strip wire 90 upward. This forms the crank section 95B shown in Figure 3B.

[0050] Next, the entire system is returned to its origin position, the strip-shaped wire 90 is fed to a predetermined length, power is supplied from the power supply mechanism 60 to the press mechanism 59, and another pair of through holes 95A are drilled in the strip-shaped wire 90.

[0051] Next, the entire system is returned to its origin position, the strip-shaped wire 90 is fed to a predetermined length, and then the edgewise bending process described above is performed again.

[0052] Then, as the strip-shaped wire rod 90 is fed to a predetermined length, the rotating base 23 is rotated to a specific position, and the middle portion of the last pair of through holes 95A drilled in the strip-shaped wire rod 90 is cut by the pair of cutters 71 as described above, and the portion in front of the cut portion is discharged from the wire processing machine 10 as a busbar 95. Subsequently, the next strip-shaped wire rod 90 is processed in the same way, and multiple busbars 95 are manufactured in sequence.

[0053] As described above, the wire processing machine 10 of this embodiment can perform edgewise bending and other processing such as press working and flatwise bending in a single wire processing machine 10. As a result, the method for manufacturing busbars 95 using the wire processing machine 10 makes it possible to efficiently manufacture busbars 95 having multiple types of processed parts, including edgewise bending and other processing. In addition, although not performed in the above example, the wire processing machine 10 of this embodiment can also perform twisting using a twisting tool 18 (see Figure 2C). To perform twisting, the opposing plates 41 and 42 are set to the first state, the strip wire 90 is placed between a pair of cylindrical bodies 18A of the twisting tool 18, and the pair of cylindrical bodies 18A are rotated around the first rotation axis J1.

[0054] Furthermore, in the wire processing machine 10 of this embodiment, the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A, 45B and the press mechanism 59 are driven by power received from a common power supply mechanism 60. Moreover, the power supplied to either the variable clamping mechanisms 45A, 45B or the press mechanism 59 is switched depending on the direction of the reciprocating movement of the power output section 63 of the power supply mechanism 60. As a result, the structure of the power transmission section is simplified, and the entire wire processing machine 10 becomes more compact.

[0055] Furthermore, by making the rotary base 23 rotatable, the cutter drive mechanism 70 can be positioned so that the strip wire 90 can be cut when the rotary base 23 has rotated from its origin position. In other words, the cutter drive mechanism 70 can be positioned so as not to overlap with the variable clamping mechanisms 45A, 45B and the press mechanism 59 in the feeding direction of the strip wire 90. This makes the wire processing machine 10 more compact in the feeding direction of the strip wire 90. In addition, because the rotary base 23 is rotatable, the width and thickness directions of the strip wire 90 can be directed in any direction relative to the actuator 13, which also has the effect of increasing the degree of freedom in the bending direction.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the wire processing machine 10 and busbar manufacturing method of this embodiment, wire processed products having press-formed portions (specifically, through holes 95A) at both ends, as in the example of the busbar 95 described above, can be manufactured efficiently.

[0057] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, an example of manufacturing a busbar 95 using a wire processing machine 10 was shown, but other wire processed products besides the busbar 95 may also be manufactured using the wire processing machine 10. Furthermore, the busbar 95 is not limited to the structure described above.

[0058] In the wire processing machine 10 of the above embodiment, the outer diameters of the opposing plates 41 and 42 were different for the first and second variable clamping mechanisms 45A and 45B, but they may be made to have the same outer diameter so that edgewise bending can be performed in either the left or right direction.

[0059] <Note> The following describes the features extracted from the above embodiment, explaining their effects and other aspects as needed. For ease of understanding, corresponding configurations in the above embodiment will be indicated in parentheses as appropriate, but these features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0060] [Feature 1] A variable clamping mechanism (45A) comprises a feeding device (25) for feeding a strip of wire (90), a side support roller (31) positioned on one side of the feeding path (L) of the strip of wire (90) from the feeding device (25) and rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the thickness direction of the strip of wire (90), and a pair of opposing plates (41, 42) facing each other in a first direction which is the axial direction of the side support roller (31), wherein the pair of opposing plates (41, 42) can switch between a first state in which the strip of wire (90) is clamped and a second state in which the clamping force is weaker than in the first state or the pair of opposing plates (41, 42) are opened. A wire processing machine (10) comprising: a wire processing machine (45B) and an actuator (13) capable of pressing one side of a strip of wire (90) that is held between the pair of opposing plates (41, 42) in the first state and being fed by the feeding device (25) against the side support roller (31) to perform edgewise bending on the strip of wire (90), wherein the wire processing machine (10) comprises: a press mechanism (59) having a punch (56) that moves reciprocating in the first direction, which presses the strip of wire (90) between the feeding device (25) and the side support roller (31).

[0061] In the wire processing machine of Feature 1, an actuator presses one side of the strip-shaped wire against a side support roller, and edgewise bending is performed while the strip-shaped wire is clamped in the thickness direction by a pair of opposing plates of a variable clamping mechanism. In addition, a press mechanism is provided between the variable clamping mechanism and the feeding device, allowing for press processing of the strip-shaped wire. In other words, the wire processing machine of Feature 1 can perform both edgewise bending and press processing, one of the other processing methods, in a single wire processing machine.

[0062] Furthermore, the wire processing machine may have a pair of opposing plates and punches driven by separate drive sources, or they may be driven by a common drive source as in Feature 2. The drive source included in the power supply mechanism of Feature 2 can be any type, such as a hydraulic cylinder, air cylinder, or motor. Also, the press working can be any type, such as punching, marking, embossing, or deep drawing.

[0063] [Feature 2] A wire processing machine (10) according to feature 1, comprising: a power output unit (63) that reciprocates in the first direction, the power output unit (63) moving in one direction in the first direction to supply power to the variable clamping mechanism (45A, 45B) to hold the pair of opposing plates (41, 42) in the first state, and a power supply mechanism (60) that moves in the other direction in the first direction to supply power to the press mechanism (59) for the punch (56) to press the strip wire (90).

[0064] In the wire processing machine of Feature 2, the variable clamping mechanism and the pressing mechanism are powered and driven by a common power supply mechanism. Specifically, when the power output section of the power supply mechanism moves in one direction, power is supplied to the variable clamping mechanism, causing the pair of opposing plates to enter the first state and enabling edgewise bending. When the power output section moves in the other direction, power is supplied to the pressing mechanism, enabling press working. In this way, in the wire processing machine of Feature 2, the power required for both edgewise bending and press working is obtained from the same power supply mechanism, making the entire wire processing machine compact. Moreover, since the power supplied to either the variable clamping mechanism or the pressing mechanism switches depending on the direction of the reciprocating movement of the power output section of the power supply mechanism, the structure of the power transmission part is simplified, which also contributes to the compactness of the entire wire processing machine.

[0065] [Feature 3] A wire processing machine (10) according to feature 1 or 2, comprising: a fixed base (20A) supporting the power supply mechanism (60); a rotating base (23) supported by the fixed base (20A) and capable of rotationally driving around the feeding path (L); and a rotational drive source (23M) capable of positioning the rotating base (23) to any rotational position, wherein the feeding device (25), the side support roller (31), the variable clamping mechanism (45A, 45B), and the press mechanism (59) are supported on the rotating base (23).

[0066] In the wire processing machine of Feature 3, the rotating base that supports the feeding device and side support rollers can be controlled to any rotational position, so that the width and thickness directions of the strip-shaped wire can be directed in any direction relative to the actuator, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the bending direction.

[0067] [Feature 4] The wire processing machine (10) according to feature 3, comprising a cutter drive mechanism (70) having a cutter (71) that reciprocates in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis (J5) of the rotating base (23) and intersects the direction of movement of the power output unit (63), wherein the rotating base rotates from an origin position from which power can be supplied from the power supply mechanism (60) to the variable clamping mechanism (45A, 45B) and the press mechanism (59), and when the rotation position is changed to one in which the thickness direction of the strip wire (90) and the second direction substantially coincide, the cutter (71) can cut the strip wire (90).

[0068] Furthermore, by making the rotating base rotatable, the cutter drive mechanism can be positioned so that the strip wire can be cut when the rotating base is rotated from its origin position, as shown in Feature 4. In other words, the cutter drive mechanism can be positioned so as not to overlap with the variable clamping mechanism and the press mechanism in the direction of feeding the strip wire. This makes the wire processing machine more compact in the direction of feeding the strip wire.

[0069] [Feature 5] A wire processing machine (10) according to any one of features 1 to 3, comprising a cutter drive mechanism (70) that reciprocates a cutter (71) in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped wire (90) to separate the processed portion of the strip-shaped wire (90) from subsequent strip-shaped wire (90).

[0070] According to the configuration of Feature 5, regardless of whether the rotary base is rotatable or not, the cutter drive mechanism is positioned so as not to overlap with the variable clamping mechanism and the press mechanism in the wire feeding direction, making the wire processing machine compact in the feeding direction of the strip wire.

[0071] [Feature 6] A wire processing machine (10) according to any one of features 1 to 5, comprising a cutting device (70) for separating the processed portion of the strip wire (90) from a subsequent strip wire (90), the pressing mechanism (59) presses the strip wire (90) at two locations, and the cutting device (70) cuts the portion between the two pressed portions.

[0072] The wire processing machine described in Feature 6 can efficiently manufacture wire products having press-formed sections at both ends.

[0073] [Feature 7] The wire processing machine 10 according to any one of the features 1 to 6, wherein two side support rollers 31 and two variable clamping mechanisms (45A, 45B) are provided and arranged on both sides of the feed path L, and the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates 41, 42 of the other variable clamping mechanism (45A, 45B) is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates 41, 42 of one of the variable clamping mechanisms (45A, 45B).

[0074] In the structure of Feature 7, the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates of the other variable clamping mechanism is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates of the other variable clamping mechanism. Therefore, when performing edgewise bending of a strip of wire around one side support roller concentric with the pair of opposing plates of one variable clamping mechanism, the clamping force of the pair of opposing plates on the side of the side support roller is greater than the clamping force of the pair of opposing plates on the other side. As a result, the strip of wire is easily wrapped around the side support roller, and the processing accuracy of the edgewise bending is stabilized.

[0075] [Feature 8] The wire processing machine (10) according to feature 7, wherein the actuator (13) is equipped with a flatwise bending tool (17) for flatwise bending the strip-shaped wire (90).

[0076] The wire processing machine described in Feature 8 can perform edgewise bending and pressing, as well as flatwise bending.

[0077] [Feature 9] A method for manufacturing busbars, comprising manufacturing an Edswise-bent busbar (95) using a wire processing machine (10) described in any one of the features 1 to 8.

[0078] According to the busbar manufacturing method of Feature 9, busbars having an edgewise bending section and a press section can be manufactured efficiently.

[0079] While this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and changes to these examples, as well as parts of the examples taken individually. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 10 Wire processing machine 13 Actuators 16 Edgewise bending tools 17 Flatwise bending tools 20A Fixed Base 23 RPM base 25 Feeding device 31 Side support rollers 39 Wire clamping mechanism 41,42 Opposite board 45A,45B Variable clamping mechanism 56 punches 59 Press mechanism 60 Power supply mechanism 63 Power output section 70 Cutter drive mechanism 71 Cutter 90 Band wire rod 95 Bus Bar L Delivery Route J5 center axis

Claims

1. A feeding device for feeding strip-shaped wire, A side support roller is positioned on one side of the feeding path for the strip-shaped wire from the feeding device and is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped wire; The variable clamping mechanism has a pair of opposing plates facing each other in a first direction which is the axial direction of the side support roller, and the pair of opposing plates can switch between a first state in which the strip-shaped wire is clamped and a second state in which the clamping force is weaker than in the first state or the pair of opposing plates are opened. A wire processing machine comprising: an actuator capable of performing edgewise bending on the strip of wire by pressing one side of the strip of wire, which is being fed by the feeding device and is held between the pair of opposing plates in the first state, against the side support roller; A press mechanism having a punch that moves back and forth in the first direction, which presses the strip-shaped wire between the feeding device and the side support roller, A power supply mechanism having a power output unit that reciprocates in the first direction, wherein the power output unit moves in one direction in the first direction to supply power to the variable clamping mechanism to hold the pair of opposing plates in the first state, and the power supply unit moves in the other direction in the first direction to supply power to the press mechanism for the punch to press the strip wire, A wire processing machine equipped with the following features.

2. A fixed base supporting the power supply mechanism, A rotating base supported by the aforementioned fixed base and capable of rotationally driving around the aforementioned feeding path, The rotating base is provided with a rotational drive source capable of controlling its position to any rotational position, The wire processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the feeding device, the side support rollers, the variable clamping mechanism, and the pressing mechanism are supported on the rotating base.

3. The cutter drive mechanism includes a cutter that reciprocates in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating base and intersects the direction of movement of the power output unit, The wire processing machine according to claim 2, wherein the rotating base rotates from an origin position from which power can be supplied from the power supply mechanism to the variable clamping mechanism and the pressing mechanism, and when the rotation position is changed to one in which the thickness direction of the strip-shaped wire material substantially coincides with the second direction, the cutter can cut the strip-shaped wire material.

4. The wire processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a cutter drive mechanism that reciprocates a cutter in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the strip-shaped wire to separate the processed portion of the strip-shaped wire from subsequent strip-shaped wires.

5. The device includes a cutting device for separating the completed portion of the strip-shaped wire from subsequent strip-shaped wires. The aforementioned press mechanism performs press processing on two locations of the strip-shaped wire, The wire processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the cutting device cuts the portion between the two press-worked parts.

6. The wire processing machine according to claim 1, wherein two side support rollers and two variable clamping mechanisms are provided and arranged on both sides of the feed path, and the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates of the other variable clamping mechanism is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of opposing plates of one of the variable clamping mechanisms.

7. The wire processing machine according to claim 6, wherein the actuator is equipped with a flatwise bending tool for flatwise bending the strip-shaped wire.

8. A method for manufacturing an edswise-bent busbar using a wire processing machine described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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