Wire material straightening device and wire material straightening method

Abstract

To evenly correct a bending unevenly formed in a wire material with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A wire material correction device 1 places a fed wire material W along a plurality of tapered rollers 10 to correct the wire material. In the wire material correction device 1, the tapered rollers 10 include correction parts 4 arranged in a wire feeding direction X. The wire material W is placed along the tapered rollers 10 obliquely relative to a roller axis direction O in the correction parts 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire straightening device and a wire straightening method. [Background technology]

[0002] Various techniques have been disclosed for devices and methods for straightening wire material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric wire bend straightening device in which an electric wire is inserted and pressure-fed between multiple rollers arranged alternately opposite to each other. In this electric wire bend straightening device, the rollers are formed into a conical shape, and the rollers facing in the wire clamping direction are arranged opposite to each other, and the rollers facing in the wire feeding direction are arranged opposite to each other. The inclination angle of the conical slope of each roller is set to 45°.

[0003] With this configuration, the electric wire is inserted into a rectangular space formed by the rollers facing in the clamping direction and the rollers facing in the feeding direction, and is pressed from all four directions by the rollers, so that the electric wire is automatically aligned and accurately straightened. In particular, by setting the inclined surfaces of the rollers at an angle of 45°, the rectangular space becomes square, and the pressing force acts evenly on the electric wire from all four orthogonal directions. As a result, the electric wire is evenly straightened in all four directions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-297066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The bend radius of the wire is not constant but varies. The wire straightening device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can only handle a bend radius corresponding to the radius of the portion of the conical roller along which the wire runs. Therefore, the wire straightening device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot uniformly straighten the uneven bends formed in the wire.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to uniformly correct uneven bending of a wire material with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The wire straightening device of the present disclosure is a wire straightening device that straightens the fed wire material by aligning it with a plurality of tapered rollers, and is equipped with a straightening section in which a plurality of tapered rollers are arranged in the wire feed direction of the wire material, and in the straightening section, the wire material aligns with the tapered rollers at an angle to the roller axial direction of the tapered rollers.

[0008] The wire straightening method according to the present disclosure is a wire straightening method for straightening a wire material by aligning the fed wire material along a plurality of tapered rollers, and the wire material is aligned along the tapered rollers arranged in a wire feed direction of the wire material, at an angle to the roller axial direction of the tapered rollers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, uneven bending of a wire material can be uniformly corrected with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wire straightening device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the wire straightening device as viewed from the arrow II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the wire straightening device as seen from the arrow III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a wire wound around a core of a bobbin. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view taken along the arrow V in FIG. 4, showing the bending diameter of the wire material. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a mechanism for correcting the bending tendency of a wire material. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a mechanism for correcting the twist tendency of a wire material, and shows a state in which the wire material is placed along a cylindrical roller at an angle with respect to the roller axial direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a mechanism for correcting the twist tendency of a wire material, showing a state in which the wire material is aligned along a tapered roller perpendicular to the roller axial direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 according to the second embodiment, and is a plan view showing a wire straightening device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a wire straightening device according to a third embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a wire straightening device according to a fourth embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a wire straightening device according to a fifth embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view showing a wire straightening device according to the sixth embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the amplitude of the wire material in the example and the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses.

[0012] First Embodiment (Wire material straightening device) 1 to 3 show the wire straightening device 1, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along the line II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view taken along the line III in FIG.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the wire straightening device 1 straightens out any bending or twisting of the wire W by guiding the fed wire W along a plurality of tapered rollers (conical rollers) 10. The wire W is a metal wire having a circular cross section, and is wound around a core 5a of a bobbin 5 (see Figs. 4 and 5) described below. The wire straightening device 1 includes a straightening unit 4, a first guide unit 21, and a second guide unit 22.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the straightening unit 4 has a plurality of tapered rollers 10, specifically five tapered rollers 10, arranged in the wire feed direction X of the wire W (the length direction of the wire W). Each tapered roller 10 is fixed to one side of a plate-shaped bracket 3. The bracket 3 is fixed to the base 2. The roller axis directions O, along which the rotation axes (central axes) 10a of the tapered rollers 10 extend, are parallel to each other. The roller axis directions O of the tapered rollers 10 and the wire feed direction X intersect obliquely with each other at the same inclination angle θ (<90°). The inclination angle θ is preferably 45° or greater. In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the wire feed direction X and the roller axis direction O (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2) will simply be referred to as the up-down direction.

[0015] Starting from one side of the wire feeding direction X (the left side in FIG. 2), the rollers are called a first tapered roller 11, a second tapered roller 12, a third tapered roller 13, a fourth tapered roller 14, and a fifth tapered roller 15. The tapered rollers 11 to 15 all have the same shape and size. The wire material W is fed from a bobbin 5 to the straightening unit 4.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, each tapered roller 10 is configured so that the roller radius r decreases from one side (the bracket 3 side) to the other side (the side away from the bracket 3) in the roller axial direction O. Each tapered roller 10 is rotatable with respect to the bracket 3. The maximum radius of each tapered roller 10 (the radius at the part closest to the bracket 3) is smaller than the radius R0 of the core 5a of the bobbin 5 (see FIG. 5). The taper angle of each tapered roller 10 is preferably 20° or less to prevent the wire material W from slipping off the outer circumferential surface 10b of the tapered roller 10. For the same reason, each tapered roller 10 is preferably made of a material with a high coefficient of friction (e.g., metal).

[0017] 2, the first guide portion 21 is disposed on one side (upstream side, entrance side) of the straightening portion 4 (specifically, the first tapered roller 11) in the wire feeding direction X, and guides the wire material W before it is fed from the bobbin 5 to the straightening portion 4 (first tapered roller 11). The second guide portion 22 is disposed on the other side (downstream side, exit side) of the straightening portion 4 (specifically, the fifth tapered roller 15) in the wire feeding direction X, and guides the wire material W after it has been fed from the straightening portion 4 (fifth tapered roller 15).

[0018] 2, the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 are arranged at different positions in the roller axial direction O. Specifically, the second guide portion 22 is arranged on the other side of the first guide portion 21 in the roller axial direction O. More specifically, the first guide portion 21 is arranged on one side of the center position of each tapered roller 10 in the roller axial direction O. The second guide portion 22 is arranged on the other side of the center position of each tapered roller 10 in the roller axial direction O.

[0019] The opposing direction of the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 coincides with the wire feed direction X. That is, the opposing direction of the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 and the roller axial direction O intersect obliquely with each other at an inclination angle θ.

[0020] 2 and 3, the first guide portion 21 is disposed on approximately the same plane as the vicinity of one end (near the part with the maximum radius) of the first tapered roller 11 in the roller axial direction O. On the other hand, the second guide portion 22 is disposed on approximately the same plane as the vicinity of the other end (near the part with the minimum radius) of the fifth tapered roller 15 in the roller axial direction O.

[0021] 2 and 3, the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 are each composed of a pair of cylindrical members 23 adjacent to each other in the roller axial direction O and extending in the vertical direction, and a connecting member 24 connecting the pair of cylindrical members 23 to one side of the bracket 3. The distance between the pair of cylindrical members 23 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the wire material W.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, in the straightening unit 4, i.e., between the first guide unit 21 and the second guide unit 22, the wire material W runs along the outer peripheral surface (tapered surface) 10b of each tapered roller 10 at an inclination angle θ with respect to the roller axial direction O. In detail, the wire material W fed from the bobbin 5 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) first passes between the pair of cylindrical members 23 in the first guide unit 21 and is fed to the straightening unit 4. Next, in the straightening unit 4, the wire material W runs along the first tapered roller 11, the second tapered roller 12, the third tapered roller 13, the fourth tapered roller 14, and the fifth tapered roller 15 in this order. Finally, the wire material W fed from the straightening unit 4 passes between the pair of cylindrical members 23 in the second guide unit 22 and is fed to the target position.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, in the straightening unit 4, the wire material W follows the upper outer peripheral surfaces 10b of the odd-numbered first tapered roller 11, third tapered roller 13, and fifth tapered roller 15, while following the lower outer peripheral surfaces 10b of the even-numbered second tapered roller 12 and fourth tapered roller 14. Each tapered roller 10 rotates relative to the bracket 3 due to friction with the wire material W. The rotation direction of each tapered roller 10 is a direction that pushes the wire material W to the other side of the wire feed direction X (toward the second guide unit 22). The rotation direction of the odd-numbered tapered rollers 11, 13, and 15 is opposite to that of the even-numbered tapered rollers 12 and 14.

[0024] (Bending and twisting tendencies of wire material) Fig. 4 shows the wire W wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5 as viewed from the radial outside of the bobbin 5. Fig. 5 is a view taken along arrow V in Fig. 4, showing the bending radius R of the wire W as viewed in the axial direction of the bobbin 5. As shown in Fig. 5, both the bobbin 5 and its core 5a have circular cross sections.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the wire W is wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5 in multiple rows in the axial direction of the core 5a. As shown in Fig. 5, the wire W is wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5, and thereby develops a tendency to bend (wind) in the radial direction of the bobbin 5. If the radius of the core 5a of the bobbin 5 is R0, the number of turns of the wire W wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5 in any row is N, and the thickness (diameter) of the wire W is t, the bending radius (winding radius) R at any portion wa of the wire W can theoretically be expressed by the following formula: R=R0+N×t.

[0026] In this way, the bending radius R of the wire material W varies depending on the portion wa. Furthermore, the wire material W is not always wound in a constant direction, but may be folded back or may ride up on an adjacent wire material W. Furthermore, the wire material W is wound in multiple rows in the axial direction of the core 5a of the bobbin 5.

[0027] Therefore, the bending radius R of the wire material W is not uniform but varies. Furthermore, the wire material W also has a tendency to twist in the circumferential direction of the cross section.

[0028] (Mechanism for correcting bending of wire material) Fig. 6 shows a mechanism for correcting the bending tendency of the wire material W. As shown in Fig. 6, the wire material W wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5 has a bending tendency with a bending radius R. Note that Fig. 6 shows the wire material W cut to an arbitrary length (πR in this embodiment).

[0029] First, when the wire material W having a bending radius R is caused to run along the outer peripheral surface 10b of the first tapered roller 11, as shown in Fig. 3, the portion of the outer peripheral surface 10b of the first tapered roller 11 having a roller radius r1 presses the wire material W. As a result, the wire material W is affected by the roller radius r1, and the bending tendency is overwritten (corrected), as shown in Fig. 6, so that the amount of warping (amplitude of deflection) is reduced.

[0030] Here, the amount of warping (variation) is the amount of displacement from a reference position in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wire W when the wire W is cut to an arbitrary length (for example, πR). The smaller the amount of warping, the straighter the wire W will be.

[0031] As described above, each tapered roller 10 is configured so that the roller radius r decreases from one side to the other side in the roller axial direction O. Furthermore, the second guide portion 22 is disposed on the other side in the roller axial direction O than the first guide portion 21. The opposing direction (wire feed direction X) of the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 and the roller axial direction O intersect obliquely with each other at an inclination angle θ.

[0032] Therefore, when the wire material W, whose bending tendency has been overwritten by the first tapered roller 11, is made to follow the outer peripheral surface 10b of the second tapered roller 12, as shown in Fig. 3, a portion of the outer peripheral surface 10b of the second tapered roller 12 having a roller radius r2 smaller than the roller radius r1 presses the wire material W. As a result, the wire material W is affected by the roller radius r2 smaller than the roller radius r1, as shown in Fig. 6, and the bending tendency of the wire material W is further overwritten, thereby further reducing the amount of warping.

[0033] Similarly, when the wire material W whose bending tendency has been overwritten by the second tapered roller 12 is moved along the outer peripheral surface 10b of the third tapered roller 13, a portion of the outer peripheral surface 10b of the third tapered roller 13 having a roller radius r3 smaller than the roller radius r2 presses the wire material W, as shown in Fig. 3. When the wire material W whose bending tendency has been overwritten by the third tapered roller 13 is moved along the outer peripheral surface 10b of the fourth tapered roller 14, a portion of the outer peripheral surface 10b of the fourth tapered roller 14 having a roller radius r4 smaller than the roller radius r3 presses the wire material W, as shown in Fig. 3. When the wire material W whose bending tendency has been overwritten by the fourth tapered roller 14 is moved along the outer peripheral surface 10b of the fifth tapered roller 15, a portion of the outer peripheral surface 10b of the fifth tapered roller 15 having a roller radius r5 smaller than the roller radius r4 presses the wire material W, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0034] In this way, the wire W is affected by the successively smaller roller radii r1, r2, r3, r4, and r5, and the bending tendency is successively overwritten, and the amount of warping is successively reduced. As a result, the uneven bending tendency of the wire W is uniformly corrected.

[0035] (Mechanism for correcting twisting of wire material) 7 to 10 show the mechanism for correcting the twist tendency of the wire material W. The twist tendency of the wire material W is corrected by two actions: (1) the wire material W is aligned along each tapered roller 10 at an angle to the roller axial direction O, and (2) each tapered roller 10 itself is tapered.

[0036] First, the mechanism by which the twist tendency is corrected by placing the wire material W along each tapered roller 10 at an angle to the roller axial direction O (action 1) will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. For simplicity, in Figures 7 and 8, cylindrical rollers 30 (hereinafter referred to as "cylindrical rollers 30") are used instead of tapered ones. Figure 7 shows a state in which the wire material W is placed along the cylindrical rollers 30 at an angle to the roller axial direction O. Figure 8 shows a cross section (cross section VIII) of the wire material W in Figure 7.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 7, the wire material W is positioned along the outer peripheral surface 31 of the cylindrical roller 30 at an inclination angle θ with respect to the roller axial direction O (the direction in which the rotation axis 32 of the cylindrical roller 30 extends). At this time, as shown in Fig. 8, the wire material W is subjected to a pressing force F from a plane (solid line) inclined by the inclination angle θ from a state in which the wire material W is positioned along the cylindrical roller 30 perpendicular to the roller axial direction O (see the two-dot chain line in Figs. 7 and 8). For this reason, it is thought that a twist T1 of 90°-θ occurs in the wire material W in the circumferential direction of its cross section.

[0038] Next, the mechanism by which twisting tendency is corrected by the tapered rollers 10 themselves being tapered (action 2) will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. For simplicity, Figures 9 and 10 will be explained using a state in which the wire material W is placed along the tapered rollers 10 perpendicularly to the roller axial direction O rather than obliquely. Figure 9 shows a state in which the wire material W is placed along the tapered rollers 10 perpendicularly to the roller axial direction O. Figure 10 shows a cross section (X cross section) of the wire material W in Figure 9.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 9, the wire material W runs along the outer peripheral surface 10b of the tapered roller 10 perpendicular to the roller axial direction O. At this time, as shown in Fig. 10, only a portion Wb of the wire material W (more specifically, the portion Wb facing the large diameter side of the tapered roller 10) abuts against and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 10b of the tapered roller 10. For this reason, it is believed that a twist T2 occurs in the wire material W in the circumferential direction of the cross section.

[0040] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the wire material W is affected by the roller radii r1, r2, r3, r4, and r5 which are different from each other, so that the uneven bending tendency of the wire material W can be uniformly corrected.

[0041] Here, for example, if an attempt is made to straighten uneven bending of the wire material W using a plurality of cylindrical rollers 30, a plurality of cylindrical rollers 30 with different radii must be prepared. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of tapered rollers 10 with different radii, and it is only necessary to make the wire material W follow each tapered roller 10 obliquely with respect to the roller axial direction O, so that the configuration of the wire material straightening device 1 can be simplified.

[0042] As described above, with a simple configuration, uneven bending of the wire material W can be uniformly corrected.

[0043] Furthermore, the twisting tendency of the wire material W can be corrected by two actions: (1) making the wire material W align with each tapered roller 10 at an angle to the roller axis direction O, and (2) making each tapered roller 10 itself tapered.

[0044] By arranging the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 at different positions in the roller axial direction O, the wire feed direction X (the opposing direction between the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22) can be easily made to intersect obliquely with the roller axial direction O.

[0045] Each tapered roller 10 is configured so that the roller radius r decreases from one side to the other side in the roller axial direction O, and the second guide portion 22 is disposed on the other side of the roller axial direction O relative to the first guide portion 21. Therefore, the wire material W is affected by the successively decreasing roller radii r1, r2, r3, r4, r5, and the bending tendency is successively overwritten, and the amount of warping is successively reduced. This allows the wire material W to be straightened more easily.

[0046] The wire W whose bending and twisting tendencies have been straightened by the wire straightening device 1 according to this embodiment can be applied to various applications. For example, the wire W is applied to solar cells, wire harnesses for automobiles, electric wires for power transmission lines, etc. By straightening the bending and twisting tendencies of the wire W, it is possible to improve the performance and lifespan of the product as well as improve productivity in the manufacturing stage in each application.

[0047] For example, when the wire material W is applied to a solar cell, the wire material W wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5 is pulled out to a predetermined length, cut, and then mounted on a cell made of silicon with an adhesive (adhesive, adhesive tape, etc.). During mounting, the portion of the wire material W opposite to the surface that comes into contact with the adhesive (cell) is suction-held by a suction tool.

[0048] If the bending radius R of the wire material W is large, it is difficult for the suction tool to properly suction and hold the wire material W, and there is a risk that the wire material W will fall off from the suction tool. Falling off of the wire material W from the suction tool can cause poor mounting on the cell, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of productivity.

[0049] In order to prevent the wire W from falling off the suction tool, it is conceivable to increase the area of the suction port of the suction tool and thereby increase the suction force on the wire W. However, because the cross-sectional width of the wire W used in solar cells is small, typically 1 mm or less, simply increasing the suction port area would result in the wire W being sucked into the suction tool. While it is conceivable to simply increase the suction capacity of the suction tool itself, this is not preferable from the standpoint of cost.

[0050] By applying the wire W whose bending and twisting have been straightened by the wire straightening device 1 according to this embodiment to a solar cell, it is possible to prevent the wire W from falling off the suction tool without any special treatment for the suction tool, thereby preventing improper mounting of the wire W onto the cell and improving the productivity of solar cells.

[0051] <Second embodiment> A wire straightening device 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0052] The wire straightening device 1 includes a third guide portion 25. The third guide portion 25 is disposed on one side (first guide portion 21 side) of the straightening portion 4 (specifically, the first tapered roller 11) in the wire feeding direction X and on the other side (smaller diameter side) of the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 in the roller axial direction O. In this embodiment, the axial length of each tapered roller 10 is longer than in the first embodiment.

[0053] The opposing direction (wire feeding direction X) of the second guide portion 22 and the third guide portion 25 and the roller axial direction O intersect obliquely at an inclination angle θ. The second guide portion 22 is composed of a rotation mechanism such as a pulley. Similar to the first guide portion 21, the third guide portion 25 is composed of a pair of cylindrical members 23 and a connecting member 24.

[0054] The second guide section 22 is configured to return the wire material W fed from the straightening section 4 (more specifically, the fifth tapered roller 15) to one side of the wire feeding direction X toward the straightening section 4 (the fifth tapered roller 15). Between the second guide section 22 and the third guide section 25, the wire material W follows the outer peripheral surface 10b of each tapered roller 10 obliquely at an inclination angle θ with respect to the roller axial direction O. The third guide section 25 guides the wire material W fed from the straightening section 4 (the first tapered roller 11). The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0055] According to this embodiment, by folding back the wire material W at the second guide portion 22, each tapered roller 10 can be used for a longer period in the roller axial direction O compared to the first embodiment. For example, if the taper angle of each tapered roller 10 is the same as in the first embodiment, the wire material W will be affected by more different radii r compared to the first embodiment. This allows uneven bending of the wire material W to be corrected more uniformly compared to the first embodiment.

[0056] Furthermore, by folding back the wire material W at the second guide portion 22, the dimensions of the wire material straightening device 1 in the wire feed direction X can be made smaller compared to when the number of tapered rollers 10 is simply increased and arranged in the wire feed direction X.

[0057] <Third embodiment> A wire straightening device 1 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0058] In this embodiment, tapered rollers 11, 13, 15 configured so that the radius r decreases from one side to the other in the roller axial direction O, and tapered rollers 12, 14 configured so that the radius r decreases from the other side to one side in the roller axial direction O, are arranged alternately in the wire feed direction X. The first tapered roller 11, the third tapered roller 13, and the fifth tapered roller 15, and the second tapered roller 12 and the fourth tapered roller 14 are arranged in opposite directions in the roller axial direction O. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0059] According to this embodiment, twist tendencies in different directions can be corrected by alternately changing the taper direction (the direction in which the radius r becomes smaller) of each tapered roller 10 in the wire feeding direction X. In addition, after the wire material W is affected by a small radius r, the wire material W can be affected by a large radius r.

[0060] <Fourth embodiment> A wire straightening device 1 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first guide portion 21 is movable in the roller axial direction O. The second guide portion 22 is fixed in a fixed position. In detail, the first guide portion 21 is composed of a guide member 27 that is slidable in the roller axial direction O along a guide rail 26. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0062] According to this embodiment, the inclination angle θ can be arbitrarily changed by moving the first guiding portion 21 in the roller axial direction O. This makes it possible to suppress, for example, the generation of unnecessary stress on the wire W caused by contact between the cylindrical member 23 of the first guiding portion 21 and the wire W.

[0063] <Fifth embodiment> A wire straightening device 1 according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0064] In this embodiment, the straightening unit 4 includes eight tapered rollers 11 to 18. Each tapered roller 10 is arranged in a spiral shape with the wire feed direction X as its spiral axis.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the tapered rollers 11 to 18 can be applied to the wire material W three-dimensionally from various directions in the circumferential direction of the cross section.

[0066] Sixth Embodiment A wire straightening device 1 according to a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0067] In this embodiment, the straightening unit 4 includes nine tapered rollers 11 to 19. The tapered rollers 10 are arranged in a staggered pattern in two rows as viewed in the roller axial direction O. The wire material W runs around the outer circumferential surface 10b of each tapered roller 10 as viewed in the roller axial direction O.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the wire material W flows around the outer peripheral surface 10b of each of the staggered tapered rollers 10, thereby increasing the length (time) that the wire material W is in contact with the outer peripheral surfaces 10b of multiple tapered rollers 10.

[0069] <Other embodiments> Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, such description is not limiting and various modifications are possible.

[0070] In the fourth embodiment (see FIG. 13), the second guide portion 22 may be movable in the roller axial direction O, while the first guide portion 21 may be fixed in a fixed position. Alternatively, both the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 may be movable in the roller axial direction O. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 so that they are disposed at different positions in the roller axial direction O. Alternatively, the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 may be movable in the wire feed direction X or in the up-down direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 13).

[0071] In a sixth embodiment (see FIG. 15), the tapered rollers 10 may be arranged in parallel when viewed in the roller axial direction O.

[0072] The inclination angle θ between the wire feed direction X and the roller axial direction O may be different for each tapered roller 10. That is, the roller axial directions O in which the rotation axes 10a of the tapered rollers 10 extend do not have to be parallel to each other. The taper diameters and radii of the tapered rollers 10 may be different from each other. The outer peripheral surfaces 10b of the tapered rollers 10 may have a taper angle that changes stepwise along the way, or may have a flat surface without a tapered surface.

[0073] The first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 do not necessarily have to include a pair of cylindrical members 23, and may have any configuration as long as the purpose of guiding the wire W is achieved. For example, the first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 may be configured so that the wire W passes through a central hole of a cylinder, or may be configured as a roller having a central axis that intersects with the wire feed direction X. The first guide portion 21 and the second guide portion 22 may be configured in different ways from each other. The same applies to the third guide portion 25.

[0074] The wire W does not need to be wound in multiple rows around the core 5a of the bobbin 5, but may be wound in a single row. Also, the wire W does not have to be wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5. The cross-sectional shape of the wire W is not limited to a circular shape, and may be, for example, an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape such as a square. The wire W may be made of a non-metal.

[0075] The wire straightening method according to the present disclosure straightens the fed wire W by making it follow a plurality of tapered rollers 10. In the wire straightening method, the wire W is made to follow each of a plurality of tapered rollers 10 arranged in a wire feeding direction X at an angle to the roller axial direction O. [Example]

[0076] <Setting conditions> A tin-plated copper wire with a diameter of 0.4 mm was used as the wire material W. The initial condition was a state in which the wire material W was wound around the core 5a of the bobbin 5. Under this initial condition, the deflection (amount of warpage) of the wire material W in the wire feed direction X per 50 mm of length was 21.518 mm. The deflection was measured using a measurement jig (using a fiber sensor FU-58 manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation).

[0077] (Example) The wire straightening device 1 according to the first embodiment was used. The distance between each tapered roller 10 in the wire feed direction X was 40 mm. The tapered roller 10 had a bottom diameter of 30 mm, a top diameter of 2 mm, a taper height of 56 mm, a taper angle of 14°, and an inclination angle θ of 76°. The number of tapered rollers 10 was five. (Comparative Example 1) The wire material W was placed along a cylindrical roller 30 perpendicular to the roller axial direction O (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). The height of the cylindrical roller 30 was 60 mm and the diameter was 30 mm. The other conditions were the same as those in the example. (Comparative Example 2) The wire material W was placed along the cylindrical roller 30 at an inclination angle of 76° with respect to the roller axial direction O (see FIG. 7). The height of the cylindrical roller 30 was 60 mm and the diameter was 30 mm. The other conditions were the same as those in the example.

[0078] <Measurement conditions> After the wire material W was straightened, the swing width per 50 mm of the wire material W was measured. The swing width of the wire material W after straightening was expressed as a percentage, with the swing width of 21.518 mm per 50 mm of the wire material W under the initial conditions being 100% and the swing width of 0 mm being 0%. The swing width was measured using a measurement jig (using a fiber sensor FU-58 manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation).

[0079] <Measurement results> (Example) In the example, the deflection width per 50 mm of the wire W was 8.446 mm. The results are shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a graph showing the deflection width per 50 mm of the wire W, with the horizontal axis representing the length [mm] of the wire W and the vertical axis representing the deflection width [mm] of the wire W from the reference position.

[0080] (Comparative Example 1) In Comparative Example 1, the amplitude of vibration per 50 mm of the length of the wire material W was 14.309 mm. The obtained results are shown in FIG.

[0081] (Comparative Example 2) In Comparative Example 2, the swing width per 50 mm of the wire material W was approximately the same as that of Comparative Example 1.

[0082] <Evaluation> When comparing Comparative Examples 1 and 2 with the initial conditions, the deflection amplitude per 50 mm of the wire W in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 is reduced by approximately 33.5% compared to the initial conditions. When comparing the Example with the initial conditions, the deflection amplitude per 50 mm of the wire W in the Example is reduced by approximately 60.7% compared to the initial conditions. From the above, it can be seen that the Example has approximately twice the effect of correcting the bending tendency (deflection amplitude) compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The present disclosure is applicable to a wire straightening device and a wire straightening method, and is therefore extremely useful and has high industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] X Wire feed direction (opposite direction) O Roller axial direction θ Tilt angle W Wire Material R bend diameter r Roller radius 1. Wire straightening device 4 Orthodontic Department 10 Tapered roller 10a Rotation axis 10b Outer surface 10c spiral shaft 21 1st Information Department 22 2nd Information Department 25 3rd Information Department

Claims

1. A wire straightening device that straightens a fed wire material by guiding the wire material along a plurality of tapered rollers, The tapered roller includes a plurality of straightening units arranged obliquely with respect to the wire feeding direction of the wire material, In the wire straightening device, the wire is aligned along the tapered roller in the straightening section at an angle to the roller axis direction of the tapered roller and the arrangement direction of the plurality of tapered rollers.

2. The wire straightening device according to claim 1, a first guide portion disposed on one side of the straightening portion in the wire feeding direction and configured to guide the wire material before it is fed to the straightening portion; a second guide portion disposed on the other side of the straightening portion in the wire feeding direction and configured to guide the wire material after being fed from the straightening portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are disposed at different positions in the roller axial direction, an opposing direction of the first guide portion and the second guide portion and an axial direction of the rollers intersect obliquely with each other, The wire straightening device, wherein the wire is aligned along the tapered roller between the first guide portion and the second guide portion, obliquely with respect to the roller axial direction and the arrangement direction of the plurality of tapered rollers.

3. The wire straightening device according to claim 2, The tapered roller is configured so that its radius decreases from one side to the other side in the roller axial direction, The wire straightening device, wherein the second guide portion is disposed on the other side of the roller axial direction relative to the first guide portion.

4. The wire straightening device according to claim 3, a third guide portion disposed on one side of the correcting portion in the wire feeding direction and on the other side of the first guide portion and the second guide portion in the roller axial direction, an opposing direction of the second guide portion and the third guide portion and an axial direction of the rollers intersect obliquely with each other, The second guide portion is configured to return the wire material fed from the straightening portion to one side of the wire feeding direction toward the straightening portion, the wire material is arranged along the tapered roller between the second guide portion and the third guide portion, obliquely with respect to the roller axial direction and the arrangement direction of the plurality of tapered rollers; The third guide section guides the wire after it has been sent from the straightening section.

5. The wire straightening device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, At least one of the first guide portion and the second guide portion is movable in the roller axial direction.

6. The wire straightening device according to claim 1 or 2, A wire straightening device in which tapered rollers configured so that their radius decreases as they move from one side to the other in the roller axial direction and tapered rollers configured so that their radius decreases as they move from the other side to one side in the roller axial direction are arranged alternately at an angle to the wire feed direction.

7. The wire straightening device according to claim 1, The wire straightening device, wherein the tapered rollers are arranged in a spiral shape with the wire feed direction as the spiral axis.

8. The wire straightening device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The tapered rollers are arranged in parallel or staggered arrangement when viewed in the roller axial direction, The wire straightening device is configured so that the wire runs around the tapered roller on the outside when viewed in the roller axial direction.

9. A wire straightening method for straightening a fed wire material by making the wire material follow a plurality of tapered rollers, A wire straightening method in which the wire is aligned along a plurality of tapered rollers arranged obliquely with respect to the wire feed direction of the wire, obliquely with respect to the roller axis direction of the tapered rollers and the arrangement direction of the plurality of tapered rollers.

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