Method, manufacturing apparatus and holder for manufacturing a stator

Abstract

This method for manufacturing a stator in which a plurality of coil conductors are arranged in the radial direction and in the circumferential direction includes: a rotating step of rotating the body of the stator in the circumferential direction while supporting the body of the stator from one end portion side in the axial direction by a supporting body; a joining step of joining, by a joining tool, the end portions of two coil conductors adjacent in the radial direction, which are exposed from the other end portion side of the body of the stator; and a moving step of, after completion of joining the end portions, moving the joining tool from the end portions to other end portions different in the circumferential direction. In the rotating step, the stator is rotated in a state in which the two coil conductors are each positioned by a holder. In the joining step, the end portions of the two coil conductors are joined while causing the joining tool to follow the rotation of the stator. In the moving step, the joining tool is moved while the two coil conductors move in the circumferential direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention primarily relates to a method for manufacturing a stator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 to 4 describe a method for manufacturing a stator by interconnecting the ends of multiple coil conductors attached to a stator body that constitutes a motor to form a coil. According to this manufacturing method, the multiple coil conductors form a stator coil, making the stator applicable to a specific motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-224028 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6451993 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6558876 [Patent Document 4] Special Publication No. 2006-502688 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Considering the number of coil conductors and the resulting increase in man-hours required for interconnection, it is believed that a relatively long time will be required, and therefore a technique advantageous for improving the manufacturing efficiency of stators is required.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the manufacturing efficiency of a stator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention relates to a holder, the holder comprising: A holder for positioning ends of a plurality of coil conductors that constitute a coil of a stator mounted on a motor, a plurality of positioning members arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction so as to be able to position the ends of the plurality of coil conductors; an outer annular member disposed on one radially outer side and holding the plurality of positioning members; an inner annular member that is disposed on the other radial side and holds the plurality of positioning members; the positioning member is a rod-shaped member extending in a radial direction, a rotation shaft portion configured to be rotatable with the radial direction as a rotation axis; positioning portions provided on one side and the other side in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction; and Ends of the plurality of coil conductors protrude in the axial direction of the motor and are arranged in the circumferential direction to form rows in the radial direction, the plurality of positioning members are arranged so as to be positioned between the plurality of rows in which the ends of the plurality of coil conductors are arranged in the circumferential direction, the outer annular member is provided with a plurality of first holding portions that rotatably hold portions of the rotation shaft portions of the plurality of positioning members on one side in the radial direction, the inner annular member is provided with a plurality of second holding portions that rotatably hold the other radial side portions of the rotation shaft portions of the plurality of positioning members, The positioning member rotates around the radial direction as a rotation axis, one of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on one side in the circumferential direction, the other of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on the other side in the circumferential direction, Thereby, the end portions forming the row are positioned together with the positioning portions of the other positioning members adjacent in the circumferential direction. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the stator.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a stator. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a holder. [Figure 4A] Schematic diagrams showing examples of the structure of a positioning member. [Figure 4B] Schematic diagrams showing examples of the structure of a positioning member. [Figure 4C] Schematic diagrams showing examples of the structure of a positioning member. [Figure 5A1] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing examples of the posture of a positioning member. [Figure 5A2] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing examples of the posture of a positioning member. [Figure 5B1] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing examples of the posture of a positioning member. [Figure 5B2] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing examples of the posture of a positioning member. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing a stator. [Figure 7A] Schematic top view showing the trajectory of the joining tool. [Figure 7B] Schematic top view showing the trajectory of the joining tool. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another example of the positioning member. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another example of the positioning member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] <Example of manufacturing equipment configuration> FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The manufacturing apparatus 1 can be used to manufacture a stator 2 to be mounted on a motor. The directions d1, d2, and d3 indicated by arrows in the figure correspond to the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the stator 2 (or motor) extends, the radial direction, which is a direction intersecting the axial direction, and the circumferential direction, which is centered on the axis, respectively. In this embodiment, the stator 2 can be manufactured with the axial direction d1 as the vertical direction, which is the up-down direction or height direction, and the radial direction d2 and the circumferential direction d3 as the horizontal directions.

[0012] To express the relative positional relationship between two or more elements, the -d1 direction may be expressed as a downward direction or one direction, and the +d1 direction may be expressed as an upward direction or another direction. Similarly, the -d2 direction may be expressed as an inward direction, the +d2 direction may be expressed as an outward direction, the -d3 direction may be expressed as a clockwise (CW) direction, and the +d3 direction may be expressed as a counterclockwise (CCW) direction.

[0013] It should be noted that the term "manufacturing" here is to be interpreted broadly, and the concept includes not only acts that directly contribute to manufacturing, such as fabricating, forming, attaching, welding, joining, and connecting, but also acts that indirectly contribute to manufacturing, such as preparing, installing, and arranging elements necessary for the realization of those acts.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the stator 2.

[0015] The stator 2 is configured by winding a coil (stator coil) formed by a plurality of coil conductors 21 around a stator body 20. The stator body 20 has a plurality of grooves (slots) extending in the d1 direction, and the plurality of coil conductors 21 are inserted into the plurality of grooves. Note that the portions of the plurality of coil conductors 21 that pass through the plurality of grooves are covered with insulating paper (slot liner).

[0016] The multiple coil conductors 21 are arranged in the radial direction d2 and the circumferential direction d3, and their multiple end portions 211 are arranged so as to be aligned in the radial direction d2 and protrude and be exposed above the stator body 20 along multiple circumferential orbits in the circumferential direction d3.

[0017] Here, the multiple coil conductors 21 are formed by cutting a conductive extension member covered with an insulating film, and then removing a predetermined width of the insulating film from both cut ends. In this embodiment, the portions from which the insulating film has been removed are referred to as end portions 211 of the coil conductors 21.

[0018] As will be described in detail later, in the above-mentioned plurality of coil conductors 21, two end portions 211 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2 are sequentially connected to each other by welding.

[0019] 2, the ends 211 of four coil conductors 21 are aligned from the outside to the inside in the radial direction d2 and are designated as ends 211a1, 211a2, 211a3, and 211a4. As will be described in detail later, among the ends 211a1 to 211a4, the two outer ends 211a1 and 221a2 are interconnected as a pair, and the two inner ends 211a3 and 221a4 are interconnected as a pair. Although a description of the ends 211 of the other four coil conductors 21 will be omitted, multiple similar configurations are provided around the periphery in the circumferential direction d3.

[0020] In this embodiment, the multiple coil conductors 21 are arranged so that their end portions 211 protrude and are exposed along two circumferential orbits, namely, an outer circumferential orbit (first circumferential orbit) c1 and an inner circumferential orbit (second circumferential orbit) c2, which are centered around the axis of the stator 2. More specifically, two end portions 211 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2 are considered as an interconnected pair, and the two adjacent end portions 211 correspond to the outer circumferential orbit c1 (e.g., ends 211a1 and 221a2) and the inner circumferential orbit c2 (e.g., ends 211a3 and 221a4), respectively.

[0021] In summary, according to this embodiment, four end portions 211 arranged in the radial direction d2 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction d3, and two outer end portions 211 of the four end portions 211 are interconnected as a set, and two inner end portions 211 are interconnected as a set. In this way, the multiple coil conductors 21 form the coils of the stator 2.

[0022] Referring again to FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a support 11, a rotation mechanism 12, a joining unit 13, and a controller .

[0023] The support body 11 is used to support the stator 2 during manufacture. In this embodiment, the support body 11 supports the stator body 20 from one end (here, the lower end) side in the axial direction d1.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the support 11 includes a support plate 110, a column 112 installed on the support plate 110, and a plurality of platforms 111 and 111′ arranged around the column 112 on the support plate 110.

[0025] Each of the multiple bases 111 and 111' supports the lower end of the stator body 20. The base 111 is provided with a pin 111a extending in the axial direction d1, and when supporting the stator body 20, the pin 111a abuts or fits into the stator body 20. The base 111' is provided with a pin 111b extending in the radial direction d2, and when supporting the stator body 20, the pin 111b abuts or fits into the stator body 20. With this configuration, the base 111 enables positioning of the stator body 20 in the axial direction d1 and the radial direction d2, and the base 111' enables positioning of the stator body 20 in the circumferential direction d3. In this way, the support body 11 fixes the stator body 20. Note that the number of bases 111 and 111' is not limited to the example shown in the figures.

[0026] The pillar portion 112 extends so as to pass through the inside of the stator body 20, and a defining portion 32 is provided at the upper end thereof to support a holder 3 (described later) and define its position. As will be described in detail later, the support body 11 is rotatable while supporting the stator 2 with the axial direction d1 as the rotation axis.

[0027] The rotation mechanism 12 is configured to be able to rotate the support 11 in the circumferential direction d3 around a center line CL parallel to the axial direction d1. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 12 includes a rotation support base 121, a rotation drive unit 122, and a speed detection unit 123. The rotation support base 121 is configured to be able to place the support 11 that supports the stator 2, and the rotation drive unit 122 rotates the rotation support base 121, thereby rotating the stator 2 together with the support 11. The rotation support base 121 has the axial direction d1 as its rotation axis, and is rotatable in both directions (selectively in either the +d3 direction or the -d3 direction), as will be described in detail later.

[0028] In this embodiment, the speed detection unit 123 is built into the rotation drive unit 122, but in another embodiment, it may be attached to the rotation drive unit 122 as an accessory.

[0029] The speed detection unit 123 is configured to be able to detect the rotation speed of the rotary support base 121. As will be described in detail later, detection by the speed detection unit 123 is performed periodically during rotation of the rotary support base 121. A known sensor such as an optical encoder may be used as the speed detection unit 123, and the speed detection unit 123 may be provided relative to the rotation axis of the rotary support base 121.

[0030] In this embodiment, the support 11 and the rotation mechanism 12 are separate bodies, but part or all of the rotation mechanism 12 may be configured integrally with the support 11. For example, the support 11 may have the function of a rotation support base 121.

[0031] The joining unit 13 includes a joining tool 13a and an arm portion 13b. The joining tool 13a is disposed on the other end (here, the upper end) side in the axial direction d1 with respect to the stator 2. The joining tool 13a is configured to be able to approach an end 211 of the coil conductor 21 from the other end side in the axial direction d1 and join the end 211. The arm portion 13b is a movable mechanism that movably holds the joining tool 13a, and can, for example, move the joining tool 13a from one end 211 to the other end 211. Note that a known articulated robot may be used for the arm portion 13b, and it may be driven and controlled by a controller 14 (described later) independently of the joining tool 13a.

[0032] The joining tool 13a is movable in a planar direction and can be raised and lowered by the arm 13b. In this embodiment, the joining tool 13a joins at least a portion of the end 211 of the coil conductor 21 (the entire portion from which the insulating coating has been removed or a portion of the cut surface side) by welding. In this embodiment, this welding is performed by arc welding, and can be performed by, for example, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding, but any appropriate known metallurgical joining method, such as laser welding, may be used.

[0033] Here, the arm portion 13b is controlled so that the joining tool 13a does not come into contact with the end 211 of the coil conductor 21 when moving and when performing the joining, and so that the distance between the end 211 and the joining tool 13a is such that an arc can be appropriately generated when performing the joining.

[0034] As will be described in detail later, the joining unit 13 joins two end portions 211 with the joining tool 13a, and then moves the joining tool 13a with the arm portion 13b to the next two end portions 211 and joins them with the joining tool 13a, repeating this process. In this way, the joining unit 13 sequentially interconnects two adjacent end portions 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21.

[0035] The controller 14 periodically controls the individual elements described in this embodiment. Specifically, the controller 14 periodically controls the drive of the rotation drive unit 122, the drive of the arm unit 13b, and the detection of the speed detection unit 123.

[0036] Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the controller 14 calculates the relative position of the welding tool 13a with respect to the stator 2 based on the detection results of the speed detection unit 123, and causes the arm portion 13b to move the welding tool 13a back and forth to sequentially connect two adjacent end portions 211 to each other.

[0037] In order to properly realize drive control of the joining unit 13, multiple drivers may be used, such as a driver for movement control and a driver for joining control, and some or all of the functions of these drivers may be realized by the controller 14.

[0038] The controller 14 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 141, a memory 142, and an external communication interface 143. Each function of the manufacturing apparatus 1 described below is executed by the CPU 141 expanding and executing a predetermined program on the memory 142. The concept of the memory 142 includes RAM (Random Access Memory) and may also include ROM (Read Only Memory). The program may be read from a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or may be read via the external communication interface 143.

[0039] The controller 14 may be configured by a semiconductor device such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), that is, each function of the manufacturing apparatus 1 may be realized by either hardware or software.

[0040] <Holder configuration example> The holder 3 is configured to position the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2.

[0041] 3 shows an example of the configuration of the holder 3. The holder 3 includes a plurality of positioning members 4 for positioning the ends 211 of a plurality of coil conductors 21. The positioning members 4 are arranged at predetermined intervals or side by side in the circumferential direction d3 (for ease of viewing the figure, only some of the coil conductors 21 and positioning members 4 are shown). Each positioning member 4 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the radial direction d2 and is configured to be rotatable around the radial direction d2 as its rotation axis.

[0042] Fig. 4A is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of a single positioning member 4. Fig. 4B shows the positioning member 4 in a first posture p4a (described later) as viewed in the axial direction d1 (i.e., a top view). Fig. 4C shows the positioning member 4 in a second posture p4b (described later) as viewed in the axial direction d1.

[0043] The positioning member 4 has a rotating shaft portion 41, a positioning portion 42, and an operating portion 43. The rotating shaft portion 41 is a rod-shaped member, and the positioning portion 42 is provided at its center. The rotating shaft portion 41 is configured to be rotatable around a center line PL parallel to the radial direction d2 as a rotation axis. The rotating shaft portion 41 includes rotational engagement portions 41a that engage with the holder 3 during the rotation. In this embodiment, the rotational engagement portions 41a are provided on one side and the other side of the positioning portion 42 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 41 that extends along the center line PL.

[0044] The positioning portion 42 includes a pair of blade portions 42H extending between the rotational engagement portions 41a on one side and the other side perpendicular to the center line PL. The blade portion 42H includes a side portion 42E formed to increase in width and decrease in thickness from the inside to the outside (in the +d2 direction), and an extension portion 42e extending to connect the rotation shaft portion 41 and the side portion 42E. The side portion 42E is formed with positioning contact portions 42P (four positioning contact portions 42P1, 42P2, 42P3, and 42P4 in this embodiment) that contact the end portion 211 of the coil conductor 21 when positioning the end portion 211.

[0045] In this embodiment, the positioning abutments 42P provided on each side 42E of the pair of blades 42H are provided on the outer and inner sides in the radial direction d2 so as to correspond to the two circumferential paths c1 and c2, respectively. That is, a single positioning member 4 is provided with a total of four positioning abutments 42P.

[0046] Each positioning abutment portion 42P includes a first abutment portion 42Pa and a second abutment portion 42Pb. The abutment portion 42Pa is capable of abutting against one of the end portions 211 of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2, and this contact allows the end portion 211 of one coil conductor 21 to approach the end portion 211 of the other coil conductor 21. The abutment portion 42Pb is capable of abutting against the other of the end portions 211 of the two coil conductors, and this contact allows the end portion 211 of the other coil conductor 21 to approach the end portion 211 of one coil conductor 21.

[0047] In this embodiment, each of the pair of side portions 42E is provided with two positioning abutment portions 42P spaced apart in the radial direction d2. That is, one side portion 42E is provided with two positioning abutment portions 42P1 and 42P2, and the other side portion 42E is provided with two positioning abutment portions 42P3 and 42P4.

[0048] Thus, the positioning abutments 42P1 and 42P3 on the outer side (+d2 direction) position the ends 211 of two coil conductors located on the outer circumferential orbit c1 and adjacent in the radial direction d2 by abutting against each other, thereby positioning them. Similarly, the positioning abutments 42P2 and 42P4 on the inner side (-d2 direction) position the ends 211 of two coil conductors located on the inner circumferential orbit c2 and adjacent in the radial direction d2 by abutting against each other, thereby positioning them.

[0049] Each positioning contact portion 42P is provided to have a concave shape and includes a first inclined surface f42a that acts as contact portion 42Pa, a second inclined surface f42b that acts as contact portion 42b, and a connecting surface f42c that connects inclined surfaces f42a and f42b. The inclined surfaces f42a and f42b are provided at an angle such that the distance between them increases from the inside to the outside of the rotating shaft portion 41.

[0050] Fig. 5A1 shows a perspective view of multiple positioning members 4 in position p4a and corresponding end portions 211 of multiple coil conductors 21, Fig. 5A2 shows a top view thereof (as viewed in axial direction d1), Fig. 5B1 shows a perspective view of multiple positioning members 4 in position p4b and corresponding end portions 211 of multiple coil conductors 21, Fig. 5B2 shows a top view thereof.

[0051] The positioning member 4 can selectively take positions p4a and p4b. As shown in Figures 5A1 and 5A2, when the positioning member 4 takes the position p4a, the positioning abutment portion 42P faces in the axial direction d1 and is spaced apart from the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 that are adjacent in the radial direction d2. As shown in Figures 5B1 and 5B2, when the positioning member 4 takes the position p4b, the positioning abutment portion 42P faces in the radial direction d2 and comes into close contact with the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 that are adjacent in the radial direction d2.

[0052] In other words, the ends 211 of two adjacent coil conductors 21 in the radial direction d2 can be brought close to each other by the positioning abutment portion 42P of the positioning member 4 (referred to as "positioning member 4a" here for the sake of distinction) adjacent to them on one side in the circumferential direction d3 and the positioning abutment portion 42P of the positioning member 4 (referred to as "positioning member 4b" here for the sake of distinction) adjacent to them on the other side. In this way, the multiple positioning members 4 position the two adjacent coil conductors 21 close to each other, thereby allowing the joining tool 13a to appropriately approach their ends 211.

[0053] 5B2, the positioning members 4 may be configured so that, in posture p4b, the two opposing sides 42E between two adjacent positioning members 4 are parallel and close to each other. This makes it possible to shield and / or dissipate welding heat that may propagate downward from the portion of the end 211 where the positioning members 4 abut when joining the end 211, as described below. This reduces the effects of the welding heat and improves the quality of the stator 2. Note that examples of the effects of welding heat include burning or scorching of the enamel material that constitutes the insulating coating of the coil conductor 21.

[0054] The positioning portion 42 fixes or locks the end 211, and from this point of view, it may be expressed as an end fixing portion, an end locking portion, etc., or simply as a fixing portion, an locking portion, etc.

[0055] 4A to 4C again, the operating unit 43 is configured to be able to change the position of the positioning member 4 from one of positions p4a and p4b to the other by an operating mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the operating unit 43 is provided on the outer side of the rotation shaft portion 41 in the radial direction d2. The operating unit 43 may also be configured to be able to be grasped by an operating mechanism (not shown), and from this perspective may be referred to as a grasping unit 43. The operating mechanism referred to here may be something that performs manufacturing work based on predetermined commands (for example, a manipulator), etc.

[0056] Referring again to FIG. 3 , the holder 3 has a plurality of first holding portions 31a and a plurality of second holding portions 31b. Each holding portion 31a rotatably holds a portion of the rotational engagement portion 41a on one side (here, the outer side) of the rotating shaft portion 41 in the radial direction d2. Each holding portion 31b rotatably holds a portion of the rotational engagement portion 41a on the other side (here, the inner side) of the rotating shaft portion 41 in the radial direction d2. In this embodiment, the holder 3 includes an outer annular member 30a and an inner annular member 30b. The outer annular member 30a and the inner annular member 30b are connected by a plurality of positioning members 4 spanning them. The plurality of holding portions 31a are provided on the outer annular member 30a, and the plurality of holding portions 31b are provided on the inner annular member 30b. The plurality of positioning members 4 may be included in the concept of the holder 3.

[0057] The multiple positioning members 4 are each configured as described above and are arranged so as to be located respectively between the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21. In other words, the holder 3 is capable of positioning each of the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 using the multiple positioning members 4. It can also be said that each positioning member 4 at least partially has the function of positioning the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21 located on either side of it, and achieves this function together with other positioning members 4 adjacent to it in the circumferential direction d3.

[0058] The holder 3 is attached to a defining portion 32 provided at the upper end of the support 112, and its position and posture are defined. The defining portion 32 has a cylindrical protrusion 32a on its upper end surface (see FIG. 2). The holder 3 has an inner circumferential wall portion 30b1 with a hole formed in the center of the inner annular member 30b (see FIG. 3). The position of the inner annular member 30b of the holder 3 in the radial direction d2 is defined by the engagement between the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 32a and the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 30b1.

[0059] In addition, a positioning pin (not shown) is provided on one of the support surface (upper end surface) of the defining portion 32 and the supported surface (bottom surface) of the inner annular member 30b, and a positioning hole (not shown) is provided on the other. The position of the holder 3 in the circumferential direction d3 is defined by the fit of the positioning pin and the positioning hole.

[0060] In this embodiment, the supported surface (bottom surface) of the inner annular member 30b abuts against the supporting surface (upper end surface) of the defining portion 32, and the supported surface (bottom surface) of the outer annular member 30a abuts against the upper end surface of the stator body 20. This defines the axial position d1 of the outer annular member 30a of the holder 3. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface of the outer annular member 30a abuts against the upper outer peripheral surface of the stator body 20. This defines the radial position d2 of the outer annular member 30a.

[0061] In summary, the multiple coil conductors 21 are attached to the stator body 20 so that their ends 211 protrude and are exposed above the stator body 20 from the ends of the stator body 20, and each end 211 can be positioned in the radial direction d2 and the circumferential direction d3 by the positioning member 4.

[0062] ≪Manufacturing method≫ The end portions 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 are appropriately positioned in the radial direction d2 and the circumferential direction d3 by the holder 3 at positions below the end faces of the end portions 211 in the axial direction d1. This allows two adjacent end portions 211 in the radial direction d2 to be appropriately joined by the joining unit 13. This allows the stator 2 to be manufactured relatively easily and in a relatively short time.

[0063] 6 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the stator 2 according to this embodiment. This flowchart is realized by attaching a plurality of coil conductors 21 to the stator body 20, and then having the controller 14 mainly drive and control corresponding elements to sequentially interconnect the ends 211 of the plurality of coil conductors 21. In summary, the joining tool 13a is moved back and forth relative to the stator 2 in the manufacturing process, which rotates about the axial direction d1 as its rotation axis, to interconnect the two adjacent ends 211.

[0064] In step S6010 (hereinafter simply referred to as S6010, and the same applies to other steps described below), a plurality of coil conductors 21 are attached to the main body of the stator 2. In this embodiment, the ends 211 of the plurality of coil conductors 21 are arranged in the circumferential direction d3 so as to form four rows in the radial direction d2 at the top. The arranged ends 211 will be interconnected in a later process, and as a result, the plurality of coil conductors 21 form three-phase power lines, namely, U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, as coils.

[0065] In S6020, the stator body 20 is supported by the support 11 (supporting step). This allows the stator 2 to rotate together with the support 11 by the rotation mechanism 12, and the rotation speed of the support 11 is detected by the speed detection unit 123.

[0066] Here, when the stator 2 is supported by the support 11, or before or after that, the controller 14 may acquire information about the stator 2. Examples of the information about the stator 2 include information indicating the configuration of the stator 2, such as information indicating the number of end portions 211 of the coil conductors 21 and their arrangement positions. The information about the stator 2 may be acquired based on an IC tag or the like on a pallet that may be used in the production line for the stator 2, or may be acquired by printing a predetermined code (for example, a two-dimensional code) on the stator 2 itself.

[0067] In S6030, holders 3 that position the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2 are attached to the stator 2 during manufacture (holder attachment process). At this time, the positioning members 4 are all in posture p4a. By attaching the holders 3, the multiple positioning members 4 are arranged so that they are respectively positioned between the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 (arrangement process). In this way, in a later process, the multiple positioning members 4 can position the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21.

[0068] In S6040, the operation unit 43 is used to change the positioning members 4 from position p4a to position p4b, bringing the end portions 211 of two coil conductors 21 that are adjacent in the radial direction d2 closer to each other (proximity process). The position of the positioning members 4 is changed by an operation mechanism (not shown) sequentially operating the operation units 43. This reduces the load per operation of the operation unit 43 and prevents unnecessary load from being applied to the entire system, which would reduce the positioning accuracy of the end portions 211. In other words, by operating the multiple operation units 43 one by one, the positioning members 4 can be operated with a smaller operating force than when multiple positioning members 4 are operated at once, thereby preventing a decrease in positioning accuracy.

[0069] For example, the operating mechanism (not shown) changes the positioning member 4 (referred to as "positioning member 4a" for the sake of distinction) adjacent to one side in the circumferential direction d3 of the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 adjacent in the radial direction d2, among the multiple positioning members 4, from position p4a to position p4b, and then changes the positioning member 4 (referred to as "positioning member 4b" for the sake of distinction) adjacent to the other side from position p4a to position p4b. According to this procedure, the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21 can be positioned with high precision between the positioning members 4a and 4b.

[0070] In S6045, position information of the end portion 211 positioned in S6040 is acquired. To acquire the position information, for example, an imaging device such as a camera is used. The position information may include the position information of each end portion 211 in the radial direction d2 and the circumferential direction d3 (horizontal position information) as well as the position in the axial direction d1 (height information). The position of the positioned end portion 211 may be corrected based on the information of the stator 2 acquired in S6020 and the position information acquired in this step, and calculated as a work position. By these calculation processes, it is possible to acquire the distance from the axis of the stator 2 for each work position, as well as the relative position between work positions (for example, direction or angle, distance, etc.). The calculation results acquired in this manner may be calculated based only on the information acquired in S6020.

[0071] In S6050, the stator body 20 supported by the support 11 is rotated in the circumferential direction d3 (rotation step). The rotation direction here is the -d3 direction (clockwise). In this step, the controller 14 can be said to function as a rotation control unit that rotates the support 11 in the circumferential direction d3. The rotation speed is detected by the speed detection unit 123.

[0072] In S6060, while maintaining rotation of the stator body 20, the ends 211 (referred to as "ends 211a" for the sake of distinction) of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2 are joined by the joining tool 13a (joining step). Here, the ends 211a are assumed to be located on the outer circumferential orbit c1.

[0073] The stator body 20 continues to rotate until it is determined in S6070, which will be described later, that welding of all of the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1 has been completed. Therefore, from the start of the welding to the completion of the welding, the welding tool 13a follows the rotation of the stator body 20 and moves together with the end portions 211a to be joined. Therefore, in the welding process, the welding tool 13a moves so as to describe an arc orbit.

[0074] In this step, the controller 14 functions as a drive control unit that controls the joining tool 13a and the arm unit 13b to join the ends 211 (here, ends 211a1 and 211a2) of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2.

[0075] Furthermore, one of the ends 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1 to be the first to be joined (here, ends 211a1 and 211a2) may be arbitrarily determined from among those that are within the range of movement of the arm portion 13b of the joining tool 13a from the start of the joining to the completion of the joining.

[0076] In S6070, it is determined whether or not joining has been completed for all of the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1. If joining has been completed, the process proceeds to S6550, and if joining has not been completed, the process proceeds to S6060.

[0077] In S6080, after the welding of the end portion 211 is completed in S6060 (welding process), the welding tool 13a is moved from the end portion 211 to another end portion 211 (next end portion 211) different in the circumferential direction d3 (moving process). In this step, the controller 14 can be said to function as a movement control unit that moves the welding tool 13a by the arm portion 13b from the end portion 211 where welding is completed (end portion 211a in this case) to another end portion 211 different in the circumferential direction d3 (end portion 211b in this case). That is, in the moving process, when the rotation direction of the stator 2 is clockwise (-d3 direction), the welding tool 13a can be said to move substantially in the counterclockwise direction (+d3 direction).

[0078] In this example, the next end 211 to be joined after the joining of the end 211a is completed is the end 211b adjacent to the end 211a in the circumferential direction d3, but in other examples, the ends 211a and 211b do not have to be adjacent to each other, and for example, another end 211 may exist between the ends 211a and 211b.

[0079] Here, since the rotation of the stator body 20 is maintained while the welding tool 13a is moving, the end 211b, which is the destination of the movement, also moves in accordance with the rotation. Therefore, the controller 14 calculates the position of the end 211b based on the detection result of the speed detection unit 123, and accordingly calculates the relative position of the welding tool 13a with respect to the end 211b, and controls the movement of the welding tool 13a based on the calculation result.

[0080] The position here may be expressed as a "coordinate", in which case the rotation axis of the stator 2 (or the motor) may be set as the origin.

[0081] The destination here can be said to be a position where the welding tool 13a can start welding the end portion 211. Therefore, although details will be described later, when the welding tool 13a reaches the destination, the welding tool 13a can quickly start welding at the destination.

[0082] Furthermore, while the welding tool 13a is moving, the end 211b of the moving destination moves toward the welding tool 13a due to the rotation of the stator body 20. That is, both the welding tool 13a and the end 211b move so as to approach each other. Therefore, the moving distance and moving time can be shortened compared to when only the welding tool 13a is moved, thereby enabling improvement in manufacturing efficiency.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 7A, when viewed in the axial direction d1, in S6060 (welding step), the welding tool 13a follows the rotation of the stator body 20 and traces a trajectory similar to the movement trajectory of the end portion 211a. That is, the welding tool 13a moves in the circumferential direction d3 (here, along the outer circumferential orbit c1) so as to trace an arc. Then, as shown in Fig. 7B, in S6080 (moving step), the welding tool 13a moves so as to trace a path that passes inward in the radial direction d2 than the arc. This shortens the moving distance of the welding tool 13a in S6080 (moving step), and enables the time required for the welding tool 13a to move to be shortened.

[0084] In this embodiment, the path of the welding tool 13a in S6080 (movement step) is set to be radially inward by d2 from the arc described in S6060 (welding step), but the path of the welding tool 13a is not limited to this example. For example, the welding tool 13a may draw a path that substantially coincides with the arc described above, which makes it possible to reduce the load on the controller 14 when calculating the path, for example. Alternatively, the welding tool 13a may draw a path that passes radially outward by d2 from the arc described above, which makes it possible to prevent the welding tool 13a from interfering with monitoring of the individual end portions 211 by a camera, for example.

[0085] To make this relatively easy to achieve, the controller 14: the current position of the joining tool 13a; The position of the end 211b to be joined next at the time when the joining of the end 211a is completed, and the elapsed time since the joining of the end portion 211a was completed, and The distance between each end 211 and the rotation axis CL of the stator 2 calculated in S6045, The rotation speed of the stator 2 detected by the speed detection unit 123, Based on this, the movement of the welding tool 13a to the end 211b is controlled.

[0086] The controller 14 controls the movement of the welding tool 13a at a predetermined period (control period). The position of the end 211b when the joining of the end 211a is completed, and the elapsed time since the joining of the end portion 211a was completed, and The distance between the end 211b and the rotation axis CL of the stator 2, The rotation speed of stator 2 is Based on this, the position of the end 211b is calculated.

[0087] Thereafter, the controller 14 moves the welding tool 13a toward the calculated position. At this time, the controller 14 moves the welding tool 13a along the shortest path. Therefore, in S6080 (movement step), the welding tool 13a moves along a path that passes inward in the radial direction d2 from the arc drawn in S6050.

[0088] That is, the calculated position of the next end 211b to which the welding tool 13a is to be moved is updated for each control cycle. When the position of the welding tool 13a and the calculated position of the end 211b substantially coincide with each other, it is determined that S6080 (movement step) is completed. Note that a time sufficient for the welding tool 13a to approach the end 211b may be set in advance, and S6080 (movement step) may be determined to be completed in response to the lapse of that time.

[0089] The control period of the controller 14 may be sufficiently short relative to the maximum value of the time required for welding by the welding tool 13a in S6060 (welding step) and the time required for the welding tool 13a to move to the next end 211b in S6080 (moving step). For example, the control period t S may be determined based on the calculation processing capacity of the controller 14.

[0090] In FIG. 7A, the positions of the welding tool 13a and the end 211 during welding of the end 211 are S ×0), t1(=t S ×1), t2(=t S ×2), t3(=t S Illustrated are examples of each of the above.

[0091] In FIG. 7B, the positions of the welding tool 13a and the end 211b from the completion of welding of the end 211a to the start of welding of the end 211b are S ×0), t1(=t S ×1), t2(=t S ×2), t3(=t S ×3), t4(=t SIllustrated are examples of each of the following:

[0092] Here, the rotation speed of the stator 2 can be maintained constant, but may fluctuate during the movement of the welding tool 13a. In this case, the controller 14 controls the speed detection unit 123 to periodically (every control cycle) detect the rotation speed of the stator 2, and feeds back the detection result to the control content.

[0093] 6, after S6080 (moving step), S6060 (joining step) is performed again. That is, S6060 to S6080 are repeated until joining is completed for all of the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1, and when the joining is completed, the process proceeds to S6550.

[0094] 7A and 7B, the welding start position of S6060 (welding step) and the movement end position of S6080 (movement step) substantially coincide with each other, and the welding end position of S6060 and the movement start position of S6080 substantially coincide with each other. Therefore, by repeatedly performing S6060 to S6080, the welding tool 13a is always located within a certain section that includes the movement trajectory during the welding step and the movement step until welding is completed for all of the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1. The same applies to S6560 to S6580 described below.

[0095] When arc welding is used to melt and join objects, it is necessary to spray inert gas (shielding gas) at the joint. Inert gas is a gas whose main components are carbon dioxide and argon, and it prevents the weld metal at the joint from coming into contact with the surrounding air and reacting. Generally, when joining multiple points using arc welding, inert gas is sprayed for a certain period of time at each joint, and a process called atmosphere creation is required to fill the area around the joint with inert gas before joining begins.

[0096] In this embodiment, as described above, the movement area of ​​the welding tool 13a is within a certain section, so that by starting to jet the inert gas before starting welding of the first welding point and then continuously jetting the inert gas into the certain section, it is possible to maintain the certain section where welding is performed in a state filled with the inert gas. Therefore, there is no need to unnecessarily provide time (for example, for each welding process of the end portions 211) required to create an atmosphere that satisfies the welding conditions of each end portion 211, and manufacturing efficiency can be appropriately improved.

[0097] In steps S6550 and after, joining is performed on all of the end portions 211 on the inner circumferential track c2 in the same manner as in S6050 to S6080.

[0098] In S6550, the rotation direction of the stator 2 is set to the opposite direction from S6050 (rotation step). The rotation direction here is set to the +d3 direction (counterclockwise). That is, the stator 2 rotates in the opposite direction between the joining of the end 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1 and the joining of the end 211 on the inner circumferential orbit c2. With this joining mode, the stator 2 does not rotate more than two times in the same direction, which makes it possible to prevent breakage or tangling of cables or the like that may be attached to the rotation mechanism 12.

[0099] The contents of S6560 to S6580 are the same as the contents of S6060 to S6080, so detailed explanation will be omitted here. S6560 to S6580 are repeated until joining is completed for all of the end portions 211 on the inner circumferential orbit c2, and when the joining is completed, this flowchart ends.

[0100] In summary, in S6050 (rotation step), the stator 2 is rotated with the ends 211 of two adjacent coil conductors 21 in the radial direction d2 previously positioned by the holder 3. Then, in S6060 (joining step), the joining tool 13a is moved along with the rotation of the stator 2 to join the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21. In S6080 (movement step), the joining tool 13a is moved while the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21 move in the circumferential direction d3 due to the rotation of the stator 2. This joining mode allows the ends 211 of multiple coil conductors 21 to be interconnected relatively easily, and because the stator 2 rotates continuously (the rotation does not need to be stopped intermittently), the work efficiency of the entire system can be improved. The same applies to the steps after S6550.

[0101] In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the stator 2 in S6050 (rotation step) and the movement direction of the welding tool 13a in S6080 (movement step) are substantially opposite to each other. Therefore, the time required to move the welding tool 13a can be appropriately shortened. The same can be said for the steps after S6550.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, of the end portions 211 arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction d3 and in four rows in the radial direction d2, the end portions 211 in the two outer rows along the outer circumferential orbit c1 (e.g., end portions 211a1 and 211a2) are sequentially joined in S6060 (joining step). The end portions 211 in the two inner rows along the inner circumferential orbit c2 (e.g., end portions 211a3 and 211a4) are sequentially joined in S6560 (joining step). Here, the stator body 20 rotates in opposite directions in S6060 and S6560. That is, the stator body 20 only needs to rotate one revolution in a different direction when joining the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1 and when joining the end portions 211 on the inner circumferential orbit c2. This makes it possible to prevent breakage or tangling of cables or the like that may be attached to the rotation mechanism 12.

[0103] The flowchart described above may be partially modified without departing from the spirit thereof, for example, the order of some steps may be interchanged, or some steps may be executed in parallel with other steps. As an example, in S6060 (joining step), after the two outer rows of end portions 211 (e.g., end portions 211a1 and 211a2) along the outer circumferential orbit c1 are joined as a set, the welding tool 13a may be moved to approach the two inner rows of end portions 211 (e.g., end portions 211a3 and 211a4) along the inner circumferential orbit c2, and these may be joined as a set.

[0104] In this case, after the joining step, it is only necessary to determine whether or not joining has been completed for all of the end portions 211 on the outer circumferential orbit c1 and the inner circumferential orbit c2, using the same procedure as in S6070. If the joining has been completed, this flowchart is ended, and if the joining has not been completed, the joining tool 13a is moved to the other two outer rows of end portions 211 along the outer circumferential orbit c1, and the joining step is performed.

[0105] As another example, in S6040 (the approaching step), the postures of two or more positioning members 4 may be changed at once. In this case, the number of operation mechanisms (not shown) that operate the operation unit 43 may be increased, or if the operation mechanism (not shown) is a mechanism such as a manipulator, the output of its power source may be increased.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, the end portions 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 are arranged in a total of four rows, two rows along the outer circumferential path c1 and two rows along the inner circumferential path c2, but the number of rows of the end portions 211 is not limited to this example. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the end portions 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 may be arranged in a total of six rows along three circumferential paths, or the number of rows of the end portions 211 may be eight or more. In other words, the number of rows of the end portions 211 can be changed based on the mechanical structure and / or electrical performance required of the stator 2.

[0107] Summary of the embodiment As one aspect of the above-described embodiment, in a method for manufacturing a stator 2 to be mounted on a motor, in a rotating step (e.g., S6050), the stator 2 is rotated with the ends 211 of two coil conductors 21 adjacent to each other in the radial direction d2 previously positioned by the holder 3. In a joining step (e.g., S6060), the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21 are joined while the joining tool 13a follows the rotation of the stator 2, and then in a moving step (e.g., S6080), the joining tool 13a is moved while the ends 211 of the two coil conductors 21 are moving in the circumferential direction d3. This joining mode makes it possible to interconnect the ends 211 of multiple coil conductors 21 relatively easily, and because the stator 2 rotates continuously (the rotation does not need to be stopped intermittently), no unnecessary load is applied to the entire system.

[0108] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, when the joining tool 13a moves to the next end 211 (e.g., end 211b) after completing joining of a certain end 211 (e.g., end 211a), the direction of movement is opposite to the direction of rotation of the stator 2. This prevents unnecessary movement of the joining tool 13a and shortens the distance of reciprocating movement of the joining tool 13a, making it possible to join the end portions 211 of multiple coil conductors 21 in a relatively short time while positioning them. These are advantageous for improving the manufacturing efficiency of the stator 2 and are particularly advantageous when increasing the size of a motor.

[0109] In another aspect, the holder 3 for positioning the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21 includes multiple positioning members 4 and holding portions 31a and 31b. The positioning member 4 is a rod-shaped member extending in the radial direction d2, and includes a rotation shaft portion 41 that is rotatable around the radial direction d2 as a rotation axis, and positioning portions 42 provided on each of one side and the other side in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction d2. The multiple positioning members 4 are arranged so as to be located respectively between the terminals 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21. This makes it possible to position the ends 211 of the multiple coil conductors 21, enabling the stator 2 to be manufactured relatively easily, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of the stator 2.

[0110] As another example, in the positioning member 4, the positioning abutment portion 42P may be provided only on one side portion 42E in the direction perpendicular to the radial direction d2. Fig. 9 shows a mode of positioning by a positioning member 4' as another example of a structure capable of positioning the ends 211 of multiple coil conductors 21.

[0111] Regarding the positioning member 4': In one of the blades 42H (referred to as "blade 42H1" for the sake of distinction), two positioning abutments 42P (e.g., abutments 42P1 and 42P2, or 42P3 and 42P4) are provided on the side 42E (referred to as "side 42E1" for the sake of distinction); and In the other wing portion 42H (referred to as "wing portion 42H2" for the sake of distinction), side portion 42E (referred to as "side portion 42E2" for the sake of distinction) is formed in an approximately straight line, and this side portion 42E2 functions as an abutment portion (referred to as "abutment portion 42P'" for the sake of distinction).

[0112] In this case, as illustrated in Figure 9, when positioning the ends 211 of multiple coil conductors 21, the ends 211 are fixed or locked by a positioning abutment 42P of a certain positioning member 4' and an abutment 42P' of an adjacent positioning member 4'. This configuration also makes it possible to position the ends 211 of multiple coil conductors 21, and the same effect as above can be obtained. Note that the abutment 42P' may also be expressed as a positioning abutment 42P'. Alternatively, the positioning abutment 42P may be expressed as a concave abutment 42P, and the abutment 42P' may be expressed as a linear abutment 42P', and these may be distinguished from each other.

[0113] In the embodiment, a method for manufacturing a stator 2 for a three-phase motor is illustrated, but the content of the embodiment is not limited to the form illustrated here, and can also be applied to the manufacture of other motors using known methods.

[0114] The names of the individual elements or functional units described in the above-described embodiments are expressed in this specification based on their main functions, but may also be expressed based on their sub-functions. Therefore, the present invention is not strictly limited to such expressions (the expressions may be replaced with similar expressions). In the same vein, the expression "unit" may be replaced with "component, piece," "member," "structure," "assembly," "tool," "circuit, module," "means," etc., or may be omitted.

[0115] In the above explanation, for ease of understanding, each element is shown with a name related to its function, but each element is not limited to having the content described in the embodiment as its main function, and may have that as an auxiliary function.

Claims

1. A holder for positioning ends of a plurality of coil conductors that constitute a coil of a stator mounted on a motor, a plurality of positioning members arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction so as to be able to position the ends of the plurality of coil conductors; an outer annular member disposed on one radially outer side and holding the plurality of positioning members; an inner annular member that is disposed on the other radial side and holds the plurality of positioning members; the positioning member is a rod-shaped member extending in a radial direction, a rotation shaft portion configured to be rotatable with the radial direction as a rotation axis; positioning portions provided on one side and the other side in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction; and Ends of the plurality of coil conductors protrude in the axial direction of the motor and are arranged in the circumferential direction to form rows in the radial direction, the plurality of positioning members are arranged so as to be positioned between the plurality of rows in which the ends of the plurality of coil conductors are arranged in the circumferential direction, the outer annular member is provided with a plurality of first holding portions that rotatably hold portions of the rotation shaft portions of the plurality of positioning members on one side in the radial direction, the inner annular member is provided with a plurality of second holding portions that rotatably hold the other radial side portions of the rotation shaft portions of the plurality of positioning members, The positioning member rotates around the radial direction as a rotation axis, one of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on one side in the circumferential direction, the other of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on the other side in the circumferential direction, Thereby, the end portions forming the row are positioned together with the positioning portions of the other positioning members adjacent in the circumferential direction. A holder characterized by:

2. The positioning unit is a first positioning abutment portion that abuts against the end portions that form the row on one side in the circumferential direction; a second positioning abutment portion that abuts against the end portion that forms the row on the other side in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction; Including, The first positioning contact portion contacts the end portion forming the row on one side in the circumferential direction, and further contacts the end portion in the radial direction.

2. The holder according to claim 1.

3. The positioning unit is a first positioning abutment portion that abuts against the end portions that form the row on one side in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction and the radial direction; a second positioning abutment portion that abuts against the end portions that form the row on the other side in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction and the radial direction; Contains 2. The holder according to claim 1.

4. The positioning portion includes a first contact portion that contacts one of the two radially adjacent end portions in the radial direction, and a second contact portion that contacts the other of the two radially adjacent end portions in the radial direction.

2. The holder according to claim 1.

5. a posture of the positioning member in which the positioning portion faces the axial direction is defined as a first posture; a posture of the positioning member in which the positioning portion faces the circumferential direction is defined as a second posture, In the second attitude, one of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on one side in the circumferential direction, the other of the positioning portions abuts against the end portions forming the row on the other side in the circumferential direction, The positioning member further includes an operating portion that can be operated when changing the position from one of the first position and the second position to the other.

5. The holder according to claim 4.

6. the positioning portion includes a pair of blade portions extending to the one side and the other side in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction, and each blade portion forms a side portion shaped to increase in width from the inner side toward the outer side in the radial direction, When the positioning member positions the end portion forming the row together with the positioning portion of the other positioning member adjacent in the circumferential direction by the rotation, the wing portion of the positioning portion of the positioning member and the wing portion of the positioning portion of the other positioning member approach each other so that their sides are parallel to each other.

2. The holder according to claim 1.

7. the side portion is provided with a concave positioning abutment portion that forms a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface, and a connecting surface that connects the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are inclined so that the distance between them increases as they move away from the rotation shaft portion.

7. The holder according to claim 6.

8. A method for manufacturing the stator using the holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: a holder mounting step of mounting a holder on the stator; a rotating step of rotating the stator body to which the holder is attached in the circumferential direction while supporting the stator body from one end side in the axial direction; a joining process of joining ends of two radially adjacent coil conductors protruding from the other end side of the stator body in the axial direction using a joining tool; a moving step of moving the welding tool from the end portion to another end portion different in the circumferential direction after completion of welding of the end portion, a posture of the positioning member in which the positioning portion faces the axial direction is defined as a first posture; a posture of the positioning member in which the positioning portion faces the circumferential direction is defined as a second posture, the holder mounting step includes a step of arranging the holder so that the plurality of positioning members in the first orientation are respectively positioned between a plurality of rows in which the ends of the plurality of coil conductors are arranged in the circumferential direction, The method comprises: a positioning step of determining the positions of the end portions forming the row on one side in the circumferential direction and the end portions forming the row on the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to each of the positioning members by operating the plurality of positioning members to change from the first position to the second position in sequence; Further comprising: In the rotating step, the stator and the holder are rotated in a state where the ends of the plurality of coil conductors are respectively positioned by the holder in advance, In the joining step, the joining tool is moved in accordance with the rotation of the stator to join the ends of two radially adjacent coil conductors positioned by the holder, In the moving step, the welding tool is moved while the stator and the holder are moving in the circumferential direction. A method characterized by:

9. The end joined in the joining step is a first end, and the other end is a second end, In the moving step, the welding tool is moved based on a distance from a position of the first end to a position of the second end and a rotation speed of the stator.

9. The method of claim 8.

10. a second joining step of joining the other end portion by the joining tool after the moving step; In the moving step, the welding tool is moved to the other end based on a position where welding of the other end will start in the second welding step and a rotation speed of the stator.

10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9.

11. the ends of the plurality of coil conductors are arranged along a plurality of circumferential orbits in the circumferential direction by lining up in the radial direction, the plurality of circumferential orbits include a first circumferential orbit and a second circumferential orbit; The joining step includes: sequentially joining ends of two radially adjacent coil conductors along the first circumferential orbit while rotating the stator body; sequentially joining the ends of two other coil conductors adjacent in the radial direction along the second circumferential orbit while rotating the stator body; Contains 11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the stator using the holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a support body that supports the stator body to which the holder is attached from one end side in the axial direction; a rotation mechanism that rotates the support body in the circumferential direction; a welding tool disposed on the other end side of the stator body in the axial direction; a controller for controlling the drive of the welding tool. A manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

13. The support is a base supporting a lower end of the stator body; a column portion extending through the inside of the stator body and supporting the holder; Including, The pillar portion includes a determining portion that determines the position of the holder supported by the pillar portion. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12 .

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