Motor manufacturing device, motor manufacturing method, and motor

Abstract

The motor manufacturing device includes a mold capable of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling sections arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals, a chamber formed in the mold and connected to a resin filling passage whose end is connected to the plurality of resin filling sections and capable of containing resin material inside, and a plunger capable of supplying resin material to the resin filling passage by moving within the chamber, and a spiral groove is formed in an area adjacent to the pressing surface of the peripheral surface that intersects with the pressing surface of the plunger that presses the resin material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a motor manufacturing apparatus, a motor manufacturing method, and a motor. [Background technology]

[0002] Some rotating electric machines have permanent magnets attached to a motor core, such as a rotor core. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2016-34232 describes a method for attaching a permanent magnet to an iron core member, in which the permanent magnet is inserted into a magnet insertion hole provided in the iron core member, and then a resin sealant is filled around the permanent magnet and cured. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2016-34232 also describes a method for filling the magnet insertion hole with molten resin in a pot by raising a plunger movable within the pot, thereby pushing the resin in the pot toward the magnet insertion hole. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The plunger in JP 2016-34232 A has a ring-shaped groove formed on its side, and a seal member installed in the groove. The plunger, including the ring-shaped groove and seal member, can prevent molten resin from leaking through the gap between the pot and the plunger. However, because the ring-shaped groove and seal member seal the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the pot and the outer circumferential surface of the plunger in an airtight state, air may remain between the resin and the plunger when the unmolten resin is poured into the pot. If air remains between the resin and the plunger while the resin is being melted, the air may become trapped in the molten resin as air bubbles. The resin containing the air bubbles fills the magnet insertion hole and hardens, creating voids in the resin. These voids can lead to reduced strength of the resin, poor permanent magnet installation, and reduced thermal conductivity.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a motor manufacturing apparatus, a motor manufacturing method, and a motor that suppress the generation of voids in the resin that fixes the permanent magnets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a mold capable of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling sections arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals, a chamber formed in the mold and having an end connected to a resin filling passage which is connected to the plurality of resin filling sections and capable of containing a resin material therein, and a plunger capable of supplying the resin material to the resin filling passage by moving within the chamber, and a spiral groove is formed in an area adjacent to the pressing surface of the peripheral surface of the plunger which intersects with the pressing surface which presses the resin material.

[0006] In the motor manufacturing device described above, the spiral groove formed in the plunger ensures a passage for air to pass through the gap formed between the chamber and the plunger while preventing the resin from leaking out of the gap. This allows the air inside the plunger to be efficiently discharged to the outside, preventing air bubbles from being mixed into the resin and preventing voids from occurring in the resin filled in the resin-filled portion of the motor core.

[0007] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the motor manufacturing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the chamber is an annular chamber, the plunger is an annular plunger that is movable within the annular chamber, and the spiral groove is formed in an area adjacent to the pressing surface on at least one of the outer and inner surfaces of the annular plunger.

[0008] In the motor manufacturing apparatus described above, the air between the resin material and the pressing surface can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the chamber.

[0009] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the motor manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the spiral groove includes an outer spiral groove formed in a region adjacent to the pressing surface on the outer peripheral surface of the annular plunger, and an inner spiral groove formed in a region adjacent to the pressing surface on the inner peripheral surface of the annular plunger, and the position where the end of the outer spiral groove on the pressing surface side in the circumferential direction of the annular plunger is formed is arranged opposite to the position where the end of the inner spiral groove on the pressing surface side is formed, across the center line of the annular plunger.

[0010] In the motor manufacturing apparatus as described above, it is possible to avoid forming spiral grooves on the outer and inner peripheral surfaces at specific positions, and to avoid a local decrease in the strength of the plunger.

[0011] A motor manufacturing method according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of: pouring resin material into a chamber, wherein a plunger having a spiral groove formed therein is movably disposed in the chamber in an area adjacent to a pressing surface on its circumferential surface that intersects with the pressing surface, the plunger having a spiral groove formed therein; holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling sections arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals in a mold having a resin filling passage communicating with the chamber, so that the ends of the resin filling passage communicate with the plurality of resin filling sections; heating and softening the resin material in the chamber; operating the plunger to fill the plurality of resin filling sections with softened resin made of the resin material softened in the chamber; and hardening the softened resin filled in the plurality of resin filling sections.

[0012] In the motor manufacturing method described above, the spiral groove formed in the plunger ensures a passage for air to pass through the gap formed between the chamber and the plunger, which allows the air inside the plunger to be efficiently discharged to the outside and prevents air bubbles from being mixed into the softened resin, thereby preventing voids from occurring in the hardened resin that has been filled into the resin-filled portion of the motor core.

[0013] A motor manufacturing method according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the motor manufacturing method according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, further including, before the step of heating and softening the resin material in the chamber, a step of operating the plunger to press the resin material in a direction approaching the mold.

[0014] In the motor manufacturing method described above, air can be more reliably expelled from the chamber, and the occurrence of voids in the hardened resin filled in the resin filling portion of the motor core can be more effectively prevented.

[0015] A motor according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is manufactured using the motor manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0016] According to the motor described above, no voids are generated in the resin supporting the permanent magnets, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the permanent magnets from falling off due to a decrease in the strength of the resin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the motor manufacturing apparatus, motor manufacturing method, and motor disclosed herein, it is possible to prevent voids from occurring in the resin that fixes the permanent magnets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a motor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a rotor core used in the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a plunger of the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing a motor according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of a motor manufacturing device when the motor manufacturing method of FIG. 6 is carried out. FIG. [Figure 8] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of a motor manufacturing device when the motor manufacturing method of FIG. 6 is carried out. FIG. [Figure 9] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of a motor manufacturing device when the motor manufacturing method of FIG. 6 is carried out. FIG. [Figure 10] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of a motor manufacturing device when the motor manufacturing method of FIG. 6 is carried out. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-053151 filed on March 28, 2024, the contents of which form part of the present application. The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description. Further scope of application of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, the detailed description and specific examples are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are set forth for illustrative purposes only. From this detailed description, various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Applicant does not intend to dedicate any of the described embodiments to the public, and all disclosed modifications and alternatives, which may not literally fall within the scope of the claims, are considered part of the invention under the doctrine of equivalents. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0020] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure will be schematically shown below, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure will be mainly explained, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known technologies. Furthermore, identical or corresponding components in the drawings will be given the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when a single drawing includes multiple identical or corresponding components, only some of them may be given reference numerals to make the drawing easier to understand.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a motor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. The motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may be an apparatus for attaching permanent magnets 3 to slots 4 formed in a motor core, such as an inner-rotor rotor core 2. The permanent magnets 3 may be attached by resin molding. While the rotor core 2 is used as an example of the motor core in this embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, the motor manufacturing apparatus according to this disclosure may be used, for example, to resin-mold the coil-wound portion of a stator core serving as a motor core, to mold the gap between the stator core coil and a laminated core, or to fix the laminated core integrally by filling resin into axial through-holes in an uncrimped laminated core. The term "motor" used in this specification refers not only to a completed rotor or stator product but also to a semi-finished product in which some components are attached to the motor core. Furthermore, in the following description, for ease of understanding, the X direction in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y direction as the front-rear direction, and the Z direction as the height direction (or up-down direction).

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a rotor core used in the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotor core 2 can be formed of a substantially cylindrical magnetic body made of a plurality of thin electromagnetic steel sheets laminated together. A through hole 5 may be provided in the axial center of the rotor core 2, into which a shaft (not shown) that constitutes a rotating shaft when assembled into a motor is inserted. The rotor core 2 may also have a plurality of (four in FIG. 2) slots 4 arranged annularly and extending along the axial direction of the rotor core 2 so as to surround the through hole 5. The slots 4 can be configured in a shape that allows insertion of permanent magnets 3 (see FIG. 1), such as rectangular or arc-shaped through holes that penetrate the rotor core 2 in the thickness direction, but the specific shape is not particularly limited. Similarly, the number of slots can be arbitrarily changed and can be more than the four shown in FIG. 2, for example, approximately 10 to 40.

[0023] The slots 4 of the rotor core 2 are an example of resin-filled portions into which permanent magnets 3 are inserted and fixed. The permanent magnets 3 can be formed, for example, as rectangular parallelepiped or arc-shaped blocks slightly smaller than the slots 4. The permanent magnets 3 may or may not be magnetized when inserted into the slots 4. Furthermore, the permanent magnets 3 may or may not be divided in the stacking direction or in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. When the permanent magnets 3 are inserted into the slots 4, at least a partial gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the permanent magnets 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the slots 4. The gap formed in the slots 4 becomes the filling space 6 into which the resin material P is filled.

[0024] 1, the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a mold 20 capable of holding a rotor core 2, a chamber 30 formed in the mold 20, communicating with a resin filling passage 25 whose end communicates with the slot portion 4, and capable of containing a resin material P therein, and a plunger 40 capable of supplying the resin material P to the resin filling passage 25 by moving within the chamber 30. Each of the above-mentioned components can be housed within the manufacturing apparatus main body 10, or attached to an appropriate position of the manufacturing apparatus main body 10.

[0025] The manufacturing apparatus main body 10 may include a base 11, a plurality of (for example, four) support columns 12 erected on the upper surface of the base 11, and a top plate 13 supported at the tip portions of the support columns 12. The top plate 13 may have an upper mold 21 of a mold 20 (described later) fixed to its underside, and may be able to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction together with the upper mold 21 by an actuator (not shown). The raising and lowering operation of the top plate 13 may be performed mainly when the rotor core 2 is held in the mold 20, or when the rotor core 2 is removed from the mold 20 and carried out.

[0026] The mold 20 is a member for holding the rotor core 2. Specifically, the mold 20 may include an upper mold 21 that contacts the upper part of the rotor core 2, more specifically, the upper surface thereof, and a lower mold 22 that contacts the lower part of the rotor core 2, more specifically, the lower surface thereof, and may hold the rotor core 2 by sandwiching it between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22.

[0027] The upper mold 21 can be configured as a plate-like body having a substantially flat lower surface. The upper mold 21 can be fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 13. The lower mold 22 can be configured as a plate-like body having a substantially flat upper surface. The lower mold 22 can be disposed on a support base 31, which will be described later.

[0028] A mold heater 23 for heating the rotor core 2 and the mold 20 may be disposed in an appropriate position on at least one of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. For example, an infrared heater or a sheathed heater can be used as this mold heater 23. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the mold heater 23 is provided on both the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22.

[0029] A resin filling path 25 may be provided inside the lower mold 22 for supplying the resin material P to the multiple filling spaces 6 of the rotor core 2 placed on the lower mold 22. The path structure of the resin filling path 25 may be changed according to the number of slots 4 of the rotor core 2, the shape of the filling spaces 6, the shape of the chamber 30, etc., but it is preferable to have a structure that connects the filling spaces 6 and the chamber 30 over the shortest distance.

[0030] Since the rotor core 2, in which the resin material P is filled into the slot portions 4, can often be changed to a different shape, it is advisable to prepare a plurality of lower dies 22 having resin filling passages 25 with different structures in advance and use them by appropriately changing them to match the rotor core 2 held in the mold 20. In addition, the lower die 22 may further include a lifter 26 that can raise and lower at least a portion of the lower die 22 in order to inject the annular resin material P into the chamber 30, clean the resin filling passages 25, etc.

[0031] Furthermore, the upper mold 21 may be movable in the vertical direction together with the top plate 13, as described above. When the rotor core 2 is placed on the lower mold 22, the upper mold 21 is lowered and presses the upper surface of the rotor core 2 with a predetermined pressing force, thereby holding the rotor core 2 sandwiched between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. The shapes, materials, etc. of the surfaces of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 that contact the rotor core 2 may be adjusted so that the filled resin material P does not leak out of the rotor core 2 when the filling space 6 is filled with the resin material P. Specifically, the contact surfaces may be adjusted so that when the rotor core 2 is sandwiched between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22, the contact surfaces are sealed to the extent that the molten resin material P does not leak out of the rotor core 2 from the contact surfaces.

[0032] In this embodiment, as described above, a structure is adopted in which the upper mold 21 moves up and down together with the top plate 13, but other structures can be adopted as long as the structures enable the relative change of the up and down positions of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. Specifically, for example, instead of moving the upper mold 21 up and down, a structure may be adopted in which the lower mold 22 moves up and down, or in which both the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 move up and down.

[0033] In this embodiment, the slots 4 of the rotor core 2 are exemplified as rectangular parallelepipeds that are open in the vertical direction and have substantially no gaps in the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 have substantially flat contact surfaces, but the shapes of the contact surfaces of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 can be changed as appropriate to match the shape of the rotor core 2 to be held. For example, when the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is used for resin molding of an inner rotor type stator, it is preferable to use the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 that include protrusions that are inserted into spaces formed in the center of the stator core.

[0034] The chamber (sometimes called a "pot") 30 forms an annular space into which the resin material P to be filled into the filling space 6 can be poured. More specifically, the chamber 30 may be an annular chamber formed in a support base 31 provided on the base 11 and configured as a substantially cylindrical space. The upper part of this chamber 30 communicates with a resin filling passage 25 formed in the lower mold 22. Note that, in this embodiment, the shape of the chamber 30 is exemplified as being formed as a space that is annular in plan view, but the shape can be changed as appropriate to suit the shape of the resin material P to be poured, etc.

[0035] The resin material P introduced into the chamber 30 may be molded into a substantially cylindrical (or annular) shape that matches the shape of the chamber 30. The resin material P may be composed mainly of a thermosetting resin material. Specifically, the annular resin material P may be one that mainly contains a thermosetting resin material such as an epoxy resin, a phenolic resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, or a cyanate resin. Furthermore, the annular resin material P may contain a curing agent, a filler, etc. in addition to the thermosetting resin material.

[0036] A chamber peripheral heater 32 and a chamber inner peripheral heater 33 may be provided in positions close to the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface, respectively, of the chamber 30. The chamber peripheral heater 32 and the chamber inner peripheral heater 33 may be disposed, for example, so as to surround the outer periphery and the inner periphery, respectively, of the chamber 30. As with the mold heater 23, an infrared heater, a sheathed heater, or the like may be used for the chamber peripheral heater 32 and the chamber inner peripheral heater 33.

[0037] By providing the chamber outer peripheral heater 32 and the chamber inner peripheral heater 33, the annular resin material P introduced into the chamber 30 can be heated from both the inside and outside at the same time. This makes it possible to uniformly heat the resin material P. Note that, although the present embodiment exemplifies the use of the chamber outer peripheral heater 32 and the chamber inner peripheral heater 33 to heat the resin material P in the chamber 30, the arrangement of the heaters is not limited thereto. For example, in addition to the above-described chamber outer peripheral heater 32 and chamber inner peripheral heater 33, it is also possible to provide a separate heater at a position adjacent to the pressing surface 43 of the plunger 40.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a plunger of the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3. The plunger 40 can be configured as an annular plunger that can move up and down within the chamber 30, which is formed as an annular space, to push out the resin material P within the chamber 30 toward the resin filling path 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the plunger 40 may include an annular plunger main body 41 that moves within the chamber 30, and an elevating arm 42 attached to the lower end of the plunger main body 41. Note that a heater such as the aforementioned chamber outer peripheral heater 32 or chamber inner peripheral heater 33 can be provided inside the plunger main body 41 or the elevating arm 42.

[0039] The plunger body 41 can be configured as a substantially cylindrical member having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the chamber 30 and an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the chamber 30 so as to move within the chamber 30. The upper surface of the plunger body 41 functions as a pressing surface 43 that presses the resin material P within the chamber 30. The lifting arm 42 may be connected to an actuator (not shown) to lift and lower the plunger body 41. The actuator referred to here may be any well-known type and is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a solenoid, a ball screw, a single-axis robot, and a linear motor.

[0040] Here, a small gap G (see FIG. 5) is formed between the plunger body 41 and the chamber 30. This gap G may cause resin leakage when the resin material P is melted in the chamber 30, so it needs to be adjusted to prevent leakage of the resin material P. However, as described in the prior art, if the gap G is sealed using a ring-shaped groove and a sealing member, not only the resin material P but also air cannot pass through the gap G. Therefore, in this embodiment, the plunger body 41 is structured to suppress resin leakage from the gap G while allowing air to pass through. This structure will be described below.

[0041] A spiral groove 45 is formed in the plunger 40 according to this embodiment, more specifically, in a region of the circumferential surface of the plunger body 41 that intersects with the pressing surface 43 and is adjacent to the pressing surface 43. In this embodiment, the spiral groove 45 includes an outer spiral groove 46 formed in the outer circumferential surface of the plunger body 41 and an inner spiral groove 47 formed in the inner circumferential surface of the plunger body 41. Note that it is sufficient that the spiral groove 45 is provided on at least one of the circumferential surfaces that faces the side wall of the chamber 30. Therefore, only one of the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 may be provided.

[0042] The outer spiral groove 46 is provided around the outer peripheral surface of the plunger body 41, with one end located slightly below the pressing surface 43, and going around downward multiple times (three times in FIG. 3 ). The entire circumference of the outer spiral groove 46 is preferably arranged in an upper region of the entire vertical length of the plunger body 41. By arranging the outer spiral grooves 46 in this manner, the spacing between the outer spiral grooves 46 does not become too large, and resin leakage from the gap G can be effectively suppressed.

[0043] The inner spiral groove 47 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the plunger body 41 in the same manner as the outer spiral groove 46. That is, the inner spiral groove 47 is provided so as to make a plurality of downward turns from one end slightly below the pressing surface 43, and so as to have its entire circumference disposed in an upper region of the entire length in the vertical direction of the plunger body 41. Note that, in the present embodiment, the ends of the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 on the pressing surface 43 side are exemplified as being disposed at a position away from the pressing surface 43, but the ends of the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 on the pressing surface 43 side may also be connected to the pressing surface 43.

[0044] In this embodiment, the plunger body 41 is formed in an annular shape, and its radial thickness may be relatively thin, for example, about 5.0 to 10.0 mm. Furthermore, it is preferable to adjust the depths of the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 to, for example, 0.5 to 2.0 mm, since this stably supports the sealing member 48 (described later) and prevents leakage of the resin material P. Considering the above, if the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 formed in the plunger body 41 are positioned so as to overlap on the outside and inside, the radial thickness of the plunger body 41 will be locally thin, resulting in a decrease in the strength of the plunger body 41.

[0045] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the position where the end of the outer spiral groove 46 on the pressing surface 43 side in the circumferential direction of the annular plunger body 41 is formed may be disposed opposite the position where the end of the inner spiral groove 47 on the pressing surface 43 side is formed, across the center line C of the plunger body 41. More preferably, the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 are formed to spiral along the same rotational direction. By providing the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 as described above, it is possible to eliminate locally thin portions in the radial thickness of the plunger body 41, thereby maintaining high strength of the plunger body 41. Note that the position where the end of the outer spiral groove 46 on the pressing surface 43 side is formed and the position where the end of the inner spiral groove 47 on the pressing surface 43 side is formed do not necessarily have to be positioned exactly opposite each other across the center line C. Specifically, the above-mentioned opposing positions also include positions that are slightly shifted in the circumferential and axial directions from the strictly opposing positions.

[0046] Furthermore, resin or metal seal members 48 (see FIG. 5) may be disposed in the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47. The seal members 48 may be pre-molded and attached to the spiral grooves 45, or the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment may be operated on a trial basis to cause the molten resin material P in the chamber 30 to enter the spiral grooves 45 and harden, thereby molding the seal members 48 in the spiral grooves 45.

[0047] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 1. In the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a seal member 48 is disposed in the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47 in the gap G formed between the inner and outer wall surfaces of the chamber 30 and the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the plunger body 41. The seal member 48 is disposed in a spiral shape following the shapes of the outer spiral groove 46 and the inner spiral groove 47, forming a spiral passage G1 along the seal member 48. The cross-sectional area of ​​the passage G1 is adjusted to allow air to pass through but not allow a viscous fluid such as the molten resin material P to pass through. Therefore, the passage G1 can function as an air hole for venting the air in the chamber 30. The size of the gap G can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the size of the chamber 30, the material of the resin material P, and the like, and can be adjusted to, for example, 10 μm to 80 μm.

[0048] The motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may further include a control device 50 for controlling the above-described components. The control device 50 may be electrically connected to the above-described components and control their operation, thereby enabling any manufacturing process. The control device 50 may be communicatively connected to the components via wired or wireless communication, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 1, for example. The control device 50 may be realized using a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a well-known computer. The control device 50 may also be configured using only one of the above-described computers or a combination of multiple computers.

[0049] This control device 50 can realize the motor manufacturing method of this embodiment, which will be described later, by operating the above-mentioned components. This motor manufacturing method can be provided in the form of a program such as software containing instructions for causing a computer constituting control device 50 to execute predetermined operations, in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which this program is stored, in the form of an application program provided via a network or the like, or in the form of a program product.

[0050] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a motor according to this embodiment will be described. Note that the method described below exemplifies a case in which a motor is manufactured using the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment described above.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing a motor according to one embodiment. Figs. 7 to 10 are operation explanatory diagrams showing an example of the state of a motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing method of Fig. 6 is carried out. The motor manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described below mainly with reference to Figs. 6 to 10. Note that in Figs. 7 to 10, some of the components less relevant to the series of operations and their reference numerals are omitted to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0052] The manufacturing method of the motor according to this embodiment includes at least the steps of: pouring resin material into a chamber (corresponding to step S5 described later); in which a plunger having a spiral groove formed therein is movably arranged in the chamber in an area adjacent to the pressing surface of the circumferential surface that intersects with the pressing surface that presses the resin material; holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling sections arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals in a mold having a resin filling passage communicating with the chamber, so that the ends of the resin filling passage communicate with the plurality of resin filling sections (corresponding to step S6 described later); heating and softening the resin material in the chamber (corresponding to step S8 described later); operating the plunger to fill the plurality of resin filling sections with softened resin made from the resin material softened in the chamber (corresponding to step S9 described later); and hardening the softened resin filled in the plurality of resin filling sections (corresponding to step S10 described later). Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a motor according to this embodiment may further include a step of operating a plunger to press the resin material in a direction approaching the mold (corresponding to step S7 described later) before the step of heating and softening the resin material in the chamber. This will be described in detail below.

[0053] When the motor manufacturing method according to this embodiment is started using the motor manufacturing apparatus 1, first, the mold 20 is preheated (step S1). This preheating of the mold 20 can be performed using the mold heater 23. In addition, it is preferable to preheat the chamber 30 in parallel with this preheating of the mold 20. Preheating of the chamber 30 can be achieved, for example, by operating at least one of the chamber outer peripheral heater 32 and the chamber inner peripheral heater 33.

[0054] Next, a permanent magnet 3 and a rotor core 2 to which the permanent magnet 3 is to be attached are prepared, and the permanent magnet 3 is inserted into the slot portion 4 of the rotor core 2 (step S2). Then, the rotor core 2 with the permanent magnet 3 inserted into the slot portion 4 is preheated (step S3). Preheating of the rotor core 2 may be performed in a location different from the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 using a known heating means (not shown). The preheating temperature of the mold 20, chamber 30, and rotor core 2 may be, for example, approximately 120 to 220°C, more preferably approximately 180 to 190°C. Note that the preheating may be performed on only either the mold 20 or the rotor core 2. Note that the order of the above-mentioned steps S1, S2, and S3 is not limited to the above, and they may be changed as appropriate or performed in parallel.

[0055] Once the mold 20, chamber 30, and rotor core 2 have reached the target temperatures, the top plate 13 to which the upper mold 21 is attached is then moved upward to ensure space between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22, and the rotor core 2 with the permanent magnets 3 inserted is placed on the lower mold 22 (step S4). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the lifter 26 is operated to raise the lower mold 22, and an annular resin material P is poured into the chamber 30 whose top has been opened by the raising of the lower mold 22 (step S5). Note that the timing of placing the rotor core 2 on the lower mold 22 and the timing of pouring the annular resin material P into the chamber 30 are not limited to those described above, and for example, they can be done simultaneously.

[0056] Here, the resin material P introduced into the chamber 30 is often adjusted in outer and inner diameter dimensions to fit the chamber 30. Therefore, when the resin material P is introduced into the chamber 30, air may become trapped between the lower surface of the resin material P and the chamber 30. However, in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the above-mentioned passage G1 is provided between the plunger body 41 and the chamber 30, so that the air trapped between the lower surface of the resin material P and the chamber 30 is discharged to the outside of the chamber 30 via the passage G1. This prevents air from remaining between the resin material P and the pressing surface 43, and also improves the workability of introducing the resin material P.

[0057] 8, the lifter 26 is operated to lower the lower die 22, and then the upper die 21 is moved downward to hold the rotor core 2 in the mold 20 (step S6). At this time, the upper die 21 is adjusted to press the upper surface of the rotor core 2 with a predetermined pressure, thereby allowing the upper die 21 and the upper surface of the rotor core 2, and the lower die 22 and the lower surface of the rotor core 2, to be tightly attached to each other.

[0058] In this embodiment, in order to further expel the air around the resin material P to the outside of the chamber 30, the plunger 40 is raised at any timing after the lower mold 22 has been lowered (step S7). The raising of the plunger 40 in this step is performed, for example, until the upper surface of the resin material P comes into contact with the lower surface of the lower mold 22. By raising the plunger 40, the air remaining in the chamber 30 can be discharged to the outside of the chamber 30 through the passage G1 and air holes (not shown) formed in the mold 20, and it is possible to almost completely prevent air bubbles from being mixed into the resin material P when the resin material P softens, which will be described later.

[0059] Furthermore, since the chamber 30 is preheated in step S1, when the annular resin material P is introduced into the chamber 30 in step S5, the resin material P is immediately heated. At this time, the chamber peripheral heater 32 and the chamber internal heater 33 may be further operated as necessary to maintain or increase the temperature inside the chamber 30. The resin material P is then softened by continuing this heating (step S8). The purpose of heating the resin material P inside the chamber 30 is to reduce the viscosity of the resin material P. It is preferable that the chamber peripheral heater 32 and the chamber internal heater 33 used for this heating are controlled so as not to generate local temperature differences in the resin material P.

[0060] When the resin material P is softened, if there is air between the resin material P and the pressing surface 43, the air may become mixed into the softened resin material P as bubbles, but in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the air is discharged to the outside of the chamber 30 via the passage G1 or the like, so it is possible to prevent bubbles from being mixed into the softened resin material P (an example of a softened resin). Also, as described above, the gap G between the plunger body 41 and the chamber 30 is closed by the sealing member 48 to an extent that the resin material P cannot pass through, so the resin material P with reduced viscosity will not leak from the gap G to the outside of the chamber 30.

[0061] Once the resin material P has been softened, as shown in FIG. 9, the plunger 40 is raised to push up the resin material P in the chamber 30, thereby filling the filling spaces 6 in each slot 4 with the softened resin material P (step S9). The resin material P pushed up by the pressing surface 43 of the plunger 40 passes from the chamber 30 through the resin filling path 25 and flows into each filling space 6. In order to smoothly fill the filling spaces 6 with the resin material P in step S6, it is preferable to provide an air hole (not shown) in an appropriate position in the upper mold 21 to release air from the filling space 6. In order to avoid the resin material P from unintentionally hardening in the chamber 30, the resin filling path 25, etc., it is preferable to perform the processes from step S5 to step S9 described above as quickly as possible.

[0062] Once the filling of the resin material P into the filling space 6 is completed, the mold heater 23 is operated to heat the mold 20 and the rotor core 2 to a temperature higher than the preheating temperature shown in step S3, thereby hardening the resin material P in the filling space 6 (step S10). As the resin material P hardens through the heating described above, the permanent magnets 3 are fixed in the slot portions 4 of the rotor core 2. The heating time in step S10 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of resin used in the resin material P, etc.

[0063] When the above-described series of resin molding processes are completed, the upper mold 21 is raised, and the rotor, specifically the rotor core 2 to which the permanent magnets 3 are fixed, is removed from the apparatus using a transport means (not shown) such as a robot arm (step S11). The removed rotor can be transferred to another manufacturing apparatus, for example, for the purpose of attaching a shaft. Then, once the rotor has been removed, the manufacturing apparatus 1 is cleaned (step S12). As shown in FIG. 10, cleaning the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes operating the lifter 26 to remove the resin (commonly called cull) that has hardened in the resin filling passage 25. In addition, the process may include cleaning the surface of the mold 20 and the inside of the chamber 30 using a cleaning member such as a brush.

[0064] As described above, in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1, motor manufacturing method, and motor according to the present embodiment, the spiral groove 45 formed on the circumferential surface of the plunger body 41 prevents air from remaining between the resin material P introduced into the chamber 30 and the pressing surface 43. This prevents air bubbles from being mixed into the softened resin material P, thereby preventing voids from forming in the resin material P filled and hardened in the slot portion 4. Furthermore, because air is easily released from the chamber 30, the operating speed of the plunger 40 can be increased to, for example, approximately 3 to 20 mm / s, thereby shortening the cycle time. Furthermore, even when the motor core is large, the resin material P can be filled in a short time.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the resin filling path 25 is provided in the lower mold 22, and the softened resin material P is filled into the filling space 6 from below. However, the direction in which the resin material P is filled is not limited to this. For example, a resin filling path may be provided in the upper mold 21 instead of the lower mold 22, and the softened resin material P may be filled from above. Alternatively, resin filling paths may be provided in both the lower mold 22 and the upper mold 21, and the resin may be filled from both below and above. In this case, the chamber 30 and the plunger 40 may also be moved to match the position of the resin filling path.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the chamber 30 and the plunger 40 are both formed in an annular shape, but the chamber 30 and the plunger 40 do not have to be annular. For example, as described in JP 2016-34232 A, the chamber may be formed as a cylindrical space and the plunger may be formed as a cylindrical body. In this case, a spiral groove may be formed on the circumferential surface of the plunger.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plunger body 41 has the same thickness in the vertical direction, but by slightly reducing the thickness of the plunger body 41, for example, in the lower region where the spiral groove 45 is not provided, to increase the gap G, it is possible to more reliably exhaust air from the chamber 30 while preventing contact between the support base 31 and the plunger 40.

[0068] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. All of these modifications are included in the technical concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, each component may be present in only one form or in two or more forms, provided that no contradiction occurs.

[0069] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0070] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0071] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference was individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.

[0072] The use of nouns and similar referents in connection with the description of this disclosure (particularly in connection with the claims that follow) shall be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The words "comprise," "have," "include," and "comprise" shall be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to"), unless otherwise noted. The recitation of numerical ranges herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method for individually referring to each value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Any example or exemplary language used herein (e.g., "such as"), unless otherwise claimed, is intended merely to better illustrate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present disclosure.

[0073] Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects that skilled persons will apply such variations as appropriate, and intends to practice the disclosure otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, this disclosure includes any combination of the above-described elements in all variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. a mold capable of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin-filled portions arranged in an annular shape at predetermined intervals; a chamber formed in the mold, the chamber communicating with a resin filling passage whose end communicates with the plurality of resin filling portions, and capable of containing a resin material therein; a plunger that can move within the chamber to supply the resin material to the resin filling path, a spiral groove is formed in a region of a circumferential surface of the plunger that intersects with a pressing surface that presses the resin material and is adjacent to the pressing surface, the chamber is an annular chamber, the plunger is an annular plunger that is movable within the annular chamber, the resin material is an annular resin material that is poured into the annular chamber, and the spiral groove is formed in an area adjacent to the pressing surface of at least one of an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of the annular plunger. Motor manufacturing equipment.

2. the spiral groove includes an outer spiral groove formed in a region of the outer peripheral surface of the annular plunger adjacent to the pressing surface, and an inner spiral groove formed in a region of the inner peripheral surface of the annular plunger adjacent to the pressing surface, a position where an end portion of the outer spiral groove on the pressing surface side in the circumferential direction of the annular plunger is formed is disposed opposite to a position where an end portion of the inner spiral groove on the pressing surface side is formed across a center line of the annular plunger; The motor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. a step of introducing an annular resin material into an annular chamber, wherein an annular plunger movable within the annular chamber is movably disposed within the annular chamber, the annular plunger having a spiral groove formed in a region adjacent to a pressing surface on at least one of an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface of the annular plunger, the region intersecting the pressing surface, which presses the resin material; a step of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling portions arranged annularly at predetermined intervals in a mold in which a resin filling passage communicating with the annular chamber is formed, so that ends of the resin filling passage communicate with the plurality of resin filling portions; heating and softening the resin material in the annular chamber; a step of operating the annular plunger to fill the softened resin made of the resin material softened in the annular chamber into the plurality of resin filling portions; and hardening the softened resin filled in the plurality of resin filled portions. Motor manufacturing method.

4. The method further includes a step of operating the annular plunger to press the resin material in a direction approaching the mold before the step of heating and softening the resin material in the annular chamber. The method for manufacturing the motor according to claim 3 .

5. A motor manufactured using the motor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. Motor.

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