Apparatus for manufacturing laminates and method for manufacturing laminates

Abstract

A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a squeeze part capable of conveying an iron core member in a downward direction; a conveyor that has a placement surface supporting a portion of one surface of the iron core member fed from the squeeze part, and can convey, in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the iron core member in the squeeze part, an iron core member placed on the placement surface and another iron core member stacked on that iron core member; and a first positioning mechanism including a movable member capable of moving between a restriction position protruding further to the side where the iron core member is placed than the placement surface of the conveyor, and a release position set back from the placement surface toward the side opposite the side at which the iron core member is placed. The movable member is disposed in a non-support area in which the conveyor does not support the iron core member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate and a method for manufacturing a laminate.

Background Art

[0002] In order to obtain a motor core (a general term for a rotor core or a stator core) used in a motor mounted on an electric vehicle or the like, it has been conventionally practiced to manufacture a laminate in which a plurality of core members are laminated.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-118169 describes using a plate laminating apparatus to manufacture a laminate constituting a stator core. This plate laminating apparatus is provided with a sensor for detecting the passage of a plate carried out from a cylinder serving as a conveyance path and a separating mechanism for supporting the plate near the outlet of the cylinder. Then, based on the detection result of this sensor, the separating mechanism is projected onto the conveyance path of the plate at an appropriate timing to stop the conveyance of the plate, thereby controlling the number of plates supplied to the jig and the supply timing.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-118169, if the ejection timing of the cutting mechanism is determined solely based on the detection result of a sensor that detects the passage of a plate discharged from a cylinder, then when the plate discharge speed from the cylinder is relatively fast, the time from detecting the passage of the plate to completing the operation of the cutting mechanism becomes extremely short. Therefore, the actuators, sensors, and control devices of the cutting mechanism are required to have a fast response speed, and the difficulty of controlling them also increases. Furthermore, if the operating speed of the cutting mechanism decreases due to, for example, aging deterioration of the actuators of the cutting mechanism, the plate that should be stopped from being transported may arrive before the operation of the cutting mechanism is completed. This phenomenon can cause problems such as the inability to stop the transport of the plate. Moreover, in order to operate the cutting mechanism accurately, it becomes necessary to frequently check for aging deterioration of the actuators of the cutting mechanism, which increases the frequency of maintenance.

[0005] In addition, the structure described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-118169 employs a mechanism in which a jig receives the plate being discharged from the cylinder. Such jigs generally have different shapes to match the shape of the plate being discharged. Furthermore, when it is desired to continuously manufacture the same laminate, it is preferable to prepare multiple jigs of the same shape to facilitate jig replacement work. Therefore, when using the structure described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-118169 for the manufacture of various laminates, it may be necessary to prepare multiple jigs of different shapes.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure relates to a manufacturing apparatus for laminates and a method for manufacturing laminates that can accurately and efficiently laminate iron core members without requiring special equipment or multiple jigs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a squeeze capable of transporting core members downward; a conveyor having a mounting surface that supports a portion of one side of the core member that has emerged from the squeeze, and capable of transporting the core member placed on the mounting surface and the core members laminated on the core member in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the core member in the squeeze; and a first positioning mechanism including a movable member that is movable between a restricting position that protrudes from the mounting surface of the conveyor toward the side on which the core member is placed and a release position that is retracted toward the opposite side of the mounting surface toward the side on which the core member is placed, wherein the movable member is located in a non-supporting region where the conveyor does not support the core member.

[0008] With this configuration, the movable member that protrudes to the restricted position can align multiple stacked iron core members supported by the conveyor in the circumferential direction of the iron core members.

[0009] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the movable members may be arranged on both sides in the width direction of the conveyor.

[0010] With this configuration, multiple movable members spaced apart in the width direction allow for more precise alignment of the stacked core members supported by the conveyor in the circumferential direction of the core members.

[0011] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, the conveyor has a first conveyor and a second conveyor that move synchronously with respect to each other at a distance in the width direction of the conveyor, and the movable member may include a first movable member and a second movable member that are spaced apart between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyor.

[0012] With this configuration, the movable member is positioned between the two conveyors, which helps to suppress an increase in the width dimension of the device.

[0013] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, the movable member may be positioned upstream of the conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyor.

[0014] This configuration allows for the suppression of increasing the width dimension of the device without having to divide the conveyor.

[0015] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, the movable member may pass through a through hole formed inside the iron core member supported by the conveyor when it is in the restricted position.

[0016] With this configuration, multiple stacked iron core members can be aligned in the circumferential direction by utilizing the through holes formed inside the iron core members.

[0017] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the core member is a stator core member, and the movable member, when in the restricted position, may pass through the inside of a slot formed between adjacent teeth of the stator core member supported by the conveyor.

[0018] With this configuration, multiple stacked stator core members can be aligned circumferentially by utilizing the slots formed inside the stator core members.

[0019] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the core member is a rotor core member, and the movable member may extend along a key formed on the rotor core member supported by the conveyor when in the restricted position.

[0020] With this configuration, the keys formed on the rotor core members can be used to align multiple stacked rotor core members in the circumferential direction.

[0021] Furthermore, as a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present disclosure may be provided with a second positioning mechanism for positioning the outer circumference of the iron core member supported by the conveyor.

[0022] This configuration allows for more precise alignment of the multiple planar positions of the stacked iron core members supported by the conveyor.

[0023] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a laminate according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a laminate by stacking a plurality of iron core members using a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present disclosure, comprising the steps of: moving the movable member to the restricted position; supplying the iron core members that have come out of the squeeze to the aforementioned surface of the conveyor while passing the movable member through through holes formed inside the iron core members; stacking the iron core members that have come out of the squeeze to the aforementioned surface supported by the iron core members while passing the movable member through through holes; moving the movable member to the release position after a predetermined number of iron core members have been stacked on the conveyor; and moving the conveyor after the movable member has been moved to the release position.

[0024] With this configuration, a laminate can be obtained in which multiple iron core members are stacked and aligned in the circumferential direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present disclosure, a plurality of laminated core members supported by a conveyor can be aligned in the circumferential direction of the core member by a movable member protruding to a limit position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing an example of a locking core member supplied to the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing an example of a non-locking core member supplied to the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a schematic sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a schematic sectional view taken along the line G-G of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a plan view around a conveyor included in the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing procedure for a laminate. [Figure 8] It is a plan view around a conveyor included in the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a plan view around a conveyor included in the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11A] It is a plan view showing a pin according to a first modification that can be substituted for a pin included in the manufacturing apparatus for a laminate according to an embodiment. [Figure 11B] It is a plan view showing a pin according to a second modification. [Figure 11C] It is a plan view showing a pin according to a third modification suitable for application to a rotor core member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-135062, filed in Japan on August 22, 2023, the contents of which constitute part of the contents of this application. Furthermore, the present invention can be understood more fully from the following detailed description. The further scope of applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, the detailed description and specific examples are preferred embodiments of the present invention and are described for illustrative purposes only, for various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description, within the spirit and scope of the invention. The applicant has no intention of presenting any of the described embodiments to the public, and any disclosed modifications or alternatives, even those not explicitly included in the claims, are considered part of the invention under the doctrine of equivalents.

[0028] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0029] [First Embodiment] First, with reference to Figure 1, a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a laminate according to the first embodiment of this disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "manufacturing apparatus 1") will be described. Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of manufacturing apparatus 1. Manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate by punching out core members from a strip of steel plate 5 and laminating a plurality of core members. Before describing manufacturing apparatus 1, the core members that constitute the laminate will be briefly described.

[0030] In this embodiment, the stacked core members may be stacked in multiple units to form a block core. This block core can be used individually or stacked in multiple units to form a motor core (or core), for example, a stator core (or stator core) of an inner rotor type rotating electric machine. In this disclosure, "stacked body" refers to a stack of core members, and when this stacked body is joined by welding or the like, it is called a "motor core," thus distinguishing between the two. Furthermore, the motor core described above may be either a segmented stator core or a non-segmented stator core, and may also constitute a rotor core (or rotor core) instead of a stator core. In this embodiment, there are two types of core members: a locking core member 10 and a non-locking core member 20. The locking core member 10 is a core member having locking pieces at multiple locations on its outer circumferential surface. The non-locking core member 20 is a core member that does not have the locking pieces that the locking core member 10 has. The configurations of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 will be described below.

[0031] Figure 2 is a plan view showing an example of a locking core member 10. The locking core member 10 may include an annular yoke 11 with a through hole formed in its center for arranging a rotor core, teeth 12 that are substantially T-shaped in plan view and are provided on the inner circumference of the yoke 11 so as to project toward the center of the yoke 11, and a locking piece 13 which is composed of a projection that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the yoke 11. Furthermore, this locking core member 10 may be made of a single plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheet having a predetermined thickness (this may be called a "core piece").

[0032] Multiple teeth 12, for example eight, may be provided at substantially equal intervals along the inner circumferential surface of the locking core member 10. Slots 15, which are spaces, are formed between adjacent teeth 12. The slots 15 penetrate both the front and back surfaces of the locking core member 10 and are a form of through-hole formed inside the core member. When assembled into a stator core, the armature coil can be wound around the teeth 12 so as to pass through the slots 15. The specific shape and arrangement of the teeth 12 can be changed as appropriate.

[0033] The locking pieces 13 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the locking core member 10 may be arranged in a plurality, for example, four, at substantially equal intervals along the outer circumference of the locking core member 10. In addition, the positions where these four locking pieces 13 are provided are preferably radially outward of any of the eight teeth 12 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the locking core member 10, as shown in Figure 2. Normally, the magnetic flux density generated when the locking core member 10 is operated as part of the motor core tends to be lower radially outward of the teeth 12 compared to other positions. Therefore, by arranging the locking pieces 13 radially outward of the teeth 12 as described above, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the magnetic properties of the motor core caused by the provision of the locking pieces 13.

[0034] Figure 3 is a plan view showing an example of a non-locking core member 20. The non-locking core member 20 may include an annular yoke 21 with a through hole formed in its center into which a rotor core can be disposed, and teeth 22 that are substantially T-shaped in plan view and are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the yoke 21 so as to protrude toward the center of the yoke 21. Slots 25 are formed between adjacent teeth 22. The non-locking core member 20 may also be made of a single plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheet having a predetermined thickness. In other words, the non-locking core member 20 can be said to have the same configuration as the locking core member 10, except that it does not have the locking piece 13 included in the locking core member 10 described above. Therefore, the yoke 11, teeth 12 and slots 15 of the locking core member 10 and the yoke 21, teeth 22 and slots 25 of the non-locking core member 20 may have the same dimensions, arrangement and number.

[0035] The manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a laminate using the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 configured as described above will be described again, mainly referring to Figure 1. In the following description of the manufacturing apparatus 1, when the configuration of the locking core member 10 is referred to, Figure 2 will be referred to as appropriate, and when the configuration of the non-locking core member 20 is referred to, Figure 3 will be referred to as appropriate. Note that the specific structures of the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 are not limited to those described above and can be modified in various ways. In Figure 1, the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 are shown as cross-sectional views cut at the position corresponding to line AA shown in Figure 2. Also, in Figure 1, in order to make the state of the locking piece 13 easier to understand, only the dimensions of the locking piece 13 are shown larger than the actual dimensions, and the illustration of the through holes and teeth 12 and 22 formed in the center of each core member 10 and 20 is omitted. Furthermore, in Figure 1, a small gap is shown between each core member so that the boundaries of each core member being transported in a stacked state within the squeeze 40 can be seen.

[0036] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes at least a supply mechanism 30 capable of supplying the aforementioned locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20; a squeeze 40 capable of supporting the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 from the side and transporting them downwards; a conveyor 60 capable of receiving the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 supplied from the downstream end of the squeeze 40 in the transport direction; and a first positioning device 50 for aligning the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 received by the conveyor 60. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow X in Figure 1 will be considered the left-right direction, the direction indicated by arrow Y will be considered the front-back direction, and the direction indicated by arrow Z will be considered the up-down direction.

[0037] The supply mechanism 30 may include a press capable of selectively punching out a locking core member 10 and a non-locking core member 20 from a strip of steel 5 being transported in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 1. This supply mechanism 30 may include a die (lower die) 31 that supports a portion of the strip of steel 5 together with a support base 33 that supports the transported strip of steel 5, and a punch (upper die) 32 disposed above the die 31. The punch 32 can be operated in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 1 to punch out the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 from the strip of steel 5.

[0038] The squeeze 40 is positioned downstream of the supply mechanism 30 in the direction of transporting the core members, and is capable of transporting the locked core members 10 and unlocked core members 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 along the transport direction while supporting them from the side. The squeeze 40 can be made up of a substantially cylindrical member with one end connected to the downstream end of the die 31 in the direction of transporting the core members, and is preferably attached to the support base 33 together with the die 31. The squeeze 40 can transport the locked core members 10 and unlocked core members 20, which have been punched and pushed downward from the die 31, in a stacked state. In Figure 1, for ease of understanding, an example is shown in which the number of core members transported inside the squeeze 40 is relatively small, but the number of core members that can be transported inside the squeeze 40 may be in the tens to hundreds. The total number of core members constituting the stack may also be in the tens to hundreds.

[0039] In this embodiment, the squeeze 40 includes an upstream squeeze section 41 located on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the core members, and a downstream squeeze section 42 located on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the core members. The upstream squeeze section 41 supports both the locked core members 10 and the unlocked core members 20 that pass through the squeeze 40 from the side. The downstream squeeze section 42 supports the locking piece 13 of the locked core members 10 that pass through the squeeze 40 from the side.

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the DD line in Figure 1, showing a cross-section of the squeeze upstream section 41. The inner circumferential surface 48 of the squeeze upstream section 41 may be adjusted to match the shape of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 being transported. This allows the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 passing through the squeeze upstream section 41 to be supported by contact with the inner circumferential surface 48 of the squeeze upstream section 41 on their sides (i.e., outer circumference). In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface 48 of the squeeze upstream section 41 is shaped to match the outer circumference of the locking core member 10, but other structures can be adopted as long as they can support the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 from the side. For example, this inner circumferential surface 48 may be shaped to contact only a part of the outer circumference of each core member.

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the GG line in Figure 1, showing a cross-section of the squeeze downstream section 42. The squeeze downstream section 42 is provided with a locking portion 43 on its inner circumferential surface at a position opposite the locking piece 13 of the locking core member 10, which abuts the locking piece 13 from the side and supports the locking core member 10. It should be noted that in the squeeze downstream section 42, the portion of its inner circumferential surface other than the portion where the locking portion 43 is formed does not support either the locking core member 10 or the non-locking core member 20. In the manufacturing apparatus 1, a gap 44 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze downstream section 42, excluding the portion where the locking portion 43 is formed, and the outer circumferential surface of each core member. The shape of the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze downstream section 42 may be appropriately changed to match the shape of the locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 being conveyed.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 continuously supplied from the supply mechanism 30 are sequentially transported to the upper end of the squeeze 40 and initially supported in the squeeze upstream section 41. Therefore, each time a new locking core member 10 or non-locking core member 20 is transported into the squeeze upstream section 41, the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 that were already held within the squeeze upstream section 41 are pressed against by the transported locking core member 10 or non-locking core member 20 and transported downward within the squeeze upstream section 41 by the thickness of the transported core member. Note that in Figure 1, as described above, a small gap is shown between each core member to make the boundary between each core member clearer, but in reality, no such gap is formed. That is, in this embodiment, adjacent locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 within the squeeze upstream section 41 are transported in a stacked state, or in other words, in contact with each other.

[0043] The locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, pushed downward from the upstream squeeze section 41, enter the downstream squeeze section 42. In the downstream squeeze section 42, only the locking core member 10 is supported while being transported. The non-locking core member 20 is not supported on its side by the downstream squeeze section 42, and moves along the transport path resting on the upper surface of the locking core member 10 located downstream. The non-locking core member 20 is then discharged from the downstream squeeze section 42 at the same time as the locking core member 10 located downstream of it is discharged from the lower end of the downstream squeeze section 42.

[0044] The conveyor 60 is designed to receive the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 discharged from the downstream end of the squeeze 40 in the transport direction on its upper surface. The upper surface of the conveyor 60 that receives the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 will be referred to as the "mounting surface 66". As described above, in this embodiment, when the non-locking core member 20 is discharged from the squeeze 40, it is not discharged alone but is placed on the locking core member 10 and discharged together with the locking core member 10, so it is the locking core member 10 that comes into contact with the mounting surface 66 of the conveyor 60. When the conveyor 60 is operated, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 supplied and placed on the mounting surface 66 can be transported in a direction intersecting the transport direction, for example, in the front-to-back direction (hereinafter referred to as the "conveyor transport direction"). The direction perpendicular to the conveyor transport direction in a plan view of the conveyor 60, i.e., the left-right direction, corresponds to the width direction of the conveyor 60. The specific structure of the conveyor 60 is not particularly limited, but for example, a well-known belt conveyor can be used.

[0045] As can be easily understood by referring to Figure 6, in this embodiment, the locking core member 10 placed on the mounting surface 66 of the conveyor 60 does not have its entire lower surface in contact with the mounting surface 66, but rather both sides in the left-right direction do not come into contact with the mounting surface 66. In other words, the conveyor 60 is configured such that the mounting surface 66 supports a portion of the lower surface of the locking core member 10. In this embodiment, on each of the left-right sides of the locking core member 10 placed on the mounting surface 66, at least the portion of one tooth 12 that protrudes toward the center of the yoke 11 and the slots 15 on both sides thereof do not come into contact with the mounting surface 66. In a plan view, the area occupied by the core member (locking core member 10 in this embodiment) placed on the mounting surface 66 (typically a closed area defined by a relatively simple shape such as a circle, ellipse, or polygon to include the entire core member) that is not supported by the mounting surface 66 (conveyor 60) is referred to as the "unsupported area DS".

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the first positioning device 50 has a plurality of pins 51 and a movable body 53 for moving the plurality of pins 51 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the pins 51 are elongated rod-shaped members and are formed to be thick enough to pass through the slots 15 of the locking core member 10 and the slots 25 of the non-locking core member 20. Each pin 51 is arranged in the non-supported area DS (see Figure 6) so as to extend in the vertical direction and corresponds to a movable member. In this embodiment, the pins 51 are arranged on both sides (both left and right sides) in the width direction of the conveyor 60. The movable body 53 supports the plurality of pins 51 and moves the supported pins 51 in the vertical direction. The movable body 53 is formed in a block shape and is arranged below the conveyor 60. The movable body 53 can be moved back and forth in the vertical direction by a reciprocating linear movement device 55 such as a single-axis robot.

[0047] When the movable body 53 is at its highest position, the pin 51's upper end protrudes above the uppermost surface of the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 stacked on the conveyor 60, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. This position of the pin 51 is referred to as the "restricted position." The number of locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 stacked on the conveyor 60 is the number of members that constitute a unit transported by the conveyor 60. On the other hand, when the movable body 53 is at its lowest position, the pin 51's upper end retracts below the mounting surface 66, as shown by the solid line in Figure 1. This position of the pin 51 is referred to as the "released position." The first positioning device 50 configured as described above can move the pin 51 between the restricted position and the released position by the operation of the reciprocating linear movement device 55, and corresponds to the first positioning mechanism.

[0048] To control each of the above-described components, the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may further include a control device 100. This control device 100 may be connected to each component via wired or wireless communication, for example, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The control device 100 may employ a computer including a programmable logic controller (PLC). The control device 100 may include at least one physical configuration of a processor 102, memory 104 (RAM and / or ROM), and storage 106. Furthermore, the control device 100 may have, for example, memory 104 and / or storage 106 having a program for properly operating each of the above-described devices, and the processor 102 may execute this program. Each component of the control device 100 (including at least one of the processor 102, memory 104, and storage 106) is typically connected to each other by a bus, such as a system bus or a control bus, and can communicate with each other.

[0049] Next, with reference to Figure 7, a method for manufacturing a laminate using the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing procedure for a laminate. The following description of the method for manufacturing a laminate also serves as a description of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1. In the following description, when referring to the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 1, the locking core member 10, and the non-locking core member 20, Figures 1 to 6 will be referred to as appropriate. In the following method for manufacturing a laminate, the operation of each device and equipment constituting the manufacturing apparatus 1 is typically performed based on commands from the control device 100. The method for manufacturing a laminate according to this embodiment may be provided in the form of a program (including a program product) that causes the processor 102 of the control device 100, which controls each component of the manufacturing apparatus 1, to execute a predetermined operation, or in the form of a non-temporary computer-readable medium storing this program.

[0050] Once the manufacturing of the laminate is started, first, a punching operation using the punch 32 and die 31 in the supply mechanism 30 is initiated to start supplying the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 to the squeeze 40 (S1). This punching operation can be performed by lowering the punch 32 at a predetermined timing relative to the strip-shaped steel plate 5 being fed in one direction, for example, left and right. The locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 formed by this punching are pressed by the punch 32, move below the die 31, and are pushed into the squeeze 40 from the upper end connected to the die 31 of the squeeze 40.

[0051] In this embodiment, each time a group of four core members is discharged from the squeeze 40, it may be cut and transported by the conveyor 60. In this regard, the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 punched out in the above process (S1) may be such that one or more core members located downstream of the group of core members (four in this embodiment) are designated as locking core members 10, and the remaining core members located upstream are designated as non-locking core members 20. In other words, of the group of core members, at least the first core member to be punched out may be designated as a locking core member 10, and the others as non-locking core members 20. This is because when the supply of each core member to the conveyor 60 is temporarily stopped by the cutting, it is necessary to support the core member located furthest downstream of the group of core members.

[0052] The locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, which are pushed into the squeeze 40, are supported laterally by the inner circumferential surface 48 of the upstream section 41 of the squeeze 40, at least a portion of their outer circumferential surface. The locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, which are supported laterally, are then transported downward in a stacked state within the squeeze 40 (S2). The transport of the core members by the squeeze 40 may be performed by introducing a new core member from the supply mechanism 30 to the upper end of the squeeze 40, causing this core member to push down other core members that have been previously supplied from the supply mechanism 30 and held within the squeeze 40. Therefore, each core member held within the squeeze 40 is transported along the transport direction while maintaining its stacked state. The operations described in steps (S1) and (S2) above may be started substantially simultaneously in conjunction with the start of the operation of the punch 32.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 are alternately punched out in pairs, so that the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 are transported alternately in pairs within the squeeze 40. In connection with this, one group of core members is constructed by sequentially stacking two locking core members 10 and two non-locking core members 20 from the downstream side.

[0054] When the conveying of the locked core member 10 and the unlocked core member 20 by the squeeze 40 begins, the pin 51 is moved to the restricted position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 in order to position the locked core member 10 and the unlocked core member 20 that will be discharged from the squeeze 40 next (S3). In Figure 7, for the sake of explanation, step (S3) is shown to be performed after step (S2), but the movement of the pin 51 to the restricted position (S3) can be performed before the core member group is supplied to the conveyor 60. Therefore, the movement of the pin 51 to the restricted position (S3) can be performed simultaneously with step (S1) and / or step (S2), or it can be performed earlier, for example, after the manufacturing of the previous laminate is completed.

[0055] After the pin 51 moves to the restricted position, the transport of each core member within the squeeze 40 proceeds, and when a portion of the core member reaches the downstream section 42 of the squeeze, the locking core member 10 maintains lateral support as the locking piece 13 contacts the locking portion 43. On the other hand, the non-locking core member 20 loses its lateral support and is supported by the upper surface of the locking core member 10 or non-locking core member 20 located downstream.

[0056] As the transport of each core member by the squeeze 40 progresses further, first, the locking core member 10 located furthest downstream of the core members constituting a group of core members is discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40. Next, the locking core member 10 that was being transported within the downstream section 42 of the squeeze in a stacked state with its lower surface in contact with the upper surface of the furthest downstream locking core member 10 (hereinafter, for the sake of ease of understanding the explanation, this locking core member 10 will be tentatively referred to as the "second locking core member 10") is discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40. In this embodiment, the second locking core member 10 has two non-locking core members 20, which are included in the same group of core members, placed on its upper surface. Since the non-locking core member 20 is not supported laterally by the downstream section 42 of the squeeze, when the second locking core member 10 is discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40, these two non-locking core members 20 are also discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40 at the same time. At this time, the locking core member 10 that was stacked upstream of the two discharged non-locking core members 20 is transported at a position away from the lower end of the squeeze 40. The locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40 fall toward the conveyor 60 and are supplied to the conveyor 60 (S4). At this time, in this embodiment, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are placed on the mounting surface 66 of the conveyor 60 with pins 51 provided on both sides of the conveyor 60 in the left-right direction (width direction) passed through slots 15 and 25. As a result, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are aligned in the left-right and front-back directions, and the circumferential positions of the yokes 11 and 21 are also aligned.

[0057] As described above, if the unlocked core member 20 and the locked core member 10 are removed simultaneously, the time interval between the removal of the unlocked core member 20 and the removal of the locked core member 10 from the lower end of the squeeze downstream section 42 becomes longer. Therefore, the conveyor 60 can be used to transport the core members at this timing, and the stacking of core members can be carried out continuously and accurately without stopping the equipment for transport or using special equipment to control the supply timing of the core members.

[0058] When the second locking core member 10 and the two non-locking core members 20 supported on its upper surface are placed on the conveyor 60, it is detected whether the number of locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 placed on the conveyor 60 has reached a predetermined number (S5). The predetermined number is typically the number of members that are planned to be transported by the conveyor 60 in one go. Detection of whether the predetermined number has been reached can be performed by measuring the weight of the stacked core members by installing a weight sensor (not shown) on the conveyor 60, or by installing a photoelectric sensor (not shown) near the stack on the conveyor 60 to detect the predetermined number of core members. If the number of locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 on the conveyor 60 has not reached the predetermined number (NO in step S5), the system waits until the predetermined number is reached. On the other hand, when it is detected that a predetermined number of sheets has been reached (YES in step S5), the pin 51 is moved to the release position (S6). When the pin 51 is moved to the release position, there are no more pins 51 in each slot 15, 25, and the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 are simply stacked on the conveyor 60.

[0059] Once the pin 51 is moved to the release position, the conveyor 60 is activated to transport a predetermined number of core members placed on the mounting surface 66 as a laminate to a predetermined position, for example, a position where a subsequent process is carried out (S7). At the time of transporting the laminate, the locking core member 10 that is to be transported to the conveyor 60 next is transported at a position away from the lower end of the squeeze 40, as described above. Therefore, a relatively long time is ensured before the locking core member 10 being transported inside the squeeze 40 is discharged from the lower end of the squeeze 40. As a result, it is practically unnecessary to temporarily stop the device when transporting the laminate.

[0060] Once the laminate, consisting of a predetermined number of core members, has been moved to a predetermined position, a decision is made as to whether or not to terminate the manufacturing of the laminate (S8). Typically, the decision to terminate the manufacturing of the laminate may be made based on whether or not the planned number of laminates have been manufactured, or whether or not the planned operating time has elapsed. If the manufacturing of the laminate is not terminated (NO in step S8), the process returns to the step of moving the pin 51 to the limiting position (S3), and the above-described steps are performed thereafter. On the other hand, if the manufacturing of the laminate is terminated (YES in step S8), the supply mechanism 30 is activated (S9). As a result, the supply of locked core members 10 and unlocked core members 20 from the supply mechanism 30 to the squeeze 40 is stopped, no new core members are brought into the upper end of the squeeze 40, and the transport of core members by the squeeze 40 is also stopped. In this way, the manufacturing of the laminate is terminated.

[0061] As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1 and the method for manufacturing the laminate according to this embodiment, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, which are discharged from the squeeze 40 and placed on the conveyor 60, are stacked with pins 51 passed through the slots 15 and 25, so that the positions of the yokes 11 and 21 can be aligned not only in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions but also in the circumferential direction.

[0062] [Modified version of the first embodiment] Next, a modified version of manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1) will be described with reference to Figure 8. The modified version described here differs from the manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1) described so far in the configuration around the conveyor 60. The following description will mainly focus on the differences around the conveyor 60 compared to manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1). Note that in this modified version, the configuration other than the area around the conveyor 60 shown in Figure 8 is the same as that of the aforementioned manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1). Therefore, when the configuration other than the area around the conveyor 60 is mentioned in the following description of this modified version, please refer to Figure 1 as appropriate.

[0063] In this modified example, the conveyor 60 is divided in the left-right direction and has a first conveyor 61 and a second conveyor 62. The first conveyor 61 and the second conveyor 62 operate synchronously and together can transport the iron core members in the front-rear direction. The first conveyor 61 and the second conveyor 62 are arranged parallel to each other and separated in the left-right direction, with an unsupported area DS between them. The unsupported area DS may also exist on the outside of the first conveyor 61 and the second conveyor 62 (for example, on the outside of the first conveyor 61 on the side opposite to the second conveyor 62). Multiple pins 51 are provided in the unsupported area DS between the first conveyor 61 and the second conveyor 62. The multiple pins 51 are arranged separated in the front-rear direction (i.e., the conveyor transport direction), with one pin 51 corresponding to a first movable member and another pin 51 corresponding to a second movable member. The installation position of each pin 51 is such that, when in the restricted position, it passes through the slots 15 and 25 of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 that have been discharged from the squeeze 40. In other words, when the pin 51 passes through the slots 15 of the locking core member 10, it is positioned to pass through one slot 15 and another slot 15 on the radially opposite side of that slot, beyond the center of the yoke 11.

[0064] In the manufacturing apparatus according to this modified example configured as described above, since the multiple pins 51 are arranged between the first conveyor 61 and the second conveyor 62, it is possible to suppress an increase in the width (left-right) dimension around the conveyor 60. Nevertheless, similar to manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1), the positions of the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 that are discharged from the squeeze 40 and placed on the conveyor 60 can be aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions, as well as the circumferential position of the yokes 11 and 21. Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus having the conveyor 60 according to this modified example, the laminate can be manufactured in the same way as manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1) as described above, following the procedure shown in the flowchart of Figure 7.

[0065] [Second Embodiment] Next, with reference to Figures 9 and 10, a laminate manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "manufacturing apparatus 2") will be described. Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of manufacturing apparatus 2. Figure 10 is a plan view of the area around the conveyor 60 provided by manufacturing apparatus 2. Manufacturing apparatus 2 differs from manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figures 1 and 6) in the arrangement of the pins 51 and in the presence of a second positioning device 70. The differences between manufacturing apparatus 2 and manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1) will be mainly described below.

[0066] In manufacturing apparatus 2, as shown in Figure 10, there is an unsupported area DS upstream of the conveyor 60 in the conveying direction of the conveyor 60. The pins 51 are located in the unsupported area DS upstream of the uppermost end of the conveyor 60 in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, multiple pins 51 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, but only one pin 51 may be arranged. In manufacturing apparatus 2, as in manufacturing apparatus 1 (see Figure 1), the pins 51 are supported by a block-shaped movable body 53, and the movable body 53 can be moved back and forth in a linear motion in the vertical direction by a reciprocating linear motion device 55.

[0067] The second positioning device 70 is positioned between the downstream end of the squeeze 40 in the transport direction and the conveyor 60 in order to position the locked core member 10 and the non-locked core member 20 supplied onto the conveyor 60 in the left-right and front-back directions. The second positioning device 70 is movable in directions approaching and moving away from the side surface of the core member supplied from the downstream end of the squeeze 40 in the transport direction. In Figure 9, the second positioning device 70 is shown in cross-section, and the positioning piece 71 on the right side of the figure is shown as having been cut at a position opposite to the locking piece 13, while the positioning piece 71 on the left side of the figure is shown as having been cut at a position that constitutes the contact surface 72.

[0068] The second positioning device 70 can consist of a plurality of positioning pieces 71, for example two, arranged around the outer circumference of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60. The plurality of positioning pieces 71 include contact surfaces 72 that face the sides of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60. The contact surface 72 in this embodiment may be formed as a curved surface in plan view that follows the side shape of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 so that it can contact the sides of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20. The shape of the contact surface 72 is not limited to the above shape as long as it can position the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20. For example, it may be a shape that contacts only a part of the outer circumference of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20. The two positioning pieces 71 are typically positioned so that their contact surfaces 72 face each other across the conveyor 60 in a plan view.

[0069] Furthermore, while this embodiment illustrates a method in which the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are positioned by bringing the contact surfaces 72 of a plurality of positioning pieces 71 into contact with the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, the disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, positioning can be performed even if the contact surfaces 72 do not come into contact with the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, as long as the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are positioned in the region between the contact surfaces 72. Therefore, it is also possible that only a portion of the contact surface 72 is in contact with the sides of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, or that the contact surface 72 is facing all of the sides of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 with a predetermined gap in between.

[0070] As described above, the contact surface 72 is composed of a curved surface that follows the side shape of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, so that the core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60 can be supported from various different directions. Therefore, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 positioned on this contact surface 72 can be stably positioned in the horizontal direction. It is preferable that a recess be formed in the center of the contact surface 72 in the front-rear direction, opposite to the locking piece 13 of the positioning piece 71, so that the movement of the positioning piece 71 is not hindered by contact between the contact surface 72 and the locking piece 13 when the positioning piece 71 moves. In this case, when the positioning piece 71 is moved to the positioning position, the locking piece 13 of the locking core member 10 placed on the conveyor 60 will be housed in the recess of the contact surface 72 as described above. By avoiding contact between the locking piece 13 of the locking core member 10 placed on the conveyor 60 and the contact surface 72, the above-described positioning can be reliably achieved. If the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 have protrusions, a recess can be provided on the contact surface 72 as described above, and if the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 have recesses, a protrusion may be provided on the contact surface 72.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which contact between the contact surface 72 and the locking piece 13 is avoided by providing a recess in the positioning piece 71, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a part of the recess of the positioning piece 71 may be actively brought into contact with the locking piece 13 when the positioning piece 71 is in the positioning position, thereby assisting positioning by the contact surface 72. In this case, an improvement in the stability of positioning the laminate by the positioning piece 71 can be expected.

[0072] Multiple positioning pieces 71 may be movable between a positioning position and a release position. The positioning position is a position where the contact surface 72 abuts against the side surface of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60, or where the contact surface 72 faces the side surface of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 with a small gap between them. The release position is a position where the contact surface 72 is separated from the side surface of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60. A well-known drive device (not shown) can be used to move the multiple positioning pieces 71 as described above. By setting the multiple positioning pieces 71 to the positioning positions described above, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 discharged from the squeeze 40 can be positioned at a desired position on the conveyor 60. Furthermore, if the multiple positioning pieces 71 are set to the positioning release positions described above, the positioning pieces 71 will not obstruct the movement of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60 when they are moved in the conveyor transport direction.

[0073] The contact surface 72 may include a tapered surface 73 that approaches the sides of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60 as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the entire upper part of the contact surface 72 is a tapered surface 73. By forming a tapered surface 73 on the contact surface 72 in this way, even if there is a displacement in the orientation or horizontal position of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 that have been discharged from the squeeze 40, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 can be guided to the desired position on the conveyor 60.

[0074] The height of the multiple positioning pieces 71 should be adjusted to ensure reliable positioning of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60. Specifically, the ends of the contact surfaces 72 of the multiple positioning pieces 71 located downstream in the conveying direction, i.e., the lower ends, should be adjusted to be lower than the upper surface position of the core members placed directly on the conveyor 60, specifically the locking core member 10 located at the lowest position. When the contact surfaces 72 are adjusted to such a height, it becomes possible to reliably position the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 placed on the conveyor 60. The lower ends of the positioning pieces 71 may also be positioned below the upper surface of the conveyor 60. In that case, the width of the conveyor 60 should be narrowed to the extent that it does not come into contact with the positioning pieces 71 at the positioning positions. The ends of the positioning pieces 71 located upstream in the conveying direction, i.e., the upper ends, should be adjusted to be lower than the upper ends of the pins 51 at the limiting positions. If the upper end of the pin 51, which is in the restricted position, is above the upper end of the positioning piece 71, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, which are discharged from the squeeze 40, will be guided by the pin 51 first, thereby suppressing circumferential displacement.

[0075] In the manufacturing method of the laminate using the manufacturing apparatus 2 configured as described above, the laminate can be manufactured in a procedure that generally follows the flowchart shown in Figure 7, but there are differences in the following respects. Specifically, in the manufacturing of the laminate using the manufacturing apparatus 2, when the pin 51 is moved to the restricted position (S3), the positioning piece 71 is moved to the positioning position, and when the pin 51 is moved to the release position (S6), the positioning piece 71 is moved to the positioning release position. Aside from this point, even when using the manufacturing apparatus 2, the laminate can be manufactured in a procedure that follows the flowchart shown in Figure 7.

[0076] According to the manufacturing apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 supplied to the conveyor 60 can be positioned circumferentially on the yokes 11 and 21 by the pin 51 of the first positioning device 50, and can be positioned left-right and front-back by the second positioning device 70. If there are relatively large irregularities on the outer circumference of the core member, circumferential positioning can be performed without the pin 51 by providing irregularities on the positioning piece 71 of the second positioning device 70 that fit into the irregularities of the core member. However, in the manufacturing apparatus 2, because the first positioning device 50 is provided, circumferential positioning can be performed by the pin 51 at the limiting position even if the core member has no irregularities or only small irregularities.

[0077] [Other variations] Figures 11A to 11C show various configurations of the interchangeable pin 51. The shape of the cross-section of the pin 51 perpendicular to its axis may be circular as shown in Figure 11A, or elliptical (not shown), or rectangular (i.e., square or rectangular) as shown in Figure 11B, or other polygonal (not shown). Figures 11A and 11B show examples applied to the locking core member 10, but it goes without saying that they can be similarly applied to the non-locking core member 20. In the above description, the pin 51 has been assumed to pass through the slots 15 and 25 of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20, which are stator core members, but as shown in Figure 11C, the pin 51 may be formed with a C-shaped cross-section to fit into the key 91 of the rotor core member 90. Alternatively, although not shown in the illustration, a pin 51 with a C-shaped cross-section, as shown in Figure 11C, may be configured to sandwich the teeth 12 and 22 of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20.

[0078] In the above description, the location through which the pin 51 passes during positioning by the pin 51 is described as slots 15 and 25 in the case of the stator core members (locking core member 10 and non-locking core member 20 in this embodiment), but it may also be a recessed or uneven portion provided on the outer circumference of the core member, or a through hole in the yoke 11 and 12. In the case of the rotor core member 90, in addition to the key 91, it may also be a magnet hole, a through hole other than a magnet hole, or a recessed or uneven portion on the outer circumference.

[0079] In the above explanation, it was assumed that the first positioning device 50 has two pins 51, but this can be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the core member, and there may be three or more pins, or even just one pin.

[0080] In the above description, it is assumed that the manufacturing apparatus 2 is equipped with a second positioning device 70. However, the manufacturing apparatus 2 may also be equipped with no second positioning device 70 (omitted), similar to the manufacturing apparatus 1. Even if the second positioning device 70 is omitted, the multiple pins 51, which are spaced apart in the left-right direction upstream of the uppermost end of the conveyor 60, can position the yokes 11 and 21 not only in the circumferential direction but also in the left-right and front-back directions. However, in the manufacturing apparatus 2, where the pins 51 are positioned upstream of the uppermost end of the conveyor 60, it is preferable to provide the second positioning device 70 in order to more effectively position the lateral and front-back directions. On the other hand, the manufacturing apparatus 1 (including modified versions) may also be equipped with a second positioning device 70 to improve the accuracy of positioning in the left-right and front-back directions.

[0081] In each of the embodiments described above, 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.). Furthermore, the processor operations in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the above program may be provided on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, flexible disk, or CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or it may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in memory or storage. This program may also be provided, for example, as a standalone application software, or it may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of that device. The program of this application can be provided as a program product. A program product includes any form of product for providing a program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs on which the program is stored.

[0082] Furthermore, this disclosure may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its essence. All such modifications are included in the technical concept of this disclosure.

[0083] All documents cited herein, including publications, patent applications, and patents, are incorporated here by reference to the same extent as each document is individually and specifically identified and its entire contents are described herein.

[0084] The use of nouns and similar demonstrative pronouns in connection with the description of the present invention (particularly in connection with the following claims) shall be interpreted as both singular and plural unless otherwise specifically noted herein or if it is clearly inconsistent with the context. The words “equip,” “have,” “include,” and “incorporate” shall be interpreted as open-ended terms (i.e., “include, but not limited to”) unless otherwise specifically noted herein. The numerical ranges described herein are intended solely as abbreviations for referring individually to each value falling within that range, unless otherwise specifically noted herein, and each value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually enumerated herein. All methods described herein may be performed in any appropriate order unless otherwise specifically noted herein or if it is clearly inconsistent with the context. Any examples or illustrative phrases used herein (e.g., “etc.”) are intended solely to better illustrate the present invention and not to impose any limitations on the scope of the present invention, unless otherwise specifically asserted. No phrase in the specification shall be interpreted as indicating that any element not described in the claims is essential to the practice of the present invention.

[0085] This specification describes preferred embodiments of the Invention, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the Invention. Those skilled in the art will see, upon reading the above description, that variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent. The inventors anticipate that skilled persons will apply such variations as appropriate, and that the Invention will be carried out in ways other than those specifically described herein. Therefore, the Invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the claims appended herein, as permitted by applicable law. Furthermore, any combination of the above elements in all variations is incorporated into the Invention unless otherwise specifically noted herein or is obviously inconsistent with the context.

Claims

1. A squeeze mechanism capable of transporting the iron core member downwards, A conveyor having a mounting surface that supports a portion of one side of the core member that has emerged from the squeeze, and capable of transporting the core member placed on the mounting surface and the core members stacked on top of the core member in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the core member in the squeeze, The conveyor comprises a first positioning mechanism including a movable member that can move between a restricting position that protrudes from the aforementioned mounting surface toward the side on which the iron core member is placed, and a release position that is retracted toward the opposite side of the aforementioned mounting surface toward the side on which the iron core member is placed. The movable member is positioned in a non-supported area where the conveyor does not support the core member. A manufacturing apparatus for laminates.

2. The movable members are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

3. The conveyor comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor that move synchronously with respect to each other, separated in the width direction of the conveyor. The movable member includes a first movable member and a second movable member that are spaced apart between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyors. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

4. The movable member is positioned upstream of the conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

5. When the movable member is in the restricted position, it passes through the through hole formed inside the iron core member supported by the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned core member is a stator core member, When the movable member is in the restricted position, it passes through a slot formed between adjacent teeth of the stator core member supported by the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned core member is a rotor core member, When the movable member is in the restricted position, it extends along a key formed on the rotor core member supported by the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

8. The system includes a second positioning mechanism for positioning the outer circumference of the iron core member supported by the conveyor, The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 1.

9. A method for manufacturing a laminate in which a plurality of iron core members are laminated using a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A step of moving the movable member to the restricted position, The process of supplying the iron core member that has emerged from the squeeze to the aforementioned surface of the conveyor while passing the movable member through a through hole formed inside the iron core member, The process of stacking the iron core member, which has emerged from the squeeze, on the iron core member supported on the mounting surface, while passing the movable member through the through hole, After a predetermined number of the iron core members are stacked on the conveyor, the movable member is moved to the release position, The process includes moving the movable member to the release position, and then moving the conveyor. A method for manufacturing laminates.

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