Method and apparatus for assembling hairpin windings

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling a plurality of crown windings such as hairpins, comprising a hairpin feeder, a hairpin inserter into a winding assembly cylinder, and a hairpin handling section from the feeder to the inserter in the assembly cylinder, the hairpin handling section including at least two arms arranged at 180° and arranged such that when one arm end faces the feeder the other arm end faces the inserter, each arm including a gripper for picking up and releasing hairpins, the grippers being mounted to slide along the direction of extension of the corresponding arm, the inserter including an assembly drum moved by a rotation mechanism, both of which are mounted on the same axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the arms, the assembly drum including a series of inserts on its outer surface defining a series of radial open slots, the rotation mechanism being sized such that spaces remain between the arms and the slots.The present invention further relates to a method for assembling a plurality of crown hairpin windings, in particular a method for using the apparatus according to the present invention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assembling windings of conductors such as hairpins.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in applications on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), in order to make the stator or rotor of an electric machine such as a generator or an electric motor, the stator or rotor windings are bent relative to each other to form an electric winding also known as a "bar winding" and are generally known to be formed by a plurality of bar conductors that are interconnected in various ways. Such bent bar-shaped conductors are also called "hairpin conductors" or simply "hairpins". The bar-shaped conductors can be formed by one or more groups of concentric windings also called "crowns", and each group of windings is already wound itself (a "winding set").

[0003] In particular, windings having hairpins with a circular cross-section (also referred to as "round wire conductors") or a rectangular cross-section, or conductors having a variable cross-sectional shape along their length (for example, a round wire conductor made rectangular in the portion housed in a slot) are known in the prior art. In this regard, a "rectangular" or "square" conductor wire means, in this specification, a wire having four substantially flat sides, each of which is joined to an adjacent side by a typically rounded edge. Bar-shaped conductors having a trapezoidal cross-section are known.

[0004] The basic conductors described above are typically preformed by starting with a straight rod-shaped conductor and bending it into a "U" or "P" shape. Patent US7,480,987 describes an example of a method for preforming a straight rod-shaped conductor to form a hairpin. A "U" or "P" shaped preformed conductor is often called a "preformed basic conductor" in the art and typically has two adjacent legs of equal or different lengths, each comprising a free end portion and an opposite end portion connected to the other leg by a bridge-like connecting portion. The end portions protrude when inserted into a rotor or stator and are therefore referred to as the "free protruding portion" and the "opposite connecting protruding portion." The protruding connecting portion may also be called the "head portion" or "bridge-like connecting portion." The entire "head portion" of the same hairpin leg constitutes the so-called "bridge-like connecting portion."

[0005] Referring to Figure 1(a), the hairpin 255 is preformed by bending a linear conductor (not shown) to form a first leg 255a having a free protruding end portion 255aE and a second leg 255b having a free protruding end portion 255bE. This bend simultaneously forms a bridge-like connection portion 255c between the two legs 255a, 255b. In this example, the preformed hairpin has a flattened "U" shape. It is known that two types of twists are given to a preformed hairpin, for example, in the shape of a "U" or "P", in order to form an electromechanical stator.

[0006] The stator or rotor core of a radial flux electromachine is essentially a ring having two flat surfaces and two cylindrical surfaces, with generators perpendicular to the two flat surfaces parallel to the rotor's axis of rotation. Hereafter, radial, circumferential, and axial directions refer to the latter axis unless otherwise specified. One of the two cylindrical surfaces is at least partially adjacent to the air gap of the electromachine to which the stator or rotor belongs, and defines a set of slots that accommodate the straight portions of the windings. The two flat surfaces are divided into an insertion surface or side and a surface or side opposite to the insertion surface. The portions of the windings protruding from the core are called headers. The ends of the free portions of the conductors belong to the headers protruding from the surface opposite the insertion side, and most of these are subject to welding. Also, if there are protrusions in the windings that are bridge-connected to legs inserted into the stator slots, these belong to the headers protruding from the insertion side. In the following, whether the portion protruding from the insertion side is a free end or connected in a bridge-like manner, it will be referred to as the portion from the insertion side.

[0007] The stator or rotor core region between a given slot and an adjacent slot is called a tooth. The number of teeth is equal to the number of slots. A portion of each slot is also defined, and the connection point of the core teeth located relative to it on the opposite side of the slot opening over the machine's air gap is called a yoke.

[0008] The slots can be divided into an array of positions where the legs of the basic conductors can be placed. Conductors housed in the same radial position within the slots define a so-called winding layer.

[0009] In the first type of torsion, also called "insertion-side torsion," a preformed base conductor is appropriately inserted into corresponding radially aligned pockets provided in a torsion device, which are adapted to deform such conductors after insertion. The torsion device is actually used to spread the two legs of each conductor into a "U" or "P" shape so that they can be inserted into a corresponding pair of slots in a stator core, which are angularly offset from each other by a predetermined distance that is substantially equal to the angular distance between the slots into which the legs are successively inserted, and are separated by a radial distance between the slot positions occupied by each leg.

[0010] For example, but not limited to, starting with a preformed hairpin as shown in Figure 1(a), the legs 255a and 255b are widened and the bridge-like connector 255c is formed to obtain the shape shown in Figure 1(b), for example, thereby forming a hairpin suitable for insertion into a stator (or rotor). Reference numeral 255p indicates the hairpin pitch, i.e., the linear or angular distance between the legs, or the distance as a slot pitch. In this case as well, it is worth noting that the central apex 255c2 of the formed hairpin is a zone in which the conductor cross-section undergoes a 180° rotation with respect to the central plane of the hairpin (the plane that passes through the inside of the hairpin and includes the two legs). This rotation is effective in the layered hairpin defined below for swapping layers (swapping slot positions), thereby reducing the eddy currents flowing through the edges of the layers when the layers are welded, compared to when the same layers exist parallel without swapping slot positions in the transition from one leg to the other.

[0011] A patent application published in US2009 / 0178270 describes an example of a twisting method from the insertion side for twisting a preformed rod-shaped conductor at a uniform pitch after a hairpin has been inserted into a pocket of a twisting device having a rectangular cross-section.

[0012] According to prior art, and also referring to Figure 2, hairpins can also be obtained by stamping, i.e., the process of pressing a straight conductor into a contrast in a punch-and-die system. Figure 2(a) shows such a stamped conductor, which does not have a cross section that rotates with respect to the central plane of the hairpin.

[0013] This stamped hairpin, or the preformed and widened hairpin obtained as described above, can undergo so-called "weld-side twisting," in which case a "stepped" shape can be introduced to the legs 255a and 255b, for example, the leg 255a shown in Figure 2(b) having a first straight portion 255a1, a stepped portion 255a2 and a second straight portion 255a3 (substantially corresponding to portion 255aE in Figure 1).

[0014] Referring to Figure 3, the shape of the insertion-side projection for the stamped hairpin, i.e., the bridge-like connector 255c, may consist of three parts 255c1, 255c3, and 255c2, starting from the connection with the second leg 255b and ending with the connection with the first leg 255a (hidden in Figure 3). Part 255c1 has a main extension direction B and a radius of curvature RB, part 255c3 has a main extension direction A and a radius of curvature RA, and part 255c2 has a main extension direction C (and possibly a radius of curvature, but not shown). Hereinafter, part 255c2 will be referred to as the "layer-changing curved section," and in practice, this ensures that the head and leg portions of the hairpin are on different layers when inserted into their respective slots in the stator pack. Reference numeral α1 indicates the angle between directions A and C, reference numeral α2 indicates the angle between directions A and B, and reference numeral α3 indicates the angle between directions B and C, and is equal to the sum of angles α1 and α2. This is merely one of the ultimately possible hairpin shapes, and all other shapes having different parts and structures (conformations) of both the bridge-like portion and the leg portion can be used with the apparatus and methods described herein.

[0015] There are also what are called "reverse" conductors. These are hairpins connected in a bridge-like manner whose bending direction is opposite to that of most of the hairpins forming the same winding. These are used to go from the last layer of one crown to the first layer of the next crown. Furthermore, referring to Figure 4A, there are layered ("twisted") hairpins in which the cross-section is reversed at the bending point (Figure 4A(a)) and the positions occupied by the layers are swapped.

[0016] As can be seen from the cross-sectional hatching in Figure 4A(a), due to reversal or swapping of positions, the upper layer of a pair of layers in the left slot is lower than the other layer in the right slot. In another form of hairpin, the reversal of positions may be continuous along the portion of the hairpin housed in the slot (Figure 4A(b) of US 3837072). A variation shown in Figure 4B is a non-reversed layered hairpin as shown in patent US8552611 B2. Figure 4C (adapted from Figure 6 of patent US6,894,417B2) shows variations in the arrangement of legs of a double-crown-wound layered hairpin at different positions in the slot. Reference letters A and B indicate the crown to which the legs shown in the slot (belonging to different hairpins) belong.

[0017] Furthermore, there are conductors named "I-pins," which are conductors housed in a single slot and, when in the slot, have a portion of their free end protruding from both planes of the stator core. Figure 4D shows an example of an I-pin, and since I-pins do not necessarily have any reversals, they do not necessarily have all the reversals shown, and can also be bent from the output side of the hairpin winding assembly drum. The ends of the I-pins can be welded to the ends of other conductors protruding from the slot, or to third-party elements (e.g., busbars, eyelets), or they can function as phase terminals. The portion can undergo a "weld-side" type bend. Examples of I-pins can be found in the conductors shown in reference numbers 81-83 of the document US7622843B2. "W-shaped conductors" are also known, and can be seen, for example, again in patent US7,622,843B2, and in Figure 4E. W-shaped conductors can be formed by welding a stamped hairpin to an I-pin, or by welding a fourth conductor to three I-pins. Here again, the W-pin does not necessarily need to have all the indicated directional changes, or it may not have any at all, and it can be bent from the output side of the hairpin winding assembly drum.

[0018] Referring to Figure 4F (obtained from US10749399B2), there are also so-called "reverse hairpins," which can be formed by spreading the legs (not the insertion-side twisting method described above), or by stamping with a "press and die" system, characterized in that the legs of each slot occupy the same radial position, i.e., belong to the same layer. Therefore, their ends are bent in the same direction on the twist side. In practice, the protrusions on the bridge-like connection side can be bent in the same tangential direction or take a V-shape. The connection may require at least two layer-changing bends.

[0019] Finally, there are pairs of hairpins of a predetermined size, which are configured to overlap, and whose homologous legs belong to different layers (Figure 4G) or the same layer (Figure 4H).

[0020] Below, the definition of "basic conductor" includes all types: "hairpin," "I-pin," and "W-pin."

[0021] After the first type of twisting or stamping, the basic conductor is typically pre-assembled in a winding set as described above. The pre-assembly device should generally have a series of slots equal to the number of stator slots associated with the winding into which the legs of each hairpin are inserted, and should generally be different from the twisting device.

[0022] Next, the winding set is inserted in a block into the slot of the stator core from its first side (the so-called "insertion side" or "insertion face"), with each free portion protruding from the second side (the so-called "welding side" or "connection side" or "welding face" or "relief face") opposite to the first side of the core.

[0023] Based on the specific winding pattern to be achieved, the free portion of the basic conductor protruding from the side opposite to the insertion side may, for example, be inserted into a pocket made in a suitable twisting tool and then undergo a second type of twisting, also called "twisting from the weld side." The purpose of the twisting tool described herein is to bend or twist the free portion of the conductor to properly shape the free portion, thereby enabling proper electrical connection between the conductors and completing the winding. An example of the twisting method from the weld side of the type described above is described in the patent application published under number US2009 / 0302705.

[0024] Referring to Figure 5A, patent applications US2019 / 0190359 by Odawara Engineering, and US2019 / 0356188 by the same owner, describe a system for forming a basic conductor, then assembling it into a winding, and inserting it into a stator, all within a single plant. Odawara Engineering's US2019 / 0190359 primarily describes the basic conductor forming section, while US2019 / 0356188 describes the winding assembly and insertion sections, with significant overlap with the latter. The application relating to the winding assembly and insertion section refers to a “guide means,” which is depicted, for example, in Figure 24A of application US2019 / 0190359 under reference number 112, and is reproduced in this description as Figure 5A (the figures in application US2019 / 0356188 relating to the same device have similar technical content). According to Odawara Engineering's application, the following sections are described: - In-line molding of the basic conductor (although involving partial rotation of some elements). - Slide guide means 112. - The basic conductor 17S approaches radially toward the slot 109 formed between the radial elements (blades) 108 (which are oriented radially toward the drum portion perpendicular to its axis of rotation C), and then opens radially toward the outside of the drum 105. - The drag gear 123 of cylinder 105 has a larger diameter than the latter.

[0025] Furthermore, referring to Figure 29 of the Odawara Engineering application and Figure 5B of the present specification, it is clear that the gear mechanism 123 is for ensuring the rotational accuracy of the drum 105 by the servo motor (see paragraph 205 of the same application) and is indispensable as a solution.

[0026] Furthermore, the blade handling mechanism 108 of the cylinder has a rotating shaft 121 that operates the cam 130, which must act on another element 129 connected to the shaft 121 rather than the wheel 123 (shown here as Figure 5C instead of Figure 31) to be axially actuated. Since the wheel 123 and the crown 135 are adapted for the extraction of the winding, they must have a radius larger than that of the drum and the blade while being axially arranged. In that mechanism, it is necessary to insert the hairpin radially.

[0027] In fact, in the application of Odawara Engineering, the insertion system into the stator requires a thrust crown 135, as shown in the corresponding Figures 34 and 5D of this specification.

[0028] This overall configuration has several drawbacks, including that the hairpin insertion is performed with an approach movement to the drum that has radial and circumferential components. The coexistence of the two operations creates a confinement system for the first leg (non-grip leg) of the hairpin, enabling it to follow an overly complex and high hairpin formation cadence (e.g., 1.5 seconds). Furthermore, in the prior art, due to the type of hairpin handling (which in some cases involves both radial and circumferential handling), there is a problem of low accuracy in inserting the hairpin legs into the assembly drum. Also, in the prior art, since the radial insertion of the basic conductor is possible, it is noteworthy that there is a high possibility (and a risk of detachment) of unwanted movement of the legs within the drum slots because the guide in the application of Odawara Engineering needs to maintain a distance from the drum (at least temporarily). Adding standard confinement also makes the other parts of the device complex to maintain the aforementioned movement.

[0029] The stator winding assembly system by the present applicant is also known from Patent Document WO2012 / 007973A1. In this document, a hairpin gripper system is described as consisting of a plurality of grippers mounted on a rotating base. The grippers move from the position where the hairpins are supplied to the position where the hairpins are inserted into the drum of the stator winding assembly. However, the hairpins are not inserted into the drum of the gripper, but the slide blade operates to move the hairpins held by the gripper (which does not move) until the legs are simultaneously inserted into the slots of the drum. This is possible because the slots of the drum have a gap extending parallel to the axis of the drum and the insertion blade, and also because the rotating base is actually on top of the drum, i.e., its protrusion along the axis of the drum matches the drum itself.

[0030] In the use of the system of WO Document 2012 / 007973A1, in addition to being mechanically incompatible with the system of the applicant of Odawara Engineering, the formed winding cannot be directly inserted into the stator itself thereafter. Therefore, it is necessary to take out the winding in the direction in which the hairpins are inserted, move it to another place, and insert it into the drum. As a result, the cycle time becomes extremely long, and a series of drum mechanisms are required to correctly connect and compress the hairpins. Furthermore, due to the use of the insertion blade, there are significant problems with mechanical accuracy. The entire device is expensive and the productivity is poor.

[0031] There is a need for an apparatus and method for assembling a basic conductor winding that has a simple structure, a short cycle time, and in some cases can directly insert the assembled winding into the stator (axially without displacement to a different position).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0032] An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for assembling a basic conductor winding that solves the problems of the prior art and completely or partially overcomes the drawbacks.

[0033] The subject of the present invention is the apparatus and method according to the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows (a) a hairpin pre-formed into a "U" shape according to the prior art, and (b) a hairpin that has been formed according to the prior art. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows (a) the stamped conductor and (b) the conductor after being twisted on the weld side. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the hairpin of Figure 2(a) above, according to the prior art. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows (a) a layered ("torsion") hairpin with a cross-section inverted at the bending point according to the prior art, and (b) a continuous reversal of position along the portion of the hairpin housed in the slot according to the prior art. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows a type of layered hairpin. [Figure 4C] Figure 4C shows a modified example of the arrangement of the legs of a double-crown wound layered hairpin at different positions within a slot according to the prior art. [Figure 4D] Figure 4D shows an example of an I-pin using prior art. [Figure 4E] Figure 4E shows an example of a "W-pin" according to prior art. [Figure 4F] Figure 4F shows an example of a "reverse hairpin" using prior art. [Figure 4G] Figure 4G shows an example of overlapping hairpins belonging to different layers, according to prior art. [Figure 4H] Figure 4H shows an example of overlapping hairpins belonging to the same layer, according to prior art. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A corresponds to Figure 24A in patent application US2019 / 0190359 by Odawara Engineering, where several of the aforementioned elements are enclosed in circles. [Figure 5B]Figure 5B corresponds to Figure 29 of patent application US2019 / 0190359 by Odawara Engineering, in which several of the aforementioned elements are enclosed in circles. [Figure 5C] Figure 5C corresponds to Figure 31 of patent application US2019 / 0190359 by Odawara Engineering, in which several of the aforementioned elements are enclosed in circles. [Figure 5D] Figure 5D corresponds to Figure 34 of patent application US2019 / 0190359 by Odawara Engineering, in which several of the aforementioned elements are enclosed in circles. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a view from the bottom of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the guide from Figure 7 without the arm. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the arm from the previously mentioned figure viewed from a slightly oblique angle. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the radial motion mechanism of the gripper holder carriage along the arm in the previously shown figure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a portion of Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a side view of the arm operating section described above, which includes a radial guide for the gripper. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a side perspective view of the arm, including a portion of the winding section, where α is the inclination angle of the planes of the two legs of the basic conductor with respect to the operating plane of the arm. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows (a) a detailed view of a part of the structure of an assembly comprising an assembly cylinder or drum, a guide, and a guide containment element, and (b) a detailed view of a retractable element of an assembly cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows the drag of a hairpin inserted into the assembly drum, (a) on the upper semicircular portion of the cylinder, and (b) showing further detail on the small arc of the circumference. [Figure 16]Figure 16 shows another embodiment of the assembly with a containment system for a hairpin inserted into a slot. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a perspective view showing an assembly similar to the previous figure. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is the same diagram as the previous figure, but shows the configuration with the first hairpin set inserted into the slot and partially on the guide arm. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a detailed perspective view showing one embodiment of hairpin insertion on an assembly drum. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is similar to the previous figure, but is more detailed and includes a portion of the hairpin conveying arm. [Figure 21] Figure 21 shows the hairpin position on the guide arm in the previous figure. [Figure 22] Figure 22 shows the hairpin position on the guide arm from the opposite side. [Figure 23] Figure 23 shows a situation similar to that in Figures 21 and 22, and is indicated by the position the hairpin occupies at the end of the arm's rotation. [Figure 24] Figure 24 shows a situation similar to that in Figures 21 and 22, and is indicated by the position the hairpin occupies at the end of the arm's rotation. [Figure 25] Figure 25 shows a situation similar to that in Figures 21 and 22, and is indicated by the position the hairpin occupies at the end of the arm's rotation. [Figure 26] Figure 26 shows the arrangement of inserts for radial and circumferential positioning of the straight section of the hairpin, which are the positions required for insertion of the hairpin winding into the stator core. [Figure 27] Figure 27 shows (a) an example of a winding insertion device obtained in a stator or rotor core using the apparatus according to the present invention, viewed from the insertion surface, and (b) a detailed view of two alignment array inserts according to an example of the present invention. [Figure 28] Figure 28 shows a drum with a wound crown inserted into the transport system by a transport array. [Figure 29]Figure 29 shows a winding transport or insert arrangement for positioning the hairpin legs in preparation for insertion into the stator pack, where (a) is the open position for passage through the drum and (b) is the closed position, allowing the hairpin legs to be positioned appropriately for continued axial handling and insertion into the stator pack. [Figure 29b] Figure 29b shows the arrangement of Figures 28 and 29, and two additional winding containment elements are visible to complete the containment around the entire perimeter. [Figure 30] Figure 30 shows a case of a transport array and an insulating internal liner according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the positioning array has fingers / teeth with bevels useful for precise positioning of conductors for insertion into a stator cavity. [Figure 31] Figure 31 shows (a) the support structure of the pusher's closing cap and (b) the approach of the pusher's closing cap. [Figure 32] Figure 32 shows the insertion of the winding into the stator pack. [Figure 33] Figure 33 shows the completion of inserting the windings into the stator pack after expanding the transport array. [Figure 34] Figure 34 shows the insertion of a reverse hairpin using a circumferential insertion guide oriented in the opposite direction to that shown in the previous figure, with the hairpin viewed from its leg end. [Figure 35] Figure 35 shows the situation in Figure 34, with the hairpin viewed from the bridge-like connection point. [Figure 36] Figure 36 shows the situation as described in Figures 34 and 35, revealing the bridge-like connection where the gripper has passed through the insertion guides on all three sides. [Figure 37] Figure 37 shows one embodiment in which the insertion section is located within the stator pack, with two drum assembly systems placed on two carriages that coexist, transporting the systems from the central hairpin filling position to a lateral position, thereby increasing the manufacturing cycle. [Figure 38] Figure 38 shows another embodiment of the handling of the basic conductor between the feed unit and the drum, as an alternative to the arm system.

[0035] It is worth noting that, as those skilled in the art will readily understand from the description below, further embodiments can be provided by respecting the technical concept of the present invention and combining elements of different embodiments without limitation.

[0036] This specification also refers to the prior art for implementations of detailed features not described, such as less important elements typically used in the prior art in solutions of the same type.

[0037] When elements are introduced, it is understood that there is always a possibility of "at least one" or "more than one" being present.

[0038] Where a list of elements or features is given herein, it is understood that the invention according to the present invention "includes" or alternatively "consists of" such elements.

[0039] In the following description, “winding” or “winding set” is understood to mean either a complete unit or a partially assembled unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] Figure 6 is a side view showing a possible embodiment of the apparatus 1000 according to the present invention. A table 1200 is provided that supports a motor 1120 having a rotating shaft 1110. The rotation is transmitted to a central element having a series of radial arms 1310 (four arms in the embodiment; generally, one arm or an even number of arms), each of which has a gripper 1321 at the far radial end for gripping and transporting a hairpin or basic conductor 200 (including any of the known types described above, including conventionally an inverted hairpin hereafter referred to as 200R).

[0041] Each arm 1310 transports at least one hairpin from the collection or supply zone (not shown) on the right side of the figure to an assembly 1400 that supports an assembly frame or drum 300, which is mounted on the base 1410 and has slots adapted to accommodate one or more legs of a basic conductor (shown in the figure below). The assembly frame 300 has a cylindrical shape with an axis 310 positioned perpendicular to the axis of rotation 1110 of the arm 1310. Figure 7 is a view of the apparatus 1000 of Figure 6 from the bottom. This figure shows the movement of the connected gripper 1321. At the position indicated by PA, the gripper grasps a basic conductor from the basic conductor supply area. Immediately after grasping the basic conductor, the gripper 1321 retracts radially toward the center 1350 via a specific connecting guide 1230, for example, shown in Figure 8 (showing a guide without an arm). At this point, the arm holding the base conductor rotates 180° according to the guide 1220, passing the lower intermediate position PB until the gripper 1321 and the base conductor 200 are facing the assembly frame 300 with the direction of their legs(s) parallel to the axis of the frame 310. At position PC, the gripper 1321 moves again radially, but away from the center 1350, until at least one of the legs of the base conductor is at least partially inserted into the corresponding slot (not shown) in the frame 300. Once this is achieved, preferably without the need for further radial movement, the gripper detaches itself from the base conductor (from its gripped end), and the rotation can continue clockwise, constrained by the guide 1210, by passing the upper intermediate position PD and returning to the gripping position PA, thus completing the load / unload cycle. Obviously, since there are four arms in this example, the speed is four times faster compared to when there is only one arm, as each 90° rotation allows for gripping at position PA and insertion into the frame at position PC. In general, if N is not equal to 1, the rotation of the star in the arms occurs at intervals of equiangular steps of N / 2, and the number of arms is N.

[0042] As a preliminary step before inserting the basic conductor into the drum axially, it is possible to set the initial position of the drum (position around the axis of rotation) so that one of the slots aligns with the insertion direction of the basic conductor.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gripper does not perform complex movements involving rotation around an axis other than the axis of arm rotation. A single circular trajectory can be used in 180° increments required for radial movement, i.e., 1220 is at the same radial distance as 1210.

[0044] Referring to Figure 9, it can be seen that the gripper support element 1320 may, on a case-by-case basis, be a carriage that moves radially by a blade sliding on either the guide 1230 or the guide 1240 which has a slider on the opposite side (see below).

[0045] The arm mechanism on the opposite side of the table 1200 is shown with reference to Figures 10 and 11. It is necessary to note the motor 1355 that rotates the cross arm on the opposite side of the central axis 1350, the guide 1240 for the radial sliding of the blade, and the carriage 1320 which is moved by sliders 1615 and 1625, shown in two sliding positions (the second indicated as 1615' and 1625'), by motion transmission. Such sliders are driven by linear motors 1620 and 1610, respectively. Reference numeral 1325 indicates the actuation element for the radial movement of the blade, and thus, by motion transmission, the actuation element of the gripper (not shown) is connected to the carriage 1320. Element 1325 is driven by a specific motor 1620 and is connected to a "U" shaped element 1323 of the carriage 1320 that surrounds the slider 1322.

[0046] Figure 12 is a side view showing the arm operating section with a radial guide 1240 installed.

[0047] Figure 13 shows a side perspective view of the arm along with a portion of the assembly 1400. In addition to the elements of the previous figure, it illustrates the slider 1322 of the arm 1320 (intentionally positioned outside the guides 1230 or 1240, i.e., in a position not possible in normal operation) which slides within a semicircular groove (not shown), and the winding frame 300 which rotates by the pulley system 1320. Also shown is a slide guide 400 across a portion of the frame 300, which will be better described later. Instead, it is immediately apparent here that there is a (free) clearance between the approach direction of the base conductor 200 and the top of the winding frame / drum 300, and therefore there is no obstruction to the radial approach of the base conductor (parallel to the axis of rotation / symmetry of the frame) and to the insertion of at least one of its legs into a slot in the frame itself 300. In other words, the circumferential portion of the cylindrical frame 300 is not obstructed axially, which can be conveniently achieved by acting on the shape and arrangement of the rotation mechanism of the cylinder 300. In other words, the gaps in the drum slots (described in detail below in the embodiment) extend radially along the drum axis, the gaps open radially outward from the drum, and extend parallel to the drum axis.

[0048] Referring next to Figure 14, an assembled cylinder 300 is shown which includes surface layers 330 and may also include retractable inserts 320 (located circumferentially on the drum, i.e., on the outer cylindrical surface of the drum) that define slots 324 between them (having gaps as referred to in the previous paragraph). The retractable inserts may have radial and axial extensions and a circumferential thickness. Figure 14(b) shows that the retractable inserts 320 may have a central recess 323. In this regard, since the inserts perform a "lead-in" function when non-grip legs enter the drum slots, it is convenient that at least one pair protrudes from the pre-inserted conductor or slot bottom by an amount sufficiently exceeding the radial thickness of the entering legs when entering. For simplicity of structure and operation, in one embodiment of the present invention, not only a pair of inserts but all inserts are kept at the same radial height from the axis of the device. In this case, the central recess 323 of the insert is necessary to allow the elements of the containment system to compact the legs of the basic conductor into the drum slots, and to position the legs of the basic conductor radially with respect to the device axis as close as possible to the position where the legs themselves would be located within the stator when referring to the axis of the stator itself. When the legs are positioned in such respective positions, the maximum occupancy level of the drum slot by the legs is less than the level of the circumference circumscribing the insert. Without such a central recess 323, the containment system could only hold the legs of the hairpin within the circumference circumscribing the drum insert. Furthermore, it is desirable to compress and stiffen the legs well when away from the insertion point in order to ensure that the hairpin is dragged and to avoid any possible jamming. The recess 323 defines two teeth 325 on its side. Optionally, the two teeth 325 have bevels 322 on both sides, with the direction of the bevels forming an angle with respect to the radial direction. Any bevel serves to facilitate the sliding of the base conductor's legs into slot 324.In particular, the cord of the beveled hairpin is smaller than the cord between the inserts, so it is a bevel for the legs that will not get caught when they fall off guide 410, and the legs inserted by drag will be pushed into the insert. This applies to one side of the insert. In fact, the chamfer on the opposite side is not for this purpose and is only effective when the drum is rotated in the opposite direction, which is necessary in the case of the reverse hairpin (described later). However, in this case, a mirror image guide of the one shown above is required. In the case of the I-pin, it is no longer useful as there is no second leg to be inserted by gravity.

[0049] The slide guide 400 may include a guide arm 410 and optionally a guide containment element 420. It can be seen how the legs of the base conductor 200 are gradually inserted into the slot 324. As shown in the embodiment, the base conductor has two legs, one of which is inserted into the slot axially and the other is contextually laid on the arm of the guide 410 under the containment element 420 (optional). Since the guide arm is restricted circumferentially, after inserting one leg into the slot at a predetermined drag angle, the other leg on the guide arm will also fall into the slot, as will be better shown here. In other words, the slide guide has the circumferential exit end of the base conductor in the direction of drum rotation to drag the non-grip legs. Furthermore, it should be noted that once the axial insertion of the base conductor into the drum is complete, some of the grip legs will still remain on the slide guide. In this case, according to one embodiment of the present invention, further rotation of the drum would be required to complete their sliding on the slide guide until they fall into the corresponding slot. This can be done at any stage of the winding set, for example, after the formation of the crowns, or after the formation of the last crown (outermost crown). Furthermore, for the assembly of a particular winding, the rearrangement of the slots around the drum rotation axis 400 can be performed at any useful time during the assembly procedure by rotating the drum in one circumferential direction or the other by any number of slot steps as needed.

[0050] The guide arm can be positioned at an appropriate distance from the drum to advantageously prevent the conductor inserted into the drum slot from disengaging / entering. In Odawara Engineering's application, this space is not necessary, nor even possible, as it is used for the non-grip legs of the hairpin to move radially into the drum slot. When assembling multiple crowns, the guide arm can be moved to provide space for the radial removal / expansion of the insert required to assemble the next crown.

[0051] According to another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 16, the assembly cylinder 300 faces a containment system 500 which can be formed from an array of elements 510 that may have a structure capable of achieving a positive coupling to compensate for any discontinuities that may occur between elements as the inserts expand, as shown in Figure 16(b). The Z-shape is advantageous in reducing possible “snagging” of the crown conductors during assembly steps when discontinuous surfaces face each other between inserts. Indeed, if the inserts do not have complementary circumferential expansion, the opposing discontinuous surfaces between one insert and the other are parallel to the axis of the device and essentially parallel to the legs of the hairpin, creating niches from which they may slip or snag. In circumferential expansion, the portion of the conductor that contacts the expansion of adjacent teeth can be divided into two parts. When the conductor traverses the discontinuity between the extensions of two adjacent inserts, the first portion is continuously maintained in radial storage, the second portion traverses the first discontinuity between the extensions and, therefore, due to the rigidity of the conductor, avoids getting caught on the first discontinuity (circumferential direction on the right in the figure), and the second portion is continuously maintained in the radial direction; when the first portion traverses the second discontinuity (circumferential direction on the left in the figure) between the extensions, the rigidity of the conductor can avoid getting caught on the second discontinuity.

[0052] As observed in Figure 17, the array of containment elements 500 is positioned axially at a smaller distance from the axis than that of the outer circumference of the drum, so that the elements occupy the recesses of the retractable inserts.

[0053] Referring to Figure 19, according to one embodiment, the gripper 1321 holds one of the two legs of the illustrated hairpin in place, with the other leg resting on a guide arm 410, which has an abutment 411 formed thereon, positioned to position the non-grip leg in the slot 324 of the assembly drum 300 before performing a radial shift for insertion of the same non-grip leg. Figure 20 shows the same situation, but on a larger scale, with the entire arm 1310 visible along with a guide 1240 for radial sliding. Two servo motors 1500 are also visible, one to rotate the drum 300 and the other to expand the insertion portion of the drum itself.

[0054] Figures 21 and 22 show two opposite side views illustrating the arrangement of the hairpin on the guide arm 410 as described above. Reference numeral 900 indicates the non-grip leg of the guide guide, and reference numeral 930 indicates the support structure of the guide guide 900. In the case of the W-pin, since multiple legs are not gripped, there may be an additional guide for a second non-grip leg, which is not shown in the figures.

[0055] Figures 23 to 25 show the same situation as before. The hairpin is shown in the position it occupies at the end of the arm rotation. At the end of this rotation, in one embodiment of the present invention, the free / hairpin end is at a radial height greater than the minimum radial distance of the insertion guide from the coaxial axis with respect to the rotation axis of the arm. The guide device 900 lowers the height of the free end and at the same time allows for precise axial insertion. In this regard, a first constriction 911A is located on the abutment 911 (typically shown in Figure 19) on the guide arm, on the side facing the gripper 1321. This first constriction allows the non-grip leg of the hairpin to gradually align with the three-sided slot 915 as it moves radially, while springing back to correct the misalignment of the leg. During the step of forming the hairpin, a slight divergence can be intentionally assigned to the leg of the hairpin so that the first constriction works properly, thus allowing the position of the leg of the hairpin to be predetermined. Alternatively, it is possible to assign a slight angular offset from the radial direction to the same gripper. If the basic conductor indicates the possibility of the legs converging, a movable element is required to create a fourth face of the slot 915, which, along with the other three, coincides to surround the non-grip legs at known positions. The movable element needs to be removed at some point to allow passage through the hairpin bridge-like connection. Following the first constriction 911A in the direction toward the drum 300 is a second section 911B, which gradually brings the leg of the hairpin closer to a third face used to guide the conductor. Finally, there is a second constriction of the guide that enters the three-face slot 915 along the same direction as the third section 911C. A distance may exist between the first and second constrictions to accommodate the different leg lengths of the set of hairpins that can be machined by the apparatus.

[0056] Here, a three-sided insertion guide is shown as an example, but other types of hairpin insertion guides are also possible; for example, a four-sided guide can be used to axially retract the non-grip legs.

[0057] Here, we will explain how to insert hairpin windings into the stator core and rotor core.

[0058] Figure 26(a) shows an array 340 of inserts 341 for radial and circumferential positioning of the straight portion of a hairpin already inserted into the drum, in a position suitable for insertion of the stator pack into the slot by axial sliding on the inner surface of the drum. Two adjacent inserts 341 define the outer circumference within (or substantially coplanar with) the outer circumference of the stator core slot (not shown) of the winding at the minimum distance from the axis. Inserts 351 of the inner liner backing comb 350 (commonly used for electrical insulation of various hairpin layers) are inserted while moving radially between the continuous protrusions of the paper. The inner liner is prevented from moving axially by the insert due to its flared portion resting on the bevel portion of the insert during insertion of the conductor into the slot.

[0059] Figures 26(b) to (d) show elements of an alignment array used to transport windings into a stator pack from various angles, as shown below. The initial array 650 consists of alternating storable elements 651 of appropriate shape and intermediate elements 652 that hold them in the correct radial position. Reference numeral 651A indicates the wall of element 651 that contacts the conductor 200 being transported, and reference numeral 651B indicates a bore useful for fully drawing the insert 651 into the array 650. A second array 660 may be further arranged in the insertion direction into the stator pack (shown in the figure below) for finer alignment. Preferably, the array 660 has fixed teeth 661.

[0060] Figure 27 shows the entire block 600 in tooth detail, including two arrays 650 and 660, where one of the teeth 651 is omitted to show tooth 661 of array 660.

[0061] In this regard, once the winding crown assembly is complete, the drum 300 keeps the linear bundles to be inserted into each slot of the stator pack separated by its fully extended inserts 320. At this point, the assembly system including the drum 300 approaches the insert array 650 shown in Figures 28 to 33. Positioning the drum 300 for transporting the successive windings includes an angular positioning step and an axial positioning step within the transport system so that the inserts 320 of the drum 300 are radially aligned with the inserts 651 of the transport array 650, as shown in Figure 28. Before transporting the windings, there may be a step that includes rotating the drum alignment to the stator slots according to the positions assigned according to the winding type.

[0062] During the transport of windings to the stator pack, the drum 300 separates the bundle of straight legs, but it is usually not possible to position the hairpin legs, especially the legs furthest from the axis of the device, with sufficient precision for insertion into the stator pack. In fact, the slot for housing the conductor bundle in the drum is trapezoidal, as shown in Figure 29. The bundle of hairpin legs filling the stator slot must be positioned within the perimeter of the rectangle contained within that of the slot before the windings are inserted into the stator pack. For this purpose, the insert 651 of the transport array is preferably moved radially toward the device or winding axis (from position in Figure 29(a) to position in Figure 29(b)) in synchronization with the indentation of the insert 320 of the drum 300; see Figure 29. Once the removal is complete, the hairpin legs are constrained to a position suitable for continuous insertion into the pack.

[0063] Positioning the drum for continuous winding transport includes an angular positioning step and an axial positioning step within the transport system, as shown in Figure 28, so that the drum inserts are radially aligned with the inserts in the transport array.

[0064] Referring to Figure 29b, the arrangement 650 in Figures 28 and 29 may face at least one additional winding containment element 670 to complete the containment of elements 500, 510 around the entire circumference of the winding. This arrangement is advantageous in that it leaves space for inserting the base conductor into the drum without having to place a movable containment on the upper half circumference of the drum related to the insertion of the base conductor.

[0065] Further precision in the positioning of the conductor bundles is achieved by using the positioning array ("comb array") 660 shown in Figure 30.

[0066] At the end of, or overlapping with, the pusher 800, consisting of two parts 810 and 820, is moved (in the direction of arrow 840) towards the winding header 300 from which the hairpin bridge connector protrudes, as shown in Figure 31. The pusher is made of two parts because, early in the assembly, one of the parts 810 needs to be removable to make space for inserting the hairpin into the drum slot 300. Therefore, part 810 can also be moved in a perpendicular direction (direction 830, perpendicular to 840).

[0067] Once the pusher is assembled, it can be moved to push the conductors into the slots of the stator or rotor pack 750, 760 supported by the device 700, as shown in Figure 32. Reference numeral 750 indicates the stator yoke, and reference numeral 760 indicates the inner liner of the stator pack. Before the insertion of the conductors into the slots is complete, the transport array 650 is moved to the open position so that the bridge-shaped connector can slide on the surface of the drum 300. Winding insertion can be completed by continuing the operation shown in Figure 33 (from right to left).

[0068] Finally, with reference to Figures 34-36, we will describe in detail one embodiment in which the reverse pin is inserted into the winding. It is clear that the definitions of a normal hairpin or reverse hairpin are conventional; for example, if a hairpin having a rightward bend is taken in the bridge-like connection, then a reverse hairpin has a leftward bend, and vice versa. The rotation of the drum 400 is reversed in these two cases.

[0069] As can be seen from Figure 34, on the drum 300, for example, the basic conductor has already been inserted, and now we want to insert the reverse pin. For this purpose, an upper guide 410R is used instead, which has a circumferential extension direction opposite to that of the guide 410 (in the figure, viewed from the free leg end from left to right, not right to left). Figure 35 shows the same state, but starting from the reverse pin bridge-shaped connection. Figure 36 is a perspective view of the reverse pin from the bridge-shaped connection side.

[0070] Figure 37 shows one embodiment of the insertion section into the stator pack, in which two drum assembly systems 700 are arranged on an equal number of carriages 710 that transport the system from a central hairpin loading position to a lateral position, thereby increasing the production cycle. Once the winding assembly is complete, it is transported to the position where it is loaded into the stator pack. In one embodiment, the assembly system (drum, actuators for rotating and expanding the insert, radial containment system) is arranged on a carriage 710 that can move perpendicular to the drum axis from the hairpin loading position (Pos1) to one of the winding loading positions (Pos2 / Pos3) of the stator pack, as shown in Figure 37. According to an advantageous aspect of the present invention, two drum assembly systems coexist, arranged on an equal number of carriages that transport the system from the central hairpin loading position to a lateral position between Pos2 for the right drum and Pos3 for the left drum. This coexistence allows the winding transport and insertion process into the stator pack and the hairpin loading process into the drum to overlap in time, thereby improving factory productivity.

[0071] As shown in Figure 38, the arm system is replaced by a "carousel" 1500 having a plurality of handling units 1510 configured to move from the feed unit 1550 to the drum 300 without moving a predetermined distance from each other, each handling unit having grippers for gripping the legs of the base conductor 200 (this is also true if the handling units themselves are unrestrained arms). According to one aspect of this embodiment, the handling unit 1550 can move along an elliptical guide 1520. The handling unit may have a sliding guide (not shown) for inserting the base conductor into the drum, and may or may not have a similar guide or sliding means for taking the base conductor from the feed unit 1550. Alternatively, an element can move from the feed unit 1550 to the handling unit to carry the base conductor. The rest of the apparatus may or may not have one or more of any or preferred elements as described above.

[0072] Based on the characteristics of the apparatus described above, but more generally, steps of one embodiment of the present invention's method for handling and assembling hairpins or basic conductors are described below. When one of the F1.N handling units 1310, 1510 is in a position corresponding to one or more supply stations, the gripper 1321 is activated to grasp the legs 255a, 255b of the base conductor 200, and the legs are referred to as grip legs. F2. Displace the handling unit relative to a predetermined axis 1110 (or "device axis") and transport it to one or more of the assembly stations. F3. At the position reached in step F2, the gripper 1321 is displaced alternately toward the assembly drum 300 in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined axis 1110 until the following occurs: - If the grip leg is the only leg of the hairpin 200, insert the grip leg into the gap of the slot 324 of the assembly drum 300. - If the hairpin has multiple legs, the legs not gripped by the gripper 1321 are inserted into the gaps of the slots 324 of the assembly drum 300, while the gripped legs remain facing the second surface of the insertion guide 400. Release the hairpin 200 with the F4. Gripper 1321. F5. Step F1-F4: Displace the handling unit relative to a predetermined axis 1110 until it is positioned at one or more supply stations. Steps F1 to F5 are repeated, with the drum 300 rotating by at least one slot step in the direction toward the circumferential exit end of the slide guide 400. F7. Finally, rotate the drum further until all of the basic conductors 200 are out of the basic conductor slide guide 400.

[0073] According to one aspect of the present invention, the handling unit may consist of N handling arms 1310 of a basic conductor 200, where the N arms are rotatable around a predetermined axis 1110, and N=1 or N is 2 or more, and for any N of 2 or more, the N arms are as follows. - Arranged at a uniform angle around a predetermined axis 1110, - It is configured to rotate integrally on a predetermined plane centered on a predetermined axis 1110, - The system is equipped with a gripper slide mechanism that operates to grip and transport the basic conductor and gripper 1321 along the arm, each gripper 1321 being provided.

[0074] Preferably, in step F1, the gripper 1321 is moved toward the supply station in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined axis 1110.

[0075] If N is 2 or greater, the complete rotation of the arms in steps F1 to F6 occurs at a pitch of 360° / N, and at step F1 the arms take the basic conductor and simultaneously insert the basic conductor, which has already been gripped by a different arm at least one pitch earlier, into the assembly drum 300.

[0076] According to one aspect of the present invention, the following further steps are performed between step F5 and step F6. F5b. A step to reset the position of the drum slot when the drum itself rotates in one direction in the circumferential direction.

[0077] According to one aspect of the present invention, N=4.

[0078] According to a further aspect of the present invention, in step F1, the gripping leg and the non-gripping leg of the basic conductor form an angle α such that in step F3, the gripping leg remains facing the second side of the insertion guide 400 without rotation of the gripper 1321.

[0079] As shown above, a pair of slots 324 can be formed, advantageously, by alternating a corresponding pair of radial drum inserts 320. The radial inserts 320 are advantageously retractable and radially expandable, and the corresponding radial retraction or expansion is adjusted during the assembly of the winding set by steps F1 to F7.

[0080] The distance between the slide guide (400) and the radial insert (320) is adjusted during the assembly of the winding set by steps F1 to F7 so that the basic conductor inserted into the slot 324 facing the first side of the slide guide 400 does not come loose.

[0081] In the case of a basic conductor having multiple legs, in step F3, a guide device for axially inserting the non-grip legs of the hairpin 200 into the slot 324 can be conveniently interposed between the gripper 1321 and the slot 324.

[0082] According to one aspect of the present invention, the radial insert 320 has a recess 323 axially adapted to accommodate a circumferential storage element 510 of the basic conductor 200 within a slot 324 moved by the storage system 510.

[0083] Once the winding set is assembled on the drum 300, the following additional steps can be performed to insert the winding into the stator or rotor pack. F8. Stores the radial insert 320 of the drum 300. F9. Thrust means 810, 811, and 820 are positioned on the side of the bridge-shaped connection of the basic conductor 200 to apply thrust to the winding set on the drum (300). F10. The thrust means 810, 811, 820 are actuated toward the stator or rotor pack 750, 760 in the direction 840 of the drum axis 310, and the free end of the base conductor 200 is inserted into the corresponding seat of the stator or rotor pack 750, 760.

[0084] For this purpose, a further step of aligning the free ends of the basic conductors to their respective positions in the slots of the stator or rotor pack may be performed prior to step F10, where each position is assigned according to a predetermined winding pattern, and the alignment is carried out by one or more alignment arrays 200 for the alignment of the free ends of the basic conductors.

[0085] In this case, one or more alignment arrays of the free ends of the basic conductor 200 may include arrays having movable radial elements that can move toward the axis of the drum 300.

[0086] If the basic connector of the winding set includes a bridge-like hairpin with different bending directions (reverse hairpin, see above), in step F3, a slide guide 400 having the opposite circumferential exit end is used each time.

[0087] Before step F3, the relative distance between the drum shaft 320 and the gripper 1321 can be conveniently adjusted.

[0088] To increase the productivity of the apparatus according to the present invention, two handling units are provided in the same number of assembly stations 300, where the following steps are performed. F11. Activate the first of the two handling units to move it from the in-axis position in step F3 to the offset position. F12. Activate the second of the two handling units to move from the offset position to the in-axis position of step F3. F13. Perform steps F8-F10 with the first handling unit. F14. The second handling unit executes steps F1-F7. F15. A step that repeats the cycle of steps F11 to F14, where the first handling unit is identified as having exited step F14 and the second handling unit is identified as having exited step F13.

[0089] The apparatus and method according to the present invention appear to differ morphologically and functionally from the prior art described in patent applications US2019 / 0190359 and US2019 / 0356188 by Odawara Engineering. Indeed, the pulley wheel 1320 is smaller than the assembly cylinder 300 (see Figure 13) and has a dedicated opening for accessing the latter. The contrast observed in the Odawara Engineering applications is missing, and in this case, even if an axial shift of the hairpin were to be performed (which is not even proposed), in addition to requiring modification of each mechanism, the cylinder drag gear has a larger diameter than the latter, and since this diameter serves for the operation of other parts of the apparatus, there would be no space for such operation.

[0090] The system according to the present invention solves, in particular, the problem of translating and rotating the base conductor by 180°. The starting point is that the base conductor is supplied from the previous station with its tip (cusp) (bridge-like connection) facing the assembly system, i.e., with the legs further away from the tip. In order to function, the assembly system needs to rotate the hairpin by 180° before insertion.

[0091] In general, the present invention can use any basic conductor 200, 200R from among those described in the Prior Art section, including I-pin, W-pin, and reverse pin.

[0092] The two or more components (elements, devices, systems) described above can be freely associated with each other and can be considered as a component kit according to the present invention.

[0093] The advantages of this invention include the following: 1. By axially inserting the legs of the hairpin between two consecutive retractable drum inserts, the position of the hairpin can be more controlled, which is useful for better controlling the movement of the conductor arrangement in the filling zone on the drum. This movement is delicate because there is a risk of blockage due to interference between the bridge-like connecting parts of the hairpin. This risk can be avoided by achieving better control. 2. The distance between the guide arm and the insert must not exceed the thickness of the conductor forming the hairpin. In Odawara Engineering's application, this is impossible because the insertion is radial (Odawara Engineering's application has an axial pusher, and at best, the guide can be closed after the hairpin has passed radially, but this is not disclosed in any case). Even if the hairpin could pass radially and be kept in a position where there is no opening in the guide arm due to radial displacement, in reality, it may partially come back out through the same entry opening before rotational displacement and jam with the rest of the arm. The guide in this invention serves both as a guide and a containment, and the second leg also does not fall due to gravity but is accompanied. This is particularly important, as the basic conductor is never perfect, but with the accompanying material it can recover from small variations in shape. 3. Axial insertion allows for shorter crown assembly times than the prior art, due to the need to properly house the hairpin legs between two consecutive retractable drum inserts. In fact, in the prior art, the hairpin is inserted by an approaching movement toward the drum having radial and circumferential components (TBV). The coexistence of these two movements makes it more complex to devise a hairpin housing system for the first leg that can keep up with the high hairpin formation period (1.5 seconds). In other words, adding a housing device for the first leg of the hairpin in the prior art apparatus achieves Advantage 1, but at the cost of the additional complexity required to free up space for the insertion of the next hairpin. To avoid this additional movement, it is advantageous to move the hairpin axially and position it on the drum, and for this purpose, an apparatus that can utilize movement sufficiently and consistently is used. 4. In the system according to this specification, the guide arm can be positioned at an appropriate distance from the drum to prevent the conductor inserted into the drum insertion opening from coming loose or entering. On the other hand, in the application of Odawara Engineering, the space between the guide arm and the drum insertion section is used to insert the non-grip leg of the hairpin into the drum slot. Advantageously, the guide is radially movable, and its distance from the drum can be changed.

[0094] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described here and several modifications have been proposed, but those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and changes can be made without departing from the respective scope of protection as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for assembling the basic conductor (200) of a winding set for an electromechanical stator or rotor, The step includes using one or more basic conductor supply stations, each basic conductor including one or more legs, The method is also, The process includes the step of using N handling units (1310, 1510) for handling a basic conductor (200), each handling unit provided with its own gripper (1321) for gripping the basic conductor and transporting it along its respective path around a predetermined axis, The method is also, The step includes using one or more basic conductor assembly stations for one or more winding sets, The assembly station is The assembly drum (300) is rotatable about a drum shaft positioned perpendicular to the predetermined axis and includes a series of slots (324) arranged at continuous intervals of one slot pitch in the circumferential direction on the outer cylindrical surface of the drum, Each slot has a gap that extends radially along the axis of the drum, and the gap penetrates parallel to the axis of the drum and is open radially outward from the drum. The assembly station also, The first side faces the circumferential arc of the drum (300), the second side faces the opposite side of the first side, and includes a basic conductor slide guide (400) having a circumferential outlet from which the basic conductor exits when the drum (300) rotates. The method involves the following steps: F1. When one of the N handling units (1310) is in a position corresponding to one of one or more supply stations, the step of operating a gripper (1321) to grip the legs (255a, 255b) of the basic conductor (200), the leg being referred to as a gripped leg, F2. A step of displacing the handling unit with respect to a predetermined axis (1110) and transporting it to one of one or more assembly stations, F3. At the position reached in step F2, the gripper (1321) is moved toward the assembly drum (300) in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined axis (1110). - By means of the gripper, if the grip leg is the only leg of the basic conductor (200), the grip leg is inserted into the gap of the slot (324) parallel to the axis of the assembly drum (300), - When the basic conductor has multiple legs, the means of the gripper is to insert the legs not gripped by the gripper (1321) into the gaps of the slots (324) parallel to the axis of the assembly drum (300), and the gripped legs remain facing the second surface of the insertion guide (400), Steps of displacement until alternating occurs, F4. After step F3, the basic conductor (200) is released by the gripper (1321), F5. A step of displacing the handling unit of step F1 to F4 with respect to a predetermined axis (1110) until it is positioned at one or more supply stations, F6. Simultaneously with the rotation of the drum (300) by at least one slot pitch in the direction toward the circumferential exit end of the slide guide (400), the steps F1 to F5 are repeated. F7. Finally, the drum is rotated further until all basic conductors (200) on the basic conductor slide guide (400) are out. Methods that include...

2. The handling unit consists of N handling arms (1310) of a basic conductor (200), The N arms are rotatable around a predetermined axis (1110), N = 1 or N is 2 or greater. For any N greater than or equal to 2, the N arms are: - Arranged at a uniform angle around a predetermined axis (1110), - It is configured to rotate integrally on a predetermined plane centered on a predetermined axis (1110), - Each basic conductor is provided with a gripper (1321) that grips and transports it, and the gripper (1321) slides along the arm by operating a gripper slide mechanism. The method according to claim 1.

3. In step F1, the gripper (1321) is moved toward the supply station in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined axis (1110). The method according to claim 2.

4. When N is 2 or greater, the complete rotation of the arms in steps F1 to F6 occurs at a pitch of 360° / N, and at step F1, the arms take the basic conductor and simultaneously insert the basic conductor, which has already been gripped by an arm different from the one in steps F1 to F6 at least one pitch earlier, into the assembly drum (300). The method according to claim 2 or 3.

5. F5b. When the drum itself rotates in one direction in the circumferential direction, a further step is taken to reset the position of the drum slot. The following is performed between step F5 and step F6. The method according to claim 1.

6. N = 4, The method according to claim 1.

7. In step F1, the gripping leg and non-gripping leg of the basic conductor form an angle α in step F3 such that the gripping leg remains facing the second side of the insertion guide (400) without rotation of the gripper (1321). The method according to claim 1.

8. A series of slots (324) are formed by alternating arrangements of a corresponding series of radial inserts (320) of the drum. The method according to claim 1.

9. The radial insert (320) is radially retractable and expandable, and the corresponding radial retraction or expansion is adjusted during the assembly of the winding set by steps F1 to F7. The method according to claim 8.

10. The distance between the slide guide (400) and the radial insert (320) is adjusted during the assembly of the winding set by steps F1 to F7 to have a value such that the base conductor inserted into the slot (324) facing the first side of the slide guide (400) does not come loose. The method according to claim 9.

11. In step F3, if the basic conductor has multiple legs, a guide device for axially inserting the non-grip legs of the basic conductor (200) into the slot (324) is interposed between the gripper (1321) and the slot (324). The method according to claim 1.

12. The radial insert (320) has a recess (323) axially adapted to accommodate a circumferential storage element (510) of the basic conductor (200) within a slot (324) that moves by the storage system (510). The method according to claim 1.

13. Once the winding set is assembled on the drum (300), the next steps are as follows: F8. A step of storing the radial insert (320) of the drum (300), F9. A step of arranging thrust means (810, 811, 820) for applying thrust to the winding set on the drum (300) from the bridge connection side of the basic conductor (200), F10. A step of operating thrust means (810, 811, 820) toward the stator or rotor pack (750, 760) in the direction (840) of the drum axis (310) in order to insert the free end of the basic conductor (200) into the corresponding seat of the stator or rotor pack (750, 760), This is executed. The method according to claim 9.

14. An additional step is performed prior to step F10 to align the free ends of the base conductors to their respective positions within the slots of the stator or rotor pack, where each position is assigned according to a predetermined winding pattern, and the alignment is performed by one or more alignment arrays for the alignment of the free ends of the base conductors (200). The method according to claim 13.

15. One or more alignment arrays of the free ends of the basic conductor (200) include an array having a movable radial element that is movable toward the axis of the drum (300). The method according to claim 14.

16. If the basic conductor of the winding set includes a basic conductor with bends in different directions of bridge connection, then in step F3, a slide guide (400) having opposite circumferential exit ends is used. The method according to claim 1.

17. Before step F3, the distance between the drum shaft (320) and the gripper (1321) is adjusted. The method according to claim 1.

18. Two handling units are provided at the same number of assembly stations (300), where the following steps are performed: F11. The first unit of the two handling units is activated to move it from the in-axis position of step F3 to the offset position, F12. A step of activating the second of the two handling units to move from the offset position to the in-axis position of step F3, F13. The first handling unit performs steps F8 to F10, F14. The second handling unit performs steps F1 to F7, F15. A step that repeats the cycle of steps F11 to F14, wherein the first handling unit is identified as having exited step F14, and the second handling unit is identified as having exited step F13. This is executed. The method according to claim 1.

19. An apparatus for assembling the basic conductor (200) of a winding set for an electromechanical stator or rotor, It includes one or more basic conductor supply stations, and each basic conductor includes one or more legs, The device also, The system includes N basic conductor (200) handling units (1310), each handling unit being provided with a gripper (1321) for gripping the basic conductor and transporting it along its respective path centered on a predetermined axis. The device also, Includes one or more basic conductor assembly stations for one or more winding sets, The assembly station is The assembly drum (300) is rotatable about a drum shaft positioned perpendicular to the predetermined axis and includes a series of slots (324) arranged at continuous intervals of one slot pitch in the circumferential direction on the outer cylindrical surface of the drum, Each slot has a gap that extends radially along the axis of the drum, and the gap is parallel to the axis of the drum and opens radially outward from the drum. The assembly station also, The first side faces the circumferential arc of the drum (300), the second side faces the opposite side of the first side, and includes a basic conductor slide guide (400) having a circumferential outlet from which the basic conductor exits when the drum (300) rotates. Each Grippa (1321) - If the grip leg is the only leg of the basic conductor (200), the grip leg is inserted into the gap of the slot (324) parallel to the axis of the assembly drum (300), - When the basic conductor has multiple legs, the legs not gripped by the gripper (1321) are inserted into the gaps of the slots (324) parallel to the axis of the assembly drum (300), and the gripped legs remain facing the second side surface of the insertion guide (400). It is configured so that these occur alternately. Furthermore, when the grip legs are inserted into the drum, the basic conductor (200) is released and stored perpendicular to a predetermined axis. Device.

20. The handling unit consists of N handling arms (1310) of a basic conductor (200), The N arms are rotatable around a predetermined axis (1110), N = 1 or N is 2 or greater. For any N greater than or equal to 2, the N arms are: - Arranged at a uniform angle around a predetermined axis (1110), - It is configured to rotate integrally on a predetermined plane centered on a predetermined axis (1110), - By operating the gripper slide mechanism, each gripper (1321) grips and transports the basic conductor and gripper (1321) along the arm. The apparatus according to claim 19.

21. N = 4, The apparatus according to claim 20.

22. A series of slots (324) are formed by alternating arrangements of a corresponding series of radial inserts (320) of the drum. The apparatus according to claim 20 or 21.

23. The radial insert (320) is radially retractable and expandable. The apparatus according to claim 22.

24. In the case of a basic conductor having multiple legs, a guide device for axially inserting the non-grip legs of the basic conductor (200) into the slot (324) is provided between the gripper (1321) and the slot (324). The apparatus according to claim 19.

25. A circumferential storage element (510) of the basic conductor (200) is provided within the slot (324) and moved by the storage system (510). The radial insert (320) has a recess (323) in the axial direction that is adapted to accommodate a circumferential storage element. The apparatus according to claim 19.

26. Thrust means (810, 811, 820) are provided for pushing the winding set into the drum (300). The thrust means is, - So that it is positioned on the side of the bridge connection of the basic conductor (200), - The basic conductor (200) is configured to be actuated toward the stator or rotor pack (750, 760) in the direction (840) of the drum axis (310) in order to insert the free end of the basic conductor (200) into the corresponding seat of the stator or rotor pack (750, 760), The apparatus according to claim 19.

27. One or more alignment arrangements are provided for aligning the free end of the basic conductor (200). The alignment arrangement is configured to align the free ends of the basic conductors to their respective positions within the seat of the stator or rotor pack, which are assigned according to a predetermined winding pattern. The apparatus according to claim 26.

28. One or more alignment arrays of the free ends of the basic conductor (200) include an array having a movable radial element that is movable toward the axis of the drum (300). The apparatus according to claim 27.

29. If the basic conductor of the winding set includes a basic conductor with bends in different directions of bridge connection, then in step F3, a slide guide (400) having opposite circumferential exit ends is further provided. The apparatus according to claim 19.

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