Laminate and method for manufacturing a laminate
The laminate design with strategically positioned temporary joints in core pieces facilitates easy handling and removal, addressing the integration and handling challenges of bar core laminates.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NHK SPRING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing laminates using bar cores are not integrated, making handling difficult and the removal of temporary joints cumbersome.
A laminate configuration where core pieces are laminated with temporary joints positioned to change in a plan view, with a limited number of continuous joints, forming cohesive blocks for easier handling and removal.
The laminate is both easy to handle and remove temporary joints, reducing the force required for separation and ensuring balanced joining of core pieces.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laminate and a method for manufacturing the laminate.
Background Art
[0002] The following technique is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below in order to obtain a laminate in which dummy caulking can be removed sufficiently easily and the laminated bar cores (workpieces without caulking) are not easily broken. That is, a plurality of workpieces are connected by dummy caulking to obtain a first laminated block, and at least one bar core is laminated on the first laminated block.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] However, since the laminate described in Patent Document 1 uses bar cores, the entire laminated core is not integrated, making it difficult to handle.
[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure relates to providing a laminate and a method for manufacturing the laminate that achieve both ease of removing the temporary joint portion and ease of handling the laminate.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The laminate according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a laminate in which a first predetermined number of core pieces are laminated, each of the core pieces having a temporary joint portion that temporarily joins with an adjacent core piece, and the core pieces are temporarily joined with the adjacent core pieces at the temporary joint portions while changing the position of the temporary joint portion in the plan view one by one or for a plurality of pieces at a time, and the first predetermined number is laminated.
[0007] With this configuration, the position of the temporary joint in a plan view is changed, and each of the stacked core pieces is temporarily joined to an adjacent core piece, thus achieving both ease of removal of the temporary joint and ease of handling of the stacked material.
[0008] Furthermore, in the laminate according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the maximum number of core pieces in which the temporary joint is continuous in the lamination direction, which is the direction in which the core pieces are laminated, is a second predetermined number that is less than the first predetermined number.
[0009] With this configuration, the number of iron core pieces with continuous temporary joints is less than the total number of iron core pieces that make up the entire laminate, making it easier to remove the temporary joints while maintaining the ease of handling of the laminate.
[0010] Furthermore, the laminate according to the third aspect of the present disclosure includes a block portion in the laminate according to the second aspect of the present disclosure in which a third predetermined number of the iron core pieces, less than or equal to the second predetermined number, are laminated in the lamination direction in such a manner that the temporary joints are continuous.
[0011] This configuration creates a cohesive unit for each block, making it easier to handle.
[0012] Furthermore, the laminate according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the core piece constituting the block portion is a first core piece, and the core piece adjacent to the block portion is a second core piece having a greater number of temporary joints than the first core piece.
[0013] With this configuration, the second core piece has a temporary joint that is temporarily joined to the temporary joint that was continuous in the block section, and another temporary joint, and when viewed as a whole laminate, the position of the continuous temporary joint in a plan view can be easily changed.
[0014] Furthermore, the laminate according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure is, in the laminate according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the portion of the core piece other than the temporary joint is the core piece body, and the temporary joint of the first core piece has at least a first temporary joint and a second temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the first temporary joint with respect to the first temporary joint, with respect to the centroid of the core piece body of the first core piece in a plan view as the center of symmetry, and the temporary joint of the second core piece has at least a third temporary joint and the third temporary joint with respect to the centroid of the core piece body of the second core piece in a plan view as the center of symmetry The joint comprises a fourth temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the joint, a fifth temporary joint, and a sixth temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the fifth temporary joint, with respect to the centroid of the core body of the second core piece in a plan view as the center of symmetry. The joint is positioned at a predetermined angle where a first virtual line connecting the third and fourth temporary joints and passing through the centroid of the core body of the second core piece intersects with a second virtual line connecting the fifth and sixth temporary joints and passing through the centroid of the core body of the second core piece.
[0015] This configuration allows for balanced temporary joining of each iron core piece.
[0016] Furthermore, in the laminate according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, each of the iron core pieces has a common shape in the laminate according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure.
[0017] With this configuration, each iron core piece can be easily manufactured, resulting in a laminate that can be easily produced.
[0018] A method for manufacturing a laminate according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a laminate in which a first predetermined number of iron core pieces are laminated, wherein each of the iron core pieces has a temporary joint portion for temporary joining with an adjacent iron core piece, and the method comprises the steps of: generating a first temporary joint obtained by temporarily joining a third iron core piece, or a plurality of the third iron core pieces less than the first predetermined number, at the temporary joint portion; and a seventh temporary joint portion for temporary joining with the third iron core piece or the temporary joint portion of the first temporary joint, and the third iron core piece or the first temporary joint The method comprises the steps of: temporarily joining a fourth core piece, which is an iron core piece having an eighth temporary joint that is not temporarily joined to the joint, or a second temporary joint obtained by temporarily joining a plurality of the fourth iron core pieces, which are fewer than the predetermined number of the first iron core pieces, at the temporary joint, to the third iron core piece or the first temporary joint; and temporarily joining an iron core piece having a temporary joint that is not temporarily joined to the seventh temporary joint of the fourth iron core piece or the second temporary joint, but is temporarily joined to the eighth temporary joint, to the fourth iron core piece or the second temporary joint.
[0019] With this configuration, all the iron core pieces are temporarily joined to each other while changing the position of the temporary joints in a plan view, resulting in a laminate that is both easy to remove and easy to handle. [Effects of the Invention]
[0020] According to this disclosure, it is possible to obtain a laminate that is easy to remove temporary joints and easy to handle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0021] [Figure 1] (A) is a side view of the laminate according to the first embodiment, (B) is a plan view of the first core piece constituting the laminate, (C) is a plan view of the second core piece constituting the laminate, and (D) is an enlarged partial plan view of the area around the temporary joint. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a laminate according to one embodiment. [Figure 3](A) is a side view of a laminate according to a modified example of the first embodiment, (B) is a plan view of a first core piece constituting the laminate, and (C) is a plan view of a second core piece constituting the laminate. [Figure 4] (A) is a side view of a laminate according to the second embodiment, and (B) is a plan view of a common core piece constituting the laminate. [Figure 5] It is a side view of a laminate according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] (A) is a side view of a laminate according to another embodiment, and FIG. 6(B) is a plan view of a common core piece constituting the laminate.
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, members that are the same or corresponding to each other are given the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.
[0023] [First Embodiment] First, the laminate 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1(A) to 1(D). Figure 1(A) is a side view of the laminate 1, Figure 1(B) is a plan view of the first core piece 11 constituting the laminate 1, Figure 1(C) is a plan view of the second core piece 12 constituting the laminate 1, and (D) is an enlarged partial plan view around the temporary joint 20. In Figure 1(A), the top and bottom of the paper correspond to the actual top and bottom. In this embodiment, the first core piece 11 (corresponding to the first core piece) and the second core piece 12 (corresponding to the second core piece) have the same configuration, except that the number of temporary joints 20, which will be described later, is different. Hereinafter, when referring to the common configuration or properties of the first core piece 11 and the second core piece 12, they may be collectively referred to as "core piece 10". The laminate 1 according to this embodiment is composed of multiple layers of two types of core pieces 10, the first core piece 11 and the second core piece 12. In this embodiment, the core piece 10 is the material for the stator core. The stator core works in cooperation with the rotor core to form the motor core (laminated core). The core piece 10 is typically a plate-shaped member formed by punching out an electromagnetic steel sheet with a thickness of approximately 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. Each core piece 10 is typically formed by punching out the same electromagnetic steel sheet, and therefore is made from the same material. The core piece 10 has a core piece body 16 and a temporary joint portion 20.
[0024] The iron core body 16 has a yoke portion 18 and a magnetic pole portion 19. In a plan view (see Figures 1(B) and 1(C)), the yoke portion 18 is formed in an annular shape (a circle, ellipse, or polygon such as a square or hexagon, forming a ring) with space on the inside, and in this embodiment, it is formed in an annular shape. In a plan view, the magnetic pole portion 19 is a part consisting of a member provided on the inside of the yoke portion 18.
[0025] The temporary joint 20 is for temporarily joining the core pieces 10 together when multiple core pieces 10 are stacked to form a laminate 1. Here, "temporarily joining" means joining (temporarily joining) with the intention of removing it from the laminate 1, which is an intermediate product, before it becomes the finished stator core. Therefore, the temporary joint 20 provided on the laminate 1 is to be removed before it becomes the finished stator core. In this embodiment, the temporary joint 20 is provided at an appropriate position on the outer circumference of the core piece body 16. The temporary joint 20 is composed of a small piece extending radially outward from the outer circumference of the core piece body 16.
[0026] The temporary joint 20 is configured to be temporarily joined to the temporary joint 20 of an adjacent core piece 10 in the direction in which the core pieces 10 are stacked (hereinafter referred to as the "stacking direction P"), and in this embodiment, crimping is used. More specifically, the temporary joint 20 has a crimping projection that rises downward on the lower surface of the small piece, and a crimping recess that is recessed downward on the upper surface of the small piece. When the core pieces 10 are stacked, the crimping projection of the temporary joint 20 of the core piece 10 directly below fits into the crimping recess of the temporary joint 20 of the core piece 10 directly below, and the crimping recess of the temporary joint 20 of the core piece 10 directly above fits into the crimping projection, thereby temporarily joining them together. The connection portion of the temporary joint 20 to the core piece body 16 may be a weak portion 29 in order to make it easier to remove later. The weak point 29 is, for example, as shown in Figure 1(D), a part in which the strength is lower than when the small piece of the temporary joint 20 is directly connected to the main body of the iron core piece 16. For example, it may be a part in which the cross-sectional area is reduced by making the width and / or thickness smaller than the main part of the small piece.
[0027] As shown in Figure 1(B), the first core piece 11 is provided with two temporary joints 20 to the core piece body 16. One of the two temporary joints 20 of the first core piece 11 is called the first temporary joint 21 (corresponding to the first temporary joint), and the other is called the second temporary joint 22 (corresponding to the second temporary joint). The first temporary joint 21 and the second temporary joint 22 are both temporary joints 20 with the same configuration, but are given different names to distinguish between their different arrangements. In this explanation, unless otherwise distinguished, the first temporary joint 21, the second temporary joint 22, and any temporary joints defined later will be collectively referred to as temporary joints 20. The first core piece 11 has the second temporary joint 22 on the outer circumference of the core piece body 16, at a position opposite to the first temporary joint 21. In other words, the first temporary joint 21 and the second temporary joint 22 are positioned in a point-symmetric position with respect to the centroid of the circular center (central center) of the yoke portion 18 of the iron core piece body 16.
[0028] As shown in Figure 1(C), the second iron core piece 12 is provided with four temporary joints 20 on the iron core piece body 16: a third temporary joint 23, a fourth temporary joint 24, a fifth temporary joint 25, and a sixth temporary joint 26. The third temporary joint 23 corresponds to the third temporary joint, the fourth temporary joint 24 corresponds to the fourth temporary joint, the fifth temporary joint 25 corresponds to the fifth temporary joint, and the sixth temporary joint 26 corresponds to the sixth temporary joint. These four temporary joints 20 have the same structure, but are given different names to distinguish their different arrangements. On the outer circumference of the iron core piece body 16, the second iron core piece 12 has the fourth temporary joint 24 positioned opposite the third temporary joint 23, and the sixth temporary joint 26 positioned opposite the fifth temporary joint 25. In other words, the third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24 are positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the circular center of the yoke portion 18. The fifth temporary joint 25 and the sixth temporary joint 26 are positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the circular center of the yoke portion 18. In a plan view, the fifth temporary joint 25 does not overlap with the third temporary joint 23 and is positioned offset from the third temporary joint 23 in the circumferential direction of the yoke portion 18. In this embodiment, the second iron core piece 12 has the fifth temporary joint 25 and the sixth temporary joint 26 positioned on the outer circumference of the iron core piece body 16, intermediate between the third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24. In other words, a virtual straight line VL1 connecting the third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24 and passing through the center of the circle of the yoke portion 18, and a virtual straight line VL2 connecting the fifth temporary joint 25 and the sixth temporary joint 26 and passing through the center of the circle of the yoke portion 18 are arranged to be perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the angle at which the virtual straight line VL1 and the virtual straight line VL2 intersect (corresponding to a predetermined angle) is set to 90° from the viewpoint of improving the balance when the laminated body 1 is formed. However, the predetermined angle at which the virtual straight line VL1 and the virtual straight line VL2 intersect may be an angle other than 90°, such as 30°, 45°, or 60°, as long as the fifth temporary joint 25 and / or the sixth temporary joint 26 do not overlap with the third temporary joint 23 and / or the fourth temporary joint 24. When forming the laminated body 1 by rolling, it is preferable to match the predetermined angle at which the virtual straight line VL1 and the virtual straight line VL2 intersect with the angle of rotation during rolling.
[0029] As shown in Figure 1(A), the laminate 1 is constructed as follows. First, at the bottom, multiple first core pieces 11 are stacked with their temporary joints 20 aligned in a plan view, and the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined to each other. The number of stacked first core pieces 11 may be, for example, several pieces or about a dozen to several dozen pieces. Here, the multiple stacked first core pieces 11 are stacked in the stacking direction P with their temporary joints 20 aligned, forming a single block. In this way, a stack of the same type of core pieces 10 with all the temporary joints 20 aligned will be called a "block section 30", and the block section 30 formed from the first core pieces 11 will be specifically called the "first block section 31". The block section 30 corresponds to what is sometimes called a block core.
[0030] A second core piece 12 is placed on top of the first core piece 11, which is the uppermost part of the first block section 31 located at the bottom of the laminated body 1. The third temporary joint 23 of this second core piece 12 is temporarily joined to the first temporary joint 21, the fourth temporary joint 24 is temporarily joined to the second temporary joint 22, and the fifth temporary joint 25 and sixth temporary joint 26 are not temporarily joined to the first core piece 11 directly below it. In the example shown in Figure 1(A), another second core piece 12 is placed on top of the second core piece 12 that is placed on top of the first core piece 11, but the number of second core pieces 12 provided here can be one to about a dozen. The second core pieces 12 placed here function as intermediate plates that change the position of the temporary joint 20 of the first core piece 11 in a plan view, and the number of these second core pieces 12 can be fewer than the number of first core pieces 11 that form the first block section 31. When multiple second core pieces 12 are stacked, the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined together with each temporary joint 20 aligned in a plan view. A bundle of multiple second core pieces 12 stacked in this way can also be seen as forming a block portion 30, and the block portion 30 formed by the second core pieces 12 will be specifically referred to as the "second block portion 32". In this embodiment, there are multiple second core pieces 12 arranged on the first block portion 31, or in other words, the second block portion 32 is arranged on the first block portion 31.
[0031] The first block section 31 is again placed on top of the second block section 32 described above. The first core piece 11 in the lowest part of the first block section 31 is placed on top of the second core piece 12 in the uppermost part of the second block section 32, and the first temporary joint 21 is temporarily joined to the fifth temporary joint 25 (not shown in Figure 1(A)), and the second temporary joint 22 is temporarily joined to the sixth temporary joint 26. The third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24 of the second core piece 12 are not temporarily joined to the temporary joint 20 of the first core piece 11 placed on top of them. Another second block section 32 is placed on top of this first block section 31 in the same temporary joining manner as described above.
[0032] The laminate 1 according to this embodiment is formed by alternating arrangements of a first block section 31 and a second block section 32. At this time, the boundaries between the first block section 31 and the second block section 32 are temporarily joined by the core pieces 10 in the manner described above, but for the sake of clarity, the manner of this temporary joining is shown below. The second core piece 12 at the bottom of the second block section 32, which is stacked on top of the first core piece 11 at the top of the first block section 31, has a third temporary joining section 23 temporarily joined to the first temporary joining section 21 and a fourth temporary joining section 24 temporarily joined to the second temporary joining section 22 with respect to the first core piece 11 directly below it. At this time, the fifth temporary joining section 25 and the sixth temporary joining section 26 of the second core piece 12 are not temporarily joined to the first core piece 11 directly below it. The first core piece 11 at the bottom of the first block section 31, which is superimposed on the second core piece 12 at the top of the second block section 32, has its first temporary joint 21 temporarily joined to the fifth temporary joint 25 and its second temporary joint 22 temporarily joined to the sixth temporary joint 26 relative to the second core piece 12. At this time, the third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24 of the second core piece 12 are not temporarily joined to the first core piece 11 directly above it. By arranging the first block section 31 and the second block section 32 alternately in this manner, the positions of the temporary joints 20 in a plan view are shifted between the first block section 31 positioned below the second block section 32 and the first block section 31 positioned above it. As a result, the laminated body 1 does not have a continuous row of temporary joints 20 along the entire stacking direction P.
[0033] As described above, the laminate 1 is constructed by stacking multiple iron core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P. The total number of iron core pieces 10 that make up the entire laminate 1 corresponds to a first predetermined number. The first predetermined number is typically several tens to several hundred pieces. Since the laminate 1 according to this embodiment has multiple block sections 30, the number of iron core pieces 10 that make up each block section 30 is less than the first predetermined number. The number of iron core pieces 10 that make up each block section 30 corresponds to a third predetermined number. The number of iron core pieces 10 that make up each block section 30 may be the same in each block section 30, or it may differ from block section 30 to block section 30. In other words, the third predetermined number may differ for each block section 30. Furthermore, in the laminate 1 according to this embodiment, all temporary joints 20 are continuous in the stacking direction P in each block section 30 unit. Furthermore, in the stacking direction P, a certain first block portion 31 has a portion where the temporary joint portion 20 is continuous, including the second block portion 32 provided at one or both ends thereof. The maximum number of iron core pieces 10 having a portion where the temporary joint portion 20 is continuous in the stacking direction P, including the first block portion 31 and the second block portion 32, corresponds to the second predetermined number. In the laminate 1 according to this embodiment, since the temporary joint portion 20 is continuous with the second block portion 32 provided at one or both ends thereof of the first block portion 31, the second predetermined number is greater than the third predetermined number. Note that in this embodiment, the second predetermined number is less than the first predetermined number. In other words, in the laminate 1, the temporary joint portion 20 is not continuous between a series of iron core pieces 10 having a portion where the temporary joint portion 20 is continuous in the stacking direction P, including the first block portion 31 and the second block portion 32, and the block portion 30 that follows them.
[0034] Therefore, the laminate 1 can be described as a structure in which a first predetermined number of core pieces 10 are stacked in the stacking direction P, with the position of the temporary joints 20 changing every few core pieces 10 in a plan view (viewed from the top to the bottom of the paper in Figure 1(A)), and adjacent core pieces 10 being temporarily joined at the temporary joints 20. In other words, there are no parts in the laminate 1 where the temporary joints 20 are continuous in a single line along the entire stacking direction P. In this embodiment, the maximum number of core pieces 10 with continuous temporary joints 20 is the second predetermined number. For this reason, when removing the temporary joints 20 later to make the laminate 1 into a finished stator core, the force required to remove the temporary joints 20 can be reduced compared to when the temporary joints 20 are continuous throughout the entire laminate 1. Moreover, when viewed as a whole, the laminate 1 is easy to handle because all (a predetermined number of) core pieces 10 constituting the laminate 1 are temporarily joined to adjacent core pieces 10 in the lamination direction P at some position in a plan view, preventing each core piece 10 from falling apart. Furthermore, in the laminate 1 according to this embodiment, the first temporary joint portion 21 and the second temporary joint portion 22 of the first core piece 11 are positioned in a point-symmetric position with respect to the circular center of the yoke portion 18 of the core piece body 16 as the center of symmetry, allowing the laminate 1 to be temporarily fixed in a balanced manner. In addition, in the laminate 1 according to this embodiment, when viewed in the lamination direction P, each first block portion 31 sandwiches a second block portion 32, causing the first core piece 11 to rotate 90° in the same direction in a plan view. This allows for the cancellation of deviations in the plate thickness of each core piece 10. Furthermore, if the second or third predetermined number of sheets mentioned above is set to, for example, about 1 / 12 to 1 / 4 of the first predetermined number of sheets, it is preferable as it helps to eliminate the deviation in the plate thickness of each iron core piece 10 in the laminate 1 as a whole.
[0035] In the example shown in Figure 1(A), the first block portion 31 is positioned at the lower and upper ends of the laminate 1, but a configuration in which the second block portion 32 or the second iron core piece 12 is positioned at the lower and / or upper ends of the laminate 1 is also possible.
[0036] Next, with reference to Figure 2, a method for manufacturing a laminate 1 according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure for manufacturing a laminate 1. In the following description of the method for manufacturing a laminate 1, when the configuration of the laminate 1 is referred to, please refer to Figures 1(A) to 1(D) as appropriate. The laminate 1 is typically manufactured using a laminate manufacturing apparatus (not shown). Although not shown, such a laminate manufacturing apparatus includes a mold that punches out long lengths of electrical steel sheets to produce core pieces 10, and a squeeze ring in which the core pieces 10 are laminated and temporarily joined. In this embodiment, the mold is capable of producing a first core piece 11 and a second core piece 12 depending on the situation. The long lengths of electrical steel sheets are set as wound rolls and are transported to the mold by a transport mechanism. The operation of the laminate manufacturing apparatus described below is typically automatically controlled by a control device.
[0037] When the manufacturing of the laminate 1 begins, the electromagnetic steel sheet is punched out with a die to produce the first core piece 11 (S1). After the first core piece 11 is produced, the first core piece 11 produced is temporarily joined to the previously produced core piece 10 (S2). The temporary joining of the first core piece 11 is performed inside the squeeze ring as described above. However, in this case, when a core piece 10 is transported to the squeeze ring for the first time, there is no other core piece 10 to temporarily join it to, so in effect, no temporary joining is performed. Also, in this embodiment, the first core piece 11 also serves as the third core piece. After the temporary joining of the first core piece 11 produced is performed, it is determined whether or not a "first temporary joint" consisting of a predetermined number of first core pieces 11 stacked together has been produced (S3). The predetermined number here is, in this embodiment, the number of first core pieces 11 that form the first block section 31 located at the bottom of the laminate 1. If the first temporary joint is not generated in step (S3), the process returns to step (S1) for generating the first iron core piece 11.
[0038] Returning to the process of generating the first core piece 11 (S1), a new (in this case, the second) first core piece 11 is generated in the same way as the first first core piece 11, and temporarily joined to the previously generated core piece 10 (S2). In the case of the second first core piece 11, since the first first core piece 11 that was generated earlier already exists, temporary joining of the first core pieces 11 is performed within the squeeze ring. As mentioned above, this temporary joining of the first core pieces 11 is performed by temporarily joining the temporary joining parts 20 together. After that, processes (S1) to (S3) are repeated until the first temporary joined body is generated based on the judgment in process (S3). If the first temporary joined body is generated based on the judgment in process (S3) (YES in process S3), the process proceeds to the next step to determine whether or not the lamination of the core pieces 10 has been completed (S4). Here, whether or not the lamination of the iron core pieces 10 is complete means whether or not the number of iron core pieces 10 has reached the number of pieces that constitute the laminate 1, that is, whether or not it has reached the first predetermined number.
[0039] If the lamination of the core pieces 10 is not complete (NO in step S4), the electrical steel sheet is punched out with a die to produce a second core piece 12 (S5). In this embodiment, the second core piece 12 also serves as the fourth core piece. Once the second core piece 12 is produced, it is temporarily joined to the previously produced core piece 10 (S6). Here, since the previously produced core piece 10 is the first core piece 11 (first temporary joint), the newly produced second core piece 12 is temporarily joined to the first core piece 11 within the squeeze ring. Here, the temporary joining of the second core piece 12 to the first core piece 11 of the first temporary joint is performed as described above, by temporarily joining the third temporary joint 23 to the first temporary joint 21 and the fourth temporary joint 24 to the second temporary joint 22. The fifth temporary joint 25 and the sixth temporary joint 26 of the second core piece 12 are not temporarily joined to the temporary joint 20 of the first core piece 11 directly below them. In this case, the third temporary joint 23 and the fourth temporary joint 24 of the second core piece 12 also serve as the seventh temporary joint, and the fifth temporary joint 25 and the sixth temporary joint 26 also serve as the eighth temporary joint. Once the temporary joining of the second core piece 12 generated in this step is performed, it is determined whether or not a "second temporary joint" has been generated by stacking a predetermined number of second core pieces 12 (S7). In this embodiment, the predetermined number is the number of second core pieces 12 that form the second block 32. If the second temporary joint has not been generated in step (S7), the process returns to the step of generating the second core piece 12 (S5).
[0040] Returning to the process of generating the second core piece 12 (S5), a new (in this case, the second) second core piece 12 is generated in the same way as the first second core piece 12, and temporarily joined to the previously generated core piece 10 (S6), and it is determined whether or not a second temporary joint has been generated (S7). After that, steps (S5) to (S7) are repeated until a second temporary joint is generated as determined in step (S7). If a second temporary joint is generated as determined in step (S7) (YES in step S7), the process proceeds to the next step, and it is determined whether or not the lamination of the core pieces 10 has been completed (S8). This step (S8) is the same as step (S4) except for the number of core pieces 10 constituting the block section 30, but it is set up separately from step (S4) because there are differences in the next step that is taken. If the stacking of the core pieces 10 is not complete (NO in step S8), the entire stack of core pieces 10 (temporary joint) within the squeeze ring is rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction of the core piece 10 (S9). The predetermined angle is the angle corresponding to the central angle of the arc between adjacent temporary joints 20 of the second core piece 12, and in this embodiment, it is 90°. Typically, once the temporary joint within the squeeze ring is rotated by the predetermined angle in step (S9), it remains rotated until step (S9) is executed again. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the flowchart of Figure 2, if step (S9) is performed four times before the stacking of the core pieces is complete (YES in step S4 or S8), the bottom core piece 10 will return to its original position. After step (S9) is performed, the process returns to step (S1) for generating the first core piece 11. Returning to the process of generating the first iron core piece 11 (S1), each of the aforementioned steps is performed according to the flowchart shown in Figure 2.
[0041] Each step in the flowchart shown in Figure 2 is performed, and once the lamination of the iron core pieces 10 is completed in step (S4) or step (S8), the manufacturing of the laminate 1 is terminated. This completes the production of one laminate 1. To manufacture another laminate 1, the steps shown in Figure 2 described above should be repeated. The example shown in Figure 2 illustrates the specific manufacturing method of the laminate 1 shown in Figure 1(A), and therefore, the presence or absence of the first temporary joint and the second temporary joint were determined (S3, S7). However, depending on the configuration of the laminate to be manufactured, the first temporary joint and / or the second temporary joint may be replaced with one first iron core piece 11 and / or the second iron core piece 12, respectively. In addition, in the illustrative flowchart shown in Figure 2, it is determined whether the lamination of the iron core pieces 10 is complete after the first temporary joint is generated (YES in step S3) and after the second temporary joint is generated (YES in step S7) (S4, S8). However, if the topmost part of the laminate 1 is the first temporary joint, step (S8) can be omitted, and the process can proceed to step (S9) after the result of step (S7) is YES. On the other hand, if the topmost part of the laminate 1 is the second temporary joint, step (S4) can be omitted, and the process can proceed to step (S5) after the result of step (S3) is YES. Furthermore, depending on the configuration of the laminate 1, the step (S9) in which the temporary joint in the squeeze ring is rotated can be performed after the result of step (S4) instead of after the result of step (S8) is YES.
[0042] In the above description of the manufacturing method of the laminate 1, it was assumed that multiple block sections 30 (a first temporary joint and a second temporary joint) are formed as a result of stacking the iron core pieces 10 one by one within the squeeze ring. However, it is also possible to form each block section 30 first outside the squeeze ring and then stack the formed block sections 30 together. In this case, it is advisable to rotate each block section 30 appropriately in the circumferential direction of the iron core piece 10 so that the iron core piece 10 at the boundary between the first temporary joint (first block section 31) and the second temporary joint (second block section 32) is temporarily joined in the manner described above. The manufactured laminate 1 is an intermediate product, and by permanently joining the iron core piece bodies 16 of the stacked iron core pieces 10 and removing all the temporary joints 20, it becomes a stator core, which is the finished product. The direction of removal of the temporary joints 20 may be in the circular radial or circumferential direction of the yoke section 18 in a plan view, or in the stacking direction P of the laminate 1. As an example of how the iron core pieces 16 of the stacked iron core pieces 10 are permanently joined together, one can be said to be welding all or part of the outer circumference of the yoke portion 18. The permanent joining and removal of the temporary joint portion 20 may be performed by removing the temporary joint portion 20 after the permanent joining is completed, or by placing the stacked body 1 in a jig, removing the temporary joint portion 20, and then performing the permanent joining.
[0043] [Modified version of the first embodiment] Next, a modified example of the first embodiment, the laminated body 1A, will be described with reference to Figures 3(A) to 3(C). Figure 3(A) is a side view of the laminated body 1A, Figure 3(B) is a plan view of the first core piece 11A constituting the laminated body 1A, and Figure 3(C) is a plan view of the second core piece 12A constituting the laminated body 1A. In Figure 3(A), the top and bottom of the paper correspond to the actual top and bottom. In this modified example as well, when referring to the common configuration or properties of the first core piece 11A and the second core piece 12A, they may be collectively referred to as "core piece 10". The laminated body 1A according to this modified example is composed of multiple layers of two types of core pieces 10, the first core piece 11A and the second core piece 12A, laminated together.
[0044] The modified first core piece 11A differs from the first core piece 11 (see Figure 1(B)) provided in the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)) in that it does not have a second temporary joint 22. In other words, the first core piece 11A has one temporary joint 20 instead of two. The other configurations of the first core piece 11A are the same as those of the first core piece 11 (see Figure 1(B)). Therefore, the first core piece 11A is common to the first core piece 11 (see Figure 1(B)) in that it has a core piece body 16 having a yoke portion 18 and a magnetic pole portion 19, and a first temporary joint 21.
[0045] The second core piece 12A in this modified example differs from the second core piece 11 (see Figure 1(C)) provided in the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)) in that it does not have the fourth temporary joint 24 and the sixth temporary joint 26. In other words, the second core piece 12A has two temporary joints 20 instead of four. The other configurations of the second core piece 12A are the same as those of the second core piece 12 (see Figure 1(C)). Therefore, the second core piece 12A is common to the second core piece 11 (see Figure 1(C)) in that it includes the core piece body 16, as well as the third temporary joint 23 and the fifth temporary joint 25. In the second core piece 12A, the two temporary joints 20 are not positioned opposite each other on the circular yoke portion 18, but rather at a position where the imaginary straight line connecting each temporary joint 20 and the center of the circular yoke portion 18 forms a 90° angle.
[0046] As shown in Figure 3(A), the laminate 1A is configured as follows. First, at the bottom, multiple first iron core pieces 11A are stacked with their temporary joints 20 aligned in a plan view, and the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined to each other. The number of stacked first iron core pieces 11A may be, for example, several pieces or about a dozen to several dozen pieces. In this way, the multiple stacked first iron core pieces 11A form a first block 31.
[0047] A second core piece 12A is placed on top of the first core piece 11A, which is the uppermost piece in the first block section 31 located at the bottom of the laminate 1A. The third temporary joint 23 of this second core piece 12A is temporarily joined to the first temporary joint 21 of the first core piece 11A directly below it, but the fifth temporary joint 25 is not temporarily joined. In the example shown in Figure 3(A), two second core pieces 12A are placed on top of the first core piece 11A, but as with the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)), the number of second core pieces 12A provided here can be one to about a dozen. In this embodiment, multiple second core pieces 12A are placed on top of each other to form a second block section 32.
[0048] The first block section 31 is placed on top of the second block section 32 described above. The first core piece 11A, the lowest part of the first block section 31, is placed on top of the second core piece 12A, the uppermost part of the second block section 32, and the first temporary joint 21 is temporarily joined to the fifth temporary joint 25 with respect to the second core piece 12A. The third temporary joint 23 of the second core piece 12A is not temporarily joined to the temporary joint 20 of the first core piece 11A which is placed on top of it. The second block section 32 is then placed on top of this first block section 31 in the same temporary joining manner as described above.
[0049] In the laminate 1A according to this modified example, the first block section 31 and the second block section 32 are arranged alternately, similar to the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)). In this modified example, at the boundary between the first block section 31 and the second block section 32, the first temporary joint section 21 is temporarily joined on the fifth temporary joint section 25, and the third temporary joint section 23 is temporarily joined on the first temporary joint section 21, and the laminates are then constructed in this manner. By arranging the first block section 31 and the second block section 32 alternately in this manner, the positions of the temporary joint sections 20 in a plan view will be shifted between the first block section 31 located below the second block section 32 and the first block section 31 located above it. As a result, the laminate 1A does not have a continuous row of temporary joint sections 20 along the entire lamination direction P. The laminate 1A is also constructed by laminating a predetermined number of iron core pieces 10 in the lamination direction P. Furthermore, the maximum number of iron core pieces 10 having a portion where the temporary joint 20 is continuous in the stacking direction P (the second predetermined number) is less than the first predetermined number. Also, a third predetermined number of first iron core pieces 11A are stacked in the stacking direction P to constitute each block portion 30.
[0050] The laminated body 1A according to this modified example, like laminated body 1 (see Figure 1(A)), can be described as a laminated body in which a predetermined number of core pieces 10 are stacked in the stacking direction P, with the position of the temporary joint 20 in a plan view changing every few core pieces 10, and adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P being temporarily joined at the temporary joint 20. Therefore, in laminated body 1A, there are no parts where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire stacking direction P, and the force required to remove the temporary joint 20 can be reduced compared to the case where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire laminated body 1A. Moreover, when viewed as a whole, all the core pieces 10 constituting the laminated body 1A are temporarily joined to adjacent core pieces 10, so each core piece 10 does not fall apart and is easy to handle. Furthermore, in the laminate 1A according to this modified example, the number of temporary joints 20 of the first core piece 11A and the second core piece 12A is less than the number of temporary joints 20 of the first core piece 11 (see Figure 1(B)) and the second core piece 12 (see Figure 1(C)). Therefore, the effort required to remove the temporary joints 20 can be reduced. In the example shown in Figure 3(A), the first block section 31 is arranged at the lower and upper ends of the laminate 1A, but the second block section 32 and the second core piece 12A may be arranged at the lower and / or upper ends of the laminate 1A.
[0051] The laminate 1A according to this modified example, configured as described above, can also be manufactured in the same manner as the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)), following the flowchart shown in Figure 2. As a modified example of the first embodiment, a laminate 1A is disclosed in which a first core piece 11A having one temporary joint 20 and a second core piece 12A having two temporary joint 20s are laminated together to form the laminate 1A. As a further modified example, a laminate may be adopted in which a first predetermined number of first core pieces having three or more temporary joint 20s and second core pieces having more temporary joint 20s than the number of temporary joint 20s on the first core piece (for example, twice the number of temporary joint 20s on the first core piece) are laminated together. In this case, when viewed in the stacking direction P, each time the first block portion 31 sandwiches the second block portion 32 or the second core piece, the first core piece is rotated in a plan view by an angle corresponding to the central angle of the arc between the circumferentially adjacent temporary joint portions 20 of the second core piece, and then stacked.
[0052] [Second Embodiment] Next, the laminate 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4(A) and 4(B). Figure 4(A) is a side view of the laminate 2, and Figure 4(B) is a plan view of the common core piece 13 constituting the laminate 2. In Figure 4(A), the top and bottom of the paper correspond to the actual top and bottom. The common core piece 13 is a form of the core piece 10, but is distinguished from the first core piece 11 (see Figure 1(B)) and the second core piece 12 (see Figure 1(C)) by being assigned different reference numerals. All of the common core pieces 13 constituting the laminate 2 are the same. In other words, the laminate 2 is composed of multiple common core pieces 13, which are one type of core piece 10, laminated together.
[0053] The common core piece 13 is essentially the same as the second core piece 12A (see Figure 3(C)) provided in the laminate 1A (see Figure 3(A)). That is, the common core piece 13 has a core piece body 16, and two temporary joints 20 are provided on the outer circumference of the core piece body 16. However, the names of the temporary joints 20 on the common core piece 13 have been changed to front temporary joint 321 and rear temporary joint 322, in contrast to the third temporary joint 23 and fifth temporary joint 25 on the second core piece 12A (see Figure 3(C)). This change in naming is for the purpose of distinguishing the common core piece 13 from the second core piece 12A (see Figure 3(C)) for the sake of explanation. In this embodiment, the common core piece 13 is positioned such that the front temporary joint 321 and the rear temporary joint 322 are at a 90° angle to the imaginary straight line connecting each temporary joint 321, 322 and the circular center of the yoke portion 18.
[0054] As shown in Figure 4(A), the laminate 2 is configured as follows. First, at the bottom, multiple common core pieces 13 are stacked with their temporary joints 20 aligned in a plan view, and the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined to each other. The number of stacked common core pieces 13 may be, for example, several pieces or about a dozen to several dozen pieces. In this way, the multiple stacked common core pieces 13 form a block section 30.
[0055] In the stacked body 2, another common core piece 13 is placed on top of the uppermost common core piece 13 in the block section 30 located at the bottom of the stacked body 2, with the positions of the temporary joints 20s to be temporarily joined shifted. In this embodiment, the rear temporary joint 322 of the newly placed common core piece 13 is temporarily joined to the front temporary joint 321 of the common core piece 13 directly below it. At this time, the front temporary joint 321 of the newly placed common core piece 13 is not temporarily joined to any of the temporary joints 20 of the common core piece 13 directly below it. Also, the rear temporary joint 322 of the common core piece 13 directly below it is not temporarily joined to any of the temporary joints 20 of the newly placed common core piece 13. On top of the newly placed common core piece 13, several more common core pieces 13 are stacked with their temporary joints 20 aligned in a plan view, and the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined to each other, forming a block section 30 separate from the block section 30 located at the bottom of the laminated body 2.
[0056] The laminated body 2 according to this embodiment is formed by arranging multiple block sections 30. At the boundary of each block section 30, the rear temporary joint section 322 of the lowest common core piece 13 of the block section 30, which is positioned above it, is temporarily joined to the front temporary joint section 321 of the uppermost common core piece 13 of the block section 30 positioned below. By stacking multiple block sections 30 in this manner, the positions of the temporary joint sections 20 in a plan view will be shifted between adjacent block sections 30. As a result, the laminated body 2 does not have a continuous row of temporary joint sections 20 along the entire stacking direction P.
[0057] The laminate 2 according to this embodiment is also constructed by stacking a first predetermined number of core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P. Furthermore, the maximum number of core pieces 10 having a portion where the temporary joint 20 is continuous in the stacking direction P (the second predetermined number) is less than the first predetermined number. In addition, a third predetermined number of common core pieces 13 are stacked in the stacking direction P to constitute each block section 30. In this embodiment, the second predetermined number is twice the third predetermined number. Note that the laminate 2 according to this embodiment differs from laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)), etc., which is composed of a first block section 31 and a second block section 32 made of different types of core pieces 10, in that each block section 30 is formed of one type of common core piece 13.
[0058] The laminate 2 according to this embodiment, like the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)), can be described as a laminate in which a predetermined number of core pieces 10 are stacked in the stacking direction P, with the position of the temporary joint 20 in a plan view changing every few core pieces 10, and adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P being temporarily joined at the temporary joint 20. Therefore, in the laminate 2 as well, there are no parts where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire stacking direction P, and the force required to remove the temporary joint 20 can be reduced compared to the case where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire laminate 2. Moreover, when viewed as a whole, the laminate 2 is easy to handle because all the core pieces 10 (common core pieces 13) constituting the laminate 2 are temporarily joined to adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P, so each core piece 10 does not fall apart. Furthermore, since the laminate 2 according to this embodiment is composed of one type of core piece 10 (common core piece 13), there is no need to differentiate the production of the core pieces 10 when punching out the electromagnetic steel sheet, resulting in superior continuous productivity.
[0059] The manufacturing of the laminate 2 according to this embodiment can be carried out by following the procedure for manufacturing the laminate 1 (see Figure 1(A)), after making modifications such as omitting some of the steps in the flowchart shown in Figure 2. When manufacturing the laminate 2, the steps of generating the second core piece 12 (S5), temporarily joining the second core piece 12 (S6), determining whether the second temporary joint has been generated (S7), and determining whether the lamination of the core pieces 10 is complete (S8) can be omitted from the flowchart in Figure 2. Then, in the remaining step of determining whether the lamination of the core pieces 10 is complete (S4), if the lamination of the core pieces 10 is not complete (NO in step S4), the process can proceed to the step of rotating the temporary joint (S9). In this modified flowchart, "first core piece 11" is read as "common core piece 13". This modification of the flowchart is due to the fact that the core pieces 10 constituting the laminate 2 are of one type, the common core piece 13. Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the laminate 2 according to this embodiment, one common core piece 13 also serves as the third core piece, and another common core piece 13 stacked on top of it also serves as the fourth core piece. Then, the rear temporary joint portion 322 of the common core piece 13 corresponding to the fourth core piece also serves as the seventh temporary joint portion, and the front temporary joint portion 321 also serves as the eighth temporary joint portion.
[0060] [Modified version of the second embodiment] Next, with reference to Figure 5, a modified example of the second embodiment, the laminate 2A, will be described. Figure 5 is a side view of the laminate 2A. In Figure 5, the top and bottom of the paper correspond to the actual top and bottom. The laminate 2A is similar to the laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)) in that it is constructed by stacking a first predetermined number of common iron core pieces 13 (see Figure 4(B)) in the stacking direction P, but differs from the laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)) in that it does not include the block portion 30 (see Figure 4(A)). Hereafter, when the configuration of the common iron core pieces 13 is referred to in the description of the laminate 2A, refer to Figure 4(B) as appropriate.
[0061] Each time a common core piece 13 is stacked in the laminate 2A, it is rotated by an angle corresponding to the central angle of the arc between adjacent temporary joints 20 in the circumferential direction of the yoke portion 18, in a plan view. In other words, in the laminate 2A according to this modified example, each time a common core piece 13 is stacked, the bundle of already stacked common core pieces 13 is rotated so that the rear temporary joint 322 of the common core piece 13 being stacked is temporarily joined to the front temporary joint 321 of the common core piece 13 being stacked. In this way, since the common core pieces 13 in the laminate 2A are rotated one by one, the maximum number of core pieces 10 with continuous temporary joints 20 in the stacking direction P is 2, or in other words, the second predetermined number is 2. Therefore, the second predetermined number of laminates 2A is also less than the first predetermined number.
[0062] The laminated body 2A according to this modified example can also be described as a laminated body in which a first predetermined number of core pieces 10 are stacked in the stacking direction P, with the position of the temporary joints 20 being changed in a plan view, and adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P being temporarily joined at the temporary joints 20. Furthermore, all of the core pieces 10 constituting the laminated body 2A have a common shape, and the number of core pieces 10 with continuous temporary joints 20 (arranged in a line) is kept at a maximum of the second predetermined number, while changing the position of the temporary joints 20 in a plan view. Therefore, in the laminated body 2A as well, there are no parts where the temporary joints 20 are continuous throughout the entire stacking direction P, and the force required to remove the temporary joints 20 can be reduced compared to the case where the temporary joints 20 are continuous throughout the entire laminated body 2A. Moreover, when viewed as a whole, the laminated body 2A has all of its core pieces 10 (common core pieces 13) temporarily joined to adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P, so each core piece 10 does not fall apart and is easy to handle. Furthermore, since the laminate 2A according to this modified example is also composed of one type of iron core piece 10, it excels in continuous production. In addition, since the laminate 2A has two predetermined layers, the force required to remove the temporary joint 20 is extremely small.
[0063] The manufacturing of the laminate 2A according to this modified example can be carried out in accordance with the procedure for manufacturing laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)), after making the following modifications to a modified version of the flowchart in Figure 2 mentioned in the explanation of the manufacturing of laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)). When manufacturing laminate 2A, the step of determining whether or not the first temporary joint has been generated (S3) is further omitted from the modified flowchart for manufacturing laminate 2 mentioned above. Then, after the step of temporarily joining the first core piece 11 (S2), the process can proceed to the step of determining whether or not the lamination of the core pieces 10 has been completed (S4). In the step of determining whether or not the lamination of the core pieces 10 has been completed (S4), if the lamination of the core pieces 10 has not been completed (NO in step S5), the process proceeds to the step of rotating the temporary joint (S9), which is the same as when manufacturing laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)). Furthermore, in the modified flowchart referenced during the manufacturing of laminate 2A, the "first core piece 11" is replaced with "common core piece 13," which is the same as in the manufacturing of laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)). This further modification of the flowchart is due to the fact that laminate 2A does not include the block section 30.
[0064] Furthermore, as a second embodiment and a modification thereof, a laminate 2, 2A is disclosed in which the temporary joint 20 is formed by stacking two common core pieces 13. As a further modification of these, a laminate may be adopted in which a first predetermined number of common core pieces, each having three or more temporary joints 20, are stacked. In this case as well, when viewed in the stacking direction P, the common core pieces that are rotated with each stack of block sections 30 or each stack may be rotated by an angle corresponding to the central angle of the arc between adjacent temporary joints 20 in the circumferential direction of the yoke section 18 when stacked.
[0065] [Other variations] In the above explanation, it was assumed that the temporary joint 20 is temporarily joined in the lamination direction P by forming a crimping recess and a crimping protrusion on the upper and lower surfaces of the small piece, respectively, and crimping is employed. However, the temporary joint 20 may also be temporarily joined in the lamination direction P by adhesive (in this case, adhesive is typically used). Furthermore, it was explained that the connection part between the temporary joint 20 and the core piece body 16 may be made a weak part 29 (see Figure 1(D)) in order to make the temporary joint 20 easier to remove, but pushback or partial punching may be applied during the punching process when producing the core piece 10. Pushback involves slightly embedding the temporary joint 20 inward from the outer circumference of the yoke portion 18, punching out the temporary joint 20 from the core piece body 16, and then returning it to the core piece body 16, and either full return or partial return may be used. Partial punching involves punching out the temporary joint 20 to a thickness less than the thickness of the electrical steel sheet, rather than punching it out to the full thickness of the electrical steel sheet. In the case of a full pushback, it is advisable to temporarily join the temporary joints 20 together using crimping or adhesive. When applying a half-pullback or half-removal of the pushback as the temporary joint 20, the following laminate may be constructed.
[0066] Figure 6(A) is a side view of the laminate 3 according to another embodiment, and Figure 6(B) is a plan view of the common core piece 14 constituting the laminate 3. In Figure 6(A), the top and bottom of the paper correspond to the actual top and bottom. The common core piece 14 is a form of the core piece 10, but it is distinguished from the common core piece 13 (see Figure 4(B)) by being assigned a different reference numeral because it differs from the common core piece 13 (see Figure 4(B)) in the number of temporary joints 20 and the manner in which the temporary joints 20 are connected to the core piece body 16. In this embodiment, the common core piece 14 is provided with one temporary joint 20 and its appearance is similar to the first core piece 11A (see Figure 3(B)). However, the common core piece 14 in this embodiment differs from the first core piece 11A (see Figure 3(B)) and the common core piece 13 (see Figure 4(B)) in that a push-back half-return or half-removal is applied as the connection method between the temporary joint 20 and the core piece body 16. Of the components of the common core piece 14, the core piece body 16 is the same as that of the common core piece 13 (see Figure 4(B)), etc. Each of the common core pieces 14 constituting the laminate 3 is the same, and the laminate 3 is constructed by stacking multiple common core pieces 14, which are one type of core piece 10.
[0067] Laminate 3 is similar to laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)) in the following respects. Laminate 3 is constructed by stacking multiple block sections 30 with the positions of the temporary joints 20 offset in a plan view, and each block section 30 is constructed by stacking multiple common core pieces 14 with their temporary joints 20 aligned in a plan view, and the temporary joints 20 are temporarily joined together. On the other hand, the differences between laminate 3 and laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)) are that the number of temporary joints 20 in a single common core piece 14 is different, and the temporary joining of adjacent common core pieces 14 in the stacking direction P is performed by half-pull-back or half-pull-out. Due to these differences, the number of common core pieces 14 with continuous temporary joints 20 is the same as the number of common core pieces 14 that make up one block section 30. In other words, the second predetermined number and the third predetermined number are the same. In the laminate 3, as shown in Figure 6(A), each common core piece 14 (except for the bottommost common core piece 14 of the laminate 3) is temporarily joined to the common core piece 14 directly below it by its temporary joint 20 biting into the core piece body 16 of the common core piece 14 directly below it. From another perspective, in the laminate 3, the temporary joint 20 of each common core piece 14 is offset in the stacking direction P by a distance smaller than the thickness of the common core piece 14 (typically half the thickness), and one temporary joint 20 engages two common core pieces 14, including the common core piece 14 directly below it. In the laminate 3, each block section 30 is stacked rotated so that the positions of the temporary joints 20 are offset in a plan view. In this embodiment, the blocks 30 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction P are rotated by 90° each, but the rotation angle may be any angle, such as 45°.
[0068] The laminate 3 according to this embodiment, like the laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)), can be described as a laminate in which a first predetermined number of core pieces 10 are stacked in the stacking direction P by temporarily joining adjacent core pieces 10 at the temporary joint 20 while changing the position of the temporary joint 20 in a plan view for every multiple core pieces 10. Therefore, in the laminate 3 as well, there are no parts where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire stacking direction P, and the force required to remove the temporary joint 20 can be reduced compared to the case where the temporary joint 20 is continuous throughout the entire laminate 3. Moreover, when viewed as a whole, the laminate 3 is easy to handle because all the core pieces 10 (common core pieces 14) constituting the laminate 3 are temporarily joined to adjacent core pieces 10 in the stacking direction P, so each core piece 10 does not fall apart. Furthermore, since the laminate 3 according to this embodiment is composed of only one type of core piece 10, it excels in continuous productivity.
[0069] The laminate 3 according to this embodiment, configured as described above, can be manufactured in the same manner as the laminate 2 (see Figure 4(A)), following a modified version of the flowchart in Figure 2. In the above description of the laminate 3, it was assumed that each common core piece 14 has one temporary joint 20, but it may also have two or more temporary joints 20. When using common core pieces with multiple temporary joints 20, it is preferable to position each temporary joint 20 in a point-symmetrical position with the circular center of the yoke portion 18 as the center of symmetry, as this allows for balanced temporary joining of each common core piece.
[0070] In the above explanation, as an example of the final joining process when the intermediate product, laminate 1, is transformed into the finished product, stator core, welding of all or part of the outer circumference of the yoke portion 18 was given. However, in addition to welding, the final joining may also be done by bonding the individual core pieces 10 together, or by forming holes in the core pieces 10 and filling the holes in the laminated core pieces 10 with resin. This can also be applied to laminates 1A, 2, 2A, and 3 of other embodiments.
[0071] In the above explanation, the laminate 1 was assumed to be for manufacturing a stator core, but it may also be for manufacturing a rotor core. In other words, the iron core pieces 10 constituting the laminate 1 may have a shape suitable for manufacturing a rotor core. The same applies to the other embodiments of the laminates 1A, 2, 2A, and 3.
[0072] In the above description, the temporary joint 20 is provided on the outer circumference of the core piece body 16, but it may also be provided radially inward from the inner circumference of the yoke portion 18 of the core piece body 16, or it may be provided at any position in which the core piece 10 can perform its function.
[0073] In the above explanation, the number of temporary joints 20 was explained using specific examples to facilitate understanding, but the number of temporary joints 20 can be increased or decreased as appropriate depending on the situation. For example, the number of temporary joints 20 could be 6 or 8.
[0074] In the above description, when manufacturing the laminate 1, the iron core pieces 10 are stacked one by one in the squeeze ring, and each time a set of the first temporary joint and the second temporary joint is generated, the entire temporary joint in the squeeze ring is rotated in the circumferential direction of the iron core piece 10 (S9). Another manufacturing method is also mentioned in which each block portion 30 is formed outside the squeeze ring in advance, and then the formed block portions 30 are rotated as appropriate and stacked. As an alternative manufacturing method, the bundle of iron core pieces 10 stacked inside the squeeze ring or the block portion 30 generated outside the squeeze ring may not be rotated, and the position in which the temporary joint 20 is formed when the electromagnetic steel sheet is punched out with a die may be appropriately changed before sending it to the squeeze ring. The same applies to the other embodiments of laminates 1A, 2, 2A, and 3.
[0075] In the above explanation, we described a laminate 1 in which there are no sections where the temporary joints 20 are continuous in a row along the entire stacking direction P. However, in the process of turning the laminate 1, which is an intermediate product, into a finished product, there may be sections where the temporary joints 20 are continuous in a row along the entire stacking direction P, as long as they do not hinder the removal of the temporary joints 20. For example, conventionally, in a plan view, the temporary joints are continuous in a row along the entire stacking direction P at multiple locations (e.g., 4 locations) in the circumferential direction. In contrast, in a plan view, the temporary joints 20 are not continuous in a row along the entire stacking direction P at most locations, but there may be one or several locations (e.g., 2 locations) where the temporary joints 20 are continuous in a row along the entire stacking direction P in a plan view. Even in this case, compared to the conventional method, the force required to remove the temporary joints 20 when turning the laminate 1, which is an intermediate product, into a finished product can be reduced. The same applies to other embodiments of laminates 1A, 2, 2A, and 3.
[0076] 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. [Explanation of symbols]
[0077] 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 3 laminate 10 Iron core pieces 11. First iron core piece (first iron core piece) 12. Second iron core piece (second iron core piece) 13 Common Iron Core Pieces 16 Iron core piece body 20 Temporary joint 21. First temporary joint (first temporary joint) 22 Second temporary joint (second temporary joint) 23. Third temporary joint (third temporary joint) 24. Fourth temporary joint (fourth temporary joint) 25. Fifth temporary joint (Fifth temporary joint) 26. Sixth temporary joint (sixth temporary joint) 30 Block Section P Stacking direction VL1, VL2 virtual lines
Claims
1. A laminate in which a first predetermined number of iron core pieces are stacked, Each of the aforementioned core pieces has a temporary joint portion that is temporarily joined to an adjacent core piece. The iron core pieces are stacked in a predetermined number by temporarily joining adjacent iron core pieces at the temporary joints, while changing the position of the temporary joints one by one or multiple by one in a plan view. The maximum number of iron core pieces in which the temporary joint is continuous in the stacking direction, which is the direction in which the iron core pieces are stacked, is a second predetermined number that is less than the first predetermined number. The block portion includes a configuration in which the temporary joints are continuous and a third predetermined number of iron core pieces, less than or equal to the second predetermined number, are stacked in the stacking direction. Laminated structure.
2. The iron core piece constituting the block portion is the first iron core piece. The core piece adjacent to the block portion is a second core piece having a greater number of temporary joints than the first core piece. The laminate according to claim 1.
3. The portion of the iron core piece other than the temporary joint portion is made into the iron core piece body. The temporary joint of the first core piece comprises at least a first temporary joint and a second temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the first temporary joint, with respect to the centroid of the core piece body of the first core piece in a plan view as the center of symmetry. The temporary joint of the second core piece comprises at least a third temporary joint, a fourth temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the third temporary joint with respect to the centroid of the core piece body of the second core piece in a plan view, a fifth temporary joint, and a sixth temporary joint positioned point-symmetric with respect to the fifth temporary joint with respect to the centroid of the core piece body of the second core piece in a plan view, and is positioned at a predetermined angle where a first imaginary straight line connecting the third and fourth temporary joints and passing through the centroid of the core piece body of the second core piece intersects with respect to the fifth temporary joint and the sixth temporary joint. The laminate according to claim 2.
4. Each of the aforementioned iron core pieces has a common shape. The laminate according to claim 1.
5. A method for manufacturing a laminate in which a first predetermined number of iron core pieces are stacked, Each of the aforementioned core pieces has a temporary joint portion that is temporarily joined to an adjacent core piece. A step of producing a first temporary joint, which is obtained by temporarily joining a third iron core piece, which is the iron core piece, or a plurality of the third iron core pieces, which are fewer than the predetermined number of the first iron core pieces, at the temporary joint; A step of temporarily joining a fourth iron core piece, which is an iron core piece having a seventh temporary joint that is temporarily joined to the temporary joint of the third iron core piece or the first temporary joint, and an eighth temporary joint that is not temporarily joined to the third iron core piece or the first temporary joint, or a second temporary joint obtained by temporarily joining a plurality of the fourth iron core pieces, which are fewer than the predetermined number of the first iron core pieces, at the temporary joint, to the third iron core piece or the first temporary joint; The process includes the step of temporarily joining the iron core piece having a temporary joint that is not temporarily joined to the fourth iron core piece or the seventh temporary joint of the second temporary joint, but is temporarily joined to the eighth temporary joint, to the fourth iron core piece or the second temporary joint. A method for manufacturing laminates.
6. A laminate in which a first predetermined number of iron core pieces are stacked, Each of the aforementioned core pieces has a temporary joint portion that is temporarily joined to an adjacent core piece. The iron core pieces are stacked in a predetermined number by temporarily joining adjacent iron core pieces at the temporary joints, while changing the position of the temporary joints one by one or multiple by one in a plan view. The iron core pieces, stacked with the position of the temporary joints changed in a plan view, have a plurality of temporary joints, including: a temporary joint that is temporarily joined to an iron core piece adjacent to one side in the stacking direction, which is the direction in which the iron core pieces are stacked, but not to an iron core piece adjacent to the other side; and a temporary joint that is temporarily joined to an iron core piece adjacent to the other side in the stacking direction, but not to an iron core piece adjacent to one side. Laminated structure.
7. Each of the iron core pieces has a common shape, and each of the plurality of temporary joints has the same shape, with a crimping recess on one side and a crimping protrusion on the other side. The iron core pieces are stacked while changing the position of the temporary joint in a plan view, one piece at a time. The laminate according to claim 6.