Laminate manufacturing apparatus and laminate manufacturing method

Abstract

A laminate manufacturing device according to the present disclosure comprises: a squeezer that can transport multiple iron core members, including locking iron core members having locking pieces and non-locking iron core members not having locking pieces, stacked on top of each other and that supports the locking pieces from the sides; a supply mechanism located upstream of the squeezer in the transport direction of the iron core members and capable of selectively supplying locking iron core members and non-locking iron core members to the squeezer; a receiving member capable of receiving multiple iron core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeezer in the transport direction; and a holding member that is arranged between the squeezer and the receiving member and can move between a holding position in which multiple iron core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeezer in the transport direction are held and a non-holding position in which the iron core members are not held.

Description

LAMINATE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND LAMINATE MANUFACTURING METHOD

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In order to obtain a motor core (rotor core or stator core) used in a motor mounted on an electric vehicle or the like, a laminated body is conventionally manufactured by laminating a plurality of core members.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-118169 describes the use of a plate stacking device to manufacture laminations that constitute stator cores. This plate stacking device is equipped with a sensor that detects the passage of plates conveyed from a cylinder serving as a conveying path, and a cutting mechanism that supports the plates, which are located near the exit of the cylinder. Based on the detection results of this sensor, the cutting mechanism is caused to protrude onto the plate conveying path at any time to stop the conveyance of the plates, thereby controlling the number and timing of plates supplied to the jig.

[0004] As in JP 2019-118169 A, if the timing of the protrusion of the separating mechanism is determined solely based on the detection results of a sensor that detects the passage of a plate discharged from the cylinder, the time from detecting the passage of the plate to completing the operation of the separating mechanism becomes extremely short when the plate discharge speed from the cylinder is relatively fast. Therefore, the actuators and sensors of the separating mechanism, as well as their control devices, are required to have fast response speeds, which increases the difficulty of control. Furthermore, if the operating speed of the separating mechanism decreases due to, for example, aging deterioration of the actuator of the separating mechanism, a plate whose transport should be stopped may arrive before the operation of the separating mechanism is completed, resulting in problems such as the inability to stop the transport of the plate. Furthermore, in order to operate the separating mechanism accurately, it becomes necessary to frequently check the aging deterioration of the actuator of the separating mechanism, which increases the frequency of appropriate maintenance.

[0005] In addition, in the method disclosed in JP 2019-118169 A, plates are delivered one by one from a cylinder, but because individual plates are relatively thin, they are susceptible to the effects of air resistance and other factors, and their posture is prone to change between delivery and arrival at the jig. If the posture of the plate changes, it may get caught on various parts of the jig, and the plates may not be stacked in the correct posture on the jig.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a laminate manufacturing apparatus and a laminate manufacturing method that are capable of accurately and efficiently laminating iron core members with a simple configuration.

[0007] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a squeeze that can transport downwardly a plurality of plate-shaped core members stacked on top of each other, the core members including locking core members having locking pieces at multiple locations on their outer peripheral surfaces and non-locking core members that do not have the locking pieces, and the squeeze supports the locking pieces of the locking core members from the sides as they pass through the squeeze; a supply mechanism that is located upstream of the squeeze in the transport direction of the core members and can selectively supply the locking core members and the non-locking core members to the squeeze; a receiving member that can receive a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction; and a holding member that is arranged between the squeeze and the receiving member and is movable between a holding position that holds a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction and a non-holding position that does not hold a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction.

[0008] In such a laminate manufacturing device, the holding member allows the core materials to be supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state. If the core materials are supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state, the position of the core materials is less likely to change while being supplied to the receiving member, and stacking defects when they reach the receiving member can be reduced. In addition, the provision of a squeeze mechanism makes it possible to control the supply of the core materials with a simple structure.

[0009] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the holding member holds the side of the iron core member supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the conveying direction at the holding position.

[0010] In such a laminate manufacturing apparatus, the core members can be held stably.

[0011] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the holding member holds the lower surface of the iron core member supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the conveying direction at the holding position.

[0012] In such a laminate manufacturing apparatus, the core members can be held stably.

[0013] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the iron core members are stacked in a predetermined number to form a block core, and the block core is a motor core formed by stacking one or more of the block core members on the downstream side of the conveying direction and one or more non-locking iron core members on the upstream side of the conveying direction, and the holding member moves from the holding position to the non-holding position when it has held all of the predetermined number of iron core members that form one block core at the holding position.

[0014] In such a laminate manufacturing device, the core members can be supplied to the receiving member in block core units, so that it is sufficient to perform stacking and replacement of the receiving member each time a core member is supplied to the receiving member, simplifying control.

[0015] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, in which the holding member determines whether to move from the holding position to the non-holding position based on whether the receiving member is in a position where it can receive the iron core member supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the conveying direction.

[0016] In such a laminate manufacturing apparatus, the core members supplied from the holding member can be reliably received by the receiving member.

[0017] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure includes a supply mechanism capable of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped core members including locking core members having locking pieces at a plurality of locations on their outer circumferential surfaces and non-locking core members having no locking pieces; a receiving member capable of receiving the plurality of core members supplied from the supply mechanism; a separating mechanism disposed between the supply mechanism and the receiving member in a transport direction of the core members and controlling the supply of the core members to the receiving member; and a holding member disposed between the supply mechanism and the receiving member, the holding member being movable between a holding position that holds the plurality of iron core materials supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-holding position that does not hold the plurality of iron core materials supplied from the supply mechanism, and the separating mechanism includes a locking member that is movable between a locking position that locks the locking piece of the locking core material supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-locking position that does not lock the locking piece, and an operating device that moves the locking member to the locking position and the non-locking position.

[0018] In such a laminate manufacturing device, the holding member allows the core materials to be supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state. If the core materials are supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state, the position of the core materials is less likely to change while being supplied to the receiving member, and stacking defects when they reach the receiving member can be reduced. In addition, the provision of a separating mechanism makes it possible to control the supply of the core materials with a simple structure.

[0019] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, further including a squeeze disposed between the supply mechanism and the cutting mechanism in the conveying direction and supporting the iron core members supplied from the supply mechanism from the side, wherein the iron core members supported from the side by the squeeze can be conveyed within the squeeze in a stacked state along the conveying direction.

[0020] In such a laminate manufacturing apparatus, the conveying posture of the core material supplied from the supply mechanism is stabilized by providing a squeeze.

[0021] The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the sixth or seventh aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the iron core members are stacked in a predetermined number to form a block core, and the block cores are stacked singly or in multiple to form a motor core, and the holding member moves from the holding position to the non-holding position when it has held all of the predetermined number of iron core members that form one of the block cores at the holding position.

[0022] In such a laminate manufacturing device, the core members can be supplied to the receiving member in block core units, so that it is sufficient to perform stacking and replacement of the receiving member each time a core member is supplied to the receiving member, simplifying control.

[0023] The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the iron core members are stacked in a predetermined number to form a block core, and the block core is stacked singly or in multiple to form a motor core, and is composed of one or more locking iron core members located downstream in the conveying direction and one or more non-locking iron core members located upstream in the conveying direction, and the operating device moves the locking member from the locking position to the non-locking position, and then returns it to the locking position during the period when the non-locking iron core member is passing through a position on the conveying path of the iron core member that includes the locking position.

[0024] In such a laminate manufacturing device, a long period of time can be secured for the movement of the locking member, and the locking operation by the locking member can be stabilized without the need to prepare components such as an actuator with a fast response speed.

[0025] A method for manufacturing a laminate according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped iron core members to a squeeze, the plurality of iron core members including locking iron core members having locking pieces at multiple locations on their outer circumferential surfaces and non-locking iron core members that do not have the locking pieces, the squeeze being capable of transporting the supplied plurality of iron core members in a stacked state along the transport direction and supporting the locking pieces of the locking core members from the sides as they pass through the squeeze; a step of holding the iron core members that have passed through the squeeze with a holding member; a step of releasing the holding of the iron core members by the holding member when the number of iron core members held by the holding member reaches a predetermined number; and a step of receiving the plurality of iron core members that have been released from holding by the holding member with a receiving member.

[0026] In this method of manufacturing a laminate, the timing of supply of the core materials can be controlled using the holding member, allowing the core materials to be supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state. If the core materials are supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state, the position of the core materials is less likely to change while being supplied to the receiving member, reducing the risk of stacking defects when they reach the receiving member. In addition, the provision of a squeeze mechanism makes it possible to control the supply of the core materials with a simple structure.

[0027] The manufacturing method of a laminate according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the same as the manufacturing method of a laminate according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, except that, before the step of releasing the holding of the iron core member by the holding member, the receiving member is further provided with a step of determining whether or not the receiving member is in a position where it can receive the iron core member, and when the receiving member is not in a position where it can receive the iron core member, the step of releasing the holding of the iron core member by the holding member is postponed.

[0028] In such a method for manufacturing a laminate, the core members supplied from the holding member can be reliably received by the receiving member.

[0029] A manufacturing method of a laminate according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped core members from a supply mechanism, the plurality of core members including locking core members having locking pieces at a plurality of locations on their outer circumferential surface, and non-locking core members having no locking pieces; and a step of selectively supporting the core members supplied from the supply mechanism using a separating mechanism, the separating mechanism including a locking member movable between a locking position at which each of the plurality of locking pieces of the locking core member supplied from the supply mechanism is locked and a non-locking position at which each of the locking pieces is not locked, and an operating device for moving the locking member to the locking position and the non-locking position, and the core members are configured such that the locking member located at the locking position is movable between the locking pieces of the locking core member and the non-locking position. a step of supporting the plurality of core members by engaging the separating mechanism with the engaging member; a step of moving the engaging member from the engaging position to the non-engaging position to release the support of the plurality of core members supported by the separating mechanism; a step of returning the engaging member that has been moved to the non-engaging position to the engaging position while the non-engaging core members are passing through a position that includes the engaging position on the transport path of the core members; a step of holding the plurality of core members that have passed through the separating mechanism with a holding member; a step of releasing the holding of the core members by the holding member when the number of core members held by the holding member reaches a predetermined number and the locking member is in the locking position; and a step of receiving the plurality of core members that have been released from holding by the holding member with a receiving member.

[0030] In this method of manufacturing a laminate, the timing of supply of the core materials can be controlled using the holding member, allowing the core materials to be supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state. If the core materials are supplied to the receiving member in a stacked state, the position of the core materials is less likely to change while being supplied to the receiving member, reducing stacking defects when they reach the receiving member. In addition, the provision of a separating mechanism makes it possible to control the supply of the core materials with a simple structure.

[0031] According to the laminate manufacturing apparatus and laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately and efficiently stack the iron core members with a simple configuration.

[0032] 1A is a plan view showing an example of locking core members to be stacked in the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a plan view showing an example of non-locking core members to be stacked in the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example of the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a holding member of the laminate manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 3 is holding an iron core member. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a laminate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 7 is performed. FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 7 is performed. FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 7 is performed. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a laminate manufacturing method according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 is executed. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 is executed. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 is executed. FIG. 17 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 is executed. FIG. 18 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a main part of the manufacturing apparatus when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 is executed.

[0033] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-135898, filed on August 23, 2023, in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description. Further scope of application of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, the detailed description and specific examples are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are set forth for illustrative purposes only. From this detailed description, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The applicant does not intend to dedicate any of the described embodiments to the public, and the applicants also consider disclosed modifications and alternatives, even if not literally included within the scope of the claims, to be part of the invention under the doctrine of equivalents. Like reference numbers and names in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0034] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure will be schematically shown below, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure will be mainly explained, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known techniques. Furthermore, identical or similar reference numerals will be used to designate identical or corresponding components in the drawings, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0035] <First embodiment> The laminate manufacturing apparatus and laminate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment described below manufacture a laminate by stacking two types of core members, namely, a locking core member and a non-locking core member. Therefore, before describing the manufacturing apparatus 1 and the manufacturing method in detail, a brief description will be given below of the structures of the two types of core members described above.

[0036] In this embodiment, the laminated core members may be stacked in multiple units to form a block core. Furthermore, this block core may be stacked singly or in multiple units to form a motor core, such as a stator core for an inner rotor type rotating electric machine. In this disclosure, the term "laminated body" refers to a body in which multiple core members are simply stacked, and a body in which these laminated bodies are joined by welding or the like is referred to as a "motor core," and the two are distinguished from each other. Furthermore, the motor core described above may be either a split stator core or a non-split stator core, or may be a non-split rotor core instead of a stator core.

[0037] FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an example of a locking core member supplied to a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 1A . A locking core member 10 constituting a portion of the multiple core members according to this embodiment can be formed from a plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheet (sometimes referred to as a "core piece") having a predetermined thickness and having locking pieces 13A at multiple locations on its outer circumferential surface, as shown in FIG. 1A . This locking core member 10 can include an annular yoke 11 having a through hole formed in its center in which a rotor core can be disposed, teeth 12 that are generally T-shaped in plan view and provided on the inner periphery of the yoke 11 so as to protrude toward the center of the yoke 11, and multiple locking core member-side recesses 13 formed on the outer periphery of the yoke 11, some of which can function as locking pieces 13A.

[0038] The teeth 12 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the locking core member 10 may be plural, for example, eight, and may be provided at approximately equal intervals along the inner peripheral surface. When assembled into a stator core, armature coils may be wound around these teeth 12. Note that the specific shape and arrangement of the teeth 12 may be changed as appropriate.

[0039] The locking core member-side recesses 13 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the locking core member 10 may be provided in multiple locations, for example, four, at approximately equal intervals along the outer periphery of the locking core member 10. Additionally, the four locking core member-side recesses 13 are preferably provided radially outside any of the eight teeth 12 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the locking core member 10, as shown in FIG. 1A . Typically, the magnetic flux density generated when the locking core member 10 is operated as part of the motor core tends to be lower radially outside the teeth 12 compared to other locations. Therefore, arranging the locking core member-side recesses 13 radially outside the teeth 12 as described above can suppress deterioration of the magnetic characteristics of the motor core due to the provision of the locking core member-side recesses 13.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1B , a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the locking core member-side recess 13 can function as a locking piece 13A. The locking piece 13A functions as a region supported by a squeezer 40 (described later) after the locking core member 10 is stamped and formed. While FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the locking core member-side recess 13 is an arc-shaped recess, with the bottom periphery of the recess functioning as the locking piece 13A, the shape of the locking core member-side recess 13 and the arrangement of the locking piece 13A can be modified as needed as long as their functions are maintained. For example, the locking piece 13A can be formed as a protrusion extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the yoke 11. In this case, the locking core member-side recess 13 may be omitted. Furthermore, the number of locking core member-side recesses 13 and locking pieces 13A can be modified as needed.

[0041] FIG. 2A is a plan view showing an example of a non-locking core member supplied to a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 2A . Non-locking core member 20, which constitutes part of the multiple core members according to this embodiment, can be formed from a plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheet having a predetermined thickness, as shown in FIG. 2A . Specifically, non-locking core member 20 can include an annular yoke 21 having a through hole formed in its center in which a rotor core can be disposed, teeth 22 that are generally T-shaped in plan view and provided on the inner circumferential surface of yoke 21 so as to protrude toward the center of yoke 21, and multiple non-locking core member-side recesses 23 formed on the outer circumferential surface of yoke 21. In other words, non-locking core member 20 can be said to have a configuration similar to that of locking core member 10 described above, except that it includes non-locking core member-side recesses 23 instead of locking core member-side recesses 13. Therefore, the yoke 11 and teeth 12 of the locking core member 10 and the yoke 21 and teeth 22 of the non-locking core member 20 may have the same dimensions, arrangement, and number.

[0042] 2B , multiple (for example, four) non-locking core member-side recesses 23 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the non-locking core member 20 at approximately equal intervals along the outer periphery of the non-locking core member 20. In addition, it is preferable that the four non-locking core members 20 be provided in the same positions as the locking core member-side recesses 13 described above, that is, radially outside any of the eight teeth 22 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the non-locking core member 20.

[0043] When the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are laminated, the non-locking core member recess 23 is formed in a position that overlaps with the locking core member recess 13, but its radial depth is adjusted to be longer than that of the locking core member recess 13. In other words, when the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 are laminated, the locking core member recess 13 includes a portion that is located outside the non-locking core member recess 23 in a plan view. This outside portion can function as the locking piece 13A. More specifically, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2B , the locking core member recess 13 has a shorter radial depth than the non-locking core member recess 23, and the region of the locking core member 10 that forms this difference D1 functions as the above-mentioned locking piece 13A, as shown in FIG. 1B . The difference D1 may be a small difference, and may be set to, for example, the thickness of the locking core member 10 and the non-locking core member 20 or less.

[0044] Below, we will explain a manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for producing a laminate by stacking the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as ``core members'') of the above-mentioned configuration in block core units.

[0045] (Laminate Manufacturing Apparatus) FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The locking core member 10 in FIG. 3 is shown as a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1A. The non-locking core member 20 is also shown as a cross-sectional view taken along the same line as the locking core member 10. Furthermore, FIG. 3 omits the through-holes formed in the center of each core member 10, 20. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, FIG. 3 and FIGS. 8 and 9 (described later) illustrate examples in which a relatively small number of core members 10, 20 are transported through the squeeze chute 40. However, the number of core members 10, 20 that can be transported through the squeeze chute 40 may be in the tens to hundreds. The total number of core members 10, 20 constituting the laminate manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 may also be in the tens to hundreds.

[0046] 3, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a supply mechanism 30 capable of supplying iron core material 10, a squeezer 40 that transports the plurality of iron core materials 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 in a stacked state, a receiving jig 50 as an example of a receiving member capable of receiving the plurality of iron core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeezer 40, and a holding member 60 that selectively holds the plurality of iron core materials 10, 20 supplied from the squeezer 40. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 3 is the left-right direction, and similarly, the direction indicated by arrow Y is the front-rear direction, and the direction indicated by arrow Z is the up-down direction.

[0047] The supply mechanism 30 can be configured as a press device that selectively punches out and forms the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 from a strip-shaped metal plate 2 that is transported in the direction of arrow A1 in Fig. 3. Specifically, the supply mechanism 30 may include a die 31 and a punch 32 as an example of a mold that can selectively punch out and form the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 from the metal plate 2 that is transported in the left-right direction indicated by arrow A1, and a support table 33 that supports the transported metal plate 2. The metal plate 2 can be configured as a strip-shaped body made of an electromagnetic steel plate that is long in one direction.

[0048] The die 31 and punch 32 function as an upper and lower die for punching out the core members 10, 20. The punch 32 may be formed, for example, from a columnar member, and is attached to a press machine (not shown) that operates in an up-and-down direction, and the punch 32 moves down in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 3 to selectively punch out and form the core members 10, 20 from the metal plate 2. The die 31 may be formed, for example, from an annular member, and may be attached at an appropriate position on a support stand 33 that supports the underside of the metal plate 2 as it is transported.

[0049] The punched core members 10, 20 are pressed downward by the downward movement of the punch 32, and are transported downward in Fig. 3. The downward direction here corresponds to the transport direction of the core members 10, 20 in this embodiment. Note that Fig. 3 shows only one set of punch 32 and die 31 as a metal mold, but the number of metal molds is not limited to this. For example, a separate metal mold may be disposed upstream of the position of the punch 32 and die 31 in the transport direction of the metal plate 2 to pre-punch out parts of the core members 10, 20, such as the teeth 12, 22 and the recesses 13, 23.

[0050] The squeeze die 40 forms a transport path in its center along which the multiple core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 are transported in a stacked state, and laterally supports the locking pieces 13A of the locking core members 10 passing through this transport path. The squeeze die 40 may be formed, for example, of a substantially cylindrical member, and its upper end may be attached so that it is continuous with the lower end of the die 31. The core members 10, 20 transported through the squeeze die 40 can be transported downward while maintaining their stacked state, with at least the locking pieces 13A of the locking core members 10 laterally supported by the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze die 40. Note that the core members 10, 20 transported through the squeeze die 40 are actually transported sequentially in a stacked state abutting each other, but in FIG. 3 , the core members 10, 20 are shown with a small gap between them so that the boundaries between them can be seen.

[0051] Specifically, the squeeze tool 40 of this embodiment transports the core members 10, 20 that have been punched out by a supply mechanism 30 including a die 31 and a punch 32 and pushed out below the die 31 to a receiving jig 50. In addition, the squeeze tool 40 can be configured with an upstream squeeze tool section 41 that is located upstream of the squeeze tool 40 in the transport direction of the core members 10, 20 and that supports both the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 that pass through the squeeze tool 40 from the sides, and a downstream squeeze tool section 42 that is located downstream of the squeeze tool 40 in the transport direction of the core members 10, 20 and that supports from the sides the locking pieces 13A of the locking core members 10 that pass through the squeeze tool 40. Note that, although this embodiment illustrates an example in which the squeeze tool 40 includes the upstream squeeze tool section 41 and the downstream squeeze tool section 42, the upstream squeeze tool section 41 may be omitted.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the size and shape of the inner circumferential surface of the upstream squeeze section 41 may be adjusted to match the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the core members 10, 20 transported through the squeeze section 40. As a result, the sides (i.e., outer peripheries) of the multiple core members 10, 20 passing through the upstream squeeze section 41 are supported by the inner circumferential surface 43 of the upstream squeeze section 41, and the multiple core members 10, 20 can be transported downward in a stacked state. In this way, all of the multiple core members 10, 20 supplied to the squeeze section 40 are transported while being supported on their sides by the upstream squeeze section 41. This allows the posture of the core members 10, 20 to be stabilized during transport through the squeeze section 40. Note that the specific structure of the inner circumferential surface of the upstream squeeze section 41 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4, as long as it is a structure that can support the core members 10, 20 from the sides.

[0053] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 5, the squeeze downstream section 42 may have a locking protrusion 45 formed at an appropriate position on its inner circumferential surface, extending toward the axis of the squeeze 40. The tip of this locking protrusion 45 can support the core members 10, 20 by abutting laterally against the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10 among the multiple core members 10, 20 passing through the squeeze downstream section 42.

[0054] The inner circumferential surface of the squeeze downstream section 42, other than the portion where the locking projections 45 are formed, does not support any of the core members 10, 20. Specifically, a gap 44 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze downstream section 42, other than the portion where the locking projections 45 are formed, and the outer circumferential surface of each core member 10. The shape of the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze downstream section 42, including the locking projections 45, can be changed as appropriate to match the shape of the core members 10, 20 to be transported, as long as the above-mentioned function can be maintained.

[0055] The above-described squeeze 40 supports only locking core members 10 having locking pieces 13A disposed in positions facing the locking projections 45 in the downstream squeeze section 42. Conversely, non-locking core members 20 having no locking pieces 13A disposed in positions facing the locking projections 45 are not supported in the downstream squeeze section 42. Therefore, when the non-locking core members 20 are being transported through the downstream squeeze section 42, they move while being placed on the locking core members 10 located downstream in the transport direction. As a result, when the locking core members 10 located below them are transported out of the squeeze 40 from the lower end of the squeeze 40, the non-locking core members 20 in the downstream squeeze section 42 are transported out of the squeeze 40 together with the locking core members 10.

[0056] The receiving jig 50 is capable of receiving the multiple core materials 10, 20 carried out from the downstream end of the squeezer 40 in the conveying direction. The receiving jig 50 may include a base 51 on which the core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeezer 40 are placed, multiple support poles 52 extending upward from the top surface of the base 51 to support the core materials 10, 20 from the sides, and a transport arm 53 for moving the base 51 in any direction. The transport arm 53 supports the lower part of the base 51 and may be capable of moving the base 51 in at least one predetermined direction, such as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, or the up-down direction. Additionally, the transport arm 53 may function as a rotation mechanism. That is, the supported base 51 may be rotated, for example, in the direction indicated by arrow A4 in FIG. 3 , around a rotation axis AR extending in the up-down direction. This rotation operation may be performed during the rolling process described below.

[0057] In this embodiment, the receiving jig 50 described above is used as an example of the receiving member, but the receiving member may be something other than the receiving jig 50 described above as long as it is capable of receiving the core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeeze 40. Specifically, the receiving member may also be a conveying device such as a conveyor or slope, or a receiving table that can apply pressure in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (also called back pressure) to the core materials 10, 20 being conveyed through the squeeze 40. Furthermore, these conveying devices and the receiving jig 50 described above may also be used in appropriate combination.

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a holding member of the laminate manufacturing apparatus of Figure 3 is holding an iron core member. The holding member 60 is disposed between the squeezer 40 and the receiving jig 50 in the conveying direction of the iron core members 10, 20. The holding member 60 controls the supply of the iron core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50 by selectively holding a plurality of iron core members 10, 20 supplied from the downstream side of the squeezer 40 in the conveying direction.

[0059] 3 and 6 , the holding members 60 of this embodiment are provided so as to be continuous with the downstream end of the squeezer 40 in the conveying direction, and can be composed of a plurality of members capable of holding the sides of the core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeezer 40. Specifically, the inner surfaces of the holding members 60 are formed into curved surfaces that conform to the outer peripheral surfaces of the core materials 10, 20, and four holding members 60 may be arranged at equal intervals to surround the outer peripheral surfaces of the core materials 10, 20. Furthermore, the holding members 60 may include operating means (not shown) for moving between a holding position and a non-holding position. A gap smaller than the wall thickness of the core materials 10, 20 may be formed between the upper end of the holding member 60 and the lower end of the squeezer 40.

[0060] The holding member 60 can move between a holding position where its inner circumferential surface contacts the outer circumferential surfaces of the core members 10, 20 supplied from the downstream side of the conveying direction of the squeezer 40, thereby holding the core members 10, 20, and a non-holding position where its inner circumferential surface does not contact the core members 10, 20 and does not hold the core members 10, 20. Specifically, when the holding member 60 is to hold the core members 10, 20 (i.e., when it is to be in the holding position), the holding member 60 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow A3 in FIG. 3 . Conversely, when the holding member 60 is not to hold the core members 10, 20 (i.e., when it is to be in the non-holding position), the holding member 60 is moved in the direction opposite to arrow A3 in FIG. 3 . Note that in FIG. 3 , the state in which the holding member 60 is in the holding position is indicated by a solid line, and the state in which the holding member 60 is in the non-holding position is indicated by a dotted line. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the holding member 60 is in the holding position and holds a plurality of core members 10 and 20.

[0061] When the core materials 10, 20 are removed from the squeezer 40 while the holding member 60 is in the holding position, lateral pressure is applied from the inner surface to the outer circumferential surface of the holding member 60, causing the removed core materials 10, 20 to be transported within the holding member 60 in a stacked state. The holding member 60 then moves from the holding position to the non-holding position when it has held a predetermined number of two or more core materials 10, 20. When the holding member 60 moves from the holding position to the non-holding position, the multiple core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 are released from their hold at the same time. As a result, the multiple core materials 10, 20 are supplied together onto the base 51 of the receiving jig 50 while maintaining their stacked state. In this embodiment, an example is given in which four holding members 60 are arranged to surround the outer periphery of the iron core members 10 and 20, and these holding members 60 are operated to selectively hold the iron core members 10 and 20, but the number and arrangement of the holding members 60 are not limited to this.

[0062] It is important to note here that, as described above, when holding member 60 moves from the holding position to the non-holding position, the multiple core members 10, 20 held by holding member 60 are supplied to receiving jig 50 while maintaining their stacked state. Because core members 10, 20 are made of relatively thin, plate-like electromagnetic steel sheets, it can be difficult for a single core member to maintain its position until it reaches receiving jig 50. However, if multiple core members 10, 20 are supplied to receiving jig 50 in a stacked state, as in the present embodiment, the position of the multiple core members 10, 20 being supplied can be stabilized until they reach receiving jig 50.

[0063] Furthermore, in order to control the above-mentioned components, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may further include a control device 70. This control device 70 may be communicatively connected to the components of the manufacturing apparatus 1 via wired or wireless communication, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 3 , for example. A computer including a sequencer (Programmable Logic Controller, PLC) can be used as the control device 70. The computer referred to here may be a well-known computer, for example, one including at least one processor, a memory storing a program including control commands to be executed by the processor, and various interfaces. The control device 70 according to this embodiment can at least control the movement of the holding member 60.

[0064] In the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 including the series of components described above, the holding member 60 temporarily holds the multiple core members 10, 20 carried out from the squeeze 40, so that the core members 10, 20 are supplied to the receiving jig 50 in a stacked state. At this time, the control device 70 may determine the timing of movement of the holding member 60 taking into consideration the number of core members 10, 20 that make up the block core.

[0065] For example, when the control device 70 determines that one block core is composed of m (m = a natural number equal to or greater than 2) iron core members 10, 20, it may set the timing for moving the holding member 60 from the holding position to the non-holding position to when m iron core members 10, 20 are held by the holding member 60. If the timing for moving the holding member 60 is set in this way taking into account the number of iron core members 10, 20 that make up the block core, the iron core members 10, 20 will be supplied to the receiving jig 50 in block core units. If the iron core members 10, 20 are supplied in block core units, the receiving jig 50 can be operated during periods when there is no supply of iron core members 10, 20, and the receiving jig 50 can be rotated or replaced.

[0066] Here, "rotating" refers to rotating the circumferential orientation of some of the core members 10, 20 when stacking the core members 10, 20 to make them different from the circumferential orientation of the other core members 10, 20. This rotating process prevents magnetic directionality from remaining in the stator core including the stack. Furthermore, this rotating process prevents a decrease in the squareness or parallelism of the stator core due to uneven thickness of the core members 10, 20. This rotating process can be performed by rotating a receiving jig 50 holding a predetermined number of core members 10, 20 (e.g., m) by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow A4, for example, around a rotation axis AR along the transport direction. Furthermore, replacing the receiving jig 50 refers to transporting the desired number of core members 10, 20 that constitute the stator core to the next process or the like when they are stacked on the base 51, and placing an empty receiving jig 50 on the transport path of the core members 10, 20.

[0067] Furthermore, when the holding member 60 is moved to the non-holding position and multiple core materials 10, 20 are supplied, the control device 70 may determine whether the receiving jig 50 can reliably receive the multiple core materials 10, 20. If the receiving jig 50 is not in a position where it can receive the core materials 10, 20 due to replacement work or the like, for example, it may suspend moving the holding member 60 to the non-holding position. The period during which this suspension is possible can be set to any timing before m+1 core materials are held by the holding member 60. This timing can be managed based on the elapsed time or the number of presses.

[0068] As described above, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the holding member 60 controls the timing of supplying the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50. This allows multiple core members 10, 20 to be supplied to the receiving jig 50 in a stacked state, allowing the core members 10, 20 to be accurately stacked on the receiving jig 50. Furthermore, by locking only the locking core member 10 in the squeeze downstream section 42, the non-locking core member 20 can be simultaneously removed from the squeeze 40 along with the locking core member 10. This ensures a long period of time until the next core member (specifically, the locking core member 10) is removed from the squeeze 40, allowing the movement of the holding member 60 to be completed during this period. Furthermore, because the supply of the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50 can be controlled by the movement of the holding member 60, the manufacturing apparatus 1 can be continuously operated by rotating the laminate or replacing the receiving jig 50 while the holding member 60 is in the holding position.

[0069] (Laminate Manufacturing Method) Next, a laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, an example will be given in which a laminate is manufactured using the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 described above. However, the laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure can also be implemented using an apparatus other than the manufacturing apparatus 1 (for example, a laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment described below). The laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, which is realized by the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1, can be realized by a control device 70 that controls each component of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1. The laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment can be provided in the form of a program or program product that causes a processor of a computer constituting the control device 70 to execute a predetermined operation, or in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing this program. Note that the following description of the effects and the like also serves as a description of the effects of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0070] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing a laminate according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Also, Figs. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C are operation explanatory diagrams showing the main parts of a manufacturing apparatus when the method for manufacturing a laminate shown in Fig. 7 is executed. Note that in Figs. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C, in order to make it easier to understand the transport state of each of the core members 10, 20 being transported from the squeezer 40 to the receiving jig 50, only the parts of the manufacturing apparatus 1 related to the transport are shown, and other parts are not shown.

[0071] The manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment includes at least the steps of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped core members 10, 20 to squeeze 40 (corresponding to step S01 described later), holding the core members 10, 20 that have passed through squeeze 40 with holding member 60 (corresponding to step S03 described later, etc.), releasing the holding of core members 10, 20 by holding member 60 when the number of core members 10, 20 held by holding member 60 reaches a predetermined number (corresponding to step S05 described later), and receiving the plurality of core members 10, 20 that have been released from holding member 60 with a receiving member (corresponding to step S06 described later).

[0072] To explain the manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment in more detail, the manufacturing method first starts a punching operation using punch 32 and die 31 to start supplying the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 to the squeeze 40 (step S01). This punching operation can be performed by lowering punch 32 at a predetermined timing relative to the metal plate 2 being fed in one direction, for example, left and right. The locking core members 10 or non-locking core members 20 formed by this punching are moved below die 31 by having their upper surfaces pressed by punch 32, and are then forced into squeeze 40 from the upper end connected to die 31.

[0073] 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C, the present embodiment illustrates a case where the core member group G constituting the block core is made up of four core members 10, 20. Based on this, the holding member 60 of the present embodiment supplies the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50 at the timing when all four core members 10, 20 constituting one core member group G have been held. The receiving jig 50 can be rotated or replaced every time it receives four core members 10, 20.

[0074] In relation to the above, the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 punched out in step S01 may be such that one or more of the m (four in this case) core members constituting one core member group G located downstream are locking core members 10, and the remaining core members located upstream are non-locking core members 20. More specifically, of the multiple core members constituting one core member group G, the first core member punched out, or one or more core members consisting of the first core member punched out and one or more core members punched out subsequently, may be locking core members 10, and the rest may be non-locking core members 20. This is done to adjust the timing at which the core members 10, 20 are conveyed out of the squeezer 40, mainly to ensure time for the holding member 60 to operate.

[0075] The locked core members 10 and unlocked core members 20 pushed into the squeeze chamber 40 have at least a portion of their outer circumferential surfaces supported laterally by the inner circumferential surface 43 of the squeeze chamber upstream section 41. The locked core members 10 and unlocked core members 20 supported laterally are transported downward through the squeeze chamber 40 in a stacked state (step S02). The transport of core members by the squeeze chamber 40 may be performed by transporting a new core member from the supply mechanism 30 to the upper end of the squeeze chamber 40, and this core member pushing down other core members previously supplied from the supply mechanism 30 and held in the squeeze chamber 40. Therefore, the core members held in the squeeze chamber 40 are transported in the transport direction while maintaining their stacked state. The operations shown in steps S01 and S02 above can be started substantially simultaneously in conjunction with the start of operation of the punch 32.

[0076] 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C, the present embodiment illustrates an example in which locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 are punched out alternately in pairs, so that the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 are transported alternately in pairs through the squeezer 40. In this regard, one core member group G is formed by stacking two locking core members 10 and two non-locking core members 20 in order from the downstream side.

[0077] When the squeezer 40 starts transporting the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20, the holding member 60 is moved to the holding position (step S03) as shown in Fig. 8A in order to hold the locking core members 10 and the non-locking core members 20 that will be transported from the squeezer 40. Note that the timing of the movement of the holding member 60 to the holding position when the manufacturing method starts may be simultaneous with steps S01 and S02 or may be earlier than these. For example, the initial position of the holding member 60 may be set as the holding position.

[0078] When a predetermined time has elapsed since the conveyance of each core member 10, 20 by the squeezer 40 began, the core members 10, 20 are sequentially conveyed out from the lower end of the squeezer 40. At this time, the downstream squeezer portion 42 engages the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10, but does not engage the non-locking core member 20. Therefore, of the core members 10 conveyed out of the squeezer 40, the non-locking core member 20 is conveyed out of the squeezer 40 at the same time as the locking core member 10, with the non-locking core member 20 resting on top of the locking core member 10 being conveyed downstream.

[0079] The core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeeze member 40 are supplied to the holding member 60, and continue to be transported with their outer circumferential surfaces supported by the inner surface of the holding member 60. Then, when it is detected that the number of core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 has reached m (Yes in step S04), the operating means of the holding member 60 is operated to move the holding member 60 from the holding position to the non-holding position (step S05). Note that the number of core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 here also includes the number of non-locked core materials 20 that are not directly held by the holding member 60 but are carried out from the squeeze member 40 simultaneously with the locked core material 10 while resting on the locked core material 10 held by the holding member 60.

[0080] When the holding member 60 moves to the non-holding position, the m core members 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 move in a stacked state toward the receiving jig 50 and are stacked on the base 51 of the receiving jig 50, as shown in FIG. 9B (step S06). After the held core members 10, 20 are supplied to the receiving jig 50, the holding member 60 is moved back to the holding position (step S07) so that it can hold the next core members 10, 20 to be carried out from the squeezer 40. Here, as described above, since the non-locking core members 20 are supplied to the receiving jig 50 together with the locking core members 10 when the holding member 60 moves to the non-holding position, a predetermined grace period is ensured before the next core member (more specifically, the locking core member 10) is carried out from the lower end of the squeezer 40 (see FIGS. 8B and 9B as appropriate for this point). Therefore, the holding member 60 can be reliably returned to the holding position. Furthermore, a new core member is not directly supplied from the lower end of the squeeze 40 to the receiving jig 50 until the holding member 60 returns to the holding position.

[0081] The receiving jig 50 that has received the m core members 10, 20 supplied from the holding member 60 determines whether or not replacement of the receiving jig 50 is necessary based on the number of core members 10, 20 stacked on the base 51 (step S08). If replacement of the receiving jig 50 is not necessary (No in step S08), the core members 10, 20 stacked on the base 51 are rotated as necessary (see FIG. 9C described later), and then the process returns to step S04.

[0082] On the other hand, if replacement of the receiving jig 50 is necessary (Yes in step S08), the control device 70 replaces the receiving jig 50, as shown in FIG. 8C . At this time, the control device 70 detects whether replacement of the receiving jig 50 is complete and whether the receiving jig 50 has returned to a position where it can receive the core materials 10, 20 (step S09). Here, until the receiving jig 50 returns to the predetermined position, the movement of the holding member 60 to the non-holding position is suspended regardless of the number of core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 60. This allows the core materials 10, 20 supplied from the holding member 60 to be reliably stacked on the receiving jig 50. When replacement of the receiving jig 50 is complete, the process returns to step S04.

[0083] Furthermore, when replacement of the receiving jig 50 is completed and the empty receiving jig 50 is placed on the transfer path for the core members 10, 20, the control device 70 detects whether the number of core members 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 has reached a predetermined number (m), as shown in FIG. 9A . Then, when the number of core members 10, 20 held by the holding member 60 has reached the predetermined number, the holding member 60 is moved to the non-holding position, as shown in FIG. 9B , and multiple core members 10, 20 are supplied in a stacked state to the receiving jig 50. Once multiple core members 10, 20 have been supplied from the holding member 60 to the receiving jig 50, the holding member 60 returns to the holding position, as shown in FIG. 9C , and the receiving jig 50 is rotated a predetermined angle about the rotation axis AR as necessary to perform rolling. By repeating the above-described series of operations, the laminate manufacturing method according to this embodiment can continuously manufacture laminates.

[0084] As described above, with the laminate manufacturing method and laminate manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment, the holding member 60 can control the timing of supplying the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50, etc. This allows multiple core members 10, 20 to be supplied in a stacked state to the receiving jig 50, stabilizes the supply posture of the core members 10, 20, and allows the core members 10, 20 to be accurately stacked on the receiving jig 50. Furthermore, because movement of the holding member 60 to the non-holding position is restricted when the receiving jig 50 is replaced, the core members 10, 20 can be reliably stacked on the receiving jig 50. In addition, even if the number of core members held by the holding member 60 increases in connection with the replacement of the receiving jig 50, there is no need to stop the manufacturing apparatus 1 by separately preparing the timing of movement to the non-holding position.

[0085] In addition, by employing the squeeze 40 having a structure that locks the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10, as in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, it is possible to control the timing of supplying the core members 10, 20 to the holding member 60 and the receiving jig 50. This makes it possible to secure time for the operation of the holding member 60 and time for the rotation and replacement of the receiving jig 50. Furthermore, by employing the holding member 60 in addition to the squeeze 40, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can secure more time for the rotation and replacement of the receiving jig 50 than when only the squeeze 40 is provided.

[0086] Second Embodiment In the above-described first embodiment, the holding member 60 is exemplified as one that holds, at the holding position, the side surfaces of the core members 10, 20 supplied from the downstream side of the squeezer 40 in the conveying direction, but the shape of the holding member 60 is not limited to this. Therefore, below, as a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A that employs a holding member 60 having a shape different from that of the first embodiment will be described.

[0087] (Laminate Manufacturing Apparatus) Fig. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 10, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment may have components similar to those of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above, except for the holding member 80. Therefore, in the following, to avoid redundant explanation, only the holding member 80 will be described among the various components of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment, and the descriptions of the first embodiment will be reused for the other components.

[0088] 10, the holding member 80 included in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A is disposed between the squeeze tool 40 and the receiving jig 50, and is a member that is movable between a holding position where it holds the multiple iron core members 10, 20 supplied from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the squeeze tool 40, and a non-holding position where it does not hold the multiple iron core members 10, 20 supplied from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the squeeze tool 40. In addition, at the holding position, this holding member 80 holds the underside of one iron core member supplied from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the squeeze tool 40.

[0089] Furthermore, multiple holding members 80 (for example, four) may be arranged at equal intervals radially to surround the outer periphery of the core materials 10, 20 conveyed from the squeezer 40. By moving the holding member 80 in the direction of arrow A5 in FIG. 10 and positioning its tip on the conveyance path of the core materials 10, 20, it can hold the core material first conveyed from the squeezer 40, specifically the bottom surface of the locked core material 10. Conversely, by retracting its tip to a position where it does not overlap with the conveyance path of the core materials 10, 20, it can release the multiple core materials 10, 20 that it held until just before. Note that in FIG. 10 , the holding member 80 in the non-holding position is indicated by a solid line, and the holding position is indicated by a dotted line. Furthermore, like the holding member 60, the holding member 80 may include an operating means (not shown) for moving between the holding position and the non-holding position. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the holding members 80 can be adjusted as appropriate as long as their functions are maintained.

[0090] When the core materials 10, 20 are unloaded from the squeezer 40 while the holding member 80 is in the holding position, the first of the unloaded core materials 10, 20, the locking core material 10, is placed on the holding member 80 in the holding position. The subsequently unloaded core materials 10, 20 are then stacked in order on top of the first unloaded locking core material 10. When the number of core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 80 reaches a predetermined number and the holding member 80 moves from the holding position to the non-holding position, the multiple core materials 10, 20 held by the holding member 80 are supplied together, while still stacked, onto the base 51 of the receiving jig 50.

[0091] 10 illustrates an example in which the holding member 80 supports only the bottom portions of the core members 10 and 20, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, the holding member 80 may be provided with side walls capable of supporting the outer peripheral surfaces of the core members 10 and 20 in order to prevent the core members from shifting in the front-rear or left-right directions.

[0092] As described above, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above.

[0093] Third Embodiment In the first and second embodiments described above, the timing of supplying the multiple core members 10, 20 is adjusted in the squeeze downstream section 42 in order to ensure time for moving the holding member 80 and time for rolling the laminate and replacing the receiving jig 50. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure. Therefore, below, as a third embodiment of the present disclosure, an example of a laminate manufacturing device that does not have a configuration corresponding to the squeeze downstream section 42 described above will be described.

[0094] 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 11, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to this embodiment includes a supply mechanism 30 capable of supplying a plurality of core members including locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20, a receiving jig 50 capable of receiving a plurality of core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30, a separating mechanism 90 disposed between the supply mechanism 30 and the receiving jig 50 in the transport direction of the core members 10, 20 and controlling the supply of the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50, and a holding member 80A disposed between the separating mechanism 90 and the receiving jig 50 in the transport direction of the core members 10, 20 and movable between a holding position that holds the plurality of core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 and a non-holding position that does not hold the plurality of core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism. Of these, the supply mechanism 30 and the receiving jig 50 may be the same as those included in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the above description of the supply mechanism 30 and the receiving jig 50 will be applied, and detailed description thereof will be omitted below.

[0095] In addition, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment may further include a squeezer 40A between the supply mechanism 30 and the cutting mechanism 90. Similar to the squeezer 40 included in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the squeezer 40A may be a cylindrical member having a conveying path formed in its center, along which the plurality of core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 are conveyed in a stacked state. Unlike the squeezer 40 described above, the squeezer 40A may have a size and shape adjusted to match the shape of the outer circumferential surfaces of the core members 10, 20 conveyed within the squeezer 40A over the entire length of the conveying path. This allows the plurality of core members 10, 20 passing through the squeezer 40A to be conveyed downward in a stacked state, with their sides (i.e., outer peripheries) abutting against the inner circumferential surface 43 of the squeezer 40A.

[0096] The separating mechanism 90 may control the supply of the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 transported downward from the downstream end of the squeezer 40A in the transport direction to the holding member 80A and the receiving jig 50. Specifically, by operating the separating mechanism 90, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to this embodiment can ensure time for moving the holding member 80A and time for rotating or replacing the receiving jig 50. The separating mechanism 90 may include at least a locking member 91 that contacts the locking piece 13A of the transported locking core member 10 to limit its movement, and an actuator 92 as an example of an operating device that operates the locking member 91.

[0097] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in Fig. 11, and is a diagram schematically illustrating the positional relationship between the core members, the cutting mechanism, and the holding members in the laminate manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a plurality of locking members 91, for example, four, may be provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of each of the transported core members 10, 20. These locking members 91 may be configured to be movable between a locking position (see solid lines in Fig. 12) in which they lock each of the multiple locking pieces 13A of the locking core member 10 transported from the downstream end of the squeezer 40A in the transport direction, and a non-locking position (see dotted lines in Fig. 12) in which they do not lock each of the locking pieces 13A. The locking position can be set at any position on the moving path through which the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10 passes as it is transported on the conveying path, and the non-locking position can be set at a position that does not overlap with the moving path of the locking piece 13A.

[0098] The actuator 92 can operate the locking member 91. Specifically, the locking member 91 can be operated, for example, in the direction indicated by arrow A6 in FIG. 12 , to move between the above-described locking position and unlocking position. A well-known linear motion device such as an air cylinder or a single-axis robot can be used as the actuator 92 in this embodiment. The actuator 92 can operate the locking member 91 to move between a locking position in which the locking member 91 is relatively close to the locking core member 10 and an unlocking position in which the locking member 91 is relatively away from the locking core member 10. Note that the direction of movement of the locking member 91 by the actuator 92 is not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the locking piece 13A, etc.

[0099] Furthermore, the separating mechanism 90 according to this embodiment can further include a sensor 93 capable of detecting that each of the core members 10, 20 has passed an arbitrary position on the transport path. The arbitrary position is preferably an arbitrary position between the lower end of the squeeze 40A and the upper end of the locking member 91, and more preferably a position adjacent to the upper end of the locking member 91. This sensor 93 can be a well-known detecting device, such as an infrared sensor or a two-dimensional camera.

[0100] The separating mechanism 90 having the above-described configuration employs a structure in which the locking member 91 locks only the locking piece 13A. Therefore, even if the locking member 91 is moved while the non-locking core member 20 is passing through the position where the locking member 91 is provided, the locking member 91 and the non-locking core member 20 do not come into contact with each other. This allows the locking member 91 to move while the non-locking core member 20 is passing, ensuring that the separating mechanism 90 can operate for a longer period of time than conventional mechanisms. Therefore, the components used in the separating mechanism 90 and their control can be simplified.

[0101] The holding member 80A may be the same as the holding member 80 described in the second embodiment, for example. That is, the holding member 80A is disposed between the cutting mechanism 90 and the receiving jig 50, and is a member that is movable between a holding position where it holds the multiple core materials 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 via the squeeze 40A and the cutting mechanism 90, and a non-holding position where it does not hold the multiple core materials 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 via the squeeze 40A and the cutting mechanism 90. In addition, the holding member 80A may hold the underside of one of the core materials supplied from the supply mechanism 30 via the squeeze 40A and the cutting mechanism 90 at the holding position.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 12 , multiple holding members 80A (e.g., four) may be arranged radially at equal intervals to surround the outer periphery of the core materials 10 and 20 passing through the conveying path. This holding member 80A can be moved in the direction of arrow A5 in FIG. 12 to a holding position where its tip is positioned on the conveying path of the core materials 10 and 20, thereby holding the core material first conveyed out of the squeezer 40A, specifically the bottom surface of the locked core material 10. Conversely, by retracting its tip to a non-holding position where it does not overlap with the conveying path of the core materials 10 and 20, the holding of the multiple core materials 10 and 20 that it held in the holding position can be released. In FIG. 12 , the holding position of the holding member 80A is indicated by a solid line, and the non-holding position is indicated by a dotted line. Like the holding member 60, the holding member 80A may include an operating means (not shown) for moving between the holding position and the non-holding position. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the holding members 80A can be adjusted as appropriate within a range that allows their functions to be maintained.

[0103] With holding member 80A in the holding position, locking member 91 of separating mechanism 90 moves to the unlocking position and core materials 10, 20 are transported downward, and of the transported core materials 10, 20, the first locked core material 10 to be transported is placed on holding member 80A in the holding position. Subsequently, the subsequently transported core materials 10, 20 are stacked in order on top of the first locked core material 10 to be transported. Then, when holding member 80A moves from the holding position to the unlocking position, the multiple core materials 10, 20 held by holding member 80A are supplied together onto base 51 of receiving jig 50 while maintaining their stacked state.

[0104] As described above, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the laminate manufacturing apparatuses 1 and 1A according to the first and second embodiments described above.

[0105] (Laminate Manufacturing Method) Next, a laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, an example will be given in which a laminate is manufactured using the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B described above, but the laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure can also be implemented using an apparatus other than the manufacturing apparatus 1B. The laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, which is realized by the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B, can be provided in the form of a program for causing a computer processor of a control device 70 that controls each component of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B to execute a predetermined operation, or in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which this program is stored. Note that the following description of the effects and the like also serves as a description of the effects of the manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment.

[0106] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method for a laminate according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 14A to 14C and 15A to 15C are explanatory diagrams showing the main parts of a manufacturing apparatus when the manufacturing method for a laminate shown in FIG. 13 is executed. Note that in FIGS. 14A to 14C and 15A to 15C, only the parts of the manufacturing apparatus 1B related to the transport are shown, and other parts are omitted, so as to facilitate understanding of the transport state of each core member 10, 20 being transported from the squeezer 40A to the receiving jig 50. The manufacturing method for a laminate described below shares some points with the manufacturing method for a laminate according to the first embodiment, such as the number of core members 10, 20 included in each core member group G constituting a block core. Therefore, for details of the manufacturing method for a laminate that are not described below, the description of the manufacturing method for a laminate according to the first embodiment will be used as appropriate.

[0107] The manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment includes at least a step of supplying a plurality of iron core members 10, 20 from a supply mechanism 30 (corresponding to step S21 described later), a step of selectively supporting the iron core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30 using a separation mechanism 90 (see step S23 described later), a step of moving a locking member 91 from a locking position to a non-locking position in order to release the support of the plurality of iron core members 10, 20 supported by the separation mechanism 90 (see step S25 described later), and a step of moving the locking member moved to the non-locking position so that the non-locking core member 20 passes through a position including the locking position on a transport path of the iron core member. The process includes a step of returning the iron core members 10, 20 that have passed through the cutting mechanism 90 to the locking position (see step S27 described later), a step of holding the multiple iron core members 10, 20 that have passed through the cutting mechanism 90 with the holding member 80A (see step S24 described later, etc.), a step of releasing the holding of the iron core members 10, 20 by the holding member 80 when the number of iron core members 10, 20 held by the holding member 80 reaches a predetermined number m and the locking member 91 is in the locking position (see steps S27 to S29 described later), and a step of receiving the multiple iron core members 10, 20 that have been released from holding by the holding member 80 with the receiving jig 50 (see step S30 described later).

[0108] To explain the laminate manufacturing method according to this embodiment in more detail, the manufacturing method first starts a punching operation using punch 32 and die 31 to start supplying the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 to squeeze 40A (step S21). Concurrently, conveyance of core members 10, 20 by squeeze 40A also begins (step S22). Furthermore, once conveyance of core members 10, 20 by squeeze 40A begins, holding member 60 is moved to a holding position to hold the locking core members 10 and non-locking core members 20 being conveyed out of squeeze 40A (step S23). Note that steps S21 to S23 may be the same as steps S01 to S03 described in the first embodiment.

[0109] Next, in order to control the supply of the core materials 10, 20 carried out from the squeezer 40A to the holding member 80A and the receiving jig 50, the actuator 92 of the separating mechanism 90 is operated to move the locking member 91 to the unlocking position (step S24). Note that if the locking member 91 is in the unlocking position in the initial state of the manufacturing apparatus 1B, step S24 can be skipped. When the locking member 91 is in the unlocking position, it is not present on the transport path of the core materials 10, 20. Therefore, the core materials 10, 20 constituting one group G of core materials carried out from the squeezer 40A at this time move downward one by one and are placed and stacked on the holding member 80A which is in the holding position, as shown in FIG.

[0110] The movement of the locking core member 10 and the unlocked core member 20 carried out from the squeezer 40A is monitored by a sensor 93. The sensor 93 may be disposed facing a vertical position (hereinafter, this position will be referred to as the "core member support position") that includes the locking position where the locking member 91 of the separating mechanism 90 locks the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10. This allows the sensor 93 to detect that the locking core member 10 has passed the core member support position.

[0111] When the above-mentioned sensor 93 or the like detects the passage of a locking core member 10 from among the core member group G (step S25), the actuator 92 of the separating mechanism 90 is operated to move the locking member 91 to the locking position (step S26). Here, when multiple locking core members 10 are included in one core member group G, the passage of a locking core member 10 through the core member support position refers to the passage of the locking core member 10 located most upstream (the second locking core member from the bottom in FIG. 14A) through the core member support position.

[0112] The method for detecting the passage of the locking core member 10 through the core member support position is not limited to the above. For example, the detection may be performed by detecting a change in the core members sequentially passing through the core member support position from a locking core member 10 to an unlocked core member 20. Alternatively, the above detection may be performed without using the sensor 93, based on the timing of the locking core member 10 passing through the core member support position, determined by calculation taking into account the number and supply time of the core members 10, 20 supplied from the supply mechanism 30. Such alternative detection methods generally tend to have lower detection accuracy than when the passage of the locking core member 10 is directly detected by the sensor 93. However, in the laminate manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the time required for the separating mechanism 90 to move from the unlocked position to the locked position is long, as will be described later, so the above alternative detection method may also be employed.

[0113] The movement (return) of the locking member 91 to the locking position in step S26 may be completed during the period from when a locking core member 10 in one core member group G passes the core member support position until the locking core member 10 located most downstream of another core member group G transported after the first core member group G reaches the core member support position. As shown in Figure 14B, this period includes the period during which two non-locking core members 20 pass the core member support position, but the non-locking core members 20 do not have locking pieces 13A, and the locking position of the locking member 91 is set on the movement path of the locking pieces 13A. Therefore, even if the locking member 91 is in the locking position when the non-locking core member 20 passes the core member support position, the locking member 91 will not interfere with the transport of the non-locking core member 20.

[0114] The number of iron core members 10, 20 supplied to the holding member 80A by moving the locking member 91 to the non-locking position is detected by the control device 70 (step S27), and when it is detected that the number has reached m (four in Figure 14), which is the total number of iron core members that make up one block core (Yes in step S27), the holding member 80A is moved from the holding position to the non-holding position (step S28).

[0115] When holding member 80A moves to the non-holding position, the m core materials 10, 20 held by holding member 80A move in a stacked state toward receiving jig 50 and are stacked on bases 51 of receiving jig 50, as shown in Fig. 14B (step S29). After the held core materials 10, 20 have been supplied to receiving jig 50, holding member 80A is moved back to the holding position (step S30), and is ready to hold the next core material 10, 20 that will be supplied as locking member 91 moves to the non-locking position.

[0116] The receiving jig 50 that has received the m iron core materials 10, 20 supplied from the holding member 80A determines whether or not transfer or replacement of the receiving jig 50 is necessary based on the number of iron core materials 10, 20 stacked on the base 51, and carries out this (step S31). When the transfer or replacement of the receiving jig 50 is complete, the process returns to step S24.

[0117] Fig. 14C shows the state when replacement of the receiving jig 50 has been carried out. Once replacement of the receiving jig 50 has begun, the holding member 80A is maintained in the holding position until the placement of the empty receiving jig 50 shown in Fig. 15A is complete. During this period, the operation of the separating mechanism 90 may continue in accordance with the supply of core materials 10, 20 from the supply mechanism 30. Furthermore, once the placement of the empty receiving jig 50 is complete, the holding member 80A moves to the non-holding position when a predetermined number of core materials 10, 20 have been held, as described in step S28 and other steps above, thereby resuming the supply of core materials 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50 (see Figs. 15B and 15C).

[0118] As described above, with the laminate manufacturing method and laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment, the holding member 80A can control the timing of supplying the core members 10, 20 to the receiving jig 50. This allows a plurality of core members 10, 20 to be supplied to the receiving jig 50 in a stacked state, and the core members 10, 20 can be stacked accurately on the receiving jig 50.

[0119] In addition, by employing a cutting mechanism 90 that locks the locking piece 13A of the locking core member 10, as in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1B according to this embodiment, it is possible to control the timing of supplying the core members 10, 20 to the holding member 80A and the receiving jig 50. This makes it possible to secure time for moving the holding member 80A and time for rotating and replacing the receiving jig 50. Furthermore, by employing the holding member 80A in addition to the cutting mechanism 90, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can secure more time for rotating and replacing the receiving jig 50 than when only the cutting mechanism 90 is provided.

[0120] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, all of which are included in the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0121] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference was individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.

[0122] The use of nouns and similar referents in connection with the description of this disclosure (particularly in connection with the claims that follow) shall be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The words "comprises," "has," "includes," and "comprises" shall be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to"), unless otherwise noted. The recitation of numerical ranges herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method for referring individually to each value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Any example or exemplary language used herein (e.g., "such as"), unless otherwise claimed, is intended merely to better illustrate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present disclosure.

[0123] Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects that skilled persons will apply such variations as appropriate, and intends to practice the disclosure otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, this disclosure includes any combination of the above-described elements in all variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate comprising: a squeeze that can transport downwardly a plurality of plate-shaped core members stacked on top of each other, the plurality of core members including a locking core member having locking pieces at multiple locations on its outer circumferential surface and a non-locking core member not having the locking pieces, the squeeze laterally supporting the locking pieces of the locking core member passing through the squeeze; a supply mechanism located upstream of the squeeze in the transport direction of the core members and capable of selectively supplying the locking core members and the non-locking core members to the squeeze; a receiving member capable of receiving a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction; and a holding member disposed between the squeeze and the receiving member and movable between a holding position which holds a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction and a non-holding position which does not hold a plurality of the core members supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the transport direction.

2. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding member, at said holding position, holds a side surface of said core member supplied from the downstream side of said squeezer in said conveying direction.

3. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member, at the holding position, holds a lower surface of the core member supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the conveying direction.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing laminates described in claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of the core members are stacked to form a block core, the block core being composed of one or more of the locking core members located downstream in the conveying direction and one or more of the non-locking core members located upstream in the conveying direction, and the holding member moves from the holding position to the non-holding position when it has held all of the predetermined number of the core members that constitute one of the block cores at the holding position.

5. The laminate manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holding member determines whether or not to move from the holding position to the non-holding position based on whether or not the receiving member is in a position capable of receiving the iron core member supplied from the downstream side of the squeeze in the conveying direction.

6. A supply mechanism capable of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped core members including a locking core member having locking pieces at a plurality of locations on its outer circumferential surface and a non-locking core member having no locking pieces; a receiving member capable of receiving the plurality of core members supplied from the supply mechanism; a separating mechanism disposed between the supply mechanism and the receiving member in the transport direction of the core member and controlling the supply of the core members to the receiving member; and a holding member disposed between the separating mechanism and the receiving member in the transport direction of the core member and movable between a holding position which holds the plurality of core members supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-holding position which does not hold the plurality of core members supplied from the supply mechanism, The cutting mechanism comprises a locking member movable between a locking position at which the locking piece of the locking core member supplied from the supply mechanism is locked and a non-locking position at which the locking piece is not locked, and an actuator that moves the locking member to the locking position and the non-locking position.

7. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a squeeze disposed between the supply mechanism and the cutting mechanism in the conveying direction and supporting from the side the iron core material supplied from the supply mechanism, wherein the iron core materials supported from the side by the squeeze can be conveyed within the squeeze in the conveying direction in a stacked state.

8. The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a predetermined number of the core members are stacked to form a block core, and the block core is stacked alone or in multiples to form a motor core, and the holding member moves from the holding position to the non-holding position when it has held all of the predetermined number of the core members that form one of the block cores at the holding position.

9. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate as described in claim 8, wherein a predetermined number of the iron core members are stacked to form a block core, and the block core is formed by stacking a single piece or a plurality of pieces to form a motor core, and is composed of one or more of the locking core members located downstream in the conveying direction and one or more of the non-locking core members located upstream in the conveying direction, and the operating device moves the locking member from the locking position to the non-locking position, and then returns it to the locking position during a period when the non-locking core member is passing through a position on the conveying path of the iron core member that includes the locking position.

10. A method for manufacturing a laminate, comprising the steps of: supplying a plurality of plate-shaped iron core members to a squeeze, the plurality of iron core members including locking core members having locking pieces at multiple locations on their outer circumferential surface and non-locking core members having no locking pieces, the squeeze being capable of transporting the plurality of supplied iron core members in a stacked state along the transport direction, and supporting from the sides the locking pieces of the locking core members passing through the squeeze; holding the iron core members that have passed through the squeeze with a holding member; releasing the holding of the iron core members by the holding member when the number of the iron core members held by the holding member reaches a predetermined number; and receiving the plurality of iron core members that have been released from holding by the holding member with a receiving member.

11. A method for manufacturing a laminate as described in claim 10, further comprising a step of determining whether or not the receiving member is in a position capable of receiving the iron core member prior to the step of releasing the holding of the iron core member by the holding member, and when the receiving member is not in a position capable of receiving the iron core member, the step of releasing the holding of the iron core member by the holding member is withheld.

12. A process of supplying a plurality of plate-shaped core members from a supply mechanism, the plurality of core members including locking core members having locking pieces at a plurality of locations on their outer circumferential surface, and non-locking core members having no locking pieces; a process of selectively supporting the core members supplied from the supply mechanism using a separating mechanism, the separating mechanism comprising a locking member movable between a locking position at which each of the locking pieces of the locking core member supplied from the supply mechanism is locked and a non-locking position at which each of the locking pieces is not locked, and an operating device for moving the locking member to the locking position and the non-locking position, the core members being supported by the locking member located at the locking position locking the locking pieces of the locking core member; and a process of moving the locking member from the locking position to the non-locking position to release the support of the plurality of core members supported by the separating mechanism. A method for manufacturing a laminate, comprising the steps of: returning the locking member that has been moved to the non-locking position to the locking position during a period in which the non-locking core member passes through a position on a transport path of the core member that includes the locking position; holding the multiple core members that have passed the cutting mechanism with a holding member; releasing the holding of the core members by the holding member when the number of the core members held by the holding member reaches a predetermined number and the locking member is in the locking position; and receiving the multiple core members that have been released from holding by the holding member with a receiving member.