Mold device and device for manufacturing motor

Abstract

This mold device includes: a first mold and a second mold that can retain a motor core which includes a plurality of resin filling sections disposed at prescribed intervals in an annular shape, and that are in contact with dual end sections of the motor core in an axial direction; a resin supply port that opens in a surface of the first mold on the opposite side from a surface contacting the motor core and through which a softened resin material is supplied; a plurality of resin injection ports that open in the surface of the first mold contacting the motor core and, in a state in which the motor core is retained, are in communication with the plurality of resin filling sections; and a plurality of first runners formed within the first mold so as to establish communication between two adjacent resin injection ports among the plurality of resin injection ports.

Description

Die equipment and motor manufacturing equipment

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a die device and a motor manufacturing device.

[0002] Some rotating electrical machines have permanent magnets attached to their motor cores, such as rotor cores. To attach permanent magnets to motor cores in this way, a known method is to insert the permanent magnets into slots in the motor core, then fill the surrounding area with a resin material and allow it to harden.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-059185 describes a motor manufacturing device equipped with a mold consisting of an upper mold and a lower mold that are abutted against the top and bottom of a motor core, in which the upper mold includes, as a supply path for resin material, a pot portion formed in the center of the upper mold, a plurality of gate portions formed around the pot portion, and runner portions that extend radially to connect the pot portion and the gate portion.

[0004] In the resin material supply path formed in the upper mold described in JP 2013-059185 A, a cured resin (commonly referred to as "cull") is generated each time the resin material is cured. Therefore, work is required to remove the cull from the supply path. However, when the supply path is shaped such that only a single runner connects the pot portion and the gate portion, as in JP 2013-059185 A, the rigidity of the cull generated in the supply path is partially reduced. This reduction in rigidity becomes more pronounced in proportion to the reduction in the diameter of the runner portion in order to improve the manufacturing yield of the resin material. In relation to this, when removing the cull generated in the supply path, the cull may break and separate, for example, at an appropriate location on the runner portion or at the connection portion between the runner portion and the pot portion or gate portion, leaving part of the cull remaining in the supply path. If part of the cull remains in the supply path, a new work is required to remove the part of the cull, which reduces the production efficiency of motors. Furthermore, if the removal of some of the culm is insufficient or the removal work is forgotten, this can cause poor filling when the next resin material is filled.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure provides a mold device and a motor manufacturing device that can efficiently remove culls generated in a supply path.

[0006] The mold device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is capable of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin filling portions arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals, and includes a first mold and a second mold that abut both axial ends of the motor core, a resin supply port that opens on the surface of the first mold opposite the surface that abuts the motor core and through which softened resin material is supplied, a plurality of resin injection ports that open on the surface of the first mold that abuts the motor core and communicate with the resin filling portions when the motor core is held, and a plurality of first runners formed in the first mold so as to communicate between two adjacent resin injection ports among the plurality of resin injection ports.

[0007] In the mold device described above, by including the first runner, the cull that hardens in the first mold and is formed at the resin injection port has a shape that is connected at multiple points, which increases the rigidity of the cull compared to conventional methods and makes it less likely to separate partially when removed from the first mold.

[0008] A mold apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a mold apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the plurality of resin injection ports are arranged around the resin supply port and further include second runners extending radially from the resin supply port toward the resin injection port or the first runner.

[0009] In the above-described mold device, the resin supply port and the resin injection port are connected by two types of liners, which further increases the rigidity of the cull.

[0010] A mold apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a mold apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein at least one of the plurality of resin injection ports is connected to two adjacent resin filling sections.

[0011] In the above-described mold apparatus, the number of resin injection ports can be made smaller than the number of resin filling sections, and the shape of the first mold can be simplified.

[0012] A mold device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a mold device according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein at least one of the multiple resin injection ports has a V-shaped cross section, and both ends of the V-shape are connected to the resin filling section.

[0013] In the mold device described above, the resin injection port is V-shaped, which improves rigidity compared to a circular resin injection port, making it less likely to break, increasing the rate at which culls are removed from the mold, and ensuring productivity.

[0014] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes a mold apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, a chamber that communicates with the resin supply port and is capable of containing resin material therein, and a plunger that can move within the chamber to supply the resin material to the resin supply port.

[0015] In the motor manufacturing apparatus described above, the cull generated in the first mold is less likely to separate, eliminating the need to repeatedly remove the cull from the first mold, allowing for efficient motor manufacturing. Furthermore, the first runner connects adjacent resin injection ports formed in the first mold, reducing variations in the pressure applied by the plunger to the resin material passing through each port. This allows for more uniform pressure applied to the motor core, for example, during pressure retention, which maintains a predetermined pressure after supplying resin material to the resin-filled portion of the motor core.

[0016] According to the mold device and motor manufacturing device disclosed herein, the rigidity of the cull generated in the supply path is improved, making it less likely for the cull to break when being removed, thereby allowing the cull to be efficiently removed from the mold device.

[0017] 3A is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a motor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing an example of a motor core supported by the mold apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3C is a plan view showing an example of a motor core supported by the mold apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3E is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the resin supply path shown in FIG. 3A and a rotor core held in the mold apparatus. FIG. 3F is a flowchart showing an example of a motor manufacturing process using the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3G is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. FIG. 3H is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. FIG. 3I is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. FIG. 3I is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. FIG. 3I is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of a modified mold device, which is an enlarged view of a part corresponding to part B in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a cull removed from the mold device. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing another example of a resin supply path.

[0018] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-100589, filed on June 21, 2024, 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.

[0019] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure will be schematically shown below, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure will be mainly explained, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known technologies. Furthermore, identical or corresponding components in the drawings will be given the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when a single drawing includes multiple identical or corresponding components, only some of them may be given reference numerals to make the drawing easier to understand.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a motor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of a motor core supported by the mold apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , with FIG. 2A being a perspective view and FIG. 2B being a plan view. The motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can be used as an apparatus for attaching permanent magnets 3 to a motor core, for example, an inner-rotor rotor core 2 as shown in FIG. 2A . The motor manufacturing apparatus 1 may attach the permanent magnets 3 to the rotor core 2 by resin molding using a resin material P. While this embodiment illustrates the rotor core 2 as an example of the motor core and the slots 4 (more specifically, the filling spaces 6) of the rotor core 2 as examples of the resin-filled portions of the motor core, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 can also be used to resin-mold the coil-wound portions of a stator core serving as a motor core, or to fill axial through-holes of an uncrimped laminated core with resin to secure the laminated core together. In addition, the term "motor" used in this specification refers not only to the finished rotor or stator (product), but also to a semi-finished product in which some parts are attached to a motor core. Furthermore, in the following explanation, for ease of understanding, the X direction shown in Figure 1 may be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y direction as the front-rear direction, and the Z direction as the height direction (or up-down direction).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2A , the rotor core 2 may be formed of a substantially cylindrical magnetic material formed by laminating multiple thin electromagnetic steel sheets. A through hole 5 may be provided in the axial center of the rotor core 2, into which a shaft (not shown) constituting a rotating shaft when assembled into a motor is inserted. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2B , the rotor core 2 may have multiple (16 in FIGS. 2A and 2B ) slots 4 extending along the axial direction of the rotor core 2, arranged at predetermined intervals in a ring shape centered on the through hole 5. The slots 4 may have a shape that allows insertion of permanent magnets 3 (see FIG. 1 ), such as a rectangular or arc-shaped through hole that penetrates the rotor core 2 in the thickness direction, but the specific shape is not particularly limited. Similarly, the number of slots may be arbitrarily changed, for example, between 10 and 40.

[0022] The slots 4 of the rotor core 2 are an example of resin-filled portions into which permanent magnets 3 are inserted and fixed. The shape of the slots 4 may be adjusted to match the shape of the inserted permanent magnets. Furthermore, the permanent magnets 3 inserted into the slots 4 may be formed, for example, as rectangular parallelepiped or arc-shaped blocks slightly smaller than the slots 4. The permanent magnets 3 may or may not be magnetized when inserted into the slots 4. Furthermore, the permanent magnets 3 may or may not be divided in the stacking direction or in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. When the permanent magnets 3 are inserted into the slots 4, at least a partial gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the permanent magnets 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the slots 4. The gap formed in the slots 4 becomes the filling space 6 into which the resin material P is filled.

[0023] 1, the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a mold apparatus 20 according to this embodiment capable of holding a rotor core 2, a chamber 30 capable of containing a resin material therein, and a plunger 40 that moves within the chamber 30. Furthermore, each of the above-described components can be housed within the manufacturing apparatus main body 10 or attached to an appropriate position of the manufacturing apparatus main body 10.

[0024] The manufacturing apparatus main body 10 may include a base 11, a plurality of (for example, four) support columns 12 erected on the upper surface of the base 11, and a top plate 13 supported at the tip portions of the support columns 12. The top plate 13 may have an upper mold 21 of a mold device 20 (described later) fixed to its underside, and may be able to be raised and lowered together with the upper mold 21 by an actuator (not shown). The raising and lowering operation of the top plate 13 may be performed mainly when the rotor core 2 is held in the mold device 20 or when the rotor core 2 is carried out from the mold device 20.

[0025] The mold device 20 is a member for holding the rotor core 2. Specifically, it includes a lower mold 22 as an example of a first mold and an upper mold 21 as an example of a second mold that abut against both axial ends of the rotor core 2, and a supply path 50 for the resin material P formed in the lower mold 22. Note that in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the supply path 50 is formed on the lower mold 22 side, but it is also possible to form the supply path 50 on the upper mold 21 side, as in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-059185. In that case, it is preferable that the first mold is the upper mold 21 and the second mold is the lower mold 22, and that the chamber 30 and the plunger 40 are disposed above the mold device 20.

[0026] The upper mold 21 is an example of a second mold, and can be configured as a plate-like body with a substantially flat lower surface that forms the contact surface against which at least the end of the rotor core 2 contacts. The upper mold 21 may be fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 13. A mold heater 25 for heating the rotor core 2 and the mold device 20 may be disposed inside the upper mold 21. For example, an infrared heater or a sheath heater can be used as the mold heater 25.

[0027] Furthermore, the upper mold 21 may be movable in the vertical direction together with the top plate 13, as described above. When the rotor core 2 is placed on the lower mold 22, the upper mold 21 is lowered and presses the upper surface of the rotor core 2 with a predetermined pressing force, thereby holding the rotor core 2 sandwiched between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. The shapes, materials, etc. of the surfaces of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 that contact the rotor core 2 can be adjusted so that the filled resin material P does not leak out of the rotor core 2 when the filling space 6 is filled with the resin material P. Specifically, the contact surfaces may be adjusted so that, when the rotor core 2 is sandwiched between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22, the contact surfaces are sealed to the extent that the softened resin material P does not leak out of the rotor core 2 from the contact surfaces.

[0028] In this embodiment, as described above, a structure is adopted in which the upper mold 21 moves up and down together with the top plate 13, but other structures can be adopted as long as they are structures that allow the relative vertical positions of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 to be changed. Specifically, for example, instead of moving the upper mold 21 up and down, a structure may be adopted in which the lower mold 22 moves up and down, or in which both the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 move up and down.

[0029] The lower mold 22 is an example of a first mold, and may be disposed on a support base 31 described later, with a supply path 50 formed therein. The lower mold 22 may include a lower mold body 23, a stage 24 provided on the lower mold body 23 and on which the rotor core 2 is placed, and a lifter 26 that raises and lowers the stage 24.

[0030] The lower mold body 23 can be configured as a member placed on a support stand 31 and having a mold heater 25 disposed therein. In the present embodiment, the mold heater 25 is provided in both the upper mold 21 and the lower mold body 23, but the mold heater 25 may be provided in at least one of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22.

[0031] The stage 24 can be configured as a plate-like body with a substantially flat upper surface that forms the contact surface against which at least the end of the rotor core 2 contacts. This stage 24 can be moved vertically by a lifter 26 when introducing the resin material P into the chamber 30 or when removing cull P2 (see FIG. 9, etc.) generated in the supply path 50. This stage 24 is preferably detachable from the lifter 26. For example, by preparing multiple types of stages with different shapes of supply path 50 in advance and changing the stage to match the shape of the rotor core 2 held by the mold device 20, the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can realize filling of various rotor cores 2 with the resin material P.

[0032] In this embodiment, the slot portions 4 of the rotor core 2 are exemplified as rectangular parallelepipeds that are open in the vertical direction and have substantially no gaps in the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 have substantially flat contact surfaces, but the shapes of the contact surfaces of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 can be changed as appropriate to match the shape of the rotor core 2 to be held. For example, when the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is used for resin molding of an inner rotor type stator core, it is preferable to use the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 that include protrusions that are inserted into spaces formed in the center of the stator core.

[0033] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of a main portion showing an example of a resin supply path, where FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the resin supply path shown in FIG. 3A and the rotor core held in the mold apparatus. The supply path 50 constitutes a passage for supplying the resin material P softened in the chamber 30 into the slot portion 4. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the supply path 50 in this embodiment includes at least a resin supply port 51 through which the softened resin material P is supplied from the chamber 30, a plurality of resin injection ports 52 that communicate with the slot portion 4 when the rotor core 2 is held in the mold apparatus 20, a plurality of first runners 53 that communicate between two adjacent resin injection ports 52, and a second runner 54 that communicates between the resin supply port 51 and the resin injection port 52 or the first runner 53. In FIG. 3B, the rotor core 2 is indicated by a dotted line, and some reference numerals are omitted to make the drawing easier to understand.

[0034] The resin supply port 51 opens on the surface of the lower mold 22 opposite to the surface that abuts against the rotor core 2, and constitutes the entrance of a supply path 50 through which the resin material P softened in the chamber 30 is supplied. In this embodiment, the resin supply port 51 is configured as a circular through-hole in a plan view that penetrates the lower mold body 23 in the vertical direction at the center of the lower mold body 23, with one end on the lower surface side of the lower mold body 23 communicating with the upper surface of the chamber 30 and the other end on the upper surface side of the lower mold body 23 communicating with the second runner 54. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., it is preferable that the diameter of the other end of this resin supply port 51 is larger than the diameter of the one end described above.

[0035] The resin injection ports 52 are arranged around the resin supply port 51 and open on the surface of the lower mold 22 that contacts the rotor core 2. They communicate with one or more slots 4, forming outlets of the supply path 50 that allow softened resin material P to be injected into the slots 4. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B , a plurality of resin injection ports 52 (eight in FIG. 3B ) are arranged around a circle centered on the resin supply port 51 so as to communicate with both of two adjacent slots 4. Each of the resin injection ports 52 is formed by a circular through-hole that penetrates the stage 24 in the vertical direction. One end of the resin injection port 52 on the upper surface of the stage 24 may communicate with the slot 4, and the other end of the resin injection port 52 on the lower surface of the stage 24 may be blocked by the lower mold body 23. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the diameter of the resin injection port 52 at the other end is preferably larger than the diameter of the one end.

[0036] The first runner 53 is a runner formed to connect two adjacent resin injection ports 52 among the multiple resin injection ports 52 arranged on a circle centered on the resin supply port 51. The first runner 53 in this embodiment may be a passage extending along a straight line connecting the two adjacent resin injection ports 52 in the shortest distance, and may be configured as a bottomed groove formed on the underside of the stage 24. The first runner 53 may have both ends connected to the side surfaces of the adjacent resin injection ports 52. The first runner 53 may extend linearly as shown in FIG. 3A , or may have another shape, such as an arc extending around the resin supply port 51.

[0037] The second runners 54 are runners that extend radially from the resin supply port 51 toward the resin injection port 52 or the first runners 53. In the present embodiment, eight second runners 54 are provided that extend radially so as to connect the resin supply port 51 to one of the resin injection ports 52. The second runners 54 in the present embodiment may also be configured as bottomed grooves formed on the underside of the stage 24, similar to the first runners 53. Furthermore, the second runners 54 may have one end that communicates with the other end of the resin supply port 51 and the other end that communicates with the side surface of the resin injection port 52.

[0038] As described above, this embodiment employs a structure including a first runner 53 and a second runner 54 as runners through which the softened resin material P can pass. This allows multiple flow paths to each resin injection port 52, allowing the first runner 53 and the second runner 54 to have smaller cross-sectional areas than conventional runners that only have radially extending runners. Therefore, the volume of cull P2 generated within the supply path 50 can be made approximately the same as the volume of cull generated in a conventional molding device. Furthermore, while FIG. 3A illustrates the first runner 53 and the second runner 54 as having the same width, it is preferable to adjust the width or depth of each runner so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the first runner 53 is smaller than that of the second runner 54. If the cross-sectional area of ​​the first runner 53 is adjusted to be relatively small, the amount of resin material P used can be kept small, and the reduced surface area of ​​the first runner 53 makes it easier to separate the hardened cull P2 within the first runner 53 from the lower mold 22.

[0039] The chamber (sometimes called a "pot") 30 is formed as a space capable of accommodating the resin material P to be filled into the slot portion 4. More specifically, the chamber 30 may be configured as a substantially cylindrical space formed in a support base 31 provided on the base 11. The upper part of this chamber 30 communicates with a resin supply port 51 formed in the lower mold 22. Note that, in this embodiment, the shape of the chamber 30 is exemplified as a space that is cylindrical in plan view, but the shape can be changed as appropriate to suit the shape of the resin material P to be poured, etc.

[0040] A chamber heater 32 may be provided around the outer periphery of the chamber 30 to heat and soften the resin material P introduced into the chamber 30. Similar to the mold heater 25, an infrared heater, a sheathed heater, or the like may be used for the chamber heater 32.

[0041] The resin material P used in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may be a resin composition molded into a shape that can be accommodated in the chamber 30, such as a cylindrical shape. This resin material P may contain a thermosetting resin, such as an epoxy resin, a phenolic resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, or a cyanate resin. In addition to the thermosetting resin, a curing agent, a filler, etc. may also be added to this resin material P.

[0042] Plunger 40 may move within chamber 30 to supply resin material P introduced into chamber 30 to resin supply port 51. The upper surface of plunger 40 according to this embodiment forms the lower surface of chamber 30, and may be connected to an actuator (not shown) so as to be movable up and down within chamber 30. When plunger 40 moves upward, softened resin material P in chamber 30 is pushed up toward resin supply port 51 and transported into filling space 6 of slot portion 4 via supply path 50.

[0043] The motor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may further include a control device 60 for controlling the above-described components. The control device 60 may be electrically connected to the above-described components and control their operation to realize any manufacturing process. The control device 60 may be communicatively connected to the components via wired or wireless communication, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 1 , for example. The control device 60 may be realized using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a well-known computer. The well-known computer may include at least a processor and a memory. The control device 60 may be configured using only one of the above-described computers or a combination of multiple computers.

[0044] This control device 60 can realize a motor manufacturing method using the motor manufacturing device of this embodiment, which will be described later, by operating the above-mentioned components. This motor manufacturing method can be provided in the form of a program such as software containing instructions for causing a computer processor constituting control device 60 to execute predetermined operations, in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which this program is stored, or in the form of an application program provided via a network or the like.

[0045] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a motor using the motor manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

[0046] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a motor manufacturing process using the motor manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 5 to 9 are operation explanatory diagrams showing an example of the state of the motor manufacturing apparatus when the motor manufacturing process shown in Fig. 4 is executed. Below, a motor manufacturing method using the motor manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 5 to 9. Note that, in order to make the drawings easier to understand, Figs. 5 to 9 omit some of the components and their reference numerals that are less relevant to the series of operations.

[0047] When motor manufacturing using the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 starts, first, the mold device 20 is preheated in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 (step S1). This preheating of the mold device 20 can be performed using the mold heater 25. In addition, it is preferable to preheat the chamber 30 in parallel with this preheating of the mold device 20. Preheating of the chamber 30 can be achieved by operating the chamber heater 32.

[0048] Next, a permanent magnet 3 and a rotor core 2 to which the permanent magnet 3 is to be attached are prepared, and the permanent magnet 3 is inserted into the slots 4 of the rotor core 2 (step S2). The rotor core 2 with the permanent magnet 3 inserted into the slots 4 is then preheated (step S3). Preheating of the rotor core 2 may be performed, for example, in a location different from the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 using a known heating means (not shown). The preheating temperature of the mold device 20, chamber 30, and rotor core 2 may be, for example, approximately 120 to 220°C, more preferably approximately 180 to 190°C. Note that at least one of the preheating steps of the mold device 20, chamber 30, and rotor core 2 may be omitted. The order of steps S1, S2, and S3 described above is not limited to the above, and may be changed as appropriate or performed in parallel.

[0049] Once the mold device 20, chamber 30, and rotor core 2 reach the target temperatures, the top plate 13 to which the upper mold 21 is attached is moved upward to ensure space between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22, and the rotor core 2 with the permanent magnets 3 inserted is placed on the lower mold 22 (step S4). As shown in FIG. 5 , the lifter 26 is operated to raise the stage 24. Then, resin material P, which has been molded into a columnar shape in advance, is poured into the chamber 30, the top of which is opened by the raising of the stage 24 (step S5). The timing of placing the rotor core 2 on the stage 24 and the timing of pouring the resin material P into the chamber 30 are not limited to those described above, and they can be performed simultaneously, for example.

[0050] 6, the upper mold 21 is moved downward to hold the rotor core 2 in the mold device 20 (step S6). At this time, the upper mold 21 is adjusted to press the upper surface of the rotor core 2 with a predetermined pressure, thereby allowing the upper mold 21 and the upper surface of the rotor core 2, and the lower mold 22 and the lower surface of the rotor core 2, to be tightly attached to each other.

[0051] Furthermore, since the chamber 30 is preheated in step S1, when the resin material P is introduced into the chamber 30 in step S5, the resin material P is immediately heated. At this time, the chamber heater 32 may be further operated as necessary to maintain or increase the temperature inside the chamber 30. The resin material P is softened by continuing the heating (step S7). The heating inside the chamber 30 is intended to reduce the viscosity of the resin material P. The chamber heater 32 can raise the temperature of the resin material P to the softening temperature.

[0052] 7, the plunger 40 is raised in the direction of arrow A1 to push up the softened resin material P in the chamber 30, thereby filling the filling spaces 6 in the slots 4 with the resin material P (step S8). The resin material P pushed up by the plunger 40 is supplied from the chamber 30 to the resin supply port 51 and first flows into the resin injection ports 52, mainly via the second runner 54. The resin material P transported to the resin injection ports 52 is injected into the slots 4 to which the resin injection ports 52 communicate, and can also flow into the first runner 53. To avoid unintended hardening of the resin material P in the chamber 30, the supply path 50, etc., it is preferable to perform the above-described steps S5 to S8 as quickly as possible.

[0053] As described above, in the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a portion of the resin material P that flows into the plurality of resin injection ports 52 via the second runner 54 can be made to flow into the first runner 53. This allows the resin material P supplied toward one resin injection port 52 to flow into another adjacent resin injection port 52, and even if there is variation in the amount of resin material P flowing into the plurality of second runners 54, the resin material P can be injected evenly into all of the filling spaces 6.

[0054] Once the filling of each filling space 6 with the resin material P is completed, the mold heater 25 is operated to heat the mold device 20 and the rotor core 2 to a temperature higher than the preheating temperature shown in step S3, thereby hardening the resin material P in the filling spaces 6 (step S9). At this time, the plunger 40 maintains a predetermined pressing force on the resin material P, a so-called pressure holding state. As the resin material P hardens, the permanent magnets 3 are fixed in the slots 4. At this time, the heating by the mold heater 25 produces hardened resin P1 in the filling spaces 6, and also produces a cull P2 in the supply path 50, where the resin material P is hardened. The heating time in step S7 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of resin used in the resin material P.

[0055] Once the above-described series of resin molding processes are completed, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper mold 21 is raised, and the rotor core 2 with the permanent magnets 3 fixed by the cured resin P1 is removed from the device using a transport means (not shown), such as a robot arm (step S10). The removed rotor core 2 can be transferred to another manufacturing device, for example, for shaft attachment. Then, once the rotor core 2 has been removed, the manufacturing device 1 is cleaned (step S11). Cleaning the manufacturing device 1 includes the operation of removing the cull P2 from the mold device 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the lifter 26 is first operated to raise the stage 24, and the hardened portions of the cull P2 within the resin injection port 52, first runner 53, and second runner 54 are separated from the stage 24.

[0056] At this time, it is important to note that the portions of Cull P2 that have hardened at each resin injection port 52 are connected to the portions that have hardened in the second runner 54 and the portions that have hardened in the two first runners 53. In particular, by including a portion of Cull P2 that has hardened within the first runner 53, it is possible to virtually eliminate the possibility of partial breakage of Cull P2 and the separation of a portion of Cull P2 when it is separated from the stage 24. In other words, even if a break occurs at any one point of Cull P2 when removing Cull P2 from the lower mold 22, a portion of Cull P2 will not separate and remain in the supply path 50.

[0057] Once the separation of the cull P2 from the stage 24 is complete, the plunger 40 is then raised to push up the hardened portion of the cull P2 within the resin supply port 51, and the portion of the cull P2 that has hardened within the resin supply port 51 is separated from the lower mold body 23. Through the series of steps described above, the cull P2 is removed from the mold device 20. The removed cull P2 is removed from the motor manufacturing device 1 by a robot arm or the like (not shown). Once the removal of the cull P2 is complete, a cleaning member such as a brush is used to clean the contact surfaces of the upper mold 21 and lower mold 22, the inside of the chamber 30, etc., completing the series of manufacturing processes.

[0058] As described above, in the mold apparatus 20 according to this embodiment and the motor manufacturing apparatus 1 including this mold apparatus 20, the supply path 50 includes the first runner 53, thereby increasing the rigidity of the cull P2 hardening within the supply path 50. This allows the cull P2 to be removed from the mold apparatus 20 without causing partial separation, thereby improving the efficiency of the removal process. Additionally, because adjacent resin injection ports 52 formed in the lower mold 22 are connected to each other by the first runner 53, adjacent resin injection ports 52 are connected to each other over a shorter distance than in conventional supply paths formed solely with runners extending radially. This reduces variations in the pressure applied by the plunger 40 to the resin material P passing through each resin injection port 52. Therefore, for example, during the aforementioned pressure holding period, the pressure applied to the rotor core 2 can be more uniform.

[0059] In the present embodiment described above, an example of the structure of the supply path 50 has been described, but the structure of the supply path is not limited to the above. Therefore, below, as variations of the present embodiment, several examples of supply path structures different from the above-described supply path 50 will be described.

[0060] 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B are enlarged views of a main portion of a mold device according to some modified examples of an embodiment of the present disclosure, corresponding to portion B in FIG. 3B. Note that in FIGS. 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B, only a portion of the runners formed in portion B in FIG. 3B is shown to facilitate understanding of the structure of the resin injection port and each runner. Furthermore, components similar to those of the supply path 50 according to the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

[0061] 10A, supply path 50A according to the first modified example of the embodiment described above differs from supply path 50 according to the embodiment described above in that second runners 54A extend radially from resin supply port 51 toward first runners 53A. In addition, first runners 53A according to this modified example extend in an arc shape along the outer edge of stage 24, unlike first runners 53 according to the embodiment.

[0062] In the supply path 50A having the above-described structure, the softened resin material P supplied to the resin supply port 51 passes through the second runner 54A, then flows into the first runner 53A, and then flows into each resin supply port 51 connected to the first runner 53A, filling the slot portion 4. Even with this structure of the supply path 50A, the rigidity of the cull P2 hardening within the supply path 50A can be increased, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0063] 10B, the supply path 50B according to the second modified example of the embodiment described above differs from the supply path 50 according to the embodiment described above in that the resin injection port 52B is arranged to communicate with only one slot portion 4. On the other hand, the supply path 50B according to the embodiment is similar in that the first runner 53B is formed to connect two adjacent resin injection ports 52B, and the second runner 54B extends radially from the resin supply port 51 toward the resin injection port 52B. As with the embodiment described above, the supply path 50B having the above-described structure can also increase the rigidity of the cull P2 hardening within the supply path 50B.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11A , the supply path 50C according to the third modification of the embodiment differs from the supply path 50 of the embodiment described above in that it includes multiple resin injection ports 52C with a V-shaped cross section. Each of the multiple resin injection ports 52C has both ends of the V-shape connected to a single slot 4. Furthermore, the first runner 53C of this modification is arranged to connect the V-shaped ends of adjacent resin injection ports 52C, and the second runner 54C is formed radially to connect the resin supply port 51 and the first runner 53C. As with the embodiment described above, the supply path 50C with the above-described structure can also increase the rigidity of the cull P2 curing within the supply path 50C. While this modification illustrates an example in which both ends of the V-shape of the multiple resin injection ports 52C are connected to a single slot 4, these ends may also be connected to different slots 4.

[0065] 11B, the supply path 50D according to the fourth modified example of the embodiment described above differs from the supply path 50 according to the embodiment described above in that multiple resin injection ports 52D are arranged so that two ports are connected to each slot portion 4. In addition, the first runner 53D of this modified example is arranged to connect all adjacent resin injection ports 52D, and the second runner 54D is formed radially to connect the resin supply port 51 and the first runner 53D. As with the embodiment described above, the supply path 50D having the above structure can also increase the rigidity of the cull P2 hardening within the supply path 50D.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of a cull removed from a mold assembly. The cull P2 generated by the mold assembly described in the embodiment and each modified example of the present disclosure described above has a shape connected in the radial and circumferential directions, centered on the portion corresponding to the resin supply port 51, as shown in FIG. 12 . In particular, the cull P2 has a structure in which the portion hardened at the resin supply port and the portion hardened at the resin injection port are connected at multiple locations by the portions hardened by the first and second runners, making it more rigid than conventional structures. As a result, the mold assembly described in the embodiment and each modified example described above can virtually eliminate any remaining cull P2 within the mold assembly when removing the cull P2. Furthermore, a motor manufacturing apparatus including the above-described mold assembly enables efficient motor manufacturing.

[0067] Furthermore, like the supply paths 50, 50A to 50D described in the embodiment and each of the modified examples, various paths from the resin supply port 51 to the resin injection ports 52, 52B to 52D are possible. In connection with this, the timing at which the resin material P reaches the resin injection ports 52, 52B to 52D may also vary. Therefore, it is advisable to adjust the injection timing and injection speed of the resin material P into each slot 4 by adjusting the shape of the resin injection ports 52, 52B to 52D or the area of ​​the portion where the resin injection ports 52, 52B to 52D communicate with the slot 4.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, a supply path in which one resin supply port is formed in the center of the lower mold body and second runners extend radially from the resin supply port is exemplified, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Therefore, below, a mold device including a supply path without a second runner will be described as another modified example of the above-described embodiment.

[0069] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing another example of a resin supply path, corresponding to FIG. 3B described above. The supply path 50E of this modification is similar to the first embodiment in that the resin injection ports 52E open on the surface of the lower mold 22 that contacts the rotor core 2 and are arranged at predetermined intervals on a circumference adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the lower mold 22, and that a first runner 53E is formed to connect two adjacent resin injection ports 52E. On the other hand, the resin supply ports 51E of the supply path 50E of this modification are arranged at predetermined intervals on a circumference adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the lower mold 22, similar to the multiple resin injection ports 52E. Furthermore, the resin supply port 51E of this modification does not include a second runner. The following description will focus on the unique structure of this modification, and will omit a description of the features common to the first embodiment.

[0070] In this modified example, the resin supply ports 51E are provided in the same number as the plurality of resin supply ports 51E so as to overlap with each other in a plan view. The plurality of resin supply ports 51E are connected to one or more chambers (not shown), and the resin material P is supplied at substantially the same time.

[0071] Even when the supply path 50E shown in this modification is adopted, the adjacent resin injection ports 51E are connected to the first runner 53E, so the cull formed in the supply path 50E has a relatively high rigidity and is connected at multiple points, thereby achieving the same effects as those described in the above embodiment.

[0072] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. All of these modifications are included in the technical concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, each component may be present in only one form or in two or more forms, provided that no contradiction occurs.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects that skilled persons will apply such variations as appropriate, and intends to practice the disclosure otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, this disclosure includes any combination of the above-described elements in all variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. A mold device capable of holding a motor core including a plurality of resin-filled sections arranged in a ring shape at predetermined intervals, A first mold and a second mold that contact both ends of the motor core in the axial direction, A resin supply port for supplying softened resin material is opened on the surface of the first mold opposite to the surface that contacts the motor core, Multiple resin injection ports are provided, which open on the surface of the first mold that contacts the motor core and communicate with the resin filling section when the motor core is held in place. The invention comprises a plurality of first runners formed in the first mold so as to connect two adjacent resin injection ports among a plurality of resin injection ports, The plurality of first runners are arranged in an annular manner between the plurality of resin injection ports. Mold equipment.

2. The plurality of resin inlets are arranged around the resin supply port, The system further comprises a second runner extending radially from the resin supply port toward the resin injection port or the first runner. The mold apparatus according to claim 1.

3. At least one of the plurality of resin injection ports communicates with two adjacent resin filling sections. The mold apparatus according to claim 1.

4. At least one of the plurality of resin injection ports has a cross-section that is V-shaped, and both ends of the V-shape communicate with the resin filling portion. The mold apparatus according to claim 1.

5. A mold apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A chamber that communicates with the aforementioned resin supply port and is capable of containing resin material inside, The system includes a plunger that can supply the resin material to the resin supply port by moving within the chamber. Motor manufacturing equipment.