Conveyance plate, motor manufacturing apparatus, and motor manufacturing method

Abstract

This conveyance plate includes a base and one or more support protrusions. A motor core having a through-hole extending in the axial direction in a central portion is mounted on the base. The one or more support protrusions are provided on one surface of the base on which the motor core is placed, and come into contact with one or more protrusions or recesses formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole to position the motor core.

Description

Conveying plate, motor manufacturing device, and motor manufacturing method

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a conveying plate, a motor manufacturing apparatus, and a motor manufacturing method.

[0002] A motor, which is an example of a rotating electric machine, is manufactured by attaching predetermined components such as permanent magnets and coils to a motor core. Therefore, when manufacturing a motor, the motor core needs to be moved between various manufacturing devices.

[0003] For example, Patent No. 5,985,734 describes a method in which the laminated core body is placed on a transport tray having a mounting base and an axis erected in the center thereof, thereby transporting the laminated core body in a positioned state.

[0004] In the case of Japanese Patent No. 5985734, the laminated core body is positioned by fitting the shaft hole of the laminated core body onto a shaft provided in the carrier tray. However, in this structure, the radial dimension of the shaft and the inner diameter of the shaft hole are adjusted to be substantially the same, so when the shaft is inserted into the shaft hole, the two may come into contact and the shaft hole may be damaged. Furthermore, because positioning is performed using a member that is long in the vertical direction, such as the shaft shown in Japanese Patent No. 5985734, it takes a long time to place the laminated core body on the carrier tray and to separate the two.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, there are provided a conveying plate that allows easy attachment and detachment of a motor core, a motor manufacturing apparatus, and a motor manufacturing method.

[0006] The conveying plate according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a base on which a motor core is placed, the base having a through hole extending axially in the center, and one or more support protrusions provided on one side of the base on which the motor core is placed, which abut against one or more convex portions or concave portions formed on the inner surface of the through hole to position the motor core.

[0007] In this type of conveying plate, the motor core is positioned by abutting the convex or concave portions of the motor core with the support protrusions, which reduces the contact area between the conveying plate and the motor core compared to conventional conveying plates. This makes it easier to attach and detach the motor core from the conveying plate. Furthermore, because there are fewer contact points between the conveying plate and the motor core, damage to the motor core due to contact between the motor core and the conveying plate is less likely to occur.

[0008] A transport plate according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a transport plate according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the convex portions or concave portions are composed of a plurality of convex portions or concave portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the through hole, and the support protrusions are composed of a plurality of support protrusions, each of which supports one of the plurality of convex portions or concave portions.

[0009] In such a conveying plate, the motor core and the conveying plate can be supported at multiple points, allowing for more stable positioning.

[0010] A transport plate according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the transport plate according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the height of the support protrusions is lower than the height of the motor core.

[0011] In such a transport plate, the distance of movement required when supporting the motor core on the transport plate or when separating the motor core from the transport plate can be shortened, making it even easier to attach and detach the motor core from the transport plate.

[0012] A transport plate according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a transport plate according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, further including one or more auxiliary support protrusions on the other side opposite to the one side of the base, which abut against one or more convex portions or concave portions provided on another motor core different from the motor core placed on the one side, thereby positioning the other motor core.

[0013] In such a transport plate, by placing a transport plate including auxiliary support protrusions on top of a motor core supported by another transport plate, it becomes possible to stack multiple motor cores while positioning them relative to each other and transport them, etc.

[0014] A transport plate according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a transport plate according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, wherein a small hole that penetrates the base and has a smaller diameter than the through hole in the motor core is provided in the center of one side of the base.

[0015] In such a transport plate, the weight of the transport plate can be reduced, and the heating or cooling speed of the transport plate can also be reduced.

[0016] A transport plate according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the transport plate according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure, wherein an inclined surface is provided on at least a portion of the periphery of the tip of the support protrusion.

[0017] Such a conveying plate can guide the attachment of the motor core to the conveying plate, and can also prevent damage to the motor core due to unintentional contact between the conveying plate and the motor core.

[0018] A transport plate according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the transport plate according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the support protrusions are detachable from the base.

[0019] In such a carrier plate, a single base can be used to support motor cores of various shapes.

[0020] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure includes a conveying plate supporting a motor core having a plurality of resin-filled portions and a through hole extending axially in the center, the conveying plate comprising a base on which the motor core is placed, and one or more support protrusions provided on one side of the base on which the motor core is placed and which abut against one or more convex portions or concave portions formed on the inner surface of the through hole to position the motor core, a mold for holding a laminate including the motor core and the conveying plate supporting the motor core from the axial direction, a resin material supply device for supplying resin material to the resin-filled portions, and a heater for heating the motor core held in the mold.

[0021] In such a motor manufacturing apparatus, the transport plate and the motor core can be easily attached and detached, thereby reducing the time required for a series of manufacturing operations in the manufacturing apparatus.

[0022] A motor manufacturing apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a motor manufacturing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the laminate includes a plurality of the motor cores and a plurality of the conveying plates, and some of the plurality of conveying plates further include one or more auxiliary support protrusions on the other side opposite to the one side of the base that abut against one or more convex portions or concave portions provided on another motor core different from the motor core placed on the one side, thereby positioning the other motor core.

[0023] In such a motor manufacturing device, a plurality of rotor cores can be stacked in a state where they are positioned relative to one another, and therefore can be resin-molded all at once.

[0024] A motor manufacturing method according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of supporting a motor core having a plurality of resin filling portions and a through hole extending axially in the center with a conveying plate, the conveying plate comprising a base on which the motor core is placed and one or more support protrusions provided on one side of the base on which the motor core is placed and which abut against one or more convex portions or concave portions formed on the inner surface of the through hole to position the motor core; holding a laminate including the motor core and the conveying plate supporting the motor core from the axial direction using a mold; supplying resin material from a resin material supply device to the resin filling portions; and hardening the resin material filled in the resin filling portions using a heater.

[0025] In this method of manufacturing a motor, the transport plate and the motor core can be easily attached and detached, thereby reducing the time required for the series of manufacturing processes.

[0026] The conveying plate, motor manufacturing apparatus, and motor manufacturing method disclosed herein facilitate the attachment and detachment of the motor core, thereby reducing damage to the motor core and shortening the work time.

[0027] FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing an example of a transport plate according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a rotor core supported by the transport plate shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the rotor core shown in FIG. 2 is supported by the transport plate shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 3. FIG. 4A is a plan view in which the rotor core is omitted from illustration. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 5A. FIG. 5B is a plan view showing a modified example of the transport plate. FIG. 5C is a plan view showing another modified example of the transport plate. FIG. 5D is a plan view showing yet another modified example of the transport plate. FIG. 5E is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a manufacturing apparatus for a motor according to an embodiment. FIG. 5F is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method for a motor according to an embodiment.

[0028] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-107682, filed on July 3, 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.

[0029] 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 similar reference numerals will be used for identical or corresponding components in the drawings, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when a plurality of identical or corresponding components are included in the drawings, only some of them may be referenced to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0030] <Transport Plate> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a transport plate according to one embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the transport plate 10 according to this embodiment includes a base 11 on which a rotor core 1 (as an example of a motor core) is placed, and support protrusions 12 that position the rotor core 1 in a direction intersecting the axial direction. Note that in this embodiment, the rotor core 1 is exemplified as the motor core supported by the transport plate 10, but other motor cores, such as a stator core, may also be used. In the following description, the X direction shown in Fig. 1 may be referred to as the horizontal direction, and the Z direction as the up-down direction.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a rotor core supported by the transport plate shown in Fig. 1. The transport plate 10 according to this embodiment can transport a rotor core 1 constituting a part of an inner rotor type motor as shown in Fig. 2, for example. As shown in Fig. 2, this rotor core 1 may include a rotor core body 2, a through hole 3 extending in the axial direction in the center of the rotor core body 2, keys 4 as an example of a plurality of protrusions or recesses formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 3, and a plurality of slots 5 formed around the through hole 3 in the rotor core body 2.

[0032] The rotor core body 2 can be made of a substantially cylindrical magnetic body formed by laminating multiple thin electromagnetic steel sheets. The number of electromagnetic steel sheets that make up the rotor core body 2 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, from several sheets to several hundred sheets. The electromagnetic steel sheets may be connected to each other by caulking, adhesive, or the like.

[0033] The through hole 3 can be configured as a cylindrical hole into which a shaft (not shown) that forms a rotating shaft is inserted when the rotor core 1 is assembled into a motor.

[0034] The key 4 is an example of a protrusion, and can be configured with one or more (ten in FIG. 2 ) axially extending protrusions formed so as to protrude inward on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 3. The key 4 may be a protrusion that fits into a key groove provided in the shaft when the shaft is inserted, causing the shaft and rotor core 1 to rotate together. Note that, in the present embodiment, the key 4 configured with an axially extending protrusion is exemplified as an example of a protrusion, but the shape of the protrusion is not particularly limited as long as it can be supported by the support protrusions 12.

[0035] Additionally, in this embodiment, the key 4 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 3 as an example of a protrusion, but a recess may be provided instead of the protrusion. A specific example of this recess is a key groove formed by a groove extending in the axial direction that fits into a key provided on the shaft to rotate the shaft and the rotor core 1 together. The specific shape of the recess is not particularly limited as long as it can be supported by the support protrusion 12, similar to the protrusion.

[0036] The slots 5 can be configured as multiple holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction near the outer peripheral surface of the rotor core body 2. The slots 5 can be configured as a shape into which the permanent magnets 6 can be inserted, for example, as a substantially rectangular parallelepiped or substantially arc-shaped through-hole that penetrates the rotor core body 2 in the axial direction, but the specific shape is not particularly limited. Similarly, the number of slots 5 can also be changed arbitrarily and can be adjusted appropriately between 10 and 40, for example. The slots 5 are an example of a resin-filled portion into which the permanent magnets 6 are inserted and fixed.

[0037] The permanent magnets 6 can be formed, for example, as rectangular parallelepiped or arc-shaped blocks slightly smaller than the slots 5. The permanent magnets 6 may or may not be magnetized when inserted into the slots 5. Furthermore, the permanent magnets 6 may or may not be divided in the stacking direction or in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. When the permanent magnets 6 are inserted into the slots 5, at least a partial gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the permanent magnets 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the slots 5. A resin material P can be filled into the gaps formed in the slots 5 by a motor manufacturing apparatus 30, which will be described later. The rotor core 1 shown in FIG. 2 is in a state in which the permanent magnets 6 have been inserted into the slots 5 but have not yet been fixed.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the rotor core shown in Fig. 2 supported on the transport plate shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4A is a plan view of Fig. 3, and Fig. 4B is a plan view of Fig. 4A with the rotor core omitted. Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 4A, and Fig. 5B is an enlarged view of part B in Fig. 5A. The rotor core 1 described above is supported on a transport plate 10 in order to fix permanent magnets 6 in slots 5, for example, and is transported to a predetermined manufacturing device, as shown in Fig. 3 and other figures.

[0039] 1 and 4B, the base 11 of the transfer plate 10 can be formed of a rectangular plate having a predetermined thickness. The base 11 can be formed of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as metal. In this embodiment, an upper surface 11F that constitutes one side of the base 11 functions as a mounting surface on which the rotor core 1 is placed.

[0040] As shown mainly in FIGS. 1 and 4B , two support protrusions 12 of the transport plate 10 according to this embodiment are arranged in the approximate center of the upper surface 11F of the base 11. The two support protrusions 12 support the keys 4 by abutting their side surfaces against the side surfaces of different keys 4 of the rotor core 1, more specifically, by engaging with the keys 4 to position the rotor core 1 on the base 11. The support protrusions 12 according to this embodiment are configured as protrusions with side surfaces that are approximately U-shaped in plan view to match the shape of the keys 4. Note that the specific shape of the support protrusions is not limited to this. The specific shape of the support protrusions will be described in more detail later by illustrating several modified examples.

[0041] 4A, it is preferable that the size of the support protrusions 12 is adjusted so that the cross-sectional area when cut horizontally is smaller than the cross-sectional area when cut horizontally of the through holes 3. By designing the support protrusions 12 to be smaller than the through holes 3 in this way, the work of attaching and detaching the rotor core 1 to and from the transport plate 10 becomes easier.

[0042] 3 and 4A, the transport plate 10 including the support protrusions 12 described above can support the rotor core 1 by placing the rotor core 1 on the upper surface 11F of the base 11 so that the keys 4 of the rotor core 1 engage with the support protrusions 12. At this time, the support protrusions 12 engage with the keys 4 so as to surround three faces of the keys 4, so that the rotor core 1 is supported in a state where it is positioned horizontally relative to the transport plate 10.

[0043] The height of the support protrusions 12 is preferably set to be lower than the height of the rotor core 1. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5A, when the height of the rotor core 1 supported by the transport plate 10 is H1, the height H2 of the support protrusions 12 is preferably adjusted so that H2 < 1 / 2H1. In this way, adjusting the height of the support protrusions 12 to be sufficiently smaller than the height of the rotor core 1 improves the workability when placing the rotor core 1 on the transport plate 10 or when separating the rotor core 1 from the transport plate 10, and can further shorten the work time.

[0044] As described above, the transport plate 10 of this embodiment employs one or more support protrusions 12 that abut against one or more keys 4 provided on the rotor core 1 as a structure for supporting the rotor core 1. As a result, the transport plate 10 of this embodiment has a more compact positioning structure for the rotor core 1 than conventional structures in which a shaft is inserted into a through hole. Therefore, the transport plate 10 of this embodiment makes it easy to attach and detach the transport plate 10 to the rotor core 1. In addition, because the rotor core 1 can be positioned simply by abutting the support protrusions 12 against the keys 4, the rotor core 1 can be positioned with a smaller contact area than conventional structures. This makes it less likely that damage to the rotor core 1 will occur due to contact between the transport plate 10 and the rotor core 1.

[0045] Furthermore, the transport plate 10 of this embodiment is preferably provided with resin passing holes 13, through which the resin material P supplied into the slots 5 in the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 (described later) passes, at positions corresponding to the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 placed on the base 11. In the transport plate 10 of this embodiment, the resin passing holes 13 are provided at locations corresponding to the openings of all of the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 placed on the base 11. In addition, the openings of these resin passing holes 13 on the lower surface 11B, which constitutes the other surface of the base 11 opposite the upper surface 11F, may communicate with resin filling paths 16 provided in the lower surface 11B of the base 11. Note that these resin filling paths 16 are passages for connecting the slots 5 to chambers 51 of the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 (described later), and may be formed, for example, by grooves extending radially from the center of the transport plate 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the transport plate 10 of this embodiment may be provided with a connecting hole 14 at an appropriate position on the base 11, for example, at a position adjacent to a corner, into which a connecting shaft 23 (see FIG. 8) is inserted when connecting to another transport plate. By providing this connecting hole 14, accurate positioning is possible when connecting multiple transport plates together. In addition, the connected state of the transport plates can be easily maintained.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, locking portions 15 may be provided at appropriate locations on the outer periphery of the base 11 to allow a manipulator or the like to support the transport plate 10. The shape of these locking portions 15 is not particularly limited as long as they can stabilize the supporting posture of the manipulator or the like. As shown in FIG. 1 , the locking portions 15 in this embodiment may be configured, for example, by thinning the thickness of a portion of the base 11. In this way, if the locking portions 15 are made thinner than the surrounding area, a step is formed at the boundary between the locking portions 15 and the surrounding area, thereby stabilizing the supporting posture of the manipulator or the like.

[0048] 5B, the support protrusions 12 of this embodiment may be provided with an inclined surface 17 on at least a portion of the periphery of their tips. Here, the portion where the inclined surface 17 is formed may be at least a portion, and preferably the entirety, of the tip that may come into contact with the key 4. By forming such an inclined surface 17, the support protrusions 12 and the keys 4 can be smoothly engaged with each other when the rotor core 1 is placed on the upper surface 11F of the base 11.

[0049] In the transport plate 10 according to the embodiment described above, the rotor core 1 is positioned using two support protrusions 12 that are generally U-shaped in plan view. However, the shape and number of the support protrusions are not limited to this. Therefore, below, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 , several modified examples of the transport plate 10 according to the embodiment described above will be described. Note that the modified examples described below are merely examples of the transport plate and do not limit the specific shape, etc., of the transport plate. The rotor core 1 described above is also supported by the transport plates of the modified examples described below. Furthermore, in the modified examples described below, the same components as those of the transport plate 10 described above will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and the description will focus on the parts that are different from the transport plate 10.

[0050] 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B are plan views showing several modified examples of the transport plate. As shown in FIG. 6A, a transport plate 10A according to a first modified example has two support protrusions 12A that are rectangular in plan view and positioned adjacent to each other. The height of these support protrusions 12A may be the same as that of the support protrusions 12 described above. These support protrusions 12A support one key 4 of the rotor core 1 placed on the transport plate 10A by sandwiching it from the circumferential direction, thereby positioning the rotor core 1. By employing such support protrusions 12A, the support protrusions 12A themselves can be made more compact, contributing to a reduction in the weight of the transport plate 10A.

[0051] The transport plate 10A also has a small hole 18 formed in the center of the base 11, penetrating the base 11 in the vertical direction. The small hole 18 preferably has a smaller diameter than the through-hole 3 of the rotor core 1 supported by the transport plate 10A. The use of such a small hole 18 can reduce the weight of the transport plate 10A and improve the heating or cooling rate when the transport plate 10A is heat-treated. The small hole 18 can also be used in the embodiment described above and other modified examples described later. The placement of the small holes 18 is not particularly limited as long as they are located approximately in the center of the base 11, and the number of small holes 18 can be two or more.

[0052] In addition, although the support protrusions 12A in the first modified example have a rectangular shape in plan view, this shape can be changed. Specifically, for example, by changing the outer surface of the support protrusions 12A to a curved surface and making it contact the inner surface of the through hole 3 where the key 4 is not provided, the positioning of the rotor core 1 on the transport plate 10 can be made more stable.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 6B, the transport plate 10B according to the second modification has two support protrusions 12B that are rectangular in plan view and spaced apart from each other. These support protrusions 12B may have a shape similar to that of the support protrusions 12A according to the first modification. The two support protrusions 12B position the rotor core 1 by abutting against one side surface of different keys 4 in the circumferential direction. With such support protrusions 12B, the same effects as those described in the above-described embodiment or first modification can be obtained.

[0054] 7A , the conveying plate 10C according to the third modification includes only one support protrusion 12C. This support protrusion 12C may have the same shape as the support protrusion 12 of the above-described embodiment, i.e., a shape with a substantially U-shaped side surface in a plan view. If a protrusion with a substantially U-shaped side surface in a plan view is used as the support protrusion 12C, the horizontal movement of the key 4 can be restricted by only the single support protrusion 12C, thereby realizing positioning of the rotor core 1.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7B , the transport plate 10D according to the fourth modification is detachable from the base 11 because the support protrusions 12D are provided on a mounting base 19 that is detachable from the base 11. Here, the mounting base 19 can be formed, for example, of a thin plate-like body at least a portion of which is accommodated in a groove provided in the base 11. The mounting base 19 may have the support protrusions 12D provided thereon, which correspond to the key shape of the rotor core 1 supported by the transport plate 10D. The mounting base 19 including the support protrusions 12D is fixed to the base 11 using bolts 19A, which serve as an example of fixing means. It is preferable that the mounting base 19 has a similar through-hole at a position overlapping the resin passing hole 13 of the base 11 so as not to block the resin passing hole 13.

[0056] In this modification, for example, a plurality of mounting bases 19 each having a different shape of support protrusions 12D may be prepared, and a mounting base 19 may be selectively attached to match the shape of the motor core to be transported by the transport plate 10D. By selectively attaching the mounting bases 19 in this way, it is possible to share the base 11 even if the motor core being supported is changed.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment and each variant example, several support protrusions that engage with the key 4 as an example of a convex portion are exemplified, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art that even if the rotor core 1 is provided with a recess instead of the key 4, the rotor core 1 can be positioned by abutting the support protrusions exemplified here at the appropriate locations of the recess.

[0058] <Motor Manufacturing Apparatus> Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a motor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment. A motor manufacturing apparatus 30 capable of fixing permanent magnets 6 in slots 5 of rotor core 1 using the above-mentioned conveying plate will be described below, mainly with reference to Figure 8. In motor core manufacturing apparatus 30 according to this embodiment, fixing of permanent magnets 6 to rotor core 1 is achieved by resin molding using resin material P. Note that the term "motor" in this specification is used to include a semi-finished product in which some parts are attached to a motor core.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the rotor core 1 is exemplified as the motor core processed by the motor manufacturing apparatus 30, and the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 are exemplified as the resin-filled portions of the motor core, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Specifically, the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 can also be used to resin-mold, for example, the coil-wound portions of a stator core serving as a motor core.

[0060] Additionally, the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 according to this embodiment can perform resin molding on one rotor core 1, but can also perform resin molding on multiple rotor cores 1 at once. Therefore, the following description will be given of the use of the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 to perform resin molding on multiple (four, in detail) rotor cores 1.

[0061] In relation to the above point, in the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, resin molding is performed on a laminate S in which a plurality of rotor cores 1 supported by transport plates are stacked. This laminate S can be composed of a plurality of transport plates 10, 20, a plurality of rotor cores 1, and a presser plate 24.

[0062] Of the multiple transport plates included in the stack S, the transport plate located at the bottom may have a configuration similar to that of the transport plate 10 according to the embodiment described above. On the other hand, for one or more (e.g., three) transport plates other than the transport plate located at the bottom, a holding plate 20, which is another example of a transport plate, is adopted, as shown in FIG.

[0063] The holding plate 20 is another example of a transport plate, and may have the same configuration as the above-described transport plate 10, except for the configuration of the lower surface 11B portion that constitutes the other surface of the base 11. The lower surface 11B of the base 11 of this holding plate 20 is provided with one or more auxiliary support protrusions 22, instead of the resin filling path 16, that come into contact with the keys 4 of another rotor core 1 that is installed on the lower surface 11B side when the laminate S is formed.

[0064] The auxiliary support projections 22 are inserted into the through holes 3 of the other rotor core 1 from the upper surface side thereof, and engage with the keys 4 formed in the through holes 3. By employing these auxiliary support projections 22, adjacent rotor cores 1 can be reliably positioned relative to each other via the holding plate 20. The specific configuration of the auxiliary support projections 22 can be the same as that of the support projections 12 formed on the upper surface 11F side of the base 11. Figure 8 shows an example in which the same number of auxiliary support projections 22 having the same shape as the support projections 12 described above are provided.

[0065] Furthermore, a presser plate 24 may be stacked on the top of the laminate S to close the ends of the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 installed at the top and to fix the laminate S together. A connecting shaft 23 is attached to this presser plate 24 and is inserted into a connecting hole 14 formed in the transport plate 10 and the holding plate 20. By inserting and fixing this connecting shaft 23 into the connecting hole 14, the transport plate 10, the holding plate 20, and the rotor core 1 can be supported together. In this case, the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 are communicated in the vertical direction via the resin passing holes 13 of the transport plate 10 and the holding plate 20, and are positioned in a state where they can be filled with resin material P supplied from the resin filling path 16. The presser plate 24 may be omitted, or it may be attached to the underside of an upper mold 41 (described later) instead of the top of the laminate S.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 of this embodiment includes at least a mold 40 that axially holds a laminate S including the above-mentioned multiple rotor cores 1, a resin material supply device 50 that supplies resin material P to each slot 5 of the multiple rotor cores 1, and a heater 60 that heats the laminate S held in the mold 40.

[0067] The mold 40 is composed of an upper mold 41 and a lower mold 42. Of these, the upper mold 41 may be configured so that its lower surface can abut against one end in the axial direction of the laminate S, more specifically, against the upper surface of the presser plate 24. The upper mold 21 may be fixed to an elevator (not shown) so that it can move toward and away from the lower mold 42.

[0068] The lower die 42 may be configured so that its upper surface comes into contact with the other axial end of the stack S, more specifically, the lower surface 11B of the base of the transport plate 10 located at the lowest level. A support plate 43 for positioning the placed stack S is provided on the upper surface of the lower die 42.

[0069] The resin material supplying device 50 is a device for supplying resin material P, more specifically softened resin material P, to the slot 5. This resin material supplying device 50 may include, for example, a chamber 51 capable of accommodating the resin material P, and a plunger 52 that presses the resin material P in the chamber 51 toward a resin filling path 16 that communicates with the slot 5. The resin material supplying device 50 of this embodiment is disposed in the lower mold 42. In connection with this, the resin filling path 16 is provided in the conveying plate 10 located at the bottom of the stack S. On the other hand, for example, when the resin material supplying device 50 is disposed on the upper mold 41 side, the resin filling path 16 may also be provided at the top of the stack S.

[0070] The chamber (sometimes called a "pot") 51 is configured as a space capable of accommodating the resin material P. The chamber 51 can be configured, for example, as a cylindrical through-hole provided in the lower mold 42. The upper end of this chamber 51 is closed when the laminate S is placed, and is in communication with the resin filling path 16. Note that in this embodiment, the shape of the chamber 51 is exemplified as a cylindrical space, but the shape can be changed appropriately depending on the shape of the resin material P to be poured. Specifically, when multiple resin materials P are poured, the number of chambers 51 can be multiple. Note that the specific shape of the chamber 51 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and other shapes such as a ring shape or a prismatic shape may also be used.

[0071] The resin material P used in the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 according to this embodiment can be composed of a resin composition molded into a shape that can be accommodated in the chamber 51, for example, a cylindrical shape (sometimes called a "tablet shape") having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the chamber 51. This resin material P can mainly 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.

[0072] The plunger 52 is capable of moving up and down within the chamber 51, and moving the resin material P introduced into the chamber 51 toward the resin filling path 16. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the plunger head of the plunger 52 closes the bottom of the chamber 51, thereby forming the lower surface of the chamber 51. The plunger 52 is also connected to an actuator (not shown), and moves up and down within the chamber 51. When the plunger 52 moves upward, the softened resin material P in the chamber 51 is pressed by the plunger 52 and filled into the slots 5 of the rotor core 1. The shape of the plunger head can be changed as appropriate to match the shape of the chamber 51.

[0073] The heater 60 is a heat source used to at least soften or harden the resin material P. For example, an infrared heater, a sheathed heater, or a heater using a heat medium such as oil can be used as the heater 60. The heaters 60 in this embodiment are disposed at a position adjacent to the lower surface of the upper mold 41, a position adjacent to the upper surface of the lower mold, and a position surrounding the chamber 51.

[0074] The motor manufacturing apparatus 30 according to this embodiment may further include a control device (not shown) for controlling the above-described components. This control device may be electrically connected to the above-described components and control their operation, thereby enabling any manufacturing process. This control device may be communicatively connected to the components of the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 via wired or wireless communication. This control device may be realized using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a well-known computer. The control device may also be configured using only one of the above-described computers or a combination of multiple computers.

[0075] By operating the above-mentioned components, this control device can realize a motor manufacturing method using the motor manufacturing device of this embodiment, which will be described later. This motor manufacturing method can be provided in the form of a program such as software containing instructions for causing a processor of a computer constituting the control device 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.

[0076] As described above, in the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 according to this embodiment, the rotor core 1 to be filled with the resin material P is placed in the mold 40 using the transport plate 10 or the holding plate 20. Therefore, since the transport plate 10, which is easy to attach and detach, is used, the work time required for the series of manufacturing processes can be shortened.

[0077] <Motor Manufacturing Method> Next, a motor manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described below, mainly with reference to Fig. 9. Note that the following describes, as an example, a case in which the motor manufacturing method according to this embodiment is carried out using the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 described above. In this regard, each step executed in the motor manufacturing method described below is mainly executed by a control device included in the motor manufacturing apparatus 30.

[0078] The manufacturing method of the motor according to this embodiment includes the steps of: supporting a rotor core 1, which includes a plurality of slots 5 and a through hole 3 extending axially in the center, with transport plates 10, 20, the transport plates 10, 20 including a base 11 on which the rotor core 1 is placed and one or more support protrusions 12 provided on an upper surface 11F of the base 11 on which the rotor core 1 is placed and which abut against one or more keys 4 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 3 to position the rotor core 1 (corresponding to step S01 described later); axially holding a laminate S including the rotor core 1 and the transport plates 10, 20 supporting the rotor core 1 using a mold 40 (corresponding to step S05 described later); supplying resin material P from a resin material supply device 50 to the slots 5 (corresponding to step S07 described later); and curing the resin material P filled in the slots 5 using a heater 60 (corresponding to step S08 described later). These steps will be described in more detail below.

[0079] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method of a motor according to an embodiment. When the manufacturing method of a motor according to this embodiment starts, as shown in FIG. 9 , first, a plurality of rotor cores 1, specifically four rotor cores 1, each with a permanent magnet 6 inserted in its slot 5, are prepared, and these four rotor cores 1 are placed on a transport plate 10 and three holding plates 20 (step S01). Next, the transport plates 10 and holding plates 20 supporting the rotor cores 1 in step S01 are stacked in order with the transport plate 10 positioned at the bottom, and finally, a presser plate 24 is attached from above to produce a laminated body S (step S02).

[0080] Next, preheating of the mold 40 and the laminate S begins (step S03). The mold 40 can be preheated using, for example, a heater 60. The laminate S can also be preheated in a heating furnace (not shown). Note that by performing step S04 (described below) before step S03, the laminate S can also be preheated together with the mold 40 by the heater 60. The preheat temperature of the mold 40 and the laminate S can be, for example, about 100 to 200°C. In addition, it is preferable to preheat the chamber 51 by the heater 60 in parallel with the preheating of the mold 40.

[0081] Next, tablet-shaped resin material P is poured into chamber 51 (step S04). Then, stack S is placed on lower die 42, and upper die 41 is lowered to hold stack S in mold 40 (step S05). At this time, upper die 41 is preferably adjusted so as to press the upper surface of presser plate 24 with a predetermined pressure. This allows the contact surfaces between presser plate 24 and rotor core 1, the contact surfaces between holding plate 20 and rotor core 1, and the contact surfaces between transport plate 10 and rotor core 1 to be held in close contact within mold 40.

[0082] Next, the resin material P previously introduced into the chamber 51 is heated and softened using the heater 60 (step S06). The resin material P is heated in the chamber 51 in order to reduce the viscosity of the resin material P molded into a tablet shape and improve its fluidity. The resin material P heated to the softening temperature in the chamber 51 changes into a softened resin material P with a low viscosity.

[0083] Once the softening of the resin material P is complete, the plunger 52 is operated to supply the softened resin material P to the slot 5 (step S07). This supply operation can be achieved by raising the plunger 52 to push the softened resin material P in the chamber 51 upward and supplying it to the resin filling path 16 formed in the conveying plate 10. When performing step S07, it is preferable to selectively operate the heater 60 to control the temperature of the laminate S.

[0084] The softened resin material P supplied to the resin filling path 16 is filled into the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 located at the bottom tier from the resin filling path 16 through the resin passing holes 13 of the conveying plate 10. As this filling progresses and the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 located at the bottom tier are filled with the softened resin material P, the softened resin material P is then filled into the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 located second from the bottom through the resin passing holes 13 of the lowest holding plate 20. This series of filling operations continues until the slots 5 of the rotor core 1 at the top tier are filled with the softened resin material P. Note that, because temperature adjustment by the heater 60 is continuously performed during the series of filling operations described above, the temperature of the resin material P, i.e., the softened state, can be stabilized.

[0085] Once the softened resin material P has been filled into all of the slots 5 of the four rotor cores 1 included in the laminated body S, the laminated body S is heated to a high temperature to harden the softened resin material P in the slots 5 (step S08). When hardening the softened resin material P, the heater 60 is operated so that the temperature of the resin material P is higher than the softening temperature. Once the softened resin material P in the slots 5 has hardened, the permanent magnets 6 are fixed in the slots 5 by the hardened resin.

[0086] When the series of resin molding processes described above is completed, the upper mold 41 is raised, and the laminate S is released from the mold 40. Then, the laminate S is gripped by the locking portion 15 of the transport plate 10 with a transport means (not shown) such as a robot arm and carried out of the apparatus (step S09). The carried-out laminate S is separated into a set of the rotor core 1 and the transport plate 10 or the holding plate 20, and can be transferred to another manufacturing apparatus for, for example, fitting a shaft into the through hole 3.

[0087] Finally, once the laminate S has been removed, the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 is cleaned (step S10). Cleaning the motor manufacturing apparatus 30 includes removing hardened resin (commonly called "cull") from the chamber 51, etc. Once the cull removal is complete, the surface of the mold 40 and the inside of the chamber 51 are cleaned using a cleaning member such as a brush, completing the series of manufacturing processes. This cleaning may also include cleaning the transport plate 10 or the holding plate 20.

[0088] As described above, according to the motor manufacturing method of this embodiment, the transport plate 10 or the holding plate 20 can be easily attached and detached from the rotor core 1, which is expected to reduce the work time required for the above-mentioned step S01, etc.

[0089] 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, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each component of the present disclosure is not limited to one, and may be present in multiple forms.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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 base on which a motor core having a through hole extending axially in the center is mounted, The base is fixed to one surface on which the motor core is placed, and includes one or more support protrusions that abut against one or more protrusions or recesses formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole to position the motor core, Conveyor plate.

2. The aforementioned protrusions or recesses are composed of a plurality of protrusions or recesses provided on the inner surface of the through hole at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction, The support projection is composed of multiple support projections, each of which supports one of the multiple convex or concave portions. The transport plate according to claim 1.

3. The height of the support projection is lower than the height of the motor core. The transport plate according to claim 1.

4. The other surface of the base, opposite to the one surface, is further provided with one or more auxiliary support protrusions that abut against one or more convex or concave portions provided on another motor core, which is different from the motor core placed on the one surface, in order to position the other motor core. The transport plate according to claim 1.

5. A small hole is provided in the center of one surface of the base, which penetrates the base and has a smaller diameter than the through hole of the motor core. The transport plate according to claim 1.

6. An inclined surface is provided on at least a portion of the area around the tip of the support projection. The transport plate according to claim 1.

7. The support projection is detachably attached to the base. The transport plate according to claim 1.

8. A transport plate for supporting a motor core having multiple resin-filled portions and a through hole extending axially in the center, comprising: a base on which the motor core is placed; and one or more support protrusions fixed to one surface of the base on which the motor core is placed, which abut against one or more convex or concave portions formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole to position the motor core; A mold for holding a laminate including the motor core and the transport plate supporting the motor core from the axial direction, A resin material supply device that supplies resin material to the resin filling section, The system includes a heater for heating the motor core held in the mold, Motor manufacturing equipment.

9. The laminate includes a plurality of motor cores and a plurality of transport plates, Some of the multiple transport plates are further provided with one or more auxiliary support protrusions on the other surface of the base opposite to the one surface, which contact one or more convex or concave portions provided on other motor cores different from the motor core placed on the one surface, in order to position the other motor core. A motor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. A step of supporting a motor core having multiple resin-filled portions and a through hole extending axially in the center with a transport plate, wherein the transport plate comprises a base on which the motor core is placed, and one or more support protrusions fixed to one surface of the base on which the motor core is placed, and which abut against one or more protrusions or recesses formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole to position the motor core, A step of holding the laminate, which includes the motor core and the transport plate supporting the motor core, from the axial direction using a mold, A step of supplying resin material from a resin material supply device to the resin filling section, The process includes a step of curing the resin material filled in the resin-filled section using a heater, Motor manufacturing method.