Correction device and method

Abstract

Provided is a correction device capable of easily correcting the attitude of a coil end in each of a plurality of places in a circumferential direction. A correction device 1 for correcting the attitude of at least a part of a plurality of coil ends 7 protruding in an axial direction from a core 3 and arranged along a radial direction, the correction device 1 including: a roller 11 movable with respect to the core 3 in the axial direction; and an outer peripheral surface 11a provided on the roller 11, the outer peripheral surface 11a being brought into contact with a coil end 7a located at an outermost periphery or innermost periphery among the plurality of coil ends 7a according to the movement of the roller 11 in the axial direction, and displacing said coil end 7a in the radial direction toward the other coil ends 7a by the movement of the roller 11 in the axial direction.

Description

Corrective device and method

[0001] The present invention relates to a correction device and method for correcting the posture of a coil end protruding from a stator of a rotating electrical machine such as a motor or a generator.

[0002] A conventional stator straightening device and method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-232999, which is applied to a stator manufacturing method.

[0003] In this method, a jig is brought into contact with the innermost coil end of adjacent coil ends in the radial direction of the core and moved radially outward, thereby plastically deforming the innermost coil end toward the outermost coil end, thereby correcting its orientation.

[0004] Next, a jig is brought into contact with the coil ends located on the inner and outer sides of the adjacent coil ends from the outer side and moved radially inward, thereby plastically deforming the outer coil ends in the direction of the inner coil ends, thereby correcting their orientation.

[0005] Therefore, in the conventional method, the welding can be performed by correcting the position so that the adjacent coil ends are in contact with each other.

[0006] However, the coil ends are arranged in a circular pattern along the circumferential direction of the core, and the above-mentioned posture correction is performed on adjacent coil ends arranged in the radial direction at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction.

[0007] In this case, it is necessary to move a jig in the radial direction multiple times at each of multiple locations, or to arrange multiple jigs in the circumferential direction and move each of these jigs in the radial direction multiple times.As a result, the conventional method has the problem that correcting the coil end posture is complicated.

[0008] Patent No. 6330670

[0009] The problem to be solved is the complicated process of correcting the orientation of the coil ends at multiple locations in the circumferential direction.

[0010] The present invention provides a correction device for correcting the posture of at least some of a plurality of coil ends that protrude axially from a core and are arranged radially, the correction device comprising: a contact body that is movable axially relative to the core; and a contact surface that is provided on the contact body and that contacts a coil end to be corrected among the plurality of coil ends in response to the axial movement of the contact body, thereby displacing the coil end in the radial direction as the contact body moves in the axial direction.

[0011] The present invention also provides a method for correcting the posture of at least some of a plurality of coil ends that protrude axially from a core and are arranged radially, by bringing a contact surface of a contact body into contact with a coil end to be corrected among the plurality of coil ends and moving the contact body in the axial direction to displace the coil end that contacts the contact surface in the radial direction.

[0012] According to the present invention, the attitude of the coil end can be easily corrected at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of a stator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a straightening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the straightening device of FIG. 2 in a state where it is split in half. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of a stator according to the first embodiment before straightening of the coil ends, as seen from above. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of a stator according to the first embodiment after straightening of the coil ends, as seen from above. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of a straightening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion of the straightening device of FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a front view showing a twisting machine using a straightening device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, with a portion in cross section. Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a replacement part of the twisting device of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a twisting machine using a straightening device according to a modified example of Example 3. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a welding machine using a straightening device according to another modified example of Example 3. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a multifunction machine using a straightening device according to yet another modified example of Example 3.

[0014] The straightening device 1 of one embodiment corrects the posture of at least a portion of a plurality of coil ends 7 a that protrude in the axial direction from the core 3 and are arranged along the radial direction. The plurality of coil ends 7 a are provided on each of a plurality of coil segments 7 held by the core 3.

[0015] The straightening device 1 includes a contact body 11 and a contact surface 11a. The contact body 11 is a member that is movable in the axial direction. The contact surface 11a is provided on the contact body 11 and comes into contact with the coil end 7a to be straightened out of the multiple coil ends 7a as the contact body 11 moves in the axial direction. The contact surface 11a displaces the coil end in the radial direction as the contact body 11 moves in the axial direction.

[0016] In one embodiment, the coil end 7a to be corrected may be the outermost or innermost coil end 7a. In this case, the contact surface 11a contacts the outermost or innermost coil end 7a among the multiple coil ends 7a, and displaces this coil end 7a radially toward the other coil ends 7a by axial movement of the contact body 11.

[0017] The contact body 11 is not limited in shape, and may have any shape as long as the contact body 11 moves in the axial direction to bring the contact surface 11a into contact with the coil end 7a.

[0018] In one embodiment, the contact body 11 may be a rotatable roller 11. In this case, the contact surface 11a is the outer circumferential surface 11a of the roller 11.

[0019] The straightening device 1 may further include a preliminary contact body 9 and a preliminary contact surface 9a. The preliminary contact body 9 is located closer to the core 3 than the roller 11 in the axial direction, and moves in the axial direction together with the roller 11. The preliminary contact surface 9a is provided on the preliminary contact body 9, and comes into contact with the coil end 7a prior to being displaced by the roller 11. This contact surface 11a preliminarily displaces the contacted coil end 7a in the radial direction by moving in the axial direction.

[0020] The straightening device 1 may include a contact portion 13 that moves in the axial direction together with the contact body 11 and faces the tips of the multiple coil ends 7a in the axial direction to align the tip positions.

[0021] The contact bodies 11 may be arranged circumferentially around the core 3, and provided at a plurality of locations corresponding to the plurality of coil ends 7a arranged circumferentially at the outermost or innermost periphery. In this case, the contact bodies 11 at the plurality of locations are supported integrally so as to be movable in the axial direction.

[0022] The contact body 11 may be provided with an adjuster 19 for adjusting its radial position.

[0023] The correction method involves bringing the contact surface 11a of the contact body 11 into contact with the coil end 7a to be corrected out of the multiple coil ends 7a, for example, the coil end 7a located at the outermost or innermost circumference, and moving the contact body 11 axially to displace the coil end 7a in contact with the contact surface 11a radially toward the other coil ends 7a.

[0024] The displacement of the coil end 7a may be performed by preliminarily displacing the coil end 7a in response to the axial movement of the contact body 11 and then finally displacing the coil end 7a.

[0025] The contact portions 13 that move in the axial direction together with the contact body 11 may be disposed opposite the tips of the plurality of coil ends 7a, and the tip positions of the plurality of coil ends 7a may be aligned in accordance with the axial movement.

[0026] In one embodiment, in the correction method, a plurality of contact bodies 11 are provided in a circumferential arrangement around the core 3, each corresponding to one of the circumferentially arranged coil ends 7a located at the outermost or innermost circumference, and the plurality of contact bodies 11 are moved axially together to displace the circumferentially arranged coil ends 7a radially all at once.

[0027] [Stator] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of a stator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The straightening device of this embodiment is for correcting the posture of the coil end 7a that protrudes in the axial direction from the core 3 of the stator 2 as shown in FIG.

[0029] The stator 2 and a rotor (not shown) constitute a rotating electric machine. The rotating electric machine can be configured as, for example, a three-phase (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) eight-pole AC permanent magnet synchronous motor.

[0030] The stator 2 has a core 3 to which a coil 5 is attached. The core 3 is formed into a columnar shape by laminating electromagnetic steel sheets, for example. The core 3 has a plurality of slots 3a arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on its inner periphery.

[0031] The coil 5 is made up of a plurality of U-shaped (hairpin-shaped) coil segments 7. The plurality of coil segments 7 are circumferentially held by the core 3 with their legs 7A inserted into slots 3a of the core 3.

[0032] Each leg 7A protrudes in the axial direction from each slot 3a of the core 3 and is bent in the radial and circumferential directions. By this bending, the coil ends 7a at the tips of the multiple leg portions 7A are arranged along the radial direction with intervals in the circumferential direction and in multiple layers.

[0033] In this embodiment, the coil ends 7a are arranged in six layers in the radial direction, and the coil ends 7a of adjacent pairs of layers in the radial direction, such as the first and second layers, the third and fourth layers, and the fifth and sixth layers, are welded to each other. The number of layers in the coil ends 7a can be set as appropriate. The insulating layer has been removed from the coil ends 7a. The insulating layer is provided on the entire coil segment 7 except for the coil ends 7a.

[0034] The coil ends 7a are welded together to join the coil segments 7 together to form the coil 5. The coil ends 7a are then coated with an insulating paint, and the coil 5 is sealed with resin to form the stator 2 for the rotating electric machine. In this embodiment, the semi-finished product before welding shown in FIG. 1 will also be described as the stator 2.

[0035] [Straightening Device] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the straightening device according to Example 1, as seen from the front. Fig. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the straightening device of Fig. 2 in a state where it is split in half. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the straightening device of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 to 8 are enlarged views showing a part of the straightening device of Fig. 2 when correcting the attitude of the coil end 7a.

[0036] The straightening device 1 corrects the posture of the coil ends 7a protruding in the axial direction from the core 3. In correcting the posture of the coil ends 7a, adjacent coil ends 7a are corrected from a state in which they are misaligned to a state in which they face each other in the radial direction. This correction corrects, for example, the deviation of the coil ends 7a from their designed positions.

[0037] The straightening device 1 can be provided as a standalone device independent of other devices that perform other processes, or as an embedded device whose functions are incorporated into other devices that perform other processes. Examples of such other devices include a twisting machine and a welding machine. The twisting machine is a device that bends the leg portions 7 in the circumferential direction as described above, and the welding machine is a device that welds the coil ends 7 a.

[0038] The orthodontic device 1 of this embodiment includes a crown 15, a guide 9 serving as a preliminary contact body, a roller 11 serving as a contact body, and a contact portion 13, as shown in FIGS.

[0039] The crown 15 is a circularly shaped member that supports multiple pairs of guides 9, rollers 11, and abutment portions 13. The crown 15 arranges multiple pairs of guides 9 and rollers 11 in a circular pattern. This allows pairs of guides 9 and rollers 11 to be positioned corresponding to each of the circumferentially arranged coil ends 7a located on the outermost or innermost circumference (the outermost circumference in this embodiment). The shape of the crown 15 can be set as desired.

[0040] The crown 15 is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction. The axial movement of the crown 15 may be performed by an appropriate actuator. Each pair of the guide 9 and the roller 11 is attached to a support block 17 of the crown 15. Therefore, the guide 9 and the roller 11 can move in the axial direction by the axial movement of the crown 15.

[0041] The movement of the guide 9 and the roller 11 is relative to the stator 2. Therefore, the guide 9 and the roller 11 may be substantially moved by moving the stator 2 toward the guide 9 and the roller 11. Alternatively, the guide 9 and the roller 11 may be configured to move separately.

[0042] The guide 9 and the roller 11 are arranged so as to overlap in the circumferential direction. The guide 9 protrudes toward the core 3 in the axial direction relative to the roller 11. This protrusion of the guide 9 toward the core 3 refers to the protrusion when the guide 9 and the roller 11 face the coil end 7a of the stator 2. Therefore, the guide 9 is located closer to the core 3 than the roller 11 in the axial direction.

[0043] 3 and 4, the support block 17 is fixed to the crown 15 via an adjuster 19. The adjuster 19 in this embodiment is composed of an adjustment bolt 21 and an elongated hole 23.

[0044] The adjustment bolt 21 is disposed through a long hole 23 in the crown 15. The long hole 23 has a length in the radial direction. Therefore, by loosening the adjustment bolt 21, the adjuster 19 can adjust the position of the support block 17, i.e., the guide 9 and roller 11, in the radial direction along the long hole 23. Adjusting the radial position of the guide 9 and roller 11 enables more accurate correction.

[0045] The groove 9 is made of a plate material. The groove 9 is arranged so that the thickness direction of the groove 9 is along the circumferential direction. The portion of the groove 9 that overlaps with the roller 11 in the circumferential direction is located on one side of the roller 11 in the circumferential direction. In the range of the groove 9 that protrudes from the roller 11 in the axial direction, the width of the groove 9 increases toward the other side in the circumferential direction, and the groove 9 overlaps with the roller 11 in the axial direction. Furthermore, the groove 9 has a narrower circumferential width at the tip of the range of the groove 9 that protrudes from the roller 11, as one side in the circumferential direction is biased toward the other side.

[0046] In the protruding range of the guide 9, in addition to the inclined surface 9a which is a preliminary contact surface on the outer periphery, a curved surface 9b and a relief surface 9d are provided. Note that the shape and material of the guide 9 are not limited as long as it has the preliminary contact surface.

[0047] The inclined surface 9a of the guide 9 comes into contact with the coil end 7a prior to being displaced by the roller 11, and preliminarily displaces the coil end 7a in the radial direction by moving it in the axial direction. The preliminarily displaced coil end 7a occurs before the actual displacement by the roller 11, guiding the coil end 7a to the roller 11 and ensuring the actual displacement.

[0048] In this embodiment, the inclined surface 9a is inclined so that it gradually moves radially outward toward the tip of the guide 9 in order to displace the coil end 7a radially inward in response to axial movement. The circumferential width of the inclined surface 9a is a width that contacts a single coil end 7a. However, the width of the inclined surface 9a may also be a width that contacts multiple coil ends 7a collectively.

[0049] In this embodiment, the preliminary contact surface is an inclined surface 9a, but it may be a curved surface. When the preliminary contact surface is a curved surface, it may be either static or dynamic. Therefore, the guide 9 may be formed by a roller. Also, the guide 9 may be omitted.

[0050] The curved surface 9b is located continuous with the inclined surface 9a. When the tip of the coil end 7a displaced by the roller 11 comes into contact with the curved surface 9b, the curved surface 9b guides the coil end 7a onto the inclined surface 9a.

[0051] The relief surface 9d is a surface that faces the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11 in the range where the guide 9 protrudes from the roller 11. This relief surface 9d allows the inclined surface 9a to smoothly transition to and approach the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11. Therefore, the coil end 7a can be smoothly transferred from the guide 9 to the roller 11.

[0052] The roller 11 is disposed such that the rotation axis 11b is aligned in the circumferential direction and the outer peripheral surface 11a as the contact surface is oriented in the radial direction. The contact surface may be configured as a curved surface like the outer peripheral surface 11a, or may be configured as an inclined surface. When the contact surface is an inclined surface, the contact body may be a static member such as a preliminary contact body instead of the roller 11.

[0053] The outer peripheral surface 11a comes into contact with the coil end 7a to be corrected, which is the outermost coil end 7a in this embodiment, among the multiple coil ends 7a, as the roller 11 moves in the axial direction. The axial movement of the roller 11 displaces this outer peripheral surface 11a radially (inward in the radial direction in this embodiment) toward the adjacent coil ends 7a.

[0054] The outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11 has a width that allows it to come into contact with a single coil end 7a, similar to the inclined surface 9a of the guide 9. However, the width of the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11 may also be a width that allows it to come into contact with multiple coil ends 7a at once.

[0055] The tangent line at the point where the extension of the inclined surface 9a intersects with the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11 has a greater inclination than the inclined surface 9a. The main displacement of the coil end 7a is performed based on this inclination.

[0056] The contact portion 13 is a plate-like member disposed radially inward of the roller 11 and is fixed to the crown 15. In this embodiment, the contact portion 13 is ring-shaped around the axis of the crown 15 and has a contact surface 13a.

[0057] The contact portions 13 move in the axial direction together with the rollers 11 and come into contact with the tips of the coil ends 7 a, aligning the tip positions of the coil ends 7 a of each set. Note that the contact portions 13 may be configured to move separately from the rollers 11.

[0058] In this embodiment, the abutting surface 13a of the abutting portion 13 is entirely flat and is located above the center of the roller 11. Note that the abutting surface 13a may also have a stepped shape with different axial positions corresponding to the layers of the coil ends 7a, as shown in Figure 4. The radial outer edge of the abutting surface 13a is separated from the radial inner edge of the outer circumferential surface 11a of the roller 11 by a distance less than the radial thickness of the coil ends 7a.

[0059] The orthodontic device 1 also includes a control device (not shown).

[0060] [Correction Method] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a part of the stator according to the first embodiment before and after the coil ends are corrected, as seen from above. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a part of the stator according to the first embodiment after the coil ends are corrected, as seen from above.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, multiple coil segments 7 are assembled to the core 3, and the legs 7A of the coil segments 7 are bent in the circumferential direction, and then the postures of the multiple coil ends 7a arranged along the radial direction are corrected as shown in Fig. 10. In this embodiment, the postures of all of the multiple coil ends 7a arranged in the radial direction are corrected.

[0062] That is, as shown in Figure 9, when the leg portions 7A of the multiple coil segments 7 have been completely bent in the circumferential direction, one coil end 7a in each set may become misaligned with respect to the other coil end 7a due to springback, etc. This misalignment is corrected by the correction method of this embodiment.

[0063] In the straightening method, the stator 2 with the bent legs 7A is first set in a straightening device. In this state, the crown 15 is positioned relative to the stator 2 by a suitable robot or the like.

[0064] At this time, each pair of the guide 9 and roller 11 is positioned so as to correspond to the coil end 7a of the first layer on the outermost periphery among the multiple coil ends 7a of the multiple segment coils 7. By this positioning, the inclined surface 9a of the guide 9 faces each of the coil ends 7a of the outermost layer in the axial direction.

[0065] In this state, the crown 15 is moved axially toward the stator 2. This causes the guide 9 and the roller 11 to move axially. As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the inclined surface 9a of the guide 9 contacts the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11 before the coil end 7a located at the outermost periphery comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 11a of the roller 11.

[0066] When the crown 15 is further moved, each pair of the guide 9 and roller 11 moves further in the axial direction. At this time, the inclination of the inclined surface 9 a of the guide 9 guides the outermost coil end 7 a radially inward, causing a preliminary displacement.

[0067] When the outermost coil end 7a reaches the end of the inclined surface 9a closest to the roller 11, the outermost coil end 7a takes over and comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface 11a of the roller 11 as shown in FIG.

[0068] The roller 11, which has taken over the outermost coil end 7a, moves further toward the stator 2, and the outer peripheral surface 11a displaces the outermost coil end 7a radially. This displacement is achieved based on the inclination of the tangent to the contact point between the roller 11 and the outermost coil end 7a.

[0069] In this embodiment, the inclination of the tangent line is such that when the coil end 7a is first transferred to the roller 11, the radial movement is greater than the preliminary displacement, and then gradually decreases (the tangent line approaches the axial direction). As the inclination of the tangent line decreases, the displacement of the coil end 7a gradually decreases.

[0070] During this displacement, the roller 11 rotates on its axis due to the force generated by the contact of the outermost coil end 7a with its outer peripheral surface 11a. This prevents unnecessary friction from acting on the outermost coil end 7a, thereby preventing scratches and other damage to the insulating layer. Furthermore, by controlling the roller 11 so that it does not come into contact with the insulating layer of the coil segment 7, scratches and other damage to the insulating layer can be more reliably prevented. In addition, unintentional deformation of the outermost coil end 7a can be prevented, and the outermost coil end 7a can be smoothly displaced radially inward.

[0071] This displacement causes the outermost coil end 7a to displace radially in a plan view, as if rotating around the circumferentially bent portion of the leg 7A, and also to displace circumferentially. In this way, the outermost coil end 7a is plastically deformed by the radial and circumferential displacements, and is positioned at a corrected position on or closer to the designed position, as shown in Figure 10. As a result, the outermost coil end 7a radially faces the other coil end 7a (the second coil end 7a) of the same set.

[0072] In this way, with the correction method of this embodiment, the posture of the coil end 7a at multiple locations in the circumferential direction can be easily corrected simply by axially moving the rollers 11 and the guide 9. Moreover, in this embodiment, the multiple rollers 11 are supported so that they can move axially as a unit, allowing the posture of the coil end 7a to be corrected at multiple locations all at once.

[0073] Furthermore, this correction of the outermost coil end 7a is transmitted to the second through sixth coil ends 7a due to contact between the multiple coil segments 7 held by the core 3. As a result, the second through sixth coil ends 7a can also be plastically deformed while being displaced to the corrected position. This also makes it easy to correct the position of the coil ends 7a.

[0074] In the state shown in Figure 7, the upper ends of the coil ends 7a of each layer come into contact with the abutment surfaces 13a of the abutment portions 13 that move together with the rollers 11 toward the stator 2. This abutment against the abutment portions 13 aligns the leading ends of the coil ends 7a of each set. Therefore, in this embodiment, the posture of the coil ends 7a can be more reliably corrected.

[0075] Once the posture of the coil ends 7a has been corrected in this manner, the crown 15 is retracted from the stator 2 by a robot arm or the like, and the coil ends 7a of each set are welded together in the subsequent process.

[0076] 11 to 13 are enlarged views showing a part of a correction device according to Example 2 of the present invention. Note that Example 2 has a basic configuration in common with Example 1, and components corresponding to those in Example 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0077] The straightening device 1 of Example 2 straightens the innermost coil end 7a of the multiple coil ends 7a by displacing it radially outward. That is, compared to Example 1, the guide 9 and rollers 11 are arranged in the opposite radial direction, inside and outside. Also, the guide 9 and rollers 11 are arranged to correspond to the innermost coil end 7a. In other respects, Example 2 is the same as Example 1.

[0078] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained by correcting the posture of the innermost coil end 7a.

[0079] Fig. 14 is a front view, partly in section, of a twisting machine using a straightening device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 15 is a plan view showing an exchange part of the twisting device in Fig. 14. In the third embodiment, the basic configuration of the straightening device is common to that of the first embodiment, and therefore, the configuration corresponding to that of the first embodiment is designated by the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0080] 14 and 15 , the twisting machine 25 has the additional functions of the straightening device 1. Therefore, the straightening device 1 of this embodiment is provided as an embedded device whose functions are incorporated into the twisting machine 25, which is another device that performs another process. This twisting machine 25 includes an exchange unit 29 for exchanging the straightening device 1 and the plurality of twisting devices 27, and an elevation stage 31 for moving the stator 2 relatively close to the straightening device 1 or the twisting device 27.

[0081] The twisting device 27 rotates in the circumferential direction by gripping the coil ends 7a of different layers. The twisting device 27 of this embodiment has inner and outer crowns 27a and 27b, which grip the pair of coil ends 7a of the adjacent layers and rotate in opposite directions. The rotation is performed by a rotation mechanism 28 of the twisting device 27.

[0082] The replacement unit 29 includes a rotary plate 29a and a plurality of pairs of arms 29b attached to the rotary plate 29a. Each pair of arms 29b holds the straightening device 1 or the twisting device 27. The rotary plate 29a rotates to sequentially position the straightening device 1 and the twisting device 27 at the processing position on the stator 2.

[0083] The lifting stage 31 moves up and down with the stator 2 placed thereon, thereby lifting the stator 2 and bringing it close to the straightening device 1 or the twisting device 27 at the processing position.

[0084] When the straightening device 1 is located at the processing position, the stator 2 is raised to correct the posture of the coil end 7a, as in Example 1 or 2. When the twisting device 27 is located at the processing position, the stator 2 is raised to grip the coil end 7a by the twisting device 27. In this state, the crowns 27a and 27b of the twisting device 27 are driven while the stator 2 is raised, thereby bending the legs 7 of the coil segment 7 in the circumferential direction.

[0085] In this embodiment, the straightening device 1 can be operated by utilizing the mechanism of the twisting machine 25. In addition, this embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0086] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a twisting machine using a straightening device according to a modified example of the third embodiment.

[0087] In the modified example of Fig. 16, similarly to the third embodiment, the function of the straightening device 1 is incorporated into the twisting machine 25. That is, in the modified example of Fig. 16, the straightening device 1 is also provided as an incorporated device. This twisting machine 25 is equipped with a transport device 33 consisting of a conveyor or the like, and the twisting device 27 and the straightening device 1 are disposed adjacent to each other in the transport direction of the transport device 33. In this twisting machine 25, the stator 2 is transported by the transport device 33 and is positioned in the twisting device 27 and the straightening device 1, successively.

[0088] The twisting device 27 and the straightening device 1 move up and down relative to the positioned stator 2, respectively bending the legs 7a of the coil segments 7 and correcting the attitude of the coil ends 7a in the same manner as described above.

[0089] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a welding machine using a straightening device according to another modified example of the third embodiment.

[0090] In the modification of Fig. 17, the function of the straightening device 1 is incorporated into a welding machine 35. Therefore, in the modification of Fig. 17, the straightening device 1 is also provided as an incorporated device. This welding machine 35 is equipped with a transport device 33 consisting of a conveyor or the like, and the straightening device 1 and a welding device 37 are arranged adjacent to each other in the transport direction of the transport device 33. In this welding machine 35, the stator 2 is transported by the transport device 33 and positioned in the straightening device 1 and the welding machine 35 in order.

[0091] The straightening device 1 and the welding machine 35 move up and down relative to the positioned stator 2 to respectively correct the orientation of the coil ends 7a and perform welding. The welding involves welding between pairs of coil ends 7a. At this time, since the orientation of the coil ends 7a has been corrected, welding of the coil ends 7a can be performed reliably.

[0092] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a multifunction machine using a correction device according to still another modification of the third embodiment.

[0093] In the modified example of Fig. 18, a composite machine 39 having the functions of the twisting machine 25 and the welding machine 35 also has the function of the straightening device 1. Therefore, in the modified example of Fig. 18, the straightening device 1 is also provided as an embedded device. The composite machine 39 corresponds to a combination of the modified examples of Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, and the twisting device 27, the straightening device 1, and the welding device 37 are arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction of the conveying device 33.

[0094] The modifications shown in FIGS. 16 to 18 can also achieve the same effects as those of the third embodiment.

[0095] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Correction device 2 Stator 3 Core 7 Coil segment 7a Coil end 9 Guide (preliminary contact body) 9a Inclined surface (preliminary contact surface) 11 Roller (contact body) 11a Outer circumferential surface (contact surface) 13 Contact portion 19 Adjuster

Claims

1. A straightening device for correcting the posture of at least a portion of a plurality of coil ends that protrude axially from a core and are arranged radially, comprising: a contact body that is movable in the axial direction relative to the core; and a contact surface that is provided on the contact body and that contacts a coil end to be corrected among the plurality of coil ends in response to the movement of the contact body in the axial direction, thereby displacing the coil end in the radial direction as the contact body moves in the axial direction.

2. A straightening device according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface contacts a coil end located on the innermost, outermost or innermost periphery of the plurality of coil ends, and displaces the coil end in the radial direction toward another coil end by moving the contact body in the axial direction.

3. A straightening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact body is a rotatable roller, and the contact surface is the outer circumferential surface of the roller.

4. A straightening device according to claim 3, comprising: a preliminary contact body located closer to the core than the roller in the axial direction and moving in the axial direction together with the roller; and a preliminary contact surface provided on the preliminary contact body that comes into contact with the coil end prior to being displaced by the roller and preliminarily displaces the coil end in the radial direction by moving in the axial direction.

5. A straightening device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a contact part that moves in the axial direction together with the contact body and abuts against the tips of the plurality of coil ends in the axial direction, thereby aligning the tip positions of each set of coil ends.

6. A straightening device according to claim 2, wherein the contact bodies are arranged circumferentially around the core and provided at a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of coil ends arranged circumferentially at the outermost or innermost circumference, and the contact bodies at the plurality of locations are supported so as to be integrally movable in the axial direction.

7. The orthodontic device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact body is provided with an adjuster for adjusting the radial position.

8. The correction device according to claim 1 or 2, which is provided as a stand-alone device independent of other devices that perform other processes, or as an embedded device whose functions are incorporated into said other devices.

9. A method for correcting the posture of at least some of a plurality of coil ends that protrude axially from a core and are arranged radially, comprising the steps of: bringing a contact surface of a contact body into contact with a coil end to be corrected among the plurality of coil ends; and moving the contact body in the axial direction to displace the coil end that is in contact with the contact surface in the radial direction.

10. A correction method according to claim 9, wherein the contact surface contacts a coil end located on the innermost, outermost or innermost periphery of the plurality of coil ends, and displaces the coil end in the radial direction toward another coil end by moving the contact body in the axial direction.

11. A correction method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the displacement of the coil end is carried out by first preliminarily displacing the coil end in response to the movement of the contact body in the axial direction, and then by carrying out a final displacement.

12. A correction method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a contact portion that moves in the axial direction together with the contact body is placed opposite the tips of the plurality of coil ends, and the positions of the tips of the plurality of coil ends are aligned in accordance with the movement in the axial direction.

13. A correction method according to claim 10, wherein the contact bodies are arranged circumferentially with respect to the core and are provided at a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of circumferentially arranged coil ends located at the outermost or innermost circumference, and the contact bodies at the plurality of locations are moved integrally in the axial direction to displace the circumferentially arranged coil ends collectively in the radial direction.

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