Method and apparatus for manufacturing a stator of a dynamo-electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11063500-B2
Application number	US-201716346701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

The method and apparatus comprise the following features: —forming coil members (21) by bending an electric conductor (20) externally coated with an outer insulation (20′); wherein the bending is made at predetermined lengths from a reference position (16′), and wherein each one of the coil members (21), when formed, comprises at least one head portion (21′) and leg portions (21″) extending from said at least one head portion (21′); —feeding the electric conductor (20) to accomplish the bending; —cutting the electric conductor (20) to detach a formed coil member (21) from said electric conductor (20); —inserting the leg portions (21″) of the coil members (21) into slots of the stator, so that parts of said leg portions (21″) extend from one end of the stator and the head portions (21′) extend from an opposite end of the stator; —arranging at least one laser beam (13′a, 13′b) to remove the insulation (20′) from predetermined areas (20a, 20b) of the electric conductor (20); —radiating the surface of the electric conductor (20) with said at least one laser beam (13′a, 13′b) situated at a predetermined position (IP, 2P) with respect to the reference position (16′) along the length of the electric conductor (20) being fed, and at a predetermined stage of the bending of a coil member (20).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a stator of a dynamo-electric machine, said method comprising:
forming coil members by bending an electric conductor externally coated with an outer insulation using a coil member former, wherein the electric conductor is bent by the coil member former at predetermined lengths from a reference position of the coil member former to form at least one head portion of the coil members in the electric conductor, and wherein each one of the coil members, when formed by the coil member former, comprises a head portion and leg portions extending from said head portion;
feeding the electric conductor using a feeder to feed the electric conductor to the coil member former during the bending of the coil member;
arranging at least one laser beam to remove the insulation from predetermined areas of the electric conductor;
irradiating a surface of the electric conductor with said at least one laser beam situated at a predetermined position with respect to the reference position of the coil member former along the length of the electric conductor being fed by the feeder to remove the insulation from the predetermined areas of the electric conductor, wherein the irradiating is performed at a predetermined stage of the bending of the coil member former for forming a head portion of a coil member;
cutting the electric conductor to detach formed coil members from said electric conductor; and
inserting the leg portions of the detached coil members into slots of the stator, so that parts of said leg portions with the insulation removed extend from one end of the stator and the head portions extend from an opposite end of the stator.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
radiating said at least one laser beam on multiple zones of the predetermined areas by moving said at least one laser beam with a predetermined movement; and
synchronizing the movement of said at least one laser beam with the movement of the feeding of the electric conductor.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the synchronization occurs by summing a speed of movement of at least one laser beam to a speed of the movement of the feeding of the electric conductor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising positioning said at least one laser beam at the predetermined position which is a predetermined distance from the reference position, wherein the predetermined distance is an integer multiple of the length of the electric conductor required to form a coil member.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising radiating two laser beams along the electric conductor, wherein a width side and a height side of the electric conductor are radiated by one of the laser beams, and a second width side and a second height side of the electric conductor are radiated by the other one of said laser beams.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving said at least one laser beam on multiple portions of the predetermined areas and partially superimposing a predetermined number of adjacent parts of the multiple portions.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising using a pulsed laser beam.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising setting at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:
a power of the laser radiation,
a frequency of the pulses of said pulsed laser radiation, and
a trajectory of the movement of the laser beam along the surface of the electric conductor.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a reflecting device including a mirror configured to move the laser beam during the feeding of the electric conductor.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
bending the leg portions extending from the stator for positioning predetermined ends of the leg portions in positions adjacent one to the other; and
joining the adjacent leg portions.

11. Apparatus for manufacturing a stator of a dynamo-electric machine, said apparatus comprising:
a coil member former configured to bend an electrical conductor externally coated with an outer insulation, wherein the coil member former bends the electrical conductor at predetermined lengths from a reference position of the coil member former to form at least a head portion of the coil member in the electric conductor, wherein a coil member, when formed, comprises a head portion and leg portions extending from said head portion;
a feeder configured to feed the electrical conductor to the coil member former during the forming of the coil member;
at least one respective laser configured to generate a respective laser beam which irradiates the surface of the electrical conductor to remove the insulation from predetermined areas of the electrical conductor corresponding to the leg portions of the coil member, wherein said laser is situated at a predetermined position with respect to the reference position of the coil member former along the length of the electrical conductor being fed;
a controller configured to control the at least one laser so that the irradiating occurs at a predetermined stage of the bending of the coil member former for forming a head portion of the coil member; and
a cutter configured to cut the electrical conductor so as to detach a formed coil member from said electric conductor; and
an inserter configured to insert the leg portions of the coil members in slots of the stator, so that parts of said leg portions extend from an end of the stator and the head portions extend from an opposite end of the stator.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the at least one respective laser so that said respective laser beam irradiates multiple zones of the predetermined areas by moving said laser beam with a predetermined movement; and
synchronize the movement of said respective laser beam with the feeding movement of the electrical conductor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to sum a speed of the movement of the respective laser beam to a speed of the movement of the feeding of the electrical conductor.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one respective laser is positioned at the predetermined position which is a predetermined distance from the reference position, wherein the predetermined distance is an integer multiple of the length of the electrical conductor required to form a coil member.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one respective laser is configured to emit two laser beams radiated along the electrical conductor, wherein a width side and a height side of the electrical conductor are irradiated by one of said laser beams, and a second width side and a second height side of the electrical conductor are irradiated by the other one of said laser beams.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control said respective laser beam to irradiate multiple portions of the predetermined areas, and to partially superimpose a predetermined number of adjacent parts of the multiple portions.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one respective laser is configured for emitting said respective laser beam in a pulsed manner.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to set at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:
a power of the laser radiation,
a frequency of th

Assignees

• Atop Spa

Inventors

• Ponzio Massimo
• Corbinelli Rubino
• Chesi Davide

Classifications

• H02K15/021

  Magnetic cores · CPC title

• H02G1/128

  using radiant energy, e.g. a laser beam · CPC title

• H02K15/0421 Primary

  and consisting of single conductors, e.g. hairpins · CPC title

• Y10T29/49009

  Dynamoelectric machine · CPC title

• Y10T29/53143

  Motor or generator · CPC title