Welding fixture for joining bar-wound stator conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757820-B2
Application number	US-201213479728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2012
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A fixture assembly for welding a plurality of stator wire end pairs may include an anvil, a movable clamp configured to translate between an unclamped state and a clamped state, a first grounding electrode, and a second grounding electrode. The movable clamp may be configured to urge the plurality of stator wire ends against the anvil when in the clamped state. The moveable clamp includes a separator feature that generally extends toward the anvil. Each of the first grounding electrode and second grounding electrodes may be configured to translate between a clamped state and an unclamped state. When in the clamped state, each of the first and second grounding electrodes is configured to urge a pair of the plurality of stator wire end pairs against the separator feature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding fixture assembly for separating and grounding a plurality of stator wire ends, the fixture assembly comprising:
an anvil;
a movable clamp configured to translate between an unclamped state and a clamped state, the moveable clamp including a separator feature extending toward the anvil, and wherein the movable clamp is configured to urge the plurality of stator wire ends against the anvil when in the clamped state;
a first grounding electrode configured to translate between a clamped state and an unclamped state;
a second grounding electrode configured to translate between a clamped state and an unclamped state;
wherein the first grounding electrode contacts a first pair of the plurality of stator wire ends, when in the clamped state, to urge the first pair against the separator feature;
wherein the second grounding electrode contacts a second pair of the plurality of stator wire ends, when in the clamped state, to urge the second pair against the separator feature; and
wherein the first pair and second pair of the plurality of stator wire ends are held in a linear arrangement against the anvil when in the clamped state.

2. The welding fixture of claim 1 , wherein each of the first grounding electrode and the second grounding electrode are electrically coupled with an electrical ground.

3. The welding fixture of claim 1 , wherein the separator feature includes a wedge-shaped protrusion.

4. The welding fixture of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode actuator configured to movably translate each of the first grounding electrode and the second grounding electrode between the respective unclamped and clamped states.

5. The welding fixture of claim 4 , wherein the electrode actuator is an electronically controlled actuator.

6. The welding fixture of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically controlled actuator configured to movably translate the movable clamp.

7. A system for welding a plurality of stator wire end pairs, the system comprising:
a welding fixture assembly including:
an anvil;
a movable clamp configured to translate between an unclamped state and a clamped state, the moveable clamp including a separator feature extending toward the anvil, and wherein the movable clamp is configured to urge the plurality of stator wire end pairs against the anvil when in the clamped state;
a first grounding electrode configured to translate between a clamped state and an unclamped state;
a second grounding electrode configured to translate between a clamped state and an unclamped state;
wherein the first grounding electrode contacts a first pair of the plurality of stator wire ends, when in the clamped state, to urge the first pair against the separator feature;
wherein the second grounding electrode contacts a second pair of the plurality of stator wire ends, when in the clamped state, to urge the second pair against the separator feature; and
wherein the first pair and second pair of the plurality of stator wire ends are held in a linear arrangement against the anvil when in the clamped state; and

an electric welding apparatus including a current source and a welding electrode.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first grounding electrode, the second grounding electrode, and the current source are electrically coupled with an electrical ground.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein electrical current is configured to flow between the current source, the welding electrode, at least one of the first and second plurality of stator wire end pairs, and at least one of the first grounding electrode and the second grounding electrode.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the separator feature includes a wedge-shaped protrusion.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an electrode actuator configured to movably translate each of the first grounding electrode and the second grounding electrode between the respective unclamped and clamped states.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electrode actuator is an electronically controlled actuator.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an electrically controlled actuator configured to movably translate the movable clamp.

14. A method of fixturing a plurality of stator wire end pairs to receive an electrical weld, the method comprising:
crowding the plurality of stator wire end pairs between a movable clamp and an anvil such that the plurality of stator wires are held in a linear arrangement against the anvil, the movable clamp including a separator feature extending toward the anvil;
crowding a first pair of the plurality of stator wire end pairs against a first side of the separator feature using a first translatable grounding electrode that contacts the first pair;
crowding a second pair of the plurality of stator wire end pairs against a second side of the separator feature using a second translatable grounding electrode that contacts the second pair; and
electrically coupling each of the first translatable grounding electrode and the second translatable grounding electrode with an electrical ground.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the first translatable grounding electrode and the second translatable grounding electrode are in communication with an electronic actuator; and
wherein the electronic actuator is configured to translate each of the first translatable grounding electrode and the second translatable grounding electrode between an unclamped state and a clamped state.

16. The welding fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first pair includes a first stator wire end and a second stator wire end;
wherein the second pair includes a third stator wire end and a fourth stator wire end;
wherein the separator feature is operative to separate the second stator wire end from the third stator wire end when in a clamped state;
wherein the first grounding electrode contacts the first stator wire end when in a clamped state to crowd the first stator wire end against the second stator wire end; and
wherein the second grounding electrode contacts the fourth stator wire end when in a clamped state to crowd the fourth stator wire end against the third stator wire end.

17. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first pair includes a first stator wire end and a second stator wire end;
wherein the second pair includes a third stator wire end and a fourth stator wire end;
wherein the separator feature is operative to separate the second stator wire end from the third stator wire end when in a clamped state;
wherein the first grounding electrode contacts the first stator wire end when in a clamped state to crowd the first stator wire end against the second stator wire end; and
wherein the second grounding electrode contacts the fourth stator wire end when in a clamped state to crowd the fourth stator wire end against the third stator wire end.

Assignees

• De Souza Urban J
• Rhoads Frederick W
• Hanson Justin
• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• De Souza Urban J
• Rhoads Frederick W
• Hanson Justin

Classifications

• B23K2101/38

  Conductors · CPC title

• B23K37/0435 Primary

  Clamps · CPC title

• B23K2201/38

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic