CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-165087 filed on Sep. 4, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electric conductor insertion device for inserting predetermined portions of electric conductors with respect to slots that are formed in a stator core.

Description of the Related Art

As a stator that constitutes a rotary electric machine such as a motor or a generator or the like, a stator is known that includes a stator core formed with slots therein, and electric conductors (hereinafter referred to as “segments”) each having two legs and a curved portion and formed in a substantially U-shape. With such a stator, the legs are inserted into the slots, and furthermore, the legs that are exposed from the slots are joined together and electrically connected. Moreover, insulating paper is accommodated in advance in the slots, and the insulating paper is interposed between inner walls of the slots and the legs to thereby prevent the occurrence of short circuiting between the segments and the stator core.

When the legs of the segments are inserted into the slots, the insulating paper may be pushed out from the slots and in certain cases may become damaged if the insulating paper becomes caught on the legs. If such a situation occurs, it becomes a cause of short circuiting occurring between the segments and the stator core.

Thus, in Japanese Patent No. 5841017, the applicants of the present invention have proposed an insertion device equipped with two first expansion plates and two second expansion plates, each of which is capable of guiding the legs while they are being inserted into the slots and while pressing the insulating paper. More specifically, the two first expansion plates and the two second expansion plates guide the legs on inner surfaces while pressing the insulating paper on outer surface sides. Consequently, when the legs of the segments are inserted into the slots, the insulating paper can be prevented from becoming caught on the legs.

More specifically, two of the first expansion plates and one of the second expansion plates are supported by guide members that are disposed on an outer circumferential side of the stator core, whereas the remaining one of the second expansion plates is supported by an inner circumferential guide disposed on an inner circumferential side of the stator core. In addition, the two first expansion plates guide the legs on two elongate sides of the slots that extend along diametrical directions of the stator core, and the two second expansion plates guide the legs on two short sides of the slots that extend along the circumferential direction of the stator core.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the insertion device described in Japanese Patent No. 5841017, the two first expansion plates are positioned and fixed at a distal end side facing toward the stator core of the guide members that are displaced in directions to approach toward or separate away from the stator core. Such positioning and fixing is carried out through bolts.

In this instance, the area of the openings of the slots is small, and accordingly, the distance between the adjacent first expansion plates is also small. For this reason, as the bolts, it is necessary for minimally sized bolts to be selected. Further, when the first expansion plates are attached to the guide members, or when replacing or exchanging a damaged first expansion plate with a new product or the like, it is necessary to screw such minimally sized bolts within a narrow space. However, it is not an easy operation to perform screwing of such very small bolts. Additionally, in such a narrow space, it is difficult for an operator to insert his or her fingers in order to insert such minimally sized bolts into the bolt holes, or to perform screwing of the bolts.

In order to avoid this, it may be considered to bond the first expansion plates to the guide members through an adhesive. However, in this case, it is complicated to maintain such positioning and fixing until the adhesive is cured. Further, it is difficult to obtain sufficient bonding strength, and there is a concern that the first expansion plates may drop off from the guide members. Furthermore, the manufacturing time becomes prolonged, and the accuracy thereof is not stable.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an electric conductor insertion device, in which it is easy to attach and detach a guide member for guiding predetermined portions of the electric conductors to and from a supporting body.

In order to realize the above-described objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric conductor insertion device configured to insert predetermined portions of electric conductors with respect to slots which are formed in plurality in a stator core, together with being formed in linear shapes including diametrically directed sides extending along diametrical directions of the stator core, and circumferential sides extending along a circumferential direction of the stator core, and in which insulating papers are respectively arranged, the electric conductor insertion device comprising:

a guide member configured to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors into the slots; and

a supporting body configured to support the guide member;

wherein, by a single member being bent at a bent portion, the guide member includes a first diametrically directed side guide section adapted to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors on a diametrically directed side of a first slot, and a second diametrically directed side guide section adapted to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors on a diametrically directed side of a second slot adjacent to the first slot, together with the first diametrically directed side guide section and the second diametrically directed side guide section forming an inverted V-shape with the bent portion forming an apex thereof, and the bent portion is supported by the supporting body,

wherein the first diametrically directed side guide section, at a time of approaching toward the first slot, presses the insulating paper inside the first slot toward an inner wall side of the diametrically directed sides of the first slot, and the second diametrically directed side guide section, at a time of approaching toward the second slot, presses the insulating paper inside the second slot toward an inner wall side of the diametrically directed sides of the second slot.

In accordance with such a configuration, the guide member can be a single member, and is capable of being supported on the supporting body without the use of bolts, an adhesive, or the like. Accordingly, the operation of attaching and detaching the guide member to and from the supporting body is facilitated. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to exchange or replace the guide member, such a replacement operation can be performed both easily and quickly.

The guide member preferably further includes an outer circumferentially directed side guide section adapted to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors on a circumferentially directed side of an outer circumferential side of the second slot. In this case, because the insulating paper that is inserted into the slots and positioned in the vicinity of the circumferentially directed side of the outer circumferential side is pressed by the guide member, it is possible to effectively prevent the insulating paper from falling out from the slots.

There is preferably further provided a second supporting body, which includes an inner circumferentially directed side guide section adapted to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors on a circumferentially directed side of an inner circumference of the second slot. In accordance with this feature, the insulating paper, which is inserted into the slots and positioned in the vicinity of the circumferentially directed side of the inner circumferential side, is pressed by the guide member. Accordingly, it is possible to more effectively prevent the insulating paper from falling out from the slots.

A first engagement part is preferably provided on the second supporting body, and a second engagement part that engages with the first engagement part is preferably provided on the supporting body. Furthermore, a supporting body displacement mechanism may be provided, which is adapted to cause the second supporting body and the supporting body, which are connected together mutually by engagement of the first engagement part and the second engagement part, to be displaced together integrally. In accordance with such features, both the supporting body and the second supporting body, and more specifically, the guide member and the inner circumferentially directed side guide section are capable of being simultaneously displaced by one individual supporting body displacement mechanism.

The supporting body may be formed in an inverted V-shape, and may include a bent portion mounting member on which the bent portion of the guide member is mounted. By being mounted in this manner, it becomes easy for the guide member to be supported on the supporting body, or stated otherwise, positioning of the guide member is facilitated.

Further, there is preferably used a member including a bent portion sandwiching part adapted to sandwich, together with the bent portion mounting member, the bent portion that is mounted on the bent portion mounting member. By being sandwiched in this manner, the guide member is positioned and fixed on the supporting body. Therefore, since the positions of the electric conductors and the slots coincide with one another accurately, it becomes easy to guide the predetermined portions of the electric conductors into the slots. Further, the guide member is prevented from separating away from the supporting body.

An outer circumferentially directed side guide section mounting member on which the outer circumferentially directed side guide section is mounted is preferably provided on the supporting body. In addition, a member may be used that includes an outer circumferentially directed side guide section sandwiching part adapted to sandwich, together with the outer circumferentially directed side guide section mounting member, the outer circumferentially directed side guide section that is mounted on the outer circumferentially directed side guide section mounting member. In accordance with these features, the guide member is securely supported, and is positioned and fixed on the supporting body.

In this case, the bent portion sandwiching part and the outer circumferentially directed side guide section sandwiching part are preferably provided integrally on a single member. This is because the number of parts can be reduced, and along therewith, attachment and detachment of the member to and from the supporting body is made easier than using a plurality of members.

According to the present invention, the guide member that guides the predetermined portions of the electric conductors has an inverted V-shape with the bent portion, which is a boundary between the first diametrically directed side guide section and the second diametrically directed side guide section, forming an apex thereof, and together therewith, the insulating paper inside the slots is pressed by the first diametrically directed side guide section and the second diametrically directed side guide section toward the inner wall sides of the slots. Therefore, the guide member can be formed as a single member, and is capable of being supported on the supporting body without the use of bolts, an adhesive, or the like. As a result, the operation of attaching or detaching the guide member to and from the supporting body is facilitated.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

