Device for positioning ends of at least first pair of legs of hairpin conductors

Abstract

A device for positioning the ends of at least first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool includes a first clamping element and a second clamping element that are independently moveable radially. The first clamping element has a first clamping surface and said second clamping element has a second clamping surface, wherein the clamping surfaces radially face each other. The clamping elements form a first radially inner receiving section between the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface, having a first radial width dimensioned to axially receive and clamp a first pair of legs during welding, and a second radially outer receiving section inside the first and second clamping elements, having a second radial width dimensioned to receive at least a further pair of legs during welding of the first pair of legs.

Claims

1. A device for positioning ends of at least a first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool, the device comprising: a first clamping element having a first clamping surface; and a second clamping element having a second clamping surface, wherein: said first clamping element and said second clamping element are independently moveable radially relative to each other along a radial direction, said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface are radially facing each other and generate a radial clamping force on the ends of the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors when moved radially relative to each other along the radial direction, and the first clamping element and the second clamping element form a first receiving section between said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface, having a first radial width dimensioned to axially receive and clamp the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors during welding, and a second receiving section inside said first clamping element and said second clamping element, having a second radial width, dimensioned to receive at least a further pair of legs during welding of said first pair of legs, wherein at least a part of the second clamping element is arranged below the first clamping element with respect to an axis corresponding to an axis of the stator core.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said second clamping surface is arranged radially further outside than said first clamping surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first clamping element and the second clamping element are moveable together upwards and downwards in an axial direction.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first clamping element and the second clamping element are moveable together in the vertical direction.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a welding unit.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a support for holding said stator core.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first receiving section comprises a radially inner receiving section.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second receiving section comprises a radially outer receiving section.

9. A device for positioning ends of at least a first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool, the device comprising: a first clamping element having a first clamping surface; and a second clamping element having a second clamping surface, wherein: said first clamping element and said second clamping element are independently moveable radially relative to each other along a radial direction, said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface are radially facing each other; the first clamping element and the second clamping element form a first receiving section between said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface, having a first radial width dimensioned to axially receive and clamp the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors during welding, and a second receiving section inside said first clamping element and said second clamping element, having a second radial width, dimensioned to receive at least a further pair of legs during welding of said first pair of legs, wherein at least a part of the second clamping element is arranged below the first clamping element with respect to an axis corresponding to an axis of the stator; the first clamping element provides a storing space having a first radial width dimensioned for housing at least the further pair of legs of hairpin conductors; and the second clamping element provides a receiving space having a second radial width which is larger than a sum of a radial extension of the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors and said first radial width of the storing space provided by said first clamping element.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein: said second clamping surface is arranged on an inner side of a head-portion of a U-shaped portion of said second clamping element, and said first clamping surface is arranged on an outer side of a head-portion of a U-shaped portion of said first clamping element.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein a distance between first radially extending shanks of U-shaped portions of said second clamping element and a distance between second radially extending shanks of U-shaped portions of said first clamping element correspond to a lateral width of the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors, such that said first shanks and said second shanks encompass and align said first pair of legs in a radial direction.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said first shanks and said second shanks of the U-shaped portions are long enough to host at least the further pair of legs of hairpin conductors adjacent an inside portion of said head-portion of said first clamping element.

13. A system for positioning ends of at least a first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool, said system comprising at least two devices according to claim 1.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least a first pair of said first clamping element and said second clamping element has said first receiving section arranged radially further outside than said second receiving section.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a second pair of said first clamping element and said second clamping element has said first receiving section arranged radially further inside than said second receiving section.

16. A method for positioning ends of at least a first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool, the method comprising: arranging the stator on a support; positioning a first clamping surface of a first clamping element and a second clamping surface of a second clamping element on both sides of the first pair of legs, wherein a first section between said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface, having a first radial width, receives said first pair of legs, while a second section inside said first clamping element and said second clamping element, having a second radial width, receives at least a further pair of legs of hairpin conductors, wherein at least a part of the second clamping element is arranged below the first clamping element with respect to an axis corresponding to an axis of the stator core; and radially moving at least one of said first clamping element and said second clamping element to press said first pair of legs against a respective clamping surface of another clamping element to generate a radial clamping force on the ends of the first pair of legs of hairpin conductors when moved radially relative to each other along a radial direction.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising connecting said ends of said first pair of legs.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said first section comprises a radially inner section.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said second section comprises a radially outer section.

Description

(1) The invention will be explained hereinafter with reference to the description of specific embodiments and the respective drawings, which show:

(2) FIG. 1 a perspective view of a device for positioning the ends of at least first pair of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core with respect to a welder tool;

(3) FIG. 2 a perspective view of a detail of a device according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a schematic presentation of first clamping element in plan view;

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic presentation of second clamping element in plan view;

(6) FIG. 5 a perspective view of a detail of a device according to FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 a schematic presentation of the clamping elements in plan view;

(8) FIG. 7 a perspective view of a first example of a system;

(9) FIG. 8 a schematic presentation of the device in plan view;

(10) FIG. 9 a further perspective view of a second example of a system.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device 300 for positioning the ends of at least first pair 5 of legs of hairpin conductors extending from a stator core 301 with respect to a welder unit (not explicitly shown in the figures).

(12) Pairs 5, 6 of legs of hairpin conductors are radially aligned in rows. Respective two legs of a pair 5 of hairpin conductors have to be connected, such that the hairpin conductors form a winding of a stator.

(13) To guarantee a precise connection process, the pair 5 of legs of hairpin conductors have to be precisely aligned in the radial and circumferential direction. If the legs are circumferentially aligned they have only to be pressed together in the radial direction.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of a device 300 according to FIG. 1.

(15) The device 300 comprises a first clamping element 302 and a second clamping element 303. The first clamping element 302 is radially moveable independently from the second clamping element 303 (see FIG. 8).

(16) The first clamping element 302 has a first clamping surface 304 and said second clamping element 303 has a second clamping surface 305. The first and second clamping surfaces 304, 305 are radially facing each other.

(17) The clamping elements 302, 303 form a first, radially inner, receiving section 306 between the first clamping surface 304 and the second clamping surface 305, having a first radial width 307 dimensioned to axially receive and clamp a first pair 5 of legs during welding, thus being at least as large as the radial extension 7 of a pair 5 of legs of hairpin conductors.

(18) The clamping elements 302, 303 form a second, radially outer, receiving section 308 inside the first clamping element 302 and the second clamping element 303, having a second radial width 309, dimensioned to receive at least a further pair 6 of legs during welding of the first pair 5 of legs.

(19) The second clamping 303 element is arranged below the first clamping element 302.

(20) FIG. 3 shows a schematic presentation of first clamping element 302 in plan view.

(21) The first clamping element 302 provides a storing space 310 having a radial width 311 for housing at least a pair 6 of legs of hairpin conductors (see FIG. 2).

(22) The first clamping surface 304 is arranged on the outer side 317 of a head-portion 318 of a U-shape portion 319 of the first clamping element 302.

(23) FIG. 4 shows a schematic presentation of second clamping element 303 in plan view.

(24) The second clamping element 303 provides a receiving space 312 having a radial width 313 which is larger than the sum of the radial extension 7 of a pair 5 of legs of hairpin conductors (see FIG. 2) and the radial width 311 of the storing space 310 provided by the first clamping element 302 (see FIG. 3).

(25) The second clamping surface 305 is arranged on the inner side 314 of a head-portion 315 of a U-shape portion 316 of the second clamping element 303.

(26) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a detail of a device according to FIG. 1.

(27) The distance 320 between shanks 321 of U-shaped portions 316 of the second clamping element 303 as well as the distance 322 between the shanks 323 of the first clamping element 302 corresponds to the lateral width 8 of the legs, such that the shanks 321, 323 laterally encompass and align the pairs 5, 6 of legs.

(28) The head portion 315 of the second clamping element 303 comprises an extension 328 which protrudes axially, such that the clamping surfaces face each other.

(29) FIG. 6 shows a schematic presentation of the clamping elements 302, 304 in plan view.

(30) The shanks 321, 323 of the clamping elements 302, 304 are long enough to host at least a further pair 6 of legs of hairpin conductors (see FIG. 5) adjacent the inside 324 of the head-portion 318 of the first clamping element 302.

(31) The first receiving section 306 has maximal radial width 344 in a range of 4.5 mm to 10.5 mm.

(32) The second receiving section 308 has minimal radial width 309 in a range of 11 mm to 23 mm.

(33) The first receiving section 306 and the second receiving section 308 have a circumferential width in a range of 2.5 mm to 5.5 mm.

(34) FIG. 7 shows a system 400 comprising two devices 300.

(35) The system 400 hence comprises more than one pair 329, 330 of corresponding first and second clamping elements.

(36) In a first pair 329 of clamping elements the second clamping surface 305 is arranged radially further outside than the first clamping surface 304 (see FIG. 2). The actuating mechanism 331 is arranged above the stator core 301 and acting from an area within a periphery of the stator core 301, hence the first pair 329 belongs to an internal clamping mechanism.

(37) For the internal clamping mechanism the first receiving section 306 is arranged radially further outside than the second receiving section 308.

(38) In a second pair 330 of clamping elements the second clamping surface 305 is arranged radially further inside than the first clamping surface 304 (see FIG. 2). The actuating mechanism 332 is arranged above the stator core 301 and acting from an area outside the stator core 301, hence the second pair 330 belongs to an external clamping mechanism.

(39) For the external clamping mechanism the first receiving section 306 is arranged radially further inside than the second receiving section 308.

(40) The shanks 321, 323 (see FIG. 6) are dimensioned to be inserted between two adjacent rows 342, 343 of radially aligned pairs of legs.

(41) FIG. 8 shows a schematic presentation of the device 300 in plan view.

(42) The device 300 comprises an actuating mechanism 331 for moving the clamping elements 302, 302. The actuating mechanism 331 is rotated around the stator core 301 (see FIG. 7) on a circular guide 333. A controlled movement mechanism 334 provides a radial in/out and a vertical up/down movement for jointly positioning the pair 329 of clamping elements.

(43) For the relative movement of the clamping elements 302, 303, the first clamping element 302 is radially moved with respect to the second clamping element 303.

(44) A radial guide 335 comprises a rod 347 driven by a motor 336, which is connected to the first clamping element 302 by a support 337.

(45) A converter 338 converts the rotational movement provided by the motor 336 into a lateral translation 339.

(46) A carriage 340 converts the lateral translation 339 into a radial translation 341.

(47) FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of a system 400 comprising a plurality of devices 300, e.g. six devices.

(48) The actuating mechanisms 331 for each pair 329 of clamping elements are mounted to a machine frame 350 and are arranged around the stator core 301.

(49) The actuating mechanisms 331 are acting from an area outside the stator core 301.

(50) The machine frame 350 and the stator core 301 are rotatable with respect to each other. Preferably, the machine frame 350 is fixedly arranged while the stator core 301 is arranged rotatably and is connected to a motor (not shown) for rotating the stator core 301.

(51) Each device 300 is assigned to a welding unit 451 and to a tube 452 for suction of welding fumes. It is also possible to have tubes (not shown) for blowing an inert gas such as Argon and/or for removing Oxygen.