Patent ID: 8921736
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A method of welding a plurality of conductors to form a winding extending through an annular stator core, the conductors being inserted into slots formed in the stator core to have coil ends extending outside one of opposed end surfaces of the stator core, a plurality of pairs of the coil ends being arranged in a circumferential direction of the stator core and also staggered in zigzag alignment in a circumferential direction of the stator core so as to form diagonal arrays of the pairs of the coil ends, each of the diagonal arrays extending diagonally with respect to the radial direction of the stator core, the method comprising: inserting a first electrode of a welding system into a gap between adjacent two of the diagonal arrays; and bringing a second electrode close to one of the adjacent two of the diagonal arrays to weld the pairs of the coil ends, wherein the pairs of the coil ends are arranged in the circumferential direction of the stator core in coaxial circular arrays, and the pairs of the coil ends of each of the coaxial circular arrays are disposed at regular intervals to have the diagonal arrays located at regular intervals away from each other in the circumferential direction of the stator core; and wherein three or more pairs of the coil ends are also arranged in the radial direction of the stator core so that three or more radial arrays of the coil end pairs are respectively aligned to extend in the radial direction of the stator core.