Abstract:
A wire winding machine ( 100 ) is disclosed which includes holders ( 106, 108 ) for holding a workpiece having a body ( 104   a ) with a hole ( 104   b ). A wire manipulator includes wire holders ( 116   a,    116   b,    116   c ) which are adapted for moving a piece of wire through the hole of the workpiece to form turns of winding of the piece of wire on the body of the workpiece.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a wire winding machine, and, in particular, such a machine for forming winding of wire on a body of a workpiece. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the production of small-sized transformers, for example for use in pacemakers to be installed within a human body, windings of wires have to be formed around a core of a very small size. In the case of small-sized transformers with toroidal cores, the difficulty is more pronounced because of the necessity of winding wire through the centre hole of the torus. The production of small-sized transformers with toroidal cores is thus highly labour-intensive and not readily susceptible to automation. The production rate of such small-sized transformers is thus limited. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a wire winding machine to provide a wire winding machine in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated or at least to provide a useful alternative to the trade and public. 
         [0004]    According to a the present invention, there is provided a wire winding machine including means for holding a workpiece having a body with a hole, and means for moving a piece of wire through said hole of said workpiece to form at least one turn of winding of said piece of wire on said body of said workpiece. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]    A wire winding machine and wire winding machine assemblies according to the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a wire winding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the wire winding machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a wire winding machine assembly, formed of a number of the wire winding machines of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the wire winding machine assembly of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a further wire winding machine assembly, formed of a number of the wire winding machines of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of the wire winding machine assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    A wire winding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , generally designated as  100 . The machine  100  is supported by a base  102 . A toroidal core  104  (being a workpiece on and around which a piece wire is to be wound) with an annular body  104   a  and a central hole  104   b  is held from above by an upper holder  106  and from below by a lower holder  108 . Two diametrically opposite parts of the core  104  are thus held by the upper holder  106  and the lower holder  108 . The upper holder  106  and the lower holder  108  are fixedly engaged with a semi-circular gear ring  110  at diametrically opposite positions, for simultaneous rotational movement about an axis P-P which coincides with the central longitudinal axis of the core  104  when held by the upper holder  106  and lower holder  108 . The semi-circular gear ring  110  is in mesh with a worm  112  which is rotatable about its own central longitudinal axis S-S, which is perpendicular to the axis P-P. A motor  114  is operable to drive the worm  112  to rotate about the axis S-S to thereby cause the semi-circular gear ring  110  to rotate about the axis P-P, to cause corresponding rotation of the toroidal core  104  held by the upper holder  106  and the lower holder  108 , and about the axis P-P. 
         [0013]    The machine  100  further includes a first wire manipulator  116   a,  a second wire manipulator  116   b  and a third wire manipulator  116   c.  The first wire manipulator  116   a  is movable by a first pneumatic or fluid cylinder  118   a  to reciprocate along a path parallel to the axis P-P; and the second wire manipulator  116   b  is movable by a second pneumatic or fluid cylinder  118   b  to reciprocate along a path parallel to the axis P-P. The path along which the first wire manipulator  116   a  is movable coincides with the path along which the second wire manipulator  116   b  is movable. The third wire manipulator  116   c  is movable by a third pneumatic or fluid cylinder  118   c  and a fourth pneumatic or fluid cylinder  118   d.  The third wire manipulator  116   c  is movable by the third cylinder  118   c  to reciprocate along a path parallel to an axis T-T which is perpendicular to both the axis P-P and the axis S-S, and is movable by the fourth cylinder  118   d  to reciprocate along a path parallel to the axis P-P. 
         [0014]    Both the third cylinder  118   c  and the fourth cylinder  118   d  are fixed to a board  120  which is slidable along a rail  122  fixed to the base  102 . The board  120  is linked with a rotary plate  124  via a link  126  eccentrically connected with the rotary plate  122 . The rotary plate  122  is operatively associated with a motor  128 , such that activation of the motor  128  will cause the rotary plate  122  to rotate about its central longitudinal axis R-R, which is parallel to the axis S-S. Rotation of the rotary plate  122  about the axis R-R will bring about linear movement of the board  120  (and thus the third wire manipulator  116   c,  the third cylinder  118   c  and the fourth cylinder  118   d  carried by it) along the rail  122 , towards or away from the worm  112 , depending on the direction of rotation of the motor  128 . 
         [0015]    To wind turns of a piece wire around the annular body  104   a  of the toroidal core  104 , a piece of wire is first held by the first wire manipulator  116   a  when at its original rear position. The first wire manipulator  116   a  is then moved by the first cylinder  118   a  to approach the core  104  from one side, along a path parallel to the axis P-P until the first wire manipulator  116   a  is at its front position in which the piece of wire is received through the central hole  104   b  of the core  104 . The second wire manipulator  116   b  is then moved by the second cylinder  118   b  along a path along an axis parallel to the axis P-P from its original rear position towards and from the other side of the core  104  to a front position to receive the wire from the first wire manipulator  116   a.  The first wire manipulator  116   a  is then moved back by the first cylinder  118   a  to its original rear position. The second wire manipulator  116   b  is then moved back, with the wire held by it, to its original rear position by the second cylinder  118   b.    
         [0016]    The third wire manipulator  116   c  is then moved by the third cylinder  118   c  and fourth cylinder  118   d  towards the second wire manipulator  116   b  to receive the wire from the second wire manipulator  116   b,  and is then moved by the third cylinder  118   c  and fourth cylinder  118   d  towards the first wire manipulator  116   a  to pass the wire to the first wire manipulator  116   a.  If necessary, the motor  128  rotates the rotary plate  124  to move the board  120 , which carries the third wire manipulator  116   c,  towards or away from the worm  112 , so as to maintain the wire in a taut condition when being transferred by the third wire manipulator  116   c  from the second wire manipulator  116   b  to the first wire manipulator  116   a.    
         [0017]    The above actions bring about the winding of one turn of wire on and around the annular body  104   a  of the core  104 . After this, the semi-circular gear ring  110  is caused by the worm  112  to rotate by a pre-determined angle about the axis P-P, to bring about corresponding rotation of the core  104  about the axis P-P by the same angle. A further turn of winding of the wire may thus be formed on and around the annular body  104   a  of the core  104  (next to the first turn of winding of the wire just formed on and around the body  104   a ) by repeating the above sequence of actions, through passing of the piece of wire by and from the first wire manipulator  116   a  to the second wire manipulator  116   b , then to the third wire manipulator  116   c,  and then back to the first wire manipulator  116   a,  to be followed by further rotation of the core  104  in the same direction by the same pre-determined angle. 
         [0018]    A wire winding machine assembly formed of a number of wire winding machines  100  is shown in  FIG. 3 , and generally designated as  200 . In particular, the assembly  200  includes six wire winding machines  100  radially and equi-angularly arranged on a circular base  202 . To facilitate synchronous operation of the machines  100 , and as shown in  FIG. 4 , a central gear  204  which is operatively associated with a motor (not shown) is provided on a bottom side of the base  202 . The central gear  204  is in mesh with six intermediate transfer gears  206 , each in turn in mesh with a respective gear  208 . Each of the gears  208  is associated with a respective worm  112  of a respective wire winding machine  100  carried by the assembly  200 . By way of such an arrangement, rotation of the worms  112  (and thus that of the semi-circular gear rings  110  and the cores  104  held by the machines  100 ) is synchronized. 
         [0019]    A further wire winding machine assembly formed of a number of wire winding machines  100  is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and generally designated as  300 . In particular, the assembly  300  includes four wire winding machines  100  arranged side by side with each other on a base  302 . 
         [0020]    It should be understood that the above only illustrates examples whereby the present invention may be carried out, and that various modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
         [0021]    It should also be understood that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any appropriate sub-combinations.