Patent ID: 7082674

Claim:
A method for winding a single coil of a coil unit for a linear motor, the single coil having a substantially rectangular ring shape and comprising a conductive wire, the method comprising the steps of: feeding out the conductive wire in a direction of a Z-axis, a winding former being positioned with a center at a point of origin on X- and Y-axes, wherein the X- and Y-axes are each orthogonal relative to each other and the Z-axis, the winding former having a plurality of locks for a the conductive wire at positions corresponding to vertices of the substantially rectangle ring shaped coil and functioning as a base in winding the conductive wire into the substantially rectangular ring shape; a first rotating step of rotating the winding former 180 degrees about the Y-axis while locking the conductive wire fed in the direction of the Z-axis to a first lock of the plurality of locks; a second rotating step of rotating the winding former by 180 degrees about the X-axis after the conductive wire is locked to a second lock of the plurality of locks at the end of the first rotating step; a third rotating step of rotating the winding former 180 degrees about the Y-axis after the conductive wire is locked to a third lock of the plurality of locks at the end of the second rotating step; and a fourth rotating step of rotating the winding former 180 degrees about the X-axis after the conductive wire is locked to a fourth lock of the plurality of locks at the end of the third rotating step, the first through fourth rotating steps being repeated to successively wind the conductive wire around the winding former.