Rotary electric machine stator and method of manufacturing the same

1. A rotary electric machine stator, comprising:

a stator core having a plurality of slots disposed in a circumferential direction thereof;

a stator coil having coil ends at opposite ends of said stator core, said stator coil being formed of a plurality of U-shaped conductor segments each of which has a U-shaped turn portion disposed at one end of said stator core to form one of said coil ends, a pair of in-slot portion respectively extending from said turn portion and inserted into said slots and end portions respectively extending from said in-slot portions to form the other coil end,

wherein:

each of said end portions has a straight connection portion directly welded to another;

a plurality of said in-slot portions are aligned in a radial direction;

one of said end portions of one of said U-shaped conductor segments extends straight in an axial direction, and the other bends in a circumferential direction by a predetermined angle.

2. A rotary electric machine stator, comprising:

a stator core having a plurality of slots disposed in a circumferential direction thereof;

a stator coil having coil ends at opposite ends of said stator core, said stator coil being formed of a plurality of U-shaped conductor segments each of which has a U-shaped turn portion disposed at one end of said stator core to form one of said coil ends, a pair of in-slot portions respectively extending from said turn portion and inserted into said slots and end portions respectively extending from said in-slot portions in axial and radial directions, said end portions being directly connected to end portions of in-slot portions extending from turn portions of other U-shaped conductor segments to form the other coil end wherein, one of said pair of end portions of one of said U-shaped conductor segments bends by at least 50% larger than the other in a circumferential direction.

3. The rotary electric machine as claimed in claim 1 , said stator coil being manufactured by a method comprising:

inserting said plurality of straight portions of U-shaped conductor segments into each slot from one end of said stator core to form a plurality of radially aligned layers so that end portions of said straight portions extend outward from the other end of said stator core;

bending those of said end portions of said straight portion disposed in prescribed layers in a circumferential direction by said predetermined angle; and

welding ends of a predetermined pair of a bent end portion and a straight end portion together to form said the other coil end.

4. The rotary electric machine as claimed in claim 1 , said stator coil being manufactured by a method comprising:

inserting said plurality of straight portions of U-shaped conductor segments into each slot from one end of said stator core to form a plurality of radially aligned layers so that end portions of said straight portions extend outward from the other end of said stator core;

bending a first group of said end portions of said straight portion disposed in prescribed layers in one circumferential direction by a first angle;

bending a second group of said end portions of said straight portion disposed in the rest of said layers in the other circumferential direction by a second angle that is 50% larger than said first angle; and

welding ends of a predetermined pair of an end portion of said first group and an end portion of said second group together to form said the other coil end.