Method of manufacturing rotary electric machine armature

1. A method of manufacturing a rotary electric machine armature that includes a cylindrical armature core in which a plurality of slots that extend in an axial direction are disposed in a circumferential direction and a coil wound around the armature core, the slots having respective radial openings that open in a radial direction, and the coil being formed by joining a plurality of segment conductors to each other, the method comprising:

preparing the plurality of the segment conductors and preparing the armature core, the segment conductors having respective conductor side portions that extend along the axial direction and respective crossover portions connected to the conductor side portions on an outer side of the armature core in the axial direction, the conductor side portions being provided with respective joint portions that have respective facing surfaces;

arranging, when the segment conductors, among the plurality of segment conductors, the crossover portions of which are disposed on one side in the axial direction with respect to the armature core, are defined as first segment conductors and the segment conductors, the crossover portions of which are disposed on the other side in the axial direction with respect to the armature core, are defined as second segment conductors, at least either the conductor side portions of the first segment conductors or the conductor side portions of the second segment conductors in the slots such that the facing surface of one of the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the facing surface of one of the joint portions of the second segment conductors face each other;

regulating movement of the conductor side portions in the radial direction; and

joining the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors to each other by pressing at least one of the first segment conductors and the second segment conductors in the axial direction such that the first segment conductors and the second segment conductors approach each other while maintaining a regulating state, wherein:

a plurality of the conductor side portions is arranged in the radial direction within each one of the slots,

the regulating includes disposing a plurality of regulation members on a side of the radial openings with respect to the conductor side portions positioned most on the side of the radial openings in the slots,

each of the regulation members has a regulation surface that faces the conductor side portions and that regulates movement of the conductor side portions in the radial direction, and

in the joining of the joint portions, the regulation surface of the regulation members contacts the conductor side portions, which are positioned on the radially innermost side in the slots, so that movement in the radial direction of the conductor side portions, which are arranged in the radial direction in the slots, is regulated between the regulation surface of the regulation members and the inner wall surface of the slots on a radially outer side.

2. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein:

the arranging includes arranging both the conductor side portions of the first segment conductors and the conductor side portions of the second segment conductors in the slots; and

the joining includes joining the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors to each other in the slots.

3. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , further comprising:

disposing a conductive joint material on at least one of the facing surfaces which face each other, the conductive joint material joining the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors to each other while securing conductivity, wherein

the joining includes joining the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors to each other by heating the conductive joint material.

4. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein

the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors are shaped to be fitted with each other in the axial direction; and

the joining includes fitting the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors with each other to be joined by pressing at least one of the first segment conductors and the second segment conductors in the axial direction such that the joint portions of the first segment conductors and the joint portions of the second segment conductors approach each other in the axial direction.

5. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein

the regulation surface is formed so as to face an object region which is an entire region or a part of a region, in the axial direction, of both the conductor side portions of the first segment conductors and the conductor side portions of the second segment conductors, and is shaped along a surface of the object region that faces the regulation surface.

6. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein

the joining includes fixing the regulation surface in position in the radial direction.