Method of manufacturing armature

1. A method of manufacturing an armature that includes an armature core provided with a plurality of slots that extend in a center axis direction and a coil portion formed by joining a plurality of segment conductors including leg portions to each other and supplied with multi-phase AC power, the method comprising:

a step of preparing first segment conductors, of the segment conductors, which constitute at least one end portion of the coil portion for each phase and in which a plurality of the end portions, or the end portion and a power terminal member, are electrically connected to each other;

a step of disposing the leg portions of the first segment conductors and the leg portions of second segment conductors, which are the segment conductors which constitute a part of the coil portion other than the first segment conductors, in the armature core so as to face each other in the center axis direction after the step of preparing the first segment conductors; and

a step of joining the leg portions of the first segment conductors and the leg portions of the second segment conductors to each other after the step of disposing the leg portions, wherein:

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which a plurality of neutral point connection end portions, which are first end portions, for the individual phases, of the coil portion connected through a Y connection, are electrically connected to each other or power-side end portions, which are second end portions of the coil portion for the individual phases, and the power terminal member are electrically connected to each other by joining the plurality of neutral point connection end portions, or the power-side end portions and the power terminal member, to each other,

the plurality of neutral point connection end portions are formed on a plurality of neutral point-connection segment conductors that have the respective leg portions and respective coil end portions that are continuous with the leg portions,

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which the coil end portions of the plurality of neutral point-connection segment conductors are joined to be electrically connected to each other,

the neutral point-connection segment conductors include first neutral point-connection segment conductors that include first-phase leg portions connected to the second segment conductors for a first phase of 3-phase AC, second-phase leg portions connected to the second segment conductors for a second phase of the 3-phase AC, and coil end portions that connect between the first-phase leg portions and the second-phase leg portions, and second neutral point-connection segment conductors that include the leg portions which are connected to the second segment conductors for a third phase of the 3-phase AC, and

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which the plurality of neutral point connection end portions of the coil portion for the 3-phase AC are electrically connected to each other by joining the coil end portions of the first neutral point-connection segment conductors and the coil end portions of the second neutral point-connection segment conductors to each other.

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

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which the power-side end portions for the same phase are electrically connected to each other and in which the plurality of power-side end portions which are connected to each other and the power terminal member are electrically connected to each other.

3. The method of manufacturing an armature according to claim 2 , wherein:

the plurality of power-side end portions include radially outer power-side end portions disposed on a radially outer side of the armature core and radially inner power-side end portions disposed on a radially inner side of the armature core; and

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which the radially outer power-side end portions, the radially inner power-side end portions, and the power terminal member are electrically connected to each other.

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

the second segment conductors each include a pair of leg portions disposed at different circumferential positions and a coil end portion that connects between the pair of leg portions;

the method further includes a step of forming a first coil assembly, which includes the first segment conductors and third segment conductors that constitute a part of the coil portion, and a second coil assembly, which is composed of a plurality of segment conductors including the second segment conductors, after the step of preparing the first segment conductors and before a step of disposing the leg portions;

the step of disposing the leg portions is a step of disposing the leg portions of the first segment conductors and the leg portions of the third segment conductors in the armature core by moving the first coil assembly toward one side in the center axis direction with respect to the armature core, and disposing the leg portions of the second segment conductors in the armature core by moving the second coil assembly toward the other side in the center axis direction with respect to the armature core; and

the step of joining is a step of joining the leg portions of the first segment conductors and one of the pair of leg portions of the second segment conductors to each other, and joining the leg portions of the third segment conductors and the other of the pair of leg portions of the second segment conductors to each other.

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

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors in which the plurality of the end portions, or the end portions and the power terminal member, are electrically connected to each other, and an electronic part is disposed on the segment conductor.

6. The method of manufacturing an armature according to claim 5 , wherein

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors on which the electronic part is disposed by attaching the electronic part which has a temperature detection element to a neutral point-connection segment conductor, among the plurality of segment conductors.

7. The method of manufacturing an armature according to claim 5 , wherein

the step of preparing the first segment conductors is a step of preparing the first segment conductors on which the electronic part is disposed by attaching the electronic part which has a temperature detection element to a surface, on an armature core side, of a coil end portion connected to the leg portions of the plurality of segment conductors.