Linear motor conveyor system with diverter and method for design and configuration thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117758-B2
Application number	US-201916561874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A linear motor conveyor system having a moving element comprising a first and a second magnetic element on opposite sides; a first track comprising a first linear motor configured to generate a dynamic magnetic field which acts on the first magnetic element to provide a first dynamic lateral force and a first dynamic longitudinal force; a second track with a transfer region adjacent to the first track, the second track configured to generate a magnetic field that acts on the second magnetic element to provide a second lateral force; and a controller to control the first linear motor such that the first dynamic lateral force is configured to bias the moving element toward the first linear motor until the moving element reaches a switch point in the transfer region, after which the dynamic lateral forces are selectively adjusted to bias the moving element toward the first or second track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear motor conveyor system comprising:
a moving element comprising a first magnetic element on a first side and a second magnetic element on a second side, opposite to the first side;
a first track comprising a first linear motor, the first linear motor configured to generate a dynamic magnetic field which acts on the first magnetic element to provide both a first dynamic lateral force and a first dynamic longitudinal force on the moving element;
a second track with at least a transfer region of the second track positioned adjacent the first track, the second track configured to generate a magnetic field that acts on the second magnetic element to provide a second lateral force on the moving element; and
a controller to control at least the first linear motor such that the first dynamic lateral force from the first linear motor and the second lateral force from the second track are configured to bias the moving element toward the first linear motor until the moving element reaches a switch point in the transfer region, after which the dynamic lateral forces are selectively adjusted such that the second lateral force overcomes the first lateral force to bias the moving element toward the second track.

2. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein the first track comprises a first magnetic material which acts on the first magnetic element to provide a first static lateral force in addition to the first dynamic lateral force, wherein the controller adjusts the first static lateral force in addition to the first dynamic lateral force.

3. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 2 , wherein the second track comprises a second magnetic material which acts on the second magnetic element to provide a second static lateral force, and wherein the controller selectively adjusts the first dynamic lateral force to bias the moving element toward the first track or the second track by overcoming net static forces from the first and second static lateral forces.

4. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 3 , wherein the first static lateral force is set based on a first magnetic gap between the moving element and the first linear motor, and the second static lateral force is set based on a second magnetic gap between the moving element and the second linear motor.

5. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 4 , wherein the second track comprises at least one electromagnet and the first dynamic longitudinal force is configured to propel the moving element along the second track while held to the second track by the lateral forces of the at least one electromagnet.

6. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein the moving element further comprises at least one cover for at least one of the magnetic elements to shield the magnetic field.

7. A linear motor conveyor system comprising:
a moving element comprising at least one magnetic element;
a first track comprising a first linear motor, the first linear motor configured to have a first predetermined magnetic gap between the first linear motor and the moving element to bias the moving element toward the first linear motor;
a second track having at least a transfer region positioned adjacent the first track such that the moving element has a second predetermined magnetic gap between the second track and the moving element; and
a controller to control the first linear motor such that, in the transfer region, the first linear motor can be selectively adjusted to generate a lateral magnetic force that, in combination with the second predetermined magnetic gap, overcomes the first predetermined magnetic gap and biases the moving element towards the second track.

8. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 7 , wherein the second predetermined magnetic gap is different from the first magnetic gap.

9. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 7 , wherein the moving element comprises a first magnetic element on a first side and a second magnetic element on a second side, opposite to the first side.

10. A linear motor conveyor system according to claim 9 , wherein the second track comprises at least one electromagnet and the first dynamic longitudinal force is configured to propel the moving element along the second track while held to the second track by the lateral forces of at least one magnetic element.

11. A moving element for a linear motor conveyor system, the moving element comprising:
at least one magnetic element having a magnetically calibrated position in relation to the moving element and configured to interact with both a magnetic field generated by a first linear motor on a first track and a magnetic field associated with a second track to bias the moving element towards the second track when the magnetic field associated with the second track overcomes the magnetic field generated by the first linear motor.

12. A moving element according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a magnet positioning device for adjusting position of the magnetic element.

13. A moving element according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one magnetic element comprises a first magnetic element on a first side and a second magnetic element on a second side, opposite to the first side.

14. A moving element according to claim 11 , further comprising a stabilizer configured to reduce rotation of the moving element.

15. A moving element according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one cover for at least one of the magnetic elements to shield the magnetic field.

16. A method of configuring a diverter on a linear motor conveyor system, the method comprising:
physically mounting a first linear motor track adjacent a second track at a predetermined distance;
determining the magnetic forces on a setup tool placed between the adjacent tracks; and
adjusting a magnetic set point for each of the first and second tracks based on the determined magnetic forces to allow a moving element to be diverted from the first track to the second track when a magnetic force associated with the second track overcomes a magnetic field generated by the first linear motor track.

Assignees

• Ats Automation Tooling Systems Inc

Inventors

• Kleinikkink Albert
• Hogan Roger

Classifications

• H02K41/031

  of the permanent magnet type · CPC title

• H02K11/0141

  Shields associated with casings, enclosures or brackets · CPC title

• B65G54/02 Primary

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• H02K7/08

  Structural association with bearings · CPC title

• H02K41/00

  Propulsion systems in which a rigid body is moved along a path due to dynamo-electric interaction between the body and a magnetic field travelling along the path {(electromagnetic launchers F41B6/00)} · CPC title