Magnet switch for a transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465859-B2
Application number	US-201816614645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a switch (1) of a transport system for a movable transport element (T), where the switch (1) comprises a main track (3) and a secondary track (4) branching off, where the movable transport element (T) can be guided from a transition region (2), in which the secondary track (4) branches off from the main track (3), optionally along the main track (3) or transferred into the secondary track (4), where one or more linear motor sections (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) are respectively provided at the main track (3) and the secondary track (4) for moving the movable transport element (T), where a normal force is present between the movable transport element (T) and the adjacent linear motor section or the adjacent linear motor sections (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), characterized in that devices for altering the normal force are provided in the transition region. The invention also relates to a transport system comprising such a switch and a transport element for such a transport system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switch of a transport system for a movable transport element, comprising:
a main track;
a secondary track; and
a transition region, the transition region comprising:
a section of the main track, the section of the main track comprising a first linear motor section, the first linear motor section configured to move the movable transport element along the main track; and
a section of the secondary track branching off from the main track, the section of the secondary track comprising a second linear motor section, the second linear motor section configured to move the movable transport element along the secondary track,
wherein the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section are configured to change a magnetic normal force exerted upon the movable transport element by the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section, and
wherein the magnetic normal force comprises a magnetic force formed between a magnetic reaction element of the movable transport element and one or more of the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section irrespective of current applied to either of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section is configured to reduce the magnetic normal force exerted upon the movable transport element in the transition region.

3. The switch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a region between the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section wherein an air gap between the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section is enlarged.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first linear motor section is positioned offset relative to the second linear motor section in the transition region.

5. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first linear motor section is rotated relative to the second linear motor section in the transition region.

6. The switch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a special guide curve disposed in the transition region, the special guide curve configured to guide the movable transport element such that a distance between the special guide curve and one of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section is increased.

7. The switch of claim 1 , wherein:
a magnetic conductivity of the first linear motor section is reduced in the transition region, and
a magnetic conductivity of the second linear motor section is reduced in the transition region.

8. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first linear motor section comprises a first ferromagnetic part, the first ferromagnetic part configured to be tapered in the transition region.

9. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the second linear motor section comprises a second ferromagnetic part, the second ferromagnetic part configured to be tapered in the transition region.

10. The switch of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section comprises a base body, the base body comprising a first part comprised of a first material with a first magnetic conductivity in the transition region, and a second part comprised of a second material with a second magnetic conductivity outside of the transition region.

11. The switch of claim 1 , further comprising a current supply in the transition region, the current supply configured to independently actuate a first actuatable electromagnet of the movable transport element or a second actuatable electromagnet of the movable transport element.

12. A movable transport element of a transport system, the movable transport element comprising:
a chassis having a first side and a second side;
one or more magnetic reaction elements;
a first independently switchable electromagnet disposed on the first side of the chassis; and
a second independently switchable electromagnet disposed on the second side of the chassis,
wherein the first independently switchable electromagnet and the second independently switchable electromagnet are configured to control a magnetic normal force with a first linear motor section of a switch, and a second linear motor section of the switch, and
wherein the magnetic normal force comprises a magnetic force formed between the one or more magnetic reaction elements of the movable transport element and one or more of the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section irrespective of current applied to either of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section.

13. A transport system for a movable transport element, comprising:
a transport track; and
a switch connected to the transport track, the switch comprising:
a main track;
a secondary track; and
a transition region, the transition region comprising:
a section of the main track, the section of the main track comprising a first linear motor section, the first linear motor section configured to move the movable transport element along the main track; and
a section of the secondary track branching off from the main track, the section of the secondary track comprising a second linear motor section, the second linear motor section configured to move the movable transport element along the secondary track,

wherein the first linear motor section and the second linear motor sections are configured to change a magnetic normal force exerted upon a movable transport element by the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section, and
wherein the magnetic normal force comprises a magnetic force formed between a magnetic reaction element of the movable transport element and one or more of the first linear motor section and the second linear motor section irrespective of current applied to either of the first linear motor section or the second linear motor section.

14. The transport system of claim 13 , further comprising a first movable transport element, the first movable transport element comprising:
a chassis having a first side and a second side;
a first independently switchable electromagnet disposed on the first side of the chassis; and
a second independently switchable electromagnet disposed on the second side of the chassis,
wherein the first independently switchable electromagnet and the second independently switchable electromagnet are configured to generate a controllable normal magnetic force with the first linear motor section of the switch, and the second linear motor section of the switch.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Davidson Hartmut
• Kiendl Thomas
• Poeschl Stefan
• Neubauer Michael
• Kammerl Martin

Classifications

• E01B25/34

  Switches; Frogs; Crossings · CPC title

• B60L13/10

  Combination of electric propulsion and magnetic suspension or levitation · CPC title

• B60L13/003 Primary

  Crossings; Points · CPC title

• B65G54/02 Primary

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• E01B25/00

  Tracks for special kinds of railways (systems B61B; wheel tracks on roads E01C9/02) · CPC title