Transport device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964824-B2
Application number	US-202117908454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2021
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

In order to at least temporarily increase the throughput of transported objects in a transport device in the form of a planar motor, without negatively influencing the movement of the transport units, at least one engagement portion is provided on each of the at least two transport units, it being possible for the at least two transport units to be moved in succession in the transport plane in a direction of movement into an engagement position in which the engagement portions of the transport units are at least partially engaged. The engagement portions are designed to overlap with one another in the engagement position at least in the direction of movement such that a total extent of the transport units in the direction of movement is smaller than a sum of the individual transport-unit extents of the transport in the direction of movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport device in the form of a planar motor comprising at least one transport segment which forms a transport plane and comprising at least two transport units which can be moved at least in two dimensions in the transport plane, drive coils or movable permanent magnets being arranged on the transport segment and drive magnets being arranged on the transport units, or vice versa, the drive coils or the movable permanent magnets interacting magnetically with the drive magnets in order to move the transport units, at least one engagement portion being provided on each of the at least two transport units, the at least two transport units being movable in succession in the transport plane in a direction of movement into an engagement position in which the engagement portions of the transport units are at least partially engaged, the engagement portions being designed to overlap with one another in the engagement position at least in the direction of movement such that a total extent of the transport units in the direction of movement is smaller than a sum of the individual transport-unit extents of the transport units in the direction of movement, wherein at least two engagement portions are provided on at least one of the at least two transport units, the engagement portions being arranged on opposite sides of the respective transport unit, and wherein the transport units can be moved in the transport plane independently of one another.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portions are designed to overlap with one another in the engagement position in a direction normal to the transport plane.

3. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement portions of the transport units are of complementary design.

4. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two transport units each have a base projected onto the transport plane with a rectangular area minimally surrounding the base, the minimally surrounding rectangular areas of the at least two transport units overlapping in the engagement position.

5. The transport device according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio between the minimally surrounding rectangular area and the base of each transport unit is a maximum of two, preferably a maximum of 1.5 and/or wherein a ratio between the minimally surrounding rectangular area and the base of each transport unit is at least 1.1.

6. A transport unit for use for a transport device according to claim 1 , of a at least one engagement portion is provided on the transport unit, which engagement portion being designed to be at least partially engaged with an engagement portion of a further transport unit when the transport unit and the further transport unit are moved in succession in the transport plane in a direction of movement into an engagement position, the engagement portion of the transport unit being designed to overlap with the engagement portion of the further transport unit in the engagement position with the further transport unit at least in the direction of movement, such that a total extent of the transport units in the direction of movement is smaller than a sum of the individual transport-unit extents of the transport units in the direction of movement, wherein at least two engagement portions are provided on the transport unit, the engagement portions being arranged on opposite sides of the transport unit, and wherein the transport unit, outside of the engagement position, can be moved at least in two dimensions in the transport plane of the transport device independently of the other transport unit.

7. The transport unit according to claim 6 , wherein the engagement portions are designed to overlap with the further transport unit in the engagement position in a direction normal to the transport plane.

8. The transport unit according to claim 6 , wherein the at least two engagement portions are of similar or complementary design.

9. The transport unit according to claim 6 , wherein the transport unit has a projected base with a rectangular area minimally surrounding the base, the minimally surrounding rectangular area of the transport unit overlapping with the minimally surrounding rectangular area of a further transport unit in the engagement position with the further transport unit.

10. The transport unit according to claim 9 , wherein a ratio between the minimally surrounding rectangular area and the base of the transport unit is a maximum of two, preferably a maximum of 1.5 and preferably a minimum of 1.1.

11. A method for operating a transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two transport units are moved in the transport plane independently of one another and wherein the transport units are moved in succession in the transport plane in a direction of movement in such a way that they overlap with one another at least in the direction of movement such that a total extent of the transport units in the direction of movement is smaller than a sum of the individual transport-unit extents of the transport units in the direction of movement.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least three transport units are moved in succession in the transport plane in a direction of movement in such a way that two successive transport units overlap with one another at least in the direction of movement such that a total extent of the transport units in the direction of movement is smaller than a sum of the individual transport-unit extents of the transport units in the direction of movement, each of the at least three transport units transporting an object, the objects being positioned on the transport units such that an average object distance between the objects in the direction of movement corresponds to at most the average transport-unit extent of the at least three transport units in the direction of movement, preferably at most two thirds of the average transport-unit extent.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the transport units are positioned relative to one another and the objects are arranged relative to the transport units such that the objects lie on a straight line in the direction of movement.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least two transport units are moved so as to be offset from one another transversely to the direction of movement.

15. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two engagement portions of the at least one transport unit are of similar or complementary design.

Assignees

• B & R Ind Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Hauer Michael
• Flixeder Stefan

Classifications

• B65G23/23 Primary

  of electric linear motors · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• H02K41/02 Primary

  Linear motors; Sectional motors · CPC title

• H02K2201/18

  Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom · CPC title

• H02K16/02

  Machines with one stator and two {or more} rotors · CPC title