Conveying device and analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325599-B2
Application number	US-202017761845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A conveying device conveys a container including a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path and includes a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and including a conveyance path, a drive unit supplying a current to the coil, and a position detection unit estimating the position of the container. The position detection unit excites a first magnetic pole to detect the position of the container and applies a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is peripheral in a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, and a process of estimating the position of the container based on the current value of the first magnetic pole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conveying device that conveys a conveyance container including a magnet or a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path, comprising:
a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and having a conveyance path;
a drive unit for supplying a current to the coil; and
a position detection unit for performing a process of estimating the position of the conveyance container, wherein
the position detection unit performs:
a process of exciting a first magnetic pole selected to detect the position of the conveyance container, and applying a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is a peripheral magnetic pole within a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, and
a process of estimating the position of the conveyance container based on a current value of the first magnetic pole.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein
the position detection unit applies a DC voltage or a pulse voltage to the second magnetic pole in the opposite polarity direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein
a smaller number of magnetic poles than the number of magnetic poles that can be arranged are arranged on the conveyance surface.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of magnetic poles are arranged in a grid on the conveyance surface.

5. An analysis system comprising a plurality of analysis devices, a plurality of conveying devices arranged between the plurality of analysis devices, and a control computer for controlling the operation of the analysis device and the conveying device, wherein
each of the plurality of conveying devices is a conveying device that conveys a conveyance container including a magnet or a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path,
and includes:
a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and having a conveyance path,
a drive unit for supplying a current to the coil, and
a processor for performing a process of detecting the position of the conveyance container, and notifying the control computer of information based on the result of the position detection, and

the processor determines whether or not the conveyance container has deviated from a selected magnetic pole based on a current change value when an exciting current flows through the selected magnetic pole, and notifies the control computer of the determination result.

6. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein
when the conveyance container deviates from the selected magnetic pole, the processor controls the drive unit to move the conveyance container around the selected magnetic pole to another magnetic pole position.

7. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein
when the conveyance container deviates from the selected magnetic pole, the processor controls the drive unit to move the conveyance container around the selected magnetic pole to another conveying device.

8. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein
the processor of the conveying device excites a first magnetic pole selected to detect the position of the conveyance container and applies a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is a peripheral magnetic pole within a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, to determine the presence or absence of the conveyance container at a position where the magnetic pole is not arranged and to notify the control computer of the determination result, and
the control computer determines processing stop, processing restart, and processing continuation in the analysis system based on the determination result from the conveying device.

9. The analysis system according to claim 8 , wherein
when the processor confirms the presence of the conveyance container at a position where the magnetic pole is not arranged, the processor controls the drive unit to draw the convey container into the conveyance path.

10. The analysis system according to claim 9 , wherein
the processor notifies the control computer of a result of the process of drawing the conveyance container into the conveyance path.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Tamakoshi Takeshi
• Aoyama Yasuaki
• Kaneko Satoru
• Kobayashi Hiroyuki
• Hoshi Ryosuke
• Watanabe Hiroshi
• Kambara Katsuhiro
• Onizawa Kuniaki

Classifications

• H02P25/06

  Linear motors · CPC title

• G01N2035/0477

  Magnetic · CPC title

• G01N35/04 Primary

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B65G2203/0266

  relating to the load carrier(s) · CPC title

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title