Transport device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12476527-B2
Application number	US-202017780431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	Nov 27, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a transport device in the form of a planar motor. In one embodiment, the transport device includes at least one transport segment, first and second coil groups, frive magnets and a control unit. The at least one transport segment forms a transport plane and includes at least one transport unit that moves in the transport plane at least two-dimensionally along two main movement directions. The first coil group, which defines the first main movement direction and has first drive coils, is arranged on the at least one transport segment. The second coil group defines the second main movement direction and has second drive coils is arranged on the at least one transport segment. The drive magnets are arranged on the at least one transport unit. The control unit controls the first drive coils, and the second drive coils.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . Transport device in the form of a planar motor, the transport device comprising:
a transport segment forming a transport plane and having a transport unit configured and arranged to move in the transport plane at least two-dimensionally along two main movement directions; a first coil group, which defines the first main movement direction and has first drive coils, is arranged on the transport segment; a second coil group, which defines the second main movement direction and has second drive coils is arranged on the transport segment; drive magnets are arranged on the at least one transport unit; a control unit configured and arranged to control
the first drive coils of the first coil group in order to interact electromagnetically with at least some of the drive magnets ( 4 ) of the transport unit for moving the transport unit in the first main movement direction, and
the second drive coils of the second coil group in order to interact electromagnetically with at least some of the drive magnets of the transport unit for moving the transport unit in the second main movement direction;
wherein the transport unit is configured and arranged to move in the two main movement directions with a different efficiency and/or a different maximum force and/or a different accuracy, in that the first and second drive coils of the first and second coil groups have different coil properties influencing the magnetic field and/or the drive magnets of the transport unit interacting with the first drive coils of the first coil group have different magnetic properties influencing the magnetic field than the drive magnets interacting with the second drive coils of the second coil group; wherein the transport segment is arranged in a position that is different from a horizontal position, in such a way that a force component of a loading force acting on the transport unit, during operation of the transport device, is greater in the first main direction of movement than a force component of the loading force in the second main direction of movement, wherein the loading force at least includes the transport unit gravitational force of the at least one transport unit.

2 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein an inclination of the transport segment is set in such a way that the force component of the loading force in the first main direction of movement is at least 5% greater than the force component of the loading force in the second main direction of movement.

3 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the loading force includes a process force acting at least temporarily on the one transport unit, the process force including an object gravitational force on an object that can be transported with the transport unit and/or a process force acting at least temporarily on the transport unit during a work process.

4 . The transport device according to claim 3 , further including a process station configured and arranged for carrying out a work process on the transport unit or on an object that can be transported with the transport unit,
wherein a work process force acts at least temporarily on the transport unit during the work process as a portion of the process force.

5 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport segment is rhombic in shape, in order to form a rhombic transport plane.

6 . The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein the first main direction of movement is normal to a first edge of the rhombic transport plane, and in that the second main direction of movement is normal to a second edge of the rhombic transport plane that adjoins the first edge.

7 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second drive coils of the coil groups have one or more of the following coil properties configured and arranged to influence the magnetic field: an average coil spacing in the normal direction from the drive magnets of the transport unit, and/or a conductor resistance, and/or a maximum coil current, and/or a number of windings, and/or a coil geometry;
and/or wherein the magnetic properties of the drive magnets of the transport unit influencing the magnetic field comprise: a remanent flux density of the drive magnets, or a relative orientation between the drive magnets and the first and second drive coils of the coil groups, or a pole pitch of the drive magnets, or a magnetic geometry of the drive magnets.

8 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to
control the first drive coils of the first coil group which interact with the drive magnets of the transport unit in order to generate a first electromagnetic force component in the first main direction of movement that counteracts the force component of the loading force in the first main direction of movement, and control the second drive coils of the second coil group which interact with the drive magnets of the transport unit in order to generate a second electromagnetic force component in the second main direction of movement that counteracts the force component of the loading force in the second main direction of movement.

9 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second drive coils of the first and second coil groups are each elongated coils with a longitudinal extension, and with a transverse extension that is normal thereto and is comparatively smaller relative to the longitudinal extension,
wherein the first main direction of movement runs orthogonally to the longitudinal extension of the first drive coils, and the second main direction of movement runs orthogonally to the longitudinal extension of the second drive coils.

10 . A method for operating a transport device in the form of a planar motor, the method including the following steps:
providing a transport segment forming a transport plane, providing a transport unit movable in the transport plane at least two-dimensionally in two main movement directions, arranging a first coil group, which defines a first main movement direction of the two main movement directions and has a plurality of first drive coils, on the transport segment, arranging a second coil group, which defines a second main movement direction of the two main movement directions and has a plurality of second drive coils, on the transport segment, and arranging drive magnets on the transport unit, electromagnetic interaction between the first drive coils of the first coil group with at least part of the drive magnets moves the transport unit in the first main movement direction, and electromagnetic interaction between the second drive coils of the second coil group with at least part of the drive magnets move the transport unit in the second main movement direction, moving the transport unit in the two main movement directions with a different efficiency and/or a different maximum force and/or a different accuracy by providing the first drive coils of the first coil group and second drive coils of the second coil group with different coil properties influencing the magnetic field and/or by providing the drive magnets of the transport unit interacting with the first drive coils of the first coil group with different magnetic properties influencing the magnetic field than the drive magnets interacting with the second drive coils of the second coil group, arranging the transport segment in a position that is different from a horizontal position, such that a force component of a loading force acting on the transport unit is greater in the first main direction of movement than a force component of the loading force in the second main direction of moveme

Assignees

• B & R Ind Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Flixeder Stefan
• Hauer Michael
• Haudum Martin

Classifications

• H02P25/064

  of the synchronous type · CPC title

• H02K2201/18

  Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom · CPC title

• H02K1/14

  Stator cores with salient poles · CPC title

• H02K2213/03

  Machines characterised by numerical values, ranges, mathematical expressions or similar information · CPC title

• H02K41/031 Primary

  of the permanent magnet type · CPC title