Transport apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022252628-A1
Application number	US-202017616355-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 11, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A conveying device detects an abnormality due to a change in the surface state of the conveying plane. The conveying device has a conveying plane for conveying thereabove a conveying container equipped with a magnetic body, a position detection unit for detecting the position of the conveying container above the conveying plane, a magnetic pole disposed below the conveying plane and equipped with a core and a coil, a drive unit for applying a voltage to the magnetic pole, and a calculation unit for controlling the drive unit. The calculation unit calculates the conveying speed of the conveying container on the basis of the position of the conveying container above the conveying plane and the time at which the conveying container passes through the position, and detects the surface state of the conveying plane on the basis of the calculated conveying speed of the conveying container.

First claim

1 . A transport apparatus comprising: a transport plane on which a transport container including a magnetic body is transported; a position detector that detects a position of the transport container on the transport plane; a magnetic pole that is arranged under the transport plane and includes a core and a coil; a drive unit that applies a voltage to the magnetic pole; and a calculation unit that controls the drive unit,
wherein the calculation unit calculates transport speed of the transport container based on a position of the transport container on the transport plane and a time at which the transport container passes through the using an interval of time required between magnetic poles in an acceleration region where the transport container accelerates and a distance between the magnetic poles, the calculation unit compares calculated transport speed of the transport container and a reference transport speed of the transport container, and the calculation unit detects a surface state of the transport plane.

2 . The transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the position detector is arranged for every magnetic pole to transmit a time at which the magnetic body passes through or reaches the magnetic pole to the calculation unit.

3 . The transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the calculation unit records the position of the magnetic pole and the time, and calculates the transport speed of the transport container based on the position and the time.

4 . The transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the calculation unit calculates average acceleration in a predetermined interval, and detects the surface state of the transport plane based on the average acceleration.

5 . The transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the surface state of the transport plane is detected by using a transport container that has a constant mass, the same shape, and reference magnetic force of the magnetic body, and that is in a reference state of a transport surface.

6 . The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a monitoring system that displays a change in the surface state of the transport plane.

7 . The transport apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the calculation unit estimates a mass of a different transport container based on average acceleration of the different transport container in a predetermined interval.

8 . (canceled)

9 . A transport apparatus comprising: a transport plane on which a transport container including a magnetic body is transported; a magnetic pole that is arranged under the transport plane and includes a core and a coil; a drive unit that applies a voltage to the magnetic pole; and a calculation unit that controls the drive unit,
wherein the drive unit detects a current that flows through the magnetic pole, and wherein the calculation unit detects a position of the transport container on the transport plane based on the detected current, the calculation unit calculates transport speed of the transport container based on the position of the transport container on the transport plane and a time at which the transport container passes through the position and using an interval of time required between magnetic poles in an acceleration region where the transport container accelerates and a distance between the magnetic poles, the calculation unit compares calculated transport speed of the transport container and a reference transport speed of the transport container, and the calculation unit detects a surface state of the transport plane.

10 . The transport apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the drive unit detects a current that flows through a resistance connected to the coil.

11 . The transport apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the voltage applied to the magnetic pole by the drive unit is a voltage pulse, and the current detected by the drive unit is a current waveform.

12 . The transport apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the surface state of transport plane is detected by using a transport container for inspection.

13 . The transport apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising a database that stores a current flowing through the magnetic pole, a voltage applied to the magnetic pole, a position of the transport container on the transport plane, a time at which the transport container passes through the position, transport speed of the transport container, and a surface state of the transport plane.

14 . The transport apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the current flowing through the magnetic pole, the voltage applied to the magnetic pole, the position of the transport container on the transport plane, the time at which the transport container passes through the position, the transport speed of the transport container, and the surface state of the transport plane are transmitted to the database by a communication device having a communication function.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01N2035/0489

  Self-propelled units · CPC title

• H02P25/064

  of the synchronous type · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• G01N2035/0477

  Magnetic · CPC title

• H02K2213/03

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