Controlled motion system having end teeth to facilitate the formation of a magnetic flux bridge joining linear motor sections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9906110-B2
Application number	US-201414560975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A linear controlled motion system include a track formed from one or more track sections and having at least one mover mounted to the track and effective for receiving articles at one location and transporting the articles to another location. The system includes at least one magnetic linear motion motor for providing a magnetic field effective for moving each mover in a controlled motion along the track and a magnetic flux bridge for reducing changes in the magnetic flux that reduces the efficiency or interferes with the operation of the controlled motion system. The ends of each track section of the magnetic linear motion motor may include end teeth that have a small recess in the top portion thereof. The recesses may be sized to fit the lip of a cover placed over the track section so that the ends of each track section form substantially smooth and planar surfaces that may be joined together to substantially eliminate any air gap between the joined track sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controlled motion system comprising:
a track formed from two or more track sections positioned adjacent to one another, each track section having a housing, a cover and a linear magnetic motor disposed in the housing, wherein the linear magnetic motor includes a first end tooth at a first end of the track section, a second end tooth at a second end of the track section, and a plurality of intervening teeth, wherein at least some of the plurality of intervening teeth include electromagnetic coils configured to produce a magnetic flux;
one or more movers mounted to move along the track by utilizing the magnetic flux; and
a respective magnetic flux bridge connecting each of the adjacent track sections together, each respective magnetic flux bridge being formed from the first and second respective end teeth of two adjacent track sections, wherein each of the first and second end teeth of the adjacent track sections form a smooth surface configured to abut against one another to form a magnetic flux path, and wherein each of the end teeth include a recess sized to fit a lip of the cover.

2. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein each magnetic flux bridge comprises magnetically conductive material.

3. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein each magnetic flux bridge provides a substantially consistent magnetic field between the mover and adjacent track sections over which the mover moves.

4. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein the linear magnetic motor comprises a stator having the plurality of intervening teeth thereon.

5. The controlled motion system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second end teeth of the linear magnetic motor are integrally formed with the stator.

6. The controlled motion system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second end teeth of the linear magnetic motion are separate pieces that are coupled to the stator.

7. The controlled motion system of claim 4 , wherein substantially no air gap exists between the first and second respective end teeth of adjacent track sections when the covers are in place.

8. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first side and a second side opposing the first side, the first side having a first slot configured to accept a first side of the cover and the second side having a second slot configured to accept a second side of the cover.

9. The controlled motion system of claim 8 , wherein the first slot is relatively shallow compared to the second slot.

10. The controlled motion system of claim 9 , wherein the cover and the first and second slots are configured such that the first side of the cover may be snapped into the first slot after the second side of the cover is placed into the second slot.

11. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein the linear magnetic motor comprises a stator section having a base and first and second ends, wherein each of the first and second ends of the stator section comprises a substantially planar surface formed by each of the first and second respective end teeth and the base with the exception of the recesses formed in an upper portion of each of the first and second end teeth.

12. The controlled motion system of claim 11 , wherein each of the recesses is sized such that the substantially planar surface on each end of the stator section is substantially flush with the respective lips when the cover is in place over the stator section.

13. The controlled motion system of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises first and second ends, each having the lip, wherein the cover is configured to be placed on the housing.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sommerhalter Jr Frederick A

Classifications

• B65G2207/30

  Modular constructions · CPC title

• H02K1/14

  Stator cores with salient poles · CPC title

• B60L13/03

  Electric propulsion by linear motors · CPC title

• H02K41/031 Primary

  of the permanent magnet type · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title