JP2001097529A - Body floating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a body floating device for floating a body while using plural vibrating bodies and capable of reducing the number of parts items of a body carrying device and capable of reducing the weight of the vibrating body. SOLUTION: This body floating device 1 is provided with plural rectangular vibrating bodies 2a, 2b. Each vibrating body 2a, 2b is symmetrically arranged in relation to a vibrator 3 for vibrating the vibrating bodies 2a, 2b, and connected to the vibrator 3 through a vibration transmitting member 4 for transmitting the vibration of the vibrator 3 to each vibrating body 2a, 2b while amplifying the amplitude of the vibrator 3. The vibration transmitting member 4 is provided with flat rectangular parallelopiped fitting parts 4b in parallel with each other in both ends of a narrow and long plate part 4a, and the vibrating bodies 2a, 2b are fastened to a tip of the fitting parts 4b by a screw. The plate part 4a is fixed to the vibrator 3 at a central part thereof. The vibrator 3 is connected to an oscillator 8 through wiring 7a, 7b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for levitating an object using radiation pressure such as sound waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-24415 discloses an object levitation device that levitates an object on the surface of a vibrating body by radiation pressure of sound waves of a vibrating body vibrated by a vibrating means. Gazette, JP-A-7-13
No. 7824. In this apparatus, a flat vibrating body is used, and the surface of the object to be levitated, which is opposed to the surface of the flat vibrating body, is a flat surface, and the object levitates due to radiation pressure of sound waves generated by the vibration of the vibrating body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-202425 discloses FIG.
As shown in FIG.
An object conveying device 53 that conveys the object in a floating state is disclosed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-202425 discloses that one vibrating body and an ultrasonic vibration generating unit for generating the vibration are unitized, and a large object is dealt with by increasing the number of the units as necessary. Is disclosed.

[0004]

However, in the conventional object levitation apparatus, since one ultrasonic vibration generator is required for one vibrator, a plurality of vibrators are required to levitate a large object. In the case of using the device, the same number of ultrasonic vibration generators as the number of vibrators are required, which causes a problem that the size of the apparatus is increased and the manufacturing cost is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to reduce the number of components of an object levitation apparatus when an object is levitated by using a plurality of vibrators, and to reduce the number of vibrators. An object of the present invention is to provide an object levitation device that can be reduced in weight.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of vibrating bodies are excited by exciting means, and the surface of the vibrating body is radiated by the radiation pressure of sound waves of the vibrating body. An object levitation device for levitating an object above, wherein all of the excitation means include a number of vibrators smaller than the number of vibrators and a vibration transmission member that amplifies vibration of the vibrators and transmits the vibration to each vibrator. The vibrator is excited.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the vibrating body is disposed at a symmetrical position with respect to the vibrator. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the object to be levitated has a flat bottom surface, at least one pair of opposed linear edges, and the vibrating body. Are arranged such that their outer edges extend along and near the linear edge of the object.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the surfaces of the pair of vibrators are inclined inward in a direction opposite to a bottom surface of the object, and The radiation pressure acting on the object is arranged to be balanced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the object levitation device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is a unit, and a plurality of units are arranged in combination. Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the object is levitated on the surface of the vibrating body by the radiation pressure of the sound waves from the plurality of vibrating bodies excited by the exciting means. The excitation means vibrates a smaller number of vibrators than the number of vibrators, and the vibrations are amplified and transmitted to the vibrators larger than the number of vibrators by the vibration transmitting member.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, since the vibrating body is arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to the vibrator, the vibration of the vibrator is transmitted through the vibration transmitting member. It becomes easier to transmit the vibrations evenly to each vibrator.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the object is less likely to move outward from a position where the edge faces the edge of the vibrating body in the floating state. When the opposing edges of the vibrator are arranged near the edges along the distant edges of the vibrator, the object is stably held at a position corresponding to the edge of the vibrator.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, when the vibrating body disposed in a state of being inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the object vibrates, the vibration body is placed between the levitating object and the vibrating body. An inward airflow is generated, and the airflow causes a state in which horizontal forces facing each other are present,
If a small horizontal external force acts on the object, the object remains stable at a predetermined position.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the object levitation device for levitating a large object is constituted by a plurality of units, adjustment at the time of assembling becomes easy, and by changing the number of units, the size is increased. Objects of different sizes can be accommodated.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A first embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a device for floating and holding an elongated plate will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the object levitation apparatus 1 includes a plurality of (two in this embodiment) vibrating bodies 2a and 2b formed in a rectangular plate shape. Each vibrator 2
a and 2b are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the vibrator 3 constituting the excitation means for exciting the vibrators 2a and 2b, and amplify the vibration of the vibrator 3 and transmit it to the vibrators 2a and 2b. It is connected to the vibrator 3 via the transmission member 4.

The vibration transmitting member 4 has flat mounting portions 4b projecting in parallel from both ends of an elongated plate portion 4a, and the vibrating bodies 2a and 2b are fastened to the ends of the mounting portions 4b by screws (not shown). The distal end face of the mounting portion 4b is formed in a plane orthogonal to the axial direction of the vibrator 3, and the vibrators 2a and 2b are fixed to the mounting portion 4b so as to be horizontal. The plate portion 4a is fixed to the vibrator 3 at the center. The shape of the vibration transmitting member 4 is designed by, for example, a finite element analysis method.

A so-called Langevin type vibrator is used as the vibrator 3, and a pair of ring-shaped piezo elements 5a and 5b are provided.
A ring-shaped electrode plate 5c disposed between the piezo elements 5a and 5b, and metal blocks 6a and 6b disposed at positions in contact with surfaces of the piezo elements 5a and 5b opposite to the electrode plate 5c.
Are fastened and fixed by bolts (not shown). The bolt is screwed into a screw hole (not shown) formed in the metal block 6a from the metal block 6b side. The two metal blocks 6a and 6b are in a state of being electrically connected to each other via a bolt.

The electrode plate 5c is connected to the oscillator 8 via the wiring 7a, and the ground terminal of the oscillator 8 is connected to the metal block 6b via the wiring 7b. The oscillator 8 is driven by a control signal from a control device (not shown). Vibrator 3
, The vibration transmitting member 4 and the oscillator 8, the vibrating body 2a,
Excitation means for exciting 2b is configured.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be described. The object levitation device 1 is mounted on, for example, a transport vehicle, and is transported to a target position by moving the transport vehicle while holding the plate-shaped object 9 to be transported in a floating state.

As shown by the chain lines in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b),
The object 9 has both edges 9a in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1),
9b is mounted on both vibrators 2a, 2b so as to align with outer edges 10 of both vibrators 2a, 2b. In this state, by driving the oscillator 8, the vibrator 3 is excited at a predetermined resonance frequency (for example, about 20 kHz), and the vibrators 2a and 2b are amplified from the amplitude of the vibrator 3 via the vibration transmitting member. Excited. When the vibrators 2a and 2b vibrate, sound waves are emitted from the vibrators 2a and 2b.

The object 9 floats from the surfaces of the vibrators 2a and 2b by the radiation pressure of the sound waves radiated from the vibrators 2a and 2b. The floating height is several tens to several hundreds μm. Edges 10 of vibrators 2a and 2b and edges 9a and 9b of object 9
In a state in which the vibration members 2a and 2
Since the object 9 that is about to protrude from the edge 10 of b is pulled back inside by the action of the sound waves emitted from the vibrators 2a and 2b, the object 9 is held at a predetermined position in a stable state.

This embodiment has the following effects. (1) Exciting means includes a number of vibrators 3 smaller than the number of vibrators 2a and 2b,
All the vibrating bodies 2a and 2b are excited by the vibration transmitting member 4 transmitting the vibrations to the vibration bodies 2a and 2b. Therefore, the plurality of vibrators 2
When the object 9 is levitated using a and 2b, the number of components of the object levitating device 1 can be reduced.

(2) A plurality of vibrating bodies 2a and 2b are used as the vibrating body for radiating sound waves to the object 9 without using a vibrating body having a size corresponding to the entire bottom area of the object 9, and the area thereof is used. Is smaller than the bottom area of the object 9, the vibrators 2a and 2b can be reduced in weight, and the entire object levitation device 1 can be reduced in weight.

(3) The object 9 to be levitated has a flat bottom surface and at least a pair of opposing linear edges 9a,
When the vibrating bodies 2a and 2b hold the object 9 in a levitated state, the outer edge 10 extends along the edges 9a and 9b near the linear edges 9a and 9b of the object 9. Are located in Therefore, the object 9 can be held at a predetermined position in a stable state.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is significantly different from the above-described embodiment in that an object levitation device is configured by combining a plurality of units for vibrating a plurality of vibrators with one vibrator. The same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the object levitation device 11 comprises:
It is configured by combining two units 12 that vibrate three vibrators 2a, 2b, 2c with one vibrator 3. Each unit 12 has the same configuration, and the vibration transmitting member 4 having three mounting portions 4b is connected to the vibrator 3 in place of the vibration transmitting member 4 of the above embodiment. Is different from the object levitation device 1. Each vibrator 3 is connected to a common oscillator 8 and is oscillated by the oscillator 8 with the same amplitude in a synchronized state.

Therefore, the object levitation device 1 of this embodiment
1 has the following effects in addition to the effects described in (1) to (3) of the embodiment. (4) Since the object levitation device 11 is configured by combining a plurality of units 12 that vibrate the plurality of vibrating bodies 2a, 2b, and 2c with one vibrator 3, the object levitation device can be easily combined by combining the units 12. Levitation device 1
1 can be configured.

(5) When the unit 12 is manufactured,
Since the height of each of the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2c is adjusted to a predetermined position in advance, when manufacturing the object levitation device 11 by combining the units 12, the height of the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2c can be easily adjusted. become.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). This embodiment is greatly different from the above embodiments in that a plurality of vibrators are vibrated by one vibrator 3 so that the bending directions thereof are symmetrical in the X direction and the Y direction. The same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the object levitation device 1
3 includes five vibrators 2a to 2e, and each vibrator 2a to 2e
e is connected to the vibrator 3 via a cross-shaped vibration transmission member 14. The vibration transmitting member 14 is a cross-shaped plate portion 14.
a, a mounting portion 14b protruding from each end of the cross, and a columnar mounting portion 14c protruding from the center of the cross. A pair of vibrating bodies 2a and 2b and a vibrating body 2d,
2e is fixed to the mounting portion 14b, and the vibrating body 2c is
4c. The vibration transmitting member 14 is the vibration body 2
a and 2b generate flexural vibrations in the X direction (left and right directions in FIG. 5A), and apply vibrating bodies 2d and 2e in the Y direction (FIG. 5A).
(Vertical direction in (a)).

In the apparatus of this embodiment, as shown by a chain line in FIG.
9d are arranged on the vibrating bodies 2a to 2e in a state of being aligned with the outer edge 10 of the vibrating bodies 2a, 2b, 2d, 2e, and the oscillator 8 is driven in that state. And both vibrators 2
a and 2b deflect and vibrate in the X direction, the two vibrators 2d and 2e deflect and vibrate in the Y direction, and the object 9 is levitated in a state where displacement in both the X direction and the Y direction is suppressed.

Therefore, this embodiment has the following effects in addition to the effects (1) to (3) of the first embodiment. (6) A pair of vibrators 2a and 2b that bend and vibrate in the X direction
And a pair of vibrating bodies 2d and 2e that bend and vibrate in the Y direction, so that the square object 9 can be levitated and held in a state where displacement in any of the X direction and the Y direction hardly occurs.

(7) A pair of vibrators 2a, 2b, 2
d and 2e are arranged such that the edges 10 on the side remote from each other extend along the edge 10 near the opposing edges 9a to 9d of the object 9. Therefore, the vibrating body 2
As compared with the case where the outer edges 10 of a, 2b, 2d, and 2e are not aligned with the edges 9a to 9d of the object, the function of holding the object at a predetermined position is improved.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a plurality of vibrating bodies are bent by one vibrator 3 in a direction of X.
The point that the vibration is performed so as to be symmetrical in the direction and the Y direction is the same as that of the third embodiment, but the pair of vibrators is moved in the opposite direction to the bottom surface of the flat object 9 whose surface is flat. The difference is that they are arranged in an inwardly inclined state so that the radiation pressure acting on the object 9 is balanced. The same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vibration transmitting member 14
A plate portion 14a having a substantially square shape, a flat mounting portion 14b protruding from each side of the plate portion 14a, and a mounting portion 14c protruding from the center of the plate portion 14a are provided on a diagonal line of the plate portion 14a. A hole 14d is formed. A pair of vibrators 2a and 2b that flex and vibrate in the X direction are provided on sides of the plate portion 14a that extend in the Y direction, and a pair of vibrators 2 that flex and vibrate in the Y direction.
d and 2e are provided on sides of the plate portion 14a extending in the X direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, each of the pair of vibrators 2a,
2b is arranged so that its surface is inclined inward in the opposite direction to the bottom surface of the flat object 9, and the radiation pressure acting on the object 9 is balanced. Also, the pair of vibrators 2d and 2e are arranged so that their surfaces are inclined inward in the opposite direction with respect to the bottom surface of the flat plate-shaped object 9 and that the radiation pressure acting on the object 9 is balanced. I have. The angle of each of the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, and 2e with the horizontal plane is the mass of the object 9, the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, and 2e.
Although the appropriate value changes depending on the area of the image, it is, for example, about 1 °, usually 3 ° or less. The vibrating body 2c provided at the center of the plate portion 14a is provided horizontally.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, when the oscillator 8 is driven to excite the vibrator 3, the vibrators 2a and 2b flex and vibrate in the X direction, and the vibrators 2d and 2e flex and vibrate in the Y direction. I do. Since the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, 2e are arranged in an inclined state, the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d,
2e and the space between object 9
An airflow is generated inward from the zero side, and this airflow exerts a horizontal force on the object 9 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Therefore, the object 9 is held in a floating state at a predetermined position in a stable state. Edges 10 of vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, 2e
When the edges 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d of the object 9 are aligned with each other, the action of the air flow increases.

This embodiment has the following effects in addition to the effects similar to those of the third embodiment. (8) Pairs of vibrators 2a, 2b and vibrators 2d, 2
e is arranged such that the surface thereof is inclined inward in the opposite direction to the bottom surface of the object 9 and the radiation pressure acting on the object 9 is balanced. As a result, the vibrating body 2
An airflow is generated from the edge 10 side toward the inside in the space sandwiched by the objects 9, 2 b, 2 d, 2 e, and the object 9 is held in a floating state at a predetermined position in a stable state. Further, the object 9 includes the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, and 2e.
It is possible to provide a regulating member for preventing the object from falling out of place, or to take measures for preventing the object from falling such as stopping the operation of the object floating device by detecting that the object has moved by a predetermined amount or more.

(9) A pair of vibrators 2a, 2b, 2
d and 2e are arranged such that the edges 10 on the side remote from each other extend along the edge 10 near the opposing edges 9a to 9d of the object 9. Therefore, the edge 9a
9e and the edge 10 are arranged apart from each other, the flow of the air flow is increased, and the function of holding the object at a predetermined position is enhanced.

(10) Since the flat plate-shaped object 9 whose opposing edges 9a to 9d are parallel can be levitated and held in a stable state, for example, a liquid crystal substrate or the like is conveyed while levitated and held without using a case. it can.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be embodied as follows, for example. When the object levitation device is configured by combining the units 12, the number of the units 12 is not limited to two and may be three or more. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the object levitation device 11 may be configured by arranging three units 12 used in the second embodiment. Further, as in the devices of the second and third embodiments, the object levitation device 1 including the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d, and 2e that generate flexural vibration in the X direction and the Y direction is defined as a unit, and the object to be levitated. The object levitation device may be configured by combining an appropriate number of units according to the size of the object.

When the mounting portions 14b are provided on each side of the square plate portion 14a as in the device according to the fourth embodiment, the vibrators 2a, 2b, 2 fixed to the mounting portions 14b are provided.
d and 2e may be arranged horizontally without being inclined.

The object levitation devices 1 of the third and fourth embodiments do not necessarily form a pair of vibrators 2a, 2b, 2d,
2e is not used only for the object 9 having a size in which the edge 10 of the object 9 and the edges 9a and 9b of the object 9 are aligned.
May protrude from the edge 10.

When the object levitation device is composed of a plurality of units, the oscillator 8 may be provided separately for each unit. The present invention is not limited to a device that levitates and holds an object having a flat bottom, and may be applied to a device that levitates a V-shaped object such as the device disclosed in JP-A-7-137824. .

The mounting portions 4b and 14 of the vibrators 2a to 2e
The fixing to the b and 14c is not limited to the fastening with screws, but may be performed by using an adhesive, or by using brazing or welding. The vibrator 3 is not limited to the Langevin type vibrator, and another vibrator may be used.

In a device having a configuration in which a pair of vibrating bodies are arranged to be inclined inward each other as in the fourth embodiment, mounting portions provided at four corners of a substantially square plate portion 14a are provided. The vibrators to be fixed 14b may be arranged so as to be opposed to each other along a diagonal and inclined.

The technical ideas (inventions) other than those described in the claims that can be grasped from the embodiment will be described below together with their effects. (1) In the invention described in claim 4, the vibrating body is disposed so as to be inclined in the length direction or the width direction of the vibrating body. In this case, the predetermined vibration of the vibrator 3 is easily transmitted to the vibrating body via the vibration transmitting member.

[0048]

As described above in detail, according to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, when an object is levitated using a plurality of vibrators, the number of components of the object levitating device can be reduced. The weight of the vibrator can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the function of holding the object at a predetermined position is improved as compared with the case where the edge of the vibrating body is not aligned with the edge of the object. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, an airflow is generated from the edge side to the inside in the space between the vibrating body and the object, and the object can be levitated and held at a predetermined position in a stable state.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, an object levitation apparatus for objects having different sizes can be easily constructed by combining the units.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of an object levitation apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic front view of the same.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the relationship between a vibrating body and a vibration transmitting member.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of an object levitation device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the object levitation device.

FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view of an object levitation apparatus according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a schematic front view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of an object levitation device according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of an object levitation apparatus according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional object transport device.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numerals 1, 11: Object levitation device, 2a to 2e: Vibrating body, 3: Vibrator constituting excitation means, 4, 14: Vibration transmitting member, 8: Oscillator, 9: Object, 9a to 9d, 10:
Edge, 12 units.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. Exciting a plurality of vibrating bodies by exciting means,
An object levitation device for levitating an object on the surface of a vibrating body by a radiation pressure of a sound wave of the vibrating body, wherein the excitation unit amplifies the number of vibrators smaller than the number of vibrating bodies, An object levitation device that excites all the vibrating bodies by a vibration transmitting member that transmits to the vibrating bodies. 2. The object levitation device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating body is disposed at a symmetric position with respect to the vibrator. 3. The object to be levitated has a flat bottom surface and at least one pair of opposing linear edges, at least one pair of the vibrators having an outer edge having a linear edge of the object. The object levitation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object levitation apparatus is arranged to extend along the edge in the vicinity of the object. 4. The pair of vibrators are arranged so that their surfaces are inclined inward in the opposite direction to the bottom surface of the object, and that the radiation pressure acting on the object is balanced. Item 5. The object levitation device according to Item 3. 5. An object levitation device in which the object levitation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is a unit, and a plurality of units are arranged in combination.