JP2020096514A - Transport device and method of manufacturing article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a transport device capable of stably and smoothly transporting a movable element in a non-contact manner, and a method of manufacturing an article.SOLUTION: The transport device has a plurality of coils arranged along a first direction and a movable element moving along the coils. The coils has coils arranged at a predetermined interval and two coils arranged at a wider interval than the coils arranged at the predetermined interval. The two widely spaced coils are arranged in positions where a distance between a surface opposite the movable element of the coils arranged at the predetermined intervals and the movable element is narrowed compared to a corresponding distance when the movable element passes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device and an article manufacturing method.

Generally, a transport system is used in a production line for assembling an industrial product, a semiconductor exposure apparatus, or the like. In particular, a transfer system in a production line transfers a work such as a part between a plurality of stations in a factory-automated production line or between stations. It may also be used as a transfer device in a process device. As a transfer system, a transfer system using a movable magnet type linear motor has already been proposed.

In the transfer system using a movable magnet type linear motor, the transfer system is configured by using a guide device such as a linear guide that is accompanied by mechanical contact. However, in a transport system that uses a guide device such as a linear guide, contaminants generated from the sliding parts of the linear guide, such as wear debris of rails and bearings, lubricating oil, or those that volatilize, increase productivity. There was a problem of making it worse. In addition, there is a problem that the friction of the sliding portion is increased during high-speed conveyance, and the life of the linear guide is shortened.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a magnetic levitation transport device capable of transporting a transport tray in a non-contact manner. The magnetic levitation transfer device as described in Reference 1 is stable by arranging levitation electromagnets on the upper part of the chamber and stator coils on the side surface of the chamber at regular intervals along the transfer direction of the transfer tray. The non-contact transfer is realized.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-532308

However, when a mover such as a work is transported between a plurality of stations in the production line or between the production lines, there are places where the electromagnet and the coil cannot be arranged. For example, in a vacuum chamber, it is necessary to provide a gate valve in the middle for partitioning for the purpose of maintenance and atmosphere control. In such a case, electromagnets and coils cannot be arranged at regular intervals. Therefore, there is a possibility that the component or the work being conveyed may be inclined or dropped due to the change in the suction force.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier device and a method for manufacturing an article that can stably and smoothly carry a mover in a non-contact manner.

The carrier device of the present invention includes a plurality of coils arranged along the first direction, and a mover that moves along the plurality of coils, and the plurality of coils are adjacent to each other. The coils arranged at intervals of a predetermined distance, and one of the distances between the adjacent coils have coils arranged at an interval wider than the predetermined distance, and the mover has the wide distance. The distance between the coil arranged at the wide interval and the mover when passing through the area opposed to the coil arranged at is the predetermined distance between the mover and adjacent coils. Is arranged at a position narrower than a distance between the coil arranged at the predetermined interval and the mover when passing through a region facing the coil arranged at the interval. And

The transfer device of the present invention includes a plurality of coil boxes that accommodate a plurality of coils arranged along a first direction, and a mover that moves along the plurality of coil boxes. In the coil box, the coil box in which the distance between the coil boxes on both sides is arranged at a predetermined distance, and one of the distances between the coil boxes on both sides are arranged at a distance wider than the predetermined distance. Having a coil box, the mover, when passing through a region facing the coil box arranged at the wide interval, the distance between the coil box arranged at the wide interval and the mover, When the mover passes through a region where the distance between the coil boxes on both sides is opposite to the coil boxes arranged at the predetermined distance, the coil box and the mover arranged at the predetermined distance. It is characterized in that it is arranged at a position narrower than the distance between the two.

The method for producing an article of the present invention is characterized in that the workpiece conveyed by the above-mentioned conveying device is processed to produce an article.

According to the present invention, the mover can be stably and smoothly transported without contact.

It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining a 3rd embodiment of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings with reference to FIGS. 1A to 9.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic diagrams showing the overall configuration of a transfer system including a mover 101 and stators 201a and 201b according to this embodiment. 1A and 1B show the main parts of the mover 101 and the stators 201a and 201b extracted. Further, FIG. 1A is a diagram of the mover 101 viewed from the Y direction described below, and FIG. 1B is a diagram of the mover 101 viewed from the Z direction described below. FIG. 1A shows a location where a structure (100) such as a valve gate exists between the stator 201a and the stator 201b. That is, it indicates a place where electromagnets and coils cannot be continuously arranged in a plurality of stations in the production line or between the production lines. In this embodiment, the case where two stators are arranged with the structure sandwiched is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and when there is one stator and there is a space (gap) between the coils. May be In the present embodiment, the position of the coil (the position of the core) adjacent to the place where the electromagnet or the coil cannot be arranged continuously is set to a position lower than the other coils (the core) (the position close to the mover). By arranging it, the mover is prevented from tilting and falling. In the present embodiment, the stator is simply referred to as "stator 201" unless there is a need to distinguish it. When it is necessary to individually specify each stator 201, each stator 201 is individually specified by describing as “stator 201a” and “stator 201b”.

First, the overall configuration of a transfer system including the transfer device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a transfer system 1 including a transfer device according to the present embodiment includes a mover 101 that forms a carriage, a slider, or a carriage, and a stator 201 that forms a transfer path. .. The transport system 1 is a transport system using a movable magnet type linear motor (moving permanent magnet type linear motor, movable field type linear motor). Further, the transfer system 1 does not have a guide device such as a linear guide, and is configured as a magnetic levitation transfer system that transfers the mover 101 on the stator 201 in a non-contact manner.

The transfer system 1 transfers the mover 101 by the stator 201, for example, to transfer the work 102 on the mover 101 to a process apparatus that performs a working operation on the work 102. By subjecting the work to the processing operation, a highly accurate article can be manufactured. 1A and 1B show one mover 101 with respect to the stator 201, the present invention is not limited to this. In the transfer system 1, a plurality of movers 10 can be transferred on the stator 201.

Here, coordinate axes, directions, etc. used in the following description will be defined. First, the X-axis is set along the horizontal direction, which is the moving direction of the mover 101, and the moving direction of the mover 101 is the X direction. Further, the Z axis is taken along the vertical direction which is a direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the vertical direction is the Z direction. The Y axis is taken along the direction orthogonal to the X and Z directions, and the direction orthogonal to the X and Z directions is the Y direction. Further, the rotation about the X axis is Wx, the rotation about the Y axis, and the rotation about the Z axis are Wy and Wz, respectively. Also, "*" is used as a symbol for multiplication. Further, the center of the mover 101 is described as the origin O, the Y+ side is described as the R side, and the Y− side is described as the L side. Note that the moving direction of the mover 101 does not necessarily have to be horizontal, but in that case as well, the Y direction and the Z direction can be similarly determined with the carrying direction as the X direction.

Next, the mover 101, which is a transfer target in the transfer system 1 according to the present embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the mover 101 and the stator 201 in the transport system 1 according to the present embodiment. 2 is a view of the mover 101 and the stator 201 as viewed from the X direction. The left half of FIG. 2 shows a cross section (A) taken along the line (A)-(A) of FIG. 1B. The right half of FIG. 2 shows a cross section (B) taken along the line (B)-(B) of FIG. 1B.

As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, the mover 101 has permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, 103dR, 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, 103dL as permanent magnets 103.

The permanent magnets 103 are arranged in two rows and attached to the L-side and R-side ends of the upper surface of the mover 101 along the X direction. Specifically, permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, and 103dR are attached to the R side of the upper surface of the mover 101. Further, permanent magnets 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, 103dL are attached to the L side of the upper surface of the mover 101. In the following, the permanent magnets of the mover 101 are simply referred to as “permanent magnets 103” unless it is necessary to distinguish them. Further, although it is not necessary to distinguish the R side and the L side, when it is necessary to individually specify each permanent magnet 103, a lowercase letter as an identifier obtained by removing R or L from the end of the code for each permanent magnet 103 Each permanent magnet 103 is individually specified by using the symbols up to the alphabet. In this case, each permanent magnet 103 is individually specified by notating it as "permanent magnet 103a", "permanent magnet 103b", "permanent magnet 103c" or "permanent magnet 103d".

The permanent magnets 103aR and 103dR are attached to one end and the other end in the X direction on the R side of the upper surface of the mover 101 along the X direction. The permanent magnets 103bR, 103cR are attached between the R-side permanent magnets 103aR, 103dR on the upper surface of the mover 101. The permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, 103dR are arranged at equal pitches in the X direction, for example. Further, the permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, and 103dR are arranged such that their centers are aligned on a straight line along the X direction, which is a predetermined distance rx3 away from the center of the upper surface of the mover 101 to the R side. ..

The permanent magnets 103aL and 103dL are attached to one end and the other end in the X direction on the L side of the upper surface of the mover 101 along the X direction. The permanent magnets 103bL and 103cL are attached between the L-side permanent magnets 103aL and 103dL on the upper surface of the mover 101. The permanent magnets 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, 103dL are arranged at equal pitches in the X direction, for example. Further, the permanent magnets 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, and 103dL are arranged such that their centers are aligned on a straight line along the X direction, which is a predetermined distance rx3 away from the center of the upper surface of the mover 101 to the L side. .. Further, the permanent magnets 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, 103dL are arranged at the same positions as the permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, 103dR in the X direction, respectively.

The permanent magnets 103a and 103d are attached at positions separated from the origin O, which is the center of the mover 101, on one side and the other side in the X direction by a distance rz3. The permanent magnets 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d are attached at positions separated from the origin O by a distance rx3 in the Y direction. The permanent magnets 103c and 103b are attached at positions separated from the origin O on one side and the other side in the X direction by a distance ry3.

The permanent magnets 103aR, 103dR, 103aL, 103dL are each a set of two permanent magnets arranged along the Y direction. Each of the permanent magnets 103a and 103d is formed by arranging two permanent magnets along the Y direction so that the polarities of the outer magnetic poles facing the stator 201 are alternately different. Note that the number of permanent magnets that are arranged along the Y direction and that constitute the permanent magnets 103a and 103d is not limited to two, and may be any number. Further, the direction in which the permanent magnets that form the permanent magnets 103a and 103d are arranged does not necessarily have to be the Y direction that is orthogonal to the X direction that is the transport direction, and may be any direction that intersects the X direction. That is, the permanent magnets 103a and 103d may be a magnet group including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged along the direction intersecting the X direction so that the polarities of the magnetic poles are alternately arranged.

On the other hand, the permanent magnets 103bR, 103cR, 103bL, 103cL are each a set of three permanent magnets arranged along the Y direction. Each of the permanent magnets 103b and 103c is formed by arranging three permanent magnets along the X direction so that the polarities of the outer magnetic poles facing the stator 201 side are alternately different. Note that the number of permanent magnets that are arranged along the X direction and that configure the permanent magnets 103b and 103c is not limited to three and may be any number. That is, the permanent magnets 103b and 103c may be a magnet group including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged along the X direction so that the polarities of the magnetic poles alternate.

Each permanent magnet 103 is attached to a yoke 107 provided on the R side and L side of the upper surface of the mover 101. The yoke 107 is made of a material having a high magnetic permeability, such as iron.

In this way, the movable element 101 is symmetrically arranged on the R side and the L side of the upper surfaces of the plurality of permanent magnets 103 with the central axis along the X axis of the movable element 101 as the axis of symmetry. The mover 101 in which the permanent magnets 103 are arranged is configured to be movable while the posture is controlled by six axes by electromagnetic force received by the permanent magnets 103 by a plurality of coils 202 of the stator 201 as described later.

The mover 101 is movable in the X direction along the plurality of coils 202 arranged in two rows along the X direction. The mover 101 is conveyed with the work 102 to be conveyed placed or mounted on the upper surface or the lower surface thereof. The mover 101 may have, for example, a holding mechanism that holds the work 102 such as a work holder on the mover 101.

Next, the stator 201 in the transport system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 2 and 3.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the coil 202 of the stator 201. Note that FIG. 3 is a view of the coil 202 as viewed from the Y direction.

The stator 201 has a plurality of coils 202 arranged in two rows along the X direction, which is the moving direction of the mover 101. A plurality of coils 202 are attached to the stator 201 so as to face the mover 101 from the R side and the L side of the upper surface, respectively. The stators 201a and 201b extend in the X direction, which is the transport direction, to form a transport path for the mover 101.

The mover 101 conveyed along the stator 201 has a linear scale 104, a Y target 105, and a Z target 106. The linear scale 104, the Y target 105, and the Z target 106 are attached to the bottom of the mover 101, for example, along the X direction. The Z targets 106 are attached to both sides of the linear scale 104 and the Y target 105, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, the stator 201 has a plurality of coils 202, a plurality of linear encoders 204, a plurality of Y sensors 205, and a plurality of Z sensors 206.

The plurality of coils 202 are arranged in two rows along the X direction and attached to the stator 201 so as to face the R-side and L-side permanent magnets 103 on the upper surface of the mover 101. The plurality of coils 202 arranged in one row on the R side are arranged along the X direction so as to be able to face the R side permanent magnets 103aR, 103bR, 103cR, 103dR of the mover 101. Further, the surfaces of the plurality of coils 202 arranged in one row on the L side facing the mover are arranged along the X direction so as to face the L side permanent magnets 103aL, 103bL, 103cL, 103dL of the mover 101. Has been done.

In the present embodiment, the rows of the coil 202 on the R side and the L side of the mover 101 can face the permanent magnets 103a and 103d and the permanent magnets 103b and 103c, respectively, in which the arrangement directions of the plurality of permanent magnets that are mutually different are different. It is arranged. Therefore, with a small number of rows of coils 202, a moving direction and a force different from the carrying direction can be applied to the mover 101, as will be described later, and thus the move control and attitude control of the mover 101 are realized. be able to.

In this way, the plurality of coils 202 are attached along the direction in which the mover 101 is conveyed. The plurality of coils 202 are arranged in the X direction at predetermined intervals. Further, each coil 202 is attached such that its central axis faces the Y direction. Note that the coil 202 has a coil wound around a core, and in the present embodiment, the position of the coil indicates the position of the core.

The currents of the plurality of coils 202 are controlled in units of three, for example. A unit in which the energization of the coil 202 is controlled is referred to as a “coil unit 203”. When the coil 202 is energized, it can generate an electromagnetic force with the permanent magnet 103 of the mover 101 to apply a force to the mover 101.

The coil unit 203 may be housed in the coil box 2031 as shown in FIG. 1A for each single coil unit or plural coil units, and may be arranged for each coil box 2031 along the X direction. In that case, a gap S1 may be provided between the coil box 2013 and the adjacent coil box (for example, the coil box 2031a shown in FIG. 1A and the adjacent coil box 2031b). In the present embodiment, a single coil unit or a plurality of coil units housed in the coil box may be referred to as a coil group.

FIG. 1A shows a location where a structure (100) such as a valve gate exists between the stator 201a and the stator 201b. That is, it indicates a place where electromagnets and coils cannot be continuously arranged in a plurality of stations in the production line or between the production lines. That is, if a mechanism for opening and closing the gate at the boundary of the vacuum chamber is provided, the stator that guides and drives the mover or its drive system cannot be continuously provided without a gap. Therefore, when the mover passes through the boundary, a discontinuity occurs in the drive force corresponding to the levitation, position control, and propulsive force obtained from the drive system on the stator side, and the mover deviates from the target trajectory, There is a risk of misalignment or a problem of deterioration in positional accuracy.

FIG. 1A describes an example in which there is a space S2 that is larger than the gap S1 between two stators with a structure sandwiched between them. The effect of the present invention is exhibited even when S2 is present. The position of the coil adjacent to the place where the coil cannot be continuously arranged is compared with the distance between the mover of the surface 202a facing the mover of the other coil and the mover when the mover passes. Place it in a smaller position (position closer to the mover). It is possible to prevent the mover from tilting or falling due to the space S2 becoming empty. In the present embodiment, the case where the two stators 201a and 201b are arranged with the space S2 opened in the X direction has been described, but the space S3 (not shown) on the opposite side of the stator 201a from the stator 201a is larger than the gap S1. ) May be opened and a stator 201c (not shown) may be further arranged. For example, a different stator may be arranged for each production device in the production line.

In FIG. 1, each of the permanent magnets 103a and 103d is composed of a magnet group in which two permanent magnets are arranged in the Y direction. On the other hand, each coil 202 is arranged so that the center of the two permanent magnets of the permanent magnets 103a and 103d in the Y direction coincides with the center of the coil 202 in the Y direction. By energizing the coil 202 facing the permanent magnets 103a and 103d, a force is generated in the Y direction with respect to the permanent magnets 103a and 103d.

Further, the permanent magnets 103b and 103c are composed of a magnet group in which three permanent magnets are arranged in the X direction. On the other hand, by energizing the coil 202 facing the permanent magnets 103b and 103c, a force is generated in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the permanent magnets 103b and 103c.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the present embodiment. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a relationship between the stator 201 and the mover 101 in a place where coils can be continuously arranged. The coil boxes 2032a to 2032g are arranged with a predetermined gap (gap S1) between the coil boxes. It is a figure showing the relation between this stator 201 and mover 101. In FIG. 10, an example is shown in which the coil boxes are arranged with a gap, but it may be a coil or a coil group instead of the coil box. The coil boxes may be arranged in contact with each other without a predetermined gap (gap S1). Further, if the coil boxes can be arranged at equal intervals, the gravity of the mover 101 and the attractive force of the coil and the permanent magnet 103 are balanced.

FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a relationship between the stator 201 and the mover 101 when the coil box 2032f in FIG. 10A cannot be arranged and a space (space S2) wider than a predetermined space is vacant. .. That is, one of the gaps between the coil boxes adjacent to both sides and the coil boxes adjacent to each other is arranged at a predetermined gap S1 and a gap S2 wider than the predetermined gap S1. It is a figure showing the relation with a coil box. Since the attractive force cannot be generated in the coil box 2032f, the gravity G of the mover 101 exceeds the attractive force of the coil and the permanent magnet 103. In order to eliminate this, the controller controls the coil so that a larger current flows. As a result, the attraction force of T1+T2+T3 is applied to the mover. However, there is a limit to increase the suction force by increasing the current, and it is difficult to generate the suction force corresponding to the insufficient gravity G. 4×G>3×G+(T1+T2+T3)

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10C, the coil boxes 2032e and 2032g, which are adjacent to the empty space where the coil box 2032f cannot be arranged, are pulled down to the mover 101 side (H). (One of the gaps between the adjacent coil boxes is arranged so that the coil box 2032e or 2032g arranged at a gap S2 wider than the predetermined gap S1 is pulled down toward the mover 101 (H).) The distance between the movable element 101 and the distance between the movable element 101 and the surface of the coil 103 arranged at a predetermined interval that faces the movable element 101, when the movable element 101 passes through. Place it in a position where becomes narrow. A distance between the coil box arranged at the wide interval and the mover 101 when the movable element 101 passes through a region facing the coil box arranged at the wide interval is A. When the mover 101 passes through a region where the distance between the coil boxes on both sides is opposite to the coil boxes arranged at the predetermined distance, the mover 101 and the mover 101 are arranged at the predetermined distance. The distance to 101 is B. Arrange so that A is narrower than B. As a result, the suction force can be significantly improved. The attraction force of 2032e in FIG. 10C is the sum of G, the attraction force increase T3 due to the increase in current, and the attraction force increase K1 due to the coil box 2032 being pulled down. As a result, it becomes possible to control so that the gravity and the suction force are balanced. 4×G=3×G+(T1+T2+T3)+K1

As a result, the mover 101 can be smoothly transported without tilting.

More specifically, the magnitude of the force acting on the mover 101 when there is a space between the coils (or coil boxes) and when the coils at both ends of the space are brought close to the carrier will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 11A shows a case where there is a coil space 3401. The TZ profile 3402 schematically shows the magnitude of torque in the Z direction required to maintain the attitude of the mover 101. The mover 101 is conveyed in the X+ direction.

At this time, when the tip of the mover 101 enters the X-end (A) of 3041 of the space 3401, the attraction force does not work on the mover 101 by the space 3401. Force (Tz) works. The maximum value is Tz1.

Next, when the rear end of the mover 101 approaches the X-end (A) of the space 3041, the suction force is applied, and the Tz profile 3402 approaches 0.

Further, the Twy profile 3403 is a diagram schematically showing the magnitude of the torque acting on the mover 101 in the Wy direction. In the TWy profile 3403, when the tip (X+ side) of the mover 101 approaches the space 3401, the suction force of the portion applied to the space 3401 does not work, so it is necessary to apply torque in the WY+ direction to compensate for it. The maximum value is set as Twy1.

Twy approaches 0 when the position of the space 3401 on the mover 101 approaches the center. On the contrary, when the rear end of the mover 101 approaches the position A, a force acts in the TWy+ direction this time. To compensate for this, it is necessary to apply a force in the WY- direction to the carrier.

FIG. 11B is a diagram schematically showing a case where the distance between the coil 202 on both sides of the space 3401 and the mover 101 is reduced by a certain amount.

In this case, in the TZ profile 3404, when the tip (X+ side) of the mover 101 approaches the coil 3501, the mover 101 and the coil 3501 are closer to the coil 3501 than other coils, and thus a strong attraction force is applied to the coil 3501 side. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the Z-side torque to compensate for it.

The subsequent steps are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 11A. The maximum value TZ2 of the torque in the Z direction of the TZ profile 3404 can be made smaller than the absolute value of Tz1 by appropriately setting the widths of the coils 3501 and 3502 in the X direction and the amount of proximity to the mover 101. You can

By doing so, the maximum value of the torque in the Z direction for maintaining the attitude of the mover 101 can be reduced, so that the attitude of the mover 101 can be more stably maintained at a desired value. Further, since the maximum value of the torque in the Z direction can be made small, the size of the coil can be made small, and the effect of reducing the size of the applied current and the heat generation amount accompanying it can be obtained.

As for the torque in the Wy direction, like the torque in the Z direction, it is possible to suppress the maximum value in the Wy direction applied to the mover 101 by bringing the coils 3501 and 3502 close to the mover 101.

Any method may be used for arranging at a position where the distance between the movable element and the movable element is narrowed, but it is necessary to arrange a spacer between the stator and the coil box by adjusting the height. Is more preferable. The height H is preferably 3% or more and 15% or less of the difference between the predetermined space S1 and the space S2. If it is less than 3%, the effect of pulling it down is small, and if it is more than 15%, the spacing between other coil boxes and the mover becomes too wide, resulting in poor efficiency.

Instead of pulling down the coil box, members 1001 and 1002 made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative permeability may be arranged from the coil box toward the space S2. This makes it possible to increase the suction force. That is, it is preferable to dispose a plate of a magnetic material between the two coils arranged at the wide interval, from the coil toward the space defined by the wide interval S2.

It is more preferable to pull down the coil box and arrange members 1001 and 1002 made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability because the attraction force can be further increased.

In this embodiment, an example in which the coil box is pulled down has been described, but the coil group may not be housed in the coil box. That is, the coil group not housed in the coil box may be pulled down to the mover side, or the coil may be pulled down instead of the coil group.

In the present embodiment, the case where the space S2 is provided between the coil boxes has been described, but the same applies when the space S2 is provided between the coils. The same is true even when there is a space S2 between the coil groups.

In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the coil boxes 2032e and 2032g on both sides of the space S2 adjacent to the space S2 are sandwiched or the coils are pulled down to the mover side. However, it is not limited to this. When the magnet at the end of the mover in the traveling direction faces the space S2, whichever of the coil boxes faces the magnet arranged between the center of the mover and the magnet at the end of the mover in the traveling direction. The effect of the present invention can also be obtained by pulling down. Alternatively, when the magnet at the end of the mover in the traveling direction faces the space S2, the coil facing the magnet disposed between the center of the mover and the magnet at the end of the mover in the traveling direction is provided. The effect of the present invention can also be obtained by pulling down either one.

The plurality of linear encoders 204 are attached to the stator 201 along the X direction so that they can face the linear scale 104 of the mover 101, respectively. Each linear encoder 204 can detect and output the relative position of the mover 101 to the linear encoder 204 by reading the linear scale 104 attached to the mover 101.

The plurality of Y sensors 205 are attached to the stator 201 along the X direction so as to face the Y target 105 of the mover 101, respectively. Each Y sensor 205 can detect and output a relative distance in the Y direction with the Y target 105 attached to the mover 101.

The plurality of Z sensors 206 are attached to the stator 201 in two rows along the X direction so as to face the Z target 106 of the mover 101, respectively. Each Z sensor 206 can detect and output a relative distance in the Z direction with respect to the Z target 106 attached to the mover 101.

Next, the control system for controlling the transport system 1 according to the present embodiment will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the control system 3 that controls the transport system 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control system 3 has an integrated controller 301, a coil controller 302, and a sensor controller 304, and functions as a control device that controls the transport system 1 including the mover 101 and the stator 201. To do. A coil controller 302 is communicably connected to the integrated controller 301. A sensor controller 304 is communicably connected to the integrated controller 301.

A plurality of current controllers 303 are communicatively connected to the coil controller 302. The coil controller 302 and the plurality of current controllers 303 connected to the coil controller 302 are provided corresponding to each of the two rows of the coils 202. The coil unit 203 is connected to each current controller 303. The current controller 303 can control the magnitude of the current of each coil 202 of the connected coil unit 203.

The coil controller 302 commands a target current value to each of the connected current controllers 303. The current controller 303 controls the amount of current in the connected coil 202.

The coil 202 and the current controller 303 are attached to both sides of the upper surface of the mover 101 in the X direction in which the mover 101 is conveyed.

A plurality of linear encoders 204, a plurality of Y sensors 205 and a plurality of Z sensors 206 are communicatively connected to the sensor controller 304.

The plurality of linear encoders 204 are attached to the stator 201 at intervals such that one of them can always measure the position of one movable element 101 while the movable element 101 is being conveyed. Further, the plurality of Y sensors 205 are attached to the stator 201 at intervals such that two of them can measure the Y target 105 of one movable element 101 without fail. Moreover, the plurality of Z sensors 206 are attached to the stator 201 at intervals such that three of the two rows can measure the Z target 106 of one movable element 101 without fail.

The integrated controller 301 determines the current command value to be applied to the plurality of coils 202 based on the outputs from the linear encoder 204, the Y sensor 205, and the Z sensor 206, and transmits the current command value to the coil controller 302. The coil controller 302 commands the current value to the current controller 303 as described above based on the current command value from the integrated controller 301. As a result, the integrated controller 301 functions as a control device, conveys the mover 101 along the stator 201 in a non-contact manner, and controls the posture of the mover 101 to be conveyed by six axes.

Hereinafter, a posture control method of the mover 101 executed by the integrated controller 301 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the attitude control method of the mover 101 in the transport system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an outline of the attitude control method of the mover 101 mainly focusing on the data flow. The integrated controller 301 executes processing using a mover position calculation function 401, a mover posture calculation function 402, a mover posture control function 403, and a coil current calculation function 404, as described below. As a result, the integrated controller 301 controls the carriage of the mover 101 while controlling the attitude of the mover 101 on the six axes. Instead of the integrated controller 301, the coil controller 302 may be configured to execute the same process as the integrated controller 301.

First, the mover position calculation function 401 calculates the number and the positions of the movers 101 on the stator 201 that constitutes the conveyance path from the measured values from the plurality of linear encoders 204 and the information on the attachment positions thereof. As a result, the mover position calculation function 401 updates the mover position information (X) and the number-of-units information of the mover information 406, which is information about the mover 101. The mover position information (X) indicates the position of the mover 101 on the stator 201 in the X direction, which is the transport direction. The mover information 406 is prepared for each mover 101 on the stator 201, as indicated by POS-1, POS-2,... In FIG.

Next, the mover posture calculation function 402 can measure each mover 101 from the mover position information (X) of the mover information 406 updated by the mover position calculation function 401. Specify. Next, the mover attitude calculation function 402 is based on the values output from the specified Y sensor 205 and Z sensor 206, and is the attitude information (Y, Z, Wx, Wy, Wy, Wz) is calculated and the mover information 406 is updated. The mover information 406 updated by the mover attitude calculation function 402 includes mover position information (X) and attitude information (Y, Z, Wx, Wy, Wz).

Next, the mover attitude control function 403 determines each mover 101 from the current mover information 406 including the mover position information (X) and the attitude information (Y, Z, Wx, Wy, Wz) and the attitude target value. Applied force information 408 is calculated. The applied force information 408 is information on the magnitude of the force to be applied to each mover 101. The applied force information 408 includes information on the triaxial components (Tx, Ty, Tz) of force T and the triaxial components (Twx, Twy, Twz) of torque, which will be described later. The applied force information 408 is prepared for each mover 101 on the stator 201, as indicated by TRQ-1, TRQ-2,... In FIG.

Next, the coil current calculation function 404 determines the current command value 409 to be applied to each coil 202 based on the applied force information 408 and the mover information 406.

In this way, the integrated controller 301 determines the current command value 409 by executing the processing using the mover position calculation function 401, the mover posture calculation function 402, the mover posture control function 403, and the coil current calculation function 404. .. The integrated controller 301 transmits the determined current command value 409 to the coil controller 302.

Here, the processing by the mover position calculation function 401 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the processing by the mover position calculation function.

In FIG. 6, the reference point Oe is the position reference of the stator 201 to which the linear encoder 204 is attached. The reference point Os is a position reference of the linear scale 104 attached to the mover 101. In FIG. 6, two movable elements 101a and 101b are conveyed as the movable element 101, and two linear encoders 204a, 204b, and 204c are arranged as the linear encoder 204. The linear scale 104 is attached at the same position on each of the movers 101a and 101b along the X direction.

For example, one linear encoder 204c faces the linear scale 104 of the mover 101b shown in FIG. The linear encoder 204c reads the linear scale 104 of the mover 101b and outputs the distance Pc. Further, the position on the X axis with the reference point Oe of the linear encoder 204c as the origin is Sc. Therefore, the position Pos(101b) of the mover 101b can be calculated by the following equation (1).
Pos(101b)=Sc-Pc... Formula (1)

For example, two linear encoders 204a and 204b are opposed to the linear scale 104 of the mover 101a shown in FIG. The linear encoder 204a reads the linear scale 104 of the mover 101a and outputs the distance Pa. Further, the position on the X axis with the reference point Oe of the linear encoder 204a as the origin is Sa. Therefore, the position Pos (101a) of the mover 101a on the X axis based on the output of the linear encoder 204a can be calculated by the following equation (2).
Pos(101a)=Sa-Pa... Formula (2)

Further, the linear encoder 204b reads the linear scale 104 of the mover 101b and outputs the distance Pb. Further, the position on the X axis with the reference point Oe of the linear encoder 204b as the origin is Sb. Therefore, the position Pos(101a)′ on the X axis of the mover 101a based on the output of the linear encoder 204b can be calculated by the following equation (3).
Pos(101a)′=Sb−Pb (3)

Here, since the positions of the respective linear encoders 204a and 204b have been accurately measured in advance, the difference between the two values Pos(101a) and Pos(101a)′ is sufficiently small. In this way, when the difference between the positions of the mover 101 on the X axis based on the outputs of the two linear encoders 204 is sufficiently small, the two linear encoders 204 observe the linear scale 104 of the same mover 101. It can be determined that there is.

When the plurality of linear encoders 204 face the same mover 101, the observed position of the mover 101 is uniquely calculated by calculating an average value of the positions based on the outputs of the plurality of linear encoders 204. You can decide.

The mover position calculation function 401 calculates and determines the position X in the X direction of the mover 101 as mover position information based on the output of the linear encoder 204 as described above.

Next, processing by the mover posture calculation function 402 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8A and 8B.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the mover 101c is conveyed as the mover 101 and the Y sensors 205a and 205b are arranged as the Y sensor 205. Two Y sensors 205a and 205b are opposed to the Y target 105 of the mover 101c shown in FIG. When the values of the relative distances output by the two Y sensors 205a and 205b are Ya and Yb, respectively, and the distance between the Y sensors 205a and 205b is Ly, the rotation amount Wz of the mover 101c around the Z axis is expressed by the following equation ( 4) is calculated.
Wz=(Ya−Yb)/Ly (4)

Depending on the position of the mover 101, three or more Y sensors 205 may face each other. In that case, the inclination of the Y target 105, that is, the rotation amount Wz about the Z axis can be calculated by using the least square method or the like.

8A and 8B show a case where the movable element 101d is conveyed as the movable element 101 and the Z sensors 206a, 206b, and 206c are arranged as the Z sensor 206. Three Z sensors 206a, 206b, 206c are opposed to the Z target 106 of the mover 101d shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. Here, the values of the relative distances output by the three Z sensors 206a, 206b, and 206c are Za, Zb, and Zc, respectively. The distance between the sensors in the X direction, that is, the distance between the Z sensors 206a and 206b is Lz1. The distance between the sensors in the Y direction, that is, the distance between the Z sensors 206a and 206c is Lz2. Then, the rotation amount Wy about the Y axis and the rotation amount Wx about the X axis can be calculated by the following equations (5a) and (5b), respectively.
Wy=(Zb-Za)/Lz1... Formula (5a)
Wx=(Zc-Za)/Lz2... Formula (5b)

As described above, the mover posture calculation function 402 can calculate the rotation amounts Wx, Wy, and Wz about each axis as the posture information of the mover 101.

Further, the mover posture calculation function 402 can calculate the position Y in the Y direction and the position Z in the Z direction of the mover 101 as the posture information of the mover 101 as follows.

First, the calculation of the position Y of the mover 101 in the Y direction will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the two Y sensors 205 on which the mover 101c is applied are referred to as Y sensors 205a and 205b, respectively. Further, the measured values of the Y sensors 205a and 205b are set to Ya and Yb, respectively. Further, the midpoint between the positions of the Y sensor 205a and the Y sensor 205b is Oe'. Further, the position of the mover 101c obtained by the equations (1) to (3) is Os', and the distance from Oe' to Os' is dX'. At this time, the position Y of the mover 101c in the Y direction can be approximately calculated by the following formula.
Y=(Ya+Yb)/2-Wz*dX'

Next, calculation of the position Z of the mover 101 in the Z direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. The three Z sensors 206 to which the mover 101d is applied are Z sensors 206a, 206b, and 206c, respectively. Moreover, the measured values of the Z sensors 206a, 206b, and 206c are Za, Zb, and Zc, respectively. The X coordinate of the Z sensor 206a and the X coordinate of the Z sensor 206c are the same. Further, the linear encoder 204 is assumed to be at an intermediate position between the Z sensor 206a and the Z sensor 206c. Further, the position X of the Z sensor 206a and the Z sensor 206c is Oe″. Furthermore, the distance from Oe″ to the center Os″ of the mover 101 is dX″. At this time, the position Z of the mover 101 in the Z direction can be approximately calculated by the following equation.
Z=(Za+Zb)/2+Wy*dX″

In addition, when the rotation amounts of Wz and Wy are large in both the position Y and the position Z, the accuracy of approximation can be further increased for the calculation.

Next, the processing by the coil current calculation function 404 will be described with reference to FIG. In the description of the force used below, the directions in which the forces in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction act are indicated by x, y, and z, and the R side that is the Y+ side in FIG. 1 is the R and Y− side. The L side is indicated by L, the X+ side is indicated by f, and the X- direction is indicated by b.

In FIG. 1, the forces acting on the R-side and L-side permanent magnets 103 are respectively expressed as follows. The force acting on each permanent magnet 103 is an electromagnetic force that the permanent magnet 103 receives by the plurality of coils 202 to which the current is applied. The permanent magnet 103 receives an electromagnetic force in the X direction, which is the transport direction of the mover 101, and electromagnetic forces in the Y direction and the Z direction, which are different from the X direction, by the plurality of coils 202 to which the current is applied. ..

The notation of the force acting on the R-side permanent magnet 103 is as follows.
FzfR: Force acting on the R side permanent magnet 103aR in the Z direction FxfR: Force acting on the R side permanent magnet 103bR in the X direction FyfR: Force acting on the Y side of the R side permanent magnet 103bR FxbR: R side permanent magnet 103cR Force acting in the X direction FybR: Force acting in the Y direction of the R-side permanent magnet 103cR FzbR: Force acting in the Z direction of the R-side permanent magnet 103dR

The notation of the force acting on the permanent magnet 103 on the L side is as follows.
FzfL: Force of L-side permanent magnet 103aL acting in Z direction FxfL: Force of L-side permanent magnet 103bL acting in X direction FyfL: Force of L-side permanent magnet 103bL acting in Y direction FxbL: L-side permanent magnet 103cL Force acting in the X direction FybL: Force acting in the Y direction of the L side permanent magnet 103cL FzbL: Force acting in the Z direction of the L side permanent magnet 103dL

The force T applied to the mover 101 is expressed by the following equation (6). Note that Tx, Ty, and Tz are triaxial components of the force, and are the X-direction component, the Y-direction component, and the Z-direction component of the force, respectively. Further, Twx, Twy, and Twz are three-axis components of the moment, which are the X-axis component, the Y-axis component, and the Z-axis component of the moment, respectively. The transport system 1 according to the present embodiment controls the 6-axis components (Tx, Ty, Tz, Twx, Twy, Twz) of these forces T to control the attitude of the mover 101 with the 6-axis and mover. The conveyance of 101 is controlled.
T=(Tx, Ty, Tz, Twx, Twy, Twz) (6)

Then, Tx, Ty, Tz, Twx, Twy, and Twz are calculated by the following equations (7a), (7b), (7c), (7d), (7e), and (7f), respectively.
Tx=FxfR+FxbR+FxfL+FxbL Formula (7a)
Ty=FyfL+FyfR+FybL+FybR... Formula (7b)
Tz=FzbR+FzbL+FzfR+FzfL Formula (7c)
Twx={(FzfL+FzbL)-(FzfR+FzbR)}*rx3... Formula (7d) Twy={(FzfL+FzfR)-(FzbL+FzbR)}ry3... Formula (7e)Twz={(FyfL+FybR)+FyfR+(FybR)+FybR)-FyfR+(FybL)+FybR. Formula (7f)

At this time, with respect to the force acting on the permanent magnet 103, the restrictions represented by the following equations (7g), (7h), (7i) and (7j) can be introduced. By introducing these restrictions, it is possible to uniquely determine the combination of forces acting on each permanent magnet 103 for obtaining the force T having a predetermined 6-axis component.
FxfR=FxbR=FxfL=FxbL... Formula (7g)
FyfL=FyfR... Formula (7h)
FybL=FybR... Formula (7i)
FzbR=FzbL Formula (7j)

Next, a method in which the coil current calculation function 404 determines the amount of current applied to each coil 202 from the force acting on each permanent magnet 103 will be described.

First, a case where a force in the Z direction is applied to the permanent magnets 103a and 103d in which the N pole and the S pole are alternately arranged in the Z direction will be described. The coil 202 is arranged such that the center in the Z direction is located at the center in the Z direction of the permanent magnets 103a and 103d. As a result, almost no force is exerted on the permanent magnets 103a and 103d in the X and Y directions.

X is the position of the mover 101, j is the number of the coils 202 arranged in a row, the magnitude of the force acting in the Z direction of the coil 202(j) per unit current is Fz(j,X), and the coil 202( The current applied to j) is i(j). The coil 202(j) is the jth coil 202. In this case, the current i(j) can be determined so as to satisfy the following expression (8). The following equation (8) is for the permanent magnet 103dR. For the other permanent magnets 103aR, 103aL, 103dL, the current applied to the coil 202 can be similarly determined.
ΣFz(j, X)*i(j)=FzbR... Formula (8)

The coil current calculation function 404 can determine the current command value applied to the coil 202(j) as described above. The force in the Z direction applied to the mover 101 by the current command value thus determined causes the mover 101 to obtain a levitation force to levitate in the Z direction and its posture is controlled.

When the plurality of coils 202 exerts a force on the permanent magnet 103, the force acting on the permanent magnet 103 is divided by apportioning the current according to the magnitude of the force per unit current according to the force exerted by each coil 202. Can be uniquely determined.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the permanent magnets 103 are arranged symmetrically on the L side and the R side of the mover 101. With such a symmetrical arrangement of the permanent magnets 103, multi-component forces acting on the permanent magnets 103, for example, Wx forces acting on the permanent magnets 103a and 103d, that is, moment components around the X axis are offset by the L-side and R-side forces. It becomes possible to do. As a result, the posture of the mover 101 can be controlled with higher accuracy.

Next, a method of independently applying a force in the X direction and the Y direction to the permanent magnet 103b in which the N pole, the S pole, and the N pole are alternately arranged in the X direction will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of independently applying a force to the permanent magnet 103b in the X direction and the Y direction. The coil current calculation function 404 determines a current command value to be applied to the coil 202 to apply a force to the permanent magnet 103b independently in the X direction and the Y direction according to the following. Note that the permanent magnet 103c can also apply a force independently in the X direction and the Y direction, as in the permanent magnet 103b.

Letting X be the position of the mover 101 and j be the numbers of the coils 202 arranged in a row, the magnitude of the force acting in the X direction and the Y direction of the coil 202(j) per unit current is Fx(j, X), respectively. And Fy(j,X). In addition, the magnitude of the current in the coil 202(j) is i(j). The coil 202(j) is the jth coil 202.

The upper diagram in FIG. 9 is a diagram in which the X axis is taken horizontally and the Y axis is taken vertically and six coils 202 facing the permanent magnet 103bR are extracted and shown. The middle figure in FIG. 9 is a view of the upper figure in FIG. 9 viewed from the Y direction. Numbers 1 to 6 are given to the coils 202 in the order in which they are arranged in the X direction, and each coil 202 is identified by notation such as coil 202 (1) below.

As shown in the upper and middle diagrams in FIG. 9, the coils 202 are arranged at a pitch of the distance L. On the other hand, the permanent magnets 103 of the mover 101 are arranged at a pitch of distance 3/2*L.

The lower graph in FIG. 9 shows the magnitude of the force Fx in the X direction and the force Fz in the Z direction generated when a unit current is applied to each coil 202 shown in the upper and middle diagrams in FIG. 2 is a graph schematically showing.

For the sake of simplicity, in FIG. 9, the origin Oc of the position of the coil 202 in the X direction is the middle of the coils 202(3) and 202(4), and the center Om of the permanent magnet 103bR in the X direction is the origin. Therefore, FIG. 9 shows a case where Oc and Om match, that is, X=0.

At this time, for example, the force per unit current acting on the coil 202(4) is Fx(4,0) in the X direction and Fz(4,0) in the Z direction. The force per unit current acting on the coil 202(5) is Fx(5,0) in the X direction and Fz(5,0) in the Z direction.

Here, the current values applied to the coils 202(1) to 202(6) are i(1) to i(6), respectively. Then, the magnitude FxfR of the force acting in the X direction and the magnitude FzfR of the force acting in the Y direction on the permanent magnet 103bR are generally expressed by the following equations (9) and (10), respectively.
FxfR=Fx(1,X)*i(1)+Fx(2,X)*i(2)+Fx(3,X)*i(3)+Fx(4,X)*i(4)+Fx(5 X)*i(5)+Fx(6,X)*i(6)... Formula (9)
FzfR=Fz(1,X)*i(1)+Fz(2,X)*i(2)+Fz(3,X)*i(3)+Fz(4,X)*i(4)+Fz(5 X)*i(5)+Fz(6,X)*i(6) (10)

By determining the current command values so that the current values i(1) to i(6) satisfying the above expressions (9) and (10) are applied to the coils 202(1) to 202(6), respectively, Forces can be independently applied to the permanent magnet 103bR in the X direction and the Z direction. The coil current calculation function 404 can determine the current command value to be applied to the coil 202(j) as described above in order to apply the force to the permanent magnet 103 independently in the X direction and the Z direction. ..

For simplicity, in the case shown in FIG. 9, only the coils 202(3), 202(4) and 202(5) of the coils 202(1) to 202(6) are used for the permanent magnet 103bR, Further, consider a case where control is performed so that the total sum of these three current values becomes zero. In the case of this example, the force FxfR acting in the X direction and the force FzfR acting in the Z direction on the permanent magnet 103bR are represented by the following equations (11) and (12), respectively.
FxfR=Fx(3,X)*i(3)+Fx(4,X)*i(4)+Fx(5,X)*i(5) Equation (11)
FzfR=Fz(3,X)*i(3)+Fz(4,X)*i(4)+Fz(5,X)*i(5) Equation (12)

The current values of the coils 202(1) to 202(6) can be set so as to satisfy the following expressions (13) and (14).
i(3)+i(4)+i(5)=0... Formula (13)
i(1)=i(2)=i(6)=0 Equation (14)

Therefore, when the magnitude of the force (FxfR, FzfR) required for the permanent magnet 103bR is determined, the current values i(1), i(2), i(3), i(4), i(5 ) And i(6) can be uniquely determined. A force is applied to the mover 101 in the X and Z directions by the current command value thus determined. The X-direction force applied to the mover 101 causes the mover 101 to move in the X-direction by obtaining a propulsive force that moves in the X-direction. Further, the posture of the mover 101 is controlled by the X-direction and Z-direction forces applied to the mover 101 according to the current command value thus determined.

In this way, the integrated controller 301 controls each of the six axis components of the force applied to the mover 101 by controlling the current applied to the plurality of coils 202.

When the center Oc of the coil 202 moves with respect to the center Om of the permanent magnet 103bR by the transport of the mover 101, that is, when X≠0, the coil 202 can be selected according to the moved position. Furthermore, the same calculation as above can be performed based on the force per unit current generated in the coil 202.

As described above, the integrated controller 301 determines the current command values of the currents to be applied to the plurality of coils 202 and controls them to control the posture of the mover 101 on the stator 201 with six axes. The transfer of the mover 101 on the stator 201 without contact is controlled. That is, the integrated controller 301 functions as a transfer control unit that controls the transfer of the mover 101, and controls the electromagnetic force received by the permanent magnets 103 by the plurality of coils 202, thereby preventing the mover 101 from moving on the stator 201. Controls the transport by contact. Further, the integrated controller 301 functions as an attitude control unit that controls the attitude of the mover 101, and controls the attitude of the mover 101 on the stator 201 with six axes. Note that all or part of the functions of the integrated controller 301 as a control device can be replaced by the coil controller 302 and other control devices.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, an example in which the coil or the coil box is pulled down is shown, but in the second embodiment, an example in which a member 1001b made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability is arranged between the two stations 3001a and 3001b. Indicates. Instead of pulling down the coil, the coil group, or the coil box, the member 1001b may be arranged between the stations, or both the pulling down and the arrangement of the member 1001b may be provided. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the station is a chamber. In FIG. 12, two chambers 3001a and 3001b are vacuum chambers and vacuum pumps (not shown) are connected to each other to maintain an appropriate degree of vacuum.

Between the two chambers 3001a and 3001b, there is a gate valve 3002 and a gate valve elevating part 3003 for moving the gate valve 3002, which serves to separate the atmospheres of the chambers 3001a and 3001b on both sides.

The gate valve 3002 is lowered at the timing of maintenance or the like, but is raised while the mover 101 is being conveyed.

A member 1001b made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability is attached to the lower surface of the gate valve 3002, and is fixed at a position where an attractive force acts on the permanent magnet 103 on the mover 101.

With this structure, since the suction force is applied to the mover 101 in the space 3004, the mover 101 can be more stably transported.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, an example in which the coil, the coil group, or the coil box is pulled down has been shown, but in the third embodiment, an example in which the size of the core is changed is shown. Instead of pulling down the coil, coil group, or coil box, the size of the core may be changed, or both pulling down and changing the size of the core may be performed. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 13A, two types of coils 3101 and 3102 having different sizes of the core 3014 are shown. The coils 3101 and 3102 are composed of a core 3104 and a winding wire 3013. The core 3104 of the coil 3102 is designed larger than the core 3104 of the coil 3101. By doing so, the magnetic resistance of the coil 3102 becomes smaller than the magnetic resistance of the coil 3101, so that a larger attractive force can be obtained.

FIG. 13B is a conveyance path composed of coils 3101 and 3102. There is a space 3103 in the transport path. A coil 3012 having a larger core than the coil 3101 of the other portion is arranged on the side closer to the space 3103 (the portion where the coil or the coil box is pulled down in the first embodiment).

With this structure, the same effect as that obtained by pulling down the coil or the coil box can be obtained. That is, the mover can be stably and smoothly transported without contact.

101 mover 102 work 103 permanent magnet 104 linear scale 105 Y target 106 Z target 107 yoke 201 stator 202 coil 203 coil unit 204 linear encoder 205 Y sensor 206 Z sensor 301 integrated controller 302 coil controller 303 coil controller 304 sensor controller

Claims (20)

A plurality of coils arranged along the first direction,
A mover that moves along the plurality of coils,
The plurality of coils is a coil in which an interval between the coils on both sides is arranged at a predetermined interval, and one of the intervals between the coils on both sides is a coil arranged at an interval wider than the predetermined interval. Have,
When the mover passes through a region facing the coils arranged at the wide intervals, the distance between the coils arranged at the wide intervals and the mover is such that the mover has coils on both sides. A position where a distance between the coil and the mover is narrower than a distance between the coil and the mover when passing through a region facing the coil arranged at the predetermined distance. The transport device is characterized in that the transport device is disposed in. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein a member made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability is arranged between the coils arranged at the wide intervals. The transport device according to claim 2, wherein the ferromagnetic material or the material having a large relative magnetic permeability is disposed from the coil toward the space having the wide spacing. The distance between the coils arranged at the wide interval and the mover when the mover passes is such that the mover on the surface facing the mover of the coils arranged at the predetermined interval is The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the movable element and the movable element when passing is narrower by a distance of 3% or more and 15% or less of a difference between the predetermined distance and the wide distance. The mover has a first magnet group arranged along a first direction and a second magnet group arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is a transport device. The transport device according to claim 5, wherein the first magnet group and the second magnet group are arranged on an upper surface of the mover. The core of the coil arranged with a predetermined gap between the coils on both sides, one of the gaps with the adjacent coils on one side is larger than the core of the coil arranged with a wider gap than the predetermined gap. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is small. A plurality of coils arranged along the first direction,
A mover that moves along the plurality of coils,
The plurality of coils is a coil in which an interval between the coils on both sides is arranged at a predetermined interval, and one of the intervals between the coils on both sides is a coil arranged at an interval wider than the predetermined interval. Have,
The core of the coil arranged with a predetermined gap between the coils on both sides, one of the gaps with the adjacent coils on one side is larger than the core of the coil arranged with a wider gap than the predetermined gap. A carrier device characterized by being small. 9. A member made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability is arranged between the coils arranged at the wide interval toward the space defined by the wide interval from the coil. The transport device described. The mover has a first magnet group arranged along a first direction and a second magnet group arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The transport device according to claim 8 or 9, which is characterized in that. The transport device according to claim 10, wherein the first magnet group and the second magnet group are arranged on an upper surface of the mover. A plurality of coil boxes accommodating a plurality of coils arranged along the first direction,
A mover that moves along the plurality of coil boxes,
In the plurality of coil boxes, one of the gaps between the coil boxes on both sides and the coil boxes on both sides and the coil boxes on both sides is arranged at a predetermined gap, and one of the gaps is wider than the predetermined gap. Has a coil box
When the mover passes through a region facing the coil boxes arranged at the wide intervals, the distance between the coil boxes arranged at the wide intervals and the mover is such that Compared with the distance between the coil box arranged at the predetermined distance and the mover when the distance between the coil box and the coil box passes through a region facing the coil box arranged at the predetermined distance. The transport device is characterized in that it is placed at a narrow position. 13. The transfer device according to claim 12, wherein a member made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability is arranged between the coil boxes arranged at wide intervals. 14. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein the ferromagnetic material or the material having a large relative magnetic permeability is arranged from the coil box to a space having the wide gap. The distance between the two coil boxes and the mover when the mover passes is such that the mover passes on the surface of the coil box arranged at the predetermined interval that faces the mover. 13. The transfer device according to claim 12, wherein the distance is 3% or more and 15% or less of a difference between the predetermined distance and the wide distance than a distance between the movable element and the movable element at a time. The mover has a first magnet group arranged along a first direction and a second magnet group arranged along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The transport device according to claim 12, wherein the transport device is a transport device. The transport device according to claim 16, wherein the first magnet group and the second magnet group are arranged on an upper surface of the mover. A plurality of coils arranged along the first direction,
A mover that moves along the plurality of coils,
The plurality of coils is a coil in which an interval between the coils on both sides is arranged at a predetermined interval, and one of the intervals between the coils on both sides is a coil arranged at an interval wider than the predetermined interval. Have,
In the transfer device, the coils arranged at the wide intervals have members of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability arranged toward the space formed by the wide intervals. A plurality of coil boxes arranged along the first direction,
A mover that moves along the plurality of coil boxes,
In the plurality of coil boxes, one of the coil boxes in which the distance between the coils on both sides is arranged at a predetermined distance and the other of the distance between the coil boxes on both sides are arranged at a distance wider than the predetermined distance. Has a coil box,
The coil box arranged at the wide interval has a member made of a ferromagnetic material or a material having a large relative magnetic permeability arranged toward the space defined by the wide interval. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: processing an article conveyed by the conveying apparatus according to claim 1 to produce an article.

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