JP2020191704A - Travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To keep stable traveling of a travelling vehicle.SOLUTION: A travel device 100 includes a traveling vehicle 111 that has a movable element 115 and that travels on a prescribed travel road, and a plurality of coil units 160 that are arranged side by side along the travel road and that each generate a magnetic field to act on the movable element 115. The coil units 160 include coils 116 that are arranged side by side at a prescribed interval along the travel path, and plate-like first protective members 161 that each cover the upper side of the corresponding coil 116 and are extended to the adjacent coil units 160.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a traveling device for traveling a traveling vehicle along a traveling path by a linear motor.

Conventionally, a traveling device for transporting an article by traveling a traveling vehicle called a slat by using a ground primary linear motor has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-12003

In the case of a traveling device that transports luggage at high speed using a ground primary linear motor, sufficient thrust can be obtained even if the ground side motor coils are arranged discretely. However, when the inventor operates the traveling device for a long period of time, a foreign substance is fitted in the space between the adjacent motor coils, and the collision between the traveling vehicle and the foreign substance damages the motor coil and the mover including the magnet. I found that there is. Furthermore, it has also been found that when the foreign matter is a magnetic material, the foreign matter may travel in a state where the foreign matter adheres to the magnet provided in the mover of the traveling vehicle, and the foreign matter collides with the motor coil at an unexpected place and timing.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned knowledge of the inventor, and an object of the present invention is to provide a traveling device using a ground primary linear motor capable of stably maintaining traveling for a long period of time.

In order to achieve the above object, the traveling device, which is one of the present inventions, is arranged side by side with a traveling vehicle having a mover and traveling on a predetermined traveling path, and is arranged on the moving element. A traveling device including a plurality of coil units that generate an acting magnetic field, wherein the coil units include coils arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the traveling path and the coil units in the winding axis direction of the coils. A plate-shaped first protective member that covers one side of the coil and extends to the adjacent coil unit is provided.

According to the present invention, even when the coils are arranged discretely, foreign matter does not interfere with the end portion of the coil unit in the traveling direction, and stable traveling can be maintained.

It is a perspective view which shows a part of the traveling apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the traveling vehicle of the traveling device which concerns on embodiment from the traveling direction. It is a top view which shows the coil unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view which shows the coil unit which concerns on embodiment from the side. It is a side view which shows another shape 1 of a coil unit from the side. It is a side view which shows another shape 2 of a coil unit from the side. It is a side view which shows another shape 3 of a coil unit from the side.

Next, an embodiment of the traveling device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that all of the embodiments described below are comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, the order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Further, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept are described as arbitrary components.

In addition, the drawings are schematic views in which emphasis, omission, and ratio are adjusted as appropriate to show the present invention, and may differ from the actual shape, positional relationship, and ratio.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a traveling device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a traveling vehicle of the traveling device from a traveling direction. As shown in these figures, the traveling device 100 is a device for traveling a plurality of traveling vehicles 111 by a linear motor along a traveling rail 117 forming a traveling path, and includes a traveling vehicle 111 and a coil unit 160. ing. In the case of the present embodiment, the traveling device 100 conveys the held article 200 along the traveling path (for example, a part of the oval-shaped traveling path is shown in FIG. 1), and the article is placed in a predetermined transfer space 110. It functions as a transport device for transferring 200. The transfer space 110 is a virtual area indicating a position where the traveling vehicle 111 stops in order to receive the article 200 from the loading device 102.

The carry-in device 102 is a device that carries the article 200 into the traveling vehicle 111 arranged in the transfer space 110 in the direction intersecting the traveling path. The type of the carry-in device 102 is not particularly limited, and in the case of the present embodiment, a belt conveyor is adopted. The carry-in device 102 is arranged so that the carry-in direction is orthogonal to the travel path of the traveling device 100, and the installation space of the entire traveling device 100 is reduced.

The traveling rail 117 is a member for forming a traveling path on which the traveling vehicle 111 travels. The shape of the traveling rail 117 is not particularly limited, but in the case of the present embodiment, it is two long members, and is made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The traveling rail 117 may be made of other metal or resin. In the present embodiment, although partially omitted in FIG. 1, the traveling rail 117 is composed of two parallel members having an oval ring shape and a rectangular cross section. Further, a coil unit 160 is attached to at least one of the traveling rails 117.

The traveling vehicle 111 travels along the traveling path formed by the traveling rail 117. The traveling vehicle 111 does not have a battery or an electric motor, and employs a linear motor that obtains thrust by magnetic action from the coil unit 160. Specifically, the traveling vehicle 111 includes a mover 115 having a permanent magnet, and the mover 115 is moved in the traveling direction by magnetic action from coil units 160 arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the traveling path of the traveling vehicle 111. A force is generated to drive the traveling vehicle 111 along the traveling path.

The mover 115 is composed of, for example, a plurality of permanent magnets. A plurality of permanent magnets constituting the mover 115 are arranged side by side in the traveling direction with respect to the traveling vehicle 111. A plurality of permanent magnets of the mover 115 are arranged so as to sandwich the coil unit 160 (see FIG. 2). That is, in the permanent magnets of the mover 115, a plurality of permanent magnets are arranged side by side in the traveling direction on both the upper and lower sides of the coil unit 160. The plurality of permanent magnets lined up on one side of the coil unit 160 are arranged so that the N pole and the S pole are alternately facing the side facing the coil unit 160, and the permanent magnets lined up on the other side are the N poles. And the S pole are arranged so as to be different from one side. The mover 115 is not limited to the upper and lower two-stage permanent magnets, and may be composed of one-stage permanent magnets.

The traveling vehicle 111 includes a base 119 which is a structural basis. In addition to the mover 115, the transfer mechanism 112 and the transfer mover 113 are attached to the base 119. Further, a wheel 118 mounted on the traveling rail 117 and rolling is attached to the lower portion of the base 119 of the traveling vehicle 111.

The transfer mechanism 112 receives the article 200 from the carry-in device 102 in the transfer space 110 set in the traveling path, moves the article 200 to a predetermined place in the traveling vehicle 111, and is conveyed by the traveling vehicle 111. It is a mechanism for moving the article 200 to a unloading device (not shown). The type of the transfer mechanism 112 is not particularly limited, but in the case of the present embodiment, the transfer mechanism 112 is a so-called conveyor capable of moving articles in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 111. Is. The transfer mechanism 112 includes an endless annular member 121 that moves the article 200 in a placed state, a pair of rollers 122 that circulate the endless annular member 121 along a predetermined trajectory, and one of the transfer movers 113. A transmission member 123 for transmitting a driving force to the roller 122 is provided.

Examples of the endless annular member 121 include an annular rubber belt and a plate-shaped member connected in an annular shape. The endless annular member 121 is a member that is stretched by a pair of rollers 122 and can circulate a predetermined trajectory in a forward direction or a reverse direction by rotating the rollers 122.

The roller 122 is a cylindrical or columnar member that is attached to the base 119 and can rotate about its own axis, and holds the endless annular member 121 in a circulatory manner.

The transmission member 123 is a member that transmits the driving force generated by the transfer mover 113 as the rotation of the roller 122. The type of the transmission member 123 is not particularly limited, and gears, shafts, combinations thereof, and the like can be exemplified, but in the case of the present embodiment, a belt is adopted.

The transfer mechanism 112 is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a roller conveyor without an endless annular member 121.

The transfer mover 113 is a round bar-shaped member attached to the base 119 of the traveling vehicle 111 in a state of extending in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle 111, and operates by magnetic action to drive the transfer mechanism 112. It is a member. The transfer mover 113 is a member that rotates by receiving a magnetic force due to a magnetic action from the transfer stator 114, and is a plurality of permanent magnets so that north and south poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. Is installed in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the transfer mover 113 has the same structure and function as the rotor of a brushless motor.

The transfer stator 114 is a member that is fixedly arranged with respect to the traveling path, and is an annular member that is partially cut out. Even in a situation where a part of the traveling vehicle 111 is located outside the transfer space 110, the transfer stator 114 is transferred by magnetic action as long as the transfer mover 113 is inserted for a predetermined length. The actuator 113 can be operated.

The transfer stator 114 has an annular shape (a part of the cross section cut out so that the transfer mover 113 attached to the traveling vehicle 111 can pass through the traveling vehicle 111). It is a member having a C-shaped cross section. The transfer stator 114 includes a plurality of coils whose end faces are arranged so as to face the peripheral surface of the inserted transfer mover 113, and each of the transfer stators 114 is provided with a plurality of coils arranged in the circumferential direction. By controlling the magnetic field generated by the coil, it is possible to apply magnetism to the inserted transfer stator 113 and rotate it in an arbitrary direction.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the coil unit from above. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the coil unit from the side. The coil unit 160 is arranged over a predetermined traveling path, and includes a coil 116 and a first protective member 161. In the case of the present embodiment, the coil unit 160 includes a second protective member 162 and a reinforcing member 163.

The coil 116 is an electromagnet around which an electric wire is wound, and is a member that functions as a stator. In the case of the present embodiment, the coil 116 is formed by an electric wire wound in a track shape extending in a direction intersecting the traveling path (Y-axis direction in the drawing) in order to perform accurate position control while applying a high thrust. To. The coils 116 are fixed on one substrate 164 in a state of being arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the traveling path. Each of the plurality of coils 116 independently generates a magnetic field by being individually controlled by a controller (not shown). In this way, the coil unit 160 can travel a plurality of traveling vehicles 111 with high efficiency and accuracy by individually controlling the magnetic field generated from the coil 116 by the controller.

The first protective member 161 covers the entire one side (upper side in the case of the present embodiment) of the coil 116 in the winding axis direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing) of the plurality of coils 116 included in the coil unit 160, and is adjacent to each other. It is a plate-shaped member that extends until a so-called mating state in which the first protective member 161 of the coil unit 160 and the end faces are seamlessly in contact with each other. In the case of the present embodiment, the shape of the first protective member 161 includes a minimum rectangular region including all of the plurality of coils 116 included in the coil unit 160 (in the XY plane in the drawing) in the width direction (in the drawing). In the Y-axis direction), it is a rectangle protruding toward the traveling rail 117 to be attached. Further, a mounting hole 165 for fastening the coil unit 160 to the traveling rail 117 in a cantilevered state is provided in a portion of the first protective member 161 protruding toward the traveling rail 117. The mounting hole 165 is provided from the first protective member 161 through the substrate 164 and further through the second protective member 162, which will be described later.

In the case of the present embodiment, the traveling device 100 is a coil unit 160 in which the first protective member 161 projects by the same amount on both sides in the traveling direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) from the coil 116 shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. The overhanging amount of the first protective member 161 on one side in the traveling direction is the same, the overhanging amount of the first protective member 161 on one side in the traveling direction shown in FIG. In the same way, the other side corresponds to the length of the traveling rail 117 by combining the coil unit 160 having a protrusion amount of one-third. Specifically, for example, the length of the coil unit 160 can be adjusted in units of 25 mm by combining a coil unit 160 having a length of the first protective member 161 in the traveling direction of 450 mm, a coil unit 160 of 400 mm, and a coil unit 160 of 375 mm. can do.

The material of the first protective member 161 is not particularly limited as long as it is a non-ferromagnetic material, and a resin such as a glass epoxy resin can be exemplified. When the first protective portion 161 is a conductor, it acts as a brake for the traveling vehicle 111 in which an eddy current is generated. Therefore, it is preferable to use an insulator as the material of the first protective portion 161.

The second protective member 162 covers at least the opposite side (in the case of the present embodiment, the lower side) of the portion of the first protective member 161 projecting from the coil 116 with respect to the coil 116 in the winding axis direction of the coil 116, and is adjacent to each other. It is a plate-shaped member that extends until it is abutted against the second protective member 162 of the coil unit 160. In the case of the present embodiment, the shape of the second protective member 162 is the same as the shape of the first protective member 161. In the case of the present embodiment, the coil 116 is attached to the substrate 164, and the second protective member 162 also has a shape that covers the entire substrate 164 from the opposite side of the first protective portion 161 with respect to the coil 116. The material of the second protective member 162 is also the same as that of the first protective member 161.

The second protective member 162 seamlessly connects the lower sides of adjacent coil units to prevent foreign matter from entering from below. This prevents foreign matter from entering the gap of the coil unit 160 from below, and prevents collisions between the mover 115, which is also arranged under the coil unit 160, and foreign matter.

The coil unit 160 does not include the substrate 164, and the coil 116 may be directly attached to the second protective member 162. Further, the second protective member 162 may cover only the lower side of the portion of the first protective member 161 protruding from the coil 116, and may be arranged in a butt state so as to be flush with the substrate 164.

The reinforcing member 163 is a member that is arranged on the lower surface of the first protective member 161 and suppresses bending of a portion of the first protective member 161 that protrudes from the coil 116. The shape of the reinforcing member 163 is not particularly limited, and ribs or the like may be used. In the case of the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 163 is arranged between the first protective member 161 and the second protective member 162, and is connected to the first protective member 161 and the second protective member 162. The reinforcing member 163 is provided with a mounting hole 165, and is mounted on the traveling rail 117 in a cantilevered state together with the first protective member 161 and the second protective member 162. As a result, the first protective member 161 is supported from the coil 116 side (lower side), the bending of the first protective member 161 is prevented, and a step is generated between the first protective members 161 at the abutting portion of the adjacent coil units 160. Is being prevented. Further, the reinforcing member 163 is fixedly connected to the second protective member 162 by engagement, fastening, adhesion, etc., so that the second protective member 162 is held from the first protective member 161 side (upper side), and the second protective member 162 is held. (Ii) The bending of the protective member 162 is prevented, and a step is prevented from being generated between the second protective members 162 at the abutting portion of the adjacent coil units 160.

According to the traveling device 100 provided with the coil unit 160 shown in the above embodiment, even when the coils 116 for applying thrust to the traveling vehicle 111 are arranged discretely along the traveling rail 117, the plate-shaped first Since the protective member 161 and the second protective member 162 seamlessly cover the coil 116 and the space between the coil 116, it does not create a situation where foreign matter exists between the adjacent coil units 160. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the mover 115 from colliding with a foreign object while the traveling vehicle 111 is traveling, and it is possible to maintain stable traveling of the traveling vehicle 111 for a long period of time.

Further, it is possible to prevent foreign matter adhering to the mover 115 from colliding with the end surface of the coil unit 160 while the traveling vehicle 111 is traveling. In particular, since the reinforcing member 163 holds the first protective member 161 in the butt state and the second protective member 162 in the butt state so as to be flush with the reinforcing member 163, it is possible to prevent a slight step and foreign matter from interfering with each other. it can.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, an embodiment of the present invention may be an embodiment of the present invention realized by arbitrarily combining the components described in the present specification and excluding some of the components. The present invention also includes modifications obtained by making various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the gist of the present invention, that is, the meaning indicated by the words described in the claims. Is done.

For example, the first protective member 161 may include a curved portion 166 that curves along an arranged path, as shown in FIG. Further, a straight portion 167 that is integrally continuous with the curved portion 166 may be provided. The first protective member 161 may include only the curved portion 166. The same applies to the second protective member 162 for the curved portion 166 and the straight portion 167.

Further, the coil unit 160 may be fixed not only to the traveling rail 117 but also to a mounting base or the like to which the transfer stator 114 is mounted.

Further, the coil unit 160 may be arranged so that the winding axis of the coil 116 is 90 degrees different from that of the above embodiment, that is, the winding axis direction of the coil 166 is arranged in the horizontal plane and is orthogonal to the traveling direction. In this case, the mover 115 passes by the side of the coil unit 160.

The present invention can be used in distribution bases and factories where it is necessary to efficiently transport goods.

100 Traveling device 102 Carrying device 110 Transfer space 111 Traveling vehicle 112 Transfer mechanism 113 Transfer stator 114 Transfer stator 115 Mover 116 Coil 117 Travel rail 118 Wheel 119 Base 121 Endless annular member 122 Roller 123 Transmission Member 160 Coil unit 161 First protective member 162 Second protective member 163 Reinforcing member 164 Board 165 Mounting hole 166 Curved part 167 Straight part 200 Article

Claims (6)

A traveling device including a traveling vehicle having a mover and traveling on a predetermined traveling path, and a plurality of coil units arranged side by side along the traveling path and generating a magnetic field acting on the mover. ,
The coil unit is
With the coils arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the traveling path,
A traveling device including a plate-shaped first protective member that covers one side of the coil in the winding axis direction of the coil and extends to the adjacent coil units. The traveling device according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member that suppresses bending of a portion of the first protective member that protrudes from the coil. 1 or claim 1, further comprising a plate-shaped second protective member that covers at least the opposite side of the coil in the winding axis direction of the portion of the first protective member protruding from the coil and extends to the adjacent coil unit. 2. The traveling device according to 2. The third aspect of claim 3, wherein the reinforcing member is arranged between the first protective member and the second protective member, and is connected to the first protective member and the second protective member. Traveling device. The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first protective member includes a curved portion that curves along an arranged path. The traveling device according to claim 4, wherein the first protective member includes a straight portion continuous with the curved portion.

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