JP7313836B2 - Carrier and transport system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a carrier that controls thrust based on a thrust constant, and a transport system that includes the carrier.

Conventionally, there is a transport system in which a carrier that transports an article travels along a transport path (for example, Patent Literature 1, etc.). In the transport system described in Patent Document 1, a stator is arranged on a transport path, a mover is attached to a carrier, and magnetic force generated between the stator and the mover moves the carrier. The transport path has a straight transport path and a curved transport path connected to the straight transport path.

International Publication No. WO2012/056838

A stator arranged on a straight conveying path and a stator arranged on a curved conveying path have different arrangement modes due to differences in the shape of the conveying path. For example, the pitch between stators and the magnetic flux density generated by the stators may differ between straight and curved paths. On the other hand, in a so-called moving coil type linear motor, for example, power supplied to a mover provided on a carrier is controlled based on a thrust constant. Due to the difference in arrangement of the stators between the straight and curved paths, if the same thrust force constant is used for the straight and curved paths to control, the magnetic force-based thrust may fluctuate and the carrier may run unstable.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a carrier and a conveying system that can change the thrust constant according to the arrangement of stators on the conveying path.

上記課題を解決するために、本開示は、被位置情報読取部が設けられ複数の固定子が配置された第１搬送路と、前記被位置情報読取部が設けられ前記第１搬送路とは異なる態様で前記複数の固定子が配置された第２搬送路とを移動するキャリアであって、前記複数の固定子により生じる磁力を利用して推力を発生させる可動子と、前記被位置情報読取部から位置情報を読み取る位置情報読取部と、前記可動子へ供給する電力を推力定数に基づいて制御し、前記第１搬送路から前記第２搬送路へ移動するのに合わせて、前記第１搬送路の前記複数の固定子の配置態様に応じた第１推力定数から、前記第２搬送路の前記複数の固定子の配置態様に応じた第２推力定数への変更を前記位置情報に基づいて行いつつ、前記可動子へ供給する電力を制御する電力制御装置と、を備え、前記第１搬送路は直線形状であり、前記第２搬送路は曲線形状であり、前記電力制御装置は、前記第１搬送路と前記第２搬送路の接続部において、前記第１推力定数と前記第２推力定数との間の値である第３推力定数を用いて、前記第１推力定数、少なくとも１つの前記第３推力定数、前記第２推力定数を切り替えて、切り替えた前記推力定数に基づいて前記可動子へ供給する電力を制御する、キャリアを開示する。
Also, the content of the present disclosure is beneficial not only when implemented as a carrier, but also when implemented as a transport system with a carrier.

According to the carrier or the like of the present disclosure, the power control device changes the thrust constant from the first thrust constant to the second thrust constant based on the position information read by the position information reading unit when moving from the first transport path to the second transport path, and controls the power supplied to the mover based on the changed thrust constant. Power is supplied to the mover based on a thrust constant corresponding to the arrangement of the stators on each transport path. As a result, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the thrust when moving on the first and second transport paths, and to allow the carrier to travel stably.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a linear fixing device and a carrier included in the transport system of the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of FIG. 1; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a linear fixation device; Fig. 10 is a side view of the carrier; It is a figure which shows the electrical structure of a conveying system. It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline|summary of a conveying system. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a straight and curved fixation device; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a carrier running on a conveying path of a linear fixing device and a curved fixing device; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a carrier running on a conveying path of a linear fixing device and a curved fixing device; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing part of the content of control data; 4 is a graph showing the relationship between thrust constant and position information; 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the thrust constant and the positional information of the comparative example; It is a graph which shows the relationship between the thrust constant of another example, and position information.

An embodiment embodying the transport system of the present application will be described below. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a linear fixing device 11 and a carrier 13 provided in a transport system 10 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a carrier 13 is arranged on a straight linear fixing device 11 . The transport system 10 is a system that moves the carrier 13 in the linear fixing device 11 or the curved fixing device 11A (see FIG. 7) by driving a linear motor. First, the linear fixing device 11 and carrier 13 having a linear conveying path shown in FIG. 1 will be described. In the following description, the direction in which the carrier 13 in FIG. 1 is slid is referred to as the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and parallel to the surface on which the linear fixing device 11 is placed is referred to as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is referred to as the Z direction. Moreover, FIG. 2 shows only a part of the inside by removing the members on the front side in the Y direction of the linear fixing device 11 and the carrier 13 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the linear fixing device 11 taken along a plane perpendicular to the X direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the straight fixing device 11 extends in the X direction. The cross-sectional shape of the linear fixing device 11 cut along a plane orthogonal to the X direction is substantially U-shaped with an upper portion opened in the Z direction. The linear fixation device 11 comprises a bottom 21 , a first side wall 22 and a second side wall 23 . A control board 25 for controlling contactless power supply, etc., which will be described later, is provided in the lower part of the bottom part 21 . The control board 25 is housed in the bottom portion 21 with an open bottom and fixed to the lower surface of the bottom portion 21 .

The first and second side walls 22 and 23 are provided on the upper surface of the bottom portion 21 and are provided in an upright state along the Z direction. The first and second side walls 22, 23 extend along the X direction. The linear fixing device 11 forms a groove extending in the X-direction with the bottom portion 21 and the first and second side walls 22 and 23 . This groove is a transport path along which the carrier 13 moves. The first side wall 22 has a wall portion 22A and a bottom plate portion 22B. Similarly, the second side wall 23 has a wall portion 23A and a bottom plate portion 23B. The wall portions 22A and 23A have a substantially flat plate shape along the Z direction and the X direction, and extend along the X direction. The heights of the walls 22A and 23A in the Z direction are the same.

The bottom plate portion 22B extends inward in the Y direction along the upper surface of the bottom portion 21 from the lower end portion of the wall portion 22A in the Z direction. Similarly, the bottom plate portion 23B extends inward in the Y direction from the lower end portion of the wall portion 23A. Carrier 13 is housed in a groove surrounded by bottom 21 , first side wall 22 and second side wall 23 . A plurality of permanent magnets 26 are attached to the inner wall of each of the wall portions 22A and 23A. The plurality of permanent magnets 26, for example, have a rectangular plate shape extending in the Z direction, and are arranged at a predetermined magnetic pole pitch along the X direction, i.e., along the movement direction of the carrier 13, on the inner wall of each of the first and second side walls 22, 23. Each of the permanent magnets 26 has different polarities (north and south poles) adjacent to each other in the x-direction so that, for example, the inner surface facing the carrier 13 in the y-direction has alternate north and south poles. In other words, the plurality of permanent magnets 26 are arranged so as to alternately have different polarities along the X direction. 2 and 3 show a state in which the cover 27 (see FIG. 1) covering the permanent magnet 26 on the carrier 13 side is removed. Also, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the second side wall 23 on the front side in the Y direction is removed.

A rail portion 28 is provided on the upper portion of each of the first and second side walls 22 and 23 in the Z direction. The rail portion 28 is, for example, a V rail having a V-shaped sliding surface, and is attached with grooved rollers 43 of the carrier 13, which will be described later. A linear scale 29 (an example of a position information reading device) is attached to each inner wall of the wall portions 22A and 23A. The linear scale 29 is provided between the rail portion 28 and the permanent magnet 26 in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the carrier 13 is provided with a linear head 40 (an example of a positional information reader) at a position facing each of the linear scales 29 of the linear fixing device 11 in the Y direction. As the carrier 13 moves in the X direction, the linear head 40 reads position information PI (see FIG. 5) indicating the position of the carrier 13 in the X direction from the linear scale 29 .

FIG. 5 shows the electrical configuration of the transport system 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the management PC 73 (see FIG. 5) of the transport system 10 can communicate with the communication unit 60 provided in the carrier 13 . The management PC 73 performs, for example, wireless communication with the communication unit 60 to transmit and receive data necessary for control (for example, control data CT, etc.) to and from the carrier 13 . The linear head 40 outputs the read position information PI to the power receiving board 50 of the carrier 13 .

Here, for example, in a branch path, it is necessary to remove part of the opposing side wall in order to branch the transport path. Therefore, the linear fixing device 11 is provided with linear scales 29 on both sides in the Y direction so that the position of the carrier 13 can be detected if at least one side wall exists. Also, the carrier 13 is provided with a pair of linear heads 40 corresponding to the linear scale 29 . The linear fixing device 11 may be configured to have a linear scale 29 on one side in the Y direction. In this case, like the linear scale 29, the carrier 13 may be configured to have the linear head 40 on one side in the Y direction. Moreover, the method of detecting the position by the linear scale 29 and the linear head 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the position detection method may be an optical detection method or a detection method using electromagnetic induction. Moreover, the method for detecting the position of the carrier 13 is not limited to the linear scale, and for example, a rotary encoder may be used.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a running rail 30 extending in the X direction is provided on the top surface of the bottom portion 21 . A cross-sectional shape obtained by cutting the running rail 30 along a plane perpendicular to the X direction has a substantially U shape with an open top. In addition, FIG. 2 shows a state in which a part of the running rail 30 is removed. Moreover, the power transmission coil part 31 which performs non-contact electric power feeding is provided on the baseplate parts 22B and 23B. The power transmission coil section 31 includes a coil holding section 33 extending in the X direction and a power transmission coil 35 . 1 and 2 show a state in which the power transmission coil 35 is removed. The coil holding portion 33 has a substantially plate shape extending in the X direction. A material of the coil holding portion 33 is, for example, a magnetic material such as ferrite or an electromagnetic steel plate. The cross-sectional shape of the coil holding portion 33 cut along a plane orthogonal to the X direction is a substantially E-shape protruding upward. The power transmission coil 35 is wound around a projecting portion at the center of the coil holding portion 33 in the Y direction.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier 13 includes a main body 41 and a workbench 42. As shown in FIG. The main body 41 has a box shape elongated in the X direction and the Z direction, and contains various devices inside. The workbench 42 has a substantially plate shape elongated in the X direction and is fixed to the upper portion of the main body 41 . FIG. 4 is a side view of the carrier 13 viewed from the X direction, showing a state in which part of the main body 41 is removed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a plurality of grooved rollers 43 are attached to the lower surface of the workbench 42 . A plurality of grooved rollers 43 are attached to both sides of the workbench 42 in the Y direction. Further, the above-described linear head 40 is attached below the grooved rollers 43 .

A plurality of running rollers 45 are attached to the lower surface of the body portion 41 . Each of the plurality of running rollers 45 rotates in contact with the running rail 30 from the inside. The main body 41 of the carrier 13 is inserted into the groove of the substantially U-shaped linear fixing device 11 with the work table 42 arranged above the linear fixing device 11 . The body portion 41 inserted into the linear fixing device 11 has a certain gap between the first and second side walls 22 and 23 of the linear fixing device 11 . Each of the plurality of grooved rollers 43 is rotatably attached to rail portions 28 provided on the upper portions of the first and second side walls 22 and 23 . The carrier 13 can move in the X direction by rotatably attaching the grooved rollers 43 and the running rollers 45 to the linear fixing device 11, and moves with an article (parts, etc.) placed on the workbench . In this embodiment, for example, as shown in the transport system 10 of FIG. 6, which will be described later, the carrier 13 is moved on a transport path 87 configured by connecting a plurality of linear fixing devices 11 and curved fixing devices 11A, the carrier 13 is stopped at the work process position 93 or the like, and work such as supply and assembly of articles 89 is executed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 , a power receiving coil portion 47 that performs contactless power supply is provided on the lower surface of the main body portion 41 . The power receiving coil portion 47 includes a coil holding portion 48 and a power receiving coil 49 . The coil holding portion 48 has a substantially plate shape extending in the X direction. The cross-sectional shape of the coil holding portion 48 cut along a plane perpendicular to the X direction is substantially an E shape protruding downward. A material of the coil holding portion 48 is, for example, a magnetic material such as ferrite or an electromagnetic steel plate. The power receiving coil 49 is wound around a projecting portion at the center of the coil holding portion 48 in the Y direction. In a state in which the carrier 13 is arranged in the linear fixing device 11, the power receiving coil section 47 is arranged to face the power transmitting coil section 31 with a predetermined gap therebetween in the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the control board 25 of the linear fixing device 11 is connected to the power transmission coil 35 and changes the AC voltage supplied to the power transmission coil 35 . The control board 25 performs contactless power supply from the power transmission coil 35 to the power reception coil 49 of the carrier 13 by changing the AC voltage supplied to the power transmission coil 35 . The power supply to the carrier 13 is not limited to non-contact power supply, and a contact power supply method may be used.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the power receiving board 50 , the servo amplifier 51 , and the winding portion 53 are built in the body portion 41 . Therefore, the conveying system 10 of the present embodiment constitutes a so-called moving coil type linear motor in which the permanent magnets 26 are arranged in the linear fixing device 11 and the winding portions 53 are arranged in the carrier 13 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 , the power receiving board 50 of the carrier 13 can transmit the position information PI detected by the linear head 40 to the management PC 73 via the communication section 60 . The management PC 73 determines the control contents of the carrier 13 based on the received position information PI. The power receiving board 50 controls the thrust constant K and the power W1 output to the servo amplifier 51 according to the control data CT received from the management PC 73 via the communication unit 60 . The thrust constant K here indicates, for example, the ratio of the thrust to the value of the current applied to the winding portion 53 . The unit of thrust constant K is N/A (newton/ampere).

The servo amplifier 51 generates a drive current that flows through the winding portion 53 based on the power W1 supplied from the power receiving board 50 . For example, the power receiving board 50 sets the target position coordinates based on the control data CT. The power receiving board 50 outputs the target position coordinates, the current position coordinates indicated by the position information PI, and the thrust constant K to the servo amplifier 51 . The servo amplifier 51 calculates the current value of the alternating current Iac to be supplied to the winding portion 53 based on the target position coordinates, the current position coordinates, and the thrust constant K input from the power receiving board 50 . As a method for calculating the current value, a known technique using the thrust constant K can be employed. Therefore, the AC current Iac supplied to the winding portion 53 is changed according to the thrust constant K input from the power receiving board 50 .

2 and 4, the winding portions 53 are provided on both sides of the body portion 41 in the Y direction, and are provided at positions facing the permanent magnets 26 in the Y direction. In the winding portion 53 on one side in the Y direction, for example, a coil 53B is wound around each of three yokes 53A (see FIG. 2). Each of the three coils 53B corresponds to, for example, a U-phase, a V-phase, and a W-phase. The yokes 53A and coils 53B of each phase are arranged side by side in the X direction, that is, the moving direction of the carrier 13 . The servo amplifier 51 energizes each coil 53B with a three-phase AC current Iac (see FIG. 5) as a drive current.

When AC current Iac is applied to coil 53B from servo amplifier 51, winding portion 53 generates a magnetic field (inducing N and S poles), and generates thrust (magnetic attraction force and magnetic repulsion force) with permanent magnet 26 of linear fixing device 11. The carrier 13 moves in the X direction due to the thrust generated between the winding portion 53 and the permanent magnet 26 . In this embodiment, the permanent magnets 26 and the winding portions 53 provided on both sides in the Y direction constitute a double-sided linear motor. The servo amplifier 51 controls the three-phase alternating current Iac applied to the winding portion 53 to control the magnetic field formed by the coil 53B, that is, the direction and speed of movement of the carrier 13 . As a result, the carrier 13 moves, stops, accelerates, etc. according to the control data CT of the management PC 73 . It should be noted that the carrier 13 of this embodiment can move in either of the forward and backward directions according to the polarity generated in the coil 53B. That is, the carrier 13 can move in one direction (forward) or the other (backward) in the X direction according to the polarity of the coil 53B.

(Regarding the transport system 10)
Next, the conveying system 10 configured using the straight line fixing device 11 of the present embodiment and the curved line fixing device 11A shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. FIG. 5 shows the electrical configuration of the transport system 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 6 schematically shows an overview of the transport system 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the conveying system 10 includes, for example, the linear fixing device 11 having the straight conveying path 87 shown in FIG. In addition, FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of fixing devices (straight fixing device 11, curved fixing device 11A, branch fixing device 11C) as one fixing device. 5 and 6, the linear fixing device 11, the curved fixing device 11A, and the branch fixing device 11C may be collectively referred to as a fixing device 80 in the following description.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transport system 10 includes, for example, a management PC 73 that controls a plurality of fixing devices 80 (linear fixing devices 11, etc.) forming an annular transport path 87 and the carrier 13 in an integrated manner. The management PC 73 is, for example, a computer whose main component is a CPU. The management PC 73 is connected to the control board 25 of each fixing device 80 . The management PC 73 controls power supplied to the control board 25 . The control board 25 performs contactless power supply from the power transmission coil 35 to the carrier 13 based on the power supplied from the management PC 73 . Thereby, the fixing device 80 supplies power to the carrier 13 arranged on its own transport path 87 .

Also, the management PC 73 is capable of wireless communication with the carrier 13 via the communication unit 60 . The management PC 73 transmits the control data CT to the power receiving board 50 of each carrier 13 via the communication unit 60, for example. The control data CT includes data such as the target position coordinates to which the carrier 13 moves, the thrust constant K, the arithmetic expression for the thrust constant K (see FIG. 10), and the target thrust. The power receiving board 50 controls the servo amplifier 51 based on the control data CT received from the management PC 73 via the communication unit 60 . The servo amplifier 51 controls the direction, magnitude, etc. of the AC current Iac supplied to the coil 53B based on the control of the power receiving board 50 . For example, the servo amplifier 51 performs feedback control of the AC current Iac based on the control of the power receiving board 50 . The servo amplifier 51 detects the current value of the winding portion 53, compares the result of multiplying the detected current value by the thrust constant K with the target thrust, and controls the current value according to the difference between the current thrust and the target thrust.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the management PC 73 has a memory 83 . The memory 83 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The memory 83 stores thrust data 85 . In the thrust data 85, data of the thrust constant K used according to the position of the transport path 87 is set. The thrust force data 85 stores, for example, the current position, the target position, the thrust force constant K, the arithmetic expression for the thrust force constant K, the target thrust force, etc., in association with each other.

The memory 83 also stores a control program PG. The management PC 73 centrally controls the transport system 10 by executing the control program PG with the CPU. The management PC 73 executes control of the carrier 13 using a thrust force constant K, which will be described later, by executing the control program PG with the CPU, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the transport system 10 connects a plurality of fixing devices 80 to form an annular transport path 87 . For example, the management PC 73 moves the plurality of carriers 13 on the transport path 87 in the direction of the arrow of the transport path 87 in the drawing. A plurality of work robots 91 are arranged on the transport path 87 of the transport system 10 . The working robot 91 is, for example, an articulated robot, and performs various kinds of work. Each of the work robots 91 is connected to the management PC 73 and performs work under the control of the management PC 73 . The carrier 13 stops at the working process position 93 of each working robot 91 . The work robot 91 places the article 89 on the workbench 42 of the carrier 13, for example, under the control of the management PC 73. FIG. Alternatively, the work robot 91 performs work on the article 89 placed on the workbench 42, for example. The management PC 73 controls the movement of each carrier 13 and the work of the working robot 91, and performs assembly using the article 89, processing of the article 89, and the like.

(Regarding the curve fixing device 11A)
Next, the configuration of the curve fixing device 11A will be described. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the straight fixation device 11 and the curvilinear fixation device 11A. 7 omits illustration of some members such as the cover 27 and the power transmission coil 35 in order to avoid complication of the drawing. Further, the curved line fixing device 11A and the branch fixing device 11C differ from the straight line fixing device 11 in the shape of the conveying path 87, but generally have the same configuration as the straight line fixing device 11. FIG. For this reason, in the following description of the curved line fixing device 11A, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the straight line fixing device 11 described above, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. A detailed description of the branch fixing device 11C is omitted. Also, the XYZ directions shown in FIG. 7 indicate the directions based on the straight conveying path 87 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the curvilinear fixture 11A has a third side wall 121 connected to the first side wall 22 of the straight fixture 11 . The third side wall 121 has a wall portion 22A connected to the wall portion 22A of the linear fixing device 11 and extending from the linear fixing device 11 . A wall portion 22A of the curved fixing device 11A is curved in a predetermined direction, and a permanent magnet 26 is arranged on the curved inner wall.

The curved fixation device 11A also has a fourth side wall 123 positioned to extend from the second side wall 23 of the straight fixation device 11 . The fourth side wall 123 is arranged at a position facing the third side wall 121 with the transport path 87 interposed therebetween, that is, with the carrier 13 interposed therebetween. The fourth side wall 123 has discontinuous portions 95 and 96 that are discontinuous. The curvilinear fixing device 11A has a discontinuous portion 95 which is a part of the fourth side wall 123 at the portion connected to the second side wall 23 of the straight fixing device 11 . Further, the fourth side wall 123 has a discontinuous portion 96 which is a part thereof at the end opposite to the discontinuous portion 95 in the moving direction of the carrier 13 . Between the discontinuous portion 95 and the discontinuous portion 96 of the fourth side wall 123, the wall portion 23A, the bottom plate portion 23B, the permanent magnet 26, and the like are removed. Therefore, the fourth side wall 123 is discontinuous between the discontinuous portions 95 and 96 . A fall prevention member 101 is arranged between the discontinuous portions 95 and 96 to prevent the carrier 13 from derailing to the outside of the curve fixing device 11A. The fourth side wall 123 may connect the discontinuous portion 95 and the discontinuous portion 96 and may have no discontinuous portion. Also, the curved line fixing device 11A may be configured without the fourth side wall 123 .

(Control based on thrust constant K)
Next, control based on the thrust constant K will be described. FIG. 8 schematically shows how the carrier 13 travels along the transport path 87 between the linear fixing device 11 and the curved fixing device 11A shown in FIG. Here, as described above, the servo amplifier 51 of the carrier 13 of the present embodiment calculates the current value to be energized to the winding portion 53 based on the thrust constant K input from the power receiving substrate 50, and controls the energization of the winding portion 53.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the permanent magnets 26 arranged in the linear fixing device 11 are arranged differently from the permanent magnets 26 arranged in the curved fixing device 11A. For example, when the plate-like permanent magnets 26 are arranged inside the linear first side wall 22, the gap between two adjacent permanent magnets 26 (for example, the gap in the X direction) has the same width. On the other hand, the gap between the two permanent magnets 26 arranged inside the curved third side wall 121 widens from the inner wall side (third side wall 121 side) toward the opening side (away from the inner wall). That is, since the two adjacent permanent magnets 26 are arranged on the curved inner wall, they are arranged so as to gradually widen the gap. Therefore, the clearance between two adjacent permanent magnets 26 is different between the straight road and the curved road.

Further, the magnetic flux density generated by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnets 26 also differs between the straight road and the curved road due to subtle differences in the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 (differences in direction and gap). Furthermore, in the curve fixing device 11A of the present embodiment, the fourth side wall 123 provided outside the curved road is discontinuous, and there is a portion where the permanent magnets 26 are not arranged. Therefore, if energization control is performed using the same thrust constant K for the linear fixing device 11 and the curved fixing device 11A, the desired thrust may not be obtained due to the difference in arrangement of the permanent magnets 26. As a result, the running of the carrier 13 becomes unstable. When the carrier 13 travels unstably, vibration and noise may occur. Therefore, in the carrier 13 of this embodiment, a desired thrust can be obtained by changing the thrust constant K according to the traveling position. As a result, it is possible to stabilize the running of the carrier 13 and suppress the generation of vibration and abnormal noise.

FIG. 10 shows an example of control data CT to be transmitted from the management PC 73 to the carrier 13 when traveling on the transport path 87 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the position information PI and the thrust constant K are associated with the control data CT. The power receiving board 50 of the carrier 13 receives the position information PI from the linear head 40 and the control data CT from the communication section 60 . The power receiving board 50 refers to the control data CT based on the position information PI and determines the thrust constant K to be output to the servo amplifier 51 . The servo amplifier 51 controls the energization of the winding portion 53 based on the thrust constant K input from the power receiving board 50 . Accordingly, it is possible to switch to an appropriate thrust constant K according to the position indicated by the position information PI, that is, the traveling position of the carrier 13 .

Thrust constant K1 in FIG. 10 is, for example, thrust constant K that is suitable for traveling on linear fixing device 11 . The thrust constant K2 is, for example, a thrust constant K suitable for traveling on the curve fixing device 11A. The thrust constants K1 and K2 are set in advance based on, for example, the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 of the straight line fixing device 11 and the curved line fixing device 11A, the thrust required in each transport path 87, and the like. For example, the linear fixing device 11 of this embodiment has a symmetrical structure in the Y direction. Permanent magnets 26 arranged on both sides in the Y direction are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the X direction. Therefore, it is possible to set the thrust force constant K1 for obtaining a desired thrust force, for example, in the straight conveying path 87 . Similarly, the third side wall 121 of the curved fixing device 11A is, for example, continuously formed with a constant curvature. The permanent magnets 26 arranged on the third side wall 121 are arranged at a predetermined pitch and with a constant curvature. Therefore, for example, the thrust constant K2 can be set to obtain a desired thrust in the curved conveying path 87 . The carrier 13 runs with the thrust constant K1 in the straight line fixing device 11 and runs with the thrust constant K2 in the curve fixing device 11A, thereby generating a desired thrust and running. Note that the carrier 13 may perform control to change the thrust constant K during a straight road or a curved road. For example, the carrier 13 may switch the thrust constant K according to subtle differences in the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 on the straight path.

10 is a position where the winding portion 53 of the carrier 13 enters the curve fixing device 11A, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the winding portion 53 has three sets of yokes 53A and coils 53B arranged in the X direction. The entry start position L1 is a position where, of the three sets of yokes 53A and coils 53B arranged in the X direction, one set on the leading side in the movement direction faces the permanent magnet 26 of the curve fixing device 11A. In the curve fixing device 11A of the present embodiment, permanent magnets 26 are arranged from one end to the other end in the moving direction of the carrier 13, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the position where the winding portion 53 faces the permanent magnet 26 of the curve fixing device 11A, that is, the entry start position L1 is the same as the position where the carrier 13 starts to enter the curve fixing device 11A. In other words, the entry start position L1 is a position where the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 starts to change by switching from the straight permanent magnets 26 to the curved permanent magnets 26 .

For example, the management PC 73 associates the approach start position L1 and the thrust constant K1, sets them in the control data CT, and transmits them to the carrier 13 . The power receiving board 50 uses the thrust constant K1 as the thrust constant K from when it starts moving within the linear fixing device 11 until it reaches the approach start position L1. For example, the power receiving board 50 outputs the thrust constant K1 to the servo amplifier 51 from the movement start position L0 to the approach start position L1 shown in FIG. The servo amplifier 51 executes energization control based on the thrust constant K1. As a result, control is executed with the thrust force constant K1 suitable for a straight road.

Further, the entry completion position L2 shown in FIG. 10 is the position of the carrier 13 shown in FIG. The entry completion position L2 is a position where the yoke 53A and the coil 53B on the rearmost side in the moving direction of the carrier 13 face the permanent magnets 26 of the curved fixing device 11A, that is, the position where all the winding portions 53 face the permanent magnets 26 of the curved fixing device 11A. When the carrier 13 moves from the entry start position L1 to the entry completion position L2, the carrier 13 enters the curve fixing device 11A from the leading side of the winding portion 53 . At the entry completion position L2, all the winding portions 53 complete entry into the curved line fixing device 11A and face the permanent magnets 26 of the curved line fixing device 11A. Therefore, the entry completion position L2 is the position where the change in the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 that started at the entry start position L1 ends.

For example, the management PC 73 associates the entry completion position L2 and the thrust constant K2, sets them in the control data CT, and transmits them to the carrier 13 . When the power receiving board 50 determines that the position indicated by the position information PI input from the linear head 40 matches the entry completion position L2, the thrust constant K2 is used as the thrust constant K. FIG. For example, the power receiving board 50 outputs the thrust constant K2 to the servo amplifier 51 after the entry completion position L2 shown in FIG. As a result, control is executed with the thrust constant K2 suitable for curved roads.

Therefore, the power receiving board 50 of the present embodiment detects completion of entry of the winding portion 53 (an example of the mover) into the conveying path 87 (an example of the second conveying passage) of the curve fixing device 11A based on the position information PI, and starts controlling the power supplied to the winding portion 53 based on the thrust constant K2 in accordance with the completion of the entry of the winding portion 53 into the curve fixing device 11A. When all of the winding portions 53 (yoke 53A and coil 53B) reach positions facing the permanent magnets 26 of the curve fixing device 11A, there is no change in the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 (fluctuations in thrust caused by magnetic force). Therefore, by starting control with the thrust constant K2 according to the curve fixing device 11A when all the winding parts 53 have completed entering the curve fixing device 11A, the change of the thrust constant K can be completed at an appropriate timing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, an arithmetic expression for a thrust constant K3 is associated with an intermediate position L3 between the approach start position L1 and the approach completion position L2. The intermediate positions L3 referred to here are a plurality of positions between the entry start position L1 and the entry completion position L2. The thrust constant K3 used at the intermediate position L3 is calculated by, for example, the following formula.
K3=K1+((K2-K1)/(L2-L1))*Lx+A
Lx is the position indicated by the position information PI during movement from the entry start position L1 to the entry completion position L2, that is, the position of the intermediate position L3. A is a coefficient.

The power receiving board 50 outputs the thrust constant K3 calculated by the above-described formula to the servo amplifier 51 at the intermediate position L3. For example, the power receiving board 50 can repeatedly perform control using the thrust constant K at intervals of several tens of microseconds. In this case, the power receiving board 50 can change the thrust constant K used by the servo amplifier 51 by calculating the thrust constant K3 every several tens of μs and outputting the calculated thrust constant K3 to the servo amplifier 51 . When the power receiving board 50 determines that the position indicated by the position information PI input from the linear head 40 matches the approach start position L1, it calculates the thrust constant K3 using an arithmetic expression, and uses the calculated thrust constant K3 as the thrust constant K. Thrust constant K linearly changes by a constant amount of change ((K2-K1)/(L2-L1)) as carrier 13 moves between thrust constant K1 and thrust constant K2.

Therefore, the power receiving board 50 of the present embodiment detects entry of the winding portion 53 into the transport path 87 (an example of the second transport path) of the curve fixing device 11A based on the position information PI, and starts changing the thrust constant K1 (an example of the first thrust constant) to the thrust constant K2 (an example of the second thrust constant) as the winding portion 53 enters the transport path 87 of the curve fixing device 11A. The change in the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 occurs at the timing when the winding portion 53 enters the position facing the permanent magnets 26 of the curve fixing device 11A. Therefore, by starting to change the thrust constant K when the winding portion 53 enters the curve fixing device 11A, the change of the thrust constant K can be started at an appropriate timing.

In addition, the power receiving board 50 switches between the thrust constant K1, at least one thrust constant K3, and the thrust constant K2 using a thrust constant K3 (an example of a third thrust constant), which is a value between the thrust constant K1 and the thrust constant K2, and controls the power supplied to the winding unit 53 based on the switched thrust constant K. According to this, the power receiving board 50 uses at least one thrust constant K3, which is a value between two different thrust constants K1 and K2, to switch between the thrust constant K1, at least one thrust constant K3, and the thrust constant K2 to control power. As a result, large fluctuations in the thrust constant K can be reduced, and thrust fluctuations can be suppressed by switching the thrust constant K in stages.

Further, the power receiving board 50 changes the thrust constant K from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K2 at a change rate of (K2-K1)/(L2-L1). According to this, by linearly changing the thrust constant K from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K2, it is possible to suppress large fluctuations in the thrust.

FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the thrust constant K and the position information PI in this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 11, as an example, the value of the thrust constant K1 on a straight road is greater than the value of the thrust constant K2 on a curved road. Note that the value of the thrust constant K varies depending on the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26, the method of control using the thrust constant K, and the like. Therefore, the value of the thrust constant K1 on the straight road may be smaller than the value of the thrust constant K2 on the curved road. Further, FIG. 11 shows only one intermediate position L3 among a plurality of intermediate positions L3 between the thrust constant K1 and the thrust constant K2 in order to avoid complication of the drawing.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the thrust constant K decreases at a constant rate of change ((K2-K1)/(L2-L1)) as the carrier 13 moves from the approach start position L1 to the approach completion position L2. Then, when the carrier 13 reaches the entry completion position L2, the thrust constant K becomes the thrust constant K2. In addition, the carrier 13 of the present embodiment linearly changes the thrust constant K when moving from the curved fixing device 11A (curved road) to the straight fixing device 11 (straight road) in the same manner as when entering the curved fixing device 11A (curved road) (see the approach start position L4 in FIG. 11).

On the other hand, FIG. 12 shows the relationship between thrust constant K and position information PI in a comparative example. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the power receiving board 50 changes the thrust constant K from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K2 at one intermediate position L3 among a plurality of intermediate positions L3 between the entry start position L1 and the entry completion position L2. In this case, the larger the difference between the thrust constant K1 and the thrust constant K2, the more the thrust constant K fluctuates at the intermediate position L3. As a result, the thrust of the carrier 13 fluctuates greatly, and the traveling of the carrier 13 becomes unstable.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 11, the carrier 13 of the present embodiment can gradually decrease the thrust constant K and smoothly change the thrust constant K when switching between the thrust constant K1 for the straight road and the thrust constant K2 for the curved road. As a result, fluctuations in thrust can be suppressed, and the carrier 13 can be stably run.

Further, the transport system 10 of the present embodiment includes a carrier 13, a linear fixing device 11 (an example of a first transport path device) having a linear transport path 87, and a curve fixing device 11A (an example of a second transport path device) having a curved transport path 87. A difference in the arrangement of the plurality of permanent magnets 26 occurs due to the difference in the shape of the transport path 87 between the linear fixing device 11 having the linear transport path 87 and the curved fixing device 11A having the curved transport path 87 . The power receiving board 50 changes the thrust constant K and controls the power supplied to the winding portion 53 when moving from the linear fixing device 11 to the curved fixing device 11A. As a result, fluctuations in thrust can be suppressed, and the carrier 13 can be stably traveled from a straight road to a curved road.

The linear fixation device 11 also has a first side wall 22 and a second side wall 23 that are positioned opposite each other with the carrier 13 interposed therebetween. A plurality of permanent magnets 26 are arranged on each of the first side wall 22 and the second side wall 23 . The curvilinear fixation device 11A has a third side wall 121 extending from the first side wall 22 of the straight fixation device 11 and having a plurality of permanent magnets 26 arranged thereon, and a fourth side wall 123, at least a portion of which is discontinuous at a position extending from the second side wall 23.

According to this, at least a portion of the fourth side wall 123 is discontinuous, and at least a portion of the plurality of permanent magnets 26 are not arranged. By eliminating at least part of the fourth side wall 123 , collision with the fourth side wall 123 can be avoided even if the carrier 13 is tilted in the curved transport path 87 . On the other hand, by eliminating the fourth side wall 123 and making the permanent magnets 26 asymmetrical, the thrust generated by the magnetic force fluctuates. Therefore, by changing the thrust constant K when moving from the linear fixing device 11 to the curved fixing device 11A, the carrier 13 can be stably run even in the transport path 87 where the fourth side wall 123 (permanent magnet 26) is not partly provided.

Incidentally, the linear fixing device 11 is an example of the first transport path device. The curve fixing device 11A is an example of a second transport path device. The linear scale 29 is an example of a position information reader. Permanent magnet 26 is an example of a stator. The linear head 40 is an example of a positional information reader. The power receiving board 50 and the servo amplifier 51 are an example of a power control device. The winding portion 53 is an example of a mover. The transport path 87 of the linear fixing device 11 is an example of a first transport path. The transport path 87 of the curve fixing device 11A is an example of a second transport path. Thrust constant K1 is an example of a first thrust constant. Thrust constant K2 is an example of a second thrust constant. Thrust constant K3 is an example of a third thrust constant.

As described above, the present embodiment described above has the following effects.
In one aspect of the present embodiment, the power receiving board 50 changes the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K2 based on the position information PI in accordance with the movement from the linear fixing device 11 to the curved fixing device 11A, and controls the power supplied to the winding portion 53. According to this, the winding portion 53 is supplied with electric power based on the thrust constants K1 and K2 corresponding to the arrangement of the permanent magnets 26 of each transport path 87 . As a result, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the thrust when moving from the straight line fixing device 11 to the curved line fixing device 11A, and to allow the carrier 13 to travel stably.

The present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
For example, in the above embodiment, the power receiving board 50 changes from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K3 at the entry start position L1, and from the thrust constant K3 to the thrust constant K2 at the entry completion position L2, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between thrust constant K and position information PI in another example. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the power receiving board 50 may change from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K3 before the approach start position L1. Further, the power receiving board 50 may change the thrust constant K3 to the thrust constant K2 after the entry completion position L2. Alternatively, the power receiving board 50 may change from the thrust constant K1 to the thrust constant K3 after the approach start position L1. The power receiving board 50 may change the thrust constant K3 to the thrust constant K2 before the entry completion position L2.

In the above embodiment, the carrier 13 calculates the thrust constant K3 between the thrust constant K1 and the thrust constant K2 every several tens of microseconds and uses a plurality of thrust constants K3 for control, but the present invention is not limited to this. The carrier 13 may use only one thrust constant K3 for control. For example, the power receiving board 50 may perform control to change the thrust constant K in the order of thrust constant K1, one thrust constant K3, and thrust constant K2. In this case, the intermediate position L3 at which the single thrust constant K3 is changed may be set at the middle point between the approach start position L1 and the approach completion position L2. Also, the thrust constant K3 may be set to an average value of the thrust constant K1 and the thrust constant K2.
Further, the power receiving board 50 does not have to calculate the thrust constant K3. For example, the power receiving board 50 may include a table that associates the position information PI with the thrust constant K3. Then, based on the position information PI, the power receiving board 50 may detect the thrust force constant K3 corresponding to the position indicated by the position information PI from the table and use it for control.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, control on a straight road to a curved road has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the thrust force constant K may be changed in the same manner as in the above-described method when moving between the transport paths 87 such as a straight path, a curved path, a branch path, and a Y-shaped path. That is, in the movement between the two transport paths 87 having different thrust constants K, the above-described method of changing the thrust constant K may be applied.
Also, the configuration of the transport system 10 shown in FIG. 6 is an example. For example, the transport system 10 does not have to include the working robot 91 .
Further, in the above embodiment, the carrier 13 that conveys the article 89 is used as the carrier of the present application, but the carrier is not limited to this. The carrier of the present application may be, for example, a carrier that replenishes a component mounting device that mounts electronic components with electronic components or a tape feeder containing electronic components. In this case, the carrier may travel along a conveying path 87 formed by connecting a plurality of component mounting apparatuses, and appropriately supply electronic components to each component mounting apparatus.

10 Conveyance system 11 Linear fixing device (first conveying path device) 11A Curved fixing device (second conveying path device) 13 Carrier 22 First side wall 23 Second side wall 26 Permanent magnet (stator) 29 Linear scale (position information reading part) 40 Linear head (position information reading part) 53 Winding part (moving element) 87 Conveying path (first conveying path, second conveying path) 121 Third side wall 1 23 fourth sidewall, K thrust constant, K1 thrust constant (first thrust constant), K2 thrust constant (second thrust constant), K3 thrust constant (third thrust constant), PI position information.

Claims (6)

A carrier that moves between a first conveying path provided with a position information reading unit and arranged with a plurality of stators and a second conveying path provided with the position information reading unit and arranged with the plurality of stators in a manner different from that of the first conveying path,
a mover that generates a thrust using the magnetic force generated by the plurality of stators;
a position information reading unit that reads position information from the position information reading unit;
a power control device that controls the power supplied to the mover based on a thrust constant, and controls the power supplied to the mover while performing a change based on the position information from a first thrust constant corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of stators on the first conveying path to a second thrust constant corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of stators on the second conveying path in accordance with movement from the first conveying path to the second conveying path;
with
The first transport path has a linear shape,
the second transport path has a curved shape,
The power control device
A carrier that switches between the first thrust constant, at least one of the third thrust constants, and the second thrust constant using a third thrust constant, which is a value between the first thrust constant and the second thrust constant, at a connecting portion between the first transport path and the second transport path, and controls power supplied to the mover based on the switched thrust constant. The power control device
2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein entry of said mover into said second transport path is detected based on said position information, and the change from said first thrust constant to said second thrust constant is started in accordance with said mover entering said second transport path. The power control device
3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein completion of entry of the mover into the second transport path is detected based on the position information, and control of power supplied to the mover is started based on the second thrust constant in accordance with the completion of entry of the mover into the second transport path. When the first thrust constant is K1, the second thrust constant is K2, the position where the mover enters the second transport path is L1, and the position where the mover completes entering the second transport path is L2,
The power control device
4. The carrier of any preceding claim , wherein the thrust constant is changed from the first thrust constant to the second thrust constant at a rate of change of (K2-K1)/(L2-L1). The carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
a first transport path device having the linear first transport path;
a second transport path device having the curved second transport path;
A transport system comprising: The first transport path device is
having a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other with the carrier interposed therebetween;
each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall,
The plurality of stators are arranged,
The second transport path device is
6. The transport system according to claim 5, further comprising: a third side wall extending from said first side wall of said first transport path device and having said plurality of stators disposed thereon; and a fourth side wall, at least a portion of which is discontinuous at a position extending from said second side wall.

Images