KR20160132884A - Transportation apparatus for moving and/or positioning objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transfer device for moving and / or positioning objects, said transfer device being characterized in that it comprises: - a plurality of transfer devices A base 12 on which active control type magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29 are disposed; In a non-contact manner on the base (12) by at least some of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) 12) and on which at least one object (80) can be placed; - at least one detection unit (40, 42, 44, 46, 44) for detecting the position of the carrier (30) in the transport direction (z) relative to the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) 48); - connected to the detection unit (40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 49) and operatively connected to the carrier (30), depending on the detected position of the carrier (30) (50, 51) for selectively controlling at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) operatively connected to the carrier (30) .

Description

[0001] TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS FOR MOVING AND / OR POSITIONING OBJECTS [0002]

The present invention relates to a transfer device for moving and / or positioning objects, typically substrates, along a predetermined transport direction by a base. The conveying apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of magnetic bearings (not shown) for supporting in a noncontact manner a carrier which can be moved or displaced along a base while being spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction z and each being actively controlled magnetic bearing.

The present invention also relates to a method for moving and / or positioning objects using a transfer device, and also to a corresponding computer program for moving and / or positioning objects using the transfer device will be.

Magnetic support transport devices are known from the prior art, for example from WO 2006/015636 A1 or from EP 2 543 749 A1 in principle. By means of the magnetic support, it is possible to move, in a non-contact manner, along a longitudinally extending base, in a non-contact manner, or in a non-contact manner in a plane formed by a two-dimensional base, And can position the carrier for processing of the substrate, for example, in accordance with predetermined process requirements.

For magnetic support, a plurality of magnetic bearings, each with at least one switchable electromagnet, are provided along the conveying direction, and these magnetic bearings interact with a ferromagnetic counter-piece. A vacuum environment is realized for various processing steps to be performed on the object or substrate to be moved. In a vacuum environment, for example, the arrangement of transport devices self-supported in the corresponding process chambers may be arranged on a stationary base so that the waste heat generated during operation of the electromagnets can be controlled, Requires placement of electromagnets. For this reason, the carriers which are movably held by the plurality of magnetic bearings on the base are only required to have a ferromagnetic and / or permanent magnetic counterpart, which cooperates with the magnetic bearings disposed roughly equidistantly in the transport direction, Only the members are provided.

The individual magnetic bearings are typically actively controlled. Each of the magnetic bearings typically has a distance sensor that continuously or periodically measures the spacing between the carrier and the base in a plane (x, y) perpendicular to the direction of travel z. The corresponding measurement signals are compared, for example, to a set value via a control loop. Corresponding to the setpoint and actual value comparisons, the electromagnets of the magnetic bearings associated therewith via the controller and the amplifier are controlled in such a way that a predetermined spacing distance between the magnetic bearings disposed on the base and the carrier is observed.

For the purpose of supporting the carrier in floating and non-contact manner on the base, and for position control in the lateral direction (x), for example two magnetic bearings operatively connected with the mutually opposite side edges of the carrier, May be provided on opposite faces. It is also conceivable that the magnetic bearings which generate the compressive forces as well as the tensile forces are embodied in the form of Lorentz actuators, for example, provided only along the side edges of the carrier. To compensate for the weight force of the carrier, typically at least two magnetic bearings are provided on the top of the carrier, spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction with respect to the transport direction, for example disposed on the base in the region of the outer rim of the carrier. In this case, the magnetic bearings acting on the base as well as in the transverse direction and in the vertical direction, respectively, are successively arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other in the transport direction.

For movement in the transport direction, a corresponding number of magnetic bearings acting vertically and horizontally in the transport direction are disposed on the base. The base side arrangement of the electromagnets of the magnetic bearings forms discrete fulcrums or support points for the carrier. The carrier typically includes an extension in the transport direction, which is larger than the spacing distance of at least two magnetic bearings that are continuous in the transport direction. For the transfer of the carrier itself, any drive device may be used. Also, typically, the driving apparatus is also formed in a non-contact manner and includes a linear driving unit, and the components of the linear driving unit that can receive electricity are likewise disposed on the base.

Based on the fact that a plurality of magnetic bearings are spaced apart from one another in the transport direction, the sections of the carrier located forwardly in the transport direction, for example, arrive in the region of action of the magnetic bearings spaced apart from one another in the transport direction during forward movement . The corresponding point is also applied to the restricting portion of the carrier positioned rearward in the transport direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for precisely supporting and spacing spacing in a plane perpendicular to the direction of conveyance while transferring carriers from one side magnetic bearing to a magnetic bearing installed upstream from the one side magnetic bearing, A wide variety of interferences can occur that can degrade the spacing control.

On the other hand, for example, a situation in which the limiting portion of the carrier located rearward in the moving direction already reaches the outside of the working region of the one-side magnetic bearing, and then the forward limiting portion arrives again in the working region of the additional magnetic bearing installed upstream in the conveying direction Lt; / RTI > In these types of situations, the carrier is held in a temporarily reduced number of magnetic bearings. Accordingly, the weight force of the carrier must be distributed over a reduced number of magnetic bearings. Even though the active spacing control of the individual magnetic bearings may be relatively spontaneous in response to the situation, alternate support of the carrier at a different number of support points may result in interference < RTI ID = 0.0 > .

The additional interference may be caused by a momentary interference when the carrier is pulled into the working area of the one magnetic bearing for the control loop inside the magnetic bearing or when it is pulled out of the working area of the one magnetic bearing, Is initially " adjusted "to a precise set value after some repetition of the control loop inside the magnetic bearing, but does not match according to the value, when the carrier arrives within its active area It can happen through something. The interferences can occur through the point that the working area of the magnetic bearing and the measuring area of the sensor of the control loop differ from each other due to, for example, structural reasons. Additional scenarios may arise when the carrier is no longer interacting with the distance sensor assigned to the magnetic bearing, for example, with its limitations located behind in the transport direction, but is still operatively connected in operation with the associated magnetic bearing have. During the loss of the spacing signal, or during a strong increase in the spacing distance due to "draw-out" from the area of the associated magnetic bearing, the control loops of the associated magnetic bearing may result in relatively high and eventually unintended vibration or similar interference of carrier movement Set the gripping force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved transfer device for moving and / or positioning objects, a corresponding method, and a method of transferring substantially uninterrupted And to provide a corresponding computer program that enables movement of the carrier. It is also an object of the present invention to enable improvements to existing transport device concepts with minimal intervention, in particular, to enable retrofitting and retrofitting of existing transport devices.

The object is achieved by a transfer device according to claim 1, a method for moving and / or positioning objects using the transfer device according to claim 14, and a corresponding method according to claim 18, Gt; In this case, preferred embodiments are each subject to patent dependent claims.

Thereby there is provided a transfer device for moving and / or positioning objects, in particular substrates to be processed. The conveying apparatus of the present invention includes a base extending at least along the conveying direction z, on which a plurality of magnetic bearings are disposed, which are spaced apart from one another in the conveying direction z and each of which is actively controlled. Whereby the magnetic bearings, each with its electromagnet, are fixed and immovably disposed on the base. The conveying apparatus of the present invention further includes a carrier which is relatively movable to the base in the conveying direction z by at least one driving device while being supported in a non-contact manner on the base by at least a part of the magnetic bearings. At least one object to be moved or positioned can be placed on this carrier. The carrier can in particular be formed as a substrate holder, for example as a substrate holding unit acting electrostatically or mechanically.

Further, the transport apparatus of the present application further includes a detection unit for detecting the position of the carrier in the transport direction. The detection unit is arranged to detect the position of the carrier relative to the magnetic bearings, in particular in relation to the transport direction. In this case, the detection unit is configured to detect which one of the magnetic bearings arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the transport direction is operatively connected with the carrier at that time, and which one of the magnetic bearings, For the purpose of collecting information as to whether or not it is operatively connected after a particular magnetic bearing in accordance with the carrier velocity in the direction z, and / or for which magnetic bearing, which is still operatively connected to the carrier at that time, And then reach the outside of the active area of the carrier due to the movement of the carrier.

Further, the conveying device includes a controller connected to the detecting unit. The controller serves to selectively control at least one magnetic bearing operatively connected to the carrier and / or operatively connected to the next carrier within a predetermined time interval for selective control. In this case, selective control of the individual or a plurality of magnetic bearings which can be selected is carried out according to the detected position of the carrier with respect to the transport direction.

The magnetic bearings operatively connected by the detection unit and by the connection of the controller and the detection unit, and in particular with the front carrier limiter during movement of the carrier, are designed for the initial flexible force action on the corresponding magnetic bearing, As shown in FIG. The same can be true for magnetic bearings, which in this case are still operatively connected to the rear limiter at the first moment, and the carrier reaches outside the working area of the magnetic bearing associated with the subsequent moment or later at a later moment do. For example, the control and magnetic interaction of the magnetic bearings still operatively connected to the rear limiter of the carrier can be achieved in a nearly predictable manner in this type and manner, in order to be able to minimize or minimize any possible interference to the carrier being moved Can be matched.

In this case, not only can magnetic bearings, which are interlocked or interlocked with the front and rear limiters of the carrier, respectively, can be selectively controlled according to the detected carrier position, It is also conceivable that the magnetic bearings which are located in the middle region between the front limiting portion and the rear limiting portion of the carrier can be controlled as desired by selectively controlling the individual magnetic bearings according to the carrier position . The non-uniform weight distribution or eccentric center-of-gravity position of the carrier can be directly compensated for in this type and manner. Can be used for the most precise, interference-free movement of the carrier along the base, for example, through the detection unit and / or through the controller, e.g., taking into account the spatial weight distribution of the carrier.

The individual magnetic bearings that arrive within a given area of the carrier by the detection unit and the controller are already pre-predicted and predicted so as not to only react to the actually performed interactions between the originally associated magnetic bearings and the carrier Can be precisely controlled in a manner as described above.

Through the predictive control of the individual magnetic bearings that can be achieved by the detection unit and the controller, the accuracy and accuracy for carrier support and movement on the base can be increased and improved.

According to an improvement of the above, the controller is configured to selectively control at least one magnetic bearing between the activated state (A) and the inactive state (D) according to a predetermined time function or position function. For example, the smooth and continuous operation and activation of the associated magnetic bearings required for a predetermined period of time, e.g., for interlocking of the associated magnetic bearings with the front limiter of the carrier, may be implemented by the controller. In a similar manner and manner, instead of a time interval or time, the actual instantaneous travel distance or position of the carrier relative to the associated magnetic bearing may be substituted as a setting variable. With the constant and / or instantaneous speed of the carrier in the transport direction known, the time function can be changed or converted to the corresponding position function and vice versa.

The time function and / or position function provides for the assignment of control signals applied to the electromagnets of the magnetic bearing with respect to the instantaneous position of the carrier. The actual position of the carrier relative to the magnetic bearing can be detected as a result of detecting the passage of the carrier at a known reference point in a state of knowing the carrier velocity in the transport direction. In this case, the control signal for the electromagnet of the associated magnetic bearing may also be provided through a time function. In this type and manner, the associated magnetic bearings can be prevented from providing a grasping force or holding force too large, which, by the detection of the carrier immediately, may degrade the equilibrium state of the carrier gripped by the additional magnetic bearings. In the same way, for example, in order to disengage the associated magnetic bearings and the restricting portion of the carrier located rearwardly in the direction of travel, the associated magnetic bearings are moved in a controlled manner and before the interlocking position of the carrier and magnetic bearings has already been reached And / or successively from an active state to an inactive state. Then, during further movement of the carrier, for example when the distance sensor signal is interrupted, it no longer acts in any way to control the magnetic bearing or the electromagnet of this magnetic bearing, since in this case the magnetic bearing is already deactivated Because it is in a state. As a result, no interaction of any type with the carrier from the magnetic bearings disengaged in the above circumstances is initiated, or only few interactions are initiated.

Of course, it is also conceivable that the selected magnetic bearings can be set to their respective mediocre values between the activated and deactivated states. Especially, it can be considered that not only the transition from the activated state to the inactive state but also the transition from the inactive state to the activated state is controlled according to the speed. It is conceivable, in particular, that the controller sets the active state if the associated magnetic bearing is located within a predetermined spacing distance to the front or rear limit of the carrier. The deactivated state should preferably be achieved when the front or rear limit of the carrier, which is located forward or rearward in the transport direction, reaches outside the working area of the fully related magnetic bearing.

The time function may, for example, present the current to be applied to the electromagnet of the magnetic bearing over time. The function itself may, for example, depend on the type of straight ramp, parabola, hyperbola, or may have any continuous shape. In addition, it is also conceivable that the function has a predetermined discontinuous position or amplitude (saltus) if the results depend on the required spacing distance between the carrier and the base.

The slope of the function, or the predetermined time interval at which the activated state of the function is subsequently deactivated, and vice versa, may be correlated with the rate of movement of the carrier in the transport direction. When the speed is high, the transition from the inactive state to the inactive state, or vice versa, is performed within a relatively short time interval. If the feed rate is relatively low, the time function can be correspondingly stretched over time.

In addition, it can be considered that the waveform of the time function also varies according to the speed. This type of variation can result not only from the inertia behavior of the carrier, but also from the interaction of the carrier with the individual magnetic bearings.

According to a further embodiment, the controller converts at least one magnetic bearing from a deactivated state (D) to a continuously activated state (A) over a predetermined time interval, and / or vice versa, ) To the continuously inactivated state (D). By successive transitions between inactive and active states, the controller can realize flexible activation and / or deactivation of individual magnetic bearings.

This can in particular be proven to be desirable in interlocking or interlocking between the individual magnetic bearings and the carrier. By virtue of the time function being continuously or permanently formed, corresponding to the continuous movement of the carrier relative to the base, the carrier is relatively flexible, with little or no interference from the one magnetic bearing in the transport direction to the subsequent magnetic bearing, Can be executed.

According to a further embodiment, the detection unit receives data from a data transmission unit, for example from a data bus. Through the data transfer unit, the position of the carrier in the transport direction and / or the speed of the momentary movement of the carrier in the transport direction can be supplied. The data transfer unit is particularly connectable to a drive unit that typically extends along the transport direction. The driving device may include, for example, spatial coding that extends in the transport direction and enables detection of the position of the carrier in the transport direction.

For example, the drive may be able to supply the position and / or velocity parameters of the carrier via being connected to the detection unit. However, a global controller of the transfer device, or a process unit formed to execute a processing process of an object or a substrate, generates and outputs control, position and velocity instructions of this type that can be implemented by the drive of the transfer device You can also think about viscosity. For this purpose, the detection unit may receive the corresponding position and / or velocity parameters of the carrier only through being connected to the process controller and supply it to the controller of the transfer device for selective control of the individual magnetic bearings.

The provision of position and / or speed parameters via the data transfer unit is particularly advantageous for retrofitting existing transport devices, in this case for the detection of the carrier position in the transport direction and / Additional components of the type need not be provided and installed. The carrier position and / or carrier velocity may be provided at any time, for example, in a bus-based data transfer unit, for example all magnetic bearings may be interconnected.

According to a further embodiment, the detection unit is configured to detect the speed of the carrier. In this case, the controller is further provided so as to control at least one magnetic bearing in accordance with the detected carrier speed. The carrier velocity in the transport direction can be measured directly by one or a plurality of detection units, or, for example, in the case of an embodiment of the form of a data transmission unit, via a drive device or via a global controller of the transport device It is possible.

The detection unit can be formed to independently determine and measure the carrier position as well as the carrier position. To this end, the detection unit may comprise, for example, at least one sensor for detecting slide travel of the carrier, preferably a plurality of sensors disposed along the transport direction. Thus, based on the known position of the individual sensors and the spacing distance of the individual sensors in the transport direction, the position parameters of the carrier as well as the speed parameters can also be detected and supplied to the controller. It is also conceivable that the detection unit includes, for example, a visual detection system, such as a camera system, for detecting the position and / or velocity of the carrier.

The actual position of the carrier relative to the base, in particular for the selective control of the individual magnetic bearings during transport of the carrier along the base, is measured. This can be done in different types and ways. On the other hand, the instantaneous absolute position of the carrier can be detected through the drive and transmitted to the controller through a data-technology-side connection between the drive and the controller. It is also conceivable to detect the passage of the forward limiting portion in, for example, one of the magnetic bearings by using a position sensor in a state of knowing a constant velocity of the carrier in the conveying direction. The momentary position of the carrier at each time point can be determined or scheduled, with the knowing of the position of the carrier at any one time and also the speed at which it is predominantly known. The speed may be supplied via a data transmission unit, for example.

It is also conceivable to measure the position of the carrier in the transport direction using one or more positions and / or distance sensors. To this end, one or a plurality of sensors may be provided, for example, for non-contact measurement in the transport direction. By sensors integrated in one or more magnetic bearings and measured in the transport direction, no connection to the data transfer unit is required and the data transfer in the bus system can be reduced in a desirable manner.

The controller may be formed as a global controller connected to all the magnetic bearings of the transfer device, for example, according to a further embodiment. In this type and manner, individual magnetic bearings can be controlled as desired by a single controller and correspondingly activated or deactivated. However, it is also conceivable that a plurality of distributed controllers respectively connected to separate detection units are provided as an alternative.

The position and velocity parameters can be used directly for the control of the magnetic bearings detected locally or dispersively in the type and manner and correspondingly associated therewith. This type of solution reduces the data traffic of, for example, a data transfer unit, such as a bus system that interconnects all the components of the transfer device in terms of data technology.

According to a further embodiment, the plurality of magnetic bearings each comprise one electromagnet and one control loop for holding the carrier on the base in a noncontact manner with a distance sensor. The control loop of the magnetic bearing includes, in addition to the distance sensor, a set value generator, typically a controller connected to the distance sensor, and an amplifier. Through the setpoint generator, the controller can be supplied with an actual value for the spacing between the base and the carrier.

The spacing intervals, which are each predominantly applied, can be detected and quantitatively measured by a distance sensor. Then, in order to allow the electromagnets to be supplied with the corresponding electrical signals for compliance with the preset spacing interval, the corresponding measured signal can be compared with the set point as the actual value. The control loop can typically be maintained in the range of several kilohertz if the preset clocking is implemented digitally. However, an analog implementation of the control loop is also conceivable, so that the control loops can each respond to the variation of the spacing of the intercepts without widespread delay. By means of a control loop formed by sensors, setpoint generators, controllers, amplifiers and electromagnets, the magnetic bearings can be formed as active controlled magnetic bearings.

In particular, if each of the magnetic bearings disposed on the base includes its own control loop, the data transfer between the bus system connecting one central controller and all the magnetic bearings to each other, for example, can be reduced in a desirable manner.

By means of the control loop, each of the magnetic bearings can act almost independently of the suspension spring, but also in response to variations in the spacing between the carrier and the base. The distance sensors are configured to detect and measure the qualitative and quantitative distances in the plane perpendicular to the transport direction, i. E. In the x-y plane. Two electromagnets may be provided on the base at the mutually facing outer surfaces of the carrier for lateral support of the carrier in the lateral direction x, i. E. For controlling the position of the carrier. If the magnetic bearings, which may include, for example, Lorentz actuators that generate tensile and compressive forces, act in both directions, it is sufficient for the electromagnets to be disposed on one side. For compensation of the weight force, in principle, a series of electromagnets are provided, for example on top of the carrier. Typically, to compensate for the force of gravity and to support the bearings in a floating and non-contact manner in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction z, they are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction (x) Each of the two magnetic bearings provided on the rim is disposed on top of the carrier on the base.

According to a further embodiment, the detection unit comprises at least one position sensor or distance sensor disposed on the magnetic bearing of one of the magnetic bearings. In this case, it is preferably provided that the detection unit is connected to a data transfer unit, for example, a data bus system in terms of data technology, or is formed by the data bus system of this type. In this case, preferably, the detection unit is supplied, for example, with the actual speed of the carrier in the transport direction, for example, continuously by a data technology side connection with the drive unit. For the position measurement of the carrier, only one first magnetic bearing, or only one of the first magnetic bearings positioned in the transport direction, can detect a passage of the carrier in the associated magnetic bearing or a position sensor It is sufficient to provide the above.

According to a further embodiment, the detection unit comprises a plurality of non-contact position sensors, at least one position sensor of each of the position sensors being disposed on the magnetic bearings, (z). < / RTI > The position sensors can be formed relatively simply and economically as compared with the distance sensors of the control loops of the respective magnetic bearings. While the distance sensor has to measure the separation interval as precisely as possible in the direction of action of the magnetic bearings, the position sensors are only able to detect whether the carrier is inside or outside the area that can be detected by the position sensor It is sufficient to supply a binary signal that provides a binary signal. The position sensor may be implemented similar to a light barrier so that the position sensor is only used to determine whether the carrier is located within a region of the magnetic bearing at a predetermined time.

The position sensors may be implemented in various ways. Optical sensors, capacitive sensors, as well as magnetic sensors using Hall effect, for example. The detection unit is formed, for example, in the form of a position sensor disposed on each of the magnetic bearings, so that it is possible to detect the position of the carrier as well as the actual position of the carrier through the connection of the plurality of position sensors, A sensor array is provided. Placement of the position sensors directly on the magnetic bearings is achieved by position sensors which can be implemented relatively simply and economically, for example, into or out of the working area of the magnetic bearing, It is preferable to only detect such a phenomenon.

According to a further embodiment, on the magnetic bearings of at least one of the magnetic bearings, one distance sensor and at least one position sensor are typically arranged on all magnetic bearings. In this case, the position sensor can be arranged offset relative to the distance sensor in relation to the transport direction. Regarding the transport direction, the position sensor can be installed upstream of the distance sensor or downstream thereof. An associated position sensor can detect the forward or aft restriction in such a manner and manner, before the forward or aft limit of the carrier reaches within the working area of the magnetic bearing or outside of the working area of the magnetic bearing. In this type and manner, the position of the front and / or rear limitations of the carrier can be detected in a predictive manner, i. E. Before a corresponding magnetic interaction with the associated magnetic bearing occurs.

According to a further embodiment, on the magnetic bearings of at least one of the magnetic bearings, typically two magnetic sensors are arranged on the magnetic bearings in spaced apart relation to one another in the transport direction z. In this case, the distance sensor of the magnetic bearing is located between the two position sensors in relation to the transport direction. Accordingly, the one-side position sensor is installed upstream of the distance sensor in relation to the transport direction, while the other-side position sensor is installed downstream of the distance sensor.

In this type and manner, the movement in the forward direction and the movement in the reverse direction in the transport direction of the carrier can be determined as so-called reflection symmetry. It is desirable to provide two position sensors, especially when the transfer device is configured to perform forward and reverse movement of the carrier relative to the base. In this case, in short, the front limit portion and the rear limit portion of the carrier are reversed with respect to each transport direction.

According to a further embodiment, a distance sensor of a magnetic bearing, which is typically incorporated in the control loop of the magnetic bearing, can also function as a detection unit and correspondingly a carrier located forward and / or rearward in the transport direction z But also to detect the spacing d between the carrier and the base, typically in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction, typically in the xy plane.

A distance sensor, which is typically formed as a magnetic sensor and which may be based on the use of a Hall effect, may in principle measure the position of the carrier in the direction of travel and, in particular, the passage of the forward and / .

This type of implementation requires two modes of operation of the distance sensor depending on the situation. In the first or basic mode, the distance sensor may be configured to detect the position of the carrier. If the distance sensor detects, for example, a carrier that enters into the working area of the sensor or magnetic bearing with its forward limit, it can transmit it to a central or local controller so that the controller can detect the type and / .

The distance sensor may then be switched to a second or distancing mode, with or without achieving a fully activated state, in which the distance sensor provides active control of the magnetic bearing The spacing distance is measured quantitatively and precisely in the direction of action of the magnetic bearing.

Further, according to an improvement of the above-mentioned matters, the carrier may be a non-magnetic, particularly non-ferromagnetic, material which reaches the working area of the magnetic bearing during transfer of the carrier at a position immediately adjacent to the limiting part located forward and / And a non-permanent magnetic section. This section does not specifically interact with the magnetic bearings in particular. Since geometric constraints on the front and / or rear of the carrier can be detected by a distance sensor, this type of position detection can trigger or initiate connection and / or blocking of the associated magnetic bearing.

If a magnetic bearing is activated through detection of a front limiting portion, for example, when a carrier is pulled into a working region of a magnetic bearing, such activation will have no effect on the carrier first, or only a subtle effect, Because only the non-magnetic section of the forwardly located carrier reaches within the working area of the magnetic bearing. With the further forward movement of the carrier, the ferromagnetic and / or permanent magnetic section adjacent to the forward non-magnetic section will progressively reach into the working area of the already fully activated magnetic bearing, The holding force, the holding force, or the holding force can be continuously and gradually formed.

In the case of this embodiment in which the ferromagnetic region of the carrier operatively connected to the magnetic bearings occupies only a partial area of the geometric external dimension of the carrier in the transport direction, the selective control of the individual magnetic bearings can also be performed instantaneously, The time function for control may be, for example, a jump function or a delta function.

Also according to a further embodiment, at least two distance sensors are arranged on the magnetic bearings of at least one of the magnetic bearings, the distance sensors being spaced apart from one another in the transport direction z, and at least one of the distance sensors is a detection unit You can also think about how it works. In this case, it can be considered that one of the distance sensors functions as a position sensor continuously, while the other distance sensor functions to quantitatively measure the distance between the carrier and the base of the magnetic bearing. However, instead of static function allocation of two distance sensors, dynamic allocation, especially function switching of two distance sensors, is also conceivable. This applies in particular when the associated magnetic bearing interacts with the central region of the carrier, for example centered between the forward limiting portion and the rear limiting portion of the carrier in relation to the conveying direction.

In addition, in accordance with a further equivalent aspect, the present invention relates to a method for moving and / or positioning objects using the transfer apparatus described above. In this case, the method includes the following steps.

- moving the carrier in the transport direction along the base using a drive,

- detecting the position of the carrier in the transport direction relative to the magnetic bearings using a detection unit, and

Selectively controlling at least one magnetic bearing operatively connected in operative association with the carrier, or operatively connected to the carrier in the future within a predetermined time interval, depending on the detected position of the carrier, respectively.

The related method of the present application can be carried out by the transfer device described above. For this reason, all features and advantages described for the transfer device apply to the present method in similar fashion and manner, and vice versa.

According to a further embodiment of the above, a magnetic bearing operatively connected with the carrier or operatively connected with the carrier within a predetermined time interval is controlled between an activated and a deactivated state according to a predetermined time function. For this reason, the magnetic bearings which are operatively connected with the carrier immediately after the detection of the position of the carrier in the transport direction can be used in a predictive manner and with a ramp type, for example, And can be flexibly controlled, connected or activated accordingly. The transfer of the carrier onto the magnetic bearing, which can be flexibly activated accordingly, can be carried out in this type and manner, particularly precisely and without extensive interference.

According to a further embodiment of the method of the present invention, at least one magnetic bearing of the magnetic bearings is selectively controlled to compensate for variations in spacing between the carrier and the base that occur during movement of the carrier in the transport direction. The type of concrete control can be determined by experience, for example, by correction. Suitable time functions for control to deactivate or activate the individual magnetic bearings may be stored in the controller in the form of a lock-up table, for example.

Instead of a time function, the position function can also be stored, so that the control of the magnetic bearings and the corresponding activation or deactivation are performed according to respective dominant positions of the carriers in the transport direction. Knowing the speed of the carrier, for example, the time function stored in the controller's memory can be converted to a position function at any time, and vice versa. It is also conceivable that the activation or deactivation of the individual magnetic bearings is performed in accordance with the conveyance speed.

Further, according to a further embodiment, at least one magnetic bearing of each of the magnetic bearings is selectively controlled during movement of the carrier along the base. In this case, the controlled magnetic bearing is operatively connected to the front limiter of the carrier in relation to the conveying direction and / or operatively connected to the rear limiter of the carrier, or within a predetermined time interval, And is operatively connected to the limiter. With this type and manner, the predictive activation or deactivation of one or more magnetic bearings that allows a wide interference-free translational movement of the carrier along the base is induced.

In this case, it is naturally self-evident that when two magnetic bearings, for example spaced apart in the transverse direction x, are provided, each two magnetic bearings, for example interacting with the left and right sides of the carrier, Or deactivated.

Finally, in a further aspect, a computer program is provided for moving and / or positioning objects using the transport device described above. In this case, the computer program of the present application is characterized by comprising programming means for moving the carrier in the transport direction along the base, programming means for detecting the position of the carrier in the transport direction relative to the magnetic bearings, Thus, it includes program means for selectively controlling at least one magnetic bearing operatively connected to the carrier in a magnetic manner or operatively connected to the carrier within a predetermined time interval.

The computer program may be embodied in a controller coupled with a detection unit for detecting the position of the carrier, in particular in the transport direction. In this case, the controller can be disposed on the transfer device or on each of the magnetic bearings in a global manner, but can also be arranged in a redundantly dispersed manner. The computer program is used not only to implement the described method for moving and / or locating objects, in a computer-assisted manner, but also for operating the transport device described above. All the features, advantages, and characteristics mentioned above in connection with the above-described transport devices and corresponding methods for moving and / or positioning objects apply to the computer program mentioned in the same way and vice versa.

Additional objects, features, and preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail in the following description of embodiments.

According to the present invention, there is provided a transfer device for moving and / or positioning an object in which the problem of the prior art is solved.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cutting device of a conveying device in a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction.
2 is a schematic view showing a magnetic bearing including a control loop;
FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing the transfer device viewed from above. FIG.
Figure 4 is a simplified schematic view of the carrier as viewed from above.
Figure 5 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of the carrier viewed from above.
6A to 6F are schematic views each showing a plurality of magnetic bearings spaced apart from one another in the transport direction in time order with the carriers being moved in the transport direction.
Figs. 7a-7f are views corresponding to Fig. 6 which respectively show an alternative embodiment of the individual magnetic bearings. Fig.
Figures 8a-8e are views according to Figures 6 and 7, respectively, which show further implementations of individual magnetic bearings.
Figures 9a-9e are diagrams showing, respectively, a further embodiment of a magnetic bearing and a modified carrier embodiment in order for illustration of carrier movement in the transport direction, respectively.
10 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating a method for moving and positioning a carrier along a base.
11 is a graph schematically illustrating a time function for controlling the selected magnetic bearings in a simplified manner.

The conveying apparatus 10 shown schematically in Figures 1 and 3 comprises a plurality of magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 arranged in spaced relation to each other along the conveying direction 11 (z) And a fixed base 12 disposed on the base 12. The magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28 and 29 include one electromagnet 62 and one core 63, respectively, as shown in the schematic enlarged view according to FIG. 2 in the example of the magnetic bearing 24 do. The electromagnets 62 are each disposed on the fixed base 12 so that the waste heat generated during operation of the individual magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 can be dissipated while being controlled under vacuum conditions.

On the base 12, the carrier 30 is supported by the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 in a non-contact manner. The carrier 30 is used to receive and fix an object 80 that may be formed as a substrate, as shown in FIG. For this purpose, the carrier 30 may be formed as a substrate carrier, or it may receive or hold a substrate carrier, such as an electrostatic substrate carrier.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 1, the substrate processing is provided from below. However, it is also conceivable to arrange the objects 80 to be processed in the same manner on the upper surface of the carrier 30. [ In this case, the magnetic bearings 24 and 26 may be displaced into the edge regions of the carrier 30 located on the left and right sides in the view of FIG. 1, and the base 12 may be displaced between the magnetic bearings 24 and 26 To provide a corresponding free space.

In order to move and transport the carrier 30 in the transport direction 11, a drive device 18 is arranged on the base. The drive 18 may be formed in particular as a linear motor, wherein again the coils of the linear motor 18 are arranged on the base 12. The linear motor 18 may further comprise a space encryption section 19 in the transport direction 11 so that the magnetic motor 18 may be provided on the carrier 30, The position information in the transport direction z through the interaction of the linear motor 18 with the corresponding counterpart in the form of the position information can be measured by the drive device 18. [

On the carrier 30, corresponding ferromagnetic bearing sections 34, 36, 38, 39 extending in the transport direction z are located and assigned to the respective magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29. By means of ferromagnetic bearing sections which can be formed, for example, as ferromagnetic rails, the carrier 30 is magnetically operatively connected to the individual magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29. As already mentioned, by providing a series of Lorentz actuators acting in both directions only on one side only, for lateral support of the carrier 30, it is possible to transfer only on the outer surface of the carrier 30 located on the left or right side in Fig. It is also conceivable that a series of magnetic bearings 28 or 29 are provided which are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow.

Each of the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 includes a control loop 60 shown separately in FIG. 2 in the example of a magnetic bearing 24. The control loop 60 includes an electromagnet 62 having a core 64 and a coil 64 that can be actuated. Especially for supporting in the transverse direction (x), coils without cores, i.e. coils without a ferromagnetic core, may also be provided. By supplying current to the coil 64, a magnetic field that interacts with the ferromagnetic bearing section 34 of the carrier 30 can be generated. The control loop 60 further includes a distance sensor 61 that is configured to measure the spacing distance to the ferromagnetic bearing section 34 in a noncontact manner.

In other words, the distance d between the base 12 and the carrier 30 can be detected by the distance sensor 61 in the direction of action of the associated magnetic bearing 24. The distance sensor 61 can be formed as a magnetic sensor, for example, and can provide precise and quantitative spacing detection using the Hall effect. The signals that can be detected by the distance sensor 61 are supplied to the set value generator 68 and the controller 67. [ The set value generator 68 may preset the interval setting value. In the controller 67, the respective set values can be compared with the actual values detected through the distance sensor 61. [

The controller 67 determines the control signal from the comparison of the set value and the actual value, and the control signal can be supplied to the coil 64 via the amplifier 66. Accordingly, a control loop 60, typically implemented in digital or analog, enables floating gripping or floating and non-contact locking of the carrier 30 on the base 12.

Magnetic bearings 28 and 29 spaced apart from each other in the x direction or the lateral direction on the left and right sides are arranged in the same manner as the magnetic bearings 24 and 26 disposed on the top of the carrier 30, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > as < / RTI > For purposes of illustration only, for purposes of illustration, only the magnetic bearings 24, 26 which compensate for the weighting force of the carrier 30 will be described below.

3, the base 12 is shown symbolically through two guide sections 14, 16, on one of the guide sections, in a conveying direction 11, 26b, 26c, 26cd, 26e, 26e, 26e, 26e, 26e, 26e, 26e, 26e, 24e, 24e, 24f, 24g are arranged on the guide section 16 as well as a plurality of magnetic bearings 24a, 26f, 26g are arranged. A similar configuration and arrangement of a plurality of magnetic bearings is also provided for the side magnetic bearings 28, 29. The side magnetic bearings can be controlled with the magnetic bearings 24, 26 in a corresponding manner and manner.

In the figure according to Fig. 3, in relation to the conveying direction 11 (z), and with the individual magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 24g and 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, 26f, A detection unit 42 is provided which is capable of measuring the actual position of the carrier 30 with respect to the carrier 26g. 3 also includes a central controller 50 which includes all of the magnetic bearings 26a, 26b of the guide section 16 located to the right when considered in the transport direction 11, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e) of the guide section 14 located on the left side when considered in the transport direction 11 , 24f, and 24g.

The central controller 50 controls the individual magnetic bearings, for example magnetic bearings 24a and 24d and the magnetic bearings 26a and 26d in relation to these magnetic bearings 24a, 24d, 26a and 26d, It is possible to selectively control the pulling-in or pulling-out transferring process of the pull-tab 30 without any interference. All the magnetic bearings 24 and 26 may be connected to one another via a data transfer unit 43 which may be formed, for example, as a communication bus or a data bus. Further, the data transfer unit 43 can be additionally connected to the individual drive units 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d and the space encryption sections 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d provided respectively to the drive units have.

In this type and manner, via a data transfer unit 43 and via a connection with drive units 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d, or with a drive unit 18 formed by separate drive units The position information of the carrier 30 in the transport direction 11 can be measured. In addition, through the connection with the drive 18, the conveyance speed of the carrier 30, which can be used for selective control of the individual magnetic bearings 24a, 24d, 26a, 26d, in particular for selective activation and deactivation, Can also be detected.

A plurality of distributed controllers 51 may also be provided instead of or in addition to the central controller 50 which may arbitrarily control the control loop 60 via a connection with the set value generator 68, Or intervenes, for example, in the controller 67, or intervenes in the output signal of the controller 67 as shown in Figure 1, so that the force initiated in the electromagnet Activates or deactivates, or attenuates, the active layer 62 completely. In the same type and manner, the central controller 50 may also affect the output signal of the controller 67.

In the case of the embodiment according to Fig. 3, the provision of a separate detection unit on the individual magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 is in principle not required. The information required for the selective activation or deactivation of the individual magnetic bearings, in particular the position of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z and the speed of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z, 43, typically via a data-technology-side connection to the data bus, and may be provided to the central controller 50, or to a plurality of distributed controllers 51.

6 to 8 show various embodiments of the detection units 40, 44, 46 and 48 and each of the magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e and 24f includes at least two sensors Respectively. In the example of Fig. 6A, an electromagnet 62 and a complementary position sensor 71 of the distance sensor 61 described above as an example for all of the figures of Figs. 6A-8E are shown. The magnetic bearing 24a is connected to the control loop 60 on the one hand like the rest of the magnetic bearings 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f and 24g, (51). The detection unit 40 for the measurement of the position of the carrier 30 in the rightward direction of travel z is configured to detect the position of the carrier 30 in one or more position sensors < RTI ID = 0.0 > 32a, < / RTI & (71).

The components shown in FIG. 6A, black or fully filled with the magnetic bearing 24b, namely the electromagnet 62, the position sensor 71 and the distance sensor 61, indicate that the associated component is fully activated The components that are symbolic, while not filled, are inactivated magnetic bearings, or sensors that do not generate a signal in a momentary situation. The component, shown by the hatching, is located between the activated and deactivated states and is therefore placed in the intermediate state. In the sequence of Figs. 6A to 6F, it can be seen that the carrier 30 is continuously moved from the left to the right in the transport direction z.

Position sensors 71, which are formed here as edge detectors or geometric limit detectors of the carrier in the present case, in the simplest embodiment are directly connected to the carrier (not shown) at the bottom of the associated magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 30 can be located. In the embodiment of the detection unit 40 according to Figs. 6a to 6f, all the position sensors 71 are provided with magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 24g The distance sensor 61 is disposed at a position spaced apart from each of the distance sensors 61.

6A, the position sensor 71 of the magnetic bearing 24f is positioned on the carrier 30 before the carrier 30 is generally located within the working area of the magnetic bearing 24f, It is possible to detect the forward limiter 31 of the first switch. On the other hand, if the carrier 30 reaches the working area of the magnetic bearing 24f, as shown in Fig. 6C, the magnetic bearing can be selectively activated by the controller 50 or 51. Fig. The partially activated state of the electromagnet 62 of the magnetic bearing 24f is clearly shown through the shaded area in Fig. 6C.

The associated magnetic bearings 24f are further activated in a relatively slow and continuous manner in terms of their self-acting manner and corresponding to the dynamic behavior and movement of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z. In this type and manner, the interaction of the impulse type between the carrier 30 and the magnetic bearing 24f provided upstream can be prevented or at least substantially suppressed. A similar scenario is subsequently achieved in Fig. 6D, i.e. when the restricting portion 32 located rearward in the transport direction z passes through the position sensor 71 of the magnetic bearing 24b.

Even though the rear region of the carrier 30 is still located within the full acting area of the magnetic bearing 24b, the relative magnetic bearing 24b, as shown in Figure 6E, It has been proved desirable to convert from the state A to the inactive state B. 6D, the intermediate state of the associated electromagnet 62 is again shown. 6F corresponds to Fig. 6A, and the entire procedure is repeated by the magnetic bearings 24g and 24c located next to the moving direction z.

7A to 7F, two position sensors 71 are disposed in each of the magnetic bearings 24a, 14b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, and 24g, Respectively, from the distance sensor 61 in the two moving directions. The distance sensor 61 is positioned approximately at the center between the two position sensors 71 provided on the magnetic bearing 24 at the edge side in the moving direction with respect to the moving direction z.

In this case, the operation method is almost the same as the above-described embodiment with reference to Figs. 6A to 6F. In this case, the position sensors 71 of the magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, and 24g, respectively located forward in the moving direction, . However, the positioning of the two position sensors 71 on both sides enables the implementation of the same type of control in both directions of travel, i.e. from left to right as well as from right to left.

The speed of the carrier 30 can also be detected separately on the respective magnetic bearings 24 through the use of a plurality of position sensors 71 per magnetic bearing 24. [

Each of the magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f includes two distance sensors 61, and the distance sensors 61, Can detect the separation distance between the carrier (30) and the magnetic bearing (24) or the base (12) with respect to the direction of action of each electromagnet (62), respectively.

In the case of the sequence shown in the sequence of Figs. 8A to 8E, a distance sensor (not shown) disposed on the magnetic bearing 24f in the backward direction in the transport direction z or in the direction opposite to the transport direction z 61 serves merely as a so-called position sensor for detecting the position of the carrier 30 with respect to the transport direction z, whereas the other side distance sensor, that is to say placed upstream in the transport direction or forward, The distance sensor 61, which is still not active on the magnetic bearing 24f, functions as a practical distance sensor for the control loop 60. In view of the closed-loop control technique aspect, the at least one distance sensor may be located as close as possible to the action center of the electromagnet 62 of each magnetic bearing 24, 26, 28, 29, This allows a high degree of collocation of each electromagnet and sensor to be achieved.

Similar to that already described with reference to Fig. 6c, after detecting the carrier 30 using the distance sensor 61 already active in Fig. 8b of the magnetic bearing 24f, the relative electromagnet of the magnetic bearing 24f 62 may be activated according to a predetermined time function, after which the electromagnet is fully activated in Figure 8c. Then, with full activation, the additional distance sensor 61 located in the forward direction in the transport direction 11 in charge of the spacing distance control is in the active state, as shown in Figure 8C, so that the spacing distance control And can be executed by the control loop 60.

In the case of this embodiment, the functions of the two distance sensors 61 of the respective magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e and 24f can be reversed, for example, for changing the direction of transport of the carrier 30. [

In the embodiment according to Fig. 9, only a single distance sensor 61 is provided, but this distance sensor functions as the detection unit 48 in the same way. In this case, the distance sensor 61 of the magnetic bearings 24 shown in Fig. 9 is used not only for the positioning of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z but also for determining the separation distance using the control loop 60, It can also be used universally for interval control.

For the embodiments shown in Figures 6a-8e, there is provided a carrier 30 schematically shown in Figure 4 with two ferromagnetic and / or permanent magnetic bearing sections 34,36, Extends in the transport direction z over the entire geometric dimension of the carrier 30 with respect to the transport direction z while the modified carrier 30 is provided in the case of the embodiment according to Figures 9a to 9e The bearing sections 34 and 36 may be provided on the front or rear restricting portions 31 and 32 of the carrier 30 although the modified carrier also includes ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic bearing sections 34 and 36. [ As shown in Fig. Sections 73 are provided that are paramagnetic or non-ferromagnetic and non-permanent magnetic, in a manner adjacent to the front and / or rear limiting portions 31, 32 of the carrier 30, respectively. The confining portions 35 of the ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic bearing sections 34 and 36 that face each other in the transport direction z are spaced apart from each other by the geometric dimensions of the carrier by the dimensions of the non-ferromagnetic and non- And is offset relative to the restricting portions 31 and 32. [

However, the distance sensor 61 is arranged so as to detect the geometry of the carrier, as shown clearly in accordance with the magnetic bearing 24f in the configuration according to Fig. 9b, and hence the front and rear limiting portions 31, 32 of the carrier, As shown in FIG. In this case, the position of the carrier 30 detected through the distance sensor 61 can be used for the complete activation of the magnetic bearing 24f instantaneously. However, the full activation of the magnetic bearing 24f does not have any type of effect on the carrier 30 based on the bearing sections 34,36 of the carrier 30 formed in a shortened ferromagnetic or permanent magnetism, Only.

With the carrier 30 advancing in the transport direction z, the ferromagnetic bearing section 34 is gradually and operationally connected to the magnetic bearing 24f. The ferromagnetic bearing section 34 which is drawn into the working area of the already activated magnetic bearing 24f and the ferromagnetic bearing section 36 which is drawn into the working area of the correspondingly driven magnetic bearing 26f in the same way corresponds to only a part The force acting on the carrier 30 initiated at the magnetic bearings 24f and 26f increases, for example, in a similar manner to the time function F, through spatially overlapping and progressively sliding in the region.

The corresponding scenario is achieved, as shown in Figures 9c and 9, for example when the rear limit 35 of the ferromagnetic bearing section 34 is withdrawn and released from the operating area of the magnetic bearing 24b. By providing a non-ferromagnetic or non-permanent magnetic material in the section 37 that is geometrically formed in the other case, but is formed identically to the ferromagnetic bearing sections 34, 36, the magnetic bearings 24b Of the distance sensor 61 implies that the carrier 30 is positioned within the working area of the associated magnetic bearing 24 unchanged.

In practice, however, the magnetic bearing 24b has only a small or only no effect on the carrier 30 in the configuration according to FIG. 9b. The corresponding opposite control of the electromagnet 62 of the magnetic bearing 24b no longer has any type of interference effect on the movement of the carrier 30, even in the case of a loss of the spacing signal as shown in Fig. 9e.

Further, according to the embodiment of the conveyance apparatus shown in Fig. 9, a further embodiment of the detection unit 49 can be implemented. The detection unit 49 is preferably connected to the data transmission unit 43 shown in Fig. 3 through which the speed of the carrier 30 in the transport direction 11 is, for example, . For example, from the detection of the distance sensor 61 at a certain point in time, and in a state of knowing the speed, the detection unit 49 always detects the presence of a carrier (e. G., Relative to the individual magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 30) can be calculated. For example, the detection unit 49 may be integrated into the central controller 50, for example.

In principle, it should be noted that the position detection in the conveying direction 11 and / or the spacing measurement at the plane (x, y) perpendicular to the conveying direction 11 are exclusively, Or from the current and voltage signals of one or more electromagnets 62 of one or more magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 It is possible that

In Fig. 10, a block circuit diagram for the execution of the method for moving and / or positioning the objects 80 using the transfer device 10 is schematically shown. In the first step 100, the carrier 30 is moved by the drive device 18 along a predetermined feeding direction z. During the movement, the position of the carrier 30 is continuously detected at step 102 by one or a plurality of detection units 40, 42, 44, 46, 48. The detected position of the carrier in relation to the transport direction z is then paired with the speed of the carrier 30, which is likewise detected as the case may be, to selectively control the magnetic bearings selected in the subsequent step 104 Can be used. The control loops of steps 102 and 104 are then executed again.

The selective control of the selected magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 92, in particular its activation and deactivation, can be performed, for example, by a time function Ft as schematically shown in FIG. The graph according to Fig. 11 shows the electric power of the associated electromagnet 62 of the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 according to the time t or according to the actual position of the carrier 30 in the conveying direction z. A linear function F of the power consumption P is shown. The slope of the time function Ft may vary depending on the speed at which the carrier 30 is detected or supplied. In this case, particularly, for example, in a state in which the speed of the carrier is known, the position sensor 71 allows the carrier 30 to reach the operating area of the associated magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29, It is provided that the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 are controlled in accordance with the time function Ft immediately if a point reached in the working area is detected.

As an alternative to the time function, it is also conceivable to control the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29 associated with the position function Fz. The position function Fz provides an assignment of control signals for each electromagnet 62 according to the detected actual position of the carrier 30 relative to the associated magnetic bearings 24,26, 28,29.

In the deactivated state D, the power consumption of the electromagnet 62 may be close to zero. If the incoming of the carrier 30 into the magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28 and 29 is detected in advance, for example, the electromagnet 62 is in the activated state A ). ≪ / RTI > Corresponding counter-directional control of the electromagnet 62 may be realized when the carrier 30 is withdrawn from the active area of the associated magnetic bearings 24, 26, 28, 29. In this case, particularly preferably, the inactivated state (D) is achieved before the loss of the spacing signal supplied by the distance sensor (61).

10: Feeding device
11: Feed direction
12: Base
14: Guide section
16: Guide section
18: Driving device
18a, b, c, d: drive unit
19:
19a, b, c, d: encryption section
20: magnetic rails
24: magnetic bearing
26: magnetic bearing
28: Magnetic Bearing
29: magnetic bearing
30: Carrier
31:
32:
34: Bearing section
35:
36: Bearing section
37: Section
38: Bearing section
39: Bearing section
40: Detection unit
42:
43: Data transfer unit
44: Detection unit
46:
48: Detection unit
49: Detection unit
50: Controller
51: Controller
60: control loop
61: Distance sensor
62: Electromagnet
63: Core
64: Coil
66: amplifier
67:
68: Setpoint Generator
71: Position sensor
80: object

Claims (18)

A transfer device for moving and / or positioning objects,
A base 12 on which a plurality of active controlled magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29 spaced from one another in the conveying direction z are arranged,
In a non-contact manner on the base (12) by at least some of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) A carrier (30) relatively movable with respect to the base (12) on which at least one object (80) can be placed;
- at least one detection unit (40, 42, 44, 44) for detecting the position of the carrier (30) in the transport direction (z) relative to the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) 46, 48, 49);
Connected to said detection unit (40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 49) and operatively connected in operative manner with said carrier (30), or, depending on the detected position of said carrier (30) A controller (50, 51) for selectively controlling at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) operatively connected to the carrier (30) within a time interval; Wherein the object is moved and / or positioned. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller (50, 51) comprises at least one magnetic bearing (50) between the activated state (A) and the deactivated state (D) according to a predetermined time function (Ft) (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29). ≪ / RTI > 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller (50, 51) is operable to control at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) (A) to a continuously activated state (A), and / or vice versa to an active state (A) to a continuously inactivated state (D). Feeding device for determination. 4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detecting unit (42, 49) is arranged to detect the position of the carrier (30) in the transport direction (z) and / Is fed with data from a data transfer unit (43) which supplies the speed of movement of the object (30). 5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detecting unit (40,42,44,46,48,49) is configured to detect the speed of the carrier (30) 51) is configured to control at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) according to a carrier velocity. 6. The magnetic bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) comprises an electromagnet (62) and a distance sensor (40) (60) for supporting the carrier (30) in a non-contact manner on the carrier (12), respectively. 7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection unit (49) comprises at least one position sensor (71) disposed on the magnetic bearing of one of the magnetic bearings (24, 26, 28, 29) ) Or a distance sensor (61). ≪ / RTI > The magnetic bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the detection unit (40, 44, 46, 49) comprises a plurality Contact position sensor 71 of the carrier 30 and the position sensors detect the position of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z relative to the respective magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, Wherein the object is formed to detect the movement of the object. 9. A magnetic bearing according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein at least one magnetic bearing of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) Characterized in that a sensor (71) is arranged. 10. The magnetic bearing according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein two position sensors (71) are arranged on the magnetic bearings of at least one of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) , And the distance sensor (61) is arranged between the two position sensors (71) in relation to the transport direction (z). Conveying device. 11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the distance sensor (61) of one of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 28b, 28, 29) functions as a detection unit (48) 32 of the carrier 30 located forward and / or rearward in the direction z, as well as a plane perpendicular to the transport direction z of the carrier 30 (x (d) between the carrier (30) and the base (12) at a distance (d) between the carrier (30) and the base (12). 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the carrier (30) is arranged at a position immediately adjacent to the restricting portions (31, 32) located forward and / or rearwardly of the carrier (30) And a non-magnetic section (37) reaching a working area of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, 12. The magnetic bearing according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that at least one magnetic bearing of at least two of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) Characterized in that a distance sensor (61) is arranged and at least one of the distance sensors functions as a detection unit (46). 14. A method for moving and / or positioning objects using a transfer device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
- moving the carrier (30) in the transport direction (z) along the base (12) using a drive device (18)
The position of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z relative to the magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29 is determined using the detection unit 40, 42, 44, 46, Detecting,
- at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b) operatively connected in operative association with the carrier (30) or in operative connection with the carrier (30) within a predetermined time interval, depending on the detected position of the carrier 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29. The method of any preceding claim, The system of claim 14, wherein the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) operatively connected to the carrier (30) or operatively connected to the carrier (30) Is controlled between an active state and an inactive state according to a set time function (F). 16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that at least one magnetic bearing of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) occurs during the movement of the carrier (30) Is selectively controlled to compensate for variations in the spacing distance between the carrier and the base. 17. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that during the movement of the carrier (30) along the base (12), of the magnetic bearings (24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29) Each of which is in operative connection with the forward limiting portion 31 and / or its rear limiting portion 32 of the carrier 30 with respect to the direction z or which is operatively connected within a predetermined time interval, Wherein the first and second objects are selectively controlled. 14. A computer program for moving and / or positioning objects using a transfer device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
- programming means for moving the carrier (30) in the transport direction (z) along the base (12)
A program for detecting the position of the carrier 30 in the transport direction z relative to the magnetic bearings 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, Sudan,
- at least one magnetic bearing (24a, 24b) operatively connected in operative association with the carrier (30) or in operative connection with the carrier (30) within a predetermined time interval, depending on the detected position of the carrier 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 28, 29. The computer program for moving and / or locating objects.

Images