Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G54/00—Non-mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for
  • B65G54/02—Non-mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
  • H02P7/00—Arrangements for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of electric DC motors
  • H02P7/02—Arrangements for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of electric DC motors the DC motors being of the linear type

Definitions

• Production lines where factory automation is implemented such as production lines for assembling industrial products or for packaging food, generally use conveyor systems to transport workpieces.
• conveyor systems have become increasingly common in which the transport path for transporting workpieces is divided into multiple zones, and carts carrying the workpieces are driven by control devices located in each zone. This type of conveyor system is known as one of the conveyor systems with excellent production efficiency.
• One type of conveyance system utilizes a so-called moving magnet linear motor, in which a magnet is placed on the carriage, which acts as the mover, and a coil is placed on the stator, which forms the conveyance path.
• a moving magnet linear motor is suitable for moving the mover with a stroke that is long compared to the length of the mover.
• Multiple coils are arranged on the stator in the direction in which the mover is moved. Furthermore, by arranging multiple stators, a conveyance path is formed that can transport one or multiple carriages.
• Patent Document 1 discloses providing an encoder connected to the motor with a memory into which information related to the motor can be written.
• the motor disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a rotary motor.
• the number of phases of the motor to be controlled is a predetermined number, and the phase number setting in the controller is not changed. Because the number of phases of the motor to be controlled is a predetermined number, the program executed by the controller is designed to suit a motor with a predetermined number of phases. In other words, with conventional technology such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, a program is designed to suit a motor with a predetermined number of coils.
• the multiple stators that make up the conveyance path may include stators with different numbers of coils.
• stators when stators have different numbers of coils, it becomes necessary to design a program for each stator that is tailored to the number of coils.
• the workload involved in designing the conveyance system is heavy.
• the present disclosure has been made in light of the above, and aims to provide a conveyance system that can reduce the workload involved in designing the conveyance system.
• the transport system disclosed herein comprises a plurality of transport path units that constitute a transport path along which a transport body moves.
• Each of the plurality of transport path units comprises a linear motor section having one or more coils that generate thrust to move the transport body when a current flows through them, and a current control unit having multiple current control devices and a current control section that controls each current control device.
• Each current control device is connected to a coil and controls the current flowing through the coil.
• the current control section acquires information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section from the linear motor section, and, based on the acquired information, selects a current control device from the plurality of current control devices in the current control unit that controls the current flowing through one or more coils in the linear motor section.
• the conveying system disclosed herein has the effect of reducing the workload involved in designing the conveying system.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a transport system according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a linear transport path unit included in a transport system according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a curved transport path unit included in the transport system according to the first embodiment
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control circuit according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dedicated hardware circuit according to a first embodiment
• 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by a current control unit of a current control unit in each transport path unit of the transport system according to the first embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a transport path unit included in a transport system according to a modification of the first embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by a controller of a transport system according to a second embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a transport system according to a third embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by a controller of a transport system according to a third embodiment.
• Embodiment 1. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conveyance system 1 according to embodiment 1.
• the conveyance system 1 is a system used to convey objects.
• the conveyance system 1 conveys objects by moving a conveyance body on which the objects are loaded.
• the transport system 1 includes multiple transport path units 11A-11H, a controller 12, a direct current (DC) power supply 13, and carriages 16A, 16B, and 16C.
• the controller 12 controls the transport path units 11A-11H to operate the carriages 16A, 16B, and 16C.
• the transport path unit 11 refers to each of the transport path units 11A-11H without distinction.
• the multiple transport path units 11 are connected to one another and form the transport path 10 along which the transport body moves.
• the multiple transport path units 11 move the transport body by applying power to the transport body.
• Each of the carriages 16A, 16B, and 16C is a transport body.
• the term “cart 16" will be used to refer to each of the carriages 16A, 16B, and 16C without distinction.
• the transport path 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a closed path in the shape of a track.
• the transport path 10 of the transport system 1 may also be an open path.
• the transport path 10 of the transport system 1 may be a path having a start point and an end point that are located apart from each other.
• Conveyor path units 11A, 11B, 11E, and 11F are linear conveyor path units 11 that form a straight path.
• Conveyor path units 11C, 11D, 11G, and 11H are curved conveyor path units 11 that form a curved path, changing the direction of travel of the conveyor by 90 degrees.
• the conveyor path 10 may not have conveyor path units 11 that form a straight path, and may consist only of conveyor path units 11 that form a curved path.
• a conveyor path 10 with a start point and end point that are located apart from each other may consist only of conveyor path units 11 that form a straight path.
• the overall shape of the conveyor path 10 is arbitrary.
• the carriage 16 is attached to the side of the conveying path 10.
• the carriage 16 moves along a guide rail provided on the side of the conveying path 10.
• the carriage 16 moves along the side of the conveying path 10 and stops at the side of the conveying path 10.
• the conveying system 1 according to embodiment 1 is equipped with a moving magnet type linear motor.
• the carriage 16 may also move along a guide rail provided on the top surface of the conveying path 10.
• the carriage 16 only needs to be attached to the conveying path 10 so that it can move along the conveying path 10.
• the carriage 16 is equipped with a permanent magnet that forms the mover, a permanent magnet for the linear scale, and a guide roller that moves on the guide rail by rotation.
• the guide rail, guide roller, permanent magnet that forms the mover, and permanent magnet for the linear scale are not shown.
• each bogie 16 is either clockwise in FIG. 1 or counterclockwise in FIG. 1.
• the clockwise traveling direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the forward direction.
• the counterclockwise traveling direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the reverse direction.
• Arrow 17A represents the forward direction.
• Arrow 17B represents the reverse direction.
• the transport system 1 includes eight transport path units 11 and three carriages 16.
• the number of transport path units 11 included in the transport system 1 is arbitrary. In other words, the number of transport path units 11 that make up the transport path 10 is arbitrary.
• the transport system 1 may include multiple transport path units 11.
• the number of carriages 16 that move along the transport path 10 is arbitrary.
• the transport system 1 may include one or multiple carriages 16.
• the DC power supply 13 is connected to each transport path unit 11 via a DC power bus 15.
• the DC power supply 13 is a power supply device or power supply circuit that outputs DC voltage.
• the DC power supply 13 supplies power to each transport path unit 11.
• Each transport path unit 11 shares the DC power supply 13.
• the transport system 1 has a configuration in which each transport path unit 11 is connected to a DC power supply 13 via a multi-drop connection.
• the connection between each transport path unit 11 and the DC power supply 13 is not limited to a multi-drop connection, and may also be a daisy chain connection.
• the transport system 1 is equipped with one DC power supply 13, but the transport system 1 may be equipped with multiple DC power supplies 13. In other words, the transport system 1 may be configured with multiple power supply domains.
• the controller 12 controls each of the multiple transport path units 11.
• the controller 12 is connected to each transport path unit 11 via a data communication line 14.
• the data communication line 14 is composed of a line connecting the controller 12 to transport path unit 11A, which is one of the multiple transport path units 11, and lines connecting adjacent transport path units 11.
• the transport system 1 is configured such that each transport path unit 11 is connected to the controller 12 via a daisy chain connection.
• each transport path unit 11 and the controller 12 is not limited to a daisy chain connection.
• the connection between each transport path unit 11 and the controller 12 may also be a star connection, in which each transport path unit 11 is connected to the controller 12 via a communication hub.
• the transport system 1 may be provided with multiple data communication lines 14, and each transport path unit 11 and the controller 12 may be directly connected by the data communication lines 14.
• the controller 12 generates a position command indicating the position to which the carriage 16 should be moved.
• the controller 12 calculates the position of each carriage 16 based on position sensor information sent from each transport path unit 11.
• the controller 12 generates position information for each carriage 16 indicating the actual position of the carriage 16 on the transport path 10. The position sensor information will be described later.
• the controller 12 generates a thrust command for each carriage 16, which is a command for the thrust to move the carriage 16, based on the difference between the position command and the position information.
• the controller 12 generates a current command for controlling the current flowing through the coil of each transport path unit 11, based on the thrust command for each carriage 16 and the position information of each carriage 16.
• the controller 12 controls each transport path unit 11 by outputting a current command to each transport path unit 11.
• a higher-level control device such as a programmable logic controller, may be connected to the controller 12. Such a control device outputs commands for sequence control to the controller 12.
• a human-machine interface may be connected to the controller 12. Such a human-machine interface accepts input from an operator. The human-machine interface also outputs information indicating the status of the conveyance system 1 by display or the like.
• the controller 12 may obtain operation information for each carriage 16 from the higher-level control device or human-machine interface, and generate position commands for each carriage 16 based on the operation information.
• the operation information is information indicating the schedule for the movement of each carriage 16 on the conveyance path 10.
• Transport path units 11B, 11E, and 11F have the same configuration as transport path unit 11A, which will be described below.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a linear transport path unit 11A included in the transport system 1 according to embodiment 1.
• FIG. 2 schematically shows the transport path unit 11A and one carriage 16 that moves along the transport path unit 11A.
• the carriage 16 has a permanent magnet 41, which is a mover, and a permanent magnet 42 that is used to detect the position of the carriage 16.
• the transport path unit 11A includes a linear motor unit 21 and a current control unit 22.
• the linear motor unit 21 includes a linear scale 23 and a coil unit 24.
• the linear scale 23 functions as a position detection unit that detects the position of the carriage 16.
• the linear transport path unit 11A includes a linear linear motor unit 21.
• the linear scale 23 includes multiple position sensors 25 and a control unit 31 that controls the linear scale 23.
• the control unit 31 has a memory unit 33.
• the memory unit 33 stores information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21. As a result, the linear motor unit 21 holds information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21.
• Shape information is information about the shape of the linear motor unit 21, and indicates whether it is a straight type or a curved type. Shape information indicating a straight type is stored in the memory unit 33 of the transport path unit 11A.
• Each position sensor 25 is a sensor that detects magnetic fields, such as a Hall sensor or a magnetic resistance sensor. Each position sensor 25 detects the magnetic field of permanent magnet 41 or the magnetic field of permanent magnet 42.
• the position sensor 25 shown in Figure 2 is a Hall sensor equipped with two Hall elements. Each Hall element of the position sensor 25 converts the magnetic field into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal. The electrical signal output by each Hall element changes as the carriage 16 moves.
• the control unit 31 detects the position of the trolley 16 relative to the position sensor 25 based on the electrical signals from the position sensors 25. As a result, the control unit 31 obtains position sensor information that indicates the relative position of the trolley 16 with respect to the position sensor 25. The control unit 31 transmits the position sensor information obtained by each position sensor 25 to the controller 12 via the data communication line 14. Note that the data communication line 14 is not shown in Figure 2.
• the coil section 24 has multiple coils 20. When current flows through each coil 20, it generates a thrust that moves the carriage 16 due to interaction with the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnets 41. In this way, when current flows through each coil 20, it generates a thrust that moves the carriage 16.
• a linear motor section 21 multiple coils 20 are arranged in a linear direction.
• the coil section 24 of the transport path unit 11A has 12 coils 20.
• the number of coils 20 that the transport path unit 11A has is arbitrary.
• the transport path unit 11A only needs to have one or more coils 20.
• the current control unit 22 includes multiple current control devices 26 and a current control section 32 that controls each current control device 26. Each current control device 26 is connected to a coil 20. The current control device 26 connected to the coil 20 controls the current flowing through the coil 20. Each current control device 26 has the same configuration. In the example shown in Figure 2, the current control unit 22 of the transport path unit 11A includes 12 current control devices 26.
• An inverter circuit is connected to each coil 20.
• the inverter circuit converts the direct current supplied from the DC power supply 13 to the transport path unit 11A via the DC power bus 15 into alternating current.
• An alternating current flows through the coil 20.
• the inverter circuit also adjusts the current flowing through the coil 20.
• the inverter circuit is included in the current control device 26.
• a current sensor is connected to each coil 20 to detect the actual coil current value, which is the value of the current flowing through the coil 20.
• the current sensor outputs the detected actual coil current value to the current control device 26. Note that the inverter circuit, current sensor, and DC power bus 15 are not shown in Figure 2.
• the current command sent from the controller 12 to each conveying path unit 11 via the data communication line 14 is input to the current control unit 32 of each conveying path unit 11.
• the current control unit 32 outputs the current command value indicated in the current command to each current control device 26.
• the current control device 26 calculates the voltage value of the voltage to be applied to the coil 20 based on the current command value and the actual coil current value.
• the current control device 26 outputs a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal obtained by comparing the calculated voltage value with a triangular wave to the inverter circuit.
• the inverter circuit performs switching in accordance with the PWM signal, and a voltage is applied to the coil 20 to pass a current of the desired current value through the coil 20.
• PWM pulse width modulation
• each current control device 26 controls the current flowing through the coil 20.
• the current control device 26 may also calculate the voltage value of the voltage to be applied to the coil 20 by performing PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control of the voltage to be applied to the coil 20 based on the deviation between the current command value and the actual coil current value.
• PID Proportional Integral Differential
• the control unit 31 of the linear motor unit 21 transmits the configuration information stored in the memory unit 33 to the current control unit 32 of the current control unit 22.
• the current control unit 32 of the current control unit 22 acquires the configuration information from the linear motor unit 21 and, based on the acquired configuration information, selects from the multiple current control units 26 of the current control unit 22 a current control device 26 that controls the current flowing through the coil 20 of the linear motor unit 21.
• the current control unit 32 acquires the configuration information from the linear motor unit 21 and, based on the acquired configuration information, selects the current control device 26 to which the coil 20 is connected from all of the current control units 26 of the current control unit 22.
• one coil 20 is connected to each current control device 26.
• all of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are selected as current control devices 26 that control the current flowing through the coils 20 in the linear motor unit 21.
• all of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are used to control the current in the coils 20.
• Transport path units 11D, 11G, and 11H have the same configuration as transport path unit 11C, which will be described below.
• FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a curved transport path unit 11C included in the transport system 1 according to embodiment 1.
• FIG. 3 schematically shows the transport path unit 11C and one carriage 16 passing through the transport path unit 11C.
• a description of the configuration of the transport path unit 11C that is the same as that of the transport path unit 11A shown in FIG. 2 will be omitted.
• the curved transport path unit 11C has a curved linear motor section 21.
• the multiple coils 20 are arranged along a curve.
• Figure 3 the arrangement of the multiple coils 20 is shown as being arranged in a straight line.
• the memory section 33 of the transport path unit 11C stores configuration information indicating the curved shape.
• the coil section 24 of the transport path unit 11C has ten coils 20.
• the transport path unit 11C may have any number of coils 20.
• the transport path unit 11C may have one or more coils 20.
• the current control unit 22 of the transport path unit 11C has twelve current control devices 26.
• the current control unit 22 has 12 current control devices 26, while the linear motor section 21 has 10 coils 20. Of the 12 current control devices 26, 10 are connected to the coils 20. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 3, only 10 of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are selected as the current control devices 26 that control the current flowing through the coils 20 in the linear motor section 21. In the transport path unit 11C, only 10 of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are used to control the current in the coils 20, and the remaining two current control devices 26 are not used.
• the linear motor section 21 of the straight-type transport path unit 11 is provided with 12 coils 20.
• the memory section 33 of the straight-type transport path unit 11 stores configuration information indicating a straight type.
• the linear motor section 21 of the curved-type transport path unit 11 is provided with 10 coils 20.
• the memory section 33 of the curved-type transport path unit 11 stores configuration information indicating a curved type.
• the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 determines whether the linear motor section 21 is straight or curved based on the configuration information read out from the linear motor section 21.
• the current control unit 32 determines that the linear motor unit 21 is of a linear type, it selects twelve current control devices 26 connected to the coils 20 as the current control devices 26 to be used for controlling the current in the coils 20. If the current control unit 32 determines that the linear motor unit 21 is of a curved type, it selects ten current control devices 26 connected to the coils 20 as the current control devices 26 to be used for controlling the current in the coils 20.
• the shape information indicating a linear type indicates that the linear motor unit 21 has twelve coils 20. Furthermore, the shape information indicating a curved type indicates that the linear motor unit 21 has ten coils 20.
• the shape information which is information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21, can be said to include information indicating the number of coils 20 that the linear motor unit 21 has.
• the current control unit 32 recognizes the number of coils 20 that the linear motor unit 21 has from the shape information, and selects the current control devices 26 to be used for controlling the current in the coils 20.
• the current control unit 32 acquires configuration information from the linear motor unit 21, and based on the acquired configuration information, selects the current control device 26 to which the coil 20 is connected from among all the current control devices 26 that the current control unit 22 has.
• each of the current control units 22 in all of the transport path units 11 in the transport system 1 has 12 current control devices 26.
• the current control units 22 provided in multiple transport path units 11 each have the same number of current control devices 26.
• the configuration of the current control units 22 is standardized in all of the transport path units 11 in the transport system 1.
• the conveying system 1 includes a conveying path unit 11 having a linear motor unit 21 of a configuration other than a straight or curved configuration
• configuration information indicating the other configuration is stored in the memory unit 33 of the conveying path unit 11.
• the current control unit 32 reads out the configuration information indicating the other configuration, the current control unit 32 selects the number of current control devices 26 corresponding to the other configuration as the current control devices 26 to be used to control the current in the coil 20.
• each current control unit 22 will be equipped with N or more current control devices 26. This allows the transport system 1 to control the current flowing through all of the coils 20 in each transport path unit 11 using current control units 22 with a common configuration.
• N 12
• each current control unit 22 has 12 current control devices 26, but the number of current control devices 26 can be any number equal to or greater than N.
• the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 may determine the value of a parameter used to control the current flowing through each coil 20 of the linear motor section 21 based on the configuration information acquired from the control section 31 of the linear motor section 21. In this case, each current control device 26 of the current control unit 22 controls the current flowing through the coil 20 based on the parameter value determined by the current control section 32.
• the parameter whose value is determined based on the configuration information is a parameter whose value changes depending on the configuration of the linear motor section 21, such as an induced voltage constant, a threshold value for determining overcurrent, or a threshold value for determining overload.
• the parameter whose value is determined based on the configuration information may also be a control gain used for PID control.
• the current control section 32 maintains a relationship between the configuration information and the value of the parameter, and determines the value of the parameter from the configuration information based on this relationship. Note that the method by which the current control section 32 determines the value of the parameter from the configuration information is arbitrary.
• Each transport path unit 11 is assembled by connecting a linear motor unit 21 and a current control unit 22 to each other.
• the current control unit 22 can be separated from the linear motor unit 21.
• the control unit 31 is realized by a processing circuit.
• the processing circuit may be a circuit in which a processor executes software, or it may be a dedicated circuit.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a control circuit 50 according to embodiment 1.
• the control circuit 50 comprises an input unit 51, a processor 52, a memory 53, and an output unit 54.
• the input unit 51 is an interface circuit that receives data input from outside the control circuit 50 and provides it to the processor 52.
• the output unit 54 is an interface circuit that sends data from the processor 52 or memory 53 to outside the control circuit 50.
• the control unit 31 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.
• the software or firmware is written as a program and stored in memory 53.
• the processing circuit realizes the functions of the control unit 31 by having the processor 52 read and execute the program stored in memory 53.
• the processing circuit has memory 53 for storing the program that will result in the processing of the control unit 31 being executed. It can also be said that these programs cause the computer to execute the procedures and methods of the control unit 31.
• Processor 52 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
• Processor 52 may be a central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, processor, or DSP.
• Memory 53 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a minidisk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).
• Storage unit 33 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is realized by the non-volatile memory that constitutes memory 53.
• Figure 4 shows an example of hardware in which the control unit 31 is realized using a general-purpose processor 52 and memory 53, but the control unit 31 may also be realized using a dedicated hardware circuit.
• Figure 5 shows an example configuration of a dedicated hardware circuit 55 related to embodiment 1.
• the dedicated hardware circuit 55 includes an input unit 51, an output unit 54, and a processing circuit 56.
• the processing circuit 56 is a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these.
• the control unit 31 may be implemented by the processing circuit 56 on a function-by-function basis, or all functions may be implemented collectively by the processing circuit 56.
• the control unit 31 may also be implemented by combining the control circuit 50 and the hardware circuit 55.
• the current control section 32 is realized by a processing circuit.
• the processing circuit that realizes the current control section 32 has a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 shown in FIG. 4.
• the processing circuit that realizes the current control section 32 has a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55 shown in FIG. 5.
• the current control section 32 may be realized by combining a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 and a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55.
• the current control device 26 is also realized by a processing circuit.
• the processing circuit that realizes the current control device 26 has a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 shown in FIG. 4.
• the processing circuit that realizes the current control device 26 has a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55 shown in FIG. 5.
• the current control device 26 may also be realized by combining a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 and a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55.
• the controller 12 is realized by a processing circuit.
• the processing circuit that realizes the controller 12 has a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 shown in FIG. 4.
• the processing circuit that realizes the controller 12 has a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55 shown in FIG. 5.
• the controller 12 may also be realized by combining a configuration similar to that of the control circuit 50 and a configuration similar to that of the hardware circuit 55.
• the configuration information is stored in the memory unit 33 of the linear scale 23.
• the configuration information may be stored in a component of the linear motor unit 21 other than the linear scale 23.
• the configuration information may be stored in the coil unit 24.
• Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the current control unit 32 of the current control unit 22 in each transport path unit 11 of the transport system 1 according to embodiment 1.
• the procedure shown in Figure 6 is the processing procedure when the current control unit 22 is connected to the linear motor unit 21 and the transport path unit 11 is initially configured.
• step S1 the current control unit 32 requests the linear motor unit 21 to send configuration information.
• the control unit 31 of the linear motor unit 21 transmits the configuration information stored in the memory unit 33 to the current control unit 32.
• step S2 the current control unit 32 receives the configuration information.
• step S3 the current control unit 32 selects a current control device 26 that controls the current flowing through each coil 20 of the linear motor unit 21 based on the configuration information.
• step S4 the current control unit 32 determines the parameter values used to control the current flowing through each coil 20 of the linear motor unit 21 based on the configuration information. The current control unit 32 then completes the processing according to the procedure shown in FIG. 6.
• the configuration information may be information that indicates the configuration of the linear motor unit 21, and may be information different from the information described above.
• the configuration information may be information that indicates the length of the linear motor unit 21 in the direction in which the carriage 16 is moved.
• the current control unit 32 recognizes the number of coils 20 that the linear motor unit 21 has from the information that indicates the length of the linear motor unit 21, and selects the current control device 26 to be used for controlling the current of the coils 20.
• the configuration information may also be the board ID (identifier) of the board on which the coils 20 of the linear motor unit 21 are mounted. In this case, the current control unit 32 recognizes the number of coils 20 that the linear motor unit 21 has from the board ID, and selects the current control device 26 to be used for controlling the current of the coils 20.
• the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 is not limited to information stored in the linear motor section 21, as long as it is information that the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 can obtain from the linear motor section 21.
• the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 may be information obtained, for example, by applying a voltage to components provided in the linear motor section 21.
• two examples of obtaining information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 using resistors provided in the linear motor section 21 will be described.
• the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 measures the partial voltage of a resistor provided in the linear motor section 21 by applying a voltage to the resistor.
• the current control section 32 determines the configuration of the linear motor section 21 based on the measured partial voltage value.
• the current control section 32 acquires the partial voltage value, which is information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21, from the linear motor section 21.
• the current control section 32 holds a relationship between the configuration of the linear motor section 21 and the partial voltage value, and determines the configuration of the linear motor section 21 from the partial voltage value based on this relationship. Note that the method by which the current control section 32 determines the configuration of the linear motor section 21 from the partial voltage value is arbitrary.
• the current control unit 32 of the current control unit 22 has a terminal for determining the configuration of the linear motor unit 21.
• the resistor provided in the linear motor unit 21 is connected to a terminal of the current control unit 32.
• the resistor arrangement in the linear motor unit 21 is assumed to be pull-up or pull-down.
• the current control unit 32 passes current to the resistor in the linear motor unit 21.
• the current control unit 32 determines whether the resistor arrangement is pull-up or pull-down depending on whether the signal at the terminal is H (High) or L (Low).
• FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a transport path unit 11 included in a transport system 1 according to a modification of the first embodiment.
• the current control unit 22 of the linear transport path unit 11 has 12 current control devices 26, similar to the transport path unit 11A shown in FIG. 2.
• the current control unit 22 of the curved transport path unit 11 has 10 current control devices 26.
• the multiple transport path units 11 of the transport system 1 according to the modification include transport path units 11 having different numbers of current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22.
• Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of transport path unit 11C, which is a curved transport path unit 11.
• Transport path units 11D, 11G, and 11H have the same configuration as transport path unit 11C shown in Figure 7.
• the coil section 24 of the transport path unit 11C has ten coils 20. Also in the example shown in FIG. 7, the current control unit 22 of the transport path unit 11C has ten current control devices 26.
• the memory section 33 of the transport path unit 11C stores shape information indicating the curve type.
• the current control unit 22 has ten current control devices 26, and the linear motor section 21 has ten coils 20. All ten current control devices 26 are connected to the coils 20. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 7, all of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are selected as the current control devices 26 that control the current flowing through the coils 20 in the linear motor section 21. That is, in the transport path unit 11C, all of the current control devices 26 in the current control unit 22 are used to control the current in the coils 20.
• each current control unit 22 provided in the multiple transport path units 11 of the transport system 1 has the same number of current control devices 26.
• the configuration of the current control units 22 is common to all of the transport path units 11 of the transport system 1. In other words, only one type of current control unit 22 can be used for the transport path units 11. As a result, the manufacturing costs of the transport system 1 can be reduced compared to when current control units 22 with different numbers of current control devices 26 are applied to transport path units 11 of different configurations. If the current control units 22 are replaceable, one type of current control unit 22 can be used for all of the transport path units 11. As a result, the costs required for replacing the current control units 22 and the costs required for inventory management of the current control units 22 can be reduced.
• the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 includes information indicating the number of coils 20 that the linear motor section 21 has. This allows the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 to select the same number of current control devices 26 as the number of coils 20 that the linear motor section 21 has as the current control devices 26 to be used to control the current in the coils 20.
• the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 determines the value of a parameter used to control the current flowing through each coil 20 of the linear motor section 21, based on information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21.
• Each current control device 26 of the current control unit 22 controls the current flowing through the coil 20 based on the determined parameter value. This allows each transport path unit 11 to control the current flowing through each coil 20 according to the configuration of the linear motor section 21.
• the linear motor section 21 holds information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21.
• the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 can obtain information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 from the linear motor section 21.
• the current control unit 22 can be separated from the linear motor unit 21. If only one of the linear motor unit 21 or the current control unit 22 in a transport path unit 11 fails, it is possible to replace just the failed unit. This reduces the cost required to restore a transport path unit 11 from failure.
• Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the controller 12 acquires information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21, and calculates the configuration of the transport path 10 based on information acquired from each of the plurality of transport path units 11.
• the transport system 1 according to the second embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the transport system 1 according to the first embodiment.
• the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and operations different from those in the first embodiment will be mainly described.
• FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing steps executed by the controller 12 of the transport system 1 according to embodiment 2. The steps shown in FIG. 8 are the processing steps when the controller 12 is connected to each transport path unit 11 of the transport system 1 and the controller 12 is initially configured.
• the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 is not limited to form information indicating the form of the linear motor section 21. Furthermore, the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 is not limited to information stored in the linear motor section 21, as long as it is information that the controller 12 and the current control section 32 of the current control unit 22 can acquire from the linear motor section 21.
• the information indicating the configuration of the linear motor section 21 may be, for example, information acquired by applying a voltage to components provided in the linear motor section 21.
• the controller 12 acquires information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21 from each of the linear motor units 21 of the multiple transport path units 11, and calculates the configuration of the transport path 10 based on the information acquired from each of the multiple transport path units 11.
• the controller 12 When the controller 12 is connected to each transport path unit 11 of the transport system 1 and initial settings are made for the controller 12, the controller 12 automatically sets the configuration of the transport path 10. This simplifies the input operations for initial settings for the controller 12.
• Embodiment 3 an example will be described in which the controller 12 acquires information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21, calculates the configuration of the conveying path 10 based on the acquired information, and compares the calculated configuration of the conveying path 10 with the configuration of the conveying path 10 stored in the controller 12.
• the same components as those in the first or second embodiment above are assigned the same reference numerals, and the description will mainly focus on configurations that differ from those in the first or second embodiment.
• Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a transport system 60 according to embodiment 3.
• the transport system 60 includes multiple transport path units 11A-11H, a DC power supply 13, carts 16A, 16B, and 16C, and a controller 61.
• the controller 61 controls each of the multiple transport path units 11. Similar to the controller 12 shown in FIG. 1, the controller 61 is connected to each transport path unit 11 via the data communication line 14.
• the controller 61 has a memory unit 62.
• the memory unit 62 stores information indicating the overall shape of the transport path 10.
• the controller 61 performs settings regarding the arrangement of each of the multiple transport path units 11. As a result of this setting, configuration information indicating the configuration of the transport path 10, which is information indicating the overall shape of the transport path 10, is stored in the memory unit 62. Note that this setting is performed, for example, by an input operation into the controller 61 by the user of the transport system 60.
• the controller 61 acquires configuration information, which is information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21, from the linear motor unit 21 of each of the multiple transport path units 11.
• the controller 61 calculates the configuration of the transport path 10 based on the configuration information acquired from each of the multiple transport path units 11, and compares the calculated configuration of the transport path 10 with configuration information indicating the configuration of the transport path 10 stored in the memory unit 62 of the controller 61.
• the controller 61 compares the shape of the transport path 10 calculated based on the configuration information with the shape of the transport path 10 indicated in the configuration information stored in the memory unit 62.
• the controller 61 outputs an alarm if the configuration of the transport path 10 calculated based on the configuration information does not match the configuration of the transport path 10 indicated in the configuration information stored in the memory unit 62.
• FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing steps executed by the controller 61 of the transport system 60 according to embodiment 3. The steps shown in FIG. 10 are the processing steps when the controller 61 is connected to each transport path unit 11 of the transport system 60 during initial setup of the transport system 60 or maintenance of the transport system 60.
• step S21 the controller 61 requests each transport path unit 11 to send configuration information, which is information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21.
• configuration information which is information indicating the configuration of the linear motor unit 21.
• the control unit 31 of the linear motor unit 21 sends the configuration information stored in the memory unit 33 to the controller 61.
• step S22 the controller 61 receives the shape information.
• the controller 61 identifies each transport path unit 11 based on the order in which the transport path units 11 are arranged in the forward direction, and associates the received shape information with each transport path unit 11.
• the controller 61 obtains the shape information associated with the order of each transport path unit 11.
• step S24 the controller 61 notifies the user of the transport system 60 that the configuration of the transport path 10 calculated based on the morphology information differs from the configuration indicated by the configuration information stored in the controller 61.
• step S24 the controller 61 ends the processing according to the procedure shown in FIG. 10.

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• Control Of Linear Motors (AREA)

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• 2024
  • 2024-02-22 JP JP2024543568A patent/JP7665874B1/ja active Active
  • 2024-02-22 WO PCT/JP2024/006572 patent/WO2025177540A1/ja active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-04-09 JP JP2025064318A patent/JP2025129066A/ja active Pending

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