1024results about "Non-mechanical conveyors" patented technology

A substrate transfer apparatus includes a guide rail, a carrier, a magnetic levitation unit, and a transferring unit. The guide rail is in a vacuum evacuable chamber. The carrier may carry a substrate and may be linearly movable along the guide rail. The magnetic levitation unit is configured to generate a magnetic levitation force between the guide rail and the carrier. The transferring unit is configured to generate a momentum for linearly transferring the carrier and includes a plurality of first transferring magnetic material members on an upper surface of the carrier, a plurality of second transferring magnetic material members over the carrier and spaced apart from the first transferring magnetic material members, and a plurality of containers in which the plurality of second transferring magnetic material members is respectively disposed.

The invention relates to a system and a method for performing a manufacturing operation at a predetermined position relative to a first path. The system includes a plurality of first elements mounted for movement relative to the first path. The first elements have a plurality of motion parameters which are independently controllable. Active elements are operatively associated with reactive elements to produce relative movement between the first elements and the first path, with the active elements controlling the relative movement. A controller controls the activation of the active elements and a first tool is associated with each first element for performing at least part of the manufacturing operation. The system may also include at least one second element and a second path. The method includes the steps of mounting a plurality of first carriages for movement relative to a first path, operatively associating a plurality of active elements with at least one reactive element to produce relative movement between the first carriages and the path, associating a first tool with each first carriage for performing at least part of the manufacturing process, and controlling the activation of the active elements.

Aspects of the invention provide a transport system powered by short block Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs). The use of short blocks allows vehicles to move under precise control even when they are in close proximity to each other. The design allows the vehicles to be propelled and guided while negotiating sharp turns and negotiating merge and diverge switches. A coreless LSM can be used to create propulsive force without attractive force so as to allow a relatively high drag vehicle suspension, such as a vehicle sliding on a smooth surface.

A food preparation system and method that partially automates the ordering, preparation, and delivery of food items such as pizza. The food preparation system broadly comprising an ordering or point-of-sale station, a computing device, a conveyor system, at least one food preparation station, at least one heating station, a transfer station, a delivery station including at least one delivery device, and an entry / exit station.

Aspects of the invention provide a transport system powered by short block Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs). The use of short blocks allows vehicles to move under precise control even when they are in close proximity to each other. The design allows the vehicles to be propelled and guided while negotiating sharp turns and negotiating merge and diverge switches. A coreless LSM can be used to create propulsive force without attractive force so as to allow a relatively high drag vehicle suspension, such as a vehicle sliding on a smooth surface.

Disclosed are magnetic conveyor systems and apparatus having a magnetic coupling with a housing and moveable magnet therein. The moveable magnet is substantially constrained in one dimension and adapted to move in another. The moveable magnet is adapted to magnetically couple with an attracting portion of a sample rack and move the rack along a conveying surface. Ease of transfer of sample racks is provided while minimizing spillage from the open sample containers therein. Method of operating the conveyor system are provided, as are other aspects.

A conveyor for a pouch-filling machine has an endless track with a working stretch and a return stretch extending from a downstream end of the working stretch to an upstream end of the working stretch. A plurality of carriages each carrying at least one permanent magnet and a clamp ride on the track for movement through the stations on the working stretch and for movement from the downstream end of the working stretch along the return stretch back to the upstream end of the working stretch. An array of electromagnets on the track only along the working stretch and an electronic controller connected to the electromagnets together constitute a frequency-controlled linear direct drive that advances the carriages downstream through the working stretch while varying the travel speeds of at least half of the carriages in the working stretch. A mechanical or frequency-driven conveyor is provided in the return stretch.

The invention relates to a transporting apparatus for transporting products, which includes a linear drive mechanism, a continuous conveyor system, having two parallel straight conveyor regions and two curved conveyor regions each connecting one end of the straight conveyor regions, and a plurality of conveyor elements. The conveyor elements extend along the continuous conveyor system and convey the products to be conveyed along at least a portion of the conveyor system while being guided along a guide path. The linear drive mechanism includes a first linear segment and a second linear segment, which are disposed parallel to the straight conveyor regions. The curved conveyor regions of the conveyor system are advantageously embodied as driveless.

A packaging system and method for receiving articles from a first location, such as a product delivery system, transporting the articles to a second location for unloading the articles such that they are placed in a desired orientation and number of columns, rows, and stacks.

A linear motor control apparatus has: a plurality of coil units; a plurality of position detecting units for detecting positions of a plurality of trucks which move over the plurality of coil units; a plurality of deviation calculating units for operating deviation information as differences between the detected truck positions and a target position of the detected truck; a plurality of position control units for operating current control signals based on the deviation information; a plurality of current control units for supplying driving currents to the coil units based on the current control signals; and a switching unit for switching the position control units to which the deviation information is transmitted or switching the current control units to which the current control signals are transmitted.

The modular conveyor system comprises N interconnected track sections, forming a continuous track, wherein each track section features a plurality of individually controlled coils stretching along the length thereof. Plural pallets, each having thrust producing magnets, travel independently alone the track. The track also comprises multiple linear encoder readers spaced at fixed positions therealong, and each pallet includes a linear encoder strip having a length R greater than the spacing E between the readers. Track section controllers associate the encoder strips with only one reader at any time in order to resolve the position of the pallets based on the fixed position of the readers and the relative positions of the strips in relation thereto. The section controllers also regulate and commutate the coils of the corresponding track sections in order to independently control each pallet. Communication links interface adjacent section controllers situated in adjacent track sections. The electromagnetic structure and distributed control architecture of the conveyor system enable it to independently control multiple practical pallets yet be constructed out of modular track sections, with little practical restriction on the length of the conveyor system or the number of pallets controlled thereby.

A conveying apparatus includes: a housing; a movable member; a linear motor; and a cover. The linear motor includes a primary magnetic pole and a secondary magnetic pole each having a facing surface that faces the other and that is a plane along the longitudinal direction of the housing. The cover allows the primary magnetic pole to be located in an atmospheric environment, and the secondary magnetic pole to be located in a vacuum environment or a reduced pressure environment by separating the primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole from each other. The primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole face each other so that a direction of a magnetic attraction force generated therebetween and acting on their facing surfaces is different from directions of forces acting, due to an atmospheric pressure outside the housing, on the wall of the housing on which the cover is provided.

The invention relates to a transporting apparatus for transporting products, which includes a linear drive mechanism, a continuous conveyor system, having two parallel straight conveyor regions and two curved conveyor regions each connecting one end of the straight conveyor regions, and a plurality of conveyor elements. The conveyor elements extend along the continuous conveyor system and convey the products to be conveyed along at least a portion of the conveyor system while being guided along a guide path. The linear drive mechanism includes a first linear segment and a second linear segment, which are disposed parallel to the straight conveyor regions. The curved conveyor regions of the conveyor system are advantageously embodied as driveless.

Disclosed is a linear transport device. A platform car of the linear transport device is detachably mounted on a rail fixed to a base in an opposing direction along which the platform car faces the mounting surface of the base. A linear motor that drives the platform car is provided. The linear motor includes a stator disposed on the base and a mover disposed on the platform car so as to face the stator. One of the stator and the mover is a permanent magnet, and the other is an electromagnet. A relative position variable mechanism for relatively displacing the stator and the mover so as to reduce the magnetic suction force generated between the stator and the mover is provided.

A food preparation system and method that partially automates the ordering, preparation, and delivery of food items such as pizza. The food preparation system broadly comprising an ordering or point-of-sale station, a computing device, a conveyor system, at least one food preparation station, at least one heating station, a transfer station, a delivery station including at least one delivery device, and an entry / exit station.

A sorting system includes trolleys traveling along a path between respective stations for loading and unloading items in a direction transversely of the direction of travel of the trolleys. Each station includes an inductor for generating a variable magnetic induction field which is sensed by a detecting mechanism, such as an antenna, disposed on the trolley. In response to the magnetic induction field being detected, a loading / unloading device on the trolley (e.g., an endless belt) is actuated to load or unload items.

Present embodiments include a linear drive transport system. The system includes a plurality of fixed tracks and a junction track disposed on a conveyor configured to align the junction track with each of the plurality of fixed tracks. The plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track include one of electromagnetic coils or permanent magnets arranged in series along the respective plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track. Further, present embodiments include a plurality of movers configured to move along the fixed tracks and configured to transition between each of the plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track when aligned, wherein the movers comprise the other of the electromagnetic coils or the permanent magnets.

The caterpillar track for magnetic adsorption type wall-climbing robot comprises changeable magentic adsorption units, chain, driving and driven chain wheels, shifting wheel, chain wheel axles, strainer and connecting plate, in which several changeable magnetic adsorption units are arranged according to the polarization direction of magnetic poles and the shifting bar positions are uniformly alternatively arranged on the chain, four shifting wheels and driving and driven chain wheels are coaxially mounted on the chain wheel axles, and the axial position of shifting wheel is defined by regulating sleeve. The maximum adsorption force of the invented adsorption unit can be up to 25 kgf, and the minimum adsorption force of adsorption unit of caterpillar track when it is separated from wall surface is 0.9 kfg.

The invention relates to a transferring device, which includs a transferring rail with a fork part forking to the first direction and the second direction, a transport vehicle moving along the transferring rail, the device is characterized in that it includes a first direction magnetic guidance part set on the one side of the fork part for guiding the transport vehicle moving to the first direction; a second direction magnetic guidance part set on the other side of the fork part for guiding the transport vehicle moving to the second direction; a pair of magnetic induction guidance plates set on the lateral face of the transport vehicle and corresponding to the first direction magnetic guidance part and the second direction magnetic guidance part, the moving path of the fork part of the transport vehicle is guided by magnetising certain one switching on voltage of the first direction magnetic guidance part and the second direction magnetic guidance part. Hereby, the moving path of the transport vehicle is changed rapidity and steadily on the fork part of the transport vehicle.

A laboratory sample distribution system (100) comprises: a number of container carriers (1), said container carriers each comprising at least one magnetically active device, preferably at least one permanent magnet, and being adapted to carry a sample container (3) containing a sample, a transport plane (4) being adapted to carry said multiple container carriers, a number of electro-magnetic actuators being stationary arranged below said transport plane, said electro-magnetic actuators being adapted to move a container carrier on top of said transport plane by applying a magnetic force to said container carrier, and at least one transfer device (33) being arranged to transfer a Sample-Item, said Sample-Item being a container carrier, a sample container, part of the sample and / or the complete sample, between said transport plane and a laboratory station (22), preferably a pre-analytical, an analytical and / or a post-analytical station.

A controlled motion system having a plurality of movers controlled as they travel along both smart and simple sections of a track. The controlled motion system comprises a control system for controlling the speed of a mover as it travels along a simple section, and permits the pitch or distance between movers to increase or decrease as they travel along a simple section. In a preferred embodiment the controlled motion system includes at least one coupling feature having a driving feature on a simple section for engaging and operably driving a driven feature on each mover such that positive control of each mover is maintained throughout its transition from a smart section to a simple section.

A linear controlled motion system comprises a track formed from one or more track sections and having at least one mover mounted to the track and effective for receiving articles at one location and transporting the articles to another location. The system includes at least one magnetic linear motion motor for providing a magnetic field effective for moving each mover in a controlled motion along the track and a magnetic flux bridge for reducing changes in the magnetic flux that reduces the efficiency or interferes with the operation of the controlled motion system.

A method for adapting motion profiles of a plurality of individually controllable transport elements for transporting containers in a container treatment system along a transport path, wherein the plurality of transport elements are movably arranged along the transport path, the method includes the following steps: determining a treatment state of at least one container carried along by a first transport element, and / or determining an operational state of at least one first container treatment unit which is arranged downstream with respect to a position of the first transport element along the transport path, wherein the first transport element is moved by an open- and / or closed-loop control unit of the container treatment system as part of a stream of transport elements, and wherein the motion profile of the first transport element is adapted by the open- and / or closed-loop control unit in response to the determined treatment state and / or the determined operational state.

Present embodiments include a linear drive transport system. The system includes a plurality of fixed tracks and a junction track disposed on a conveyor configured to align the junction track with each of the plurality of fixed tracks. The plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track include one of electromagnetic coils or permanent magnets arranged in series along the respective plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track. Further, present embodiments include a plurality of movers configured to move along the fixed tracks and configured to transition between each of the plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track when aligned, wherein the movers comprise the other of the electromagnetic coils or the permanent magnets.

A method for transporting a substrate is provided. In this method, a non-Newtonian fluid is provided and the substrate is suspended in the non-Newtonian fluid. The non-Newtonian fluid is capable of supporting the substrate. Thereafter, a supply force is applied on the non-Newtonian fluid to cause the non-Newtonian fluid to flow, whereby the flow is capable of moving the substrate along a direction of the flow. Apparatuses and systems for transporting the substrate using the non-Newtonian fluid also are described.

The transport device for conveying products comprises at least one pair of movable slides and an endless guide rail for guiding the at least one pair of slides, one behind the other, in a variable conveying direction. A linear motor drive device serves to drive the at least one pair of slides. A retaining element is provided on each of the two slides, wherein the retaining elements of the first slide and of the second slide form a product receiving space between them. The retaining elements on the first and second slides are each rotatably supported around a rotational axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the variable conveying direction. At least one connecting element is provided to connect the retaining elements of the first and second slides together in such a way that the relative orientation of the retaining elements to each other is determined.

A transport system comprising linear motor modules utilized both straight and curved track modules, with movers displaced on the track modules by control of power applied to coils of the modules. Curved track modules have modified spline geometries to provide desired acceleration and jerk characteristics. The modified spline geometries may be defined by more than one generators, such as an equation generator and a spline fit between the equation-generated segment and one or more constrained points or locations. The curved track modules may be divided into 180 degree modules, or may be reduced to 90 degree, 45 degree or other fractional arcs to provide for modular assembly, mirror-image geometries and motion profiles, and the like. The system may be adapted to provide improved motion characteristics based on modification of a conventional spline geometry.

A sorting system includes trolleys traveling along a path between respective stations for loading and unloading items in a direction transversely of the direction of travel of the trolleys. Each station includes an inductor for generating a variable magnetic induction field which is sensed by a detecting mechanism, such as an antenna, disposed on the trolley. In response to the magnetic induction field being detected, a loading / unloading device on the trolley (e.g., an endless belt) is actuated to load or unload items.

The invention relates to a feeding device for feeding products (12a-k) and / or stacks of products (14a-k) to a packaging process of a packaging machine (16a, 16d-k), in particular of a horizontal tube packaging machine, comprising a guide unit (22a-k) which is disposed as a closed loop (18a, 18c-k) and on which a plurality of arranged conveyor elements (22a-k) are arranged so as to be drivable mutually independently in a speed- and / or position-controlled manner at least along at least one working section (24a, 24c-d, 24f-k) of the guide unit (20a-d, 20f-k). At least one conveyor element (22a-k) has a holder (26a-k), and at least one conveyor element (22a-k) that follows contrary to a conveying direction (28a, 28c-k) has a counter holder (30a-k).