Levitation control apparatus for levitated object

Abstract

To provide a floating device for a floating body capable of smoothly taking off and floating the floating body from a state where the floating body is placed on a stage plane, smoothly landing the floating body, and arbitrarily adjusting and controlling the floating height of the floating body (object).SOLUTION: This floating device has a floating body, a floating means for floating the floating body from the lower side by repulsive force of magnetic force, and an attracting means for attracting the floating body directly downward against the repulsive force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a levitation control device for a levitating body that levitates an object in the air by utilizing the repulsive force of magnetic force. [Background technology]

[0002] Until now, a completely non-contact magnetic levitation system has been considered impossible in a static magnetic field due to Earnshaw's theorem. However, the above theorem does not necessarily apply to non-static moving objects (rotating objects, etc.), and spinning top-type toys have been realized. Furthermore, since superconducting materials are theoretically diamagnetic, magnetic levitation and magnetic suspension can be easily realized. In recent years, interior products such as globes, speakers, and lighting fixtures have been sold that float in the air using the repulsive levitation effect of magnetic force and magnetic field sensors to adjust and control the electromagnetic field. However, in all of these methods, the position at which the product floats in the air due to the magnetic repulsive force is determined by the weight balance of the product, so the product must be accurately positioned by hand or other means to float, and even a slight deviation in position can cause the product to be attracted by the surrounding magnets and fall, posing a technical challenge. Furthermore, when the power supply that controls the electromagnetic field is turned off, the product is attracted to the powerful surrounding magnets that cause it to levitate, making it impossible to place the product in the center.

[0003] Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, a through hole is provided in the center of the product and a vertical shaft is placed in this through hole to prevent lateral movement, making the product appear to be floating in the air.

[0004] The present applicant has previously proposed a magnetic levitation control device that improves the start-up stability when levitating an object (Patent Document 2). The present invention was arrived at after studying how to control the levitation of a levitating body (object) with an even simpler configuration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 039540 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-113394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to solve the technical problems described above, the present invention aims to provide a levitation device for a levitation body that can smoothly take off and float from a state in which the levitation body is placed on a flat stage, or conversely, smoothly land, which has been previously thought to be impossible, and that can arbitrarily adjust and control the levitation height of the levitation body (object). [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The levitation control device for a levitating body according to the present invention is characterized by having a levitating body, levitation means for levitating the levitating body from below by magnetic repulsive force, and attraction means for attracting the levitating body directly downward against the repulsive force.

[0008] The present invention is characterized in that an attraction means is provided for attracting the floating body downward to prevent the floating body, which is floated by the repulsive force of magnetic force, from shifting sideways or the like and becoming unstable. Therefore, it is preferable that the attracting means be provided along the Z-axis center line of the levitation body.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the levitation body has a magnet directly or indirectly, the levitation means has a plurality of magnets arranged concentrically to generate a repulsive force in the levitation direction on the levitation body, and the attraction means is an attraction coil whose magnetic force for attraction can be adjusted. If the attraction means is an electromagnet made up of a coil that generates a magnetic force to attract the levitation body downward, the attractive force can be varied by controlling the current value. For example, when the levitation body is maintained in a descending state, it is attracted with a strong magnetic force, and when it starts to levitate, the magnetic force in the attracting direction is gradually weakened, and it begins to rise stably. Furthermore, the levitation height of the levitation body can be variably adjusted by adjusting the magnetic force in the attracting direction.

[0010] The above invention stabilizes the levitating body by attracting it from directly below using the repulsive force of magnetic force, but it is also possible to adjust the distribution of the magnetic field lines of the repulsive force caused by the base magnet using a magnetic field adjustment coil. More specifically, it has a base magnet or a ring-shaped base magnet consisting of multiple magnets arranged concentrically, multiple magnetic field adjustment coils arranged inside the base magnet, and a levitation control means arranged in the center of the multiple magnetic field adjustment coils, and is characterized in that the levitation body is arranged above the levitation control means, and the lower end of the levitation body is an opposite pole to the base pole on the upper end. Here, the expression "counter pole portion on the lower end" in relation to the base pole on the upper end means that, for example, if the base pole is a north pole, the counter pole portion will be a south pole, and conversely, if the base pole is a south pole, the counter pole portion will be a north pole.

[0011] Here, the base magnet refers to a so-called permanent magnet made using a ferromagnetic material, and examples include neodymium magnets, alnico magnets, and ferrite magnets, but neodymium magnets are preferred because they are small and can produce strong magnetic force. Furthermore, the plurality of magnetic field adjusting coils arranged inside the base magnet form a magnetic field together with the base magnet, and the distribution of the magnetic lines of force and the magnetic flux density can be varied. It also has a function for adjusting the position of the levitation body. The base magnet is arranged so as to concentrically surround the inner magnetic field adjusting coils and the levitation control means arranged in the center. Therefore, for example, 3 to 12 small magnets may be used and arranged concentrically, or a ring-shaped magnet with a hollow center may be used.

[0012] In this way, the base magnet formed in a ring shape and the magnetic field adjustment coil interact with each other to form a magnetic field consisting of a doughnut ring-shaped distribution of magnetic lines of force. By selecting the direction of the magnetic field perpendicular to the magnetic field (magnetic field line distribution) and the magnetic field line distribution formed by the levitation body, a levitation force acts on the levitation body. The levitation body itself may be the object to be levitated in the air, or the object to be levitated may be placed on the levitation body.

[0013] In the present invention, the levitation control means may be a magnetic body that can be controlled to rise and fall. When a magnetic body is used as a levitation control means, the mutual magnetic force between the magnetic body and the levitating body can be varied by raising the magnetic body in a direction closer to the lower end of the levitating body, or lowering it in a direction away from the lower end of the levitating body.When the upper end of the magnetic body is brought close to the lower end of the levitating body, the magnetic body will attract the opposing pole of the levitating body, and if a case or the like is provided that allows magnetic force to pass between the levitating body and the magnetic body, the case will place the magnetic body on the stage plane, and when the magnetic body is lowered, the attractive force with the levitating body will weaken, and the object will rise smoothly due to the repulsive force between the magnetic field formed by the base magnet and magnetic field adjustment coil and the magnetic field formed by the levitating body. Here, the magnetic material may be either a ferromagnetic material such as a permanent magnet or a soft magnetic material such as iron.

[0014] In the present invention, the levitation control means may be an electromagnetic coil. In this way, by energizing the electromagnetic coil, an S pole or an N pole is formed at the upper end, and it is possible to apply a levitation force or an attractive force to the levitation body. The electromagnetic coil may also be composed of a core material made of a magnetic substance and a coil. Here, the core material may be iron or other magnetic material.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable to have a position sensor that detects the position of the levitation body, and a position control means that feeds back information from the position sensor to the magnetic field adjusting coil and / or levitation control means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] In the present invention, an electromagnet is arranged to apply a repulsive force to the levitation body and attract it directly below the center of a plurality of concentrically arranged magnets that cause levitation. As a result, the repulsive magnetic force acts on the periphery while attracting the levitation body directly below the center, and the levitation height of the levitation body can be controlled simply by adjusting the attractive force at the center. Furthermore, in the present invention, if a stage plane is formed above the levitation device using a case or the like, even when the coil of the levitation control means is in the OFF state and not energized, the levitation body will be stably placed on the stage plane due to the magnetic force acting in the mutually attracting direction between the magnetic body located in the center of the levitation device and the opposing pole part consisting of the N pole or S pole at the bottom end of the levitation body. In response to this, the magnetic body can be lowered to separate it from the levitation body, and the repulsive or attractive force to the levitation body can be adjusted by changing the direction and magnitude of the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil. This control of the current flow allows the levitation body to take off and land smoothly, and also makes it easy to adjust the levitation height. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 shows a configuration example of a levitation control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view of the levitation body in a levitated state. [Figure 3] An example using a bell as a levitation body is shown below. [Figure 4] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a levitation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] (a) shows the state where the levitating body is placed on the stage plane, and (b) shows the state where it is levitated in the air. [Figure 6] The figure shows (a) the state in which the levitation body is placed after the levitation control coil is turned off, and (b) the state in which the levitation body is raised after the current is turned on. [Figure 7] 1 shows example images of an object placed on a stage plane (a) and levitated (b) using a levitation device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration example of a levitation device according to a first embodiment. In this embodiment, eight magnets (11a to 11h) are arranged concentrically around the outer periphery of the substrate 10, but there is no limit to the number as long as it is four or more. These eight ring-shaped magnets are also called base magnets. Inside the coil, four position control coils (12a to 12d) are concentrically arranged, each of which is an electromagnetic coil having an iron core (13a to 13d). At the center of the inside thereof, there is an attraction coil 15 made of an electromagnet for exerting an attractive force on the levitation body. In this embodiment, a shield wall 16 is provided to surround the attraction coil 15, thereby shielding it from the surrounding magnetic field. Also, on the upper surface of the substrate 10, a first position sensor 14a and a second position sensor 14b, each of which is a magnetic sensor, are provided.

[0019] Figure 2 shows the state in which the levitation body is levitated. The levitation control device is illustrated with elements corresponding to the state in which magnets 11a and 11e are arranged in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the levitation body 20 is an example in which a relatively large disk-shaped north pole is attached to a relatively small disk-shaped south pole, but either the SN pole or the NS pole may be arranged vertically. When the magnets 11a to 11h are arranged concentrically on the upper surface of the substrate 10 so that their upper surfaces form north poles, the position control coil iron core is affected by the magnetic field and its upper surface becomes a south pole. As a result, the large disk-shaped north pole of the levitation body 20 receives the repulsive force of the outer concentric magnets (11a to 10h), and the small disk-shaped south pole receives the repulsive force from the south poles on the upper surface of the four position control coils, resulting in the levitation body being levitated by a total repulsive force f1. An attractive coil 15 made of an electromagnet is disposed in the center of the substrate 10, and the strength of the attractive force f0 can be varied by controlling the value of the current. When the downward attractive force is increased, the levitation body 20 descends, and when the attractive force is decreased, the levitation body 20 is levitated by the repulsive force of the surrounding magnets.

[0020] Two magnetic sensors, a first position sensor 14a and a second position sensor 14b, are arranged on the upper surface of the substrate 10. These sensors detect the position of the levitation body 20, and if the levitation body 20 is about to shift sideways from the center, the position information is fed back to four position control coils. By mutually adjusting the values ​​of the currents applied to the four position control coils, it is possible to correct the positional shift of the levitation body 20 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. In this embodiment, a cylindrical shield wall 16 is provided to surround the attraction coil 15 so that the attraction coil 15 is not affected by the surrounding magnetic field.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows an example in which a bell 21 is placed as a levitation body on a base portion 21a made of a magnet. In this case, a magnet may be built into the bottom of the bell 21. Furthermore, the floating body is not limited to a bell, and various other products may be used.

[0022] FIG. 4(a) shows an example of the configuration of a levitation device as the second embodiment, and FIG. 4(b) shows a side view of the same. In this embodiment, eight cylindrical neodymium magnets 11a to 11h are arranged concentrically on the upper surface of the substrate 10, etc., and four magnetic field adjustment coils 112a to 112d are arranged inside the base magnet.Furthermore, a levitation control coil 115 is arranged below the center of the central part as a levitation control means. The levitation control means may be only core material 115a made of a magnetic material, or only coil 115b without a core material. There is no limit to the number of magnets, as long as it is three or more. The base magnet can be replaced with a ring-shaped magnet or an electromagnet. For ease of understanding, only the magnets 11a and 11e and the magnetic field adjusting coils 112a and 112c are shown in the side view of FIG. 4(b), and the rest are omitted. In contrast to the position control coils 12a to 12d of the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, they are expressed as magnetic field adjustment coils in the sense that they also contribute to adjusting the distribution of magnetic field lines in the magnetic field in combination with the magnets 11a to 11h. Unlike the position control coils 12a to 12d in the first embodiment, these coils are referred to as magnetic field adjustment coils because they also contribute to adjusting the distribution of magnetic lines of force in combination with a base magnet.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view, and for ease of explanation, magnet 11a and magnet 11e are shown as representative base magnets, but magnets 11a to 11h are actually arranged concentrically in a ring shape. In this embodiment, the magnets 11a to 11h are arranged so that their upper surfaces are N poles, and the levitation body 120 is arranged above the center. In this example, the levitation body 120 is configured so that the bottom end side is the south pole and the top end side is the north pole. In this embodiment, a cylindrical counter electrode 122 having an outer diameter smaller than that of the base electrode 121 is provided so as to protrude downward from the center of the lower surface of the disk-shaped base electrode 121 . The levitation body 120 has a so-called egg-shaped distribution of magnetic lines of force, and there are no limitations on its structure or shape as long as the direction of the magnetic field is vertical. In addition, in this embodiment, the upper end side of the base magnet is made an N pole, so correspondingly the base pole 121 of the levitation body 120 is made an N pole and the opposite pole part is made an S pole, but if the upper end side of the base magnet is made an S pole, the poles of the levitation body 120 will also be reversed accordingly, with the base pole 121 becoming an S pole and the opposite pole part 121 becoming an N pole.

[0024] FIG. 5 shows an example in which a case body 30 made of paper or resin through which magnetic lines of force pass is provided above the levitation device, and an external image of this case is shown in FIG. The upper surface of this case body 30 corresponds to the stage plane. In this state, the levitation body 120 is placed directly above the electromagnetic coil provided as the levitation control coil 115 .

[0025] The levitation control coil 115 is composed of a core material 115a and a coil 115b with a copper wire wound around the core material 115a. The operation when the current to coil 115b is turned off and no magnetic field is generated by the coil will be described. In this case, only the core material 115a without the coil 115b may be used. The levitation body is placed on the upper surface of the flat surface of the stage by the attractive force generated between the magnetic force of the counter pole part 122 protruding from the lower side of the levitation body 120 and the core material 115a. In this state, when the core material 115a is lowered, the attractive force with the counter pole part 122 weakens, and the levitation body begins to rise due to the levitation force caused by the magnetic field formed by the base magnet and the magnetic field adjusting coil. Conversely, when the core material 115a is raised, the attracting force between the core material 115a and the counter electrode portion 122 of the levitation body 120 causes the levitation body 120 to slowly land.

[0026] Next, FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which the height of the core material 115a is adjusted with the power turned off so that the levitation body is placed on the upper surface of the case. In this state, when current is passed through coil 115b so that the upper end side of core material 115a becomes the same S pole as the S pole of counter electrode portion 22, the core material 115a begins to rise slowly due to the repulsive force between the S pole on the upper end side and the S pole of the counter electrode portion of levitation body 120. This allows the flying height to be controlled by controlling the current value. In this embodiment, a magnetic field consisting of a doughnut-shaped magnetic line distribution is formed by a base magnet consisting of eight magnets 11a to 11h and four magnetic field adjustment coils 112a to 112d arranged inside it, and a levitation force is generated in the levitation body 120 due to interaction with the magnetic field formed by the egg-shaped magnetic line distribution formed by the levitation body 120. Therefore, the position sensor 114, which is shown schematically by dotted lines in Figures 5 and 6, detects the XY axis coordinates of the levitation body 120 and feeds back the results to the current control unit for the four magnetic field adjustment coils 112a to 112d, making it possible to control the position of the levitation body 120. Furthermore, the position sensor 114 can detect the coordinate in the Z-axis direction and feed it back to the levitation control coil 115 to control the height. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, an example is shown in which a drive unit 17 is provided to control the raising and lowering of the core material 115a, but the core material 115a and coil 115b may also be controlled to rise and fall together, and there are no restrictions on the control mechanism, and the vertical position of only the core material 115a or the entire levitation control coil 115 may be controlled based on position sensor information. Furthermore, each of the four magnetic field adjustment coils has a control unit that allows it to adjust its magnetic force independently, and by adjusting the mutual magnetic forces of the four coils, it is possible to adjust the strength of the magnetic field due to the mutual distribution of magnetic lines of force with the base magnet, as well as the distribution in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, thereby positioning the levitation body 120. As long as the position sensor can detect the XYZ axis coordinates of the levitation body 120, there are no restrictions on the placement position or detection means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 10 Substrate 11a~11h Magnet 12a~12d Position control coil 112a to 112d magnetic field adjustment coils 12a Position control coil 14a First position sensor 14b Second position sensor 114 Position Sensor 15 Attraction coil 115 Levitation control coil 115a core material 115b coil 16 Shield Wall 20 Floating body 120 Floating Body 21 Orin

Claims

1. a levitation body, and levitation means for levitating the levitation body from below by magnetic repulsion; and an attracting means for attracting the levitation body directly downward against the repulsive force.

2. The levitation body has a magnet directly or indirectly, and the levitation means has a base magnet or a ring-shaped base magnet consisting of a plurality of magnets arranged concentrically; a plurality of magnetic field adjusting coils disposed inside the base magnet; a levitation control means disposed at a central portion of the plurality of magnetic field adjusting coils, A levitation device for a levitation body, characterized in that the levitation body is disposed above the levitation control means, and the lower end side of the levitation body has a counter pole portion with respect to a base pole portion on the upper end side.

3. 3. The levitation device for a levitating body according to claim 2, wherein said levitation control means is a magnetic body whose ascent and descent are controlled.

4. 3. The levitation device for a levitating body according to claim 2, wherein said levitation control means is an electromagnetic coil.

5. 5. The levitation device for a levitating body according to claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic coil comprises a core material and a coil.

6. A levitation device for a levitation body as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a position sensor that detects the position of the levitation body, and a position control means that feeds back the position sensor information to the magnetic field adjustment coil and / or levitation control means.

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