Modular conveyor system having multiple moving elements under independent control

a conveyor system and moving element technology, applied in the field of conveyor systems, can solve the problems of affecting the scaling of the system, the speed of the belt is typically quite limited, and the pallets are likely to be jarred by strong impact between the mechanical stop and the pallet, so as to achieve the effect of enhancing the scaling properties of the system, reducing the burden on the central controller, and facilitating the movement of the track
USRE39747E1Inactive Publication Date: 2007-07-31ATS AUTOMATION TOOLING SYSTEMS
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Patents(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
ATS AUTOMATION TOOLING SYSTEMS
Publication Date
2007-07-31
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

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.
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Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention generally relates to conveyor systems, and more specifically to conveyor systems in the form of modular linear motors having multiple moving elements under independent control.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] There are a number of fundamental limitations with well-known conventional conveyor systems which employ a belt for transporting pallets between processing stations. First, the speed of the belt is typically quite limited. This is largely due to the fact that the pallets are typically stopped, e.g., in order to be processed at a processing station, by mechanical stop mechanisms. Thus, if the belt conveyor is operated at a high speed, the strong impact between a pallet and mechanical stop is likely to jar whatever parts the pallet may be carrying for processing. Second, it is generally not possible to vary the acceleration and velocity profiles for individual pallets. For instance, if a first pallet is empty and a second pallet is loaded with de...

Claims

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