Transport device and transport system

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport device (1) for a permanent magnet arrangement (72), comprising a housing upper part (2) which, starting from a bottom (81), is provided with a recess (82) designed to receive a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement (72), wherein the bottom (81) of the housing upper part (2) is associated with at least one spacer (5) movably attached to the housing upper part (2) between a first functional position and a second functional position, which in the first functional position determines a first distance (73) between a base surface (83) of the recess (82) and a support surface (75) for the housing upper part (2) and in the second functional position determines a second distance (74) between the base surface (83) of the recess (82) and the support surface (75) for the housing upper part (2), wherein the second distance (74) is smaller than the first distance (73).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a transport device for a permanent magnet arrangement. Furthermore, the invention relates to a transport system comprising such a transport device and a permanent magnet arrangement.

[0002] Permanent magnet assemblies are used in various technical fields and are often shipped via mail. To prevent unwanted external effects from the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet assembly, it is known to either equip the assembly with a short-circuiting device that effectively blocks the magnetic field, or to package the assembly in a transport container that is significantly larger than the assembly itself, thereby reducing the magnetic flux density at the outer surface of the container. While removing the short-circuiting device from the permanent magnet assembly can be difficult when using permanent magnets with high flux density, a bulky transport container typically results in increased shipping costs.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide a transport device and a transport system with such a transport device, with which a compact and transport-safe packaging of a permanent magnet arrangement is possible.

[0004] This problem is solved for a transport device of the type mentioned above by having a housing top part which, starting from a bottom side, is provided with a recess designed to receive a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement, wherein the bottom side of the housing top part is assigned at least one spacer which is movably attached to the housing top part between a first functional position and a second functional position, which in the first functional position determines a first distance between a base surface of the recess and a support surface for the housing top part and in the second functional position determines a second distance between the base surface of the recess and the support surface for the housing top part, wherein the second distance is smaller than the first distance.

[0005] The purpose of the at least one spacer is to allow for easy adjustment of the distance between a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement, which is received in the recess of the housing top, and a support surface on which the housing top can be placed. The underlying principle is that the magnetic field strength and the resulting force provided by the permanent magnet arrangement decrease exponentially with the distance between the permanent magnet arrangement and the support surface. Therefore, even a slight approach of the permanent magnet arrangement to the support surface leads to a significant increase in the magnetic field strength and the resulting force exerted by the permanent magnet arrangement on an opposing, magnetically conductive body, in particular the support surface.Accordingly, it is advantageous if the upper housing part, with the permanent magnet arrangement contained therein, can first be placed on the support surface in such a way that, due to the at least one spacer located in the first functional position, a greater distance between the permanent magnet arrangement and the support surface is ensured. In a subsequent step, the upper housing part, with the permanent magnet arrangement contained therein, can then be moved closer to the support surface by moving the at least one spacer from the first functional position to the second functional position.

[0006] Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] It is advantageous if the at least one spacer is designed as a movably mounted base on the upper part of the housing, and if a locking device is movably arranged on the upper part of the housing. This locking device has a locking position for securing the at least one spacer in the first functional position and a release position for releasing the at least one spacer to move into the second functional position. The purpose of the locking device is to either secure the at least one spacer in the first functional position or to allow it to move into the second functional position, depending on its relative position to the upper part of the housing. For this purpose, the locking device must be adapted to the mounting position of the at least one spacer on the upper part of the housing.

[0008] For example, it may be provided that the locking device, in the case of a spacer mounted linearly on the housing part and designed as a base, whose linear axis of movement is aligned transversely to the support plane of the housing upper part, has an inclined plane, so that a linear displacement of the spacer / base relative to the housing upper part is enabled in the event of a relative movement of the locking device between the locking position and the release position.

[0009] It is advantageous if the locking device is movably, and in particular pivotably, mounted on an upper surface of the housing top facing away from the underside of the housing top, and has at least one release recess on a functional surface opposite the upper surface of the housing top. In the locking position, this recess is located away from the associated spacer, and in the release position, it is opposite, and in particular above, the associated spacer. To move the at least one spacer between the two functional positions, the locking device can perform a linear movement relative to the housing top, or a combination of a linear movement and a pivoting movement.It is particularly advantageous if the locking device is pivotably mounted on the upper surface of the housing and a pivot axis for the pivoting movement of the locking device relative to the housing is aligned parallel to a distance between the recess of the housing and the support plane. For example, the locking device is plate-shaped, particularly as a plane-parallel plate, and in the locking position covers the upper surface of the housing at least almost completely, and in particular completely. To move the locking device from the locking position to the release position, an operator can apply opposing torques to the locking device and the housing to perform the pivoting movement of the locking device relative to the housing.Additionally, a locking connection may be provided between the locking device and the housing upper part during manufacturing and / or in the release position to prevent unintentional relative movement between the locking device and the housing upper part. It is particularly preferred that the locking device is secured in the locked position by an additional locking mechanism, for example, a screw connection between the locking device and the housing upper part, which must be released before any relative movement of the locking device with respect to the housing part can occur.

[0010] When the locking device is moved from the locking position to the release position, a release recess formed in the functional surface of the locking device, which faces the top / surface of the housing upper part, is brought into contact with the respective spacer. This allows relative movement of the spacer with respect to a base body of the housing upper part, which is prevented in the locking position of the locking device by positive locking between the functional surface of the locking device and the spacer.

[0011] In a further development of the invention, the spacer is pivotably arranged on the upper part of the housing, with a pivot axis of the base being arranged in an axial plane that is aligned parallel to the underside of the upper part of the housing. By way of example, it is provided that a longitudinal axis of the base is aligned parallel to the distance between the base of the recess and the support plane in the first functional position and assumes an angle, particularly an acute angle, to this distance in the second functional position. During such a change in the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the base, the pivoting movement of the spacer can additionally release the permanent magnet arrangement when the base is moved from the first functional position to the second functional position.For this purpose, the spacer may be provided with a recess on a surface facing the permanent magnet arrangement, which is designed to partially receive the permanent magnet arrangement. Preferably, this recess is arranged and dimensioned such that the permanent magnet arrangement is positively engaged in the recess in the first operating position and is released by the spacer in the second operating position. It is particularly advantageous if the locking device is associated with at least two, preferably three, and especially four, feet arranged at equal angular intervals relative to the pivot axis of the locking device, in order to ensure reliable locking of the permanent magnet arrangement in the first operating position.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the spacer has a first foot section extending from the pivot axis towards the underside of the housing upper part and a second foot section extending from the pivot axis towards the top of the housing upper part, wherein a second end face of the second foot section facing away from the first foot section is arranged below the top of the housing upper part in the first operating position and wherein the end face of the second foot section facing away from the first foot section intersects a locking surface defined by the top of the housing upper part or is arranged above the locking surface in the second operating position.In the first functional position for the spacer, the second end face is located below the top surface of the housing upper part and thus also below a locking surface defined by the top surface of the housing upper part, which also covers the at least one spacer. In this position, the distance between the second end face and the locking surface can also be zero. The functional surface of the locking device is located directly adjacent to the second end face and thereby prevents any pivoting movement of the spacer. Preferably, the second end face rests against the functional surface of the locking device in the locking position.However, when the locking device is moved from the locking position to the release position, a release recess formed in the functional surface faces the spacer. This recess allows relative movement of the base with respect to the upper housing, as the second end face can be pivoted, at least partially, into the release recess. This results in the spacer's second end face intersecting the locking surface of the upper housing or being positioned above it.

[0013] Accordingly, it is provided that at least one release recess of the blocking device is designed to allow at least partial absorption of the second foot section.

[0014] It is advantageous if the upper housing part is associated with a trough-shaped lower housing part, which is designed to cover the recess in the upper housing part. The lower housing part increases the distance between the permanent magnet arrangement housed in the upper housing part and an outer surface of the transport device, thus preventing unwanted magnetic forces from acting on the outer surface of the transport system.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the lower housing part partially surrounds the upper housing part and / or the lower housing part includes a flow guide, preferably plate-shaped, which is arranged on an inner surface of the upper housing part that, in a functional position of the lower housing part relative to the upper housing part, faces the recess. For example, the lower housing part is provided to have an outer, at least partially circumferential, rim that surrounds the upper housing part in such a way as to prevent the at least one support foot from pivoting outwards. Furthermore, the rim can be adapted to a geometry of the locking device in such a way as to prevent relative movement of the locking device with respect to the upper housing part.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the at least one spacer is designed as a plate, in particular as a plane-parallel plate, and is mounted on the housing top so as to be movably slidable parallel to the support plane for the housing top.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the invention, the object of the invention is solved by a transport system comprising a transport device according to the invention and a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement designed for receiving in the recess of the upper part of the housing, wherein the permanent magnet arrangement is formed from several permanent magnets arranged in a Halbach arrangement, in particular cube-shaped permanent magnets.

[0018] An advantageous embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing. Here, the drawing shows: Fig. 1 a perspective top view of a transport device with a housing upper part to which a locking device is assigned and which is coupled to a housing lower part, Fig. 2 a perspective top view of the housing top with the locking device in the locking position, Fig. 3 a sectional view of the upper housing part with the locking device according to the illustration of the Fig. 2, Fig. 4 a perspective top view of the housing top with the locking device in a release position and a permanent magnet arrangement received in the housing top, wherein spacers designed as feet are located on the housing top in a first functional position, Fig. 5 the perspective top view according to the Fig. 4, wherein the spacers designed as feet on the upper part of the housing are pivoted into the second functional position, and Fig. 6 A perspective top view of the housing top with the spacers attached to it, designed as feet.

[0019] One in the Fig. The transport device 1 shown comprises a housing upper part 2, a locking device 4 pivotally mounted on the housing upper part 2 and a housing lower part 3.

[0020] In this arrangement, a top surface 21 of the locking device 4, together with a bottom surface 22 of the lower housing part 3 and side surfaces 23, 24, 25 and 26, define an outer geometry of the transport device 1. By way of example, an envelope geometry (not shown) around the outer geometry of the transport device 1 can be described as essentially cuboid. By way of example, it is provided that the lower housing part 3 has a base plate (not shown), designed purely by way of example with a square base, and that, according to the illustration of the Fig. 1 has vertically projecting side walls 27, 28, 29 and 30, which are connected to each other in corner areas and thus form a circumferential rim that surrounds the housing upper part 2 with the blocking device 4 contained therein at least partially.

[0021] Each of the side walls 27 to 30 is provided, purely by way of example, with an essentially rectangular cutout 31, 32, 33, 34, through which lateral access to the upper part of the housing 2, which is otherwise contained in the lower part of the housing 3, or to the locking device 4 attached to it, is made possible.

[0022] A locking screw 41, oriented transversely to the first side surface 23, is screwed into the first side wall 27. This screw completely penetrates the first side wall 27 and engages in a bore 42, preferably a threaded bore, in the upper housing part 2. Preferably, a similar locking screw (not shown) is also provided on the third side wall 27 for engagement with the upper housing part 2, thus ensuring reliable fixation of the lower housing part 3 to the upper housing part 2 during transport of the transport device 1.

[0023] Furthermore, it is provided that the inner surfaces 35, 36, 37 and 38 are arranged adjacent to, preferably directly adjacent to, the blocking device 4 and thus prevent a rotation of the blocking device 4 about an axis of rotation 6.

[0024] If in the transport device 1 a Fig. The transport device 1 and the permanent magnet arrangement 72, shown as an example in Figures 3 to 5, form a transport system 71. The permanent magnet arrangement 72 can, in particular, be a plate-shaped assembly of a plurality of cube-shaped permanent magnets 77, which, purely by way of example, are arranged as a Halbach arrangement with regard to their magnetic orientation. Furthermore, it is provided, purely by way of example, that the permanent magnets 77 are received in a trough-shaped housing 78, which is made of a magnetic flux-conducting material and which orients the magnetic field provided by the permanent magnets 77 in a vertical downward direction as shown in the illustrations. Fig. 3 to 5 favored.

[0025] The permanent magnet arrangement 72 is received in a purely exemplary cuboid-shaped recess 82 of the housing upper part 2, which extends from a bottom surface 81 of the housing upper part 2. It is provided here, purely by way of example, that the permanent magnet arrangement 72 bears at least partially against a base surface 83 of the recess 82 with a top surface 79 of the housing 78.

[0026] For the intended use of the transport system 71, it is provided that after a transport operation, which can be carried out, for example, as the transport of the permanent magnet arrangement 72 by mail between a first place of use and a second place of use, a removal operation for the permanent magnet arrangement 72 from the transport device 1 is carried out at the second place of use.

[0027] To carry out this removal process, it is provided in a first step to remove at least one locking screw 41 from the first side wall 28 of the lower housing part 3 and to remove the lower housing part 3 along the axis of rotation 6 from the upper housing part 2 with the locking device 4 attached to it.

[0028] This is demonstrated, in particular, by the representations of the Fig. 3 to 5 can be removed, a bottom surface 76 of the permanent magnet arrangement 72 is freely accessible, which forms the magnetically active area of ​​the permanent magnet arrangement. The permanent magnet arrangement 2 is due to the configuration of the housing top 2 and the locking device 4, as shown in the Fig. The housing upper part 2, as shown in Figure 2, is initially arranged at a first distance 73 from a support surface 75, which is defined by the components of the housing upper part 2 described in more detail below. The first distance 73 is dimensioned such that the magnetic forces provided by the permanent magnet arrangement 72 are at a level that allows a user to lift the housing upper part 2 with the permanent magnet arrangement 72 contained therein from a support (not shown in detail) whose surface is identical to the support surface 75, even if this support is made of a magnetic flux-conducting material.

[0029] As the depiction of the Fig. As can be seen from Figure 6, the spacers 5 are identically designed for illustrative purposes only, so that the following description for one of the spacers 5 is also valid for all other spacers 5.

[0030] The spacer 5 is essentially cuboid in shape, with a longitudinal axis 11 of the spacer 5 aligned parallel to a longest edge 12 of the spacer 5. The spacer 5 is provided with a pivot pin 15, which defines a pivot axis 19 that is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 11. According to the illustration of the Fig. 6 The spacer 5 is divided into a first foot section 13 and a second foot section 14 by a separating plane 20, which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 11 and which includes the joint axis 19. The first foot section 13 extends according to the illustration of the Fig. 6 in a vertical direction below the dividing plane 20. The second foot section 14 extends according to the illustration of the Fig. 6 in the vertical direction above the parting plane 20. By way of example, an outer surface 51 of the spacer 5 is planar. An inner surface 52 of the spacer 5 is provided with a groove-like recess 53, which extends with a constant profile along the joint axis 19 and which, according to the illustration of the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is designed to accommodate an edge region of the permanent magnet arrangement 72.

[0031] A joint pin 15 facing away from the joint pin and according to the illustration of the Fig. The first end face 16 of the first foot section 13, which essentially points downwards, is oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis 11 (not specified in detail). A face away from the pivot pin 15, and as shown in the illustration of the Fig. 6 The second end face 17 of the second foot section 14, which essentially points upwards, is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 11, purely as an example.

[0032] On the base body 8 of the housing upper part 2, a total of eight recesses 54 are provided in the outer surface 56, purely as examples, the profile of which essentially corresponds to the profile of the spacers 5. Accordingly, the spacers 5 can be in a first functional position, as described in the Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the recesses 54 are arranged flush with the base body 8 of the housing upper part 2. Each of the recesses 54 is assigned pin receptacles 55, which are designed to receive the pivot pins 15 of the spacers 5 and allow a pivoting movement of the respective spacer 5 about the respective pivot axis 19.

[0033] Provided that the spacer 5 is in the first functional position, as described in the Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the second end face 17 is located in the purely exemplary, planar locking surface 18, which is defined by the surface 7 of the housing upper part 2. During a pivoting movement of the spacer 5 about the pivot axis 19, as shown in the Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the second end face 17 intersects the locking surface 18. Since the functional surface 9 of the locking device 5 rests at least almost directly on the surface 7 of the housing upper part 2, a pivoting movement of the spacers 5 about the respective joint axis 19 is prevented in the locking position of the locking device 4, because the second end face 17 rests against the functional surface 9 and thus a positive locking connection between the locking device 4 and the spacers 5 is ensured.

[0034] To release the permanent magnet arrangement 72 located in the upper part of the housing 2, a locking screw 43 is removed in a subsequent step. This screw is inserted transversely to the top surface 21 of the locking device 4 and engages in a corresponding bore 44, which is preferably a threaded bore, in the upper part of the housing 2. This locking screw 43 prevents the relative rotational movement between the locking device 4 and the upper part of the housing 2 about the axis of rotation 6.

[0035] After removal of the locking screw 43, the locking device 4 can be rotated about the axis of rotation 6 relative to the upper housing part 2. The axis of rotation 6 is defined by a circular cylindrical pivot pin 61, which can be screwed into a bore 62 in the surface 7 of the upper housing part 2, and by a corresponding recess 63 formed in the locking device 4. As shown in the illustration of the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The locking device 4 rotates counterclockwise relative to the upper housing part 2. This rotation moves the locking device 4 from a locking position to a release position. Release recesses 10, which are formed as indentations in a functional surface 9 of the locking device 4, come into contact with the spacers 5, so that they are released from the first functional position according to the Fig. 6 into the second functional position according to the Fig. 5 can be pivoted. This pivoting movement causes the permanent magnet arrangement 72 to move closer to the support surface 75 until a second distance 74 is reached. Furthermore, the pivoting movement of the spacers 5 increases the distance between the inner surface 52 of the spacers 5 and the permanent magnet arrangement 72, thereby releasing the positive-locking coupling between the spacers 5 and the permanent magnet arrangement 72 and allowing the permanent magnet arrangement 72 to move freely.

[0036] The procedure described above for releasing the permanent magnet assembly 72 is of particular interest when the permanent magnet assembly 72 is intended for use with a superconductor (not shown) contained in a cryostat (also not shown). By way of example, the upper part of the housing 2, containing the permanent magnet assembly 72, is placed on the surface of a cryostat (not shown) containing a superconductor initially at a temperature above a material-specific transition temperature. In this case, the locking device 4 is initially in the locking position, so that the permanent magnet assembly 72 occupies the first distance 73 from the support surface 75.The superconductor is then cooled to a temperature below its material-specific transition temperature, during which time it is exposed to a magnetic field provided by the permanent magnet assembly 72. This effectively stores the magnetic field in the superconductor, a process also known as "pinning." The device is then moved from the locked position to the unlocked position to bring the permanent magnet assembly 72 close to the support surface 75 and release it. Due to the magnetic interaction between the permanent magnet assembly 72 and the superconductor (not shown), the permanent magnet assembly 72 assumes a levitation position relative to the superconductor (also not shown) after being released by the housing upper part 2.

Claims

[1] Transport device (1) for a permanent magnet arrangement (72), with an upper housing part (2) which, starting from an underside (81), is provided with a recess (82) which is designed to receive a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement (72), wherein the underside (81) of the upper housing part (2) is assigned at least one spacer (5) which is attached to the upper housing part (2) so as to be movable between a first functional position and a second functional position, which spacer (5) determines a first distance (73) between a base surface (83) of the recess (82) and a support plane (75) for the upper housing part (2) in the first functional position and a second distance (74) between the base surface (83) of the recess (82) and the support plane (75) for the upper housing part (2) in the second functional position, wherein the second distance (74) is smaller than the first distance (73). [2] Transport device (1) according to claim 1, characterized byin that the at least one spacer (5) is designed as a spacer movably mounted on the upper housing part (2), and in that a blocking device (4) is movably arranged on the upper housing part (2), which is designed in a blocking position for blocking the at least one spacer (5) in the first functional position and which is designed in a release position for releasing the at least one spacer (5) for movement into the second functional position. [3] Transport device (1) according to claim 2, characterized byin that the blocking device (5) is movably, in particular pivotably, attached to an upper side (7) of the housing upper part (2) facing away from the underside (81) of the housing upper part (2) and has at least one release recess (10) on a functional surface (9) opposite the upper side (7) of the housing upper part (2), which is arranged away from the associated spacer (5) in the blocking position and opposite, in particular above, the associated spacer (5) in the release position. [4] Transport device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the spacer (5) is arranged pivotably on the upper housing part (2), wherein a pivot axis (19) of the spacer (5) is arranged in an axial plane which is aligned parallel to the underside (81) of the upper housing part (2). [5] Transport device (1) according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized byin that the spacer (5) has, starting from the pivot axis (19), a first foot section (13) extending in the direction of the underside (81) of the upper housing part (2), and, starting from the pivot axis (19), a second foot section (14) extending in the direction of the upper side (7) of the upper housing part (2), wherein a second end face (17) of the second foot section (14) facing away from the first foot section (13) is arranged below the upper side (7) of the upper housing part (2) in the first functional position, and wherein the second end face (17) of the second foot section (14) facing away from the first foot section (13) intersects a locking surface (18) determined by the upper side (7) of the upper housing part (2) in the second functional position or is arranged above the locking surface (18). [6] Transport device (1) according to claim 5, characterized bythat the at least one release recess (10) of the blocking device (4) is designed to receive at least part of the second foot section (14). [7] Transport device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the housing upper part (2) is assigned a trough-shaped housing lower part (3) which is designed to cover the recess (82) in the housing upper part (2). [8] Transport device (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the housing lower part (3) partially encompasses the housing upper part (2) and / or that the housing lower part (3) comprises a flux conductor, preferably of plate-shaped design, which is arranged on an inner surface of the housing upper part, which, in a functional position of the housing lower part relative to the housing upper part, faces the recess. [9] Transport device according to claim 1, characterized bythat the at least one spacer is designed as a plate, in particular as a plane-parallel plate, and is mounted on the housing upper part in a sliding manner parallel to the support plane for the housing upper part. [10] Transport system (71) with a transport device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and with a plate-shaped permanent magnet arrangement (72) designed to be received in the recess (82) of the upper housing part (2), wherein the permanent magnet arrangement (72) is formed from a plurality of permanent magnets (77) arranged in a Halbach arrangement, in particular cube-shaped.

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