Conveyor technology module having a drive for shuttles which are displaceable along the conveyor technology module

Abstract

The invention relates to a conveyor technology module having a drive for shuttles which are displaceable along the conveyor technology module, wherein the shuttles are each guided on a guide rail having corresponding wheels and supported on a support rail having wheels, wherein the drive is placed between the two rails in such a way that a drive means of the drive lying within a spatial profile of the conveyor technology module extends over the length of the conveyor path formed by the conveyor technology module and has a plurality of dogs for moving, in particular by displacing, the shuttles, wherein the dogs drive the shuttle in a contactless manner by means of magnetism, characterised in that in order to form the dogs driving the shuttles in a contactless manner by means of magnetism, the drive means comprises a plurality of rotatable magnetic rollers arranged one behind the other.

Description

[0001] Conveyor module with a drive for shuttles that can travel along the conveyor module

[0002] The invention relates to a conveyor technology module with a drive for shuttles movable along the conveyor technology module according to claim 1 and a linear motor conveyor device with a corresponding conveyor technology module.

[0003] DE 102015226 139 A1 discloses a conveyor technology module according to the preamble of claim 1. From DE 102016 107 976 A1, a conveyor technology module is known whose shuttle can be moved without rollers via a magnetic chain and transferred to a magnetic track system by means of a transfer roller, wherein the transfer roller has magnetic material.

[0004] DE 10 2010 028 055 A1 discloses a transport device with improved running characteristics. EP 1 123 886 A1 also discloses a transport device.

[0005] Linear motor conveyor systems in devices such as those shown in https: / / www.youtube.com / watch?v=yy9r6BhJTIU&t=1s from approximately 1 minute onwards are known from WO 2022 / 117524 A2. These utilize a linear motor conveyor technology described in WO 2013 / 143783 A1, in which, to put it simply, shuttles equipped with permanent magnets are driven via drive coils.

[0006] This technology allows for fast and precise positioning of the shuttles. However, linear motor technology is expensive and complex, also with regard to cooling the coils and power electronics over longer distances.

[0007] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a conveyor technology module that serves for alternative use or replacement in uncontrolled, in particular longer, linear motor conveyor lines.

[0008] This problem is solved by the conveyor technology module described in claim 1 and the linear motor conveyor device according to claim 8. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims and the description.

[0009] According to the invention, it has been discovered that it is possible to replace uncontrolled conveying sections of a linear motor conveying system with simplified conveying modules if these modules are equipped with a drive for the shuttles, also referred to as carriages. The shuttles are guided on a guide rail with corresponding rollers and supported on a support rail with rollers. The drive is positioned between the two rails such that a drive element located within a spatial profile of the conveying module extends substantially over the length of the conveying path formed by the conveying module and has several drivers for moving, in particular by means of transport, the shuttles. The drivers propel the shuttles contactlessly by means of magnetism.The drive mechanism comprises several rotatable magnetic rollers, arranged one behind the other, particularly in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor module, to form the drivers that propel the shuttles without contact using magnetism. The rollers are preferably aligned with their longitudinal axis or axis of rotation perpendicular to the conveying direction and / or the direction of movement of the shuttles.

[0010] Each roller has at least one drive element. Multiple drive elements can also be present on a single roller. The rollers are essentially cylindrical. To generate reliable propulsion for the shuttles, at least two sections with different magnetic field strengths are formed on the outer surface of each roller, generating the propulsive force.

[0011] For this purpose, the rollers can also be fanned or slotted, with corresponding fan elements or one or more slots preferably extending in the outer surface, preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis or axis of rotation of the respective roller, or obliquely or spirally. The magnetic rollers have at least one magnetic surface, preferably several spaced-apart magnetic surfaces, in particular each formed as a steel surface, on their circumference or outer surface. The respective magnetic surface can optionally be arranged between adjacent fan elements or in a corresponding slot and can be formed, for example, by a magnetic element embedded therein, that is, an element made of a magnetic material, for example, steel.The base of the respective roller can also be made of plastic or another non-magnetic material, so that the roller only acquires its magnetic properties through the insertion or embedding of at least one magnetic element. Alternatively, the rollers can be made of a magnetic material, in particular steel, which can also be fanned or slotted, so that the magnetic surfaces are formed by the outer surface itself, i.e., by the fanned elements or the outer segments that define the respective slot.

[0012] The contactless drive of the shuttles via magnetic rollers advantageously allows for an enclosure between the shuttles and the drive mechanism. This has the particular advantage of preventing the escape of drive abrasion particles, thus enabling the conveyor module or linear motor conveyor device to be used in cleanrooms. The respective conveyor module features a design that allows it to occupy the same installation space as a linear motor conveyor module, while simultaneously employing a different, less complex drive mechanism.

[0013] This allows the shuttles to be moved over distances where the special features of linear motor technology are not required.

[0014] The drive unit comprises, preferably positioned between the guide and support rails and lying within the spatial profile, several rollers that form the drive lugs. Preferably, the axes of the rollers are oriented vertically or horizontally. In the case of vertical orientation, the guide rail is arranged above the support rail.

[0015] The fact that the drivers propel the shuttles without contact using magnetism is particularly advantageous, especially since the shuttles usually have magnets due to the linear motors in the other conveyor sections.

[0016] It is also conceivable to provide magnets with opposite polarity to those of the shuttles in the drive mechanism, particularly through appropriate material selection for the outer surfaces of the rollers or the optionally incorporated magnetic elements, such that attraction or opposite repulsion occurs, thus driving the shuttles. In particular, every second roller can have the same polarity. Optionally, it can also be provided that adjacent rollers are magnetically opposite to each other, i.e., that a roller repelling the shuttle magnets is followed by an attractive roller, or that a magnetic roller is alternately followed by a non-magnetic roller.

[0017] The drive plane can be oriented vertically or horizontally, with the shuttles in particular being able to be arranged in a suspended or horizontal position. The number of drivers, designed as magnetic rollers, and their spacing can be adjusted as required.

[0018] The shuttles with integrated permanent magnets can, in the conveyor module according to the invention, continue to be magnetically held and attracted to the guide and support rails after leaving an upstream linear motor conveyor module. For this purpose, the conveyor module can have one or more magnetic strips, preferably made of steel. The permanent magnets can thus attract the shuttle in the direction of the strip.

[0019] Preferably, the at least one strip is arranged so that it extends parallel to the conveyor track and its longitudinal direction. The at least one strip can, for example, be arranged above or below the drive element comprising the magnetic rollers. If two strips are provided, they are preferably arranged on both sides of the drive element, in particular on both sides at opposite ends of the magnetic rollers.

[0020] The drive elements, designed as magnetic rollers, can be driven to rotate via at least one toothed belt, which engages with teeth formed on the magnetic rollers. Alternatively, the drive elements can also be driven by a chain, which engages with sprockets arranged on the magnetic rollers.

[0021] Preferably, the magnetic rollers are driven in the same direction and at the same rotational speed. Optionally, one or more of the magnetic rollers can also be driven at different rotational speeds, for example, to achieve a lower conveying speed at the end of the conveyor section for the discharge or collection of conveyed goods onto the corresponding shuttle. The invention also relates to a linear motor conveyor device in which at least one conveyor section is equipped with a conveyor technology module according to the invention. It may be provided that a conveyor section otherwise driven by a linear motor has been replaced by a conveyor technology module according to the invention.

[0022] Further details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a linear motor conveying device with a conveying technology module according to the invention from the conveying side;

[0024] Fig. 1a shows another schematic view of the linear motor conveying device from Figure 1 from the conveying side;

[0025] Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the linear motor conveyor device from Figure 1a from the drive side and

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA from Figure 1A.

[0027] The figures show a linear motor conveyor device, designated as a whole by 1. It comprises several conveyor modules or conveyor sections 2 arranged one behind the other in the transport direction and driven by linear motors. For the sake of clarity, only one linear motor conveyor module 2 is shown as an example.

[0028] The linear motor conveyor modules 2 have an upper guide profile 3 and a lower support profile 4 spaced vertically apart from it. The actual linear motor drive unit 5 is arranged between the profiles 3 and 4. This unit serves to drive shuttles 7 on one side of the linear motor conveyor device 1, wherein the shuttles 7 are guided on the upper guide profile 3 by corresponding rollers 9 and 10 in preferably V-shaped guide grooves 6 and supported on the lower support profile 4 by rollers 12 and 13.

[0029] The upper rollers 9, 10 are arranged on the head 8 of the respective shuttle 7, and the lower rollers 12, 13 on the slender base 11 of the shuttle 7. The shuttles 7 have a permanent magnet (not shown) which interacts with the coils of the linear motor drive unit 5 (also not shown) to provide controlled propulsion. Naturally, the entire device includes a control system (not shown), corresponding wiring, and power supply.

[0030] The figures also show a conveyor technology module 14, which replaces a conveyor section otherwise driven by a linear motor in the linear motor conveyor device 1.

[0031] The conveyor module 14 comprises a drive 15, which is positioned between the two longitudinal profiles serving as rails and forming the guide profile 3 and the support profile 4, such that a drive element 16 with several drivers 16a for moving, in particular by means of transport, the shuttle 7 can be provided within the spatial profile. Rotatable magnetic rollers arranged along the conveyor path formed by the length of the conveyor module constitute the several drivers 16a for moving the shuttle 7.

[0032] The drive units 16a propel the Shuttle 7 contactlessly using magnetism.

[0033] The conveyor module 14 has a first and second magnetic steel strip 17, 18 parallel to the drive 15, above and below it, which run in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor module 14 over essentially the entire conveyor path in such a way that the shuttles 7 with their integrated permanent magnets are attracted horizontally and vertically.

[0034] The drive element 16, and in particular its drivers 16a designed as magnetic rollers, are driven by at least one toothed belt 16b, which interacts with teeth 16c formed on the rollers. The at least one toothed belt 16b is arranged and mounted on a drive side of the conveyor module 14 facing away from the conveyor side and the shuttles 7 located there, and is preferably driven by an electric motor or another rotary drive. For clarity, the corresponding electric motor is not shown. As can be seen from the cross-sectional view in Figure 3, the conveyor module 14 essentially occupies the same installation space or spatial profile as a linear motor conveyor module 2 and can therefore readily serve as a replacement.

[0035] The rollers serving as drivers 16a of the drive means 16 are positioned within the spatial profile in such a way that their magnetic surfaces roll as far as possible on an imaginary plane formed by the surfaces of the linear drives 5 and can thus act well on the permanent magnets of the shuttle 7.

[0036] This also applies to the guide and support profiles 3, 4, so that the shuttles 7 can move almost seamlessly from the upstream linear motor conveyor module 2 into the conveyor technology module 14 and from there into a downstream linear motor conveyor module 2.

[0037] Reference symbol list

[0038] 1 Linear motor conveyor device

[0039] 2 Linear motor conveyor module

[0040] 3 Leadership profile

[0041] 4 support profile

[0042] 5 linear motor drive unit

[0043] 6 guide groove

[0044] 7 Shuttle

[0045] 8 heads

[0046] 9 roll

[0047] 10 rolls

[0048] 11 feet

[0049] 12 rolls

[0050] 13 roll

[0051] 14 Conveyor Technology Module

[0052] 15 Drive

[0053] 16 propulsion devices

[0054] 16a Driver

[0055] 16b Timing belt

[0056] 16c teeth

[0057] 17 first magnetic steel strip

[0058] 18 second magnetic steel strip

Claims

Patent claims 1. Conveyor module with a drive for shuttles movable along the conveyor module, wherein the shuttles are each guided on a guide rail with corresponding rollers and supported on a support rail with rollers, wherein the drive is positioned between the two rails such that a drive element of the drive, located within a spatial profile of the conveyor module, extends over the length of the conveying path formed by the conveyor module and has several drivers for moving, in particular by means of transporting, the shuttles, wherein the drivers propel the shuttles contactlessly by means of magnetism, characterized in that the drive element for forming the drivers that propel the shuttles contactlessly by means of magnetism comprises several rotatable magnetic rollers arranged one behind the other.

2. Conveyor technology module according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two sections of different magnetic field strength are formed on the outer surface of the respective roller.

3. Conveyor technology module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic rollers are fanned or slotted.

4. Conveyor technology module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic rollers each have at least one magnetic surface on their circumference or their outer surface, wherein the respective magnetic surface can be formed by the outer surface, in particular a outer surface segment, itself or by a magnetic element on the circumference or the outer surface.

5. Conveyor technology module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed with at least one magnetic strip which extends in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor technology module over substantially the entire conveying path in such a way that the shuttles with integrated permanent magnets are attracted horizontally and / or vertically.

6. Conveyor technology module according to one of the preceding claims, wherein characterized in that the drive means, in particular its roller-shaped carriers, is driven via at least one toothed belt which interacts with teeth formed on the rollers.

7. Conveyor technology module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an enclosure is provided between the shuttles and the drive means.

8. Linear motor conveying device in which at least one conveying section is equipped with a conveying technology module according to one of the preceding claims.

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