Linear motor and motor production method

Abstract

A linear motor (100) comprises: a movable element (1) in which teeth (11-13) are covered by a resin (15) and which has an exposed surface (161) where parts of the teeth (11-13) are exposed from the resin (15); and a movable element (3) in which teeth (31-33) are covered by a resin (35) and which has an exposed surface (361) where parts of the teeth (31-33) are exposed from the resin (35). The exposed surface (161) is formed such that then the movable element (1) is disposed above a stator (2), a line perpendicular to the exposed surface (161) is perpendicular to the direction in which thrust is generated for the movable element (1) and the direction in which a magnetic gap is produced. The exposed surface (361) is formed such that when the movable element (3) is disposed above the stator (2), a line perpendicular the exposed surface (361) is perpendicular to the direction in which thrust is generated for the movable element (3) and the direction in which a magnetic gap is produced. The movable element (1) and the movable element (3) can be linked in the direction in which thrust is generated.

Description

Linear motor and method for manufacturing the motor

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a linear motor in which a plurality of armatures can be connected and a method for manufacturing the motor.

[0002] A modular linear motor (linear motor) that varies thrust by connecting a plurality of armature blocks is known. In the linear motor of Patent Document 1, a positioning convex portion is provided on one of the teeth at both ends in the traveling direction of the core constituting the armature block, and a positioning concave portion is provided on the other tooth. When the armature blocks of this linear motor are connected, the positioning convex portion of one of the two armature blocks and the positioning concave portion of the other armature block are fitted together, thereby positioning in the traveling direction between the two armature blocks.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-23954

[0004] However, in the technique of Patent Document 1 described above, positioning in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic gap direction and the traveling direction cannot be performed, and there is a problem that the thrust pulsation caused by the displacement between the cores of the armature increases.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to obtain a linear motor capable of improving the positioning accuracy when connecting armature blocks and suppressing the thrust pulsation caused by the displacement between the cores of the armature.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the linear motor of the present disclosure comprises a first armature having a first core with first teeth around which a first coil is wound, covered by a first resin, and having a first exposed surface from which a portion of the first teeth is exposed. The linear motor of the present disclosure also comprises a second armature having a second core with second teeth around which a second coil is wound, covered by a second resin, and having a second exposed surface from which a portion of the second teeth is exposed, and a field having a plurality of permanent magnets. The first armature is formed such that, when the first armature is placed on the field, the first exposed surface is perpendicular to the first thrust generation direction from which the thrust of the first armature is generated and the direction from which the magnetic gap is generated. The second armature is formed such that, when the second armature is positioned on the field, the perpendicular to the second exposed surface is perpendicular to the second thrust generation direction in which the thrust of the second armature is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated. The first armature and the second armature are connectable in the first thrust generation direction.

[0007] The linear motor according to this disclosure has the effect of improving the positioning accuracy when connecting the armature blocks and suppressing thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the armature.

[0008]

[0009] A linear motor and a method for manufacturing such a motor according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable element and stator of the linear motor according to Embodiment 1. The linear motor 100 is a modular motor comprising a movable element 1, which is an armature (armature block), and a stator 2, which is a field that faces the movable element 1 with an air gap between them.

[0011] The linear motor 100 is equipped with a movable element 3, which will be described later, but the movable element 3 is not shown in Figure 1. In Embodiment 1, the movable element 1 is the first movable element, and the movable element 3 is the second movable element. Since the movable element 3 has the same configuration as the movable element 1, the configuration of the movable element 1 and the stator 2 will be described here.

[0012] In the following, the direction of travel of the movable element 1 when it is driven by the thrust generated by the linear motor 100 will be defined as the X direction. The direction in which the magnetic air gap (the air gap between the core of the movable element 1 and the core of the stator 2) between the movable element 1 and the stator 2 is generated will be defined as the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the magnetic air gap and the direction of travel, i.e., perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction, will be defined as the Y direction.

[0013] The following describes the case where the Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction and the XY plane is parallel to the horizontal plane. In the following, the direction of movement of the movable element 1 is defined as the positive X direction, and the vertical direction (direction toward the center of the Earth) is defined as the negative Z direction. The direction in which the positioning groove (positioning part) 16 is formed relative to the movable element 1 is defined as the positive Y direction.

[0014] Furthermore, although the configuration of the movable element 1 and the stator 2 may be described below when the movable element 1 is positioned on the stator 2, the movable element 1 is detachable from the stator 2.

[0015] The stator 2 extends in the X direction. The movable element 1 has a shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped with a positioning groove 16. That is, the movable element 1 has groove walls that form the positioning groove 16. Specifically, the movable element 1 has a front and rear surface parallel to the YZ plane, a right and left side parallel to the XZ plane, a top and bottom surface parallel to the XY plane, and groove walls. In the linear motor 100, the movable element 1 is positioned so that its bottom surface faces the top surface of the stator 2.

[0016] The stator 2 has a plurality of permanent magnets 21 and a mounting base 23 to which the plurality of permanent magnets 21 are fixed. The mounting base 23 extends along the direction of travel of the movable element 1. The upper surface of the mounting base 23 is, for example, a plane parallel to the XY plane, and the permanent magnets 21 are attached to this upper surface of the mounting base 23. The permanent magnets 21 are arranged on the mounting base 23 at equal intervals along the direction of travel of the movable element 1.

[0017] The movable element 1 is positioned above the stator 2 (in the positive Z direction) and moves along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21 (in the positive X direction). The movable element 1 has teeth 11 to 13 formed by stacking multiple electromagnetic steel sheets.

[0018] Note that Figure 1 is a perspective view, and teeth 11-13 are hatched. Similarly, in the following perspective views, teeth (teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33, described later) are hatched. Teeth 11-13 are the iron core of the movable element 1 (first iron core), and teeth 31-33 are the iron core of the movable element 3 (second iron core). Teeth 11-13 are the first teeth, and teeth 31-33 are the second teeth.

[0019] Teeth 11-13 are formed by stacking comb-shaped plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheets in the Y direction, with the comb-like structure parallel to the XZ plane when the movable element 1 is positioned on the stator 2. When the movable element 1 is positioned on the stator 2, each comb tooth of teeth 11-13 extends in the negative Z direction. The tooth portion of each comb of teeth 11-13 becomes the winding portion, which will be described later.

[0020] Teeth 11-13 were arranged along the plus X direction in the order of tooth 11, tooth 12, and tooth 13. That is, tooth 12 was sandwiched between teeth 11 and 13.

[0021] Each of the teeth 11-13 forms a T-shape when viewed from the X direction. Of the teeth 11-13, the plate-shaped region exposed on the upper surface side of the movable element 1 is the yoke, and a winding section (not shown) is located below the yoke. Each of the teeth 11-13 has a rod-shaped member that is thinner than the yoke on the upper surface extending in the negative Z direction, and this extended portion is the winding section. A coil (not shown), which is an electric wire with an insulating coating, is wound around each winding section of the teeth 11-13 via a retaining member (not shown) that has an insulating function. The coil wound around the teeth 11-13 is the first coil, and the coil wound around the teeth 31-33 is the second coil.

[0022] When current flows through the coil, the interaction with the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 21 generates thrust that moves the movable element 1. As a result, the movable element 1 generates thrust in the positive X direction, where the teeth 11 to 13 are arranged.

[0023] Furthermore, the upper surface of the outer wall of the movable element 1 is provided with screw holes 14 for attaching the movable element 1 to the device top plate 4, which will be described later. The screw holes 14 are provided, for example, on the upper surface of any of the teeth 11 to 13. Figure 1 shows the case where the screw holes 14 are provided on the upper surfaces of teeth 11 and 13.

[0024] Furthermore, teeth 11 to 13 are covered with a rectangular resin 15, and the resin 15 forms the outer shell of the movable element 1. The upper surface of the resin 15 is not covered in the portion that will be the upper surface of teeth 11 to 13, so the upper surfaces of teeth 11 to 13 are exposed.

[0025] Furthermore, the resin 15 is provided with positioning grooves 16 in the rectangular parallelepiped region, and a portion of the side surface of the teeth 11-13 (part of the yoke) is exposed to the outside of the teeth 11-13 through the positioning grooves 16. Note that the teeth 11-13 may or may not be exposed from the front and rear surfaces of the movable element 1 that are parallel to the YZ plane.

[0026] The positioning groove 16 has a shape that allows a part of the rectangular parallelepiped positioning member 5, which will be described later, to be fitted into it. The positioning groove 16 has a bottom surface 162 and an upper surface 163 that are parallel to the XY plane, and an exposed surface 161 that is parallel to the XZ plane, with the exposed surface 161 being the exposed portion of the teeth 11 to 13. The exposed surface 161 is the surface on which the teeth 11 to 13 are extruded from the resin 15 due to the formation of the positioning groove 16.

[0027] The bottom surface 162 and top surface 163 of the positioning groove 16 are parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the movable element 1, and the exposed surface 161 of the positioning groove 16 is parallel to the left and right surfaces of the movable element 1. The exposed surface 161 of the positioning groove 16 becomes the positioning surface in the Y direction when connecting the movable elements 1 and 3. The groove wall surface that forms the positioning groove 16 has open front and rear surfaces which are perpendicular to the thrust generation direction (plus X direction), and one side is an open side surface, while the other side is the exposed surface 161.

[0028] The linear motor 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with multiple connected movable elements. That is, the linear motor 100 is configured to vary the thrust by connecting multiple movable elements. The following description will focus on the case where two movable elements are connected in the linear motor 100, but three or more movable elements may be connected in the linear motor 100.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a linear motor according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the linear motor 100 when the movable element 1 and the movable element 3 are connected in the thrust generation direction.

[0030] The movable element 3 has the same configuration as the movable element 1. The movable element 3 has teeth 31 to 33. Teeth 11 to 13 and teeth 31 to 33 have the same configuration. The resin 15 covering teeth 11 to 13 is the first resin, and the resin 35 covering teeth 31 to 33 is the second resin.

[0031] Teeth 31-33 are covered with a rectangular resin 35, which forms the outer shell of the movable element 3. The upper surface of the resin 35 is not covered in the area that will be the upper surface of teeth 31-33, so the upper surfaces of teeth 31-33 are exposed.

[0032] The movable element 3, like the movable element 1, is positioned above the stator 2 and moves along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21. The movable elements 1 and 3 are connected along the plus X direction and move along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21 while connected. Note that the movable elements 1 and 3 may be the same movable element, or they may be movable elements with some differences in their configuration.

[0033] Furthermore, teeth 31 to 33 have positioning grooves 36 (not shown in Figure 2) and screw holes 34. Positioning grooves 36 have the same shape as positioning grooves 16. That is, the shape and position of positioning grooves 16 in the movable element 1 are the same as the shape and position of positioning grooves 36 in the movable element 3. Positioning groove 16 is the first positioning groove, and positioning groove 36 is the second positioning groove.

[0034] Furthermore, the screw hole 34 has the same shape as the screw hole 14. That is, the shape and position of the screw hole 14 relative to the movable element 1 are the same as the shape and position of the screw hole 34 relative to the movable element 3.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the thrust of the linear motor 100 can be improved by connecting the movable elements 1 and 3, which are armatures, in the thrust generation direction (positive X direction). In other words, the linear motor 100 can increase its thrust range depending on the number of connected units. This allows the manufacturer of the linear motor 100 to reduce the number of models produced, thereby increasing production efficiency and reducing costs. The direction in which thrust is generated by the movable element 1 is the first thrust generation direction, and the direction in which thrust is generated by the movable element 3 is the second thrust generation direction. Both the first and second thrust generation directions are positive X directions.

[0036] One of the features of the linear motor 100 is the positional relationship between the teeth 11-13 of the movable element 1 and the teeth 31-33 of the movable element 3 when the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected. Generally, in linear motors that use teeth as a component, thrust pulsation may occur due to the magnetic attractive force acting on the teeth and magnets. Since this thrust pulsation increases in proportion to the positional error between the teeth, armatures are manufactured so that the positions of the teeth arranged within the armature are aligned within the same armature.

[0037] In Embodiment 1, the armature is manufactured such that the positions of the teeth 11 to 13 arranged within the movable element 1 are aligned, and the positions of the teeth 31 to 33 arranged within the movable element 3 are aligned.

[0038] Furthermore, when armatures are connected, it is desirable that the teeth are aligned between the armatures. In the linear motor 100 of Embodiment 1, the movable elements 1 and 3 are manufactured so that the teeth are aligned between them. When the teeth are aligned, the teeth are aligned on the same plane in the Y and Z directions, and there are no gaps between the teeth in the X direction.

[0039] In the linear motor 100, teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are aligned on the same plane in the Y and Z directions, respectively, and in the X direction, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected such that there is no gap between teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33.

[0040] With respect to the movable element 1, the exposed surface 161 of the movable element 1 is formed such that when the movable element 1 is placed on the stator 2, the perpendicular to the exposed surface 161 of the movable element 1 is perpendicular to the direction in which the thrust of the movable element 1 is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated.

[0041] Similarly, with respect to the movable element 3, the exposed surface 361 is formed such that when the movable element 3 is positioned on the stator 2, the perpendicular to the exposed surface 361 of the movable element 3 is perpendicular to the direction in which the thrust of the movable element 3 is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated. The exposed surface 161 of the movable element 1 is the first exposed surface, and the exposed surface 361 of the movable element 3, described later, is the second exposed surface.

[0042] In the linear motor 100, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected such that the exposed surface 161 of the movable element 1 and the exposed surface 361 of the movable element 3 are on the same plane. Specifically, when the connected movable elements 1 and 3 are placed on the stator 2, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected such that the perpendiculars of the exposed surfaces 161 and 361 of the movable elements 1 and 3 are perpendicular to the direction in which the thrust of the movable elements 1 and 3 is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated. In other words, when the connected movable elements 1 and 3 are placed on the stator 2, the exposed surface 161 of the movable element 1 and the exposed surface 361 of the movable element 3 are on the same plane parallel to the plane containing the vector in the direction in which the thrust of the movable elements 1 and 3 is generated (the direction of travel of the movable elements 1 and 3) and the vector in the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated.

[0043] Furthermore, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected such that the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 exposed from the upper surface of movable element 1 and the upper surfaces of teeth 31-33 exposed from the upper surface of movable element 3 are on the same plane. In addition, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected such that there is no gap in the X direction between the teeth 13 of movable element 1 and the teeth 31 of movable element 3.

[0044] Hereinafter, a method for positioning the mover 1 and the mover 3 in Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. The manufacturing process of the linear motor 100 in Embodiment 1 includes a connection process for the movers 1 and 3, and the movers 1 and 3 are positioned during the connection process of the movers 1 and 3. Note that the manufacturing process of the linear motor 100 may include the manufacturing processes of the movers 1 and 3, the manufacturing process of the stator 2, the arrangement process of the stator 2, and the like.

[0045] When the manufacturing process of the linear motor 100 includes the manufacturing processes of the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2, after the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2 are manufactured, the connection process of the movers 1 and 3 is performed. Note that the manufacturing processes of the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2 and the connection process of the movers 1 and 3 may be executed at different locations. For example, the manufacturing processes of the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2 may be executed by the manufacturers of the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2, and the connection process of the movers 1 and 3 may be executed by a merchant who has purchased the movers 1 and 3 and the stator 2. In Embodiment 1, the connection process of the movers 1 and 3 will be mainly described as the manufacturing process of the linear motor 100.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a first process when the linear motor according to Embodiment 1 is manufactured. In FIG. 3, a perspective view shows the mover 1 and the device top plate 4 in a state where the mover 1, which is the first (first) mover in the linear motor 100, is attached to the device top plate 4. Hereinafter, a case where the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 is parallel to the XY plane will be described.

[0047] The device top plate 4 is the top plate of the movers 1 and 3. When the linear motor 100 is manufactured, the mover 1 serving as a positioning reference is attached to the device top plate 4 with guaranteed flatness. Specifically, the upper surface of the mover 1 is attached to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. At that time, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 of the mover 1 are brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 without a gap.

[0048] After that, the mover 1 is moved parallel to the XY plane along the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 so that the mounting hole 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw hole 14 provided in the mover 1 are aligned in the coaxial direction. Then, the mover 1 is fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting hole 41 and the screw hole 14 with a screw 42.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a second process when the linear motor according to the first embodiment is manufactured. In FIG. 4, a perspective view shows the mover 1, 3 and the device top plate 4 in a state where the upper surface of the mover 3, which is the second (second) mover in the linear motor 100, is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. The mover 3 is provided with an exposed surface 361 similar to the exposed surface 161.

[0050] After the mover 1 is fastened to the device top plate 4, the upper surfaces of the teeth 31 to 33 of the mover 3 are brought into contact with the device top plate 4 so that there is no gap with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. Thereby, in the Z direction, the mover 1 and the mover 3 can be arranged in the same plane. That is, the upper surface of the mover 1 and the upper surface of the mover 3 can be arranged in the same plane. In other words, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 and the upper surfaces of the teeth 31 to 33 can be arranged in the same plane. Thereby, the positioning in the Z direction between the teeth 11 to 13 and the teeth 31 to 33 is completed. The positioning in the Z direction is the positioning of the upper surfaces of the teeth 31 to 33 with respect to the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0051] Next, in the Y direction, the mover 1 and the mover 3 are aligned in the same plane. Here, the process (third process and fourth process) of aligning the mover 1 and the mover 3 in the same plane in the Y direction will be described. The positioning of the movers 1 and 3 in the Y direction is the positioning of the exposed surface 361 of the teeth 31 to thirty-three with respect to the exposed surface 161 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0052] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a third process in the manufacturing of the linear motor according to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1 and 3, the device top plate 4, and the positioning member 5 with the positioning member 5 inserted into the positioning groove 16 of the movable element 1. The rectangular positioning member 5 is shaped to fit into the rectangular positioning groove 16.

[0053] In the third process, as a preparatory process for positioning the movable element 3 in the Y direction, the positioning member 5 is inserted into the positioning groove 16 of the movable element 1. The positioning groove 16 has three surfaces, and the positioning member 5 has six surfaces. In the third process, the positioning member 5 is fitted into the positioning groove 16 such that the side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 and the exposed surface 161 of the positioning groove 16 come into contact.

[0054] For example, one side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 abuts against the exposed surface 161 of the positioning groove 16 shown in Figure 1, the bottom surface 162 of the positioning groove 16 shown in Figure 1 and the bottom surface 52 of the positioning member 5 face each other, and the top surface 163 of the positioning groove 16 shown in Figure 1 and the top surface 53 of the positioning member 5 face each other, so that the positioning member 5 is inserted into the positioning groove 16 and fitted into place.

[0055] Since the teeth 11 to 13 of the movable element 1 are exposed on the exposed surface 161 through the positioning groove 16, the positioning groove 16 is fitted into the positioning member 5 so that the positioning member 5 contacts the exposed surface 161 of the teeth 11 to 13. By inserting the positioning member 5 into the positioning groove 16 in this way, the positioning member 5 can be pressed against the exposed surface 161 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0056] This makes it possible to create a plane on the positioning member 5 that is the same plane as the teeth 11-13 of the movable element 1. Specifically, the side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 and the exposed surface 161 of the teeth 11-13 can be placed on the same plane.

[0057] Next, the positioning member 5 is fitted into the positioning groove 36 of the movable element 3. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the fourth process when manufacturing the linear motor according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1 and 3, the device top plate 4, and the positioning member 5 with the positioning member 5 inserted into the positioning groove 16 of the movable element 1 and the positioning groove 36 of the movable element 3. The rectangular parallelepiped positioning member 5 is shaped to fit into the rectangular parallelepiped positioning grooves 16 and 36.

[0058] In the fourth step, the positioning groove 36 of the movable element 3 is brought into contact with the positioning member 5. The fitting process between the positioning groove 36 and the positioning member 5 is the same as the fitting process between the positioning groove 16 and the positioning member 5. That is, in the fourth step, the positioning member 5 is fitted into the positioning groove 36 such that the side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 and the exposed surface 361 of the positioning groove 36 come into contact.

[0059] Since the teeth 31-33 of the movable element 3 are exposed on the exposed surface 361, which is the bottom surface, the positioning groove 36 is fitted into the positioning member 5 so that the positioning member 5 comes into contact with the exposed surface 361 of the teeth 31-33. By inserting the positioning member 5 into the positioning groove 36 in this way, the positioning member 5 can be pressed against the exposed surface 361 of the teeth 31-33.

[0060] This allows the movable element 1 and the movable element 3 to be positioned on the same plane in the Y direction. That is, the side surface of the movable element 1 and the side surface of the movable element 3 can be positioned on the same plane. In other words, the exposed surfaces 161 of teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 361 of teeth 31-33 can be positioned on the same plane. This completes the positioning of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 in the Y direction.

[0061] After the Z and Y directions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are positioned, the movable element 3 is moved in the X direction while its Z and Y directions are maintained, and the movable element 3 is pressed against the movable element 1. This eliminates the gap in the X direction between the movable element 1 and the movable element 3. This completes the X-direction positioning of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33, and eliminates the gap in the X direction between the movable element 1 and the movable element 3.

[0062] With the movable element 3 pressed against the movable element 1, the mounting hole 41 and the screw hole 34 are fastened together with a screw 42, thereby fixing the movable element 3 to the device top plate 4. In this way, when the linear motor 100 is manufactured, the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected by being attached to the device top plate 4.

[0063] Furthermore, the mounting hole 41 is formed to be larger than the screw hole 34. As a result, when the mounting hole 41 and the screw hole 34 are fastened together with the screw 42, the position of the movable element 3 in the XY plane is determined without being affected by the position of the mounting hole 41 in the XY plane. In other words, the position of the movable element 1 in the XY plane is determined by the position of the screw hole 34 in the XY plane. This makes it possible to attach the movable element 3 to the device top plate 4 without the movable element 3 shifting in the XY plane while positioned relative to the movable element 1 in the X and Y directions.

[0064] Furthermore, the mounting hole 41 may be formed to be larger than the screw hole 14. This makes it possible to attach the movable element 1 to the device top plate 4 without the movable element 1 being misaligned, even if the movable element 3 is attached to the device top plate 4 before the movable element 1.

[0065] As a result, when movable elements 1 and 3 are connected, the positions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 in the Z and Y directions are the same. Furthermore, there is no gap in the X direction between teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33. Specifically, there is no gap in the X direction between tooth 13 and tooth 31.

[0066] Thus, the movable members 1 and 3 are provided with positioning grooves 16 and 36 that expose a portion of the iron core (teeth 11-13, 31-33), and the movable member 3 is positioned using the positioning member 5 and the positioning grooves 16 and 36. Specifically, the positioning grooves 16 and 36 are fitted into the positioning member 5 so that the positioning member 5 contacts the exposed surfaces 161 of teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 361 of teeth 31-33, thereby positioning the exposed surfaces 161 of teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 361 of teeth 31-33.

[0067] This makes it easy to align the positions of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 not only in the Y direction but also in the X and Z directions when the movable elements 1 and 3, which are the armature, are connected. In other words, the positioning accuracy of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 when the movable elements 1 and 3 are connected is improved.

[0068] Therefore, it becomes possible to accurately position the motor in a direction perpendicular to both the direction of the magnetic gap and the direction of travel of the movable elements 1 and 3, thereby reducing thrust pulsation caused by relative positional misalignment between the movable elements 1 and 3 when they are connected. In this way, by applying the method for connecting the movable elements 1 and 3 in the motor manufacturing method of Embodiment 1, it is possible to provide a linear motor 100 with good positioning accuracy that suppresses thrust pulsation caused by errors during the connection of the movable elements 1 and 3.

[0069] Furthermore, temperature measuring devices may be attached to the exposed surfaces 161 and 361 of the positioning grooves 16 and 36. In this case, it becomes possible to directly measure the temperatures of the teeth 11 to 13 and 31 to 33, and to accurately measure the temperatures of the movable elements 1 and 3, which are armatures.

[0070] The attachment of the movable elements 1 and 3 to the device top plate 4 is performed, for example, by an attachment device that holds the object to be attached and attaches screws 42 to the screw holes 14 and 34. The processes of holding the device top plate 4, holding the movable element 1 and moving it to the attachment position on the device top plate 4, attaching screws 42 to the screw holes 14 via the mounting holes 41, holding the movable element 3 and moving it to the attachment position on the device top plate 4, and attaching screws 42 to the screw holes 34 via the mounting holes 41 may each be performed by separate devices or by multiple devices.

[0071] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for manufacturing a linear motor according to Embodiment 1. When the linear motor 100 is manufactured, the movable element 1 and the movable element 3 are manufactured in advance. In the description of Figure 7, the movable element 1 in the linear motor 100 is referred to as the first movable element 1, and the movable element 3 is referred to as the second movable element 3. When the first movable element 1 and the second movable element 3 are manufactured, positioning grooves 16 and 36 are formed in the first movable element 1 and the second movable element 3 (step S10).

[0072] Next, the upper surface of the first movable element 1 is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S20). Then, the upper surface of the second movable element 3 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S30). As a result, the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become on the same plane. In other words, the positions of teeth 11-13 in the Z direction and the positions of teeth 31-33 in the Z direction become the same when the movable elements 1 and 3 are installed on the stator 2.

[0073] Next, the positioning member 5 is fitted into the positioning groove 16 of the first movable element 1 (step S40). As a result, the side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 and the exposed surfaces 161 of the teeth 11 to 13 become flush.

[0074] Next, the positioning groove 36 of the second movable element 3 is fitted into the positioning member 5 (step S50). As a result, the side surface 51 of the positioning member 5 and the exposed surfaces 361 of the teeth 31 to 33 become coplanar. Consequently, the exposed surfaces 161 of the teeth 11 to 13 and the exposed surfaces 361 of the teeth 31 to 33 become coplanar. In other words, when the movable elements 1 and 3 are installed on the stator 2, the Y-direction positions of the teeth 11 to 13 and the Y-direction positions of the teeth 31 to 33 become the same.

[0075] In this state, the second movable element 3 is positioned in the X direction. Specifically, while the Z and Y positions of the second movable element 3 are maintained, the second movable element 3 is moved in the X direction and pressed against the first movable element 1 (step S60). This eliminates the gap between the movable element 1 and the movable element 3 in the X direction (connection direction). After this, the upper surface of the second movable element 3 is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S70).

[0076] In Embodiment 1, the armature is represented by the movable elements 1 and 3, but the armature may also be represented by the stator, and the number of teeth on the armature is arbitrary. When the armature is the stator, the movable elements 1 and 3 are the field elements.

[0077] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the movable element 1 was attached to the device top plate 4 before the movable element 3 was attached to the device top plate 4. However, as in Embodiment 2 described later, the positions of the movable elements 1 and 3 may be determined before the movable elements 1 and 3 are attached to the device top plate 4. Also, the positioning member 5 may or may not be removed after the positioning of the movable elements 1 and 3 is completed.

[0078] As described above, the movable elements 1 and 3 are provided with positioning grooves 16 and 36, which improves the positioning accuracy of the connection when connecting the movable elements 1 and 3 to a modular linear motor 100 that can vary the thrust by connecting multiple movable elements 1 and 3.

[0079] Furthermore, the positioning accuracy of the connection when linking the movable elements 1 and 3 can be improved, thereby suppressing thrust pulsation caused by misalignment of the connection. Consequently, the positioning accuracy of the operation by the linear motor 100 can be improved.

[0080] Furthermore, since the movable elements 1 and 3 are provided with positioning grooves 16 and 36, a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 can be easily attached to the positioning grooves 16 and 36.

[0081] Therefore, it becomes possible to realize a linear motor 100 with high added value, which has good positioning accuracy in the connection of the movable elements 1 and 3, good positioning accuracy in the operation by the linear motor 100, and allows for easy attachment of temperature measuring devices to the positioning grooves 16 and 36.

[0082] In the linear motor 100 of the first embodiment, when the movable elements 1 and 3 are positioned on the stator 2, the exposed surfaces 161 and 361 are formed such that the perpendiculars of the exposed surfaces 161 and 361 are perpendicular to the direction in which thrust is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated, and the movable elements 1 and 3 can be connected in the direction in which thrust is generated. As a result, the linear motor 100 can improve the positioning accuracy between the movable elements 1 and 3 when they are connected and suppress thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the movable elements 1 and 3.

[0083] Embodiment 2. Next, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 14. In Embodiment 2, the movable element is provided with positioning steps instead of positioning grooves 16 and 36, and positioning between the movable elements is performed using the positioning steps and positioning members.

[0084] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable and stator components of the linear motor according to Embodiment 2. Components in Figure 8 that achieve the same function as those in the linear motor 100 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0085] Compared to the linear motor 100, the linear motor 100A has a movable armature 1A instead of the movable armature 1. That is, the linear motor 100A has a movable armature 1A and a stator 2 which is a field that faces the movable armature 1A with an air gap between them.

[0086] In addition, the linear motor 100A has a movable armature 3A instead of the movable armature 3 compared to the linear motor 100, but the movable armature 3A is not shown in Figure 8. In Embodiment 2, the movable armature 1A is the first movable armature, and the movable armature 3A is the second movable armature. Since the movable armature 3A has the same configuration as the movable armature 1A, the configuration of the movable armature 1A will be described here.

[0087] Movable element 1A has teeth 11 to 13, similar to movable element 1. Compared to movable element 1, movable element 1A has a positioning step 17 instead of a positioning groove 16. The positioning step 17 is formed in the resin 15, similar to the positioning groove 16. That is, the resin 15 is provided with a positioning step 17 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and a portion of the side surface of teeth 11 to 13 is exposed to the outside of teeth 11 to 13 from the positioning step 17. The positioning step 17 has a step between it and the upper surface of teeth 11 to 13, where the screw holes 14 are provided.

[0088] The positioning step 17 has a shape that allows a part of the rectangular parallelepiped positioning member 5A, which will be described later, to come into contact with it. The positioning step 17 has an exposed surface 171 parallel to the XZ plane, a stepped surface 172 parallel to the XY plane, and an open surface parallel to the YZ plane, with the exposed surface 171 being the exposed portion of the teeth 11 to 13. In other words, the exposed surface 171 is the surface on which the teeth 11 to 13 are extruded from the resin 15 by the formation of the positioning step 17.

[0089] Thus, the positioning step 17 has an open surface on the side facing the thrust generation direction. In addition, the step surface 172 and the surface perpendicular to the open surface are exposed surfaces 171. The step surface 172 is a surface on the outer wall of the movable element 1A that is parallel to the upper surface fastened to the device top plate 4, and a step is provided from this upper surface.

[0090] The stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17 is parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the movable element 1A, and the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17 is parallel to the left and right surfaces of the movable element 1A. The stepped surface 172 is the same surface as the bottom surface 162 of the positioning groove 16. The top surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 and the stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17 are parallel, but their heights in the Z direction are different.

[0091] Thus, in the movable element 1A, a positioning step 17 is provided in the resin 15 such that a step is created between the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 and the stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17. The exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17 becomes the positioning surface in the Y direction when connecting the movable elements 1 and 3.

[0092] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a linear motor according to Embodiment 2. Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the linear motor 100A when the movable element 1A and the movable element 3A are connected in the thrust generation direction.

[0093] The movable element 3A, like the movable element 1A, is positioned above the stator 2 and moves along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21. The movable elements 1A and 3A are connected along the positive X direction.

[0094] Movable element 3A has the same configuration as movable element 1A. Movable element 1A and movable element 3A may be the same movable element, or they may be movable elements with some differences in their configuration. At least the configuration of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 is the same in movable element 1A and movable element 3A.

[0095] Furthermore, teeth 31 to 33 have positioning steps 37 and screw holes 34. Positioning steps 37 have the same shape as positioning steps 17. That is, the shape and position of positioning steps 17 on movable element 1A are the same as the shape and position of positioning steps 37 on movable element 3A. Movable element 1A has an exposed surface 371 similar to exposed surface 171 and a stepped surface 372 similar to stepped surface 172.

[0096] In the positioning step 37, the stepped surface 372 and the surface perpendicular to the open surface are the exposed surface 371. The stepped surface 372 is the outer wall surface of the movable element 3A that is parallel to the upper surface fastened to the device top plate 4, and a step is provided from this upper surface.

[0097] The positioning step 17 is the first positioning step, and the positioning step 37 is the second positioning step. Furthermore, the stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17 is the first stepped surface, and the stepped surface 372 of the positioning step 37 is the second stepped surface. Also, the upper surface of the outer wall surface of the movable element 1A that is fastened to the device top plate 4 is the first upper surface, and the upper surface of the outer wall surface of the movable element 3A that is fastened to the device top plate 4 is the second upper surface.

[0098] As shown in Figure 9, the linear motor 100A can improve its thrust by connecting the movable elements 1A and 3A, which are armatures, in the thrust generation direction (plus X direction). Similar to the linear motor 100, the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 of the linear motor 100A are aligned on the same plane in the Y and Z directions, respectively, and in the X direction, the positions of the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are aligned so that there is no gap between the teeth 13 and 31.

[0099] The positioning method for the movable element 1A and movable element 3A in Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 13. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the first process when the linear motor according to Embodiment 2 is manufactured. Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1A and 3A and the workbench (surface plate) 8 with the movable elements 1A and 3A placed on the workbench (surface plate) 8. The following description will focus on the case where the bottom surface of the workbench 8 is parallel to the XY plane.

[0100] When the linear motor 100A is manufactured, the movable element 1A, which serves as the positioning reference, is placed on the upper surface of the workbench 8, where flatness is guaranteed. In addition, the movable element 3A, which is used for positioning relative to the movable element 1A, is also placed on the upper surface of the workbench 8.

[0101] As a result, the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become coplanar. That is, when the movable elements 1A and 3A are installed on the stator 2, the Z-direction positions of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become the same. This completes the Z-direction positioning of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33.

[0102] Next, the movable element 1A and the movable element 3A are aligned on the same plane in the Y direction. Here, the process of aligning the movable element 1A and the movable element 3A on the same plane in the Y direction (the second and third processes) will be explained. Positioning the movable elements 1A and 3A in the Y direction is the same as positioning the movable elements 1 and 3 in the Y direction, and involves positioning the exposed surfaces 371 of teeth 31 to 33 relative to the exposed surfaces 171 of teeth 11 to 13.

[0103] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a second process in the manufacturing of a linear motor according to Embodiment 2. Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the movable element 1A, movable element 3A, workbench 8, temperature measuring device 6, and positioning member 5A in a state where the positioning member 5A is in contact with the positioning step 17 of the movable element 1A. The rectangular positioning member 5A is shaped to be able to contact the rectangular positioning step 17.

[0104] In the second process, as a preparatory step for positioning the movable element 3 in the Y direction, the positioning member 5A is brought into contact with the positioning step 17 of the movable element 1A. Also, the temperature measuring device 6 is placed on the positioning step 17.

[0105] The positioning step 17 has two surfaces, and the positioning member 5A has six surfaces. In the second process, the positioning member 5A is brought into contact with the positioning step 17 such that the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A and the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17 come into contact.

[0106] For example, one side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A abuts against the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17 shown in Figure 8, and the positioning member 5A is positioned on the positioning step 17 such that the stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17 shown in Figure 8 and the bottom surface 52A of the positioning member 5A face each other.

[0107] Furthermore, the temperature measuring device 6 has a rectangular parallelepiped member having six faces and a cable joined to the rectangular parallelepiped member. In the temperature measuring device 6, the cable is joined to the rectangular parallelepiped member such that when the temperature measuring device 6 is placed on the positioning step 17, the cable and the rectangular parallelepiped member extend in the X direction.

[0108] The temperature measuring device 6 is positioned on the positioning step 17 such that one side surface 610 of the rectangular parallelepiped member abuts against the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17, and the stepped surface 172 of the positioning step 17 faces the bottom surface 620 of the rectangular parallelepiped member.

[0109] Since the teeth 11 to 13 of the movable element 1A are exposed on the exposed surface 171 from the positioning step 17, the positioning member 5A is positioned on the positioning step 17 so that it contacts at least a portion of the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11 to 13. This allows the positioning member 5A to be pressed against the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0110] This makes it possible to create a plane on the positioning member 5A that is the same plane as the teeth 11-13 of the movable element 1A. Specifically, the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A and the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11-13 that is parallel to the XZ plane can be arranged on the same plane.

[0111] Furthermore, since the teeth 11 to 13 of the movable element 1A are exposed on the exposed surface 171 from the positioning step 17, the temperature measuring device 6 can be placed on the positioning step 17 to make direct contact with the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0112] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a third process in the manufacturing of a linear motor according to Embodiment 2. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1A and 3A, the temperature measuring device 6, and the workbench 8 with the positioning member 5A positioned on the positioning step 17 of the movable element 1A and the positioning step 37 of the movable element 3A. The rectangular positioning member 5A has a shape that allows it to be positioned on the rectangular positioning steps 17 and 37.

[0113] In the third process, the positioning step 37 of the movable element 3A comes into contact with the positioning member 5A, and the positioning step 37 comes into contact with the positioning member 5A. The process of bringing the positioning step 37 into contact with the positioning member 5A is the same as the process of bringing the positioning member 5A into contact with the positioning step 17. That is, in the third process, the positioning member 5A is positioned on the positioning step 37 such that the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A comes into contact with the exposed surface 371 of the positioning step 37.

[0114] Since the teeth 31-33 of the movable element 3A are exposed on the same exposed surface 371 as the exposed surface 171 from the positioning step 37, the positioning member 5A is positioned on the positioning step 37 so that it contacts at least a portion of the exposed surface 371 of the teeth 31-33. In Figure 12, the positioning member 5A is positioned on the positioning step 37 so that it contacts the teeth 31 and 32. This allows the positioning member 5A to be pressed against the exposed surface 371 of the teeth 31-33.

[0115] As a result, the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A and the exposed surface 371 of the teeth 31-33 become coplanar. That is, the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11-13 and the exposed surface 371 of the teeth 31-33 become coplanar. In other words, when the movable members 1A and 3A are installed on the stator 2, the Y-direction positions of the teeth 11-13 and the Y-direction positions of the teeth 31-33 become the same. This completes the Y-direction positioning of the teeth 11-13 and the teeth 31-33.

[0116] After the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are positioned in the Z and Y directions, the movable element 3A is moved in the X direction while maintaining its Z and Y positions, and the movable element 3A is pressed against the movable element 1A. As a result, the gap between the movable element 1A and the movable element 3A in the X direction is eliminated, and the positioning of the teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 in the X direction is completed.

[0117] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a fourth process in the manufacturing of the linear motor according to Embodiment 2. Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1A and 3A and the device top plate 4 with the movable elements 1A and 3A attached to the device top plate 4.

[0118] When the linear motor 100 is manufactured, the upper surfaces of the movable elements 1A and 3A are attached to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. At that time, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 of the movable elements 1A and 3A are brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 without any gaps.

[0119] Next, the movable element 1A is moved parallel to the XY plane along the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 so that the mounting holes 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw holes 34 provided in the movable elements 1A and 3A are aligned in the same axial direction. Then, the movable elements 1A and 3A are fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting holes 41 and screw holes 14 with screws 42.

[0120] In this way, the positioning steps 17 and 37 are positioned on the positioning member 5A so that the positioning member 5A contacts at least a portion of the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 and at least a portion of the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33, thereby positioning the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33. As a result, the linear motor 100A, like the linear motor 100, can easily align the positions of the teeth 11 to 13 and the teeth 31 to 33 in the X, Y, and Z directions when the movable elements 1A and 3A are connected.

[0121] Therefore, the linear motor 100A, like the linear motor 100, can reduce thrust pulsation caused by relative positional misalignment between the movable elements 1A and 3A when they are connected. In this way, by applying the motor manufacturing method of Embodiment 2, it is possible to provide a linear motor 100A with good positioning accuracy that suppresses thrust pulsation caused by errors when connecting the movable elements 1A and 3A.

[0122] Furthermore, by sandwiching the temperature measuring device 6 between the movable element 1A and the device top plate 4 at the same time as connecting the movable elements 1A and 3A, the temperature measuring device 6 can be fixed to the movable element 1A. Also, by attaching the temperature measuring device 6 to the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17, it becomes possible to directly measure the temperature of the teeth 11 to 13, and to accurately measure the temperature of the armature, the movable element 1A. The attachment of the movable elements 1A and 3A to the device top plate 4 is performed by the same attachment device as the attachment device for the movable elements 1 and 3 to the device top plate 4 described in Embodiment 1.

[0123] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for manufacturing a linear motor according to Embodiment 2. When the linear motor 100A is manufactured, the movable element 1A and the movable element 3A are manufactured in advance. In the description of Figure 14, the movable element 1A in the linear motor 100A is referred to as the first movable element 1A, and the movable element 3A is referred to as the second movable element 3A. When the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A are manufactured, positioning steps 17 and 37 are formed on the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A (step S110).

[0124] Next, the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A are placed on the workbench 8 (step S120). As a result, the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become coplanar. That is, the positions of teeth 11-13 in the Z direction and the positions of teeth 31-33 in the Z direction become the same as when the movable elements 1A and 3A are installed on the stator 2.

[0125] Next, the positioning member 5A and the temperature measuring device 6 are positioned on the positioning step 17 of the first movable element 1A (step S130). As a result, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 come into contact with the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A, and the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A and the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 become coplanar.

[0126] Furthermore, the positioning step 37 of the second movable element 3A is positioned on the positioning member 5A (step S140). As a result, at least a portion of the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33 come into contact with the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A, and the side surface 51A of the positioning member 5A and the exposed surfaces 371 become coplanar. Consequently, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33 become coplanar. In other words, when the movable elements 1A and 3A are installed on the stator 2, the Y-direction positions of the teeth 11 to 13 and the Y-direction positions of the teeth 31 to 33 become the same.

[0127] In this state, the second movable element 3A is positioned in the X direction. Specifically, while the Z and Y positions of the second movable element 3A are maintained, the second movable element 3A is moved in the X direction and pressed against the first movable element 1A (step S150). This eliminates the gap in the X direction (connection direction) between the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A. After this, the upper surfaces of the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A are fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S160). Note that the process in step S110 and the processes in steps S120 to S160 may be performed in different locations. For example, the process in step S110 may be performed at the manufacturer of the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A, and the processes in steps S120 to S160 may be performed at the company from which the first movable element 1A and the second movable element 3A were purchased.

[0128] In Embodiment 2, the armature is represented by movable elements 1A and 3A, but the armature may also be represented by a stator, and the number of teeth on the armature is arbitrary. When the armature is a stator, the movable elements 1A and 3A are the field elements.

[0129] Furthermore, while Embodiment 2 describes the case where the movable elements 1A and 3A are fixed to the device top plate 4 after their positioning is complete, as in Embodiment 1, the movable elements 1A and 3A may be positioned after the movable element 1A is fixed to the device top plate 4. In this case, the movable element 3A is fixed to the device top plate 4 after the positioning of the movable elements 1A and 3A is complete. Also, the positioning member 5A may or may not be removed after the positioning between the movable elements 1A and 3A is complete.

[0130] As described above, in the second embodiment, the movable elements 1A and 3A are provided with positioning steps 17 on the movable elements 1A and 3A, in which parts of the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are exposed, so that there is a step between the movable elements 1A and 3A and the fastening surface with the device top plate 4. When the movable elements 1A and 3A are connected, the Y-direction positioning of the movable elements 1A and 3A is performed using the positioning steps 17 and the positioning member 5A. This improves the positioning accuracy between the movable elements 1A and 3A when they are connected, and suppresses thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the movable elements 1A and 3A.

[0131] Furthermore, since the movable element 1A is provided with a positioning step 17, the temperature measuring device 6 for measuring the temperature of teeth 11 to 13 can be easily attached to the positioning step 17. This makes it possible to reduce thrust pulsation and reduce the man-hours required for fixing the temperature measuring device 6. The temperature measuring device 6 may also be placed on the positioning step 37. The temperature measuring device 6 only needs to be placed on at least one of the positioning steps 17 and 37.

[0132] Embodiment 3. Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 24. In Embodiment 3, the resin 15 and 35 of the movable elements are provided with positioning surfaces that come into contact with the positioning member, and the positioning surfaces and positioning member are used to position the movable elements.

[0133] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable and stator components of the linear motor according to Embodiment 3. Components in Figure 15 that achieve the same function as those in the linear motor 100A of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0134] Compared to the linear motor 100A, the linear motor 100B has a movable armature 1B instead of a movable armature 1A. That is, the linear motor 100B has a movable armature 1B and a stator 2 which is a field that faces the movable armature 1B with an air gap between them.

[0135] Note that the linear motor 100B, compared to the linear motor 100A, has a movable armature 3B instead of the movable armature 3A, but the movable armature 3B is not shown in Figure 15. In Embodiment 3, the movable armature 1B is the first movable armature, and the movable armature 3B is the second movable armature. Since the movable armature 3B has the same configuration as the movable armature 1B, the configuration of the movable armature 1B will be described here.

[0136] The movable element 1B has teeth 11 to 13, similar to the movable element 1A. Furthermore, the movable element 1B has a positioning step 17, similar to the movable element 1A. The movable element 1B may also have a positioning groove 16, similar to the movable element 1 in Embodiment 1.

[0137] Compared to the movable element 1A, the movable element 1B has a positioning surface 18B on its outer wall surface and draft angle surfaces 61 and 62 for releasing it from the molding die. The positioning surface 18B and the draft angle surfaces 61 and 62 are formed in the resin 15, similar to the positioning groove 16.

[0138] The positioning surface 18B and the draft surfaces 61 and 62 are provided on the left side of the movable element 1B. The left side on which the positioning surface 18B and the draft surfaces 61 and 62 are formed is the side of the movable element 1B on which the positioning step 17 is formed. The positioning surface 18B is a surface parallel to the XZ plane. That is, the positioning surface 18B is a surface parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13. The positioning surface 18B has a shape formed by a side type 7C, which will be described later, and is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0139] Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable element of the comparative linear motor. Compared to the linear motor 100B, the comparative linear motor has a movable element 1X instead of a movable element 1B.

[0140] The movable element 1X has draft surfaces 63 and 64 formed thereon for releasing it from the mold. The draft surfaces 63 and 64 are provided on the left side of the movable element 1X. The draft surfaces 63 and 64 are sloped to easily pull the resin 15 out of the mold in the Z direction. For this reason, the draft surfaces 63 and 64 are not parallel to the XZ plane, but are inclined from the XZ plane.

[0141] On the other hand, the movable element 1B has draft surfaces 61 and 62 and a positioning surface 18B on its left side. The draft surfaces 61 and 62 are slopes that allow the resin 15 to be easily pulled out of the mold in the Z direction. For this reason, the draft surfaces 61 and 62 are not parallel to the XZ plane, but are inclined from the XZ plane.

[0142] The positioning surface 18B is a surface parallel to the XZ plane. When positioning the movable elements 1B and 3B in the Y direction, the positioning surface 18B, which is parallel to the XZ plane, and the side type 7C, which is also parallel to the XZ plane, are used. In this way, the positioning surface 18B becomes the Y-direction positioning surface when connecting the movable elements 1B and 3B.

[0143] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating the molding die used when forming the movable element of the linear motor according to Embodiment 3. Figure 17 shows a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the movable element 1B and the molding die used when forming the movable element 1B.

[0144] The molding dies used when the movable element 1B is formed are upper and lower dies 7A and 7B, and two side dies 7C. The upper and lower die 7A is the molding die (upper die) used when forming the upper region of the resin 15, and the upper and lower die 7B is the molding die (lower die) used when forming the lower region of the resin 15.

[0145] Since it is difficult to form a positioning surface 18B, which is a plane parallel to the XZ plane, in the resin 15 using only the upper and lower molds 7A and 7B, in Embodiment 3, two side molds 7C are used along with the upper and lower molds 7A and 7B.

[0146] One of the two side molds 7C is used when molding the left side of the resin 15, and the other side mold 7C is used when molding the right side of the resin 15. The side mold 7C has a plane parallel to the XZ plane, and this plane of the side mold 7C presses the resin 15 against it from a direction parallel to the XZ plane. That is, the side mold 7C moves along a direction perpendicular to the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13, preparing the resin 15 for molding.

[0147] As a result, when the resin 15 is formed, a positioning surface 18B parallel to the XZ plane is formed on the resin 15. That is, the positioning surface 18B is formed to be parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0148] Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a linear motor according to Embodiment 3. Figure 18 shows a perspective view of the linear motor 100B when the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B are connected in the thrust generation direction. Note that among the components in Figure 18, components that achieve the same function as the linear motor 100B shown in Figure 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0149] The movable element 3B, like the movable element 1B, is positioned above the stator 2 and moves along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21. The movable elements 1B and 3B are connected along the X direction.

[0150] The movable element 3B has the same configuration as the movable element 1B. The movable element 3B has a positioning surface 38B formed on it, which has the same configuration as the positioning surface 18B. The positioning surface 38B is a surface parallel to the XZ plane. That is, the positioning surface 38B is a surface parallel to the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33. The positioning surface 38B is shaped by a side mold 7C parallel to the XZ plane. The positioning surface 18B is the first positioning surface, and the positioning surface 38B is the second positioning surface.

[0151] Movable element 1B and movable element 3B may be the same movable element, or they may be movable elements with some differences in their configuration. At least the configuration of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 is the same for movable element 1B and movable element 3B.

[0152] As shown in Figure 18, the linear motor 100B can improve its thrust by connecting the movable elements 1B and 3B, which are armatures, in the thrust generation direction (positive X direction). Similar to the linear motor 100A, the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 of the linear motor 100B are aligned on the same plane in the Y and Z directions, respectively, and in the X direction, the positions of the teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are aligned so that there is no gap between the teeth 13 and 31.

[0153] The positioning method for movable elements 1B and 3B in Embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to Figures 19 to 22. The positioning procedure for movable elements 1B and 3B is the same as the positioning procedure for movable elements 1 and 3. In Embodiment 1, positioning member 5 and positioning grooves 16 and 36 were used to position movable elements 1 and 3, but in Embodiment 3, positioning member 5B and positioning steps 17 and 37 are used.

[0154] Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the first process in which a linear motor according to Embodiment 3 is manufactured. Figure 19 shows a perspective view of the movable element 1B and the device top plate 4 with the movable element 1B attached to the device top plate 4.

[0155] When the linear motor 100B is manufactured, the movable element 1B, which serves as a positioning reference, is attached to the device top plate 4, which ensures flatness. Specifically, the upper surface of the movable element 1B is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. At that time, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 of the movable element 1B are in contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 without any gaps.

[0156] Next, the movable element 1B is moved parallel to the XY plane along the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 so that the mounting holes 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw holes 14 provided in the movable element 1B are aligned in the same axial direction. Then, the movable element 1B is fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting holes 41 and screw holes 14 with screws 42.

[0157] Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating the second process when manufacturing the linear motor according to Embodiment 3. In Figure 20, the movable elements 1B, 3B and the device top plate 4 are shown in a perspective view in a state where the upper surface of the movable element 3B, which is the second movable element of the linear motor 100B, is in contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4.

[0158] After the movable element 1B is fastened to the device top plate 4, the upper surfaces of the teeth 31-33 of the movable element 3B are brought into contact with the device top plate 4 so as to have no gap between them and the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. This allows the movable elements 1B and 3B to be positioned on the same plane in the Z direction. That is, the upper surface of the movable element 1B and the upper surface of the movable element 3B can be positioned on the same plane. In other words, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11-13 and the upper surfaces of the teeth 31-33 can be positioned on the same plane. This completes the Z-direction positioning of the teeth 11-13 and the teeth 31-33.

[0159] Next, the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B are aligned on the same plane in the Y direction. Here, the process of aligning the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B on the same plane in the Y direction (the third and fourth processes) will be explained. Positioning the movable elements 1B and 3B in the Y direction is the positioning of the exposed surfaces 371 of teeth 31 to 33 relative to the exposed surfaces 171 of teeth 11 to 13.

[0160] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating a third process in the manufacturing of a linear motor according to Embodiment 3. Figure 21 shows a perspective view of the movable element 1B, movable element 3B, device top plate 4, and positioning member 5B in a state in which the plate-shaped positioning member 5B is in contact with the positioning surface 18B of the movable element 1B. The plate-shaped positioning member 5B has a side surface 52B parallel to the XZ plane and is shaped to be in contact with the positioning surface 18B which is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0161] In the third process, as a preparatory process for positioning the movable element 3B in the Y direction, the positioning member 5B is pressed against the positioning surface 18B of the movable element 1B. As a result, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B comes into contact with the positioning surface 18B of the movable element 1B. In this state, the positioning member 5B is temporarily fixed perpendicularly to the device top plate 4. Specifically, the positioning member 5B is temporarily fixed to the device top plate 4 such that the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B, which is parallel to the XZ plane, and the bottom surface of the device top plate 4, which is parallel to the XY plane, are perpendicular to each other.

[0162] Since the positioning surface 18B is parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13, when the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B is pressed against the positioning surface 18B, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B becomes parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0163] Next, the positioning surface 38B of the movable element 3B is pressed against the positioning member 5B. Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating a fourth process when a linear motor according to Embodiment 3 is manufactured. Figure 22 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1B, 3B, the device top plate 4, and the positioning member 5B in a state where the positioning surface 38B of the movable element 3B is pressed against the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B.

[0164] In the fourth step, the positioning surface 38B of the movable element 3B comes into contact with the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B. This allows the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B to be positioned on the same plane in the Y direction. That is, the plane of the movable element 1B parallel to the XZ plane and the plane of the movable element 3B parallel to the XZ plane can be positioned on the same plane. In other words, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31-33 can be positioned on the same plane. This completes the Y-direction positioning of the teeth 11-13 and the teeth 31-33.

[0165] After the Z and Y directions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are positioned, the movable element 3B is moved in the X direction while its Z and Y directions are maintained, and the movable element 3B is pressed against the movable element 1B. This eliminates the gap in the X direction between the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B. This completes the X direction positioning of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33.

[0166] As a result, the mounting holes 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw holes 34 provided in the movable element 3B are aligned in the same axial direction. In this state, the movable element 3B is fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting holes 41 and the screw holes 34 with screws 42.

[0167] This makes it possible to connect movable elements 1B and 3B without a gap in the X direction between them. In this connection of movable elements 1B and 3B, the positions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are the same in the Z and Y directions. Also, there is no gap in the X direction between teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33.

[0168] This makes it easy to align the positions of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 in the X, Y, and Z directions when the movable elements 1B and 3B are connected. As a result, the positioning accuracy of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 is improved when the movable elements 1B and 3B are connected.

[0169] In Embodiment 3, as in Embodiment 2, the temperature measuring device 6 may be fixed to at least one of the movable elements 1B and 3B at the same time as the movable elements 1B and 3B are connected. The movable elements 1B and 3B are attached to the device top plate 4 by the same attachment device as the attachment device used to attach the movable elements 1 and 3 to the device top plate 4 described in Embodiment 1.

[0170] Figure 23 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for manufacturing a linear motor according to Embodiment 3. When the linear motor 100B is manufactured, the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B are manufactured in advance. In the explanation of Figure 23, the movable element 1B in the linear motor 100B is referred to as the first movable element 1B, and the movable element 3B is referred to as the second movable element 3B. When the first movable element 1B and the second movable element 3B are manufactured, positioning surfaces 18B and 38B are formed on the first movable element 1B and the second movable element 3B (step S210).

[0171] Here, we will describe the processing procedure for manufacturing the movable elements 1B and 3B. Figure 24 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for manufacturing the movable elements of the linear motor according to Embodiment 3. Since the movable elements 1B and 3B are manufactured using the same processing procedure, we will describe the processing procedure for manufacturing movable element 1B here.

[0172] When the movable element 1B is manufactured, draft surfaces 61, 62 and a positioning surface 18B are formed on the movable element 1B using a molding die (step S310). Specifically, upper and lower molds 7A, 7B and two side molds 7C are arranged to surround the teeth 11 to 13, and resin material is poured into the area surrounded by the upper and lower molds 7A, 7B and the two side molds 7C. As this resin material solidifies, draft surfaces 61, 62 and a positioning surface 18B are formed on the outer wall surface of the resin 15. After this, the movable element 1B is released from the molding die (step S320). That is, the movable element 1B is removed from the upper and lower molds 7A, 7B and the side molds 7C. This completes the manufacture of the movable element 1B. The movable element 3B is also manufactured in the same manner as the movable element 1B.

[0173] After the first movable element 1B and the second movable element 3B are manufactured, the upper surface of the first movable element 1B is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S220). Then, the upper surface of the second movable element B3 is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S230). As a result, the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become coplanar. That is, when the movable elements 1B and 3B are installed on the stator 2, the Z-direction positions of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become the same.

[0174] The positioning member 5B is brought into contact with the positioning surface 18B of the first movable element 1B (step S240). As a result, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B and the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 become parallel.

[0175] Next, the positioning surface 38B of the second movable element 3 comes into contact with the positioning member 5B (step S250). As a result, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31-33 become parallel. Consequently, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31-33 become on the same plane. In other words, when the movable elements 1B and 3B are installed on the stator 2, the Y-direction positions of the teeth 11-13 and the Y-direction positions of the teeth 31-33 become the same.

[0176] In this state, the second movable element 3B is positioned in the X direction. Specifically, while the Z and Y positions of the second movable element 3B are maintained, the second movable element 3B is moved in the X direction and pressed against the first movable element 1B (step S260). This eliminates the gap between the movable element 1B and the movable element 3B in the X direction (connection direction). After this, the upper surface of the second movable element 3B is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S270).

[0177] In Embodiment 3, the armature is represented by movable elements 1B and 3B, but the armature may also be represented by a stator, and the number of teeth on the armature is arbitrary. When the armature is a stator, the movable elements 1B and 3B are the field elements.

[0178] Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, the movable element 1B was attached to the device top plate 4 before the movable element 3B was attached to the device top plate 4. However, as in Embodiment 2, the positions of the movable elements 1B and 3B may be determined first, and then the movable elements 1B and 3B may be attached to the device top plate 4. Also, the positioning member 5B may or may not be removed after the positioning between the movable elements 1B and 3B is completed.

[0179] In Embodiment 3, the case in which positioning steps 17 and 37 are provided on the movable elements 1B and 3B was described, but the movable elements 1B and 3B do not necessarily have to be provided with positioning steps 17 and 37.

[0180] In this manner, when the linear motor 100B of Embodiment 3 is manufactured, the movable elements 1B and 3B are positioned in the Y direction using the positioning surface 18B and the positioning member 5B. This improves the positioning accuracy between the movable elements 1B and 3B when they are connected, and suppresses thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the movable elements 1B and 3B.

[0181] Furthermore, since the positioning member 5B is located outside the movable elements 1B and 3B, it becomes easier to press the positioning surface 18B against the positioning member 5B, improving workability when manufacturing the linear motor 100B.

[0182] Embodiment 4. Next, Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figures 25 to 27. In Embodiment 4, the positioning surface is formed by machining.

[0183] Figure 25 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable and stator components of the linear motor according to Embodiment 4. Components in Figure 25 that achieve the same function as those in the linear motor 100B of Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0184] The linear motor 100C has the same configuration as the linear motor 100B. Compared to the linear motor 100B, the linear motor 100C has a movable element 1C, which is an armature, instead of a movable element 1B, which is an armature. That is, the linear motor 100C has a movable element 1C, which is an armature, and a stator 2, which is a field, that faces the movable element 1C with an air gap between them.

[0185] Note that the linear motor 100C, compared to the linear motor 100B, has a movable armature 3C instead of the movable armature 3B, but the movable armature 3C is not shown in Figure 25. In Embodiment 4, the movable armature 1C is the first movable armature, and the movable armature 3C is the second movable armature. Since the movable armature 3C has the same configuration as the movable armature 1C, the configuration of the movable armature 1C will be described here.

[0186] The movable element 1C has teeth 11 to 13, similar to the movable element 1B. Furthermore, the movable element 1C has a positioning step 17, similar to the movable element 1B. The movable element 1C may also have a positioning groove 16, similar to the movable element 1 in Embodiment 1.

[0187] In the linear motor 100C according to Embodiment 4, a positioning surface 18C is formed on the resin 15. The positioning surface 18C is a positioning surface formed in the same position and shape as the positioning surface 18B described in Embodiment 3. The positioning surface 18C is formed by machining.

[0188] Here, the method for forming the positioning surface 18C will be described. Figure 26 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable element before the positioning surface is formed on the linear motor according to Embodiment 4. Among the components in Figure 26, components that achieve the same function as the movable element 1C shown in Figure 25 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0189] When the movable element 1C of Embodiment 4 is manufactured, draft angles 63 and 64 are formed on the resin 15, similar to the movable element 1X of the comparative example, for release from the mold. The mold used when manufacturing the movable element 1C is different from the mold used when manufacturing the movable element 1B.

[0190] When the movable element 1B was manufactured, a side mold 7C was used, but when the movable element 1C was manufactured, a side mold 7C was not used. When the movable element 1C was manufactured, an upper and lower mold was used to form the draft surfaces 63 and 64. The upper and lower mold for forming the draft surfaces 63 and 64 is different from the upper and lower molds 7A and 7B used to form the draft surfaces 61 and 62 of the movable element 1B.

[0191] From the resin 15 of the movable element 1C, the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 of the teeth 11 to 13, which are parallel to the XZ plane, are exposed. Here, the movable element 1C is configured such that the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 are on the same plane.

[0192] The tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 are the same exposed surfaces as the exposed surface 171 of the positioning step 17 described in Figure 8. The tooth end face 110 is the exposed surface of tooth 11, the tooth end face 120 is the exposed surface of tooth 12, and the tooth end face 130 is the exposed surface of tooth 13.

[0193] When the positioning surface 18C is formed, the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 are used as the reference plane in the Y direction of the cutting tool during machining (a reference plane parallel to the XZ plane), and the protrusions of the draft surfaces 63 and 64 are cut so that the cutting surface is parallel to this reference plane. In other words, the cutting is carried out in the Y direction by machining so that the positioning surface 18C becomes a surface parallel to the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130. In this way, when cutting in the Y direction, the cutting is carried out so that the protrusions that are the boundaries of the draft surfaces 63 and 64 are parallel to the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130.

[0194] Figure 27 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for manufacturing the movable element of the linear motor according to Embodiment 4. Since the first movable element 1C and the second movable element 3C of the linear motor 100C are manufactured using the same processing procedure, the manufacturing procedure for movable element 1C will be described here.

[0195] When the movable element 1C is manufactured, draft surfaces 63 and 64 are formed on the movable element 1C using a molding die (step S410). Specifically, upper and lower molds are positioned to surround the teeth 11 to 13, and resin material is poured into the area enclosed by the upper and lower molds. As this resin material solidifies, draft surfaces 63 and 64 are formed on the resin 15.

[0196] Next, the movable element 1C is released from the mold (step S420). That is, the movable element 1C is removed from the upper and lower molds. Then, the protrusions of the draft surfaces 63 and 64 are cut using the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 as reference surfaces for the cutting tool during machining, thereby forming the positioning surface 18C (step S430).

[0197] This results in a movable element 1C as shown in Figure 25. The positioning surface 18C of the movable element 1C is formed by machining so as to be parallel to the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130. Therefore, in Embodiment 4 as well, by using the positioning surface 18C in the same manner as in Embodiment 3, it is possible to connect the movable elements 1C and 3C with high precision in the Y direction. In other words, in Embodiment 4 as well, the movable elements 1C and 3C can be positioned in the Y direction using the positioning member 5B, thereby enabling them to be connected with high precision in the Y direction.

[0198] In Embodiment 4, the armature is represented by movable elements 1C and 3C, but the armature may also be represented by a stator, and the number of teeth on the armature is arbitrary. When the armature is a stator, the movable elements 1C and 3C are the field elements.

[0199] As described above, when the movable elements 1C and 3C of Embodiment 4 are manufactured, a positioning surface 18C parallel to the tooth end faces 110, 120, and 130 is formed, and the movable elements 1C and 3C are positioned in the Y direction using the positioning surface 18C and the positioning member 5B. This improves the positioning accuracy between the movable elements 1C and 3C when they are connected, and suppresses thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the movable elements 1C and 3C.

[0200] Furthermore, since the positioning surface 18C is formed by machining, a complex molding die like the one shown in Figure 17 is unnecessary. This makes it possible to easily obtain a linear motor 100C with high productivity and low cost.

[0201] Embodiment 5. Next, Embodiment 5 will be described using Figures 28 to 34. In Embodiment 5, a connecting portion parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 and 371 of the teeth 11 to 13 and 31 to 33 is arranged on the side surface (right side surface) of the resin 15 and 35 opposite to the exposed surfaces 171 and 371 of the teeth 11 to 13 and 31 to 33. Then, the movable elements are positioned using the connecting portion and the positioning member 5.

[0202] Figure 28 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable and stator components of the linear motor according to Embodiment 5. Components in Figure 28 that achieve the same function as those in the linear motor 100A of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0203] The linear motor 100D of Embodiment 5 is equipped with a movable element 1D, which is an armature, instead of a movable element 1A, which is an armature, compared to the linear motor 100A. That is, the linear motor 100D is equipped with a movable element 1D, which is an armature, and a stator 2, which is a field, that faces the movable element 1D with an air gap between them.

[0204] Note that the linear motor 100D, compared to the linear motor 100A, is equipped with a movable element 3D instead of the movable element 3A which is the armature, but the movable element 3D is not shown in Figure 28. In Embodiment 5, the movable element 1D is the first movable element, and the movable element 3D is the second movable element. Since the movable element 3D has the same configuration as the movable element 1D, the configuration of the movable element 1D will be described here.

[0205] In the movable element 1D, connecting portions (connecting members) 19D and 19E protrude in the negative Y direction from the right side surface 151, which is a surface of the resin 15 parallel to the XZ plane. The connecting portions 19D and 19E are plate-like members that extend in the Z direction, and the thickness direction of the plate-like members is in the negative Y direction.

[0206] The upper and lower surfaces of the connecting portions 19D and 19E are parallel to the exposed surface 171. The upper surfaces of the connecting portions 19D and 19E are joined to the right side surface 151 of the resin 15. The connecting portion 19D protrudes from one end of the right side surface 151 of the resin 15 in the X direction (the end in the negative X direction) toward the negative Y direction by the thickness of the plate-like member. The connecting portion 19E protrudes from the other end of the right side surface 151 of the resin 15 in the X direction (the end in the positive X direction) toward the negative Y direction by the thickness of the plate-like member.

[0207] Figure 29 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a linear motor according to Embodiment 5. Figure 29 shows a perspective view of the linear motor 100D when the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D are connected in the thrust generation direction.

[0208] The movable element 3D, like the movable element 1D, is positioned above the stator 2 and moves along the stator 2 in the direction of the arrangement of the permanent magnets 21. The movable elements 1D and 3D are connected along the X direction.

[0209] Movable element 3D has the same configuration as movable element 1D. Movable element 1D and movable element 3D may be the same movable element, or they may be movable elements with some differences in their configuration. At least the configuration of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 is the same in movable element 1D and movable element 3D.

[0210] In the movable element 3D, connecting parts 39D and 39E protrude in the negative Y direction from the right side surface 351, which is a surface parallel to the XZ plane of the resin 35. The connecting parts 39D and 39E have the same shape as the connecting parts 19D and 19E. Furthermore, the position of the connecting parts 19D and 19E relative to the movable element 1D is the same as the position of the connecting parts 39D and 39E relative to the movable element 3D.

[0211] The connecting portions 19D and 19E are parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 of teeth 11 to 13, and the connecting portions 39D and 39E are parallel to the exposed surfaces 371 of teeth 31 to 33. Therefore, by positioning the movable members 1D and 3D so that the connecting portions 19D and 19E and the connecting portions 39D and 39E are on the same plane parallel to the XZ plane, the positioning accuracy in the Y direction between the movable members 1D and 3D when they are connected can be improved.

[0212] The positioning method for the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D in Embodiment 5 will be described below with reference to Figures 30 to 33. Figure 30 is a diagram illustrating the first process when the linear motor according to Embodiment 5 is manufactured. Figure 30 shows a perspective view of the movable element 1D and the device top plate 4 with the movable element 1D attached to the device top plate 4.

[0213] When the linear motor 100D is manufactured, the movable element 1D, which serves as a positioning reference, is attached to the device top plate 4, which ensures flatness. Specifically, the upper surface of the movable element 1D is attached to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. At that time, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 of the movable element 1D are in contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 without any gaps.

[0214] Next, the movable element 1D is moved parallel to the XY plane along the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 so that the mounting holes 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw holes 14 provided in the movable element 1D are aligned in the same axis direction. Then, the movable element 1D is fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting holes 41 and the screw holes 14 with screws 42.

[0215] Figure 31 is a diagram illustrating the second process when a linear motor according to Embodiment 5 is manufactured. Figure 31 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1D, 3D and the device top plate 4 in a state where the upper surface of the movable element 3D, which is the second movable element of the linear motor 100D, is in contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4.

[0216] After the movable element 1D is fastened to the device top plate 4, the upper surface of the movable element 3D is attached to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4. At this time, the upper surfaces of the teeth 31 to 33 of the movable element 3D are brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 without any gaps. This makes it possible to position the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D on the same plane in the Z direction. That is, the plane of the movable element 1D parallel to the XY plane and the plane of the movable element 3D parallel to the XY plane can be positioned on the same plane. In other words, the upper surfaces of the teeth 11 to 13 and the upper surfaces of the teeth 31 to 33 can be positioned on the same plane.

[0217] Next, the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D are aligned on the same plane in the Y direction. Here, the process of aligning the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D on the same plane in the Y direction (the third and fourth processes) will be explained.

[0218] Figure 32 is a diagram illustrating a third process in the manufacturing of a linear motor according to Embodiment 5. Figure 32 shows a perspective view of the movable element 1D, movable element 3D, device top plate 4, and positioning member 5B in contact with the connecting portions 19D and 19E of the movable element 1D. The plate-shaped positioning member 5B has a side surface 52B parallel to the XZ plane and is shaped to be able to contact the connecting portions 19D, 19E, 39D, and 39E which are parallel to the exposed surfaces 171 and 371.

[0219] In the third process, as a preparatory process for positioning the movable element 3D in the Y direction, the positioning member 5B is pressed against the bottom surface of the connecting parts 19D and 19E that is parallel to the XZ plane. This causes the positioning member 5B to come into contact with the bottom surface of the connecting parts 19D and 19E. In this state, the positioning member 5B is temporarily fixed perpendicularly to the device top plate 4. Specifically, the positioning member 5B is temporarily fixed to the device top plate 4 such that the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B that is parallel to the XZ plane and the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 that is parallel to the XY plane are perpendicular. As a result, the positioning member 5B is parallel to the bottom surface of the connecting parts 19D and 19E, making it possible to make the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B parallel to the exposed surface 171 of the teeth 11 to 13.

[0220] Next, the connecting portions 39D and 39E of the movable element 3D are pressed against the positioning member 5B. Figure 33 is a diagram illustrating the fourth process when a linear motor according to Embodiment 5 is manufactured. Figure 33 shows a perspective view of the movable elements 1D and 3D, the device top plate 4, and the positioning member 5B in a state where the connecting portions 39D and 39E of the movable elements 3D are pressed against the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B.

[0221] In the fourth step, the connecting portions 39D and 39E of the movable element 3D are brought into contact with the positioning member 5B. This allows the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D to be positioned on the same plane in the Y direction. That is, the plane of the movable element 1D parallel to the XZ plane and the plane of the movable element 3D parallel to the XZ plane can be positioned on the same plane. In other words, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11-13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31-33 can be positioned on the same plane. This completes the Y-direction positioning of the teeth 11-13 and the teeth 31-33.

[0222] After the Z and Y directions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are positioned, the movable element 3D is moved in the X direction while its Z and Y directions are maintained, and the movable element 3D is pressed against the movable element 1D. This eliminates the gap in the X direction between the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D. This completes the X direction positioning of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33.

[0223] As a result, the mounting holes 41 provided in the device top plate 4 and the screw holes 34 provided in the movable element 3D are aligned in the same axial direction. In this state, the movable element 3D is fixed to the device top plate 4 by fastening the mounting holes 41 and the screw holes 34 with screws 42.

[0224] This makes it possible to connect movable elements 1D and 3D without a gap in the X direction between them. In this connection of movable elements 1D and 3D, the positions of teeth 11-13 and 31-33 are the same in the Z and Y directions. Also, there is no gap in the X direction between teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33. Specifically, there is no gap in the X direction between tooth 13 and tooth 33.

[0225] This makes it easy to align the positions of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 in the X, Y, and Z directions when the movable elements 1D and 3D are connected. As a result, the positioning accuracy of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 is improved when the movable elements 1D and 3D are connected.

[0226] When the linear motor 100D is manufactured, the Y-direction positional displacement between the Y-direction positions of the connecting parts 19D, 19E and 39D, 39E can be reduced by using the connecting parts 19D, 19E and 39D, 39E as positioning references in the Y-direction. This allows for suppression of the Y-direction positional displacement of the movable elements 1D, 3D without requiring the connecting parts 19D, 19E, 39D, 39E to have a mechanism to absorb the Y-direction positional displacement. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a linear motor 100D that is compact, inexpensive, and has good Y-direction positioning accuracy.

[0227] In Embodiment 5, as in Embodiment 2, the temperature measuring device 6 may be fixed to at least one of the movable elements 1D and 3D at the same time as the movable elements 1D and 3D are connected. The movable elements 1D and 3D are attached to the device top plate 4 by the same attachment device as the attachment device used to attach the movable elements 1 and 3 to the device top plate 4 described in Embodiment 1.

[0228] Figure 34 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for manufacturing a linear motor according to Embodiment 5. When the linear motor 100D is manufactured, the movable element 1D and the movable element 3D are manufactured in advance. In the description of Figure 34, the movable element 1D in the linear motor 100D is referred to as the first movable element 1D, and the movable element 3D is referred to as the second movable element 3D. When the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D are manufactured, connecting parts 19D, 19E, 39D, and 39E are formed on the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D (step S510).

[0229] After the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D are manufactured, the upper surface of the first movable element 1D is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S520). Then, the upper surface of the second movable element 3D is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S530). As a result, the upper surfaces of teeth 11-13 and teeth 31-33 become coplanar. That is, when the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D are installed on the stator 2, the positions of teeth 11-13 in the Z direction and the positions of teeth 31-33 in the Z direction become the same.

[0230] In this state, the positioning member 5B comes into contact with the connecting portions 19D and 19E of the first movable element 1D (step S540). As a result, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B and the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 become parallel.

[0231] Next, the connecting portions 39D and 39E of the second movable element 3D come into contact with the positioning member 5B (step S550). As a result, the side surface 52B of the positioning member 5B and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33 become parallel. Consequently, the exposed surfaces 171 of the teeth 11 to 13 and the exposed surfaces 371 of the teeth 31 to 33 become coplanar. That is, when the movable elements 1D and 3D are installed on the stator 2, the Y-direction positions of the teeth 11 to 13 and the Y-direction positions of the teeth 31 to 33 become the same.

[0232] In this state, the second movable element 3D is positioned in the X direction. Specifically, while the Z and Y positions of the second movable element 3D are maintained, the second movable element 3D is moved in the X direction and pressed against the first movable element 1D (step S560). This eliminates the gap in the X direction (connection direction) between the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D. After this, the upper surface of the second movable element 3D is fixed to the bottom surface of the device top plate 4 (step S570). Note that the process in step S510 and the processes in steps S520 to S570 may be performed in different locations. For example, the process in step S510 may be performed by the manufacturer of the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D, and the processes in steps S520 to S570 may be performed by the company from which the first movable element 1D and the second movable element 3D were purchased.

[0233] In Embodiment 5, the armature is represented by movable elements 1D and 3D, but the armature may also be represented by a stator, and the number of teeth on the armature is arbitrary. When the armature is a stator, the movable elements 1D and 3D are the field elements.

[0234] Furthermore, in Embodiment 5, the movable element 1D was attached to the device top plate 4 before the movable element 3D was attached to the device top plate 4, but the positions of the movable elements 1D and 3D may be determined first, and then the movable elements 1D and 3D may be attached to the device top plate 4. Also, the positioning member 5B may or may not be removed after the positioning of the movable elements 1D and 3D is completed.

[0235] In this manner, when the linear motor 100D of Embodiment 5 is manufactured, the movable elements 1D and 3D are positioned in the Y direction using the connecting parts 19D, 19E, 39D, 39E and the positioning member 5B. This improves the positioning accuracy between the movable elements 1D and 3D when they are connected, and suppresses thrust pulsation caused by misalignment between the iron cores of the movable elements 1D and 3D.

[0236] Furthermore, since the connecting parts 19D, 19E, 39D, and 39E are located outside the movable elements 1D and 3D, it becomes easier to press the connecting parts 19D, 19E, 39D, and 39E against the positioning member 5B, improving workability when manufacturing the linear motor 100D.

[0237] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples only, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine different embodiments, and omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0238] 1, 1A-1D, 1X, 3, 3A-3D Movable element, 2 Stator, 4 Device top plate, 5, 5A, 5B Positioning member, 6 Temperature measuring instrument, 7A, 7B Upper / lower type, 7C Side type, 8 Workbench, 11-13, 31-33 Teeth, 14, 34 Screw hole, 15, 35 Resin, 16, 36 Positioning groove, 17, 37 Positioning step, 18B, 18C, 38B Positioning surface, 19D, 19E, 39D, 39E Connecting part, 21 Permanent magnet, 23 Mounting base, 41 Mounting hole, 42 Screw, 51, 51A, 52B, 610 Side, 52, 52A, 162, 620 Bottom, 53, 163 Top, 61, 62, 63, 64 Draft angle surfaces, 100, 100A to 100D Linear motors, 110, 120, 130 Teeth end faces, 151 Right side faces, 161, 171, 361, 371 Exposed surfaces, 172, 372 Stepped surfaces.

Claims

1. A first armature having a first iron core with first teeth around which a first coil is wound, covered with a first resin, and having a first exposed surface in which a portion of the first teeth is exposed from the first resin; a second armature having a second iron core with second teeth around which a second coil is wound, covered with a second resin, and having a second exposed surface in which a portion of the second teeth is exposed from the second resin; and a field having a plurality of permanent magnets, wherein the first armature is formed such that, when the first armature is placed on the field, the perpendicular to the first exposed surface is perpendicular to the first thrust generation direction in which the thrust of the first armature is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated. A linear motor characterized in that the second armature is formed such that, when the second armature is positioned on the field, the perpendicular to the second exposed surface is perpendicular to the second thrust generation direction in which the thrust of the second armature is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated, and the first armature and the second armature are connectable in the first thrust generation direction.

2. The linear motor according to claim 1, characterized in that the first armature has a first positioning groove which is fitted into a positioning member when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the second armature has a second positioning groove which is fitted into the positioning member when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the first positioning groove has an open surface perpendicular to the first thrust generation direction and its bottom surface is the first exposed surface, the second positioning groove has an open surface perpendicular to the second thrust generation direction and its bottom surface is the second exposed surface, and the first armature and the second armature can be positioned relative to the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface by fitting the first positioning groove and the second positioning groove into the positioning member such that the positioning member contacts the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

3. The first armature has a first positioning step to which a positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the second armature has a second positioning step to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the first positioning step has a first stepped surface on the outer wall surface of the first armature that is parallel to the first upper surface fastened to the top plate of the device and is stepped from the first upper surface, and the surface in the first thrust generation direction is an open surface, and the surface perpendicular to the first stepped surface and the open surface is the first exposed surface, The linear motor according to claim 1, wherein the second positioning step has a second stepped surface which is parallel to the second upper surface of the outer wall surface of the second armature that is fastened to the top plate of the device and is stepped from the second upper surface, and the surface in the second thrust generation direction is an open surface, and the surface perpendicular to the second stepped surface and the open surface is the second exposed surface, and the first armature and the second armature can be positioned relative to the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface by arranging the positioning member on the first positioning step and the second positioning step such that the positioning member is in contact with the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

4. The linear motor according to claim 1, characterized in that the first resin outer wall surface has a first positioning surface parallel to the first exposed surface and to which a positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the second resin outer wall surface has a second positioning surface parallel to the second exposed surface and to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the positioning member abuts against the first positioning surface and the second positioning surface to enable positioning of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

5. The linear motor according to claim 4, characterized in that the first positioning surface and the second positioning surface are formed by machining.

6. The linear motor according to claim 1, characterized in that a first connecting member is arranged on the outer wall surface of the first resin parallel to the first exposed surface and against which a positioning member is contacted when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, a second connecting member is arranged on the outer wall surface of the second resin parallel to the second exposed surface and against which the positioning member is contacted when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the positioning member is contacted against the first connecting member and the second connecting member to enable positioning of the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

7. The linear motor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first exposed surface extends in the first thrust generation direction.

8. The first armature and the second armature are connected while positioning is performed between the first armature, which has a first iron core with first teeth around which a first coil is wound, covered with a first resin and having a first exposed surface in which a portion of the first teeth is exposed from the first resin and the second armature, which has a second iron core with second teeth around which a second coil is wound, covered with a second resin and having a second exposed surface in which a portion of the second teeth is exposed from the second resin, wherein the first armature is formed such that, when the first armature is placed on a field having a plurality of permanent magnets, the perpendicular to the first exposed surface is perpendicular to the first thrust generation direction in which the thrust of the first armature is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated. The method for manufacturing an electric motor is characterized in that, when the second armature is positioned on the field, the second exposed surface is formed such that the perpendicular to the second exposed surface is perpendicular to the second thrust generation direction in which the thrust of the second armature is generated and the direction in which the magnetic gap is generated, and in the connecting step, the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface are connected in the first thrust generation direction while the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface are positioned using a positioning member so that the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface are on the same plane.

9. The method for manufacturing an electric motor according to claim 8, characterized in that the first armature has a first positioning groove which is fitted into the positioning member when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the second armature has a second positioning groove which is fitted into the positioning member when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the first positioning groove has an open surface perpendicular to the first thrust generation direction and its bottom surface is the first exposed surface, the second positioning groove has an open surface perpendicular to the second thrust generation direction and its bottom surface is the second exposed surface, and in the connecting step, the first positioning groove and the second positioning groove are fitted into the positioning member so that the positioning member contacts the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, thereby positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

10. The first armature has a first positioning step to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the second armature has a second positioning step to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and the first positioning step has a first stepped surface on the outer wall surface of the first armature that is parallel to the first upper surface fastened to the top plate of the device and is stepped from the first upper surface, and the surface in the first thrust generation direction is an open surface, and the surface perpendicular to the first stepped surface and the open surface is the first exposed surface, The method for manufacturing an electric motor according to claim 8, characterized in that the second positioning step has a second stepped surface which is parallel to the second upper surface of the outer wall surface of the second armature that is fastened to the top plate of the device and is stepped from the second upper surface, and the surface in the direction of second thrust generation is an open surface, and the surface perpendicular to the second stepped surface and the open surface is a second exposed surface, and in the connecting step, the positioning member is positioned on the first positioning step and the second positioning step so that the positioning member is in contact with the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, thereby positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

11. The method for manufacturing an electric motor according to claim 8, characterized in that the first resin outer wall surface has a first positioning surface parallel to the first exposed surface and to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, the second resin outer wall surface has a second positioning surface parallel to the second exposed surface and to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and in the connecting step, the positioning member abuts against the first positioning surface and the second positioning surface to position the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

12. The method for manufacturing an electric motor according to claim 8, characterized in that a first connecting member is arranged on the outer wall surface of the first resin parallel to the first exposed surface and to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, a second connecting member is arranged on the outer wall surface of the second resin parallel to the second exposed surface and to which the positioning member abuts when positioning the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface, and in the connecting step, the positioning member abuts against the first connecting member and the second connecting member to position the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface.

Images