Maglev Transport Unit With Contactless Power and Action Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetically levitable transport units face challenges in efficient, precise, and rapid execution of actions without physical contact, particularly in controlled environments like isolators, where energy supply and synchronization with consumers are not effectively managed.
Innovation Solution
A communication interface is introduced to address consumers on magnetically levitable transport units, enabling contactless energy supply and synchronization of actions, allowing precise positioning and movement coordination with consumers, such as robot arms, within controlled environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If contactless energy supply and communication interface are introduced for magnetically levitable transport units, then precision and efficiency of action execution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A communication interface is introduced as an intermediary between the control system and consumers (e.g., robot arms) on the transport unit. This interface enables precise coordination of actions by facilitating data exchange and synchronization without physical contact, thereby improving positioning precision while managing system complexity through modular communication protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based control and energy supply systems with contactless magnetic field-based systems. The magnetically levitable transport unit uses electromagnetic fields for both levitation and energy transfer, eliminating mechanical wear and improving precision. The communication interface further substitutes mechanical signaling with electromagnetic communication, enhancing overall system precision.
2Productivity
If consumers on transport units are enabled to perform actions independently, then productivity increases, but risk of collisions and coordination issues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the positions and states of consumers (e.g., robot arms) on the transport unit. This real-time feedback enables the system to detect potential collisions and adjust consumer actions or transport unit movement accordingly, maintaining high productivity while ensuring reliability through dynamic coordination and conflict prevention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sectors of drive surface are used for energy supply, then adaptability to different positions is improved, but energy management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive surface is divided into multiple independent sectors, each capable of providing contactless energy supply. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different positions of the transport unit by activating only the relevant sectors, improving position adaptability. The modular sector structure also simplifies energy management by allowing independent control of each sector, reducing overall management complexity despite the increased adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise, efficient, and rapid execution of actions by consumers like robot arms, preventing collisions and ensuring continuous adaptation to environmental conditions, thus enhancing automation and process efficiency in controlled environments.
Implementation Method 1
The transport unit can be supplied with energy, for example, via inductive coupling between the transport unit and the drive surface
Implementation Method 2
a transport unit equipped with at least one permanent magnet or otherwise magnetically active floats in a controlled magnetic field and/or is moved by controlled changes in the magnetic field
Implementation Method 3
This stationary magnetic field can be provided, for example, by a levitation generator
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention is based on the objective of supplying energy to a magnetically levitable transport unit with a consumer addressable via a communication interface without physical contact on at least one sector of a drive surface, and of synchronizing a movement sequence of the transport unit on the drive surface with a functional sequence of the consumer in order to process at least one product via process stations and/or further consumers of at least a further, second transport unit by means of at least one action performed by the consumer.