TRANSPORT SYSTEM POWERED BY SHORT BLOCK LINEAR SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS AND SWITCHING MECHANISM
First Claim
1. A transport system, comprisingA. a guideway including a plurality of coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled,B. one or more vehicles disposed on the guideway, each containing a magnetic flux source,C. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils independently so as to propel the one or more vehicles along the guideway.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Aspects of the invention provide a transport system powered by short block Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs). The use of short blocks allows vehicles to move under precise control even when they are in close proximity to each other. The design allows the vehicles to be propelled and guided while negotiating sharp turns and negotiating merge and diverge switches. A coreless LSM can be used to create propulsive force without attractive force so as to allow a relatively high drag vehicle suspension, such as a vehicle sliding on a smooth surface. Further aspects of the invention provide a switching member that is selectively moveable relative to a guideway in order to change a magnetic force acting on the vehicle transverse to a direction of motion of the vehicle.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway including a plurality of coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled, B. one or more vehicles disposed on the guideway, each containing a magnetic flux source, C. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils independently so as to propel the one or more vehicles along the guideway.
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15. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway comprising a plurality of propulsion coils, B. one or more vehicles disposed on the guideway, each of the one or more vehicles containing a magnetic flux source, C. control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils so as to propel the one or more vehicles along the guideway, D. wherein one or more of the propulsion coils are mounted on a printed circuit board.
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21. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway that guides one or more vehicles and that includes at least one of a merge region and a diverge region, B. one or more vehicles disposed on the guideway, each containing a magnetic flux source, C. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils so as to propel the one or more vehicles independently of one another along the guideway.
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32. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide the vehicle; -
a vehicle with mechanisms to interact with the guideway rails for guidance and containing one or more magnet arrays that can be used for propulsion; a multiplicity of coils that are mounted in close proximity to the magnets of passing vehicles and can be excited so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets; a means for interconnecting the coils to electronic power control circuitry that includes switching devices and one or more microprocessors; position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway; software for controlling microprocessors that controls the coil currents in response to commands and synchronized to the motion of the vehicles; and an energy source that provides power for the propulsion of the vehicles.
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33. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide the vehicle in at least two dimensions; -
a vehicle with mechanisms to interact with the guideway rails for guidance and containing one or more magnet arrays that can be used for propulsion; a surface on the lower side of the vehicle that slides on a surface on the guideway whereby the combination of surfaces has a low coefficient of friction; a multiplicity of coils that are mounted in close proximity to the magnets of passing vehicles and can be excited so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets; a means for interconnecting the coils to electronic power control circuitry that includes switching devices and one or more microprocessors; position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway; software for controlling microprocessors that controls the coil currents in response to commands and synchronized to the motion of the vehicles; and an energy source that provides power for the propulsion of the vehicles.
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34. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide the vehicle in at least two dimensions; -
a vehicle that is approximately 50 mm square with mechanisms to interact with the guideway rails for guidance and containing one or more magnet arrays that can be used for propulsion; a surface on the lower side of the vehicle that slides on a surface on the guideway whereby the combination of surfaces has a coefficient of friction of less than 0.2; a multiplicity of coils that are mounted within a few mm of the magnets of passing vehicles and can be excited so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets with at least three coils able to create a propulsive force on a single vehicle; a means for interconnecting the coils to electronic power control circuitry that includes switching devices and one or more microprocessors; position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway; software for controlling microprocessors that controls the coil currents in response to commands and synchronized to the motion of the vehicles; and an energy source that provides power for the propulsion of the vehicles.
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35. A guideway module for use in a transport system, the guideway module comprising
A. one or more coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles that include magnetic flux sources are to be propelled, B. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the one or more propulsion coils independently of one or more other propulsion coils in any of (a) the guideway module, and (b) a guideway in which that guideway module is incorporated, so as to control movement of one or more vehicles passing over the guideway module.
- 38. The guideway module of claim 38, wherein the guidance structure comprises one or more rails.
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45. A guideway module defining any of a merge and a diverge for use in a transport system, the guideway module altering a course of a vehicle passing thereover, comprising
A. one or more coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles that include magnetic flux sources are to be propelled, B. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the one or more propulsion coils independently of one or more other propulsion coils in any of (a) the guideway module, and (b) a guideway in which that guideway module is incorporated, so as to independently propel one or more vehicles passing over the guideway module.
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50. A guideway for use in a transport system, the guideway comprising one or more couplable modules, each including
A. one or more coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles that include magnetic flux sources are to be propelled, B. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the one or more propulsion coils independently one or more other propulsion coils in any of (a) the guideway module, and (b) a guideway in which that guideway module is incorporated, so as to propel one or more vehicles passing over the guideway module.
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51. A vehicle for use in a transport system, comprising a flux source and adapted to be propelled along a guideway comprising
A. one or more coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles that include magnetic flux sources are to be propelled, B. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the one or more propulsion coils independently of one or more other propulsion coils so as to propel the vehicle.
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54. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway including a plurality of coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled, B. one or more vehicles disposed on the guideway, each containing a magnetic flux source, C. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils independently so as to propel the one or more vehicles along the guideway, D. the one or more vehicles being slidingly disposed on any of a rail, ledge, recess, or flange of the guideway.
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58. A guideway module for use in a transport system, the guideway module comprising
A. one or more coreless propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles that include magnetic flux sources are to be propelled, B. electronic power and control circuitry that excites the one or more propulsion coils independently of one or more other propulsion coils in any of (a) the guideway module, and (b) a guideway in which that guideway module is incorporated, so as to control movement of one or more vehicles passing over the guideway module, C. any of a rail, ledge, recess, or flange adapted for sliding motion of the one or more vehicles thereon.
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61. A transport system, comprising:
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A. a guideway that includes a switching region, B. a vehicle that moves along the guideway and that includes a magnetic flux source, C. a switching member that is disposed adjacent the switching region and that is selectively moveable relative to the guideway in order to change a magnetic force acting on the vehicle transverse to a direction of motion of the vehicle along the guideway. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
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65. A method of switching a vehicle, comprising:
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providing a vehicle including a magnetic flux source; moving the vehicle along a pathway defined by a guideway; providing a switching member; activating the switching member so as to change a magnetic force between the switch and the magnetic flux source disposed on the vehicle, thereby altering the course of the vehicle.
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- 66. The method of claim 66, wherein the switching member is disposed at least one of a diverge region and a merge region of the guideway.
- 70. A guideway module for use in a transport system, comprising a switching member that is selectively moveable in order to change a magnetic force acting on vehicle moving on the guideway module, where that magnetic force is transverse to a direction of motion of the vehicle along the guideway.
Specification