Moving Body System and Method for Driving Moving Body

• US 20160072419A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: YAMADA, Yasutake, AZUMA, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,871,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/03 Electric propulsion by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0094 Structural association with other electrical or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2213/03 Machines characterised by numerical values, ranges, mathematical expressions or similar information
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 29/03 with a magnetic circuit specially adapted for avoiding torque ripples or self-starting problems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/15 Controlling commutation time
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 8/005 of linear motors

Abstract

In order to prevent the length of the movement path from being limited to the pitch of a magnet, a moving body (vehicle) includes two motors disposed in different positions in the moving direction. When one of the two motors is located in an irregular section in which the poles of magnets are not disposed regularly, a motor other than the one motor is located in a section which is not the irregular section.

Claims

1. A moving body system comprising:

a movement path on which magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are alternately disposed; and

a moving body configured to move along the movement path, wherein

the moving body comprises a plurality of motors disposed in different positions in a moving direction thereof, and

when one of the motors is located in an irregular section in which poles of the magnets are not disposed regularly, at least one of the motors other than the one motor is located in a section which is not the irregular section.

2. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is a section in which the magnets are not disposed.

3. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is a section in which the magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are not alternately disposed.

4. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is shorter than a distance between motors disposed at both ends in the moving direction, of the motors.

5. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the moving body comprises a drive controller configured to stop drive of a motor positioned in the irregular section.

6. The moving body system of claim 5, wherein

the moving body comprises a detector configured to detect the irregular section, and

the drive controller stops the drive of the motor on a basis of detection of the irregular section by the detector.

7. The moving body system of claim 6, wherein

the detector detects the irregular section, as well as a regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, and

when the detector detects the irregular section and then detects the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor.

8. The moving body system of claim 7, wherein

the detector detects the irregular section, as well as the regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, by detecting the magnets, and

when the detector detects the irregular section and then continuously detects a plurality of magnets starting from a first magnet in the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor.

9. The moving body system of claim 6, wherein the detector is provided for each of the motors.

10. The moving body system of claim 6, wherein the detector is an optical sensor configured to detect the magnets.

11. The moving body system of claim 6, wherein

the detector comprises one set of sensors, and

the one set of sensors detects the irregular section and a position of the moving body.

12. The moving body system of claim 5, wherein

the drive controller comprises a bootstrap circuit, and

a bootstrap capacitor of the bootstrap circuit is charged with a charge time corresponding to a time during which the motor has been stopped.

13. A method for driving a moving body, the moving body moving along a movement path on which magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are alternately disposed, the method comprising

when one of a plurality of motors disposed in different positions in a moving direction of the moving body is located in an irregular section in which the poles of the magnets are not disposed regularly, stopping drive of the one motor.