TRANSPORT SYSTEM POWERED BY SHORT BLOCK LINEAR SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS
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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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.
17 Citations
51 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.
Specification