Vehicle guidance and switching via magnetic forces
First Claim
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1. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprisinga guideway,a guide plate for moving along the guideway,a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate,the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway, andthe guide plate adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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Abstract
A system for guidance and/or switching of a vehicle or other object comprises a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway, and a magnetic field source that induces a magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway over which the guide plate is moving. The guide plate is attached to the vehicle or coupled to its steering systems. The magnetic force centers the guide plate along the guideway by opposing any lateral deviation from center. The magnetic field source is a permanent magnet, an electromagnet (including a superconducting magnet) or any other known magnetic field source. It is preferably included in, or forms part of, the guide plate. Likewise, the guide rail preferably comprises ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material, i.e., a material that forms a temporary magnet in the presence of the magnetic field of the source. Thus, for example, one aspect of the invention provides a system of vehicle guidance in which the guide plate comprises an arrangement of permanent magnets that slide over a ferromagnetic, e.g., steel, guideway rail.
191 Citations
66 Claims
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1. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway, and the guide plate adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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6. A system for guidance and switching of a vehicle, comprising
a first guideway, a second guideway that diverges from the first guideway, a guide plate for moving along any of the first and second guideways, a magnetic field source for inducing a magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of any of the first and second guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by a respective one of the first and second guideways in which the guide plate is in the vicinity, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway, and the guide plate adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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10. A system for conveyance, comprising
a vehicle with a steering mechanism that determines a direction of motion of the vehicle, a guideway, a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing a magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway, and the guide plate being coupled to the steering mechanism to direct motion of the vehicle as a function of motion of the guide plate along the guideway.
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13. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, the guide plate and guideway having poles that are disposed in opposing physical relationship to one another and that are of opposing magnet polarities to one another, and the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to a magnetic force the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway.
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18. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, each of the guideway and the guide plate comprising a pair of poles of opposing magnetic polarities to one another, each of the poles of the guide plate being disposed in opposing physical relationship to a corresponding pole of the pair of poles of the guideway and being of opposite polarity to that corresponding pole, the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to magnetic forces that have at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway.
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21. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, each of the guideway and the guide plate comprising a pair of poles of opposing magnetic polarities to one another, the guide plate comprising a pair of magnetic field sources, one pole of each of which comprises a pole of the guide plate, each of the poles of the guide plate being disposed in opposing physical relationship to a corresponding pole of the pair of poles of the guideway and being of opposite polarity to that corresponding pole, the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to magnetic forces that have at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway.
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30. A system for guidance of a object, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion, and the guide plate adapted to be coupled to the object for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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35. A flywheel system comprising,
a guideway defining a substantially circular path, a flywheel having mounted thereon a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of relative motion by the guide plate in the direction of motion established by the guideway.
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40. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic field source comprising a permanent magnet, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion, and the guide plate adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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43. A system for guidance and switching of a vehicle, comprising
a first guideway, a second guideway that diverges from the first guideway, a guide plate for moving along any of the first and second guideways, a magnetic field source for inducing a magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of any of the first and second guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic field source comprising a permanent magnet, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by a respective one of the first and second guideways in which the guide plate is in the vicinity, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to that guideway in the direction of motion established thereby, and the guide plate adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof.
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47. A system for conveyance, comprising
a guideway, a vehicle having a guide plate for moving along the guideway, one or more castors on which the vehicle moves, a magnetic field source for inducing a magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion.
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49. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, at least one of the guideway and the guideplate comprising a permanent magnet, the guide plate and guideway having poles that are disposed in opposing physical relationship to one another and that are of opposing magnet polarities to one another, and the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to a magnetic force the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion.
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52. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, at least one of the guideway and guide plate comprising a permanent magnet, each of the guideway and the guide plate comprising a pair of poles of opposing magnetic polarities to one another, each of the poles of the guide plate being disposed in opposing physical relationship to a corresponding pole of the pair of poles of the guideway and being of opposite polarity to that corresponding pole, the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to magnetic forces that have at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion.
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55. A system for guidance of a vehicle, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate that moves along the guideway and that is adapted to be coupled to the vehicle for guiding a path of motion thereof, each of the guideway and the guide plate comprising a pair of poles of opposing magnetic polarities to one another, the guide plate comprising a pair of magnetic field sources, one pole of each of which comprises a pole of the guide plate, at least one of the magnetic field sources comprising a permanent magnet, each of the poles of the guide plate being disposed in opposing physical relationship to a corresponding pole of the pair of poles of the guideway and being of opposite polarity to that corresponding pole, and the opposing poles of the guide plate and guideway giving rise to magnetic forces that have at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion.
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63. An object guidance system, comprising
a guideway, a guide plate for moving along the guideway, a magnetic field source for inducing an attractive magnetic force between the guide plate and at least a portion of the guideway in a vicinity of the guide plate, the magnetic field source comprising a permanent magnet, the magnetic force having at least a passive component that opposes lateral deviation of the guide plate from a direction of motion established by the guideway, even in the absence of motion by the guide plate relative to the guideway in that direction of motion, and the guide plate being coupled to the object for guiding a path of motion thereof.
Specification
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Current AssigneeMagnemotion Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
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Original AssigneeMagnemotion Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
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InventorsBushko, Dariusz A., Clark, Tracy M., Thornton, Richard D.
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Primary Examiner(s)Morano, S. Joseph
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Assistant Examiner(s)McCarry, Jr., Robert J.
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Application NumberUS08/998,232Time in Patent Office965 DaysField of Search104/130.02, 104/130.03, 104/281, 104/282, 104/283, 104/286, 246/227, 246/228, 246/229, 246/231, 246/233, 246/234, 74/572US Class Current104/282CPC Class CodesB60L 13/003 Crossings; PointsB60L 2200/26 Rail vehiclesB61B 13/08 Sliding or levitation syste...
