Modular conveyor system having multiple moving elements under independent control
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting the position of a moving element relative to a stationary element, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of linear encoder readers spaced generally along the stationary element at fixed positions relative thereto;
a device readable by the linear encoder readers, the readable device being mounted on the moving element and having a length which is greater than the spacing between any given pair of adjacent linear encoder readers;
a guide for aligning the readable device in order to interact with the linear encoder readers; and
circuitry, connected to each linear encoder reader, for associating the readable device with only one linear encoder reader in a state of interaction with the readable device at any time and for resolving and providing a reading of the overall position of the moving element based on the fixed position of the associated linear encoder reader and a relative position of the readable device in relation to the associated linear encoder reader.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The modular conveyor system comprises N interconnected track sections, forming a continuous track, wherein each track section features a plurality of individually controlled coils stretching along the length thereof. Plural pallets, each having thrust producing magnets, travel independently alone the track. The track also comprises multiple linear encoder readers spaced at fixed positions therealong, and each pallet includes a linear encoder strip having a length R greater than the spacing E between the readers. Track section controllers associate the encoder strips with only one reader at any time in order to resolve the position of the pallets based on the fixed position of the readers and the relative positions of the strips in relation thereto. The section controllers also regulate and commutate the coils of the corresponding track sections in order to independently control each pallet. Communication links interface adjacent section controllers situated in adjacent track sections. The electromagnetic structure and distributed control architecture of the conveyor system enable it to independently control multiple practical pallets yet be constructed out of modular track sections, with little practical restriction on the length of the conveyor system or the number of pallets controlled thereby.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting the position of a moving element relative to a stationary element, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of linear encoder readers spaced generally along the stationary element at fixed positions relative thereto;
a device readable by the linear encoder readers, the readable device being mounted on the moving element and having a length which is greater than the spacing between any given pair of adjacent linear encoder readers;
a guide for aligning the readable device in order to interact with the linear encoder readers; and
circuitry, connected to each linear encoder reader, for associating the readable device with only one linear encoder reader in a state of interaction with the readable device at any time and for resolving and providing a reading of the overall position of the moving element based on the fixed position of the associated linear encoder reader and a relative position of the readable device in relation to the associated linear encoder reader. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for detecting the positions of plural moving elements relative to a stationary element, said apparatus comprising:
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a single row of linear encoder readers spaced generally along the stationary element at fixed positions relative thereto;
a device readable by the linear encoder readers mounted on each moving element, each readable device having a length which is greater than the spacing between any given pair of adjacent linear encoder readers;
a guide for aligning the readable devices in order to interact with the single row of linear encoder readers; and
circuitry, connected to each linear encoder reader, for associating any given readable device with only one linear encoder reader at any time and for resolving and providing a reading of the overall position of the corresponding moving element based on the fixed position of the associated linear encoder reader and a relative position of the given readable device in relation to the associated linear encoder reader. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification