Moving-magnet type linear motor

• US 7,732,951 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukaide, Naomasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam; Thanh
• Application Number:
  US12/022,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12.01, 310/12.05, 310/12.15, 310/12.21, 310/12.29, 310/52, 310/58
• US Class Current: 310/12.29
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/03 Synchronous motors; Motors moving step by step; Reluctance motors H02K41/035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/18 with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/227 Heat sinks

Abstract

A moving-magnet type linear motor is provided with cooling blocks which are attached to each of stator bases alongside a coreless coil and which allow coolant to flow therethrough for cooling the coreless coil. Each of the cooling blocks has in a base end portion thereof a fluid passage for flowing coolant and at an extreme end portion thereof a plurality of sheet-like protrusions like fins which are arranged alongside a part of the circumferential surface of the coreless coil with a clearance between each protrusion and the next thereto. Each cooling block is thermally closely jointed with the coreless coil at the extreme ends of the sheet-like protrusions.

Claims

1. A moving-magnet type linear motor comprising:

a magnet yoke forming an even-number polygonal cylinder with a plurality of flat walls and movable in the axial direction of the even-number polygonal cylinder;

a plurality of magnet constructs respectively attached to outer surfaces of the flat walls of the magnet yoke and composed of a plurality of permanent magnets;

a stator base provided to surround the magnet yoke;

a plurality of coreless coils attached to the stator base and arranged to respectively face the plurality of magnet constructs each with a magnetic clearance relative to the associated magnet construct; and

at least one cooling member attached to the stator base each to follow a part of circumferential surface of the associated coreless coil and allowing coolant to flow inside for cooling the associated coreless coil;

wherein the at least one cooling member has in its base end portion a fluid passage for enabling coolant to flow therethrough and at its extreme end portion a plurality of sheet-like protrusions, and

wherein the plurality of sheet-like protrusions are arranged along the part of the circumferential surface of the associated coreless coil with a clearance between each protrusion to the next and are jointed thermally closely with the associated coreless coil at extreme ends thereof.

2. The moving-magnet type linear motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one cooling members is jointed with the circumferential surface of the coreless coil at a part extending in a direction normal to the axial direction of the even-number polygonal cylinder; and

the length of the sheet-like protrusions in the axial direction is set so that the area by which each of the magnet constructs attached to the magnet yoke comes out of the associated coreless coil on the side of the at least one cooling member remains in the area in which the at least one cooling member has the plurality of sheet-like protrusions.

3. The moving-magnet type linear motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one cooling member comprises two cooling members arranged at both sides of each coreless coil in the axial direction;

the length in the axial direction of the sheet-like protrusions of each cooling member is set so that each of the magnet constructs attached to magnet yoke does not go beyond the area of the sheet-like protrusions of either cooling member when the magnet yoke is moved in either of forward and rearward directions in the axial direction.

4. The moving-magnet type linear motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the magnet constructs comprises:

a first permanent magnet arranged to extend in a direction normal to the X-axis direction and attached to the magnet yoke at one of N and S-poles; and

a second permanent magnet arranged in parallel to the first permanent magnet and attached to the magnet yoke at the other of the N and S-poles with a predetermined space from the first permanent magnet in the axial direction; and

wherein the first and second permanent magnets of each magnet construct are in alignment respectively with the second and first permanent magnets of another magnet construct adjoining in the circumferential direction so that each magnet construct is opposite in magnetic polarities of the first and second permanent magnets to the magnet constructs which adjoin thereto on both sides in the circumferential direction of the magnet yoke.

5. The moving-magnet type linear motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of the magnet constructs has first and second permanent magnets which are attached to the magnet yoke to extend in a direction normal to the axial direction in parallel relation with a predetermined space therebetween in the axial direction; and

the magnetic polarities of the first and second permanent magnet of each magnet construct are set so that magnetic flux from the first permanent magnet of each magnet construct is branched into three lines, one line of which moves to the second permanent magnet next thereto in the axial direction of the same magnet construct and two other lines of which respectively move to second permanent magnets of the magnet constructs which are next thereto on the both sides in the circumferential direction.

6. The moving-magnet type linear motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the magnet constructs have respective permanent magnets circumferentially aligned at a first position in the axial direction and respective permanent magnets circumferentially aligned at a second position spaced a predetermined distance from the first position in the axial direction;

the permanent magnets circumferentially aligned at each of the first and second positions in the axial direction are alternate in magnetic polarity; and

the permanent magnets spaced in the axial direction of each magnet construct are opposite to each other in magnetic polarity.