Transport system powered by short block linear synchronous motors
First Claim
1. A transport system, comprisingA. a guideway including a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which vehicles are to be propelled,B. plural 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 plural vehicles independently of one another along the guideway, andD. one or more sensors that monitor positions of the vehicles moving on 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.
163 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway including a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which vehicles are to be propelled, B. plural 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 plural vehicles independently of one another along the guideway, and D. one or more sensors that monitor positions of the vehicles moving on the guideway.
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18. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway comprising a plurality of propulsion coils, B. plural vehicles disposed on the guideway, each of the plural vehicles containing a magnetic flux source, C. control circuitry that excites the propulsion coils so as to propel the plural vehicles independently of one another along the guideway, D. sensors that monitor positions of the plural vehicles moving on the guideway, and E. wherein one or more of the propulsion coils are mounted on a printed circuit board.
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26. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway that guides plural vehicles and that includes at least one of a merge region and a diverge region, B. plural vehicles disposed on the guideway, each containing a magnetic flux source, C. electronic power and control circuitry that excites a plurality of propulsion coils so as to propel the plural vehicles independently of one another along the guideway, and D. one or more sensors that monitor positions of the vehicles moving on the guideway.
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40. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide a vehicle; -
a plurality of vehicles, each that interacts with the guideway rails for guidance and each 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 independently so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets so as to propel the vehicles independently of one another; functionality that interconnects the coils to electronic power control circuitry and that includes switching devices and one or more microprocessors; one or more position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway; microprocessors that control 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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41. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide a vehicle in at least two dimensions; -
a plurality of vehicles that interact with the guideway rails for guidance and that each include one or more magnet arrays that can be used for propulsion; a surface on the lower side of each of the plurality of vehicles that slides with a low coefficient of friction on a surface on the guideway; a multiplicity of coils that are mounted in close proximity to the magnets of passing vehicles and can be independently excited so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets that propel the vehicles independently of one another; functionality that interconnects 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; one or more microprocessors that control 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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42. A transport system comprising
a guideway comprising one or more rails that guide a vehicle in at least two dimensions; -
a plurality of vehicles, at least one that is approximately 50 mm square, that interact with the guideway rails for guidance and that each include one or more magnet arrays that can be used for propulsion; a surface on the lower side of each of the the plurality of vehicles that slides with a coefficient of friction of less than 0.2 on a surface on the guideway; a multiplicity of coils that are mounted within a few mm of the magnets of passing vehicles and can be independently excited so as to provide forces on the vehicle magnets that propel the vehicles independently of one another and where at least three coils can be used create a propulsive force on a single vehicle; functionality that interconnects the coils to electronic power control circuitry and that includes switching devices and one or more microprocessors; position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway; one or more microprocessors that control 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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43. 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 plural 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 the plural vehicles passing over the guideway module independently of one another, and C. one or more position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway.
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54. 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 propulsion coils disposed along a region in which plural vehicles that each include one or more 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 plural vehicles passing over the guideway module independently of one another, and C. one or more position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway.
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59. 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 plural vehicles that each include one or more 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 propel plural vehicles passing over the guideway module independently of one another, and C. one or more position sensors that monitor the position of vehicles moving on the guideway.
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60. 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 plural vehicles that each include one or more 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 independently of other vehicles on the guideway, and C. one or more position sensors that monitor the position of vehicle and other vehicles moving on the guideway.
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61. A transport system, comprising
A. a guideway including a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled, B. plural 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 plural vehicles independently of one another along the guideway, and D. one or more sensors that monitor positions of the vehicles moving on the guideway, E. microprocessors that are coupled to the electronic power and control circuitry and to the propulsion coils, and at provide electrical coupling therebetween.
Specification