Moving body system and method for driving moving body

• US 9,871,478 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yasutake, Azuma, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agared, Gabriel
• Application Number:
  US14/785,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 318503
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/03 Electric propulsion by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0094 Structural association with other electrical or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2213/03 Machines characterised by numerical values, ranges, mathematical expressions or similar information
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 29/03 with a magnetic circuit specially adapted for avoiding torque ripples or self-starting problems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/15 Controlling commutation time
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 8/005 of linear motors

Abstract

In order to prevent the length of the movement path from being limited to the pitch of a magnet, a moving body (vehicle) includes two motors disposed in different positions in the moving direction. When one of the two motors is located in an irregular section in which the poles of magnets are not disposed regularly, a motor other than the one motor is located in a section which is not the irregular section.

Claims

1. A moving body system comprising:

a rail, wherein the rail comprises a regular section in which magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are alternately disposed, and an irregular section in which magnets are not disposed, or the magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are not alternately disposed; and

a moving body configured to move along the rail, wherein the moving body comprises a plurality of motors disposed in different positions in a moving direction thereof,

wherein one of the plurality of motors is located in the irregular section,

wherein at least one of the plurality of motors other than the one motor is located in a section which is not the irregular section,

wherein the moving body comprises a drive controller configured to stop drive of a motor positioned in the irregular section,

wherein the moving body comprises a detector configured to detect the irregular section, the drive controller stops the drive of the motor on a basis of detection of the irregular section by the detector,

wherein the detector detects the irregular section, as well as a regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, and when the detector detects the irregular section and then detects the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor,

wherein the detector detects the irregular section, as well as the regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, by detecting the magnets, and when the detector detects the irregular section and then continuously detects a plurality of magnets starting from a first magnet in the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor.

2. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is a section in which the magnets are not disposed.

3. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is a section in which the magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are not alternately disposed.

4. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the irregular section is shorter than a distance between motors disposed at both ends in the moving direction of the motors.

5. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the detector is provided for each of the motors.

6. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein the detector is an optical sensor configured to detect the magnets.

7. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein

the detector comprises one set of sensors, and

the one set of sensors detects the irregular section and a position of the moving body.

8. The moving body system of claim 1, wherein

the drive controller comprises a bootstrap circuit, and

a bootstrap capacitor of the bootstrap circuit is charged with a charge time corresponding to a time during which the motor has been stopped.

10. The moving body system of claim 7, wherein

the one set of sensors detects the presence or absence of a magnet in the irregular section and the position of the moving body.

11. The moving body system of claim 8, wherein

the charge time corresponding to a time during which the motor has been stopped is the time it takes for the bootstrap capacitor to discharge.

9. A method for driving a moving body, the moving body moving along a rail, wherein the rail comprises a regular section in which magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are alternately disposed, and an irregular section in which magnets are not disposed, or the magnets with south poles and magnets with north poles are not alternately disposed, the method comprising:

when one of a plurality of motors disposed in different positions in a moving direction of the moving body is located in the irregular section, stopping drive of the one motor,

wherein the moving body comprises a drive controller configured to stop drive of a motor positioned in the irregular section,

wherein the moving body comprises a detector configured to detect the irregular section, the drive controller stops the drive of the motor on a basis of detection of the irregular section by the detector,

wherein the detector detects the irregular section, as well as a regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, and when the detector detects the irregular section and then detects the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor,

wherein the detector detects the irregular section, as well as the regular section in which the poles of magnets are disposed regularly, by detecting the magnets, and when the detector detects the irregular section and then continuously detects a plurality of magnets starting from a first magnet in the regular section, the drive controller restarts the stopped drive of the motor.