Factory automation connector and work pallet

• US 5,747,894 A
• Filed: 09/11/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Inventors: Nomura, Kenji, Hirai, Junji, Hiraga, Yoshiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/704,543
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/17, 336/DIG. 3, 336/200, 29/568, 363/95, 4/541.3
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A connector divice which can stably supply electric power and send and receive signals in a contactless way, i.e., without using any electrode contact, and without strict alignment of the device. The connector divice is equipped with a primary-side coupler having a fluid coupler which couples two fluid pipes with each other, an electromagnetic coupler in which an electric signal transmitting section and an electric power feeding section are coaxially arranged, with the former inside and the latter outside, and which supplies electric signals and electric power to a secondary-side coupler in a contactless way by utilizing high-frequency electromagnetic induction, and a high-frequency inverter which generate electric power supplied to the secondary-side, and secondary-side coupler having a fluid coupler which couples two fluid pipes with each other, an electromagnetic coupler in which an electric signal receiving section and an electric power receiving section are coaxially arranged, with the former inside and the latter outside, and which receives electric signals and electric power from the primary-side coupler in a contactless way by utilizing high-frequency electromagnetic induction, and a converting section which converts the electric signals and electric power received for the load driven on the secondary side.

Claims

1. An FA connector for transmitting electric power, electric signals and fluid between a primary side and a secondary side, comprising:

a primary side coupler including a fluid coupler for coupling two fluid pipes, an electromagnetic coupler including an electric signal transmitting section arranged on the inner side and an electric power feeding section arranged on the outer side coaxially with said electric signal transmitting section for transmitting electric signals and electric power, respectively, in a contactless way to a secondary side coupler by high frequency electromagnetic induction, and a high frequency invertor for generating electric power to be transmitted to the secondary side; and

a secondary side coupler including a fluid coupler for coupling two fluid pipes, an electromagnetic coupler including an electric signal receiving section arranged on the inner side and an electric power receiving section arranged on the outer side coaxially with said electric signal receiving section for receiving electric signals and electric power in a contactless way from said primary side coupler, and a conversion section for converting the electric signals and the electric power transmitted from the primary side to the secondary side into electric signals and electric power for a load to be driven on the secondary side.

2. A Factory Automation connector as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said load includes a plurality of solenoid valves for distributing fluid into a plurality of pipes.

3. A work pallet, comprising a secondary side coupler of a Factory Automation connector according to claim 2, said work pallet operating a plurality of clamps by a fluid pressure.