TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a non-contact carrier system for carrying load by moving above a lower face of a conductive movement platform without contacting said lower face.

PRIOR ART

The systems, which are to be used in carrying a product, for instance, a pathogen sample, are specialized according to the operation areas. In integrated production units where a clean room medium is formed, in pathogen laboratories, in hospitals; systems are needed which have high stability, without vibration, without noise, which are clean and rapid and autonomous.

For this reason, in the present art, magnetic systems with padding are used. In other words, thanks to the force formed by the magnetic field formed between a load and a carrier platform, the load can move above the platform without contacting the platform.

Magnetic padding, which does not have movable parts and which does not have friction and vibration and noise, is realized by means of three different methods: quantum padding, electromagnetic padding and electro-dynamic padding. Quantum padding systems are systems where material, which deteriorates the magnetic field lines by means of cooling at -183 C and named as super-conductive and which passively stays in air, is used. It is an advantage that it can stay suspended in air above the magnet in a passive manner, however, it has high cost since it continuously needs cooling and since it needs drive by means of active rail. Electro-dynamic systems operate by means of the pushing principle of magnetic fields. Electro-dynamic systems operate by means of the pushing principle of the magnetic fields. Since magnets are not linear because of their intrinsic characteristics, they shall be controlled in a closed cycle mannere by means of an active controller. In order to form the electro-dynamic pushing force, a rail system which continuously draws current shall be controlled and each phase along the rail shall be controlled. Electromagnetic padding operates according to the principle that the polarization is formed by the magnetic fields on the ferromagnetic surfaces. The reaction plate can form active pushing force on the rail or it can be completely passive. In electro-dynamic padding systems, in order to provide an increase in efficiency and form greater force, magnets are positioned in the form of HallBack array. In this form, the production of the system becomes complex. In electromagnetic padding systems, the efficiency of the carrier is tried to be increased by means of active rail systems. However, the cost of the active rail systems increases depending on the increase in efficiency. Particularly in the padding technologies used in super speedy trains, the active rail can extend for kilometers and the cost increases to very high values.

As a result, because of all of the abovementioned problems, an improvement is required in the related technical field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a non-contact carrier system, for eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages and for bringing new advantages to the related technical field.

An object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact carrier system where the loads are subjected to less amount vibration, noise and friction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact carrier system with increased mechanical stability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact carrier system with reduced production and assembly costs.

In order to realize all of the abovementioned objects and the objects which are to be deducted from the detailed description below, the present invention is a non-contact carrier system for carrying load by moving above a lower face of a conductive movement platform without contacting said lower face. Accordingly, the improvement of the subject matter invention is that a movement element is provided which comprises at least one linear engine core, at least two linear engine coils wrapped onto the linear engine core, at least one each padding magnets where one of said padding magnets is connected to a first end of said linear engine core and where the other one of said padding magnets is connected to a second end positioned at the opposite side of said first end of the linear engine core, at least one each padding cores and at least one first padding element having at least one each padding coils wrapped onto said padding core and at least one second padding element; the linear engine core comprises a base whose length is greater than its width ; pluralities of coil columns extending outwardly from said base and arranged such that one each coil intervals are defined in between; the padding core is provided on a padding base, and the base and the padding base are one-piece; a load carrier is provided which is connected to said movement elements; a power supply is provided which provides current to the padding coils and the linear engine coils; a control unit is provided which controls the magnetic field generated by the padding coils and the current applied to the engine coils by the power supply in order to provide movement of the non-contact carrier system above the movement platform by controlling the magnetic field generated by the engine coils and which is configured to control the current applied to the padding coils by the power supply for adjusting the distance of the carrier system with respect to the movement platform. Thus, the load can be carried along the platform in the desired direction by reducing the vibration, noise and friction to which the load is subjected.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, pluralities of sensors are provided which are configured to measure the distance between the movement elements and the movement platform, and the control unit is configured to control the current applied by the power supply to the linear engine coils and padding coils according to the measurements received from said sensors.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a movement command unit is provided, and the control unit is configured to control the current applied by the power supply to the linear engine coils and padding coils according to the input received from the movement command unit.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the padding magnet is positioned at an upper end of the padding core provided at the opposite side of the padding base.

The present invention is also a movement element for a non-contact carrier system for carrying load by moving above a lower face of a conductive movement platform without contacting said lower face. Accordingly, the improvement of the subject matter is that there are at least one linear engine core, at least two linear engine coils wrapped onto the linear engine core, at least one each padding magnets where one of said padding magnets is connected to a first end of said linear engine core and where the other one of said padding magnets is connected to a second end positioned at the opposite side of said first end of the linear engine core, at least one each padding cores and at least one first padding element having at least one each padding coils wrapped onto said padding core and at least one second padding element; the linear engine core comprises a base whose length is greater than its width; pluralities of coil columns extending outwardly from said base and arranged such that one each coil intervals are defined in between; the padding core is provided on a padding base, and the base and the padding base are one-piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is a representative view of the non-contact carrier system.

Figure 2 is a representative view where the association of the non-contact carrier system with the movement platform is shown.

Figure 3 is a representative view of the movement element.

Figure 4 is a representative view of the components associated with the control unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the subject matter is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable.

With reference to Figure 1 , the non-contact carrier system (10) comprises a movement platform (200) and at least one movement element which is suspended without contacting said movement platform and which advances above the movement platform (200).

Each movement element (100) comprises a linear engine core (1 10) and pluralities of linear engine coils (1 14) which have been wrapped to said linear engine core (1 10). The movement platform (200) is conductive and it is in plate form. As also known in the art, when current is applied to the linear engine coils (1 14) in a suitable arrangement, the force, created by the magnetic field, provides the linear engine core (1 10) to move on the movement platform. The linear engine core (1 10) and linear engine coil (1 14) function as primary, and the conductive movement platform (200) functions as secondary, and a linear engine is formed by the movement platform (200) and the linear engine core (1 10) and the linear engine coil (1 14).

The movement element (100) also comprises a padding core (123) associated with a first end of the linear engine core (1 10). A wrapped padding core (122) is provided in the padding core (123). There is also a padding magnet (121 ) associated with the padding core (123). The padding magnet (121 ) exerts a force, which is opposite to the gravity force, to the movement platform (200), and the padding core (123) and the padding coil (122) exert additional force in a direction which is opposite to the gravity force according to the dimension of the current applied to the padding coil (122). Thus, the movement element (100) can be suspended in a manner preserving a distance between the movement element (100) and the movement platform (200). Since the padding magnets (121 ) are selected to have suitable characteristics, the movement element (100) can stay fixed without consuming energy at the waiting position.

The movement platform (200) can be in the form of a single plate or it can comprise strip shaped plates which have been added to each other in a manner forming a path network. The movement platform (200) is preferably made of iron and copper.

The movement element (100) comprises a padding element (120) at a second end which remains at the opposite side of the first end of the linear engine core (1 10). In this detailed description, the padding element (120) in the first end is defined as the first padding element (128) and the padding element (120) in the second end is defined as the second padding element (129).

In this possible embodiment, the non-contact movement system comprises three movement elements (100), namely, a first movement element (101 ), a second movement element (102) and a third movement element (103). Said movement elements (100) are connected to a body (600). The movement elements (100) are placed to said body (600) in a manner positioning to the edges of an imaginary triangle. In this possible embodiment, the mentioned imaginary triangle is an equilateral triangle and the movement elements (100) are positioned such that the movement elements (100) correspond to the center of the edges. Thus, the movement elements (100) and the body (600) where the movement elements (100) are placed can move in a multi-directional manner on the platform thanks to the current applied to the linear engine coils (1 14).

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the linear engine core (1 10) comprises a base (1 1 1 ) which is in a form such that the length thereof is longer than the width thereof. In this possible embodiment, said base (1 1 1 ) is in the form of a rectangular prism. The linear engine core (1 10) comprises coil columns (1 13) which extend outwardly from said base (1 1 1 ) and arranged along the base (1 1 1 ) such that at least one each coil intervals (1 12) are defined in between. In this possible embodiment, the padding core (123) is provided in a manner extending from a padding base (124). The padding magnet (121 ) is provided at the end of the padding core (123) which is opposite to the padding base (124). In this embodiment, the padding base (124) and the base (1 1 1 ) are one-piece. Thus, a hybrid core is provided. Both the padding process and the movement process can be realized through a single core. The cores are preferably made of 0.5 mm silica transformer sheet.

A load carrier (300) is provided associated with the body. In this possible embodiment, the load carrier (300) comprises columns which extend downwardly from the body (600) and a platform carried by these columns. The load carrier (300) can be provided in pluralities of forms depending on the type of the load to be carried.

A power supply (500) is provided in a manner providing current to the linear engine coils (1 14) and to the padding coils (122). A control unit (400) controls the current applied to the engine coils and to the padding coils (122). The power supply can be a battery.

Pluralities of sensors (420) are provided in the vicinity of the movement elements (100). Said sensors (420) measure the distance between the movement elements (100) and the movement platform (200). The control unit (400) also controls the current sent to the padding coils (122) and/or to the linear engine coils (1 14) according to the received measurement values.

A movement command unit (410) is associated with the control unit (400). The control unit (400) controls the current sent to the padding coils (122) and to the linear engine coils according to the inputs received from the movement control unit (400) and according to the measurements received from the sensors (420), and provides the non-contact carrier system (10) to move in the movement platform (200) or to stay suspended.

The control unit (400) can comprise a general-purpose processor, driver circuits, etc. The movement command unit (410) can be a controller which provides command input from outside or it can be software loaded in the memory of the processor unit.

The non-contact movement system can comprise a single movement element (100) in case the movement platform (200) is provided only along a straight line.

The padding core (123) and the padding base (124) are also one-piece.

The protection scope of the present invention is set forth in the annexed claims and cannot be restricted to the illustrative disclosures given above, under the detailed description. It is because a person skilled in the relevant art can obviously produce similar embodiments under the light of the foregoing disclosures, without departing from the main principles of the present invention.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 Non-contact carrier system

100 Movement element

101 First movement element

102 Second movement element

103 Third movement element 1 10 Linear engine core

111 Base

1 12 Coil interval

1 13 Coil column

1 14 Linear engine coil 120 Padding element

121 Padding magnet

122 Padding coil

123 Padding core

124 Padding base

128 First padding element

129 Second padding element 200 Movement platform

210 Lower face

300 Load carrier

400 Control unit

410 Command unit

420 Sensor

500 Power supply

600 Body