IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,325,599
Granted Patent B2
US 12,325,599 · App. 17/761,845 · Granted Jun 10, 2025

Conveying device and analysis system

Inventors: Takeshi Tamakoshi (Tokyo, JP); Yasuaki Aoyama (Tokyo, JP); Satoru Kaneko (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP); Ryosuke Hoshi (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Katsuhiro Kambara (Tokyo, JP); Kuniaki Onizawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
B65G54/02G01N35/04B65G2203/0233B65G2203/0266G01N2035/0477H02P25/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,325,599
App. No.
17/761,845
Granted
Jun 10, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A conveying device conveys a container including a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path and includes a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and including a conveyance path, a drive unit supplying a current to the coil, and a position detection unit estimating the position of the container. The position detection unit excites a first magnetic pole to detect the position of the container and applies a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is peripheral in a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, and a process of estimating the position of the container based on the current value of the first magnetic pole.

Claims (31)

1. A conveying device that conveys a conveyance container including a magnet or a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path, comprising:

a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and having a conveyance path;

a drive unit for supplying a current to the coil; and

a position detection unit for performing a process of estimating the position of the conveyance container, wherein

the position detection unit performs:

a process of exciting a first magnetic pole selected to detect the position of the conveyance container, and applying a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is a peripheral magnetic pole within a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, and

a process of estimating the position of the conveyance container based on a current value of the first magnetic pole.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein

the position detection unit applies a DC voltage or a pulse voltage to the second magnetic pole in the opposite polarity direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein

a smaller number of magnetic poles than the number of magnetic poles that can be arranged are arranged on the conveyance surface.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3 , wherein

the plurality of magnetic poles are arranged in a grid on the conveyance surface.

5. An analysis system comprising a plurality of analysis devices, a plurality of conveying devices arranged between the plurality of analysis devices, and a control computer for controlling the operation of the analysis device and the conveying device, wherein

each of the plurality of conveying devices is a conveying device that conveys a conveyance container including a magnet or a magnetic body to a target position along a conveyance path,

and includes:

a conveyance surface configured by arranging a plurality of magnetic poles including a core and a coil, and having a conveyance path,

a drive unit for supplying a current to the coil, and

a processor for performing a process of detecting the position of the conveyance container, and notifying the control computer of information based on the result of the position detection, and

the processor determines whether or not the conveyance container has deviated from a selected magnetic pole based on a current change value when an exciting current flows through the selected magnetic pole, and notifies the control computer of the determination result.

6. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein

when the conveyance container deviates from the selected magnetic pole, the processor controls the drive unit to move the conveyance container around the selected magnetic pole to another magnetic pole position.

7. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein

when the conveyance container deviates from the selected magnetic pole, the processor controls the drive unit to move the conveyance container around the selected magnetic pole to another conveying device.

8. The analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein

the processor of the conveying device excites a first magnetic pole selected to detect the position of the conveyance container and applies a voltage to at least one second magnetic pole that is a peripheral magnetic pole within a predetermined range from the first magnetic pole and is different from the first magnetic pole in a direction in which the polarity becomes opposite to the exciting current of the first magnetic pole, to determine the presence or absence of the conveyance container at a position where the magnetic pole is not arranged and to notify the control computer of the determination result, and

the control computer determines processing stop, processing restart, and processing continuation in the analysis system based on the determination result from the conveying device.

9. The analysis system according to claim 8 , wherein

when the processor confirms the presence of the conveyance container at a position where the magnetic pole is not arranged, the processor controls the drive unit to draw the convey container into the conveyance path.

10. The analysis system according to claim 9 , wherein

the processor notifies the control computer of a result of the process of drawing the conveyance container into the conveyance path.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND INVENTOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059326 FRAME: 0287. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT . Recorded Apr 5, 2022
From: TAMAKOSHI, TAKESHI; AOYAMA, YASUAKI; KANEKO, SATORU; KOBAYASHI, HIROYUKI; HOSHI, RYOSUKE; WATANABE, HIROSHI; KAMBARA, KATSUHIRO; ONIZAWA, KUNIAKI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059608/0048 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2022
From: TAMAKOSHI, TAKESHI; AOYAMA, YASUAKO; KANEKO, SATORU; KOBAYASHI, HIROYUKI; HOSHI, RYOSUKE; WATANABE, HIROSHI; KAMBARA, KATSUHIRO; ONIZAWA, KUNIAKI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059326/0287 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-181674 · Oct 1, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220274792A1 · Sep 1, 2022
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