Abstract: The present invention relates to a linear motor provided with a magnetic body and an armature and adapted to produce a force causing the magnetic body and the armature to be relatively displaced in a given moving direction by interaction of magnetic fluxes generated between the magnetic body and the armature during an operation of supplying electric power to the armature.

Abstract: A camera shutter device and an optical apparatus having the same are disclosed. The camera shutter device includes a pair of cores, each wrapped by a coil and having a distal end facing the other, wherein each coil is formed at the distal end with an electromagnetic force line generating unit. A magnet comprising a first magnet and a second magnet is interposed between the pair of cores. The magnet linearly and reciprocally moves in a direction perpendicular to the electromagnetic force line generating unit, and a slider opens and shuts a shutter blade as the magnet linearly and reciprocally moves, whereby miniaturization and thinning of the shutter device can be realized, and an opening/shutting operation can be stably performed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a linear motor provided with a magnetic body and an armature. The liner motor is adapted to produce a force causing the magnet body and the armature to be relatively displaced along a given linear moving direction by interaction of magnetic fluxes generated between the magnetic body and the armature during an operation of supplying electric power to the armature. In a typical aspect, the linear motor of the present invention comprises a movable section attached to a base plate adapted to set the moving direction on a base surface thereof, in such a movable manner as to relatively reciprocate along the moving direction with respect to the base plate. A mover is provided on the movable section and formed as one of the magnetic body and the armature.

Abstract: An electromagnetic, reciprocating linear motor or alternator having at least two armatures that are adjacent along an axis of reciprocation. The armatures have gaps that are linearly aligned along a gap path parallel to the axis. Field magnets reciprocate within the gap path. The field magnets include a main field magnet associated with each armature, each main field magnet having a magnetic polarization in the same direction across the gap path. A secondary magnet provides a centering spring force and is interposed between the main magnets. The secondary magnet extends in an axial direction from within a gap of one armature core to within an adjacent gap of an adjacent armature core. The secondary magnet is magnetically polarized in a direction opposite the polarization of the main magnets.

Abstract: A profilometer having a guide beam for providing translational movement of substrates in a Y axis relative to a stylus. A first stage receives a first substrate, where the first stage is slidably mounted to the guide beam. The first stage is associated with a first motor for providing independent translational movement for the first stage in an X axis relative to the stylus. A second stage receives a second substrate, where the second stage is slidably mounted to the guide beam. The second stage is associated with a second motor for providing independent translational movement for the second stage in the X axis relative to the stylus, where the first stage and the second stage move together in the Y axis as the guide beam moves in the Y axis, and move independently of one another in the X axis. A robot loads the substrates onto and unloads the substrates off of the first stage and the second stage.

Abstract: A drive section for a substrate transport arm including a frame, at least one stator mounted within the frame, the stator including a first motor section and at least one stator bearing section and a coaxial spindle magnetically supported substantially without contact by the at least one stator bearing section, where each drive shaft of the coaxial spindle includes a rotor, the rotor including a second motor section and at least one rotor bearing section configured to interface with the at least one stator bearing section, wherein the first motor section is configured to interface with the second motor section to effect rotation of the spindle about a predetermined axis and the at least one stator bearing section is configured to effect at least leveling of a substrate transport arm end effector connected to the coaxial spindle through an interaction with the at least one rotor bearing section.

Abstract: The invention consists on a linear switched reluctance electrical machine that may be operated indistinctly as a generator or a motor, with a series of characteristics that allow the optimization of the mass to power ratio, as well as the manufacturing cost. The machine has several air gaps, crossed by a single magnetic flux, in which the magnetic force is obtained. This flux is fed by a set of coils (6) placed in the active parts, these active parts are two yokes (4) and (5) in which the magnetic flux closes, there might be other active parts in the mentioned magnetic circuit through which the magnetic flux does not close. A set of passive elements, normally the translators (1) and (2), produce, while moving relatively to the active part, a variation of the reluctance of the circuit with respect to the position which causes a magnetic force.

Abstract: A linear actuator has an alternating drive apparatus, an alternating motion member, a fixing member fixed to a housing member, a direct acting member, a first wedge joining mechanism incorporated between the alternating motion member and the direct acting member, and a second wedge joining mechanism incorporated between the fixing member and the direct acting member. The first wedge joining mechanism and the second wedge joining mechanism have an inclined surface, a non-inclined surface at a constant distance from the central axis, and a wedge member arranged between the inclined surface and the non-inclined surface. The non-inclined surfaces of the first and second wedge joining mechanisms are formed on the direct acting member. The inclined surface of the first wedge joining mechanism is formed on the alternating motion member, and the inclined surface of the second wedge joining mechanism is formed to the fixing member.

Abstract: To provide a technique that improves an efficiency of using a magnetic field in a brushless electric machine. A brushless electric machine includes a first member having N sets (N is an integer of 2 or more) of electromagnetic groups, and a second member that has N+1 sets of magnetic field forming member groups and can move in a predetermined moving direction in relative to the first member. One set of the electromagnetic coil group and one set of the magnetic field forming member group are alternately disposed along a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic attractive force-offsetting linear motor which prevents motor thrust from varying due to changes in the position on a stator, thus enabling improvement of the motor thrust and of the accuracy of the machine tool and the quality of a processed surface. A magnetic attractive force offsetting linear motor has a base 72 that fix stators 52a and 52b by contacting stator bottom surfaces 74, two stator mounting members each provided on a side of a corresponding one of the stators 52a and 52b and each extending from the base 72 to a height substantially equal to that of a stator top surface 73, and two plate-like support members 81 fixedly connected to the stator top surfaces of the respective two stators 52a and 52b and to a base top surface 84.

Abstract: A multi-head linear motor with cores according to an embodiment includes a permanent magnet field and an armature. The permanent magnet field includes P pieces of permanent magnets. The armature is arranged so as to face the permanent magnet field through a magnetic air gap and includes M pieces of armature coils. Any one of the armature and the permanent magnet field constitutes a mover, the other constitutes a stator, and the mover is arranged in plurality to be lined up over a single piece of the stator to individually drive the movers relative to the stator. Moreover, the movers each include a large thrust mover and a small thrust mover that have different relationships each determined with a magnetic pole number P of the permanent magnets and a number M of the armature coils relative to the stator.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention comprise linear-resonant vibration modules that can be incorporated in a wide variety of appliances, devices, and systems to provide vibrational forces. The vibrational forces are produced by linear oscillation of a weight or member, in turn produced by rapidly alternating the polarity of one or more driving electromagnets. Feedback control is used to maintain the vibrational frequency of linear-resonant vibration module at or near the resonant frequency for the linear-resonant vibration module. Linear-resonant vibration modules can be designed to produce vibrational amplitude/frequency combinations throughout a large region of amplitude/frequency space.

Abstract: The invention relates to a primary component (2) for an electric motor (1), said primary component (2) being formed from at least one bundle of laminations (3) and comprises at least one flux guiding element (10) on one or both front faces (S1, S2) to reduce the ripple effect, said primary component (2) being separated from a secondary component (7) by a first air gap (?1). The primary component (2) has at least one section (?2) in the region of the flux guiding element (10), said section (?2) being electrically non-conducting (Kel=0) and having a negligibly low magnetic permeability (?r?1).

Abstract: Provided is a small size and lightweight linear motor having small thrust ripples, in which the magnetic attraction working between an armature and a mover is canceled out and therefore is small. A thrust generation mechanism comprises a stator (3) and a mover (5). The mover (5) includes permanent magnets (4) installed in a row so that the magnetic poles at the front and backsides of the magnets are alternately reversed along the traveling direction. The stator (3) includes upper and lower pole teeth (6), (7) having a plurality of magnetic poles (2) and arranged so as to sandwich the permanent magnets (4) of the mover (5), cores for connecting the pole teeth, and a winding (1) wound around a set of a plurality of the cores. Thrust ripples are reduced by adjusting the magnetic pole pitch (Pc) of the magnetic poles (2).

Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a plurality of AC linear motors of identical specifications which are connected each other and operated synchronously so that they appear to operate as a single linear motor having desired power. The method for controlling, as an AC linear motor set, a plurality of AC linear motors of identical specifications which are connected to each other, includes the steps of firmly connecting the AC linear motors in such a manner that pole pitches of movers of the AC linear motors and pole intervals of adjacent movers are identical; and setting any one of the AC linear motors to be a master AC linear motor and using a command signal generated based on a feedback signal of the master AC linear motor and current difference information obtained by comparing phase current of the master AC linear motor with phase current of another AC linear motor to control the AC linear motor set.

Abstract: The moving magnet type linear motor according to the present invention comprises a stator comprising a plurality of coils arranged in a single direction and having a both ends support structure supporting both ends of the stator in a direction perpendicular to said single direction, a pair of movers comprising a plurality of permanent magnets arranged opposing the sides of the stator respectively and capable of relative movement in said single direction with respect to each other, and guidance mechanisms guiding both the movers independently and movably in said single direction, and one of the movers is connected to a load.

Abstract: A linear actuator is provided with an armature and a stator. The armature has at least two stacks of permanently magnetic rods one over another, the stacks being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other. The stator is at least partly produced from a soft magnetic material, and comprises at least two pairs of teeth with teeth opposite each other, each pair of teeth receiving one of the two stacks between them while forming an air gap. The stator has at least two magnetically conducting inner areas which are located between the two stacks and arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the direction of motion of the armature. The inner areas are each at least partially surrounded by a substantially hollow cylindrical coil arrangement, the central longitudinal axis of which is oriented substantially transversely to the direction of motion of the armature.

Abstract: A linear motor assembly includes two stators extending in parallel and having salient poles arranged at a predetermined interval on opposing surfaces and a mover having three types of mover blocks. The mover blocks are made up of three-phase alternating current coils configuring magnetic poles of three phases and permanent magnets arranged in alternating polarities on two surfaces of the mover blocks opposing each of the two stators. The mover blocks are movable between the two stators along a direction in which the stators extend. A plurality of linear motors are arranged in parallel with respect to a travel direction of the movers, and the stators provided between adjacent movers are integrally formed such that they have said salient poles on the two surfaces opposing these movers.

Abstract: An electro-magnetic motor-generator system, including a wheel assembly having a wheel mounted onto a shaft. The shaft has a sleeve mounted thereon. A frame assembly is mounted onto the sleeve. The frame assembly comprises at least one hub having a sprocket. A gear assembly comprises a second sprocket mounted onto the shaft that engages the sprocket. A rotating ring assembly has first and second walls. The first wall comprises first gear teeth and the second wall comprises second gear teeth. The ring assembly further has consecutive magnetized/non-magnetized sections. The electro-magnetic means consist of at least one coil having first and second openings. Electro-magnetic means generate an electromotive force between said first and second openings, and said consecutive magnetized/non-magnetized sections. Switching said magnetic polarity forces said rotating ring assembly to rotate upon said sprocket thus rotating said wheel mounted onto said shaft.

Abstract: This invention provides an actuator at least including a holder having a movable member accommodation space and at least three magnet accommodation spaces, a movable member received by the movable member accommodation space of the holder, and a magnetic circuit system comprising at least three magnets and at least three coils, the magnetic circuit system enabling the movable member to move with respect to an axis and incline at an angle with respect to at least one axis; wherein each of the at least three magnets is received by one of the at least three magnet accommodation spaces and the directions of the top and bottom magnetic poles thereof are perpendicular to the axis with respect to which the movable member moves; and wherein each of the at least three coils corresponds to one of the at least three magnets and is associated with the movable member, and the central axis of each of the at least three coils is perpendicular to the axis with respect to which the movable member moves.

Abstract: A planar motor includes a movable body and a stator configured to drive the movable body in a plane. The stator includes a first stator unit and a second stator unit. The movable body is moved in a first direction by a force acting between the movable body and the first stator unit, and is moved in a second direction by a force acting between the movable body and the second stator unit. The first stator unit and the second stator unit are arranged to face each other in such a manner that the movable body is provided therebetween.

Abstract: A linear and curvilinear motor system includes: linear and curvilinear guiding devices movably guiding and respectively supporting right and left of a slider, each having a guide rail configured by linear tracks and a circular arc track and slider blocks; a motor unit having a stator with a stator linear section and a stator circular arc section and a mover with a linear section and provided for the slider and away from the stator with a gap interposed therebetween; and an encoder head and a hole sensor detecting positions of the linear tracks and the circular arc track. When a magnetic pole pitch of the linear section of the stator is a distance ?m and a magnetic pole pitch of the circular arc section of the stator is an angle ?m, a radius r of the circular arc track at the position detection point is defined as r=?m/?m.

Abstract: A multihead-type coreless linear motor includes a permanent field magnet having P permanent magnets that are arranged such that different magnetic poles appear alternately, and an armature having M armature coils that are closely wounded and connected in three phases. One of the armature and the permanent field magnet is configured as a moving part and the other is configured as a stator. A plurality of moving parts are arranged on the same stator and are driven separately. In this multihead-type coreless linear motor, the plurality of moving parts includes a large-thrust moving part and a small-thrust moving part that are different in relationship with the stator, the relationship being determined by the number of magnetic poles P of the permanent magnets and the number of armature coils M.

Abstract: To provide an electric motor which is capable of reducing the size and manufacturing costs thereof, and enhancing the degree of freedom in design thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a linear, curved or rotary electric machine. The electric machine includes first and second movers which are adjacent to each other and have a phase angle difference of 60° therebetween. The first mover includes phases U, V and W and the second mover includes phases /U, /V and /W. The electric machine of the present invention can reduce pulsations of thrust caused by end effect. In particular, in the case where the stator includes permanent magnets having the same poles and salient poles which alternate with the permanent magnets, the number of permanent magnets used can be reduced to half of that of a conventional linear electric machine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a linear motor provided with a magnetic body and an armature. The liner motor is adapted to produce a force causing the magnet body and the armature to be relatively displaced along a given linear moving direction by interaction of magnetic fluxes generated between the magnetic body and the armature during an operation of supplying electric power to the armature. In a typical aspect, the linear motor of the present invention comprises a movable section attached to a base plate adapted to set the moving direction on a base surface thereof, in such a movable manner as to relatively reciprocate along the moving direction with respect to the base plate. A mover is provided on the movable section and formed as one of the magnetic body and the armature.

Abstract: A displacement device is provided with a linear motor which comprises a first part comprising magnetic strips and a second part comprising a coil block. The parts are connected via a linear guide. The second part is movable with respect to the first part in a conveying direction extending parallel to the guide. The displacement device further comprises an connected to said second part, which is located on a side of the first part remote from the second part. The displacement device can be used is a component placement device.

Abstract: A linear motor not requiring a yoke structure is provided. A first unit forming a stator is constructed of two permanent magnet rods. The permanent magnet rods each have a magnetically permeable shaft and a permanent magnet row having a plurality of permanent magnets so arranged that opposite polarities of their magnetic poles alternately appear. The permanent magnet row of the permanent magnet rod is arranged with a positional difference of 180° in an electrical angle from the permanent magnet row of the permanent magnet rod. The second unit that constitutes a moving member includes unit cores and winding sets arranged alternately in an axial direction of the shaft. The winding set includes two excitation windings through each of which the permanent magnet rod loosely extends. One excitation winding of the winding set is excited with a phase difference of 180° in an electrical angle from the other excitation winding.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing relatively long travel in a transverse direction for a magnetic levitation stage apparatus are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a linear actuator includes a first core, a second core, and at least one coil wrapped around the first core. The first core includes a body portion and a plurality of rails. The body portion has a first axis and a second axis, and the rails have longitudinal axes that are perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the second axis. The dimensions of the rails along the longitudinal axes are substantially larger than a dimension of the body portion along the second axis. The second core has a third axis that is oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes and to the second axis, and is levitated relative to the first core when a current is provided through the coil.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is the equipping of a synchronous linear motor with a non-permanently-magnetic secondary part with a simple positional measuring system. Said aim is achieved, whereby the tooth structure of the toothed rack-shaped non-permanently-magnetic secondary part (S) varies with position in the direction of movement (B). Furthermore, the synchronous linear motor can be provided with absolute and incremental positional measuring systems, such that the coarse resolution of the absolute measuring system can be supplemented by the fine resolution of the incremental system.

Abstract: The invention consists on a linear switched reluctance electrical machine that may be operated indistinctly as a generator or a motor, with a series of characteristics that allow the optimization of the mass to power ratio, as well as the manufacturing cost. The machine has several air gaps, crossed by a single magnetic flux, in which the magnetic force is obtained. This flux is fed by a set of coils (6) placed in the active parts, these active parts are two yokes (4) and (5) in which the magnetic flux closes, there might be other active parts in the mentioned magnetic circuit through which the magnetic flux does not close. A set of passive elements, normally the translators (1) and (2), produce, while moving relatively to the active part, a variation of the reluctance of the circuit with respect to the position which causes a magnetic force.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a coil to be used to provide a net force along more than one axis are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an actuator includes a magnet assembly and a coil assembly. The coil assembly moves at least partially within the magnet arrangement, and includes a top coil half and a bottom coil half. The top coil half and the bottom coil half are independently controllable such that a first current applied to the top coil half may be independently applied from a second current applied to the bottom coil half.

Abstract: A modular mover for a linear motor comprises: a plurality of iron cores including internal coils and a connecting member. These iron cores have the same size and juxtaposed in the same direction on the connecting member. By supplying the coils with a current, each iron core can cooperate with a stator by generating magnetism. Since these iron cores have the same size, it just needs to produce a single sized iron cores. The mover output capability can be changed by changing a number of the iron cores so as to save the cost in producing different sized iron cores.