# US 11,305,943 B2 · Conveyor of articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,943 B2 - Document ID: US11305943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/964,326 - Filed: 2019-01-24 - Published: 2021-02-11 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-25 - Assignees: Rexnord Flattop Europe B.V. - Applicants: Rexnord Flattop Europe S.R.L. - Inventors: Andrea Andreoli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305943B2 ## CPC - B65G 23/23: of electric linear motors - B65G 17/08: the surface being formed by the traction element - H02K 1/02: characterised by the magnetic material - H02K 11/215: Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements - H02K 41/031: {of the permanent magnet type} - B65G 2203/0283: Position of the load carrier - B65G 2203/0291: Speed of the load carrier - B65G 2203/043: Magnetic - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract A conveyor system includes a transport chain with a sequence of interconnected chain links, a guide structure for slidingly supporting the transport chain so that chain links of the transport chain define a substantially flat support surface for supporting articles to be transported, and a motor for causing the transport chain to move with respect to the guide structure along a first direction parallel to the support surface. The motor comprises an electric linear motor including a plurality of magnets, each one located in a respective chain link, and a plurality of propulsion electromagnets located on the guide structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conveyor system, comprising: at least one transport chain comprising a sequence of interconnected chain links; a guide structure for slidingly supporting said at least one transport chain so that chain links of the at least one transport chain define a substantially flat support surface for supporting articles to be transported; and a motor for causing the at least one transport chain to move with respect to the guide structure along a first direction parallel to said support surface, wherein: the motor comprises an electric linear motor comprising: a plurality of magnets, each magnet of the plurality of magnets located in a respective chain link; and a plurality of propulsion electromagnets located on the guide structure; wherein: each magnet of the plurality of magnets is configured to generate a constant magnetic field along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction; and each propulsion electromagnet of the plurality of propulsion electromagnets is configured to be energized in such a way to generate a variable magnetic field along the second direction in such a way to generate a magnetic force along said first direction to cause said movement along the first direction of the at least one transport chain with respect to the guide structure; and wherein: the plurality of magnets define a sequence of magnets comprising an alternation of first magnets and second magnets; each first magnet and each second magnet is a u-shaped magnet in which the north pole thereof and the south pole thereof are aligned along a third direction perpendicular to said first and to said second directions; and a mutual position along the third direction of the north pole and the south pole of each first magnet being opposite than the mutual position along the third direction of the north pole and the south pole of each second magnet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is a neodymium-based permanent magnet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of propulsion electromagnets comprises a sequence of propulsion electromagnets along said first direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, in which said second direction is perpendicular to said support surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The conveyor system of claim 4, wherein: the plurality of magnets define a sequence of magnets comprising an alternation of first magnets and second magnets; each first magnet and each second magnet has the north pole thereof and the south pole thereof that are aligned along the second direction; each first magnet has the north pole thereof that is closer to the support surface than the south pole thereof; and each second magnet has the south pole thereof that is closer to the support surface than the north pole thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The conveyor system of claim 5, wherein each propulsion electromagnet of the plurality of propulsion electromagnets comprises a coil having a symmetry axis thereof which is along the second direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is buried in the respective chain link. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each propulsion electromagnet of the plurality of propulsion electromagnets comprises a coil and a respective u-shaped ferritic or ferromagnetic member comprising a first and second arms extending along the second direction and a joining portion joining the first and second arms and extending along the third direction, wherein each coil being coiled onto the joining portion of the respective u-shaped member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, further comprising an electric supply system for energizing the plurality of propulsion electromagnets, said electric supply system being a selected one among: a three-phase supply system; a two-phase supply system; and a mono-phase supply system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The conveyor system of claim 9, further comprising: means for sensing a magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnets; and means for assessing a position and/or a movement speed of the at least one transport chain based on the sensed magnetic field. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein said at least one transport chain comprises a closed-loop transport chain. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each one of said at least one transport chain is a chunk of transport chain separated from the other chunks. ### Claim 13 A conveyor system, comprising: at least one transport chain comprising a sequence of interconnected chain links; a guide structure for slidingly supporting said at least one transport chain so that chain links of the at least one transport chain define a substantially flat support surface for supporting articles to be transported; and a motor for causing the at least one transport chain to move with respect to the guide structure along a first direction parallel to said support surface, wherein: the motor comprises an electric linear motor comprising: a plurality of magnets, each magnet of the plurality of magnets located in a respective chain link; and a plurality of propulsion electromagnets located on the guide structure; wherein: each magnet of the plurality of magnets is configured to generate a constant magnetic field along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction; and each propulsion electromagnet of the plurality of propulsion electromagnets is configured to be energized in such a way to generate a variable magnetic field along the second direction in such a way to generate a magnetic force along said first direction to cause said movement along the first direction of the at least one transport chain with respect to the guide structure; and wherein said second direction is parallel to said support surface; and wherein each chain link comprises a first set of magnets of the plurality of magnets and a second set of magnets of the plurality of magnets, wherein: each magnet of the first set of magnets is faced toward a respective magnet of the second set of magnets along said second direction; and the plurality of propulsion electromagnets are located on the guide structure between the magnets of the first set and the magnets of the second set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein each propulsion electromagnet of the plurality of propulsion electromagnets comprises a coil having a symmetry axis along the second direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein said first set of magnets consists of a single magnet and wherein said second set of magnets consists of a single magnet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein said first set of magnets comprises three magnets and wherein said second set of magnets comprises three magnets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of propulsion electromagnets comprises a sequence of propulsion electromagnets along said first direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is a neodymium-based permanent magnet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein each magnet of the plurality of magnets is buried in the respective chain link. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, further comprising an electric supply system for energizing the plurality of propulsion electromagnets, said electric supply system being a selected one among: a three-phase supply system; a two-phase supply system; and a mono-phase supply system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The conveyor system of claim 20, further comprising: means for sensing a magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnets; and means for assessing a position and/or a movement speed of the at least one transport chain based on the sensed magnetic field. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein said at least one transport chain comprises a closed-loop transport chain. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The conveyor system of claim 13, wherein each one of said at least one transport chain is a chunk of transport chain separated from the other chunks.