The present invention relates to a position detection apparatus used for a motion guide apparatus where a carriage is assembled to a track member via a rolling element in such a manner as to be relatively movable.
A motion guide apparatus where a carriage is assembled to a track member via a rolling element in such a manner as to be relatively movable is known as a motion guide apparatus that guides linear motion of a movable body, such as a table, of a machine tool. The rolling element is interposed between the track member and the carriage; accordingly, it is possible to eliminate a gap between the track member and the carriage and support the movable body with high rigidity. Moreover, the rolling element performs rolling motion between the track member and the carriage; accordingly, the movable body performs smooth linear motion.
A magnetic or optical scale that is affixed to the track member is known as the position detection apparatus used for the motion guide apparatus. A magnetic or optical sensor that reads the scale is attached to the carriage (refer to, for example, Patent Literature 1). The track member is provided with a groove along a longitudinal direction. The scale is fitted in the groove.
Patent Literature 1: JP 2008-144799 A
However, the known position detection apparatus needs to secure space to affix the scale to the track member. A small motion guide apparatus has a problem that it is difficult to secure the space.
Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide a position detection apparatus that can eliminate the necessity of space to affix a scale to a track member.
In order to solve the above issue, the present invention is a position detection apparatus including: a track member including a through hole where a fastening member to fasten the track member to a base is insertable, to which a carriage is movably assembled via a rolling element; a magnet generating a magnetic field toward the track member; and a magnetic sensor placed within the magnetic field, the magnetic sensor being configured to detect a change in the magnetic field of the magnet with the travel of the magnet relative to the track member.
According to the present invention, a through hole of a track member is used as a scale. Accordingly, space to affix the scale to the track member is not required. Moreover, the track member itself is the scale. Accordingly, an inexpensive position detection apparatus is obtained. The present invention is suitable for a small motion guide apparatus, but is not limited to the small motion guide apparatus. Moreover, it is possible to run fastening members through all the through holes of the track member, and is also possible to run fastening members through only every other or every two through holes and so on that are necessary for fastening.
A motion guide apparatus with a position detection apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail hereinafter on the basis of the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in various modes, and is not limited to the embodiment described in the description. The description is fully disclosed to provide the embodiment with the intention of allowing those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the invention. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components in the accompanying drawings.
The track rail 1 extends long in one direction. The track rail 1 has a substantially square cross section, and includes an undersurface 1a, a pair of left and right side surfaces 1b, and an upper surface 1c in a state where the track rail 1 is assumed to be placed on a horizontal plain. The placement of the track rail 1 is not limited to such a placement, and is simply assumed for convenience of description. The material of the track rail 1 is a magnetic material such as steel. The side surface 1b of the track rail 1 is provided with one or a plurality of rolling element rolling portions 1b1. The upper surface 1c of the track rail 1 is provided with a plurality of through holes 3 penetrating through to the undersurface 1a of the track rail 1 with a regular pitch in a longitudinal direction. Bolts as fastening members for fastening the track rail 1 to a base are run through the through holes 3. The through hole 3 is provided in the top with a countersink 3a for improving the stability of the head of the bolt (refer to
As illustrated in
Encoders 10a and 10b forming the position detection apparatuses are placed at both ends in the travel direction of the block 2, respectively. The encoders 10a and 10b include bias magnets 6a and 6b as magnets, magnetic sensors 8a and 8b, and boards 7a and 7b (refer to
As illustrated in an enlarged view of
The block 2 travels with respect to the track rail 1. Accordingly, the direction of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor 8a or 8b changes to change the resistance value of the magnetic sensor 8a or 8b. A relative position of the block 2 can be detected by outputting the change of the resistance value of the magnetic sensor 8a or 8b as a midpoint potential.
Firstly, when the bias magnet 6a is at the position (A), that is, at the center of the one through hole 3-1, the magnetic field generated by the bias magnet 6a points radially from the center of the through hole 3-1 to portions 12 and 13 of the magnetic material around the through hole 3-1. The magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2 are placed in such a manner as to be bilaterally symmetric about the center axis 6a1 of the bias magnet 6a. Accordingly, the directions of the magnetic fields applied to the magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2 are also bilaterally symmetric. Reference numerals a1 and a2 denote directions of the magnetic fields applied to the magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2 in planar view, which leads to resistance R1 of the magnetic sensor 8a1=resistance R2 of the magnetic sensor 8a2. Therefore, when Vcc is 5 V, a midpoint potential of 2.5 V is outputted (refer to
Next, when the bias magnet 6a is at the position (B), that is, at the position deviating to the right from the center of the one through hole 3-1, the bias magnet 6a is closer to the portion 13 of the magnetic material than the portion 12 of the magnetic material. Accordingly, imbalance is caused in the magnetic field generated by the bias magnet 6a. Imbalance is also caused in the directions of the magnetic fields applied to the left and right magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2, which leads to the resistance R1 of the magnetic sensor 8a1>the resistance R2 of the magnetic sensor 8a2. Therefore, a midpoint potential greater than 2.5 V is outputted.
Next, when the bias magnet 6a is at the position (C), that is, between the through holes 3-1 and 3-2, below the bias magnet 6a is the portion 13 of the magnetic material. Accordingly, a magnetic field pointing down from the bias magnet 6a is generated. The directions of the magnetic fields applied to the magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2 are bilaterally symmetric, which leads to the resistance R1 of the magnetic sensor 8a1=the resistance R2 of the magnetic sensor 8a2. Therefore, a midpoint potential of 2.5 V is outputted.
Next, when the bias magnet 6a is at the position (D), that is, at the position deviating to the left from the center of the other through hole 3-2, the bias magnet 6a is closer to the portion 13 of the magnetic material than a portion 14 of the magnetic material. Accordingly, imbalance is caused in the magnetic field generated by the bias magnet 6a. Imbalance is also caused in the directions of the magnetic fields applied to the left and right magnetic sensors 8a1 and 8a2, which leads to the resistance R1 of the magnetic sensor 8a1<the resistance R2 of the magnetic sensor 8a2. Therefore, a midpoint potential less than 2.5 V is outputted.
In contrast, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The Phase A and Phase B signals outputted by the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b are processed as follows: as illustrated in
This is described in detail. The Phase A and Phase B signals are inputted into A/D converters 22a and 22b. The A/D converters 22a and 22b sample the Phase A and Phase B signals in a predetermined period to obtain digital data DA and DB. As illustrated in
u=arctan(DB/DA)
Up to this point the configuration of the motion guide apparatus with the position detection apparatus of the embodiment has been described. The motion guide apparatus with the position detection apparatus of the embodiment takes the following effects:
The through holes 3 of the track rail 1 are used as the scale. Accordingly, the space to affix the scale to the track rail 1 is not required. Moreover, the track rail 1 itself is the scale; therefore, an inexpensive position detection apparatus is obtained.
The fastening member is a stainless bolt. Accordingly, it is possible to substantially eliminate the influence of the fastening member on the output voltages of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b.
The magnetic sensors 8a and 8b are placed between the bias magnets 6a and 6b and the track rail 1. Accordingly, the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b can detect changes in the directions of magnetic fields of the bias magnets 6a and 6b with high sensitivity.
The encoders 10a and 10b are placed at both ends in the travel direction of the block 2, respectively, and the Phase A signal and the Phase B signal are outputted. Accordingly, the position of the block 2 can be detected with high precision. Moreover, the encoders 10a and 10b are placed at both ends in the travel direction of the block 2, respectively. Accordingly, a reduction in the size of the encoders 10a and 10b can also be encouraged. As described above, when the bias magnet 6a of one encoder 10a is at the center of the through hole 3, the bias magnet 6b of the other encoder 10b is at the position deviating a quarter of the pitch L between the through holes 3 from the center of the through hole 3. If the encoders 10a and 10b are placed only on one side in the travel direction of the block 2, when the pitch L between the through holes 3 is small, it is necessary to set a pitch between the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b to, for example, 5/4L, and the size of the encoders 10a and 10b is likely to increase.
When two blocks 2 and 2 are assembled to the same track rail 1, it is also possible to assemble the encoder 10a or 10b to each of the two blocks 2 and 2, and output the Phase A signal and the Phase B signal. When the table is placed on the block 2, the encoders 10a and 10b may not be able to be placed at both ends in the travel direction of the block 2, respectively, or the assembling work may be difficult. The encoder 10a or 10b is assembled to each of the two blocks 2 and 2 on the same track rail 1 to enable the solution of this problem. Naturally, three or more blocks 2 . . . can also be assembled to the same track rail 1.
The ratio of the width w1 of the countersink 3a of the through hole 3 to the width w2 of the portion 4 that is not the countersink 3a in the direction of the center line linking the centers of the through holes 3 of the track rail 1 is set to 1:x (where 0<x<1). Accordingly, the waveform of the output voltages of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b can be converted into the sine wave.
Foreign substances of the magnetic material are scraped by the foreign substance removing apparatuses 5a and 5b provided to the block 2. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the foreign substances from adversely affecting the output voltages of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b.
The present invention is not limited to the realization of the embodiment, and can be changed to various embodiments within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.
For example, the shape of the bias magnet, the number of the magnetic sensors, and the positional relationship between the bias magnet and the magnetic sensor of the embodiment are examples, and other configurations can be employed within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.
Moreover, the configurations of the track rail and the block are examples, and other configurations can be employed within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.
In the embodiment, the encoder is attached to the block. However, the encoder can also be attached to a movable body such as a table.
The description is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-211543 filed on Oct. 28, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2015-211543 | Oct 2015 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2016/080463 | 10/14/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2017/073349 | 5/4/2017 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5359245 | Takei | Oct 1994 | A |
5434602 | Kaburagi | Jul 1995 | A |
5945824 | Obara et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
6054783 | Philipp et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6236200 | Nekado et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6578283 | Nishi | Jun 2003 | B2 |
7765711 | Schneeberger | Aug 2010 | B2 |
20020129508 | Blattner et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20070227438 | Howley | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070256313 | McAdam | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20100031524 | Schneeberger et al. | Feb 2010 | A1 |
20110196635 | Sheu | Aug 2011 | A1 |
20110271540 | Henshaw | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20110273166 | Salt et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20150219434 | Tsuji et al. | Aug 2015 | A1 |
20160084676 | Moriyuki | Mar 2016 | A1 |
20160215825 | Yoshida | Jul 2016 | A1 |
20170016483 | Sakagami | Jan 2017 | A1 |
20190086241 | Joachimsthaler | Mar 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
101122455 | Feb 2008 | CN |
102301204 | Dec 2011 | CN |
102317034 | Jan 2012 | CN |
102317743 | Jan 2012 | CN |
104819682 | Aug 2015 | CN |
19547686 | Jun 1997 | DE |
19922363 | Nov 2000 | DE |
2402719 | Jan 2012 | EP |
2533018 | May 2014 | EP |
10-061664 | Mar 1998 | JP |
2008-144799 | Jun 2008 | JP |
2015-175417 | Oct 2015 | JP |
10-1998-0087190 | Dec 1998 | KR |
10-2012-0137285 | Dec 2012 | KR |
WO2007003065 | Jan 2007 | WO |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report, PCT/JP2016/080463, dated Nov. 15, 2016. |
German Office Action, dated Jul. 11, 2018, from corresponding German Patent Application No. DE 112016004941.2. |
Korean Office Action for Application No. 10-2018-7014516, dated Sep. 21, 2018, with English translation provided. |
Chinese Office Action for Application No. 201680062571.5, dated Oct. 8, 2018, with English translation provided. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180321060 A1 | Nov 2018 | US |