REACTION COMPONENT FOR LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR

Abstract

A reaction component or plate for a linear induction motor incorporates a flexibility increasing feature and a wear resistant feature.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a bottom view of a reaction plate according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the reaction plate of FIG. 1A, taken along line 1B-1B.

FIG. 1C is an exploded top view of a reaction plate according to another embodiment of the design.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a raft incorporating a reaction plate according to the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the raft of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the raft of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a conveyance system incorporating the reaction plate according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A reaction component for a linear induction motor wherein at least part of the reaction component incorporates a flexibility increasing feature.

2. The reaction component according to claim 1 wherein the reaction component comprises two areas, one of the areas incorporating the flexibility increasing feature.

3. The reaction component according to claim 1 wherein the reaction component comprises a plate and at least a portion of the perimeter of the plate incorporates the flexibility increasing feature.

4. The reaction component according to claim 3 wherein the flexibility increasing feature is incorporated around the entire perimeter of the plate.

5. The reaction component according to claim 3 wherein the flexibility increasing feature comprises slots cut through the plate and extending inward a distance from a perimeter edge.

6. The reaction component according to claim 5 wherein at least one of the slots is aligned with a thwart of a raft incorporating the plate.

7. The reaction component according to claim 1 wherein the reaction component comprises a plate and the flexibility increasing feature comprises selectively thinned plate areas.

8. The reaction component according to claim 1 wherein the reaction component comprises a plate and the flexibility increasing feature comprises the plate being formed of at least two abutting plate sections.

9. The reaction component according to claim 8 wherein the plate is comprised of a top plate layer and a bottom plate layer, the sections of the top plate layer abut along a crosswise divide and the sections of the bottom plate layer abut along a lengthwise divide

10. The reaction component according to claim 9 wherein the top plate layer is comprised of three sections and the bottom plate layer is comprised of four plate sections.

11. The reaction component according to claim 9 wherein the top plate layer is comprised of a ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive material and the bottom plate layer is comprised of a non-ferromagnetic conductive material.

12. The reaction component according to claim 11 wherein the ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive material is steel or iron and the non-ferromagnetic conductive material is aluminum or copper.

13. The reaction component according to claim 3 wherein the plate is comprised of a non-ferromagnetic conductive bottom layer and a ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive top layer and the flexibility increasing feature is incorporated into the bottom layer.

14. The reaction component according to claim 4 wherein the plate is comprised of a non-ferromagnetic conductive bottom layer and a smaller ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive top layer and wherein the flexibility increasing feature is incorporated only in the bottom layer.

15. The reaction component according to claim 5 wherein the plate is comprised of a non-ferromagnetic conductive bottom layer and a smaller ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive top layer having edges spaced in from edges of the bottom layer and wherein the slots extend to the edges of the top layer.

16. The reaction component according to claim 15 wherein the edges of the top layer are spaced in approximately 2 inches from the bottom layer.

17. The reaction component according to claim 16 wherein the bottom layer is approximately 18 inches wide, approximately 72 inches long, and approximately ⅛ inches thick.

18. The reaction component according to claim 13 wherein the non-ferromagnetic conductive component is one of aluminum and copper and the ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive component is one of steel and iron.

19. The reaction component according to claim 3 wherein a sliding surface facing surface of the plate is contoured to a shape of a riding surface for a vehicle incorporating the plate.

20. The reaction component according to claim 19 wherein the riding surface is convex and the ride surface facing surface is concave.

21. The reaction component according to claim 19 wherein the riding surface is concave and the ride surface facing surface is convex.

22. A vehicle including the reaction component according to claim 1.

23. The vehicle according to claim 22 wherein the reaction component is contoured to a shape of a riding surface of the vehicle.

24. An amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 22.

25. A water amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 22.

26. The reaction component according to claim 1 further comprising a wear resistant feature.

27. The reaction component according to claim 26 wherein the reaction component comprises a stator facing side and the wear resistant feature comprises an edge portion of the reaction component contoured away from the stator facing side of the reaction component.

28. The reaction component according to claim 27 wherein the edge portion of the reaction component is contoured in a circular arc having a radius of curvature approximately double the width of the edge portion.

29. The reaction component according to claim 27 wherein the wear resistant feature further comprises rounding the corners of the reaction component.

30. The reaction component according to claim 26 wherein the reaction component is shaped to fit a shape of a bottom of a vehicle.

31. A vehicle including the reaction component according to claim 27 at the bottom.

32. The vehicle according to claim 31 wherein the bottom further comprises a wear resistant material layer.

33. The vehicle according to claim 32 wherein the wear resistant material layer covers the wear resistant feature.

34. The vehicle according to claim 32 wherein the wear resistant material layer covers outer edges of the wear resistant feature.

35. An amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 31.

36. A water amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 31.

37. The vehicle according to claim 31 wherein the contoured edge portion defines a volume, the volume containing a filler material.

38. A reaction component for a linear induction motor wherein at least part of the reaction component incorporates a wear resistant feature.

39. The reaction component according to claim 38 wherein the reaction component comprises a stator facing side and the wear resistant feature comprises an edge portion of the reaction component contoured away from the stator facing side of the reaction component.

40. The reaction component according to claim 39 wherein the edge portion of the reaction component is contoured in a circular arc having a radius of curvature approximately double the width of the edge portion.

41. The reaction component according to claim 40 wherein the reaction component comprises a plate,

42. The reaction component according to claim 41 wherein the plate is comprised of a top plate layer and a bottom plate layer and the top plate layer is comprised of a ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive material and the bottom plate layer is comprised of a non-ferromagnetic conductive material.

43. The reaction component according to claim 42 wherein the top layer is smaller than the bottom layer and wherein the edge portion of the reaction component comprises only the bottom layer,

44. The reaction component according to claim 43 wherein the edges of the top layer are spaced in approximately 2 inches from the edges of the bottom layer.

45. The reaction component according to claim 44 wherein the bottom layer is approximately 18 inches wide, approximately 72 inches long, and approximately ⅛ inches thick.

46. The reaction component according to claim 42 wherein the non-ferromagnetic conductive component is one of aluminum and copper and the ferromagnetic substantially non-conductive component is one of steel and iron.

47. The reaction component according to claim 39 wherein the wear resistant feature further comprises rounding the corners of the reaction component.

48. The reaction component according to claim 39 wherein the reaction component is shaped to fit a shape of a bottom of a vehicle.

49. A vehicle including the reaction component according to claim 38 at the bottom.

50. A vehicle including the reaction component according to claim 41.

51. The vehicle according to claim 49 wherein the bottom further comprises a wear resistant material layer.

52. The vehicle according to claim 51 wherein the wear resistant material layer covers the wear resistant feature.

53. The vehicle according to claim 51 wherein the wear resistant material layer covers outer edges of the wear resistant feature.

54. An amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 49.

55. A water amusement ride vehicle comprising the vehicle according to claim 49.

56. The vehicle according to claim 49 wherein the contoured edge portion defines a volume, the volume containing a filler material.

57. The vehicle according to claim 50 wherein the bottom of the vehicle comprises an upper material layer and a lower material layer and the reaction component is held within a pocket defined by the upper material layer and the lower material layer.

58. The vehicle according to claim 57 wherein the contoured edge portion defines a volume, the volume containing a filler material.