Patent Application
20190071254
The present invention relates to a transfer technique, more particularly, to a transfer apparatus and a storage apparatus.
In a transfer apparatus using a magnetic screw, a male screw made of a magnetic material is rotated to move a female screw such as a nut made of a magnetic material in a direction of a central axis of the male screw. A load of the male screw is normally received by fixed bearings disposed at both ends. However, if the male screw is long, the male screw may be subjected to flexure when the load of the male screw is received only by the fixed bearings disposed at both ends of the male screw. Therefore, in order to prevent or reduce the flexure of the male screw, a movable bearing configured to be movable may be provided between the fixed hearings in a manner not hindering a movement of the female screw (for example, see PTLs 1 to 3).
PTL 1: JP-A-58-109242
PTL 2: Japanese Patent No. 2867386
PTL 3: Japanese Patent No. 2923951
A movable bearing of the related art may have a power mechanism provided with a motor or the like for moving the movable bearing separately from a driving device configured to rotate a male screw. The power mechanism may be connected to the movable bearing. However, the power mechanism may generate heat or dust. In contrast, the movable bearing of a transfer apparatus may be installed at a place where generation of heat and dust is preferably reduced or prevented, such as a temperature-controlled furnace. In this case, if the movable bearing cannot be separated from the power mechanism, heat or dust may be generated in the periphery of the movable bearing, that is, in the temperature-controlled furnace. Depending on the limitation of the availability of an installation space, the movable bearing that cannot be decoupled from the power mechanism may not be installed. Accordingly, it is one of objects of the present invention to provide a transfer apparatus and a storage apparatus configured to allow decoupling of a movable bearing from a power source of the movable bearing.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer apparatus comprising:
(a) a rod-shaped member comprising a magnetic material; (b) a driving device configured to rotate the rod-shaped member about a central axis of the rod-shaped member; (c) a movable portion facing a part of a side surface of the rod-shaped member, the movable portion comprising a magnetic material and being configured to move along the central axis of the rod-shaped member when the driving device rotates the rod-shaped member; (d) a movable bearing capable of being coupled to the movable portion by a magnetic force, the movable bearing receiving a load from the rod-shaped member and movable along the central axis of the rod-shaped member in association with the movement of the movable portion; and (e) a decoupling mechanism configured to decouple the movable bearing coupled by the magnetic three from the movable portion.
In the transfer apparatus described above, the movable portion may comprise a magnet configured to couple the movable portion to the movable bearing. The movable bearing is provided with a magnet configured to couple the movable bearing to the movable portion.
In the transfer apparatus described above, the decoupling mechanism may hinder the movement of the movable bearing pulled by the movable portion. The decoupling mechanism may be configured to make contact with the movable bearing and hinder the movement of the movable bearing pulled by the movable portion.
The transfer apparatus described may further comprise a fixed bearing configured to receive a load of the rod-shaped member at an end portion of the rod-shaped member.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage apparatus comprising:
(a) a housing configured to store an article; (b) a rod-shaped member comprising a magnetic material, at least part of the rod-shaped member being positioned in the interior of the housing; (c) a driving device configured to rotate the rod-shaped member about a central axis of the rod-shaped member; (d) a movable portion facing a part of a side surface of the rod-shaped member, the movable portion comprising a magnetic material and being configured to move along the central axis of the rod-shaped member to move an article when the driving device rotates the rod-shaped member; (e) a movable bearing capable of being coupled to the movable portion by a magnetic force, the movable bearing receiving a load from the rod-shaped member and movable along the central axis of the rod-shaped member in association with the movement of the movable portion; and (f) a decoupling mechanism configured to decouple the movable bearing coupled by the magnetic force from the movable portion.
In the storage apparatus described above, the movable portion may comprise a magnet configured to couple the movable portion to the movable bearing. The movable bearing is provided with a magnet configured to couple the movable bearing to the movable portion.
In the storage apparatus described above, the movable bearing may be movable in an interior of the storage housing.
In the storage apparatus described above, the decoupling mechanism may hinder the movement of the movable bearing pulled by the movable portion. The decoupling mechanism may be configured to make contact with the movable bearing and hinder the movement of the movable bearing pulled by the movable portion. The decoupling mechanism may prevent the movable bearing pulled by the movable portion from coming out from the storage housing.
The storage apparatus described above may further comprise a fixed bearing configured to receive a load of the rod-shaped member at an end portion of the rod-shaped member.
In the storage apparatus described above, the driving device may be disposed outside the storage housing.
In the storage apparatus described above, the storage housing may be a temperature-controlled furnace having a temperature-controlled space.
According to the present invention, a transfer apparatus and a storage apparatus configured to allow decoupling of a movable bearing and a power source of the movable bearing may be provided.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the drawings given below, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematically illustrated. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined with reference to the following description. It will be appreciated that the relationship or ratio between dimensions may be different among the drawings.
The storage apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage housing 1 that stores articles and a transfer apparatus 15 that transfers the articles, as illustrated in
The transfer apparatus 15 comprises a first rod-shaped member 2A comprising a magnetic material, a second rod-shaped member 2B comprising a magnetic material, a driving device 4 configured to rotate the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B about central axes of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B, and a movable portion 33 facing a part of side surfaces of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B and comprising a magnetic material, the movable portion 33 moving along the central axes of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B when the driving device 4 rotates the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B.
The transfer apparatus 15 may comprise a movable bearing 35 that may be coupled to and decoupled from the movable portion 33 by a magnetic force and capable of moving along the central axis of the first rod-shaped member 2A in association with the movement of the movable portion 33 upon reception of a radial load of the first rod-shaped member 2A for example, and a decoupling mechanism 37 configured to decouple the movable bearing 35 coupled to the movable portion 33 by the magnetic force from the movable portion 33.
For example, the first rod-shaped member 2A is disposed in an interior of the storage housing 1. The second rod-shaped member 2B is disposed in a space outside the storage housing 1. As illustrated in
The first rod-shaped member 2A is covered with a first cover 20A. A first end portion of the first rod-shaped member 2A is inserted into a first terminal member 22A. A second end portion of the first rod-shaped member 2A is inserted into a second terminal member 23A.
The second rod-shaped member 2B is covered with a second cover 20B. A first end portion of the second rod-shaped member 2B is inserted into a third terminal member 22B. A second end portion of the second rod-shaped member 2B is inserted into a fourth terminal member 23B.
The second terminal member 23A and the third terminal member 22B are connected via a connection member 70. When a door of the storage housing 1 illustrated in
As illustrated in
When the driving device 4 causes the fourth terminal member 23B to rotate about the central axes of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B as an axis of rotation, the second rod-shaped member 2B, the third terminal member 22B, the second terminal member 23A, the first rod-shaped member 2A, and the first terminal member 22A illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The transfer apparatus 15 further comprises a first fixed bearing 12 configured to receive a load from the first rod-shaped member 2A via a mandrel portion of the first terminal member 22A, and a second fixed bearing 13 configured to receive a load from the second rod-shaped member 2B via the mandrel portion of the fourth terminal member 23B as illustrated in
The movable portion 33 further comprises an opposite member 3 that faces a part of the side surfaces of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B and comprising a magnetic material as illustrated in
As illustrated in
A magnetic force acts between the threads of the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B illustrated in
Note that the first rod-shaped member 2A and the second rod-shaped member 2B are connected in such a manner that a screw pitch of an extended screw shaft matches the screw pitch of the second rod-shaped member 2B and does not cause any misalignment even when the screw shaft of the first rod-shaped member 2A is extended. Accordingly, the opposite member 3 is allowed to move smoothly from the first rod-shaped member 2A to the second rod-shaped member 2B, or from the second rod-shaped member 2B to the first rod-shaped member 2A at a connecting portion between the first rod-shaped member 2A and the second rod-shaped member 2B.
The movable bearing 35 is movable, for example, in the interior of the storage housing 1. As illustrated in
A magnet 135 is provided an a surface of the movable bearing 35 facing the movable portion 33. A magnet 133 is provided on a surface of the movable portion 33 facing the movable bearing 35. A configuration in which the magnet 135 may be provided on the movable bearing 35 and a member comprising iron to be coupled to the magnet 135 is provided on the surface of the movable portion 33 facing the movable bearing 35 is also applicable. Alternatively, a configuration in which the magnet 133 may be provided on the movable portion 33 and a member comprising iron to be coupled to the magnet 133 is provided on the surface of the movable bearing 35 facing the movable portion 33 is also applicable.
As illustrated in
When the driving device 4 rotates the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B in a direction of rotation opposite to the direction of rotation illustrated in
In the storage apparatus according to the embodiment described above, the driving torque is transmitted between the first and second rod-shaped members 2A and 2B and the opposite member 3 illustrated in
In addition, since the driving device 4 is disposed outside the temperature-controlled space in the storage housing 1, even if dust is generated in the driving device 4, the dust is unlikely to enter the temperature-controlled space in the storage housing 1. If the driving devices are disposed in the interior of the temperature-controlled furnace, the temperature distribution may become uneven in the temperature-controlled furnace such as a freeze drying furnace due to the heated driving devices. In this case, the quality of multiple articles disposed in the temperature-controlled furnace may become uneven. In contrast, in the storage apparatus according to the embodiment, since the driving device 4 is disposed outside the temperature-controlled space in the storage housing 1, the temperature is unlikely to become uneven in the storage housing 1.
In addition, since the movement of the movable bearing 35 is performed via the movable portion 33, the movable bearing 35 is separated from the driving device 4, which is a power source. Therefore, even though the driving device 4 is disposed outside the storage housing 1, the movable bearing 35 may be moved in the interior of the storage housing 1. In addition, since the movement of the movable bearing 35 is performed via the movable portion 33, a door of the storage housing 1 may be opened and closed by separating the connecting portion between the first rod-shaped member 2A and the second rod-shaped member 2B located near the door.
Furthermore, from the view point of maintaining the temperature in the storage housing 1 or preventing or reducing introduction of dust outside the storage housing 1 into the interior, the movable bearing 35 may preferably stay in the storage housing 1. Limiting of movable range of the movable bearing not only in the storage housing 1, may be preferred depending on the case. In contrast, according to the storage apparatus of the embodiment, the movable range of the movable bearing 35 may be set within a range smaller than the movable range of the movable portion 33 by the decoupling mechanism 37.
Alternatively, as illustrated in
As described above, the invention has been described by way of the embodiment, but it should not be understood that the description and the drawings that are parts of the disclosure limit the invention. It must be apparent to those skilled in the art that various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques are clarified based on the disclosure. For example, the shape of the opposite member is not limited to the nut shape, but may be, for example, a concave shape. In this case, the rod-shaped member passes through the concave portion of the concave opposite member. S pole magnetized zones and N pole magnetized zones are alternately provided on the side surface of the concave portion of the concave opposite member. In addition, the storage housing may be a sterilization processing furnace or a fermenting furnace or may be a storage housing that does not undergo temperature control. In addition, the articles transferred to the inside and the outside of the storage housing are not limited to medicines, but may comprise foods, beverages, precision parts, etc., as well as any articles. In addition, the transfer apparatus is not necessarily combined with the storage housing. As described above, it should be understood that the invention encompasses various embodiments and the like not described in the specification.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/059735 | 3/25/2016 | WO | 00 |
