Magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus

摘要

PCT No. PCT/JP93/00930 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 7, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 7, 1995 PCT Filed Jul. 6, 1993 PCT Pub. No. WO94/01354 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 20, 1994A magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus has levitation electromagnets, linear motors, and displacement sensors which are disposed outside of a tunnel, and a carriage of simple structure which is movable in the tunnel. The carriage is of canned structure for preventing gases from being generated. The carriage of canned structure allows the tunnel to have a reduced cross-sectional area and to be filled with a highly purified atmosphere such as of a high vacuum. The tunnel has substantially orthogonal branches at a branched point. In the branched point, the carriage can move, while being lifted out of contact with the tunnel partition, with a directional change from a main conveyor passage into a branched conveyor passage. The magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus is highly practical as it can control the carriage to be lifted and moved as described above.