An apparatus including a frame, an optical sensor connected to the frame, and an environment separation barrier. The frame is configured to be attached to a housing of a motor assembly proximate an aperture which extends through the housing. The optical sensor comprises a camera. The environment separation barrier is configured to be connected to the housing at the aperture, where the environment separation barrier is at least partially transparent and located relative to the camera to allow the camera to view an image inside the housing through the environment separation barrier and the aperture.

An inertial drive actuator includes a displacement unit which generates a minute displacement in a first direction, and in a second direction, a coil which generates a magnetic flux, a movable object which has a surface facing at least one surface of the coil, and a first yoke which converges the magnetic flux generated by the coil, at a predetermined position, a detecting unit which detects an electric signal of the coil, reflecting a change in the magnetic flux near the coil based on a positional relationship of the movable object and the coil, and a judging unit which judges a position of the movable object, and the inertial drive actuator drives the movable object by controlling a frictional force acting on the movable object, by controlling the magnetic flux generated by the coil, and the coil carries out generation of the magnetic flux and detection of the magnetic flux.

A linear motor includes a stator having a plurality of salient poles, and a slider configured to move along a direction of extension of the stator. A U-phase coil core of the slider includes a yoke, a plurality of teeth, permanent magnets provided in respective magnet-receiving cavities located between the teeth, coil-receiving cavities formed on outer sides of the teeth set, and a U-phase coil wound in the coil-receiving cavities. The plurality of teeth project radially from the yoke toward the stator, and the width of each of the teeth as measured at the yoke side is narrower than its width as measured at the stator side.

An optical element exchange unit, has a rotatable wheel e.g. with different filters. The wheel has first soft magnetic teeth protruding from a soft magnetic part of the wheel at even angular offset along at least part of a ring around a rotation axis of the wheel. The optical element exchange unit has a stator comprising a first soft magnetic yoke, the first soft magnetic yoke having poles with a first group and second group of at least one second soft magnetic tooth respectively, the second soft magnetic teeth of the first and second group protruding from the poles of the first soft magnetic yoke towards the first soft magnetic teeth and a second soft magnetic yoke, the second soft magnetic yoke having poles with a third group and fourth group of at least one second soft magnetic tooth respectively, the second soft magnetic teeth of the third and fourth group protruding from the poles of the second soft magnetic yoke towards the first soft magnetic teeth. A permanent magnet is magnetically coupled between parts of the first and second soft magnetic yoke. The teeth of the first, second, third and fourth groups are positioned so that, when each tooth of the first group is aligned with its nearest first soft magnetic tooth, each second soft magnetic tooth of the second group is halfway the angular offset between its nearest first soft magnetic teeth, and the second soft magnetic teeth in the third and fourth group are less than half the angular offset in opposite directions from their nearest first soft magnetic teeth.

A method for operating, such as commissioning, an elevator, and an elevator are presented herein. The elevator comprises an electric linear motor for moving movable units. The method comprises moving a first movable unit along a linear stator of the electric linear motor in the elevator shaft, and determining at least one characteristic, such as a floor position or an air gap width of the electric linear motor, at a plurality of elevator shaft positions by the first movable unit, such as by a winding, a coil, or a sensor, during the moving. The method further comprises storing the determined at least one characteristic, and controlling moving of at least a second movable unit, such as comprising another of the elevator cars or a second motor unit, by utilizing the stored at least one characteristic.

A magnetic conveyor (30) comprising article-supporting movers (80) propelled by an array of stator elements (72) arranged in rows and columns. The movers include permanent magnets (82) whose magnetic fields interact with electromagnetic waves produced by the stator elements. Some of the stator elements produce electromagnetic waves that travel parallel to a conveying direction and others produce electromagnetic waves that can be controlled to travel in any direction. Movers are arranged in a formation of rows and columns in a staging area. An article (34) is transferred onto a group of movers in forward rows of the formation in the staging area. The group separates from the staging area as it conveys the article in the conveying direction. Stator elements are energized to replenish the staging area with movers to fill the gaps left by the article-conveying group of movers.

The disclosure provides a mover and a mixed conveyor line having the mover. The mover is movable mounted on the magnetic power conveyor line or the mixed conveyor line. The magnetic power conveyor line includes a first armature winding; and the mixed conveyor line includes a first driving mechanism. The mover includes: a mover body, including a first permanent magnet array, the first permanent magnet array including two first permanent magnets which are oppositely spaced apart from each other, and the two first permanent magnets and the first armature winding driving, by means of current excitation, the mover body to move along the magnetic power conveyor line; and a driven assembly, connected with the mover body, and configured to be in transport connection with the first driving mechanism and drive the mover body to move along the magnetic power conveyor line or the mixed conveyor line.

A system provides a work surface, a configuration space unit, and a magnetic movement system. The work surface has a configuration space associated therewith. In this regard, the configuration space unit is positionable within the associated configuration space of the work surface. The magnetic movement system has unit cells arranged in cooperation with the work surface, where each unit cell comprises an actuator, a magnet coupled to the actuator such that the actuator causes movement of the magnet defining an actuated magnet, and an electromagnetic coil. Moreover, the magnetic movement system is configured such that a magnetic field produced by at least one unit cell performs at least one operation that affects a position of the configuration space unit within the configuration space of the work surface.

Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamic wheel assemblies for shuttles powered by linear synchronous motors. An example shuttle may include a frame having a front lateral portion, a rear lateral portion, and a central member. The shuttle may include a first wheel assembly coupled to a first end of the front lateral portion, the first wheel assembly having a first wheel configured to engage a first sidewall of the track, where the first wheel assembly is configured to rotate in a forward and rearward direction with respect to the front lateral portion. The shuttle may include a second wheel assembly coupled to a second end of the rear lateral portion, the second wheel assembly having a second wheel configured to engage a second sidewall of the track, where the second wheel assembly is configured to rotate in a forward and rearward direction with respect to the rear lateral portion.