The vibration feeder has a drive unit (4) comprising a vibration drive (10), a carrier arrangement (5) comprising a feeding element for the material to be conveyed and a control (26) for the vibration drive (10), wherein an acceleration sensor (27) is arranged on the drive unit (10), which when the vibration feeder (25) is operating, detects the actual acceleration of the drive unit (4), and wherein the control (26) is configured to use the actual acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor (26) for generating a regulating variable for the vibration drive (10) such that the carrier arrangement (5) vibrates essentially within its resonance frequency (f.sub.res). This makes it possible, during operation, to detect the acceleration of a drive unit (4) of the vibration feeder (25) and to generate therefrom a regulating variable for a vibration drive (10) such that a carrier arrangement (5) of the vibration feeder (25) vibrates closer to its resonance frequency (f.sub.res) or is brought back again to the same. In addition the inventive control (28) may be used to also regulate the amplitude of the carrier arrangement (4) and the associated mass flow {dot over (m)} to a required value.

The vibration feeder has a drive unit (4) comprising a vibration drive (10), a carrier arrangement (5) comprising a feeding element for the material to be conveyed and a control (26) for the vibration drive (10), wherein an acceleration sensor (27) is arranged on the drive unit (10), which when the vibration feeder (25) is operating, detects the actual acceleration of the drive unit (4), and wherein the control (26) is configured to use the actual acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor (26) for generating a regulating variable for the vibration drive (10) such that the carrier arrangement (5) vibrates essentially within its resonance frequency (f.sub.res). This makes it possible, during operation, to detect the acceleration of a drive unit (4) of the vibration feeder (25) and to generate therefrom a regulating variable for a vibration drive (10) such that a carrier arrangement (5) of the vibration feeder (25) vibrates closer to its resonance frequency (f.sub.res) or is brought back again to the same. In addition the inventive control (28) may be used to also regulate the amplitude of the carrier arrangement (4) and the associated mass flow {dot over (m)} to a required value.

A vibrator includes a vibrating part including a pair of vibrating plates and a piezoelectric material provided between the pair of vibrating plates, a supporting part including a pair of supporting plates and an interplate portion provided between the pair of supporting plates, and a wire provided in the vibrating part and the supporting part, wherein the wire is exposed from the supporting part.

A vibrator includes a vibrating part including a pair of vibrating plates and a piezoelectric material provided between the pair of vibrating plates, a supporting part including a pair of supporting plates and an interplate portion provided between the pair of supporting plates, and a wire provided in the vibrating part and the supporting part, wherein the wire is exposed from the supporting part.

A vibratory conveyor for bulk material is provided having a conveying trough or tube for bulk material and a vibration generator connected thereto for generating a directed vibratory excitation to transport the bulk material longitudinally. The directed vibratory excitation has directional components in the longitudinal direction and in a vertical direction opposite gravity. The conveyor further includes at least one retaining weir arranged in the trough or tube for decelerating the bulk material in the longitudinal direction through the trough or tube. The retaining weir has a rear wall in a transport direction of the bulk material and a front wall opposite the transport direction. The rear wall is at least sectionally inclined in an obliquely descending manner from an apex of the retaining weir toward the bottom of the trough or tube. The length of the front wall is smaller than the length of the rear wall.

Vibratory conveyors, vibratory conveyor systems, and related methods are disclosed. An exemplary vibratory conveyor includes a support frame; a pan configured to receive a conveyed material, the pan mounted for cyclic movement relative to the support frame, the pan having a pan axis generally aligned with a conveying direction; and at least two linear servomotors operatively coupled to move the pan relative to the support frame, the at least two linear servomotors comprising a first linear servomotor and a second linear servomotor. The first linear servomotor defines a first linear servomotor actuating axis, the second linear servomotor defines a second linear servomotor actuating axis, and the first linear servomotor actuating axis is oriented obliquely relative to the second linear servomotor actuating axis.

A method for checking the functionality of a vibratory conveyor device (1) by means of a status analysis which is carried out either before operation or during operation of the vibratory conveyor device (1), wherein A) the method to be carried out before operation comprises the following steps: A1) applying a drive pulse to a drive device (2) of the vibratory conveyor device (1); A2) detecting the pulse response caused by the vibratory conveyor device (1); A3) passing on the detected pulse response by way of the signal evaluation unit (5) to a computer (6); A4) comparing the detected pulse response to a reference pulse response by means of the computer (6); and A5) ascertaining by means of the computer (6) whether: a) a starting procedure for operation with reduced starting drive power of the vibratory conveyor device (1) is to be activated, or b) a starting procedure for operation without reduced starting drive power of the vibratory conveyor device (1) is to be activated, or c) the operation is to be suspended; B) the method to be carried out during operation comprises the following steps: B1) detecting the voltage amplitude, frequency, acceleration, and temperature, caused by the vibratory conveyor device (1), in operation of the vibratory conveyor device (1) by means of the signal evaluation unit (5); and B2) passing on the detected voltage amplitude, frequency, acceleration, and temperature by way of the signal evaluation unit (5) to a computer (6).

A method for checking the functionality of a vibratory conveyor device (1) by means of a status analysis which is carried out either before operation or during operation of the vibratory conveyor device (1), wherein A) the method to be carried out before operation comprises the following steps: A1) applying a drive pulse to a drive device (2) of the vibratory conveyor device (1); A2) detecting the pulse response caused by the vibratory conveyor device (1); A3) passing on the detected pulse response by way of the signal evaluation unit (5) to a computer (6); A4) comparing the detected pulse response to a reference pulse response by means of the computer (6); and A5) ascertaining by means of the computer (6) whether: a) a starting procedure for operation with reduced starting drive power of the vibratory conveyor device (1) is to be activated, or b) a starting procedure for operation without reduced starting drive power of the vibratory conveyor device (1) is to be activated, or c) the operation is to be suspended; B) the method to be carried out during operation comprises the following steps: B1) detecting the voltage amplitude, frequency, acceleration, and temperature, caused by the vibratory conveyor device (1), in operation of the vibratory conveyor device (1) by means of the signal evaluation unit (5); and B2) passing on the detected voltage amplitude, frequency, acceleration, and temperature by way of the signal evaluation unit (5) to a computer (6).

The invention relates to a linear motor system, in particular a transport system, e.g. a multi-carrier, comprising: a guide track having a plurality of electromagnets arranged distributed along the guide track; at least one carrier that is guided by and movable along the guide track and that comprises a drive magnet for cooperating with the electromagnets of the guide track to move the carrier; and a control device for controlling the movement of the carrier relative to the guide track by a corresponding control of the electromagnets, wherein the control device is configured to control the carrier to perform a shaking movement.

An article supply apparatus includes an inclined passage which inclines downwardly toward a predetermined direction, a vibration imparting device which vibrates the inclined passage, an article feeding device which feeds a plurality of articles to the upper end side of the inclined passage, a visual sensor which captures images of the articles on the inclined passage and which obtains information for identification of at least a position of each of the articles on the inclined passage, and a robot arm which picks up the articles one by one from the inclined passage by using the information obtained by the visual sensor and which supplies the picked-up articles to a predetermined supply destination.