Apparatus for multi-axial transfer of objects in assembly lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494189-B2
Application number	US-201815927434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for multi-axial transfer of objects in assembly line includes a first conveyor assembly, a second conveyor assembly, a first drive assembly, and a pivot point arrangement. The first conveyor assembly includes a plurality of rollers in a horizontal plane. The second conveyor assembly includes a plurality of geared chain arrangements mounted on at least one drive shaft. At least one of the plurality of rollers and the at least one drive shaft are coupled to the bevel gear arrangement. The first drive assembly includes a first motor coupled to the bevel gear arrangement to cause movement of an object in contact with the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly along a first axis and a second axis in the horizontal plane, respectively. The plurality of geared chain arrangements are movable along a third axis in a vertical plane using the pivot point arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for multi-axial transfer of objects, comprising:
a base plate;
a first conveyor assembly that comprises a plurality of rollers arranged spatially and longitudinally to each other in a horizontal plane, wherein at least one of the plurality of rollers is coupled to a first gear of a bevel gear arrangement, the first conveyor assembly further including a first stopper arranged in a first gap between a pair of rollers of the plurality of rollers and a second stopper arranged in a second gap between a second pair of rollers of the plurality of rollers, wherein the first stopper is at a defined separation from the second stopper;
a second conveyor assembly that comprises a plurality of geared chain arrangements, wherein each of the plurality of geared chain arrangements is arranged alternatively between two consecutive rollers of the plurality of rollers in a first section of the first conveyor assembly, and wherein the plurality of geared chain arrangements are mounted on at least one drive shaft that is coupled to a second gear of the bevel gear arrangement;
a first drive assembly that comprises a first motor coupled to one of the first gear or the second gear of the bevel gear arrangement, wherein the first motor drives the bevel gear arrangement to cause movement of an object in contact with the first conveyor assembly along a first axis and the second conveyor assembly along a second axis in the horizontal plane; and
a pivot point arrangement that comprises a plurality of pivot points associated with the plurality of geared chain arrangements of the second conveyor assembly, wherein the plurality of geared chain arrangements are movable along a third axis in a vertical plane to switch the contact of the object between the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a direction of movement of the object along the first axis and the second axis is determined based on a type of rotation of the bevel gear arrangement.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second drive assembly that comprises a second motor coupled to a drive shaft supported on at least one of a plurality of columns, wherein the second motor drives the drive shaft to move the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly along the third axis in the vertical plane.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the object placed on the first conveyor assembly or the second conveyor assembly is movable along the third axis in the vertical plane based on the second drive assembly.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the third axis in the vertical plane is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis in the horizontal plane, and wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first stopper and the second stopper correspond to transfer guide points on the first conveyor assembly to manage transfer of different objects of different sizes.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator, wherein the first stopper and the second stopper are coupled to the actuator that raises the first stopper and the second stopper in the vertical plane.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame coupled with the base plate; and
a pulley arrangement associated with a second drive assembly,
wherein the frame comprises a plurality of columns affixed on a first end of the base plate such that each column is affixed with the pulley arrangement associated with the second drive assembly.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first support fixture and a second support fixture arranged parallel to the first support fixture, wherein the plurality of rollers are mounted between the first support fixture at a first distal end and the second support fixture at a second distal end of the plurality of rollers.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a control circuitry communicatively coupled to the first drive assembly, a second drive assembly and the pivot point arrangement, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control a movement of the object received at the first conveyor assembly along the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to read a unique identifier associated with the object when the object is within a first defined communication range to the first conveyor assembly, and wherein the movement of the object is controlled based on the unique identifier associated with object.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is detected based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to the object that is received at the first conveyor assembly.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to measure, by a rotary encoder, a displacement of the object along the first axis and the second axis.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine, by at least one photo sensor, a relative position of the object placed on the first conveyor assembly or the second conveyor assembly with respect to a reference point along the first axis, the second axis and the third axis.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotary encoder coupled to the first motor of the first drive assembly and a second motor of a second drive assembly, wherein the rotary encoder is configured to measure a number of rotations made by the first motor of the first drive assembly and the second motor of the second drive assembly; and
at least one photo sensor affixed to the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first motor of the first drive assembly is driven based on a rack and pinion gear arrangement.

17. An apparatus for multi-axial transfer of objects, comprising:
a base plate;
a first conveyor assembly that comprises a plurality of rollers arranged spatially and longitudinally to each other in a horizontal plane, wherein at least one of the plurality of rollers is coupled to a first gear of a bevel gear arrangement;
a second conveyor assembly that comprises a plurality of geared chain arrangements, wherein each of the plurality of geared chain arrangements is arranged alternatively between two consecutive rollers of the plurality of rollers in a first section of the first conveyor assembly, and wherein the plurality of geared chain arrangements are mounted on at least one drive shaft that is coupled to a second gear of the bevel gear arrangement;
a first drive assembly that comprises a first motor coupled to one of the first gear or the second gear of the bevel gear arrangement, wherein the first motor drives the bevel gear arrangement to cause movement of an object in contact with the first conveyor assembly along a first axis and the second conveyor assembly along a second axis in the horizontal plane;
a pivot point arrangement that comprises a plurality of pivot points associated with the plurality of geared chain arrangements of the second conveyor assembly, wherein the plurality of geared chain arrangements are movable along a third axis in a vertical plane to switch the contact of the object between the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly; and
a wheel arrangement mounted on the base plate, wherein the w

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Kero Fasil Mulatu

Classifications

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title

• B65G2203/0216

  Codes or marks on the article · CPC title

• B65G2203/046

  RFID · CPC title

• B65G2203/044

  Optical · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title