Object transportation with V-shaped attachment devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507979-B2
Application number	US-201515759933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure an object transportation device is described. The device includes a continuous belt having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface interacts with a belt transport system. The device also includes a number of attachment devices disposed on the outer surface of the belt. An object attaches to the belt via an attachment device. An attachment device includes two angled protrusions extending from the outer surface from a common joint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An object transportation device comprising:
a continuous belt having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is to interact with a belt transport system; and
a number of V-shaped attachment devices disposed on the outer surface wherein:
an object is to attach to the belt via a V-shaped attachment device; and
the V-shaped attachment device comprises two angled protrusions extending from the outer surface from a common joint, wherein a width of a protrusion is less than half a width of the common joint.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the number of V-shaped attachment devices are integrally attached to the continuous belt.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the continuous belt is formed of a compliant material.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the inner surface comprises a number of teeth to interact with the belt transport system; and
the V-shaped attachment device and common joint are aligned with a corresponding tooth.

5. An object transportation system comprising:
a number of rollers to move a continuous belt along a belt path, a roller comprising a number of roller teeth;
the continuous belt to pass over the number of rollers, the continuous belt comprising:
an inner surface having a number of belt teeth to interact with the number of roller teeth to move the continuous belt along the belt path;
an outer surface comprising a number of V-shaped attachment devices having two angled protrusions that angle away from one another, the number of V-shaped attachment devices to interact with a number of objects and move the number of objects along the belt path; and
a coupler to removably join an object to a V-shaped attachment device, wherein the coupler has:
a shape to surround the V-shaped attachment device and to couple the coupler to the V-shaped attachment device; and
an object attachment device to couple the object to the coupler.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coupler comprises a number of ridges along surfaces that contact the V-shaped attachment device to secure the coupler to the V-shaped attachment device.

7. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a securing device to secure the coupler to the V-shaped attachment device.

8. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a spacing device to maintain an angle between protrusions of the V-shaped attachment device.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the system is used in a printer.

10. A method for forming a continuous belt with V-shaped attachment devices comprising:
filling a space between an inner portion of a mold and an outer portion of a mold with a material to form the continuous belt with V-shaped attachment devices, wherein the outer portion of the mold comprises a number of V-shaped recessions to define the V-shaped attachment devices;
removing the inner portion of the mold;
removing the continuous belt from the outer portion of the mold by deforming the continuous belt towards a center of the continuous belt, wherein protrusions of the V-shaped attachment devices deflect inward to facilitate removal from the V-shaped recession of the outer portion.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising attaching a coupler to a V-shaped attachment device to allow an object to be coupled to the continuous belt through the coupler.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising filling a space between protrusions of a V-shaped attachment device with adhesive to maintain an angle between the protrusions during use.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
a length of the mold is sufficient to form multiple continuous belts; and
the method further comprises forming multiple continuous belts by dividing the material along the length.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Johnson Bruce G
• Downing Elliott
• Downing Steven P
• Brinkly Richard Lee
• Bensel Kevin

Classifications

• B65G17/42

  Attaching load carriers to traction elements · CPC title

• B65G15/44 Primary

  for impelling the loads · CPC title

• B65G15/58

  with means for holding or retaining the loads in fixed position, e.g. magnetic · CPC title

• B65G17/002

  comprising load carriers resting on the traction element · CPC title