Controller and method for controlling a drive motor of a product conveyor belt at a checkout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10819253-B2
Application number	US-201716307036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Jun 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A controller for a drive motor ( 60 ) of a product conveyor belt at a checkout has a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) in such a manner that the product conveyor belt is accelerated with reduced torque from a non-driven state. A start controller controls the drive motor ( 60 ) in such a manner that the drive motor ( 60 ) initially drives with a non-reduced torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state before the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) further accelerates the product conveyor belt with reduced torque.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controller for a drive motor ( 60 ) of a product conveyor belt at a checkout comprising:
a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt is driven with a reduced torque starting from a non-driven state, and
a start controller that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) in such a manner that the drive motor ( 60 ) initially drives with a non-reduced torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state before the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) further accelerates the product conveyor belt with reduced torque.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the start controller is configured such that the drive motor ( 60 ) drives the product conveyor belt with non-reduced torque for a set time period before the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) further accelerates the product conveyor belt with reduced torque.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the start controller is configured such that the product conveyor belt is driven with the non-reduced torque until a full load current is reached when driving the product conveyor belt.

4. The controller claim 1 , wherein the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) increases the torque of the drive motor substantially continuously and/or linearly up to the full torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) increases the drive motor torque beginning at a predetermined ramp starting torque (MRS) that corresponds to about 10% to about 50% of an operating torque (MB) up to the full operating torque (MB) when accelerating the product conveyor belt.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the start controller is configured such that after a stoppage of the product conveyor belt, a dead time (ΔTT) of a predetermined duration is provided, after the expiration of which the product conveyor belt is re-accelerated as soon as possible.

7. The control of claim 1 , wherein the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) continues to control the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt is braked from a driven state with an initially reduced torque before the drive motor ( 60 ) stops driving the product conveyor belt.

8. The controller of claim 1 , with a trigger ( 40 ) for initiating the acceleration of the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state, and/or for initiating a stoppage of the product conveyor belt from a driven state.

9. A control unit ( 80 ) for a checkout system that has:
a product conveyor belt,
a drive motor ( 60 ), and
a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt is driven with a reduced torque starting from a non-driven state, the control unit ( 80 ) comprising: a start controller that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) in such a manner that the drive motor ( 60 ) initially drives with a non-reduced torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state before the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) further accelerates the product conveyor belt with the reduced torque, wherein the control unit ( 80 ) is configured as a separate component that has the start controller and is connected between the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) on the one hand in the drive motor ( 60 ) on the other hand.

10. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 , with its own power connection ( 83 ) that is configured separately from a power connection for the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ).

11. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 with its own internal phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller that further accelerates the product conveyor belt with reduced torque instead of the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) of the checkout system after the start controller drives the product conveyor belt with initially non-reduced torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state.

12. A control unit ( 80 ) for a checkout system that has:
a product conveyor belt,
a drive motor ( 60 ) and
a trigger ( 40 ) for initiating the acceleration of the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state, and/or for initiating a stoppage of the product conveyor belt from a driven state;

comprising: a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt is driven with a reduced torque starting from a non-driven state, and a start controller that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) in such a manner that the drive motor ( 60 ) initially drives with a non-reduced torque when accelerating the product conveyor belt from the non-driven state before the phase-start cutting and/or phase and cutting controller ( 50 ) further accelerates the product conveyor belt with reduced torque, wherein the control unit ( 80 ) is configured as a separate component that has the start controller and the phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller as an internal component, and is connected between the trigger ( 40 ) and the drive motor ( 60 ).

13. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 , wherein the control unit ( 80 ) is connected to a plurality of drive motors ( 60 ) of different product conveyor belts and is configured to control this plurality of drive motors ( 60 ) with the at least one starting controller.

14. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 further comprising an interface for:
undertaking software updates for the control unit ( 80 );
for reading out parameters and/or data from the control unit ( 80 ); and/or
for establishing a connection to a module of the checkout system.

15. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 with a thermal switch for overload protection of the drive motor ( 60 ).

16. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 further comprising a memory module for saving data from the control unit.

17. The control unit ( 80 ) of claim 16 , further comprising:
a forecasting module that is configured to derive and/or estimate a forecast characteristic value for a residual life of the drive motor ( 60 ) from the saved data of the control unit,

and/or
a usage profile module which is configured to derive and/or estimate a usage profile relating to the utilization of the checkout system from the saved data.

18. A checkout system comprising: a product conveyor belt, a drive motor ( 60 ) and the controller of claim 1 .

19. A checkout system comprising: a product conveyor belt, a drive motor ( 60 ), a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) that controls the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt is driven with a reduced torque starting from a non-driven state, and further comprising the control unit ( 80 ) of claim 9 .

20. A method for controlling a drive motor ( 60 ) of a product conveyor belt at a checkout, wherein when accelerating the product conveyor belt from a non-driven state, initially, the method comprising:
controlling the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the drive motor ( 60 ) drives the product conveyor belt with non-reduced torque before
controlling a phase-start cutting and/or phase-end cutting controller ( 50 ) to control the drive motor ( 60 ) such that the product conveyor belt i

Assignees

• Interroll Holding Ag

Inventors

• Schang Daniel

Classifications

• H02P1/04

  Means for controlling progress of starting sequence in dependence upon time or upon current, speed, or other motor parameter · CPC title

• H02P1/26

  for starting an individual polyphase induction motor · CPC title

• H02P1/022

  Security devices, e.g. correct phase sequencing · CPC title

• B65G23/00

  Driving gear for endless conveyors; Belt- or chain-tensioning arrangements · CPC title

• H02P1/42 Primary

  for starting an individual single-phase induction motor {(H02P27/04 takes precedence)} · CPC title