Linear-motor conveyor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843880-B2
Application number	US-201716337539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 5, 2016
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A tray conveyor in which plastic trays with rows of embedded translators are driven by stators. Washing stations in cleaning zones are provided to automatically clean empty trays in the conveyor's return path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor system comprising:
a plurality of conveyor sections, each conveyor section comprising:
a tray guide extending in length from a rear end to a front end of the conveyor section and in width from a left side to a right side of the conveyor section;
a left-side linear stator extending in length through the tray guide between the rear end and the front end;
a right-side linear stator extending in length through the tray guide between the rear end and the front end;
wherein the left-side linear stator is closer to the left side and the right-side linear stator is closer to the right side;
wherein the tray guide of each conveyor section comprises:
a left side rail extending in length in a conveying direction;
a right side rail extending in length in the conveying direction parallel to the left side rail;

wherein the left-side linear stator is embedded in and extends in length along the left side rail and the right-side linear stator is embedded in and extends in length along the left side rail;

a plurality of conveyor trays having translators forming linear motors with the left-side and right-side linear stators to drive the conveyor trays along the tray guide in the conveying direction.

2. A conveyor system as in claim 1 comprising:
one or more carriages, each including:
a carriage tray guide extending in length from a rear end to a front end of the carriage and in width from a left side to a right side of the carriage;
a left-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
a right-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
wherein the left-side carriage linear stator is closer to the left side and the right-side carriage linear stator is closer to the right side of the carriage tray guide;
a rear translator at the rear end of the carriage;
a front translator at the front end of the carriage;
a pair of parallel guide tracks extending perpendicular to the conveying direction, each of the guide tracks forming a guide path perpendicular to the conveying direction for the front and rear translators of the one or more carriages and including a linear stator to translate the one or more carriages along the guide path;
wherein the conveyor sections are horizontally or vertically offset from each other across spaces; and
wherein the pair of parallel guide tracks are disposed in the spaces between offset conveyor sections to guide the carriages along the guide path from alignment with one of the conveyor sections to one or more other of the conveyor sections.

3. A conveyor system as in claim 2 comprising a pair of horizontal parallel tracks forming a horizontal guide path and a pair of vertical parallel tracks forming a vertical guide path and wherein the front and the rear translator of each of the one or more carriages each include a vertical translator and a horizontal translator guiding the carriage along the vertical or horizontal track.

4. A conveyor system as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of conveyor sections are arranged vertically offset from each other in a stack and wherein the plurality of conveyor sections have a pair of parallel vertical tracks for a carriage at an end of the stack of conveyor sections to lift and lower the carriage from one conveyor section to another conveyor section in the stack.

5. A conveyor system as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of conveyor sections are arranged with an infeed conveyor section and a plurality of discharge conveyor sections spaced apart across a space and wherein the plurality of conveyor sections have a pair of parallel horizontal tracks in the space for a carriage to translate between alignment with the infeed conveyor section and each of the discharge conveyor sections.

6. A conveyor system as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of conveyor sections are arranged with a plurality of parallel infeed conveyor sections and a single discharge conveyor section spaced apart across a space and wherein the plurality of conveyor sections have a pair of parallel horizontal tracks in the space for a carriage to translate between alignment with the infeed conveyor sections and the discharge conveyor section.

7. A conveyor system as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of conveyor sections are arranged with a pair of side-by-side infeed conveyor sections and a plurality of parallel discharge conveyor sections spaced apart from the infeed conveyor sections across a space and wherein the plurality of conveyor sections have a pair of parallel horizontal tracks in the space for a carriage to translate between alignment with the infeed conveyor sections and the discharge conveyor sections.

8. A conveyor system as in claim 1 further comprising:
an elevator that includes a vertical linear stator and a vertical guide track; and
a carriage for a conveyor tray including:
a carriage tray guide extending in length from a rear end to a front end of the carriage and in width from a left side to a right side of the carriage;
a left-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
a right-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
wherein the left-side carriage linear stator is closer to the left side and the right-side carriage linear stator is closer to the right side of the carriage tray guide;
a rear translator at the rear end of the carriage;
a front translator at the front end of the carriage;

wherein the vertical linear stator forms a linear motor with the front and rear translators to move the carriage supporting one of the conveyor trays along the vertical guide track between a lower position in which the top of the carriage guide is below the top of the tray guide of the conveyor section and an upper position in which the top of the carriage guide is above the top of the tray guide of the conveyor section.

9. A conveyor system as in claim 8 wherein the conveyor trays further include second translators forming linear motors with the left-side and right-side carriage linear stators to drive the conveyor trays perpendicular to the conveying direction.

10. A conveyor system as in claim 1 wherein the conveyor sections are horizontally or vertically offset from each other.

11. A conveyor system as in claim 10 comprising a plurality of elevator sections, wherein the plurality of conveyor sections are arranged to form a four-sided rectangular spiral of consecutive conveyor sections vertically offset from each other wherein one of the elevator sections and one of the carriages is disposed at each corner of the rectangular spiral to raise and lower the carriage from one conveyor section to the next consecutive conveyor section.

12. A conveyor system as in claim 1 comprising:
a carriage including:
a carriage tray guide extending in length from a rear end to a front end of the carriage and in width from a left side to a right side of the carriage;
a left-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
a right-side carriage linear stator extending in length through the carriage tray guide between the rear end and the front end of the carriage tray guide;
wherein the left-side carriage linear stator is closer to the left side and the right-side carriage linear stator is closer to the right s

Assignees

• Laitram Llc

Inventors

• Ragan Bryant G
• Fourney Matthew L

Classifications

• B65G43/08

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

• B65G54/02 Primary

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B65G45/22

  comprising fluid applying means · CPC title

• B65G45/18

  comprising brushes · CPC title

• B65G45/12

  comprising scrapers · CPC title