Conveyor apparatus and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401111-B2
Application number	US-202016916661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jan 21, 2020
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A conveyor apparatus includes a supporting plate and a conveyor module. The supporting plate is connected to the conveyor module. The supporting plate includes a first power and communication terminal that is configured to provide the conveyor module with power and a communication connection. The conveyor module is connected to the supporting plate. The conveyor module is detachable and includes a second power and communication terminal that is connected to the first power and communication terminal to receive the power and to perform the communication connection. The first and second power and communication terminals are detachable, with an ability to be connected to and disconnected from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor apparatus comprising:
a supporting plate including a first power and communication terminal; and
a conveyor module connected to the supporting plate, the conveyor module with a second power and communication terminal connected to the first power and communication terminal to receive power and to perform a communication connection,
wherein the conveyor module is fixedly connected to the supporting plate to transport an object while having the capability of being detached from the supporting plate, and
wherein the first and second power and communication terminals are detachable, with an ability to be connected to and disconnected from each other.

2. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate comprises:
supports spaced apart from each other along a transfer path; and
a first fixing member configured to fix the conveyor module to the supports,
wherein the first fixing member having a convex or a concave shape.

3. The conveyor apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the conveyor module comprises:
a body; and
a second fixing member arranged at a position that corresponds to the first fixing member to fix the conveyor module to the supporting plate, the second fixing member with a convex or a concave shape, corresponding to the convex or the concave shape of the first fixing member.

4. The conveyor apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the supporting plate further comprises:
a supporting bar connecting the supports to a ceiling; and
a threading member arranged at a contact region between the supporting bar and the supports to adjust a gap between the ceiling and the supports by tightening and releasing the threading member.

5. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor module comprises a plurality of conveyor unit modules, and
wherein the conveyor unit modules have substantially the same size.

6. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor module comprises a plurality of conveyor unit modules,
wherein each of the conveyor unit modules is connected to the supporting plate,
wherein each of the conveyor unit modules is independently disassembled from the supporting plate to be exchanged with a new conveyor module, and
wherein each of the conveyor unit modules is detachable.

7. The conveyor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor module further comprises an entrance sensor configured to detect an entrance of an object and an exit sensor configured to detect an exit of the object.

8. The conveyor apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a controller configured to control at least one of numbers of the conveyor module per a transfer section, a position of the conveyor module in the section, a transfer speed of the conveyor module, an acceleration of the conveyor module, a deceleration of the conveyor module, a stop position of the conveyor module, and a decelerated position of the conveyor module.

9. The conveyor apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller matches identification information of the conveyor module, identification information of the section where the conveyor module is positioned, and an arrangement order of the conveyor module in the section, and
wherein the controller stores and manages the matched information in a memory.

10. The conveyor apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the arrangement order of the conveyor module in the section comprises identification information of the first power and communication terminal that is coupled to the second power and communication terminal of the conveyor module.

11. The conveyor apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller recognizes a current position and a transfer speed of the object based on detecting the object through the entrance sensor and the exit sensor of the conveyor module, and
wherein the controller controls transfer speeds of a corresponding conveyor module on which the object is placed and an adjacent conveyor module to control the transfer speed of the object.

12. The conveyor apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller recognizes a section in a transfer path where the object is placed and a position of the conveyor module in the section on which the object is placed based on identification information of the entrance sensor or the exit sensor that detects the object to obtain the position of the object.

13. A method of operating a conveyor apparatus including supporting plate formed along a transfer path and a plurality of conveyor module configured to be fixedly connected to the supporting plate to transport an object while having the capability of being detached from the sup or
ting plate, the method comprising:
recognizing a position of a target conveyor module in the transfer path;
comparing a number of conveyor modules in a section in which the target conveyor module is positioned to an allowable number of the conveyor modules for the section to adjust the number of the conveyor modules in the section based on comparison results;
allotting and storing identification information of the section in the target conveyor module; and
setting a parameter, for transferring an object, in the target conveyor module.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein setting the parameters comprises setting the parameters with at least one of a transfer speed of the conveyor module, an acceleration of the conveyor module, a deceleration of the conveyor module, a stop position of the conveyor module and a decelerated position of the conveyor module based on the section in the transfer path in which the target conveyor module is positioned.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conveyor module comprises a plurality of the conveyor unit modules, and each of the conveyor unit modules comprises an entrance sensor and an exit sensor,
the method further comprising after setting the parameters:
collecting detection results of the object from the entrance sensor and the exit sensor within a period;
recognizing a position of the object based on the detection results of the object; and
controlling a transfer speed of the target conveyor module based on the position of the object.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein recognizing the position of the object comprises recognizing a section in a transfer path where the object is placed and a position of the target conveyor module in the section on which the object is placed based on identification information of the entrance sensor or the exit sensor that detects the object to obtain the position of the object.

17. A method of operating a conveyor apparatus including supporting plate formed along a transfer path and a plurality of conveyor module configured to be fixedly connected to the supporting plate to transport an object while having the capability of being detached from the supporting plate, the method comprising:
setting transfer path conditions of an object;
driving a timer to check an arrival time of the object at an exit of a first conveyor module when an entrance sensor of the first conveyor module detects the object;
identifying whether or not an exit sensor of the first conveyor module detects the object during a standby time;
driving a timer to check the arrival time of the object at an entrance of a second conveyor module when the exit sensor of the first conveyor module detects the object during the standby time;
identifying whether or not an entrance sensor of the second conveyor module detects the object during the standby time;
identifying whether or not transferring of the object is completed when the entrance sensor of the second conveyor module detects the object

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Seok Dong Ju

Classifications

• B65G13/04

  all rollers driven · CPC title

• B65G21/10

  movable, or having interchangeable or relatively movable parts; Devices for moving framework or parts thereof · CPC title

• B65G13/07

  having endless driving elements · CPC title

• B65G47/52

  Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices (loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00) · CPC title

• B65G2203/042

  Sensors · CPC title