Dual conveyor for autonomous guided vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827455-B2
Application number	US-202217681038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A conveyor assembly is provided for use with a mobile vehicle. The conveyor assembly includes a conveyor module. The conveyor module includes a first roller assembly. The first roller assembly includes a first rotatable roller body and a second rotatable roller body. The first and second roller bodies are interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a first rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of the first and second roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of the first and second roller bodies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor assembly for use with a mobile vehicle, said conveyor assembly comprising:
a conveyor module including a first roller assembly,
said first roller assembly including a first rotatable roller body and a second rotatable roller body,
said first and second roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a first rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said first and second roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said first and second roller bodies,
said first roller assembly further including a first coupling assembly,
said first coupling assembly including—
a first axially extending coupler,
a second axially extending coupler, and
a first connector shaft extending between and interconnecting said first and second couplers,

each of said couplers including a torque transmission portion and a bearing portion,
said torque transmission portion including a plurality of axially extending torque transmission pins,
said bearing portion including a bearing housing and a bearing received within the bearing housing; and
a torque ring,
said torque ring corresponding to a respective one of the torque transmission portions,
said torque ring defining a plurality of openings therein for receiving corresponding ones of said pins.

2. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said torque transmission pins and said bearing housing being integrally formed.

3. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
each of said couplers being at least in part received within the corresponding one of the roller bodies.

4. The conveyor assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
a pair of tolerance rings,
each of said tolerance rings at least in part circumscribing a corresponding one of said couplers and facilitating press-in insertion of said coupler into the corresponding one of the roller bodies.

5. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said first coupler extending axially from the first roller body toward the second roller body,
said second coupler extending axially from the second roller body toward the first roller body.

6. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said conveyor module further including a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction,
said second roller assembly including a third rotatable roller body and a fourth rotatable roller body,
said third and fourth roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a second rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said third and fourth roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said third and fourth roller bodies,
said first and second roller assemblies being at least substantially structurally identical to each other.

7. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said conveyor module further including—
a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction,
said second roller assembly including a third rotatable roller body and a fourth rotatable roller body,
said third and fourth roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a second rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said third and fourth roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said third and fourth roller bodies,
a first conveyor belt extending about said first and third roller bodies, and
a second conveyor belt extending about said second and fourth roller bodies,

said conveyor assembly further comprising a chassis,
said chassis including a single, unitary slider bed underlying at least a portion of each of said first and second conveyor belts.

8. The conveyor assembly of claim 3 ,
said chassis further including a pair of side rails each extending in the fore-aft direction,
said slider bed extending between the side rails,
each of said first and second roller assemblies being mounted to the side rails such that the first and second conveyor belts are disposed laterally between the side rails.

9. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said conveyor module further including—
a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction,
said second roller assembly including a third rotatable roller body and a fourth rotatable roller body,
said third and fourth roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a second rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said third and fourth roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said third and fourth roller bodies,
a first conveyor belt extending about said first and third roller bodies, and
a second conveyor belt extending about said second and fourth roller bodies,

said conveyor assembly further including a power module providing rotational power to said conveyor module such that said first and second conveyor belts are independently shiftable relative to one another.

10. The conveyor assembly of claim 9 ,
said power module including a pair of independently operable motor assemblies each including a motor,
each of said motors configured to drive independent rotation of a respective one of said roller bodies.

11. The conveyor assembly of claim 10 ,
a first one of said motors configured to drive rotation of the first roller body,
a second one of said motors configured to drive rotation of the second roller body,
said first roller assembly thereby being a dually-powered roller assembly.

12. A conveyor assembly for use with a mobile vehicle, said conveyor assembly comprising:
a conveyor module including a first roller assembly,
said first roller assembly including a first rotatable roller body and a second rotatable roller body,
said first and second roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a first rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said first and second roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said first and second roller bodies,
said conveyor module further including—
a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction,
said second roller assembly including a third rotatable roller body and a fourth rotatable roller body,
said third and fourth roller bodies being interconnected to each other in such a manner as to share a second rotational axis yet be at least substantially rotationally independent of each other, such that each of said third and fourth roller bodies can rotate without causing or interfering with rotation of the other of said third and fourth roller bodies,

said conveyor assembly further comprising a power module,
said power module including a pair of independently operable motor assemblies each including a motor,
each of said motors configured to drive independent rotation of a respective one of said roller bodies,
each of said motor assemblies further including—
a bearing assembly operably coupled with the motor, and
a gear assembly operably coupled with the motor,
said gear assembly including a rotatable motor assembly output shaft,

said conveyor assembly further comprising a pair of motor shaft connectors and a pair of torque rings,
each of said motor shaft connectors receiving a corresponding one of the motor asse

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Biro Joshua M
• Moore William D

Classifications

• B65G23/08 Primary

  with self-contained driving mechanisms, e.g. motors and associated gearing · CPC title

• B65G39/09

  Arrangements of bearing or sealing means · CPC title

• B65G41/008

  frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar (for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02) · CPC title

• B65G2812/02069

  Rails · CPC title

• B65G2812/02148

  Driving means for the belts · CPC title