Integrated conveyor motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145805-B2
Application number	US-202117147530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2021
Priority date	Jun 4, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A conveyor assembly includes a conveyor module including first and second roller bodies and a conveyor belt; a chassis; and a tensioning system. The tensioning system is operable to adjust the tension of the conveyor belt and includes a tensioning device selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis such that shifting of the tensioning system in the fore-aft direction along the chassis results in corresponding fore-aft shifting of the first roller body relative to the second roller body, thereby facilitating adjustment of the tension of the conveyor belt. The chassis includes a pair of side rails and a slider bed. A stiffening assembly includes a bracket spaced vertically below the slider bed such that a vertical gap is formed between the slider bed and the bracket. The stiffening assembly further includes an insert disposed on the bracket and extending upward across at least a portion of the gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor assembly comprising:
a conveyor module including
a first roller assembly including a first roller body rotatable about a first axis,
a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction and including second roller body rotatable about a second axis, and
a convevor belt shiftable in response to rotation of at least one of said first and second roller bodies;

a chassis including
a pair of side rails each extending in the fore-aft direction, and
a slider bed extending between and interconnecting the side rails,
said slider bed underlying a portion of the conveyor belt; and

a stiffening assembly including
a bracket extending between and interconnecting the side rails,
said bracket being spaced vertically below the slider bed such that a vertical gap is formed between the slider bed and the bracket, and
an insert disposed on said bracket and extending upward across at least a portion of said gap,
said insert being discrete from said bracket and said slider bed.

2. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power module providing rotational power to at least one of said first and second roller bodies;
and
a tensioning system operable to adjust the tension of the conveyor belt,
said tensioning system including a tensioning device,
said tensioning device coupled to the first roller assembly and selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis such that shifting of the tensioning system in the fore-aft direction along the chassis results in corresponding fore-aft shifting of the first roller body relative to the second roller body, thereby facilitating adjustment of the tension of the conveyor belt.

3. The conveyor assembly of claim 2 ,
said tensioning device including a sliding bracket selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis,
said sliding bracket being mounted to said first roller assembly such that said sliding bracket and said first roller body are immovable relative to each other in the fore-aft direction.

4. The conveyor assembly of claim 3 ,
said sliding bracket being shiftably mounted to one of the side rails.

5. The conveyor assembly of claim 4 ,
said tensioning device including a positioning fastener assembly,
a first one of said sliding bracket and said one of the side rails defining a positioning slot extending in the fore-aft direction, and a second one of said sliding bracket and said one of the side rails defining a fastener-receiving opening, with shifting of the sliding bracket relative to said one of the side rails adjusting the position of the fastener-receiving opening relative to the positioning slot,
said positioning fastener assembly extending through the positioning slot and the fastener-receiving opening and operable to selectively secure the bracket to said one of the side rails.

6. The conveyor assembly of claim 2 ,
said first roller assembly including axially spaced apart first and second roller assembly ends,
said tensioning device being coupled to said first roller assembly end,
said tensioning system including an additional tensioning device operably coupled to the second roller assembly end and selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis such that shifting of the tensioning system in the fore-aft direction along the chassis results in corresponding fore-aft shifting of the first roller body relative to the second roller body, thereby facilitating adjustment of the tension of the conveyor belt.

7. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 , said insert comprising foam.

8. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 ,
said gap having a vertical dimension,
said insert extending upward across at least 90% of the vertical dimension so as to abut or nearly abut the slider bed.

9. The conveyor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power module providing rotational power to one of said first and second roller bodies,
said power module including a stator and a rotor rotatable about a third axis,
said rotor including a rotor body and a rotor shaft,
said rotor shaft including a bearing portion projecting axially from the rotor body,
said rotor body including a plurality of rotor magnets operable to cooperate with the stator to impart rotation to the rotor,
said power module further including
a pair of bearings engaging the bearing portion and rotatably supporting the rotor, and
a sensor configured to sense said rotor magnets.

10. A conveyor assembly comprising:
a conveyor module including
a first roller assembly including a first roller body rotatable about a first axis,
a second roller assembly spaced from the first roller assembly in a fore-aft direction and including second roller body rotatable about a second axis, and
a conveyor belt shiftable in response to rotation of at least one of said first and second roller bodies;

a chassis including
a pair of side rails each extending in the fore-aft direction, and
a slider bed extending between and interconnecting the side rails,
said slider bed underlying a portion of the conveyor belt

a stiffening assembly including
a bracket extending between and interconnecting the side rails,
said bracket being spaced vertically below the slider bed such that a vertical gap is formed between the slider bed and the bracket, and
an insert disposed on said bracket and extending upward across at least a portion of said gap,

said side rails and said slider bed being unitarily and integrally formed.

11. The conveyor assembly of claim 10 ,
said side rails and said slider bed being integrally stamped.

12. The conveyor assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a power module providing rotational power to at least one of said first and second roller bodies; and
a tensioning system operable to adjust the tension of the conveyor belt,
said tensioning system including a tensioning device,
said tensioning device coupled to the first roller assembly and selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis such that shifting of the tensioning system in the fore-aft direction along the chassis results in corresponding fore-aft shifting of the first roller body relative to the second roller body, thereby facilitating adjustment of the tension of the conveyor belt.

13. The conveyor assembly of claim 12 ,
said tensioning device including a sliding bracket selectively shiftably mounted to the chassis,
said sliding bracket being mounted to said first roller assembly such that said sliding bracket and said first roller body are immovable relative to each other in the fore-aft direction.

14. The conveyor assembly of claim 13 ,
said sliding bracket being shiftably mounted to one of the side rails.

15. The conveyor assembly of claim 14 ,
said tensioning device including a positioning fastener assembly,
a first one of said sliding bracket and said one of the side rails defining a positioning slot extending in the fore-aft direction, and a second one of said sliding bracket and said one of the side rails defining a fastener-receiving opening, with shifting of the sliding bracket relative to said one of the side rails adjusting the position of the fastener-receiving opening relative to the positioning slot,
said positioning fastener assembly extending through the positioning slot and the fastener-receiving opening and operable to selectively secure the bracket to said one of the side rails.

16. The conveyor assembly of claim 12 ,
said first roller assembly including axially spaced apart first and second roller assembly ends,
said tensioning device being coupled to said first roller assembly end,
said

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Biro Joshua M
• Moore William D
• Fadler Richard J

Classifications

• B65G23/08

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

• B65G41/008

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

• B65G2207/28

  Impact protection · CPC title

• B65G21/14

  to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44}) · CPC title

• B65G2812/02168

  Belts provided with guiding means, e.g. rollers · CPC title