In-built divert elements for motorized conveyor rollers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12168575-B2
Application number	US-202318498407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2023
Priority date	Jul 12, 2022
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and systems comprising element in-built diverts for motorized conveyor rollers are provided. An example conveyor roller can include a housing that forms a cylindrical tube. The conveyor roller includes a plurality of element in-built diverts disposed on an exterior surface of the housing. The plurality of element in-built diverts are reconfigurable between one or more orientations with respect to the housing to divert an item an angle with respect to the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conveyor system comprising:
at least one conveyor roller, the conveyor roller comprising:
a housing forming a cylindrical tube; and
a plurality of element in-built diverts disposed on an exterior surface of the housing, wherein the plurality of element in-built diverts are configurable between one or more orientations with respect to the housing; and
a plurality of mechanical links disposed within the housing and coupled to a center shaft of the conveyor roller, wherein the plurality of mechanical links comprise a respective mechanical link coupled to a respective element in-built divert and wherein the respective mechanical link is adjustable to change a current orientation of the respective element in-built divert.

2. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of element in-built diverts protrude from the exterior surface of the housing to form a plurality of partial ridges around the exterior surface of the housing.

3. The conveyor system of claim 2 , wherein the conveyor roller is configured to rotate the housing about a center axis.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3 , wherein, in a diverting orientation, the plurality of element in-built diverts form a diverting plurality of partial ridges that are operable to divert a motion of an item disposed on the conveyor roller.

5. The conveyor system of claim 4 , wherein the diverting orientation corresponds to a diverting angle with respect to a center axis of the conveyor roller.

6. The conveyor system of claim 3 , wherein, in a non-diverting orientation, the plurality of element in-built diverts form a non-diverting plurality of partial ridges that are operable to maintain a forward motion of an item disposed on the conveyor roller.

7. The conveyor system of claim 6 , wherein the non-diverting orientation corresponds to a non-diverting angle perpendicular to the center axis of the conveyor roller.

8. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor roller further comprising:
a motor assembly and a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing that are configured to cause a rotation of at least a portion of the conveyor roller, wherein the mechanical link is operatively coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the motor assembly is configured to adjust the respective mechanical link to change the current orientation of the respective element in-built divert.

9. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein the conveyor roller further comprising:
a controller component in electronic communication with the motor assembly and the drive assembly, wherein the controller component is configured to cause an adjustment of the respective mechanical link responsive to an input indicative of a diversion angle for the plurality of element in-built diverts.

10. The conveyor roller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of element in-built diverts are arranged in a staggered pattern on the exterior surface of the housing.

11. The conveyor roller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of element in-built diverts are arranged in a linear pattern on the exterior surface of the housing.

12. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:
receive a configuration data indicative of diversion angle for a conveyor roller; and
cause a movement of a plurality of element in-built diverts disposed on an exterior surface of a housing of the conveyor roller based at least in part on the configuration data.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the diversion angle indicates an angle to divert an item from a conveyor line associated with the conveyor roller.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein causing the movement of the plurality of element in-built diverts disposed on the exterior surface of the housing of the conveyor roller comprises:
providing one or more control instructions to an actuation device operatively coupled to the plurality of element in-built diverts.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein causing the movement of the plurality of element in-built diverts disposed on the exterior surface of the housing of the conveyor roller comprises:
reconfiguring an orientation of the element in-built diverts with respect to the housing of the conveyor roller.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein, in a diversion angle, the plurality of element in-built diverts are operated to divert a motion of an item disposed on the conveyor roller.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein, in a non-diversion angle, the plurality of element in-built diverts are operated to maintain a forward motion of an item disposed on the conveyor roller.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein, the non-diversion angle is an angle perpendicular to the center axis of the conveyor roller.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable program code portions comprise the executable portion configured to:
monitor operational conditions of the conveyor roller using at least one operational parameter received from one or more sensing elements.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable program code portions comprise the executable portion configured to:
store the operational parameters of the conveyor roller periodically and/or in response to requests.

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Sadasivan Saravanan
• Kolay Abhishek

Classifications

• B65G13/10

  Switching arrangements · CPC title

• B65G39/07

  Other adaptations of sleeves · CPC title

• B65G39/18 Primary

  for guiding loads · CPC title

• B65G23/08 Primary

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