Omni-direction split roller for a conveyor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12351397-B2
Application number	US-202318302613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2023
Priority date	Apr 18, 2022
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A multi-directional or omni-roller for a conveyor system includes a first transport surface portion formed by a cylindrical roller body, and a second transport surface portion formed by multi-directional wheels. The wheels have a main body that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the roller, and a set of secondary wheels around an outer circumference of the main body. The secondary wheels rotate perpendicular relative to the rotation of the roller, and permit articles or drive belts to travel over the roller in a conveyance direction in a driven manner and permit articles to move laterally across the second transport surface portion without transferring lateral forces to a conveyor frame. For skew roller beds, a drive belt may drive the roller about the secondary wheels, substantially without lateral forces being transferred or introduced to the drive belt.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roller for a conveyor system, said roller comprising:
a first portion comprising a cylindrical body configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis and having an exterior surface configured to support articles transported along the conveyor system in a transport direction;
a second portion coupled to said first portion and comprising a plurality of multi-directional wheels that are rotatable about respective main axes, and a plurality of secondary wheels disposed about an outer circumference of each of said multi-directional wheels and rotatable about respective secondary axes that are angled relative to the main axes;
a central shaft configured to support said roller at a frame of the conveyor system and to support said cylindrical body and said multi-directional wheels; and
an adapter bearing coupled to said central shaft and configured to support said multi-directional wheels;
wherein said adapter bearing engages with an end of said cylindrical body, and wherein said adaptor bearing is configured to transfer rotational motion of said multi-directional wheels to said cylindrical body.

2. The roller of claim 1 , wherein said multi-directional wheels are disposed in linear arrangement alongside and parallel with said first portion such that the longitudinal axis of said first portion and the main axes of said multi-directional wheels are co-axial with one another.

3. The roller of claim 1 , wherein said cylindrical body rotates synchronously with said multi-directional wheels.

4. The roller of claim 1 , wherein the secondary axes are oriented perpendicular to the main axes.

5. The roller of claim 1 , wherein an outer circumference of said cylindrical body and an outer circumference of said multi-directional wheels are substantially equal.

6. The roller of claim 1 , wherein an article support surface of said multi-directional wheels is proud of an article support surface of said cylindrical body.

7. The roller of claim 1 , wherein said roller is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the transport direction.

8. A roller conveyor for conveying articles in a transport direction, said roller conveyor comprising:
a conveyor frame;
a plurality of spaced-apart conveyor rollers coupled to said conveyor frame and comprising:
a first portion comprising a cylindrical body, said cylindrical body configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis and having an exterior surface configured to support articles transported along said roller conveyor;
a second portion coupled to said first portion and comprising a plurality of multi-directional wheels rotatable about a main axis, and a plurality of secondary wheels operably coupled at an outer circumference of said multi-directional wheels and rotatable about secondary axes that are perpendicular to the main axis; and
a drive belt configured to engage said second portion to drive said conveyor rollers.

9. The roller conveyor of claim 8 , wherein said conveyor rollers are oriented perpendicular to the transport direction.

10. The roller conveyor of claim 8 , wherein said cylindrical body defines a first article support surface, and wherein said multi-directional wheels define a second article support surface that is proud of said first article support surface.

11. The roller of claim 8 , wherein said cylindrical body defines a first article support surface, wherein said multi-directional wheels define a second article support surface that is substantially coplanar with said first article support surface.

12. The roller conveyer of claim 8 , wherein said roller conveyor is configured to receive articles from a right angle transfer of an adjacent conveyor system.

13. The roller conveyor of claim 8 , wherein said conveyor rollers are oriented at an oblique angle relative to said drive belt.

14. The roller conveyor of claim 13 , wherein said drive belt frictionally engages said secondary wheels to thereby rotate said secondary wheels, said multi-directional wheels, and said cylindrical body.

15. A method for driving rollers on a roller conveyor, said method comprising:
providing a plurality of multi-directional rollers for supporting articles transported along the conveyor, each multi-directional roller having:
a first portion comprising a cylindrical body configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis and having a first transport surface portion configured to support portions of articles transported along the conveyor; and
a second portion comprising a plurality of multi-directional wheels coupled with the first portion and defining a second transport surface portion, each of the plurality of multi-directional wheels having a main axis about which the multi-directional wheel is rotatable and a plurality of secondary wheels disposed about an outer circumference of a respective one of the multi-directional wheels and operable to rotate perpendicular to the multi-directional wheels, the plurality of secondary wheels defining an outer circumference of the second portion that is configured to support portions of articles transported along the conveyor;

providing a drive belt to drive the multi-directional rollers, wherein the drive belt is positioned to impart a frictional drive force onto ones of the plurality of secondary wheels;
driving the drive belt to drive the multi-directional rollers substantially in a conveyance direction of the conveyor; and
transporting an article on at least one chosen from the first transport surface portion and the second transport surface portion.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the multi-directional rollers are oriented at an angle relative to the conveyance direction of the conveyor and the drive belt.

Assignees

• Dematic Corp

Inventors

• Wetters Paul L

Classifications

• B65G13/10

  Switching arrangements · CPC title

• B65G39/04

  the rollers comprising a number of roller forming elements mounted on a single axle · CPC title

• B65G2207/34

  Omni-directional rolls · CPC title

• B65G47/22

  Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors (during feeding B65G47/14) · CPC title

• B65G39/12 Primary

  mounted on framework · CPC title