Conveyor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9422115-B1
Application number	US-201514617824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a roller cover that can be installed in a conveyor system that includes a conveyor. The roller cover is positioned over a passive roller of the conveyor system. The conveyor transports the item. The speed of the item is reduced using the roller cover.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A conveyor system, comprising:
a driven conveyor section comprising a conveyor, the conveyor being configured to transport an item to an end of the driven conveyor section;
a passive conveyor section comprising a first roller and a second roller, the first roller being positioned adjacent to the end of the driven conveyor section, the first roller being configured to facilitate the item being transported along at least a portion of the passive conveyor section; and
a roller cover positioned over the second roller, the roller cover being configured to prevent the item from contacting at least a portion of the second roller, the roller cover being configured to restrict a movement of the item along the passive conveyor section.

2. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the passive conveyor section further comprises a third roller; and
the roller cover is positioned over the third roller so that the roller cover is configured to prevent the item from contacting at least a portion of the third roller.

3. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the roller cover clamps onto the passive conveyor section.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3 , wherein the roller cover comprises a fin that facilitates the roller cover clamping onto the passive conveyor section.

5. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system is a telescopic conveyor system.

6. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the roller cover comprises a plurality of protrusions that extend from a surface of the roller cover.

7. The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the roller cover comprises a coating having a friction gradient that varies along at least a portion of the surface.

8. A conveyor system, comprising:
a conveyor comprising a passive roller, the conveyor configured to facilitate an item being moved along at least a portion of the conveyor; and
a roller cover positioned over the passive roller, the roller cover comprising a plate configured to prevent the item from contacting at least a portion of the passive roller to thereby restrict the item from moving.

9. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein a surface of the plate comprises a coating having a friction gradient that varies along at least a portion of the surface.

10. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein the roller cover is configured to clamp onto the passive roller.

11. The conveyor system of claim 10 , wherein the roller cover comprises a fin that facilitates the roller cover clamping onto the passive roller.

12. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein the plate comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from the plate.

13. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein:
the conveyor further comprises an additional passive roller; and
the roller cover is positioned over the passive roller and the additional passive roller.

14. The conveyor system of claim 8 , wherein the roller cover further comprises a ramp that is configured to facilitate the item being moved onto the plate.

15. A method, comprising:
positioning a roller cover over a passive roller of a conveyor system, the conveyor system comprising a conveyor;
transporting an item using the conveyor of the conveyor system; and
reducing a speed of the item using the roller cover.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising attaching the roller cover to the passive roller.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the roller cover over the passive roller comprises positioning the roller cover over a subset of a plurality of passive rollers of the conveyor system.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the roller cover over the passive roller comprises disposing the roller cover directly on the passive roller.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the roller cover from the conveyor system to facilitate the passive roller being used to transport an additional item.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the roller cover further comprises a fin, and wherein the method further comprises inserting the fin between the passive roller and an additional passive roller.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Guider Andrew Scott

Classifications

• B65G37/00 Primary

  Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10) · CPC title

• B65G39/07

  Other adaptations of sleeves · CPC title

• B65G13/00

  Roller-ways (storage devices comprising roller-ways B65G1/02; endless-chain conveyors comprising load-supporting rollers B65G17/00; rollers or arrangements thereof B65G39/00) · CPC title

• B65G47/883

  Fixed stop · CPC title

• B65G67/08

  using endless conveyors · CPC title