Conveyor system gearmotor with direct roller connection
AssigneeNidec Motor Corporation
InventorsGregory M. Levine, Edward V. Minnich, Andrew Helgeland, Jaroslaw Sterna
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gearmotor assembly for use with a conveyor system has a rotatable conveyor roller extending laterally between spaced conveyor side rails. The gearmotor assembly includes an electric motor with a rotatable motor output shaft. The gearmotor assembly further includes a gear train drivingly connected to the motor output shaft. The gear train includes a train output shaft axially offset from the motor output shaft, with the train output shaft being drivingly connectable to the conveyor roller, so that rotation of the motor output shaft produces corresponding rotation of the conveyor roller.
Claims17
A gearmotor assembly for use with a conveyor system having a rotatable conveyor roller extending laterally between spaced conveyor side rails, said gearmotor assembly comprising:
- an electric motor with a rotatable motor output shaft;
- a gear train drivingly connected to the motor output shaft,
- said gear train including a train output shaft axially offset from the motor output shaft, with the train output shaft being drivingly connectable to the conveyor roller, so that rotation of the motor output shaft produces corresponding rotation of the conveyor roller;
- and
- a gearmotor housing that contains the electric motor and gear train,
- said gearmotor housing including an enclosed gear train case that presents a chamber to operably receive the gear train,
- said gear train case including removably attached first and second case sections that cooperatively define the chamber, with the first and second case sections configured to be, respectively, proximal and distal to the conveyor roller.
A conveyor system configured to advance an item along a longitudinal path, said conveyor system comprising:
- a pair of spaced conveyor side rails extending along opposite sides of the longitudinal path;
- a conveyor roller extending laterally between the conveyor side rails to support the item during advancement;
- and
- a gearmotor assembly including an electric motor with a rotatable motor output shaft,
- said gearmotor assembly also including a gear train drivingly connected to the motor output shaft,
- said gear train including a train output shaft axially offset from the motor output shaft, with the train output shaft being drivingly connected to the conveyor roller, so that rotation of the motor output shaft produces corresponding rotation of the conveyor roller,
- said gearmotor assembly including a gearmotor housing,
- said conveyor roller including a roller drive shaft,
- said roller drive shaft extending into the gearmotor housing,
- said train output shaft presenting an opening that slidably receives the roller drive shaft, with the opening and the roller drive shaft having complemental shapes.
A conveyor system configured to advance an item along a longitudinal path, said conveyor system comprising:
- a pair of spaced conveyor side rails extending along opposite sides of the longitudinal path;
- a conveyor roller extending laterally between the conveyor side rails to support the item during advancement;
- and
- a gearmotor assembly including an electric motor with a rotatable motor output shaft,
- said gearmotor assembly also including a gear train drivingly connected to the motor output shaft,
- said gear train including a train output shaft axially offset from the motor output shaft, with the train output shaft being drivingly connected to the conveyor roller, so that rotation of the motor output shaft produces corresponding rotation of the conveyor roller,
- said gearmotor assembly including a gearmotor housing that contains the electric motor and gear train,
- said gearmotor housing including an enclosed gear train case that presents a chamber to operably receive the gear train.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.