# US 11,034,524 B2 · Robotic payload transport system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,034,524 B2 - Document ID: US11034524B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/816,096 - Filed: 2020-03-11 - Published: 2020-09-17 - Granted: 2021-06-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-12 - Assignees: Fetch Robotics, Inc. - Applicants: Fetch Robotics, Inc. - Inventors: Eric Diehr; Andrew Zeller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11034524B2 ## CPC - B65G 41/008: {frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar (for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02)} - B65G 13/04: all rollers driven - B65G 13/07: having endless driving elements - B65G 41/003: {mounted for linear movement only} - B65G 2201/0258: Trays, totes or bins - B65G 2205/04: where the stop device is not adaptable - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A roller conveyor system configured for installation on top of a mobile robot to provide robotic transport of a payload includes: a roller conveyor, the roller conveyor comprising: a roller assembly, the roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers, the rollers configured to move a payload, each of the rollers being configured to rotate, the roller assembly comprising a motorized roller and one or more auxiliary rollers, the motorized roller comprising a motor configured to cause the motorized roller to rotate; and a hybrid power transmission configured to drive the rollers, the hybrid power transmission coupling the motorized roller to at least one of the one or more auxiliary rollers, the hybrid power transmission using at least two power transmission methods. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A roller conveyor system configured for installation on top of a mobile robot to provide robotic transport of a payload, comprising: a roller conveyor, the roller conveyor comprising: a roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers, the rollers configured to move a payload, each of the rollers being configured to rotate, the roller assembly comprising a leading roller positioned nearest to a front side of the roller conveyor, the leading roller having a leading roller length, the roller assembly further comprising a motorized roller, the motorized roller comprising a motor configured to cause the motorized roller to rotate, the motorized roller having a motorized roller length; and a power transmission configured to drive the rollers, the power transmission coupling the motorized roller to the leading roller, wherein the leading roller length is less than the motorized roller length. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, further comprising a riser assembly configured to support the roller conveyor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The roller conveyor system of claim 2, wherein the riser assembly comprises an actuator usable to adjust a height of the roller conveyor above the mobile robot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the power transmission comprises a belt drive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The roller conveyor system of claim 4, wherein the belt drive comprises a hybrid belt drive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the rollers are configured to move the payload toward a front side of the roller conveyor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the rollers are configured to move the payload toward a back side of the roller conveyor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, the roller assembly further comprising one or more auxiliary rollers, the auxiliary rollers being adjacent to and behind the motorized roller, each of the auxiliary rollers having a respective auxiliary roller length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the motorized roller is coupled, either directly or indirectly, to one or more auxiliary rollers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the motorized roller is physically coupled to one or more auxiliary rollers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the motorized roller is physically coupled to one or more auxiliary rollers by one or more poly-V belts. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the leading roller length is less than one or more of the auxiliary roller lengths. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the leading roller length is less than each of the auxiliary roller lengths. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, wherein all rollers rotate in a same direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The roller conveyor system of claim 8, wherein the roller assembly further comprises a secondary roller positioned adjacent to and immediately behind the leading roller, the secondary roller having a secondary roller length. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the leading roller length is less than the secondary roller length. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the leading roller length is less than the motorized roller length. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the leading roller length is less than the secondary roller length, the leading roller length is less than the motorized roller length, and the leading roller length is less than each of the respective auxiliary roller lengths. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the motorized roller is positioned adjacent to and immediately behind the secondary roller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The roller conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the motorized roller is coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the secondary roller. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The roller conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the motorized roller is physically coupled to the secondary roller. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The roller conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the motorized roller is physically coupled to the secondary roller by a poly-V belt. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the secondary roller is coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the leading roller. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the secondary roller is physically coupled to the leading roller. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The roller conveyor system of claim 15, wherein the secondary roller is physically coupled to the leading roller by an O-ring belt. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The roller conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the roller assembly further comprises exactly four auxiliary rollers. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The roller conveyor system of claim 26, wherein the roller assembly further comprises exactly five poly-V belts, the five poly-V belts collectively coupling the four auxiliary rollers, the motorized roller, and the secondary roller. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The roller conveyor system of claim 27, wherein the roller assembly further comprises exactly one O-ring belt coupling the secondary roller and the primary roller. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The roller conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the roller conveyor further comprises a backstop operably connected to the roller assembly at a back side of the conveyor. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The roller conveyor system of claim 29, wherein the backstop is configured to stop motion of the payload toward the back side of the conveyor. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The roller conveyor of claim 30, wherein the leading roller offset represents an approximate minimum distance between the mobile robot comprising the roller conveyor and a stationary conveyor at which the mobile robot is performing one or more of a payload dropoff and a payload pickup. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The roller conveyor system of claim 30, wherein the leading roller offset is lowered due to the leading roller length being less than the length of at least one of the other rollers. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The roller conveyor system of claim 30, wherein the leading roller offset is lowered due to the leading roller length being less than the secondary roller length, the leading roller length being less than the motorized roller length, and the leading roller length being less than each of the respective auxiliary roller lengths. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The roller conveyor system of claim 30, wherein the roller conveyor system is configured to provide one or more of high power transmission and a compact profile. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The roller conveyor system of claim 34, wherein high power transmission is defined as transmission of between approximately 50 watts and approximately 100 watts for a payload of approximately 150 pounds, and wherein high power transmission is further defined as transmission of approximately 500 watts for a payload of approximately 2,000 pounds. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The roller conveyor system of claim 30, wherein the roller conveyor system is configured to provide both high power transmission and a compact profile. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The roller conveyor system of claim 36, wherein high power transmission is defined as transmission of between approximately 50 watts and approximately 100 watts for a payload of approximately 150 pounds, and wherein high power transmission is further defined as transmission of approximately 500 watts for a payload of approximately 2,000 pounds. ### Claim 38 A roller conveyor system configured for installation on top of a mobile robot to provide robotic transport of a payload, comprising: a roller conveyor, the roller conveyor comprising: a roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers rotating in a same direction, the rollers configured to move a payload toward a front side of the roller conveyor, each of the rollers being configured to rotate, the roller assembly comprising a leading roller positioned nearest to a front side of the roller conveyor, the leading roller having a leading roller length, the roller assembly further comprising a motorized roller, the motorized roller comprising a motor configured to cause the motorized roller to rotate, the motorized roller having a motorized roller length, the roller assembly further comprising one or more auxiliary rollers, the auxiliary rollers being adjacent to and behind the motorized roller, each of the auxiliary rollers having a respective auxiliary roller length, the motorized roller being physically coupled to the one or more auxiliary rollers by one or more poly-V belts, the roller assembly further comprising a secondary roller physically coupled to the motorized roller by a poly-V belt, the secondary roller also physically coupled to the leading roller by an O-ring belt, the secondary roller positioned adjacent to and immediately behind the leading roller, the secondary roller having a secondary roller length, wherein the motorized roller is positioned adjacent to and immediately behind the secondary roller, wherein the leading roller length is less than the secondary roller length, the leading roller length is less than the motorized roller length, and the leading roller length is less than each of the respective auxiliary roller lengths; a backstop operably connected to the roller assembly at a back side of the conveyor, the backstop configured to stop motion of the payload toward the back side of the conveyor; and a hybrid belt drive configured to drive the rollers, the drive coupling the motorized roller to the leading roller; and a riser assembly configured to support the roller conveyor, the riser assembly comprising an actuator usable to adjust a height of the roller conveyor above the mobile robot.