# US 11,993,462 B2 · Taper convertible motorized conveyor rollers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,462 B2 - Document ID: US11993462B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/860,338 - Filed: 2022-07-08 - Published: 2024-01-11 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-08 - Assignees: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC - Applicants: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC - Inventors: Abhishek Kolay; Ravi Kumar Avupati; Saravanan Sadasivan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993462B2 ## CPC - B65G 23/08: with self-contained driving mechanisms, e.g. motors and associated gearing - B65G 39/18: for guiding loads - B65G 13/02: having driven rollers - B65G 13/06: Roller driving means - B65G 13/12: adjustable - B65G 39/07: Other adaptations of sleeves - 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 Apparatuses, methods, and systems comprising reconfigurable motorized conveyor rollers are provided. The example reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller includes a housing with a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The housing includes a plurality of curved plates that at least partially form a cylindrical tube. The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller includes a motor assembly and a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing that are configured to cause rotation of at least a portion of the reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller. And, the reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller includes a housing adjustment assembly disposed within the housing that is operable to modify one or more dimensions of the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller comprising: a housing comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of curved plates that at least partially form a cylindrical tube; and a housing adjustment assembly disposed within the housing that is operable to modify one or more dimensions of the housing, wherein the housing adjustment assembly comprises a cam slotted gear and a drive gear, and wherein a curved plate of the plurality of curved plates comprises a plate rod that is fitted to a cam slot of the cam slotted gear. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 1, wherein the housing adjustment assembly is disposed proximate to the second end and is operable to increase a diameter of the housing at the second end to form a tapered housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 1, wherein the housing adjustment assembly is disposed proximate to the second end and is operable to decrease a diameter of the housing at the second end to form a straight housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 1, wherein the drive gear is configured to cause rotation of the cam slotted gear to increase or decrease a diameter of at least a portion of the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 4, further comprising: a motor assembly and a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing that are configured to cause rotation of at least a portion of the reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller, wherein the drive gear is operatively coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the motor assembly is configured to rotate the drive gear to cause the rotation of the cam slotted gear. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 5, further comprising: a controller component in electronic communication with the motor assembly, the drive assembly, and the housing adjustment assembly, wherein the controller component is configured to cause rotation of the drive gear. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller further comprises an integrated shoe sorter assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 7, wherein the integrated shoe sorter assembly comprises: a shoe slider component at least partially disposed on an exterior surface of the housing; and a shoe adjustment component disposed within the housing that is operable to modify a position of the shoe slider component relative to the housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 8, wherein the shoe slider component is moveable between the first end and the second end of the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 8, wherein the shoe slider component comprises an exterior ring that encircles the exterior surface of the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a surface gap between at least two of the plurality of curved plates, and wherein the exterior ring comprises a prominence fitted within the surface gap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 11, wherein the shoe adjustment component is attached by a connecting link to the prominence fitted within the surface gap. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 8, wherein the shoe adjustment component comprises a lead screw linearly extending along a length of the housing and a nut coupled to the lead screw. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 13, wherein the shoe slider component is attached to the nut. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 13, wherein rotation of the lead screw causes the nut to linearly move in a direction relative to the length of the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 15, further comprising: a motor assembly and a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing that are configured to cause rotation of at least a portion of the reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller, wherein the lead screw is operatively coupled to the motor assembly, and wherein the motor assembly is configured to rotate the lead screw to cause the nut to move linearly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 16, wherein the lead screw is rotated independent of the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller of claim 16, further comprising: a controller component in electronic communication with the motor assembly, the drive assembly, and the integrated shoe sorter assembly, wherein the controller component is configured to cause the rotation of the lead screw. ### Claim 19 A method comprising: receiving, by a controller component of a reconfigurable motorized conveyor roller (“RMCR”), configuration data from a computing entity in electronic communication with the controller component; and causing, by the controller component and based at least in part on the configuration data, a rotation of at least one of: (i) at least a portion of a housing adjustment assembly of the RMCR to modify one or more dimensions of a housing of the RMCR, or (ii) at least a portion of an integrated shoe sorter assembly of the RMCR to cause a movement of a shoe slider component along an exterior of the housing of the RMCR.