# US 12,006,153 B2 · Conveyor system

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- Number: US 12,006,153 B2
- Document ID: US12006153B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/547,749
- Filed: 2022-03-07
- Published: 2024-03-14
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-08
- Assignees: Marel A/S
- Applicants: Marel A/S
- Inventors: Bjorn Heide Pedersen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006153B2

## CPC

- B65G 15/60: Arrangements for supporting or guiding belts, e.g. by fluid jets
- B65G 15/62: Guides for sliding belts
- B25J 9/0093: {co-operating with conveyor means}
- B65G 2201/0202: Agricultural and processed food products
- B65G 2203/0233: Position of the article
- 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)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

A conveyor system includes an endless belt conveyor with an endless belt and one or more curve guide elements arranged for guiding at least a part of a stretch of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt to extend laterally from one side of the support structure and the lower run of the endless conveyor belt.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A conveyor system comprising an endless conveyor belt with a support structure forming an infeed end and an opposite end and where an endless conveyor belt having a conveying surface extends between the infeed end and the opposite end so as to form an upper run and a lower run with the conveying surface facing up at the upper run and down at the lower run,
wherein one or more curve guide elements are arranged for guiding at least a part of a stretch of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt to extend laterally from one side of the support structure and the lower run of the endless conveyor belt, wherein the endless conveyor belt is deflected in a direction lateral relative to a direction extending between the infeed end and the opposite end, and also to the support structure and the lower run by the one or more curve guide elements to provide a clockwise or anticlockwise turn along the upper run.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the part of the stretch of the upper run is supported by a cantilever construction extending substantially horizontally from said one side of the support structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The conveyor system according to claim 2, wherein the cantilever construction comprises one or more cantilever plate elements extending horizontally from the one side of the support structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The conveyor system according to claim 3, wherein the cantilever construction further comprises cantilever elements being attached to the support structure at the one side and being arranged for carrying the cantilever plate elements.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The conveyor system according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the cantilever construction is removably attached to the support structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The conveyor system according to claim 5, wherein at least a part of the cantilever construction is attached to the support structure via one or more hinges allowing that said part of the cantilever construction to be rotated upwardly.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the lower run of the endless conveyor belt between the infeed end and the opposite end of the support structure is straight in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the support structure further comprises at least one lifting jack arranged near the one or more curve guide elements and being adapted for lifting the endless conveyor belt free of the curve guide elements.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the curve guide elements are arranged so that both the infeed end and said stretch of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt are straight in the horizontal direction and separated by a clockwise turn and/or an anti-clockwise turn.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises an item detection system being adapted for determining at least a position of each item resting on the endless conveyor belt, and for transferring data regarding the position of each item resting on the endless conveyor belt to a control unit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises at least one automatic picking unit, such as a robot or pick-and-place unit, and that said stretch of the endless conveyor belt extends through a working space of the at least one automatic picking unit, and that a control unit is adapted for controlling the automatic picking unit to pick up at least some items from the endless conveyor belt when they pass during operation of the conveyor system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises another item handling or processing machine having one or more positions for placing an item, such as a deep draw packaging machine adapted for conveying multiple trays, and where said another item handling or processing machine have a side table or other machine component arranged between the support structure of the endless belt conveyor and said position or trays for placing an item, and where said stretch of the upper run extends at least partly over said side table or other machine component.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the direction lateral of the upper run to the support structure has a lateral extent of 30-50% with respect to a width of the endless conveyor belt.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more curve guides presses against a side of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt to deflect the belt laterally.

### Claim 15

A method of conveying items by a conveyor system comprising an endless belt conveyor with a support structure forming an infeed end and an opposite end and an endless conveyor belt having a conveying surface that extends between the infeed end and the opposite end so as to form an upper run and a lower run with the conveying surface facing up at the upper run and down at the lower run,
conveying items by a first stretch of said upper run of the endless conveyor belt; and
guiding at least part of a stretch of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt in a direction lateral relative to a direction extending between the infeed end and the opposite end, and also to the support structure and the lower run by one or more curve guide elements to provide a clockwise or anticlockwise turn along the upper run.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the conveyor system further comprises at least one automatic picking unit, such as a robot or pick-and-place unit, and that said stretch of the endless conveyor belt extends through a working space of the at least one automatic picking unit, and
wherein the automatic picking unit picks items from said stretch of the endless conveyor belt.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the items conveyed on the endless belt are food items.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The conveyor system according to claim 15, wherein the one or more curve guides presses against a side of the endless conveyor belt to deflect the belt laterally.

### Claim 19

A conveyor system comprising an endless conveyor belt with a support structure forming an infeed end and an opposite end and where an endless conveyor belt having a conveying surface extends between the infeed end and the opposite end so as to form an upper run and a lower run with the conveying surface facing up at the upper run and down at the lower run;
wherein one or more curve guide elements are arranged for guiding at least a part of a stretch of the upper run of the endless conveyor belt to extend laterally from one side of the support structure and the lower run of the endless conveyor belt;
wherein the part of the stretch of the upper run is supported by a cantilever construction extending substantially horizontally from said one side of the support structure;
wherein the cantilever construction comprises one or more cantilever plate elements extending horizontally from the one side of the support structure;
wherein at least a part of the cantilever construction is removably attached to the support structure;
wherein at least a part of the cantilever construction is attached to the support structure via one or more hinges allowing that said part of the cantilever construction to be rotated upwardly.