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US 12,110,195 B2Granted
Transport system
AssigneeI.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.P.A.
InventorsCarlo Zaniboni, Corrado Minghelli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transport system for transporting products, in particular products to be assembled, includes a stationary sliding track defining a continuous sliding path free of interruptions, a mobile unit which can be moved on the sliding track in a direction of advance, and motor means to move the mobile unit on the sliding track. The transport system also includes at least one rolling guide and at least one rolling unit configured to cooperate, according to a sliding relation, with the rolling guide.
Claims17
A transport system (10) for transporting products, the system comprising:
- a stationary sliding track (11) extending along a continuous sliding path free of interruptions;
- a mobile unit (12) which can be moved on said sliding track (11) in a direction of advance (A);
- motor means configured so as to move said mobile unit (12) on said sliding track (11);
- a first rolling guide (16) which extends along said sliding path, disposed in the proximity of said sliding track (11) and having at least one first rectilinear portion (16a) and at least one first curved portion (16b);
- wherein said mobile unit (12) comprises at least a first rolling unit (18) configured to cooperate with said first rolling guide (16), wherein said first rolling guide (16) has a first transition zone (16c) interposed between the first rectilinear portion (16a) and the first curved portion (16b) and comprises a first and a second cam (20, 21) having respectively a first and a second rolling surface (20a, 21a), and said first rolling unit (18) comprises a first and a second rolling element (24, 25) configured to roll respectively over said first and second rolling surface (20a, 21a), around respective first and second rolling axes (X1, X2), not coinciding with each other and distanced in said direction of advance (A), said first and second rolling surfaces (20a, 21a) having a respective first and second width (L1, L2) constant along said sliding path and being disposed at a respective first and second rolling height (H1, H2) with respect to said sliding track (11), wherein the difference, in absolute value, between the value of said first and said second rolling heights (H1, H2) measured at an identical point of said sliding path, defines a cam profile offset (S) at the point in which it is measured;
- and wherein said first and second cams (20, 21) are configured and disposed so that both said first and second rolling heights (H1, H2) are invariable along said at least one first rectilinear portion (16a) and along said at least one first curved portion (16b), so that the cam profile offset (S) is constant both along the first rectilinear portion (16a) and also along the first curved portion (16b), while at least one of either said first or second rolling heights (H1, H2) has a variable value along the first transition zone (16c) and also the cam profile offset (S) has a variable value along the first transition zone (16c).
3 more elements
A transport system (10) for transporting products, the system comprising:
- a stationary sliding track (11) extending along a continuous sliding path free of interruptions;
- a mobile unit (12) which is able to be moved on said sliding track (11) in a direction of advance (A);
- motor means configured to move said mobile unit (12) on said sliding track (11);
- a rolling guide (16) which develops along said sliding path, disposed in the proximity of said sliding track (11) and having at least one first rectilinear portion (16a) and at least one first curved portion (16b);
- wherein said mobile unit (12) comprises at least one rolling unit (18) configured to cooperate with said rolling guide (16), wherein said rolling guide (16) has a first transition zone (16c) interposed between the first rectilinear portion (16a) and the first curved portion (16b) and comprises a first and a second cam (20, 21) having respectively a first and a second rolling surface (20a, 21a), and said rolling unit (18) comprises a first and a second rolling element (24, 25) configured to roll over said first and second rolling surfaces (20a, 21a) respectively, around respective first and second rolling axes (X1, X2) not coinciding with each other and distanced in said direction of advance (A),
- wherein said first and second rolling elements (24, 25) are configured to dispose the respective first and second rolling axis (X1, X2) at a first and second reference height with respect to said sliding track (11) when said mobile unit (12) is moved on said sliding track (11) in the direction of advance (A), so that the difference between said first and said second reference heights, measured at an identical point of the sliding path, defines a forward inclination value of said mobile unit (12);
- and wherein said first and second cams (20, 21) are configured and disposed so that both said first and second reference heights are invariable both along said at least one rectilinear portion (16a) and also along said at least one curved portion (16b), in this way the forward inclination value is constant in the rectilinear portion (16a) and in the curved portion (16b), while at least one of either said first or second reference height has a variable value along the transition zone (16c) and also said forward inclination has a variable value in the transition zone (16c).
4 more elements
A transport system (10) for transporting products, the system comprising a stationary sliding track (11), at least one mobile unit (12), the latter comprising at least one rolling unit (18) able to cooperate, in a sliding relation, with said sliding track (11), and motor means configured to drive said mobile unit (12) into movement on said sliding track (11), wherein said sliding track (11) is extended along a continuous sliding path free of interruptions;
- wherein said transport system (10) also comprises a rolling guide (16) which develops along the sliding path, disposed in the proximity of said sliding track (11), having at least one first rectilinear portion (16a) and at least one first curved portion (16b), and able to cooperate in a rolling relation with said rolling unit (18);
- wherein said first rolling guide (16) has a first transition zone (16c) interposed between the first rectilinear portion (16a) and the first curved portion (16b), and comprises a first and a second cam (20, 21) having respectively a first and a second rolling surface (20a, 21a) able to be respectively abutted, according to a rolling relation, by a first and a second rolling element (24, 25) comprised in said rolling unit (18), said first and second rolling surfaces (20a, 21a) having a respective first and second width constant along said sliding path and being disposed at a respective first and second rolling height (H1, H2) with respect to said sliding track (11), wherein the difference, in absolute value, between the value of said first rolling height (H1) and said second rolling height (H2), measured at the same point of the sliding path, defines a cam profile offset (S), and wherein said first and second cams (20, 21) are configured and disposed so that both said first and second rolling heights (H1, H2) are invariable both along said at least one rectilinear portion (16a) and also along said at least one curved portion (16b), in this way the cam profile offset (S) is constant in the rectilinear portion (16a) and in the curved portion (16b), while at least one of either said first or second rolling heights (H1, H2) has a value that varies along the transition zone (16c) and also the cam profile offset (S) has a value that varies along the transition zone (16c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.