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US 12,570,481 B2Granted
Conveyor with right-angled transfer
AssigneeIntelligrated Headquarters, LLC
InventorRavi Jain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, systems, computing devices, and/or the like are provided. An example method may include a conveyor unit. An example conveyor unit may include a conveyor frame, a main drive connected to the frame, and a transverse drive connected to the frame. An example main drive may include at least one main roller. An example transverse drive may include at least one transverse drive belts with a drive portion and a bypass portion. An example conveyor system may include a first conveyor unit, a second conveyor unit, and a sensing system. The example method may include the sensing system detecting and determining the location of an object. The example method may also include a transverse drive applying a force to the object.
Claims19
A conveyor unit comprising:
- a conveyor frame;
- a main drive connected to the conveyor frame, the main drive comprising at least one main roller, the at least one main roller being configured to rotate about at least one main roller axis during conveyance of an object in a main drive direction orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis;
- and
- a transverse drive connected to the conveyor frame, the transverse drive comprising at least one transverse drive belt, the at least one transverse drive belt comprising a drive portion and a bypass portion each defined along an outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt,
- wherein the drive portion of the at least one transverse drive belt is configured to apply a force to the object in a direction at least partially parallel to the at least one main roller axis to drive the object in a transverse drive direction at least partially orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis, and
- wherein the drive portion comprises a plurality of teeth extending from the outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt.
3 more elements
A conveyor system comprising:
- a sensing system configured to detect a location associated with an object;
- and
- a plurality of conveyor units including a first conveyor unit and a second conveyor unit, the first conveyor unit comprising:
- a conveyor frame;
- and
- a main drive connected to the conveyor frame, the main drive comprising at least one main roller, the at least one main roller being configured to rotate about at least one main roller axis during conveyance of the object in a main drive direction orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis;
- and
- a transverse drive connected to the conveyor frame, the transverse drive comprising at least one transverse drive belt, the at least one transverse drive belt comprising a drive portion and a bypass portion each defined along an outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt,
- wherein the drive portion of the at least one transverse drive belt is configured to apply a force to the object in a direction at least partially parallel to the at least one main roller axis to drive the object in a transverse drive direction at least partially orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis,
- wherein the drive portion comprises a plurality of teeth extending from the outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt, and
- wherein the second conveyor unit is disposed adjacent the first conveyor unit in the transverse drive direction and configured to receive the object following movement of the object in the transverse drive direction.
8 more elements
A method of redirecting objects from a primary drive path, the method comprising:
- detecting, via a sensing system, a location associated with an object;
- triggering a transverse drive of a first conveyor unit to apply a force to the object in a transverse direction based on the location, wherein the first conveyor unit comprises:
- a conveyor frame;
- and
- a main drive connected to the conveyor frame, the main drive comprising at least one main roller, the at least one main roller being configured to rotate about at least one main roller axis during conveyance of the object in a main drive direction orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis,
- wherein the transverse drive is connected to the conveyor frame, the transverse drive comprising at least one transverse drive belt, the at least one transverse drive belt comprising a drive portion and a bypass portion each defined along an outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt,
- wherein the drive portion of the at least one transverse drive belt is configured to apply the force to the object in the transverse direction at least partially parallel to the at least one main roller axis to drive the object in a transverse drive direction at least partially orthogonal to the at least one main roller axis, and
- wherein the drive portion comprises a plurality of teeth extending from the outward-facing surface of the at least one transverse drive belt;
- and
- receiving the object, by a second conveyor unit disposed adjacent the first conveyor unit in the transverse drive direction, following movement of the object in the transverse drive direction.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.