Modular gearless motorized conveyor roller

A drive roller adapted for use in a roller conveyor, the drive roller comprising:

• a shaft adapted for rigid mounting to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and plurality of windings on the core, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the motor stator, the roller tube having an interior and having a first end and a second end and an exterior surface having a diameter of about 1.9 inches;
• two tube closures, one rigidly mounted to each of the first end and the second end of the roller tube, wherein the tube closures are rotatably mounted on the shaft so that the roller tube rotates on the shaft;
• and
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles, which alternate North South, the rotor fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and over and coaxial with the stator, the permanent magnet rotor and the stator forming a brushless D.C. motor, such that the rotor and fixedly mounted roller tube are driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator, wherein six windings are employed on the stator and are arranged to induce twelve poles when energized.

A drive roller adapted for use in a roller conveyor, the drive roller comprising:

• a shaft adapted for rigid mounting to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and plurality of windings on the core, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the motor stator, the roller tube having an interior and having a first end and a second end and an exterior surface having a diameter of about 1.9 inches;
• two tube closures, one rigidly mounted to each of the first end and the second end of the roller tube, wherein the tube closures are rotatably mounted on the shaft so that the roller tube rotates on the shaft;
• and
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles, which alternate North South, the rotor fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and over and coaxial with the stator, the permanent magnet rotor and the stator forming a brushless D.C. motor, such that the rotor and fixedly mounted roller tube are driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator, wherein the permanent magnet rotor is constructed of a plurality of cylindrical segments, each segment constructed of ferromagnetic particles embedded in a flexible matrix, and wherein the plurality of poles is imposed on said cylindrical segment.

A drive roller and roller controller for a roller conveyor comprising:

• a shaft mounted fixedly against rotation to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and at least three windings on the core, the windings producing a plurality of magnetic poles when energized, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the stator, the roller tube having an interior, a first end and a second end, and an exterior surface;
• a first tube closure mounted to the roller tube first end, and a second tube closure mounted to the roller tube second end, the tube closures being rotatably mounted on the shaft to rotatably mount the roller tube on the shaft;
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles which alternate North and South, the rotor being fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and overlying and coaxial with the stator, the rotor and the stator forming a brushless three-phase motor, with the rotor and the fixedly mounted roller tube being driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator;
• and
• a source of power having three phases of drive current connected to the windings of the stator for controlling the rotation speed of the rotor, wherein the roller tube is comprised of two portions:
• a first tube portion having a closed end which accommodates an intermediate bearing to rotatably mount the closed end to the shaft, the closed end having portions forming an opening through which the shaft extends;
• and
• a second roller tube portion forming an extension of the first tube portion the second portion overlapping a portion of the first tube portion to form an interference fit with the first tube portion.

A drive roller and roller controller for a roller conveyor comprising:

• a shaft mounted fixedly against rotation to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and at least three windings on the core, the windings producing a plurality of magnetic poles when energized, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the stator, the roller tube having an interior, a first end and a second end, and an exterior surface having a diameter of about 1.9 inches;
• a first tube closure mounted to the roller tube first end, and a second tube closure mounted to the roller tube second end, the tube closures being rotatably mounted on the shaft to rotatably mount the roller tube on the shaft;
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles which alternate North and South, the rotor being fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and overlying and coaxial with the stator, the rotor and the stator forming a brushless three-phase motor, with the rotor and the fixedly mounted roller tube being driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator;
• and
• a source of power having three phases of drive current connected to the windings of the stator for controlling the rotation speed of the rotor, wherein the permanent magnet rotor is constructed of a plurality of cylindrical segments, each segment constructed of ferromagnetic particles embedded in a flexible matrix, and wherein the plurality of poles is imposed on said cylindrical segment.

A drive roller adapted for use in a roller conveyor, the drive roller comprising:

• a shaft adapted for rigid mounting to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and plurality of windings on the core, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the motor stator, the roller tube having an interior and having a first end and a second end and an exterior surface;
• two tube closures, one rigidly mounted to each of the first end and the second end of the roller tube, wherein the tube closures are rotatably mounted on the shaft so that the roller tube rotates on the shaft;
• and
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles, which alternate North South, the rotor fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and over and coaxial with the stator, the permanent magnet rotor and the stator forming a brushless D.C. motor, such that the rotor and fixedly mounted roller tube are driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator, wherein the roller tube is comprised of two portions:
• a first tube portion having a closed end which accommodates an intermediate bearing to rotatably mount the closed end to the shaft, the closed end having portions forming an opening through which the shaft extends;
• and
• a second roller tube portion forming an extension of the first tube portion, the second portion overlapping a portion of the first tube portion to form an interference fit with the first tube portion.

A drive roller and roller controller for a roller conveyor comprising:

• a shaft mounted fixedly against rotation to a conveyor support;
• a stator having a core and at least three windings on the core, the windings producing a plurality of magnetic poles when energized, the stator being mounted about the shaft;
• a roller tube surrounding the shaft and the stator, the roller tube having an interior, a first end and a second end, and an exterior surface having a diameter of about 1.9 inches;
• a first tube closure mounted to the roller tube first end, and a second tube closure mounted to the roller tube second end, the tube closures being rotatably mounted on the shaft to rotatably mount the roller tube on the shaft;
• a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of poles which alternate North and South, the rotor being fixedly mounted to the roller tube interior and overlying and coaxial with the stator, the rotor and the stator forming a brushless three-phase motor, with the rotor and the fixedly mounted roller tube being driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator;
• and
• a source of power having three phases of drive current connected to the windings of the stator for controlling the rotation speed of the rotor, wherein six windings are employed on the stator and are arranged to induce twelve poles when energized.