Multi-zone conveyor system having LAN based control
AssigneeMilwaukee Electronics Corporation
InventorsJames Scholler, David V. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control system for a conveyor system having one or more upstream and downstream conveyor zones and whose operation effectuates transportation of a series of loads via operation of motors and drive arrangements associated with the respective conveyor zones. The control system includes a Local Area Network (LAN) connection between each component of the control arrangement associated with each zone control such that status and operational information associated with the configuration or operation of each conveyor zone, including the zone motor, can be communicated to other conveyor zones so that operation of each conveyor zone can be manipulated in a controlled manner in response to changes to operation of other conveyor zones.
Claims17
A conveyor control system for controlling a conveyor system configured to transport a series of loads, the conveyor system including a series of conveyor zones including at least one downstream conveyor zone and at least one upstream conveyor zone, each conveyor of each conveyor zone having at least one motor configured to control operation of the respective conveyor of the respective conveyor zone and a selectively operable drive arrangement interconnected with each conveyor zone for operating the at least one motor of each conveyor zone to advance the loads along the conveyor system, the conveyor control system comprising:
- a plurality of zone controllers, wherein each zone controller corresponds to one of the series of conveyor zones and the zone controller includes a plurality of user settable switches and a plurality of operating functions stored in the zone controller, wherein the plurality of user settable switches select at least one of the plurality of operating functions for execution on the zone controller to define, at least in part, operation of the zone controller;
- and
- a Local Area Network (LAN) connection between each of the plurality of zone controllers, wherein each of the plurality of zone controllers receives data via the LAN connection from at least one other zone controller corresponding to the operation of the at least one other zone controller and wherein data identifying a change in the operation of the at least one other zone controller received via the LAN connection defines, at leas in part, operation of the zone controller.
A conveyor system comprising:
- a series of conveyor zones that include a respective conveyor zone and at least one of a downstream conveyor zone an upstream conveyor zone, and a parallel conveyor zone;
- at least one motor configured to control operation of a respective conveyor of each of the series of conveyor zones and a selectively operable drive arrangement connected between each motor and the respective conveyor for operating each conveyor zone to advance loads along the conveyor system:
- and
- a control system that is operable to manipulate operation of the upstream, downstream, and parallel conveyor zones to manipulate translation of any loads carried by the upstream, downstream, and parallel conveyor zones in response to changes in operation of a respective conveyor zone to achieve a desired product translation, the control system comprising:
- a controller associated with each conveyor zone and configured to control operation of the drive arrangement associated with each respective conveyor, each controller including a plurality of user settable switches and a plurality of operating functions stored in the zone controller wherein the plurality of user settable switches select at least one of the plurality functions for execution on the zone controller to define, at least in part, operation of the respective conveyor zone;
- and
- a Local Area Network (LAN) connection extending between each controller of the conveyor system that communicates information between each controller of the conveyor system as to the operation of each respective conveyor zone so that the operation of each conveyor zone can be manipulated in a controlled manner in response to the operation of each of the other conveyor zones.
A method of controlling operation of a conveyor system that includes a first conveyor zone, multiple conveyor zones downstream from the first conveyor zone, and multiple conveyor zones upstream from the first conveyor zone wherein each of the first conveyor zone, the downstream and upstream conveyor zones are oriented for advancing a series of loads, the method comprising:
- configuring operation of a plurality of controllers, wherein each controller controls operation of one of the first conveyor zone, a downstream conveyor zone, and an upstream conveyor zone;
- establishing a Local Area Network (LAN) connection between the first conveyor zone and each oldie downstream and upstream conveyor zones with the respective controller for each conveyor zone;
- communicating the operation of each controller between each conveyor zone and from each of the conveyor zones across the LAN connection connected to a control arrangement configured to manipulate operation of each of the conveyor zones in response to the operation of each conveyor zone communicated across the LAN connections from any of the conveyor zones.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.