Roller conveyor

• US 20030141170A1
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Okamura Corporation
• Original Assignee: Okamura Corporation
• Inventors: Harada, Hiroyuki, Yamashita, Yoshikazu, Saida, Hisato
• Granted Patent: US 6,772,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/781.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/073 comprising free-wheel gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/263 the conveyor drive is taken from a longitudinally extending shaft

Abstract

Materials are conveyed by a roller conveyor which comprises a pair of conveyor frames and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted between the pair of conveyor frames. The roller comprises a roller body and a driving force receiver connected to a motor. When the driving force receiver is driven, the roller body is driven and rotated by engagement of the driving force receiver and the roller body. When the roller stops, the roller body is disengaged from the drivng force receiver and becomes freely rotatable in either direction.

Claims

1. A roller conveyor comprising:

a pair of conveyor frames;

a plurality of rollers which are rotatably mounted between said pair of conveyor frames; and

rotation driving means for driving a roller or a set of rollers in said plurality of rollers to convey materials, the roller or said set of rollers being able to be transformed to a free roller or rollers which are rotatable in either direction by an external force when said rotation driving means stop.

2. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 1 wherein said roller comprises a roller body which is rotatably mounted to a stationary roller shaft, and a driving force receiver which receives a rotational force by the rotation driving means, said roller conveyor further comprising driving force transmitting means for transmitting the rotational force to said roller body only when the driving force receiver receives the rotational force.

3. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 2 wherein said driving force transmitting means comprises a mover which moves axially of said roller by the rotational force from said driving force receiver, and a receiver connected to the roller body to rotate the roller body by motion of said mover.

4. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 3 wherein said mover has a mover pin projected perpendicular to an axis of the roller, said receiver having a receiver pin perpendicular to the axis of the roller, said receiver being driven by said mover by engagement of the mover pin with the receiver pin.

5. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 4 wherein the mover has an inclined cam surface at a rear end, the roller shaft having a roller pin, a return coiled spring being wound around the roller shaft, said inclined cam surface being engaged on the roller pin by rotation of the driving force receiver and the mover which rotates therewith, thereby converting the rotation to forward motion to compress said spring to engage the mover pin with the receiver pin.

6. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mover has a front inclined surface, the receiver having a rear inclined surface at the same angle as the front inclined surface of the mover, the front and rear inclined surfaces being opposite to each other, the receiver being driven by the mover by frictional engagement of the front and rear inclined surfaces.

7. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 6 wherein a rolling material is disposed between the driving force receiver and the mover which has a recess which has an inclined portion, the rolling material being received in the recess, rotation of the driving force receiver causing putting the rolling material on the inclined portion of the recess to covert the rotation into forward motion of the mover to lead frictional engagement with the receiver through the two inclined surfaces.

8. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 3 wherein a stationary collar is fixed to the stationary roller shaft, an inclined surface of the mover being contacted with an inclined surface of the stationary collar via a rolling material in a pocket of the mover, the two inclined surfaces having the same angle, the mover being in spline engagement with the driving force receiver, the stationary collar being disposed in the driving force receiver via bearings, the receiver being in spline contact with the roller body, rotation of the driving force receiver being converted into forward motion of the mover by the rolling material between the two inclined surfaces, rotation of the roller body being caused by frictional contact between the mover and the receiver.

9. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 8 wherein a return coiled spring is wound around the stationary roller shaft, frictional contact between the mover and the receiver being released by stop of the driving force receiver through the spring, thereby making the roller body rotatable freely.

10. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 3 wherein said mover and said receiver comprise a mover clutch and a receiver clutch respectively, said receiver clutch being driven by said mover clutch with engagement of teeth provided on opposing ends of the mover and receiver clutches respectively.

11. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 10 wherein the mover clutch has an inclined projection at a rear end, a rolling material being provided between the rear end of the mover clutch and a stationary collar, the rolling material being engaged on the inclined projection to covert rotation of the driving force receiver into forth motion of the mover clutch, a rotational force being transmitted by engagement of a pin of the driving force receiver with a sliding groove of the mover clutch.

12. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.

26. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 8 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.

27. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 11 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.

13. A roller conveyor comprising:

a pair of conveyor frames;

a plurality of rollers which are rotatably mounted between said pair of conveyor frames; and

rotation driving means for driving the rollers to convey materials, each of the rollers comprising a roller body which is rotatably mounted on a stationary roller shaft, and a driving force receiver which receives a rotational force from said rotation driving means, said roller conveyor further comprising driving force transmitting means for transmitting said rotational force to said roller body only when said driving force receiver receives the rotational force.

14. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 13 wherein said driving force transmitting means comprises a mover which moves axially of said roller by the rotational force from said driving force receiver, and a receiver connected to the roller body to rotate the roller body by motion of said mover.

15. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 14 wherein said mover has a mover pin projected perpendicular to an axis of the roller, said receiver having a receiver pin perpendicular to the axis of the roller, said receiver being driven by said mover by engagement of the mover pin with the receiver pin.

16. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 15 wherein the mover has an inclined cam surface at a rear end, the roller shaft having a roller pin, a return coiled spring being wound around the roller shaft, said inclined cam surface being engaged on the roller pin by rotation of the driving force receiver and the mover which rotates therewith, thereby converting the rotation to forward motion to compress said spring, thereby engaging the mover pin with the receiver pin.

17. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 14 wherein the mover has a front inclined surface, the receiver having a rear inclined surface at the same angle as the front inclined surface of the mover, the front and rear inclined surfaces being opposite to each other, the receiver being driven by the mover by frictional engagement of the front and rear inclined surfaces.

18. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 17 wherein a rolling material is disposed between the driving force receiver and the mover which has a recess which has an inclined portion, the rolling material being received in the recess, rotation of the driving force receiver causing putting the rolling material on the inclined portion of the recess to convert the rotation into forward motion of the mover to lead frictional engagement with the receiver through the two inclined surfaces.

19. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 14 wherein a stationary collar is fixed to the stationary roller shaft, an inclined surface of the mover being contacted with an inclined surface of the stationary collar via a rolling material in a pocket of the mover, the two inclined surfaces having the same angle, the mover being in spline engagement with the driving force receiver, the stationary collar being disposed in the driving force receiver via bearings, the receiver being in spline contact with the roller body, rotation of the driving force receiver being converted into forward motion of the mover by the rolling material between the two inclined surfaces, rotation of the roller body being caused by frictional contact between the mover and the receiver.

20. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 19 wherein a return coiled spring is wound around the stationary roller shaft, frictional contact between the mover and the receiver being released by stop of the driving force receiver through the spring, thereby making the roller body rotatable freely.

21. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 14 wherein said mover and said receiver comprise a mover clutch and a receiver clutch respectfully, said receiver clutch being driven by said mover clutch with engagement of teeth provided on opposing ends of the mover and receiver clutches respectively.

22. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 21 wherein the mover clutch has an inclined projection at a rear end, a rolling material being provided between the rear end of the mover clutch and a stationary collar, the rolling material being engaged on the inclined projection to covert rotation of the driving force receiver into forth motion of the mover clutch, a rotational force being transmitted by engagement of a pin of the driving force receiver with a sliding groove of the mover clutch.

23. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 18 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.

24. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 19 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.

25. A roller conveyor as claimed in claim 22 wherein said rolling material comprises a ball.