ROLLER-BELT SORTER WITH CONTROL GRID

• US 20110022221A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Fourney, Matthew L.
• Application Number:
  US12/509,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/230
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/24 comprising a series of rollers which are moved , e.g. over a supporting surface, by the traction element to effect conveyance of loads or load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors

Abstract

Apparatus and method for sorting a mass flow of articles without collisions between articles. The apparatus includes a sorting conveyor having a plurality of article-supporting belt rollers selectively rotatable in a direction transverse to the direction of belt travel. The belt rollers are selectively rotated in individual grid cells formed along the conveyor'"'"'s carryway. A control system creates an image of the incoming mass flow, computes trajectories along the sorting conveyor for each package, and actuates or deactuates the belt rollers passing through each grid cell according to the trajectories to orderly and rapidly divert articles off the side of the sorting conveyor.

Claims

1. A sorting system comprising:

a sorting conveyor including;

a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel and having a plurality of article-supporting belt rollers rotatable in a direction transverse to the direction of belt travel;

a plurality of control elements arranged in a grid of multiple rows and columns of individually controlled grid cells along the sorting conveyor to selectively rotate the belt rollers passing through the grid cells;

a control system including;

means for sensing the size and position of each article entering the conveyor belt;

means for computing a trajectory for each article along the sorting conveyor from the size and position sensed by the means for sensing;

means for selectively controlling the control elements in each grid cell according to the trajectories computed for the articles to divert articles transversely across the sorting conveyor along the trajectories.

2. A sorting system as in claim 1 wherein the means for sensing comprises at least one camera providing an image of the articles.

3. A sorting system as in claim 1 wherein the means for computing a trajectory computes non-interfering trajectories for articles entering the conveyor belt side by side.

4. A sorting system as in claim 1 wherein the means for computing a trajectory computes trajectories as a function of belt speed in the direction of belt travel.

5. A sorting system as in claim 1 wherein the control elements comprise diverting rollers.

6. A sorting system as in claim 5 wherein the means for selectively controlling each grid cell comprises an actuator associated with each grid cell that changes the angle of all the diverting rollers in the grid cell with respect to the belt rollers.

7. A sorting system as in claim 6 wherein the belt rollers rotate on axes parallel to the direction of belt travel and the actuators change the angle of all the diverting rollers in the grid cell from an oblique angle causing the belt rollers to rotate by contact to a right angle disabling rotation of the belt rollers.

8. A sorting system as in claim 1 further comprising an outbound conveyor advancing in the direction of belt travel at a greater speed than and abutting the sorting conveyor side by side along a portion of the length of the sorting conveyor to receive articles diverted from the sorting conveyor and accelerate the articles along the outbound conveyor in the direction of belt travel in single file.

9. A method for sorting a flow of articles, comprising:

receiving a flow of articles atop belt rollers in a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel;

imaging the articles to determine their size and positions on entering the conveyor belt;

computing a trajectory for each article from its size and position;

selectively actuating the belt rollers to rotate transverse to the direction of belt travel according to the trajectories to divert the articles across the conveyor belt along the trajectories.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising establishing a stationary grid of individually controlled grid cells along the conveyor belt to selectively actuate the belt rollers passing pass through the grid cells.

11. A sorting system comprising:

a sorting conveyor including;

a plurality of selectively rotatable rollers arranged in a grid of multiple rows and columns of individually controlled grid cells along the sorting conveyor;

a control system determining the size and position of each article entering the sorting conveyor, computing a trajectory for each article along the sorting conveyor from the article'"'"'s size and position, and selectively controlling the rollers in each grid cell according to the trajectories computed for the articles to actuate the rollers to divert articles across the sorting conveyor along the trajectories.

12. A sorting system as in claim 11 wherein the sorting conveyor further includes a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel and having a plurality of article-supporting belt rollers extending through the thickness of the conveyor belt and rotatable in a direction transverse to the direction of belt travel and wherein the selectively rotatable rollers have bearing surfaces contacting and selectively rotating the belt rollers passing through the grid cells.

13. A sorting system as in claim 12 wherein the control system includes an actuator associated with each grid cell that selectively changes the angle of all the selectively rotatable rollers in the grid cell with respect to the belt rollers.

14. A sorting system as in claim 13 wherein the belt rollers rotate on axes parallel to the direction of belt travel and the actuators change the angle of all the diverting rollers in the grid cell from an oblique angle causing the belt rollers to rotate by contact to a right angle disabling rotation of the belt rollers.

15. A sorting system as in claim 12 further comprising an outbound conveyor advancing in the direction of belt travel at a greater speed than and abutting the sorting conveyor side by side along a portion of the length of the sorting conveyor to receive articles diverted from the sorting conveyor and accelerate the articles along the outbound conveyor in the direction of belt travel in single file.