MOBILE CONFIGURABLE CONVEYOR COMPONENT

• US 20160167888A1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Messina, Mark Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,637,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/00 Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/28 Conveyors with a load-conveying surface formed by a single flat belt, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/00 Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 41/005 mounted for both pivotal and linear movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 41/008 frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39146 Swarm, multiagent, distributed multitask fusion, cooperation multi robots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A mobile robotic device with a conveyor that is configured to link up with another conveyor of a second mobile robotic device is described. In this manner, the mobile robotic devices may provide integrated, flexible conveyors and the ability to link conveyors to make an aggregate conveyor of any shape or size. Moreover, the mobile robotic device is configured to receive a conveyor from a storage unit and move the conveyor to another point within a physical space. The mobile robotic device also has the capability to rotate the conveyor, when docked, about the axis of the mobile robotic device (e.g., for sorting and other operations).

Claims

1. A mobile robotic device comprising:

a conveyor, the conveyor including;

a conveyor belt;

one or more conveyor cylinders that are configured to enable the conveyor belt to rotate in at least one direction by sliding over the one or more conveyor cylinders;

a conveyor motor coupled to at least one conveyor cylinder, the conveyor motor, when activated by power, configured to rotate the at least one conveyor cylinder to rotate the conveyor belt in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction;

a connector, the connector including a protruding portion, the protruding portion adapted for engagement in an opening of a connector receptacle of another conveyor; and

a power module, the power module including a conveyor controller and an external power connector, the external power connector configured to interface with an external power source, the power module configured to supply power from the external power source to at least one of the conveyor motor and the conveyor controller;

a rotating head, the rotating head at least one of attached to or configured to dock with the conveyor, the rotating head configured to rotatably maneuver the conveyor, as a whole, in at least one direction; and

a drive module coupled to the rotating head, the drive module comprising a motorized axle, a pair of motorized wheels, and a pair of stabilizing wheels, the drive module configured to move the mobile robotic device, as a whole, in at least one direction.

2. The mobile robotic device of claim 1, wherein the opening of the connector receptacle is coupled to a second conveyor included in a second mobile robotic device, the protruding portion of the connector when engaged with the opening of the connector receptacle enabling the conveyor belt of the conveyor of the mobile robotic device to be fixed in a coplanar orientation with a second conveyor belt of the second conveyor of the second mobile robotic device.

3. The mobile robotic device of claim 2, wherein the power module of the mobile robotic device is configured to transmit power, via the connector, to the connector receptacle of the second mobile robotic device to power the second conveyor of the second mobile robotic device, the conveyor controller configured to transmit a control signal, via the connector, to the connector receptacle of the second mobile robotic device to activate a second conveyor motor included in the second conveyor of the second mobile robotic device.

4. A robotic device comprising:

a conveyor, the conveyor including;

a conveyor belt;

a conveyor motor coupled to at least one conveyor cylinder, the conveyor motor, when activated by power, configured to rotate the at least one conveyor cylinder to rotate the conveyor belt in at least one direction; and

a connector, the connector adapted to engage with a connector receptacle of another conveyor;

a rotating head detachably coupled to the conveyor, the rotating head configured to rotatably maneuver the conveyor, as a whole, in at least one direction; and

a drive module coupled to the rotating head, the drive module configured to move the robotic device, as a whole, in at least one direction.

5. The robotic device of claim 4, wherein the connector includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion adapted for engagement in an opening of the connector receptacle.

6. The robotic device of claim 5, wherein the opening of the connector receptacle is coupled to a second conveyor included in a second robotic device.

7. The robotic device of claim 6, wherein the protruding portion of the connector when engaged with the opening of the connector receptacle enables the conveyor belt of the conveyor of the robotic device to be fixed in a coplanar orientation with a second belt of the second conveyor of the second robotic device.

8. The robotic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a power module, the power module including a conveyor controller and an external power connector.

9. The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the external power connector is configured to interface with an external power source, and the power module is configured to supply power from the external power source to the conveyor motor.

10. The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the power module is configured to transmit power, via the connector, to the connector receptacle of the second robotic device to power a second conveyor motor of the second mobile robotic device

11. The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the conveyor controller is configured to transmit a control signal, via the connector, to the connector receptacle of the second robotic device to activate a second conveyor motor included in the second conveyor of the second robotic device.

12. The robotic device of claim 4, wherein the rotating head includes a portion that abuts at least a portion of the conveyor.

13. The robotic device of claim 4, wherein the drive module includes a motorized axle and a pair of motorized wheels.

14. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the motorized wheels are operable to rotate in a first direction to move the robotic device in a forward direction.

15. A method for transporting items, comprising:

moving a first mobile robotic device to a first point of a physical space, wherein the first mobile robotic device comprises an independent, self-powered device and the first point comprises a location of a conveyor holder;

receiving, by the first mobile robotic device, a first conveyor from the conveyor holder;

docking the first mobile robotic device with the first conveyor; and

moving, by the first mobile robotic device, the first conveyor to a second point of the physical space, wherein the second point is associated with at least one of an inventory holder operable to store one or more inventory items, an inventory station configured for operations related to one or more inventory items, or a vehicle configured for transport of one or more inventory items.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

moving a second mobile robotic device to a third point of the physical space, wherein the third point is substantially adjacent to the first conveyor, the second mobile robotic device comprising a second independent, self-powered device that is docked with a second conveyor; and

connecting the second conveyor to the first conveyor to link the first conveyor and the second conveyor together.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the first conveyor, one or more inventory items from the at least one of the inventory holder, the inventory station, or the vehicle;

transporting, via the first conveyor, the one or more inventory items to the connected second conveyor; and

transporting, via the second conveyor, the one or more inventory items to a respective end of the second conveyor in a direction away from the first conveyor and toward at least one of another inventory holder, another inventory station, or another vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the first conveyor, one or more inventory items from the at least one of the inventory holder, the inventory station or the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

moving, by the first robotic device, the first conveyor to a third point outside of the physical space, the third point associated with at least one of another conveyor, another inventory holder, another inventory station or another vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the other conveyor, the other inventory holder, the other inventory station or the other vehicle comprises at least one of one or more other conveyors, one or more other inventory holders, one or more other inventory stations or one or more other vehicles, and further comprising:

sorting, by the first conveyor of the first robotic device, the one or more inventory items to at least one of the one or more other conveyors, the one or more other inventory holders, the one or more other inventory stations or the one or more other vehicles.