MODULAR TRANSFER UNITS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20180257872A1
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Published: 09/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuhn, John William
• Granted Patent: US 10,532,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/071 with frictional engagement
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/10 Switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/08 the surface being formed by the traction element
• 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 17/345 the surfaces being equipped with a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/40 Chains acting as load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0238 Bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/04 Drums, rollers, or wheels B65G23/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/06 with projections engaging abutments on belts or chains, e.g. sprocket wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 39/02 Adaptations of individual rollers and supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 39/025 having spherical roller elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/46 and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points in tube mail systems B65G51/36
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/71 the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane

Abstract

A modular transfer system with a primary flow system and a diverter system. The primary flow system includes a primary flow belt for conveying an article along a primary flow path from an infeed side of the modular transfer system to a pass-through side of the modular transfer system. The diverter system includes one or more diverter belts for diverting an article from the primary flow path towards a divert side of the modular transfer system. The primary flow belt includes multiple movable components contacting the diverter belt. The movable components can have one or more rotational degrees of freedom.

Claims

1. A modular transfer system comprising:

a main belt comprising a plurality of hingedly-connected belt modules, each of the plurality of belt modules comprising a body and a plurality of spherical balls, the spherical balls having an upper portion that protrudes above an upper surface of the body and a lower portion that protrudes below a lower surface of the body, the spherical balls configured to rotate relative to the body, the main belt configured to travel in a first direction;

a diverter belt configured to travel in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction, the diverter belt in contact with the protruding lower portion of the spherical balls such that relative movement of the main and diverter belts causes the spherical balls to rotate; and

a main belt drive unit configured to drive the main belt in the first direction, the main belt drive unit comprising a motor and a motorized drive roller, the motorized drive roller comprising;

a radially outer surface that is configured to engage with the lower surface of the body of the main belt to provide driving force on the main belt;

a plurality of grooves in the radially outer surface, the grooves extending radially inwardly and configured to receive the protruding lower portion of the spherical balls; and

a sprocket configured to engage into a recess in the body of the belt modules of the main belt to provide additional driving force on the main belt.

2. The modular transfer system of claim 1, wherein the spherical balls are free to rotate with three rotational degrees of freedom.

3. The modular transfer system of claim 1, wherein the motorized driver roller comprises a plurality of sprockets.

4. The modular transfer system of claim 1, wherein the diverter belt comprises a first v-shaped rib and a second v-shaped rib, the first and second ribs being spaced substantially equally between lateral sides of the diverter belt.

5. The modular transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a diverter belt drive unit configured to drive the diverter belt in the second direction, the diverter belt drive unit comprising a motor and a sprocket.

6. The modular transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of diverter belts engaged with the main belt, each of the diverter belts being operable independent of the other diverter belts.

7. The modular transfer system of claim 1, wherein the diverter belt is maintained in in constant contact with the protruding lower portion of at least one of the spherical balls.

8. The modular transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to:

detect that an article moving in the first direction is at a divert zone of the modular transfer system;

determine that the article is to be diverted towards a side of the modular transfer system; and

operate the diverter belt to cause the article to change from moving in the first direction to moving toward the side of the modular transfer system.

9. A modular transfer system comprising:

a main belt comprising a plurality of spherical balls, the main belt configured to convey an article along a primary flow path;

a diverter belt positioned under the main belt, the diverter belt oriented generally perpendicular to the primary flow path, an upper surface of the diverter belt contacting a bottom of the plurality of the spherical balls of the main belt, an under surface of the diverter belt comprising a first rib on a first side of a centerline of the diverter belt and a second rib on a second side of the centerline of the diverter belt;

and a drive roller engaged with the diverter belt, the drive roller configured to drive the diverter belt to cause the spherical balls of the main belt to rotate with a component of motion toward a side of the main belt, thereby diverting an article on the main belt from the primary flow path, wherein the drive roller comprises;

a first channel configured to receive the first rib of the diverter belt; and

a second channel configured to receive the second rib of the diverter belt; and

wherein the respective engagement between the first and second ribs and the first and second channels reduces misalignment of the diverter belt relative to the main belt.

10. The modular transfer system of claim 9, wherein the first and second ribs are v-shaped and the first and second channels are correspondingly v-shaped.

11. The modular transfer system of claim 9, wherein the first and second ribs are disposed inwardly from respective lateral sides of the diverter belt by approximately the same distance.

12. The modular transfer system of claim 9, wherein the first and second ribs are spaced to divide a width of the diverter belt into three sections of substantially equivalent width.

13. The modular transfer system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of diverter belts positioned under and engaged with the main belt, each of the plurality of diverter belts comprising first and second ribs.

14. The modular transfer system of claim 9, wherein at least two of the plurality of diverter belts move at different speeds.

15. A modular transfer system comprising:

a primary flow system comprising a primary flow belt, the primary flow belt configured to convey an article along a primary direction of travel, the primary flow belt being a modular conveyor belt comprising a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a plurality of balls having three rotational degrees of freedom;

a diverter system comprising;

a first diverter belt configured to divert an article from the primary direction of travel, the first diverter belt contacting an underside of the plurality of balls in a first section of the primary flow belt, the first section extending from the first lateral side of the primary flow belt to the second lateral side of the primary flow belt;

a first motorized roller unit configured to drive the first diverter belt;

a second diverter belt configured to further divert the article from the primary direction of travel, the second diverter belt contacting an underside of the plurality of balls in a second section of the primary flow belt, the second section being adjacent to the first section in the primary direction of travel and extending from the first lateral side of the primary flow belt to the second lateral side of the primary flow belt; and

a second motorized roller unit configured to drive the second diverter belt; and

a control system configured to operate the first motorized roller unit and the second motorized roller unit independently, thereby diverting articles in the first section independent of articles in the second section.

16. The modular transfer system of claim 15, wherein the first and second diverter belts disposed substantially perpendicularly with the primary flow belt.

17. The modular transfer system of claim 15, wherein the first and second diverter belts each comprise a plurality of v-shaped ribs.

18. The modular transfer system of claim 15, further comprising a motorized drive roller engaged with the primary flow belt to operate the primary flow belt, the motorized drive roller including a plurality of sprockets to engage the primary flow belt and a plurality of grooves to accommodate the plurality of balls.

19. The modular transfer system of claim 15, wherein the control system is further configured to:

detect that an article moving in the primary direction of travel is at a divert zone of the modular transfer system;

determine that the article is to be diverted towards a side of the modular transfer system; and

operate the diverter system to cause the article to change from moving in the primary direction of travel to moving toward the side of the modular transfer system.

20. The modular transfer system of claim 19, wherein the control system is further configured to operate the first and second diverter belts in response to determining that an article is to be diverted or to be passed through the modular transfer unit, the first diverter belt operating at a first speed in a divert direction and the second diverter belt operating at a second speed in the divert direction.

21. The modular transfer system of claim 19, wherein the control system is configured to determine whether an article is at the divert zone based on a signal received from a sensor.

22. The modular transfer system of claim 21, wherein the control system is configured to determine whether an article is at the divert zone based on a time delay after receiving the signal from the sensor, the sensor being positioned at a location before the divert zone in the primary direction of travel.

23. The modular transfer system of claim 15, further comprising a filler element longitudinally positioned between a drive element that drives the primary flow belt and a lateral edge of the first diverter belt, the filler element configured to contact the underside of the plurality of balls before the balls contact the first diverter belt, thereby causing the balls to rotate before reaching the first diverter belt.