Motor-operated conveying roll, control device for a motor-operated conveying roll, roller conveying system and control method for a roller conveying system

• US 7,207,433 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interroll Holding AG
• Original Assignee: SSI Schaefer Peem GmbH
• Inventors: Schaefer, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell; James R.
• Application Number:
  US11/303,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20060151299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 198/780, 198/788, 198/781.08, 198/789
• US Class Current: 198/788
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/02 having driven rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/08 with self-contained driving mechanisms, e.g. motors and associated gearing

Abstract

A motor-driven conveying roll for conveying systems includes a roll which is rotatably mounted with respect to a frame. A drive unit is fixed to the frame and the output shaft of the drive unit is frictionally connected to the inner surface of the hollow conveying roll by a pressure-exerting unit.

Claims

1. A motor-driven conveying roll for conveying containers in a conveying system, comprising:

a hollow roller body having inner and outer circumferences;

means for rotatably mounting said roller body in a conveying frame;

a drive unit which is mounted within said roller body, said drive unit being non-rotatable relative to said conveying frame and having an output shaft; and

a pressure-exerting unit, said output shaft of said drive unit being frictionally connected to said inner circumference of said roller body by means of said pressure-exerting unit;

wherein said pressure-exerting unit has first and second disks defining on an outer circumference thereof a V-shape, into which an elastic pressing ring is placable.

2. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one W-shaped circumferential profile is formed on said outer circumference of said roller body, wherein a Poly-V belt is placeable around said W-shaped circumferential profile.

3. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one W-shaped circumferential profile is formed on an outer circumference of a further component which is externally connected to said roller body.

4. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 2, wherein the circumferential profile has a double-W shape receiving two Poly-V belts.

5. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 3, wherein said component is a bush which is inserted into one end of said roller body and is rigidly connected thereto.

6. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 3, wherein said component is made of plastic.

7. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive unit has an electric motor and a gear mechanism, an input of which is connected to an output shaft of said electric motor and an output shaft of which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to said pressure-exerting unit.

8. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 7, wherein said output shaft of said gear mechanism is formed as a conical neck having an internal thread.

9. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 8, wherein said disks are fitted onto said output shaft, said output shaft having a conical outer circumference, of said gear mechanism, and a screw is screwed into an internal thread of said output shaft for fixing said disks on said output shaft and thereby pressing said pressing ring radially against said inner circumference of the roller body.

10. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 7, wherein said electric motor is a brushless DC motor.

11. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 10, wherein said electric motor has magnets integrated into the rotor.

12. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive unit has an electric motor, a rotational speed of which is adjustable within a specific speed range.

13. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive unit includes a gear mechanism which has a set of planetary gears with an internal gear made of plastic and planetary gears made of brass.

14. The motor-driven conveying roll as claimed in claim 13, wherein the internal gear is helically toothed.

15. A control device for a motor-driven conveying roll for conveying containers in a conveying system, said motor-driven conveying roll comprising:

a hollow roller body having inner and outer circumferences;

means for rotatably mounting said roller body in a conveying frame;

a drive unit which is mounted within said roller body, said drive unit being non-rotatable relative to said conveying frame and having an output shaft; and

a pressure-exerting unit, said output shaft of said drive unit being frictionally connected to said inner circumference of said roller body by means of said pressure-exerting unit;

wherein said pressure-exerting unit has first and second disks defining on an outer circumference thereof a V-shape, into which an elastic pressing ring is placable;

said control device further comprising;

a housing;

an interface to said drive unit, said drive unit comprising an electric motor;

a control unit for controlling said drive unit; and

an AC/DC converter for converting a system voltage into a DC voltage for supplying said control unit.

16. A control device as claimed in claim 15, wherein a plurality of control units for controlling respective electric motors of a corresponding plurality of conveying rolls is arranged in the housing, the control units being supplied by the AC/DC converter.

17. The control device as claimed in claim 16, wherein each control unit respectively has a coding switch for setting a rotational speed of the electric motor to a fixed value.

18. The control device as claimed in claim 15, wherein a bus interface, which communicates with the control unit or units, is provided on the housing.

19. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein each control unit is adapted for receiving a rotational speed via the bus interface and setting the respective electric motor to the rotational speed received.

20. The control device as claimed in claim 15, wherein each control unit comprises a sensor input for a sensor, which is assigned to the respective conveying roll.

21. The control device as claimed in claim 20, wherein each control unit is adapted for switching the assigned electric motor on and off in dependence on a sensor signal from the sensor.

22. The control device as claimed in claim 21, wherein each control unit is adapted for switching on the assigned electric motor when a sensor signal is received from the sensor.

23. The control device as claimed in claim 21 or 22, wherein each control unit is adapted for switching off the assigned electric motor a predetermined time period or a time period that can be set after receiving a sensor signal from the sensor.

24. The control device as claimed in claim 21, wherein each control unit is adapted for switching off the electric motor when the assigned conveying roll is blocked.

25. The control device as claimed in claim 24, wherein each control unit is adapted for switching on again the electric motor a predetermined time period after switching off the motor on the basis of a blockage of the conveying roll.

26. The control device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the predetermined time period is in the range from 0.5 to 10 seconds, preferably in the range from 2 to 5 seconds.

27. The control device as claimed in claim 15, wherein each control unit comprises a fault output for connection to a higher-level control system.

28. A motor-driven conveying roll for conveying containers in a conveying system, comprising:

a hollow roller body having inner and outer circumferences;

means for rotatably mounting said roller body in a conveying frame;

a drive unit which is mounted within said roller body, said drive unit being non-rotatable relative to said conveying frame and having an output shaft; and

a pressure-exerting unit, said output shaft of said drive unit being frictionally connected to said inner circumference of said roller body by means of said pressure-exerting unit;

wherein at least one W-shaped circumferential profile is formed on said outer circumference of said roller body, and wherein a Poly-V belt is placeable around said W-shaped circumferential profile.