Conveyor system and method

Abstract

A method may include defining a path of motion of an article by a plurality of drive rollers mounted on one or more frame systems; the method may also include conveying a first item of the plurality of items along the path of motion with a drive drum; determining the length of the first article along the motion path; the position of the first article along the motion path is continuously monitored in the conveying process; the method also comprises the following steps: directly driving each of the plurality of driving rollers to rotate by using respective motors of the driving rollers; the method further comprises the step of controlling respective motors of a group of driving rollers below the first article to drive the rollers to rotate at a uniform first rotating speed in the conveying process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to systems for conveying and transporting articles, such as systems having roller drive assemblies and their control devices, classified under United Patent Classification (CPC) B65. Background Technology

[0002] US Patent No. 7063206 discloses an accumulation conveyor system and a method for accumulating articles. The method includes providing an accumulation assembly suitable for accumulating multiple articles into a "slug". The slug is routed onto a conveyor line, which transports and accumulates the slugs as needed. The accumulation assembly consists of a "slug forming section" that forms segments of the slug and arranges the segments into a complete slug. The accumulation assembly accumulates articles within each section, reducing the gap between articles sequentially from upstream gap to downstream gap.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 7,542,823 discloses a zone-controlled conveying system and a zone controller therein, aiming to provide a zone-controlled conveying system comprising multiple controllable zones. When prohibiting the conveying of any item from one zone to a downstream zone, the system (a) upon detecting the presence of an item from an adjacent upstream zone, activates the drive roller of that zone and operates it at a first conveying speed lower than a predetermined standard conveying speed; (b) after the item reaches a predetermined position in that zone, operates the drive roller at a second conveying speed lower than the first conveying speed; and (c) stops the drive roller when the presence of an item in that zone is detected. Thus, the system is able to accurately stop items at target positions.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 7,631,747 discloses a conveyor feeding system, a method, and an apparatus for controlling the gap between articles traveling on a conveyor system. The system includes providing a plurality of conveyor surfaces in series, defining a series of sequentially arranged conveyor surface interfaces. At least one conveyor surface associated with each interface is an adjustable-speed conveyor surface. At least one article sensor is disposed near at least one conveyor surface interface, providing information on the article's position. The speed of these series of conveyor surfaces is controlled by identifying an adjustable gap at a particular conveyor surface interface and adjusting that controllable gap at that interface (using a feedback controller to adjust the speed of the adjustable-speed conveyor surface associated with that interface) to establish a controlled article gap. Subsequently, the gap between articles is adjusted sequentially at these sequentially arranged conveyor surface interfaces.

[0005] US Patent No. 8028817 discloses a conveyor and a conveyor controller. The conveyor has a region on its conveyor line for adjusting the spacing between items, comprising: (1) a plurality of partitions constituting the region, each partition having at least one drive motor and one item sensor; (2) a structure for measuring the spacing between adjacent items in the conveying direction or the time difference between their passing through the sensor; and (3) a motor controller for each partition and for changing the speed of the drive motor. When the measuring structure measures the aforementioned spacing or time difference upon receiving a sensor signal, the motor controller accelerates or decelerates the speed of the drive motor in the partition where the item is located.

[0006] U.S. Patent No. 8,695,786 discloses single-piece release control for a zoned conveyor system. This disclosure describes a zoned conveyor system that provides single-piece package release control based on a defined displacement distance (using motor speed data from the downstream zone conveyor).

[0007] U.S. Patent No. 8,757,363 discloses a conveyor controller. Various methods, apparatus, and procedures are provided for controlling at least a portion of a conveyor, determining information about items transported by the conveyor, or otherwise operating the conveyor. One method includes detecting whether a second conveyor controller is connected to a first conveyor controller; and, upon detecting the presence of a second controller connected to the first controller, identifying whether the second controller is connected to a predetermined network interface of the first controller. The method further includes: if the second controller is connected to the predetermined network interface, configuring the first controller to rotate an electric roller in a first predetermined direction; and if the second controller is not connected to the predetermined network interface, configuring the first controller to rotate the electric roller in a second predetermined direction.

[0008] US Patent No. 9321598 discloses a conveyor and a weight sensing method using the conveyor, aiming to provide a solution for estimating the weight of a transported object without using sensors such as load cells for direct weighing during transport. The conveyor has multiple zones forming a series of transport paths. An "approach running zone" and a "weight measurement zone" are arranged adjacent to each other along the transport direction, and each is equipped with a different drive motor. The drive motors of the approach running zone and the weight measurement zone are controlled with different predetermined speeds as target speeds. A speed detection device acquires the speed change of the drive motor in the weight measurement zone when the transported object enters the weight measurement zone from the approach running zone; subsequently, a weight sensing device calculates the weight of the transported object based on this speed change.

[0009] U.S. Publication No. 20200299068A1 discloses a method for monitoring the status of a conveying system, as well as a control unit, an electric roller, and a conveying system for performing the method. The method includes: checking whether a reference operating state exists; if a reference operating state exists, measuring the current value of the electric roller; and comparing the measured current with a reference value for the reference operating state.

[0010] U.S. Publication No. 20220009722A1 discloses a conveyor arrangement with an integrated sensing unit. This conveyor arrangement, used for conveying material, includes a motor-driven conveyor roller, a roller body rotatably mounted around a roller axis, a drive unit disposed within the roller body and mechanically coupled to the roller body and a shaft element, and designed to generate torque between the shaft element and the roller body. It also includes a sensing unit disposed within the roller body and designed to sense the material being conveyed by the motor-driven conveyor roller, and a control unit connected to the sensing unit to transmit signals. The control unit is designed to transmit control signals to the drive unit based on sensing signals from the sensing unit, wherein the control signals contain data for driving the motor-driven conveyor roller in a conveying mode according to a characteristic curve predefined by the control signals.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic representation of a conveyor system 38 according to the prior art. The conveyor system 38 includes a frame system 40 and rollers 1–36 mounted on the frame system 40 and rotatable relative to it. Rollers 1–36 are arranged into multiple sections, including sections A–D. Rollers 1–9 define section A, rollers 10–18 define section B, rollers 19–27 define section C, and rollers 28–36 define section D. Rollers 5, 14, 23, and 32 are drive rollers and are therefore directly driven by their respective or dedicated motors (not shown). Rollers 5, 14, 23, and 32 may contain motors, reducers, and electronic motor controllers within them. Each exemplary roller 5, 14, 23, and 32 can be considered as the active device for the rollers within its section. It should be noted that there are also prior art conveyor systems where the motor is not inside the roller but located below it, connected by a belt. Figure 1 This structure is not shown.

[0012] Rollers 1–4 and 6–9 are indirectly driven to rotate via roller 5 using a belt. Figure 1 The diagram is illustrated in a similar manner, with the example belt labeled 42. Similarly, rollers 10–13 and 15–18 are indirectly driven to rotate via roller 14 using a belt. Rollers 19–22 and 24–27 are indirectly driven to rotate via roller 23 using a belt. Rollers 28–31 and 33–36 are indirectly driven to rotate via roller 32 using a belt.

[0013] The conveying system 38 also includes sensors capable of detecting items moving along the conveying system 38. The sensors are... Figure 1 The following are similarly represented, with one labeled 44. Each zone is monitored and controlled by a zone controller, such as zone A controller 46. Each zone controller can have a similar configuration and operate in a similar manner. Zone A controller 46 can receive signals from sensor 44 and control the motor driving roller 5 accordingly. Conveying system 38 also includes multi-zone controllers, such as multi-zone controller 48. Each multi-zone controller can have a similar configuration and operate in a similar manner. Each multi-zone controller can control the operation of the zone controllers within its multi-zone. Conveying system 38 also includes a system controller 50 configured to control all multi-zone controllers.

[0014] The background description provided herein is intended to provide a general overview of the context of this disclosure. For the purposes of this background section, any content relating to the work of the inventors described herein, and any descriptive portions that may not constitute prior art at the time of submission, should not be construed, expressly or implied, as prior art to this disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0015] This section provides a simplified overview to provide a basic understanding of some of the aspects described herein. This overview is not exhaustive and is not intended to identify “key” or “significant” elements of this disclosure, nor is it intended to define the scope of the aspects described herein. The purpose of this section is to present some concepts in a simplified form to prepare for a more detailed description thereafter.

[0016] A method may include: defining a movement path for multiple items by means of multiple drive rollers mounted on one or more frame systems; further including conveying a first item of the multiple items along the movement path using the multiple drive rollers; further including determining the length of the first item along the movement path; further including continuously monitoring the position of the first item along the movement path during the conveying process; further including each of the multiple drive rollers being directly driven to rotate by a corresponding one of a plurality of motors; further including controlling a group of motors among the multiple motors to rotate at a uniform first speed during the conveying process to correspondingly drive a group of drive rollers located directly below the first item.

[0017] According to other features, the method may further include: driving at least one drive roller outside the group of drive rollers located directly below the first article to rotate at a second speed, different from the first speed, via a motor located outside the motor group.

[0018] Among other features, the method may further include: conveying a second item from a plurality of items along the motion path using the plurality of drive rollers; determining the length of the second item along the motion path; continuously monitoring the position of the second item along the motion path during the conveying process; and controlling the respective motors of a second set of drive rollers located directly below the second item to rotate these drive rollers at a uniform second rotational speed.

[0019] According to additional features, the control may include: during the conveying process, as the first item moves along the movement path, continuously adjusting the plurality of drive rollers in the group: after the initial definition of the group of drive rollers, adding a first drive roller from the plurality of drive rollers to the group, the addition being performed when the first item comes directly above the first drive roller; the addition may be further defined as: adding the first drive roller to the group in response to a change in the operating characteristics of the first motor in the motor used to directly drive the first drive roller.

[0020] According to other features, the continuous adjustment further includes: removing the second drive roller from the group during the above-described conveying process and after the initial definition of the group, the removal being performed when the first article disengages from the second drive roller; the removal may also be further defined as: removing the second drive roller from the group in response to a change in the operating characteristics of the second motor in the motor used to directly drive the second drive roller.

[0021] Among other features, the continuous adjustment is further defined as follows: during the conveying process described above, as the first article moves along the motion path, the plurality of drive rollers in the group are continuously adjusted in real time.

[0022] According to additional features, the definition of the path can be further limited to: defining the movement path of the plurality of items solely through the plurality of drive rollers mounted on the one or more frame systems. Alternatively, the movement path of the plurality of items can be defined jointly by the plurality of drive rollers and the plurality of freely rotating gravity rollers, which are alternately arranged and mounted on the one or more frame systems along the movement path.

[0023] Depending on other features, the continuous monitoring may include: detecting the leading edge of the first item; it may also include collecting multiple values, each value corresponding to an operating parameter of one of the multiple motors, the multiple values ​​including at least one operating parameter of all the multiple motors; and it may also include determining the position of the first item based on the detection and the collection.

[0024] Among other features, the determination of the position may further include: during collection, in response to a set of values ​​from the group of motors, determining in real time that the first item has slipped across at least one drive roller in the group; the determination of the position may further include: determining the position of the first item based on the operating parameters of at least one motor located outside the group of motors.

[0025] According to the additional feature, the direct drive can be further defined as follows: in the absence of a reducer between any of the drive rollers and its corresponding motor, each of the plurality of drive rollers is directly driven by a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors.

[0026] According to other features, the method may further include: transmitting multiple operating characteristics of each motor to a zone controller via a wired or wireless network; and may further include assigning an address to each of the plurality of motors on the network, the address being based on the relative position of the motor along the motion path.

[0027] A conveying system may include: one or more frame systems, multiple drive rollers, multiple motors, at least one sensor, and a zone controller. The multiple drive rollers, which define movement paths for multiple items, are mounted on the one or more frame systems. The multiple motors can each directly drive one of the multiple drive rollers to rotate. The multiple motors and multiple drive rollers are configured to convey each item along the movement path. At least one sensor can be mounted on the movement path of the one or more frame systems and configured to detect the proximity of at least one item within a predetermined distance. The zone controller can be configured to determine the length of each item moving along the movement path; it can also be configured to continuously monitor the respective position of each item moving along the movement path; and it can further be configured to control all the multiple motors to rotate a set of drive rollers directly beneath a first item at a uniform first rotational speed, and to continuously adjust this set of drive rollers as the first item moves along the movement path.

[0028] Among other features, the area controller can be configured to communicate directly with each of the plurality of motors via a network, continuously receive operating data from each motor, and send operating instructions to each motor based on the received operating data.

[0029] According to additional features, the motion path may be defined by only a plurality of drive rollers: each drive roller is directly driven by one of a plurality of motors, and no speed reducer is provided between any drive roller and its corresponding motor. Each of the plurality of rollers may include an anti-slip coating. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same structures, elements, or components appearing in more than one drawing are generally labeled with the same reference numerals in all the drawings in which they appear. The dimensions of the components and features shown in the drawings are generally chosen for convenience and clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. These drawings are listed below.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an existing technology conveying system; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a conveying system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a delivery system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] This subject matter will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. The described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be understood that the drawings are for reference only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The dimensions shown in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0033] This disclosure (as illustrated in the example embodiments below) provides an improved conveying system and method. In the embodiments disclosed herein, the control of motorized drive rollers (“MDRs”) is dynamic: the number of jointly controlled MDRs (controlled to operate at similar speeds) is determined based on the size of the item currently moving and its position on the movement path. A jointly controlled MDR is defined as a “zone” that dynamically changes in real time as the item moves along the conveying path. As the item moves, an MDR can be added to or removed from the zone. This “dynamic zone control” improves the efficiency of moving items along the conveying system. In contrast, the inventors note that the prior art discloses fixed-defined “zones” within which some rollers may be MDRs and others may be indirectly driven rollers. In the prior art, any particular roller (whether directly or indirectly driven) belongs to a fixed zone or group of rollers.

[0034] This disclosure provides a system that can dynamically define and change partitions in real time as items move along a conveyor path. Therefore, the conveyor system according to this disclosure can maximize the "pack ratio." As used herein, "conveyor system pack ratio" refers to the ratio of the length of the conveyor system occupied by items to the total length of the conveyor system. In facilities handling large numbers of packages or items of varying sizes, partition lengths (or the number of rollers coupled together along the movement path) are typically chosen to accommodate the largest package within a single partition. Based on this, the pack ratio of prior art conveyor systems may be low, in some cases only about 50%, meaning that at any given time only half of the conveyor surface is occupied by packages. Embodiments of this disclosure can increase the pack ratio of the conveyor system to as high as about 95%.

[0035] Furthermore, in fixed-zone conveyor systems, when an item is detected, the system cannot inherently determine its exact location within the current zone. While the system can sense when an item enters a specific zone, if slippage occurs within that zone, it cannot predict when the item will leave the current zone and enter the next. This problem is particularly pronounced when maintaining or achieving small distances between items is required.

[0036] See Figure 2 The exemplary conveying system 52 includes one or more frame systems, such as the exemplary frame system 54. The exemplary frame system 54 is depicted schematically but may include beams, rods, fasteners, or any other structures to form a frame supporting other structures. The exemplary frame system 54 may be modular and scalable.

[0037] The exemplary conveying system 52 also includes a plurality of drive rollers that define the movement paths of a plurality of items and are mounted on one or more exemplary frame systems. The exemplary drive rollers in Figure 2 They are represented in a similar way and have similar configurations. Figure 2 The exemplary drive rollers are 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64. These drive rollers 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64 are mounted on the exemplary frame system 54 to achieve rotation. The exemplary motion path is... Figure 2 The path 66 is marked with 66. Each exemplary drive roller is a "drive" roller, meaning it is directly driven to rotate by a motor (as will be described in more detail below). It should be noted that path 66 may be a sub-section of a larger motion path; multiple exemplary conveyor systems 52 may be arranged in series, or exemplary conveyor systems 52 may be arranged in series with other conveyor systems of different configurations.

[0038] The exemplary conveying system 52 also includes a plurality of motors, each motor directly driving one of the plurality of drive rollers to rotate. The plurality of motors and drive rollers are configured to convey each of a plurality of items along path 66. The exemplary motors in... Figure 2They are represented in a similar way and have similar configurations. Figure 2 The drive motors are designated as 68, 70, 72, 74, and 76. Exemplary motors 68, 70, 72, 74, and 76 are respectively installed inside the rollers 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64. A pair consisting of one drive roller and one motor (e.g., drive roller 56 and motor 68) may be referred to as a motor-driven roller (“MDR”) assembly. Exemplary motors 68, 70, 72, 74, and 76 are brushless direct current (“BLDC”) motors. In various embodiments of this disclosure, the exemplary motors may be BLDC motors, direct current motors, induction motors, or any other form of motor technology adapted to the operation of the exemplary conveyor system 52.

[0039] The exemplary conveying system 52 also includes at least one sensor mounted on the exemplary frame system 54 and located on path 66. The exemplary sensor... Figure 2 The exemplary sensor 78 is labeled 78. The exemplary sensor 78 is configured to detect the approach of an object located on path 66. When an object is detected, the exemplary sensor 78 is configured to emit a detection signal and continue emitting the detection signal while the object is within close range. The exemplary sensor 78 has a known detection distance range, so when the presence of an object is detected, the distance between the object and the exemplary sensor 78 can be determined to be a preset value. Various detection methods can be employed in this disclosure. The exemplary sensor 78 can be a photoelectric eye sensor, but detection can also be based on other physical properties. Although... Figure 2 Only one sensor is shown in the diagram. Embodiments of this disclosure may periodically place multiple sensors along the path length, for example, one every 10 feet or 20 feet.

[0040] The exemplary conveying system 52 also includes a zone controller 80. An example controller that can be used to implement the activities (appropriately programmed) and is provided is the Beagle Bone Black, PN#102110420 controller from BeagleBoard by Seeed Studio. The exemplary zone controller 80 can communicate with the sensor 78 and each motor corresponding to each drive roller. The exemplary zone controller 80 can receive detection signals from the sensor 78. The exemplary zone controller 80 sends control signals to each motor to control its operation, such as controlling the speed of each motor, thereby controlling the speed of each drive roller. The exemplary zone controller 80 can also receive operating data from each motor. The exemplary zone controller 80 can collect multiple values ​​from the motors, each value corresponding to an operating parameter of one of the multiple motors. This set of values ​​may include at least one operating parameter from all motors.

[0041] Figure 2A bus-like line element, labeled 82, is shown to represent communication between the exemplary area controller 80 and sensor 78, and between the exemplary area controller 80 and exemplary motors (including motors 68, 70, 72, 74, and 76). While each motor and object sensing sensor could be directly connected to the area controller, this would result in a large number of cables in the frame system of the conveyor system 52 and significantly increase costs. In a preferred embodiment, the motors and object sensing sensors (such as sensor 78) can use network connectivity to reduce the cost and installation problems associated with direct connection methods. The exemplary area controller 80 is configured to communicate with multiple motors and sensors 78 via a wired network, but can also be configured for wireless communication. In this system, the area controller 80 can act as a network master, utilizing the network to provide a path for transmitting all data and commands between the area controller and the motors and sensors. The exemplary area controller 80 is configured to continuously receive operating data from each motor and send operating instructions to each motor based on the received operating data. Each motor can be assigned an address on the network, based on the motor's relative physical location along path 66. In this context, "motor" is defined as including electromagnetic components (such as stator and rotor) and control electronics (such as communication electronics, commutation electronics for BLDC, and speed / current control loop). While brushless DC motors are the preferred embodiment, brushed DC motors, induction motors, or other motor technologies can also be used. A key feature of this network communication is the association between network addresses and the physical relative positions of each node. In other words, area controller 80 can be configured to know the relative physical positions of each roller and each item sensing sensor associated with its network address. It should also be noted that each area controller can communicate via a second network, which includes a system controller 88 configured to convey transport requirements from the previous level, such as maximum transport speed and acceleration, accumulation push commands (e.g., pushing one package at a time upon triggering), and package grouping transport instructions (e.g., transporting two or more packages as a group). Furthermore, this second network also allows one area controller to hand over packages to another area controller. This handover may include a simple binary trigger signal to indicate that package position control has been transferred from one area to the next, or it may further include more detailed package information. By establishing communication at the roller level, the area controller 80 can replace numerous traditional domain controllers, for example, replacing 30 to 100 traditional domain controllers with a single area controller.

[0042] An exemplary area controller 80 is configured to identify the leading edge of an article based on a signal from sensor 78. Specifically, the exemplary area controller 80 identifies the leading edge of the article upon receiving a detection signal. Furthermore, the exemplary area controller 80 is configured to determine the length of the article along path 66 based on the duration of the received detection signal and the rotational speed of a drive roller near sensor 78. For example, the exemplary area controller 80 receives rotational speed data from motor 84. The exemplary area controller 80 may include a memory for storing dimensional data of the drive roller to, for example, convert the rotational speed of motor 84 into the rotational speed of roller 86. Further, the rotational speed of roller 86 may be converted into the linear velocity of the article along path 66. Therefore, the length of the article is equal to the duration of the detection signal multiplied by the velocity of the article along path 66.

[0043] The exemplary area controller 80 is also configured to continuously monitor the position of each of a plurality of items moving along path 66. The determination of the position of each item moving along path 66 is based on or in response to an initial detection of each item and operational data continuously collected from all motors. The exemplary conveyor system 52 may utilize the operational data received from the motors by the exemplary area controller 80 to determine the position of each item moving along path 66 after the initial detection occurs. This data is used to confirm or correct the determination of the position of each item during the ongoing movement, as slippage may occur during the movement along path 66 after the item passes sensor 78.

[0044] The area controller 80 can use various types of received operational data to confirm or correct the position of objects on path 66. These data include, but are not limited to, motor current levels, proportional-integral-derivative (“PID”) closed-loop errors, motor speed under open-loop control, or input current. However, it should be understood that object sensing sensors (such as sensor 78) can be arranged more densely, with shorter spacing, to perform the above functions without motor feedback. Alternatively, the object sensing sensors can be completely removed, and the monitoring / determination function can be performed solely through motor feedback. In another embodiment, package presence data can be provided by a camera-based visual imaging system. If the system uses parameters of one or more motors for monitoring, data accuracy can be improved by increasing the friction between the drive roller and the conveyed package. One implementation achieves this by coating the drive roller surface with an anti-slip coating (such as a polyurethane coating).

[0045] An exemplary area controller 80 is configured to determine in real time, during collection, whether a first item has slipped on at least one drive roller in response to multiple data points from the set of motors. If the exemplary area controller 80 determines that an item has slipped, it is configured to correct or update the item's position along path 66. Specifically, when the package first appears on path 66, its position is recorded; when it is detected a second time, the new position is confirmed. Simultaneously, the software calculates the package position based on the conveyor speed. When the position calculated based on the conveyor speed does not match the actual detected package position, it indicates that slippage has occurred. When slippage is detected, the system may simply record the slippage data and continue conveying the package at the previous speed. The system may also increase the conveyor speed in response to the detected slippage to compensate for the displacement difference. This response can be implemented in an open-loop manner, i.e., simply increasing the speed according to a preset time; or in a closed-loop manner, i.e., the system uses changes in conveyor speed and subsequent package position measurements as feedback to correct the position.

[0046] An exemplary area controller 80 is configured to control all motors to cause a set of drive rollers located directly beneath a first item to rotate at a uniform first speed. "Directly beneath" refers to the drive rollers that the item contacts and carries. See also Figure 2 Drive rollers 58, 60, and 62 are located directly beneath item 90. Furthermore, the MDR, consisting of "drive roller 58 – motor 70," "drive roller 60 – motor 72," and "drive roller 62 – motor 74," transports item 90 along path 66. It should be noted that the initial rotational speed can be selected as needed, but is typically maximized. The zone controller 80 controls motors 70, 72, and 74 via synchronization commands, causing drive rollers 58, 60, and 62 to operate as a single group at the same rotational speed. Drive rollers outside this group can operate at different speeds or remain stationary.

[0047] As the item moves along path 66, the drive roller group will continuously and dynamically adjust. This adjustment can be done in real time. For example, during the conveying process and after a group of drive rollers is initially defined to include drive rollers 58, 60, and 62, the exemplary area controller 80 can add drive roller 64 to the group, causing it to rotate at a uniform speed. When item 90 comes directly above drive roller 64, the exemplary area controller 80 will add drive roller 64 to the group of uniform speeds. The exemplary area controller 80 can respond to changes in the operating characteristics of motor 76 to determine when to add drive roller 64 (and when item 90 is above drive roller 64).

[0048] Similarly, the exemplary zone controller 80 may remove drive roller 58 from the group during transport and after a group of drive rollers is initially defined to include drive rollers 58, 60, and 62. When item 90 loses contact with drive roller 58, the exemplary zone controller 80 removes drive roller 58 from the uniform speed group. The exemplary zone controller 80 may determine when to remove drive roller 58 (and when item 90 is no longer directly above drive roller 58) in response to changes in the operating characteristics of motor 70.

[0049] It should be noted that the drive rollers that do not carry / move items 90 can rotate at a second speed different from the first speed. For example, drive rollers 92, 94, 96, and 98 can rotate at a second speed to convey items 100 along path 66. Moving items at different speeds can be used to form "slugs" along path 66. A "slug" refers to a series of items arranged with the desired tightness.

[0050] Each exemplary drive roller is directly driven by a single motor, and no gearbox is installed between any drive roller and its corresponding motor. Due to the high energy consumption required for package conveying, the design speed range of a traditional single brushless or brushed DC motor typically requires a gearbox to function optimally. However, the presence of a gearbox necessitates a substantial rotational damping device to prevent failure due to frequent starts and stops and shocks from heavy loads; even then, gearbox failures can still occur. Therefore, eliminating the gearbox simultaneously reduces the cost requirement for the rotational damping device.

[0051] exist Figure 2 In the first embodiment of this disclosure shown, motion path 66 is defined only by a plurality of drive rollers. See also Figure 3 The exemplary conveying system 52a includes an exemplary frame system 54a, a plurality of drive rollers, and a plurality of freely rotating gravity rollers. The plurality of drive rollers and the plurality of freely rotating gravity rollers together define a movement path 66a for a plurality of items and are mounted on the exemplary frame system 54a to achieve rotation.

[0052] Exemplary drive rollers in Figure 3 They are represented in a similar way and have similar configurations. Figure 3 The exemplary drive rollers marked are 56a, 60a, and 64a. The exemplary free-rotating gravity roller... Figure 3 The following are represented in a similar manner and with similar configurations. Exemplary free-rotating gravity rollers are labeled 58a and 62a. Exemplary rollers 58a and 62a are free-rotating and not driven by a motor or belt. Multiple drive rollers and multiple free-rotating gravity rollers are arranged alternately along the motion path 66a, as shown... Figure 3 As shown.

[0053] Figure 2 Another potentially subtle feature of the first embodiment shown is its ability to maintain high functionality even in the event of motor failure. Because there is no gearbox and no power, the rolling resistance (also known as cogging torque or reverse drive torque) of the rollers is very low compared to conventional MDRs. Therefore, when the motor fails, the rollers effectively become gravity rollers, and the dynamic zoning control functionality of the first embodiment is still retained, except for very small packages, thus avoiding rough package handling. If the package size is very small, such that fewer than three rollers are under the package at any given time, there may be some loss of functionality, but MDR conveyors are typically only used when three rollers can be used per package. In extreme cases, if two adjacent motors fail or at least simultaneously affect the same package, the benefits are reduced because the package needs to cover at least the length of four rollers. Figure 3 The second embodiment shown is riskier because it means that three consecutive rollers effectively become gravity rollers. In this case, the ability to maintain function even if the motor fails is only possible for packages with at least six rollers underneath.

[0054] The foregoing description includes several examples of the subject matter of this invention. Of course, it is impossible to exhaustively list every conceivable combination of components or methodologies in order to describe the disclosed subject matter, but many further combinations and permutations are possible for this invention. Any and all examples or exemplary terms used herein (e.g., “for example”) are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of any innovation disclosed herein unless otherwise defined in the claims. The term “exemplary” is used to indicate that something is an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects or designs; the purpose of using the term “exemplary” is to present the concept in a concrete manner. Furthermore, any statements regarding prior art devices in the detailed description section of this document are the inventors’ observations and are neither prior art nor constitute an admission of what constitutes prior art.

[0055] In this document, unless the context explicitly states otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include plural references. Unless the context otherwise indicates, “or” should be understood as an inclusive “or.” Terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third,” when describing multiple devices or elements, are used only to indicate the relative action, position, and / or function of the individual devices or elements, and do not necessarily require these devices or elements to have a specific order, a specific quantity, or a specific sequence. The use of terms such as “about” or “approximately” is intended to cover values ​​located above or below the stated value or range, or values ​​within manufacturing tolerances, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in the appropriate context. In some cases, this may include a range of about ±10%; in others, about ±5%; in still others, about ±2%; and in yet another case, about ±1%.

[0056] It should be understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof, unless otherwise stated herein or the context clearly indicates otherwise. Statements of numerical ranges herein, unless otherwise stated, should be considered as abbreviations for each individual value falling within that range, including the range endpoints, each individual value within the range, and all intermediate ranges covered by the overall range, each of which is incorporated herein as if stated individually. Unless otherwise stated or the context clearly indicates otherwise, the methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order, including: performing in the exact order disclosed (without any intermediate steps or inserting one or more additional steps between the disclosed steps); performing the disclosed steps in an order different from the exact order disclosed; performing one or more steps simultaneously; and omitting one or more disclosed steps, unless otherwise clearly contradicted herein or the context.

[0057] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of this disclosure without departing from its essential scope. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure not be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein as the best mode for carrying out this disclosure, but rather be considered to cover any embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. The various aspects or features described herein may be implemented using standard programming and / or engineering techniques as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture.

[0058] Furthermore, the applicant hereby unconditionally reserves the right to claim patent protection for any specific sub-feature, sub-component, or sub-element of any disclosed embodiment, alone or in any combination with one or more other sub-features, sub-components, or sub-elements. Moreover, a specific sub-feature, sub-component, or sub-element of one embodiment may replace, supplement, or add to a specific sub-feature, sub-component, or sub-element of another embodiment, unless expressly indicated otherwise in the drawings or this specification. The inventors also declare that any claim following this detailed description may be combined with any other claim, regardless of any direct dependency, unless expressly and unambiguously indicated in the text or drawings that such combination is not feasible. The order and dependency of the claims are independent of the various ways in which the features, elements, sub-elements, components, sub-components, etc., of this disclosure can be combined and claimed. Furthermore, the use of the word "can" herein does not imply that the subject matter preceding that word is unimportant, unnecessary, or "non-critical" relative to the rest of the document. "Can" is used herein in an affirmative and approving sense and should not be presumed to have any other intention. This document may disclose more than one patentable “invention”, and it should be noted that an “invention” is defined by the content of the patent claims, rather than by the content of the illustrative text or illustrations.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The movement paths of multiple items are defined by multiple drive rollers mounted on one or more frame systems; The first item among a plurality of items is conveyed along the motion path using the plurality of drive rollers; Determine the length of the first item along the movement path; During the above-mentioned transportation process, the position of the first item along the movement path is continuously monitored; Each of the plurality of drive rollers is directly driven to rotate by a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors; as well as During the above-mentioned conveying process, a group of motors among the plurality of motors is controlled to rotate at a uniform first speed to drive a group of drive rollers located directly below the first item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: At least one drive roller located directly below the first article is driven to rotate at a second speed, which is different from the first speed, by a motor located outside the motor assembly.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: The second item among a plurality of items is conveyed along the motion path using the plurality of drive rollers; Determine the length of the second item along the movement path; During the aforementioned conveying process, the position of the second item along the movement path is continuously monitored; and Control the respective motors of the second set of drive rollers located directly below the second item so that these drive rollers rotate at a uniform second speed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control further comprises: During the above-described conveying process, as the first item moves along the motion path, the plurality of drive rollers in the group are continuously adjusted.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the continuous adjustment further comprises: During the above-described conveying process and after the initial definition of the group, the first drive roller among the plurality of drive rollers is added to the group when the first item arrives directly above the first drive roller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the addition is further defined as: In response to a change in the operating characteristics of the first motor used to directly drive the first drive roller, the first drive roller is added to the group.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the continuous adjustment further comprises: During the aforementioned conveying process and after the initial definition of the group, the second drive roller is removed from the group, and the removal is performed when the first item loses contact with the second drive roller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the removal is further defined as: In response to a change in the operating characteristics of the second motor used to directly drive the second drive roller, the second drive roller is removed from the group.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the continuous adjustment is further defined as: During the above-described conveying process, as the first item moves along the motion path, the plurality of drive rollers in the group are continuously adjusted in real time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the definition of the path is further defined as follows: The movement paths of the plurality of items are defined solely by the plurality of drive rollers mounted on the one or more frame systems.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the definition is further defined as follows: The movement path of the multiple items is defined by the multiple drive rollers and the multiple freely rotating gravity rollers, which are alternately arranged and installed on the one or more frame systems along the movement path.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous monitoring further comprises: Detect the leading edge of the first item; Collect multiple values, each value corresponding to an operating parameter of one of the multiple motors, the multiple values ​​including at least one operating parameter of all the multiple motors; as well as The location of the first item is determined based on the detection and collection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the location further comprises: During the collection process, in response to the plurality of values ​​collected in real time from the group motors, it is determined in real time that the first item has slipped on at least one drive roller in the group.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the location further comprises: The position of the first item is determined based on the operating parameters of at least one of the plurality of motors located outside the group of motors.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct drive is further defined as: In the absence of a speed reducer between any of the drive rollers and its corresponding motor, each of the plurality of drive rollers is directly driven by its corresponding motor.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Through the communication network, multiple operating characteristics of each motor are transmitted to the area controller. as well as Each of the plurality of motors is assigned an address on the network, the address being based on the motor’s relative position along the motion path.

17. A conveying system, comprising: One or more framework systems; Multiple drive rollers define the movement paths of multiple items and are mounted on the one or more frame systems; Multiple motors, each directly driving one of the multiple drive rollers to rotate, the multiple motors and the multiple drive rollers configured to convey each item along the motion path; At least one sensor, mounted on the movement path of the one or more frame systems, and configured to detect the proximity of at least one item within a predetermined distance; and A region controller configured to perform at least one of the following: Determine the length of each item that moves along the motion path. Continuously monitor the position of each item moving along the motion path, and Control all of the plurality of motors to cause a set of drive rollers located directly below the first article to rotate at a uniform first speed, and to continuously adjust the set of drive rollers as the first article moves along the motion path.

18. The conveying system of claim 17, wherein the area controller is configured to communicate directly with each of the plurality of motors via a network, continuously receive operating data of each motor, and send operating instructions to each motor based on the received operating data.

19. The conveying system of claim 17, wherein the motion path is defined only by the plurality of drive rollers, each drive roller is directly driven by one of the plurality of motors, and no speed reducer is provided between any of the drive rollers and the single motor among the plurality of motors.

20. The conveying system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the plurality of rollers includes an anti-slip coating.

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