Conveyor gap closures

Abstract

In one aspect, a gap closure device includes a body configured to be supported within a gap of a roller conveyor by upstream and downstream rollers. The body has an upper closure portion with an upper contact portion that slidingly contacts the upstream and downstream rollers above the narrowest portion of the gap. The body further includes a plurality of laterally spaced upstream legs connected to the upper closure portion and a plurality of laterally spaced downstream legs connected to the upper closure portion and spaced longitudinally from the upstream legs. The upstream legs have upstream distal ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap. The downstream legs similarly have downstream ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 316,344, filed on March 3, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002]

[0002] This disclosure relates to conveyors, and more particularly to gap closures that close gaps between conveying surfaces of a conveyor. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] A conveyor has a conveying surface for supporting an object and transporting the object downstream along the conveyor. Conveyors often have a gap between the conveying surfaces of the conveyor to allow relative movement of the conveying surfaces. As some examples, the conveying surfaces can be the outer surfaces of adjacent belts, the outer surface of a single belt (e.g., a belt junction), or the outer surfaces of adjacent rollers.

[0004]

[0004] One type of conveyor system is a roller conveyor. Roller conveyors are used to transport objects, such as packages in a package distribution center or products in a manufacturing environment, from one location to another. Roller conveyors often have rollers rotatably supported by the conveyor frame at fixed locations along the conveyor frame. The rollers support the objects on the roller conveyor and rotate to transport the objects downstream.

[0005]

[0005] Roller conveyors include passive roller conveyors and active conveyors. Passive roller conveyors use gravity or the momentum of an object to move an object across multiple rollers of the roller conveyor. Active roller conveyors use a drive, such as an electric motor coupled to a rotatable drive member, to rotate the rollers of the roller conveyor and urge the object downstream along the rollers. For example, the roller conveyor may have a roller and a drive, such as a drive belt, in contact with the roller, and the rotatable drive member is a drive roller engaged with the drive belt to move the drive belt and cause a corresponding rotation of the roller. As another example, the roller conveyor may include a roller with a sprocket and a chain engaged with the sprocket, and the rotatable drive member is a drive sprocket to move the chain to cause the rotation of the roller.

[0006]

[0006] Some roller conveyors have rollers and a drive member, such as an O-ring, that engages in the roller groove to transfer rotation from one roller to an adjacent roller. The O-ring extends around the roller and into the roller groove, and has an upper run and a lower run that extend across the gap between adjacent rollers. The area of ​​the roller conveyor where the O-ring enters the roller groove creates a potential pinch point that can be dangerous to workers. For example, a worker's glove may become pinched between the O-ring and the roller when attempting to remove a jammed object on the conveyor.

[0007]

[0007] Also, an article may fall through one of the gaps between the rollers into the area below. An object falling through the gap between the rollers may damage the underlying structure, such as jamming the drive pulley that drives the rollers. As another example, a part of an object, such as a corner of a box, may get stuck in the gap between the rollers. These situations may have a detrimental effect on the operation of the roller conveyor and nearby machinery. Summary of the Invention

[0008]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gap closure for a roller conveyor is provided, the gap closure having an upstream roller and a downstream roller for conveying an object in a downstream longitudinal direction and a gap between the upstream roller and the downstream roller. The gap closure includes a body configured to be supported by the upstream roller and the downstream roller in the gap as the upstream roller and the downstream roller rotate during operation of the roller conveyor. The body has an upper closure for preventing the object from falling through the gap. The upper closure has an upper contact portion that slides against the upstream roller and the downstream roller above the narrowest portion of the gap. The body further includes a plurality of laterally spaced upstream legs connected to the upper closure, and a plurality of laterally spaced downstream legs connected to the upper closure at a longitudinal distance from the upstream legs. The upstream legs have an upstream distal end disposed below the narrowest portion of the gap to keep the body in the gap. The downstream legs similarly have a downstream end disposed below the narrowest portion of the gap to keep the body in the gap. In this manner, the upstream and downstream legs can independently contact the associated upstream or downstream roller to retain the gap closure device within the gap despite local variations in the outer surfaces of the upstream and downstream rollers.

[0009]

[0009] The present disclosure also provides a gap closure disposed in a gap between an upstream roller and a downstream roller that are rotatable to convey an object across the gap in a downstream longitudinal direction. The gap closure includes a body disposed in the gap. The body has an upstream contact portion that slides against the upstream roller, a downstream contact portion that slides against the downstream roller, and an opposing side portion extending longitudinally intermediate the upstream contact portion and the downstream contact portion. One of the side portions of the body includes a transverse biasing member configured to apply a transverse biasing force to a surface adjacent the body to maintain a spacing between the body and the surface during operation of the roller conveyor. For example, a second gap closure may be disposed in the gap adjacent the gap closure, and a resilient biasing member engages the second gap closure to space the gap closures evenly within the gap. As another example, the roller conveyor includes a side wall and the transverse biasing member of the gap closure engages the side wall to prevent the upper closure portion of the gap closure from rattling against the side wall during conveyor operation.

[0010]

[0010] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a gap closure system for a roller conveyor having rollers operable to transport an object across a gap between the rollers in a downstream longitudinal direction, the roller conveyor having a conveyor structure adjacent to the gap and lateral outward from the rollers. The gap closure system includes a gap closure disposed in the gap, the gap closure having a contact portion configured to slide against the roller and support the gap closure in the gap. The gap closure has opposing side portions extending longitudinally in the gap, one of the side portions configured to be disposed adjacent to the conveyor structure when the gap closure is disposed in the gap. The gap closure system further includes a retainer configured to hold one side portion of the gap closure adjacent to the conveyor structure and prevent lateral movement of the gap closure away from the conveyor structure during operation of the roller conveyor. The retainer inhibits the gap closure from freely displacing lateral in the gap. For example, a roller conveyor may utilize a single gap closure in the gap and an upper drive (e.g., an upper run of an O-ring) that extends across the gap. A retainer may be configured to keep the single gap closure positioned below the upper drive, such that the gap closure blocks the areas where the upper drive moves out of the groove of the upstream roller and into the groove of the downstream roller. The presence of the gap closure in these areas prevents a human operator from getting their gloves caught in the pinch point where the upper drive moves into the groove of the downstream roller.

[0011]

[0011] The present disclosure also provides a roller conveyor system having a fixed conveyor frame and upstream and downstream rollers rotatably mounted to the conveyor frame. The upstream and downstream rollers are rotatable to transport objects across the gap between the rollers in a downstream direction and are fixed to prevent longitudinal movement. The roller conveyor system includes an elongated gap closure supported in the gap by the upstream and downstream rollers, whereby the gap closure remains in a fixed longitudinal position along the fixed conveyor frame. The gap closure has a length or longitudinal extent oriented to extend transversely within the gap. The gap closure has upstream and downstream contact portions that slide against the upstream and downstream rollers as they rotate during operation of the roller conveyor system. The gap closure includes a plurality of transversely spaced upstream legs with an upstream distal end and a plurality of transversely spaced downstream legs with a downstream distal end. The upstream and downstream distal ends are positioned adjacent the upstream and downstream rollers below the narrowest portion of the gap. When the gap closure device remains in the gap during operation of the roller conveyor system, less than all of the distal ends of the upstream or downstream legs of the gap closure device may contact the adjacent upstream or downstream rollers, which reduces friction in the roller conveyor system.

[0012]

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a gap closure is provided for a roller conveyor having upstream and downstream rollers for conveying objects in a downstream longitudinal direction and a gap between the upstream and downstream rollers. The gap closure includes an elongated body configured to be supported in the gap by the upstream and downstream rollers as they rotate during operation of the roller conveyor. The elongated body has a length or longitudinal extent oriented to extend in a transverse direction with the body in the gap.

[0013]

[0013] The body has an upper occlusion for preventing objects from falling through the gap, and an upper contact portion of the upper occlusion that slides against the upstream roller and the downstream roller above the narrowest portion of the gap. The body further includes a plurality of short-side spaced upstream legs connected to the upper occlusion, and a plurality of short-side spaced downstream legs connected to the upper occlusion and spaced longitudinally from the upstream legs. The upstream and downstream legs have upstream and downstream distal ends disposed below the narrowest portion of the gap to keep the body within the gap. Because the body is elongated, the multiple upstream and downstream legs will be easier to mold than a long single upstream leg and a long single downstream leg. The elongated body may also be cut to a desired length by cutting the elongated body longitudinally through the upstream short-side spacing between a pair of upstream legs and the corresponding downstream short-side spacing between a pair of downstream legs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller conveyor having rollers for transporting objects in a longitudinal downstream movement direction, a gap between the rollers, a gap closure in the gap, and an O-ring connecting the rollers. [Diagram 2]

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the gap closures of FIG. 1 , showing the upper bridge portion of the gap closure sized to extend in the longitudinal downstream travel direction into the gap between adjacent rollers, and the downstream legs spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction. [Diagram 3]

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the gap closure of FIG. 2 showing the longitudinal spacing between the upstream and downstream legs of the gap closure and the biasing arm intermediate the legs. [Figure 4]

[0017] FIG. 3 is a front view of the gap closure of FIG. 2, showing the upstream legs of the gap closure, the transverse spaces between adjacent upstream legs, and the biasing arms extending transversely from opposing transverse sides of the bridge portion. [Diagram 5]

[0018] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by the dotted circle in FIG. 4, showing a biasing arm having a lower free end configured to engage within an associated gap with the biasing arm of a laterally adjacent gap closure device. [Figure 6]

[0019] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the gap closure of FIG. 2 showing a recess in the underside of the bridge portion longitudinally aligned with the transverse space between the upstream and downstream legs of the gap closure. [Figure 7]

[0020] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a roller of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 showing the upper run of the O-ring spanning the gap between adjacent rollers that it connects and extending above the bridge portion of the gap closure device. [Figure 8]

[0021] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7 showing the bridge portion of one of the gap closures below an upper run of one of the O-rings and the distal free end of the gap closure leg above a lower run of that O-ring, the gap closure being between the upper and lower runs of the O-rings. [Figure 9]

[0022] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7 showing the gap closure of FIG. 8 with the distal free ends of the legs below the narrowest portion of the gap to hold the gap closure in place within the gap. [Figure 10]

[0023] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 7, showing the drive pulley below the roller and the drive O-ring extending upward from the drive pulley to the roller. [Figure 11]

[0024] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 7 showing the biasing arms of laterally adjacent gap closures resiliently engaging each other and deflecting toward the adjacent end-most legs of the gap closures, urging the gap closures apart. [Figure 12]

[0025] FIG. 2 is a side view of the drive assembly of the roller conveyor of FIG. 1, showing two drive O-rings extending from the drive pulley to two of the adjacent rollers. [Figure 13]

[0026] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the rollers of FIG. 12 showing the upper sides of two drive O-rings engaged with two of the rollers and a central gap occluder having a drive O-ring-free top surface longitudinally intermediate and extending across the two rollers. [Figure 14]

[0027] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 14-14 of FIG. 13, showing one of two O-rings extending through the transverse space between the upstream legs of the central gap occluder. [Figure 15]

[0028] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 15-15 of FIG. 13 showing the other of the two O-rings that extend through the transverse space between the downstream legs of the central gap occluder. [Figure 16]

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller conveyor having rollers and a gap closer in the gap between two adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. [Figure 17]

[0030] FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of one of the gap closers of FIG. 16, showing a top surface of the gap closer having a wide recessed channel to provide clearance for a portion of the drive member to extend across the top surface of the gap closer. [Figure 18]

[0031] FIG. 18 is an elevational view of the gap closure of FIG. 17 showing resilient arms on opposite short sides of the gap closure. [Figure 19]

[0032] FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of the gap closure of FIG. 17 showing longitudinal ribs on the underside of the gap closure and recesses between the longitudinal ribs. [Figure 20]

[0033] 20 is a cross-sectional view taken across line 20-20 of FIG. 17, showing the recessed channel on the top surface of the gap closer and the raised portions of the gap closer on either side of the recessed channel. [Figure 21]

[0034] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 21-21 of FIG. 16, showing one of the resilient arms of the gap closure device housed in a retainer that prevents the gap closure device from displacing laterally away from the side wall of the roller conveyor. [Figure 22]

[0035] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the gap closer and retainer of FIG. 16 with the sidewall removed to reveal the adhesive pads of the retainer connecting it to the sidewall. [Figure 23]

[0036] FIG. 11 is a front view of another gap closure device showing laterally spaced legs each having a closed end with a flat cutter receiving surface. [Figure 24]

[0037] FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective view of the gap closure of FIG. 23 showing a post protruding from the underside of the upper closure portion of the gap closure. [Diagram 25]

[0038] FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of another gap closure showing the underside of the upper closure portion of the gap closure, the underside including longitudinal ribs intersecting transverse ribs. [Figure 26]

[0039] FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of another gap closure showing the underside of the upper closure portion of the gap closure, the underside including a raised wall and a post. [Figure 27]

[0040] FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of another gap closure showing a gap closure having a thicker upper closure portion with a generally flat underside surface without transverse and longitudinal ribs intermediate the legs of the gap closure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015]

[0041] In the following discussion, the downstream longitudinal direction is referred to as the direction in which objects are conveyed by the conveyor. The conveyor includes conveying surfaces, such as the outer surfaces of the rollers, and a gap extending longitudinally between the conveying surfaces. In the following discussion, the term transverse direction is used to refer to a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction and extends across the conveying surfaces. For example, the gap closure device 42 of FIG. 1 has a width 162 (see FIG. 2) that extends longitudinally when the gap closure device 42 is installed in the gap 28 (see FIG. 8) between the rollers 330, 332. The gap closure device 42 has a length 160 (see FIG. 2) that extends transversely within the gap 28 along the rollers 330, 332 when the gap closure device 42 is installed in the gap 28.

[0016]

[0042] In one aspect of the disclosure, a gap closure is provided for a roller conveyor having upstream and downstream rollers for conveying objects in a downstream longitudinal direction and a gap of varying width between the upstream and downstream rollers. The gap closure includes a body disposed within the gap and an upper closure portion of the body for preventing objects conveyed by the roller conveyor from falling through the gap. The body has upstream and downstream contact portions configured to contact a conveying surface above a narrowest portion of the gap. The body has a plurality of resilient, laterally spaced upstream legs with an upstream distal end disposed below the narrowest portion of the gap. The body has a plurality of resilient, laterally spaced downstream legs with a downstream distal end disposed below the narrowest portion of the gap. Each of the upstream and downstream legs is independently movable relative to the upper closure portion of the body, such that the legs may resiliently flex through localized biases in the outer surface of the associated upstream or downstream roller. In this way, the gap closure can remain in the gap despite biases in the outer surface of the roller, and in some embodiments, noise is also reduced because one or two legs can displace around local biases in the outer surface of the roller, while the remaining legs resist the up and down movement of the gap closure and the associated wobble of the gap closure on the outer surface of the roller.

[0017]

[0043] The ability of the upstream and downstream legs to move independently also allows the installer to sequentially flex groups of legs to advance the legs into the gap rather than having to flex all of the legs at once. The ability of the installer to manually flex the legs reduces the force required to flex a few smaller, thinner legs at a time compared to bending a single resilient leg that runs the entire length of the gap closure, significantly improving the ease of installation of the gap closure. Another advantage of multiple resilient upstream and downstream legs is that the individual legs can be trimmed to avoid localized obstructions such as O-rings or damaged portions of the roller.

[0018]

[0044] The gap closure is configured such that when installed between adjacent rollers, the top surface of the gap closure is recessed from the apex of the upstream and downstream rollers, resulting in a gap between the top surface and an object being conveyed by the upstream and downstream rollers during normal conveyor operation. If a portion of the conveyed object protrudes below the apex of the upstream and downstream rollers into the gap, the top surface of the gap closure is positioned to prevent that protruding portion from protruding further into the gap and potentially becoming trapped in the gap. Alternatively, for smaller objects, the gap closure prevents the object from unnecessarily falling through the gap.

[0019]

[0045] The gap closure is configured such that the top surface of the upper closure portion fits low enough in the gap below an upper run of a drive member, such as an O-ring, connecting adjacent upstream and downstream rollers, such that the top surface does not contact the O-ring upper run and the O-ring can move freely above the gap closure top surface, spaced apart and above with a gap between it and the gap closure top surface. The drive member may be, for example, an O-ring, band, or chain, as some examples. The drive member may be a single unitary member, such as an O-ring made of a polymeric material. Alternatively, the drive member may include multiple members, such as a cable or chain. The drive member may be made of a metal material and / or a plastic material, as some examples.

[0020]

[0046] In one application, the upper closure of the gap closure may be positioned such that the upper closure extends adjacent to the grooves in the upstream and downstream rollers that house the O-ring. The upper closure extends across the groove below the upper run of the O-ring to block the pinch point that forms where the upper run of the O-ring enters the groove of the downstream roller. Because the upper closure blocks the pinch point between the upper run of the O-ring and the downstream roller, there is less room for an operator to insert their hand and potentially pinch their glove between the O-ring and the downstream roller.

[0021]

[0047] The upper closure of the gap closure also provides a lower support for the upper run of the O-ring so that the upper run can deflect and contact the upper surface of the upper closure when a conveyed object contacts the upper run of the O-ring. The upper surface of the upper closure is a predetermined distance below the upper run of the O-ring, such as just below the upper run of the O-ring, to limit deflection of the upper run of the O-ring due to contact from the object. The upper closure prevents the upper run of the O-ring from deflecting too far below the apex of the roller, which could damage the O-ring, and prevents the O-ring from deflecting too far in the transverse direction and becoming dislodged from the groove.

[0022]

[0048] The distal ends of the legs of the gap closure are configured to be above and have a clearance with the lower run of the O-ring when the gap closure is seated in the gap. The upper and lower runs of the O-ring and the outer surfaces of the upstream and downstream rollers extend around a window opening in the gap between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. When the gap closure is placed in the gap, a side of the gap closure may be advanced through the window opening in a lateral direction. Because the upper closure and the distal ends of the legs have clearance with the upper and lower runs of the O-ring, respectively, the gap closure may extend the full lateral length of the upstream and downstream rollers without impeding movement of the O-ring.

[0023]

[0049] Referring to FIG. 1, a conveyor system such as a roller conveyor 10 is shown that includes rollers 12 rotatably mounted on a conveyor frame 14. The conveyor frame 14 is stationary, such as secured to a facility floor via fasteners. Typically, the frame 14 remains in place while the rollers 12 rotate to move objects 24 in a downstream longitudinal direction 26. The roller conveyor 10 has O-rings 16 that interconnect the rollers 12 and translate rotation in a rotational direction 20 of the drive pulley 18 into a corresponding rotation in a rotational direction 22 of the rollers 12. Rotation of the rollers 12 in the rotational direction 22 transports the objects 24 in the downstream longitudinal direction 26. The rollers 12 are separated by gaps 25 that extend in the transverse direction, which provide clearance for the outer surfaces 30 of the rollers 12 to rotate without contacting each other. Because the rollers 12 are rotatably mounted on the stationary frame 14, the gaps 25 are invariant.

[0024]

[0050] The roller conveyor 10 has one or more gap closures 40 installed in each of the gaps 25 and supported on the rotating outer surfaces 30 of the rollers 12 to prevent objects from falling through the gaps 25 or getting caught between the rollers 12 in the gaps 25. The gap closures 40 are fixed in position along the frame 14. Specifically, each of the gap closures 40 remains within the corresponding gap 25 during operation of the roller conveyor 10. The gap closures 40 may vibrate, such as displacing slightly up / down and / or upstream / downstream within the gap 25 during operation of the roller conveyor 10, but remain within the gap 25.

[0025]

[0051] The gap closure 40 may include a plurality of gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 arranged side-by-side within each gap 25, thereby collectively extending the entire length of the roller 12. One or more of the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 may be cut to a length such that the combined length of the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 within the gap 25 corresponds to the distance between the skirts 15 of the frame 14. When installed, the gap closures 40 have an upper surface 50 that is recessed a distance 54 from the apex 52 (see FIG. 12 ) of the roller 12, such that objects 24 may be conveyed along the roller 12 without contacting the gap closures 40 during normal operation of the roller conveyor 10. If, as the object 24 is transported across the gaps 25, a portion of the object 24, such as a corner, protrudes into one of the gaps 25, an associated gap closure 40 is positioned to contact the protruding portion of the object 24 to prevent the object 24 from getting caught in the gap 25, or, if the object 24 is small enough, to prevent it from falling through the gap 25.

[0026]

[0052] 2 and 3, the gap closure 42 is similar to the other gap closures 40, and therefore the discussion herein regarding the gap closure 42 is equally applicable to the other gap closures 40 of the roller conveyor 10. The gap closure 42 has an elongated body 60 including an upper portion 62 having a bridge portion 64 with a top surface 50 thereon, and upstream and downstream contact portions 66, 68 in sliding engagement with the outer surface 30 of the roller 12. The body 60 includes a lower portion 70 having opposed distal ends 72, 74, with a maximum outer width 76 of the lower portion 70 formed between the opposed distal ends 72, 74.

[0027]

[0053] The lower portion 70 has an initial configuration in which a maximum outer width 76 is greater than a minimum distance 78 (see FIG. 8 ) spanning the narrowest portion 80 of the associated gap 28. The lower portion 70 has one or more resilient sections that allow the lower portion 70 to be displaced from the initial configuration to a deflected configuration. In the deflected configuration, the maximum outer width 76 of the lower portion 70 is reduced to be less than the minimum distance 78 of the narrowest portion 80 of the associated gap 28, allowing the distal ends 72, 74 to be advanced through and positioned below the narrowest portion 80 of the gap 28. The lower portion 70 may be displaced from the initial configuration to the deflected configuration, for example, by urging one of the distal ends 72, 74 toward the other distal end 72, 74.

[0028]

[0054] The body 60 also includes an intermediate portion 84 between the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 70. The intermediate portion 84 has outer surfaces 86, 88 with a distance 90 therebetween that is less than the minimum distance 78 across the narrowest portion of the associated gap 28. The distance 90 is sized such that the outer surfaces 86, 88 have a clearance with the rollers 332, 340 when the body 60 is disposed within the gap 28 and the distal ends 72, 74 are below the narrowest portion 80 of the gap 28, even though the lower portion 70 is in an initial, undeflected configuration.

[0029]

[0055] In one form, the body 60 includes upstream and downstream legs 100, 102 depending from the bridge portion 64. The upstream and downstream legs 100, 102 include distal ends 72, 74 of the body 60. One or more of the upstream and downstream legs 100, 102 are resilient, allowing the lower portion 70 of the body 60 to be displaced from an initial configuration to a deflected configuration, allowing the body 60 to be disposed within the gap 28. For example, all of the upstream legs 100 are resilient and all of the downstream legs 102 are resilient. In another embodiment, the upstream legs 100 include alternating rigid and resilient legs, and the downstream legs 102 include alternating rigid and resilient legs. In yet another embodiment, all of the upstream legs 100 are resilient and all of the downstream legs 102 are resilient.

[0030]

[0056] 3, the upstream leg 100 and the downstream leg 102 have connections 104, 106 to the bridge portion 64 at longitudinally spaced locations such that a longitudinal space 110 exists between the upstream leg 100 and the downstream leg 102. The longitudinal space 110 allows the upstream leg 100 and the downstream leg 102 to be displaced relative to one another to reduce the maximum outer width of the distal ends 72, 74 for advancement of the body 60 into the associated gap 28.

[0031]

[0057] The width of bridge portion 64 is sized, relative to the distance between the axes of rotation of rollers 330, 332 and the outer diameter of rollers 330, 332, to position gap occluder 42 low enough within gap 28 that O-ring upper run 362 can extend across upper surface 50 without contacting upper surface 50. Legs 100, 102 also have heights sized to position distal ends 72, 74 below narrowest portion 80 of gap 28 with clearance between O-ring lower run 364. In one embodiment, rollers 330, 332 have an outer diameter of 1.9 inches and a distance 115 (see FIG. 8) between the axes of rotation of rollers 330, 332 of 3 inches. Referring to FIG. 3, the bridge portion 64 has a maximum width 117 of 1.7 inches, the gap closure 42 has a maximum height 119 of 1.45 inches, the legs 100, 102 have a height 121 of 1.325 inches, and the maximum outer width 76 of the legs 100, 102 is 1.45 inches with the legs in their unflexed configuration.

[0032]

[0058] 8, one or more of the distal ends 72, 74 are spaced from the rollers 330, 332 during normal conveyor operation to reduce frictional resistance to the rotation of the rollers 330, 332 caused by the gap closure device 42. The distal ends 72, 74 have contact surfaces 112, 113 positioned to contact the outer surfaces 400, 402 (see FIG. 7) of the rollers 330, 332 to stabilize the gap closure device in the gap 28 when there are irregularities in the conveyor operation. Each of the upstream legs 100 includes one of the contact surfaces 112 and each of the downstream legs 102 includes one of the contact surfaces 113. For example, a leading edge of the conveyed object 24 may press the contact portion 66 of the gap closure device 42 downward against the roller 330, which urges the opposing contact portion 68 away from the roller 332. This causes the contact surface portion 113 (see FIG. 3) to pivot upwardly, thereby temporarily engaging the outer surface 402 of the roller 332 to resist lifting of the contact portion 68 off the roller 330. As another example, one of the rollers 330, 332 may have an imperfection in the outer surface 400, 402 that causes one or more of the contact surface portions 112, 113 to contact the associated roller 330, 332 and resist movement of the gap closure device 42 out of the gap 28.

[0033]

[0059] The body 60 of the gap closure 42 may be a polymeric material, such as ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene or another plastic, that has a low coefficient of friction for low-friction contact with the outer surface 30 of the roller 40 to reduce frictional resistance to the rotation of the roller 40. The material of the body 60 may also be selected to allow the gap closure 42 to be cut using conventional hand tools, such as a saw, knife, or industrial scissors. The gap closure 42 may be formed using, for example, injection molding, extrusion, roll molding, subtractive manufacturing processes, or additive manufacturing processes. As another example, a gap closure according to the present disclosure may be formed by bending a metal plate into a body and utilizing a plastic pad on the metal plate. The plastic pad may be used to provide a reduced coefficient of friction between the gap closure and the roller.

[0034]

[0060] 3, the upper surface 50 includes an inner flat surface portion 120 and outer angled surface portions 124, 126. The inner surface portion 120 is longitudinally intermediate the opposing outer surface portions 124 and 126. As previously mentioned, the inner surface portion 120 is flat and thus extends perpendicular to the vertical axis 148 of the gap closure device 42, while the outer surface portions 124, 126 extend obliquely relative to the vertical axis 148 and the inner surface portion 120, tapering downwardly therefrom at either longitudinal end of the inner surface portion 120.

[0035]

[0061] The contact portions 66, 68 include angled lower surface portions 140, 142 that contact the cylindrical outer surface of the roller 12. The contact portions 66, 68 have recesses, such as the transverse outer recesses 270, 274 of FIG. 6, that create thin and thick sections of the angled lower surface portions 140, 142 to reduce the contact area between the gap closure device 42 and the roller 12. With reference to FIG. 3, the contact portions 66, 68 further include joints 145, 147 between the outer surface portions 124, 126 and the angled lower surface portions 140, 142. The joints 145, 147 form thin edges to minimize the possibility of a conveyed object becoming caught in the gap closure device 42.

[0036]

[0062] The recesses 270, 274 may also reduce the sound made by the gap closure 42 as the roller 12 rotates. More specifically, the surfaces 280, 282, 284 (see FIG. 6) define the approximate U-shape of the recesses 270, 274. The inclined surface portions 124, 126 provide a surface that projects downward into the gap 28 to contact objects moving in either direction 125, 127. The inclined surfaces 124, 126 urge the objects upward and onto the flat surface portion 120 to convey the objects to the downstream rollers 330, 332. In one form, the gap closure 42 is symmetrical about a plane extending in the short direction as represented by the vertical axis 148 in FIG. 3. The gap closure 42 may thereby be positioned in the gap 28 with either of the contact portions 66, 68 in sliding engagement with the upstream roller 330.

[0037]

[0063] 2, the gap closure 42 has opposing side portions 150, 152, which include sides 154, 156 of the bridge portion 64. The gap closure 42 has an overall length 160 extending between the short side portions 150, 152 and an overall width 162 extending perpendicular to the length 160. The gap closure 42 may be cut to a desired length such that adjacent gap closures 40 in a gap may extend the entire length 169 (see FIG. 1) of the outer surface 30 of the associated roller 12. Because one of the gap closures 40 may be cut to a desired length during installation, adjacent gap closures 40 may be installed to extend the entire length 169 of the outer surface 30 of the roller 40, even though the overall length 169 is not a multiple of the length 160 of the individual gap closures 40.

[0038]

[0064] For example, the gap closure member 42 may be cut along a line 166 at a short space 170 between downstream legs 168, 172. The short space 170 aligns with a corresponding short space 174 (see FIG. 4 ) between upstream legs 176, 178 as well as a recess 180 in the underside of the bridge portion 64. Cutting along a line 166 aligned with the short spaces 170, 174 as well as the recess 180 allows the installer to cut less material to cut the gap closure member 42 to the desired length.

[0039]

[0065] For some installations, one or more of the resilient upstream and downstream legs 100, 102 may be cut to accommodate adjacent structures. For example, one of the downstream legs 102 may be cut along line 163 to remove the distal end of the leg 102 to accommodate an upper run of an O-ring (which would provide additional O-ring clearance, for example, for the installation shown in FIG. 15). As another example, one or more of the upstream and / or downstream legs 100, 102 may be cut off to provide clearance for a damaged roller. As yet another example, one of the transverse spacings 170, 174 may be widened by removing material from one of the adjacent legs to provide clearance for an O-ring run to extend through.

[0040]

[0066] 4 and 5, the short side portions 152, 150 of the gap closure member 42 have biasing members, such as resilient arms 190, 192, that depend downwardly and cooperate with adjacent gap closure members 40 or conveyor structure, such as skirt 15, to form a resilient joint 196 (see FIG. 7). Referring to FIG. 7, the resilient joint 196 urges the gap closure members 42, 44 apart in opposite short directions 204, 206. The gap closure members 44, 46, 48 have corresponding resilient arms 190, 192 that flex or compress when the gap closure members 42, 44, 46, 48 are in the gap 28 to form a resilient joint with the side portions 157, 159, 171, 173, and 175 (see FIG. 1). More specifically, the elastic joints formed between the gap closure members 42, 44, 46, 48 firmly engage the short side portion 150 of gap closure member 42 against the skirt of the frame 14, engage the short side portion 152 of gap closure member 42 against the short side portion 155 of gap closure member 44, engage the short side portion 157 of gap closure member 44 against the short side portion 159 of the adjacent gap closure member 46, engage the short side portion 171 of gap closure member 46 against the short side portion 173 of gap closure member 48, and engage the short side portion 175 of gap closure member 48 with the skirt 15. The elastic deformation of the arms 190, 192 accommodates uneven spacing 208 between the opposing short sides 154 and 156 (see FIG. 2) of adjacent gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48, thereby providing uniform spacing of the multiple gap closures 40 across the short side of the gap 28.

[0041]

[0067] Returning to FIG. 5 , the resilient arm 190 includes a base portion 210 depending from the bridge portion 64 and a free end portion 212 opposite the base portion 210. The free end portion 212 includes an upper inclined surface portion 214 and a lower inclined surface portion 216 which extend obliquely relative to the vertical axis 148 and in opposite directions relative to one another. The lower inclined surface portion 216 may cam engage the upper inclined surface portion 214 of the laterally adjacent gap closure member 44 within the gap 28 as the gap closure member 42 is displaced downwardly in a direction 218 into the gap 28. The cam engagement between the lower inclined surface portion 216 of the resilient arm 190 of the gap closure member 42 and the upper inclined surface portion 214 of the adjacent resilient arm 192 of the laterally adjacent gap closure member 44 urges the free end portion 212 in a direction 220. The corresponding resilient arms 192 of the gap closure members 44 are likewise urged inwardly toward the adjacent legs 100, 102, opposite the direction 220. As the gap closure member 42 is positioned within the gap 28, the resilient arms 190 flex and the flexing of the arms 190 urges the contact surfaces 222 of the free ends 212 to abut the corresponding contact surfaces 222 of the laterally adjacent gap closure members 44, creating a biasing force that urges the gap closure members 42, 44 apart and distributes the gap closure members 42, 44 evenly across the shorter side of the gap 28.

[0042]

[0068] 5 and 6, the gap closure device 42 has open ended slots 230 that each open between the lowermost surfaces 231 of the downstream legs 234, 236 and extend upwardly therefrom to a closed end of the slot 230 below the bridge portion 64 to form a transverse space 238 between the legs 234, 236. The transverse space 238 has a varying distance transversely between the side portions 240, 242 of the legs 234, 236. Specifically, the transverse space 238 has a lower portion 244 spaced a first distance 246 apart across the transverse space and an upper portion 248 spaced a second distance 250 apart, the second distance being less than the first distance 246. The side portions 240, 242 are angled toward one another to provide a wider lower portion 244 and are connected by an arcuate end portion 252 at the closed end of the slot 230. The wider lower portion 244 makes it easier for an installer to position the downstream legs 234, 236 on either side of an O-ring connected to the drive pulley, as described below with reference to Figures 12-15. The body 60 has an upper wall portion 275 that flares above the arcuate end portion 252 to interconnect the legs 234, 236, providing rigidity to the otherwise resilient legs.

[0043]

[0069] 6, it can be seen that the upstream legs 260, 262 similarly have open ended slots 263 that include transverse spaces 264 with widths that vary transversely as the spaces 264 extend along the upstream legs 260, 262. The bridge portion 64 has an underside 277 with recesses 270, 272, 274 that are aligned longitudinally with the transverse spaces 232, 264 to reduce material for longitudinally cutting the gap closure device 42 (see, e.g., cut along line 166 in FIG. 2). In one form, the bridge portion 64 includes a concave surface 280 and side surfaces 282, 284 along opposing transverse sides of the concave surface 280 that cooperate to form a generally U-shaped profile for the recess 270. The recesses 272, 274, 276 have similar surfaces to form the shape of the recess.

[0044]

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4, the downstream legs 234, 236, and 308 are spaced along the gap closure member 42 such that there is a distance 300 between the short center 302 of the open end slot 233 between the downstream legs 234, 236 and the short center 304 of the open end slot 306 between the downstream legs 236, 308. The spacing 300 is similar or the same as the spacing 310 between the center 304 of the slot 306 and the short center 312 of the open end slot 314 between the downstream legs 308, 176. The uniform spacing 300, 310 provides equal divisions for an installer to cut the gap closure member 42 to size for a particular installation. For example, the distances 300, 310 may each be 1 inch. In one form, all of the transverse spacing between the upstream legs 100 have a uniform first spacing between the centers of the open-ended slots, and all of the transverse spacing between the downstream legs 102 have a uniform second spacing between the centers of the open-ended slots, so that the upstream legs 100 can be longitudinally aligned with the corresponding downstream legs 102. The uniform first spacing and the uniform second spacing may be equal to provide uniform spacing of the legs 100, 102 along the entire gap closer 42.

[0045]

[0071] 8, gap closure member 42 is shown in gap 28 between rollers 330, 332, and gap closure member 345 is shown in gap 336 between rollers 330 and 338. As seen in Figures 1 and 7, roller 330 has transverse outer groove 340 and transverse inner groove 404, roller 332 has transverse outer groove 334 and transverse inner groove 413, and roller 338 has transverse outer groove 407 and transverse inner groove 408. Grooves 334, 340, 404, 407, 408, and 413 are all formed in the outer surface of and extend around the entire circumference of their respective rollers and have an annular configuration. The annular grooves 404 , 408 of the rollers 330 , 338 receive a drive member such as an O-ring 360 , and the annular grooves 340 , 334 of the rollers 330 , 332 receive the O-ring 360 .

[0046]

[0072] 8, the O-ring 360 is shown engaged in the transversely outer annular grooves 340, 344. The O-ring 360 has an upper run 362, a lower run 364, and curved portions 366, 368 that connect the upper run 362 and the lower run 364 as it moves around the rollers 330, 332 in the annular grooves 340, 334. The gap closure 42 is configured such that the upper surface 50 of the gap closure 42 is below the upper run 362 with a clearance therebetween, and the distal ends 72, 74 are above the lower run 364 of the O-ring 360 with a clearance therebetween. In this manner, the gap closure 42 fits through a window opening 370 defined between the outer surfaces 400, 402 of the rollers 330, 332 and the upper and lower runs 362, 364 of the O-ring 360.

[0047]

[0073] 8, the upstream and downstream contact portions 66, 68 of the gap closure device 42 slidingly engage the outer surfaces 400, 402 of the rollers 330, 332 and extend across or on either side of the grooves 340, 344 to support the gap closure device 42 within the gap 28. One or more of the distal ends 72, 74 may be spaced from the rollers 330, 332 during normal conveyor operation to reduce frictional resistance of the gap closure device 42 to the rotation of the rollers 330, 332.

[0048]

[0074] Grooves 340, 344 each have a radially inner surface 370 and a side surface 372 that form a generally U-shaped cross section of grooves 340, 344. O-ring 360 exits groove 340 of roller 330 near the top of roller 330 and moves in direction 375 and enters groove 344 near the top of roller 332. Similarly, lower run 364 exits groove 344 at the bottom of roller 332 and moves in direction 376 and enters groove 340 of roller 330. Rollers 330, 332 have horizontal centerlines 380, 382 that extend perpendicular to their axes of rotation and correspond in size to the outer diameters of rollers 330, 332, which extend parallel to downstream longitudinal direction 26 and are aligned with narrowest portion 80 of gap 28 as seen in FIG. The upstream and downstream legs 100,102 of the gap closure device 42 extend downwardly within the gap 28 such that their distal ends 72,74 are disposed below the horizontal centerlines 380,382 of the rollers 330,332.

[0049]

[0075] 7 and 9, the gap closure 42 is shown with the contact portions 66, 68 in sliding engagement with the outer surfaces 400, 402 of the rollers 330, 332. At a transverse position along the length of the rollers 330, 332 in the cross-section of FIG. 9, there is no drive belt extending above and across the upper surface 50 of the gap closure 42. Due to the alternating inside / outside transverse arrangement of the O-ring on the rollers 40 (see FIG. 7), the O-ring 410 has an upper run 414 and a lower run 416 that extend above and below the gap closure 345 in the transverse position of the cross-section of FIG.

[0050]

[0076] The gap closure device 42 is normally or most commonly in the orientation of FIG. 9 during operation of the roller conveyor 10. A deviation in the profile of the rollers 330, 332, or an impact from an object, may cause the gap closure device 42 to temporarily deviate from the position shown in FIG. 9. For example, the upstream contact portion 66 may be displaced upward, downward, upstream, and / or downstream when the upstream contact portion 66 contacts an imperfection in the outer surface of the roller 330. In response, one or more of the leg distal ends 72, 74 of the gap closure device 42 may contact the roller 330 and / or roller 332, returning the gap closure device 42 to the normal orientation of FIG. 9.

[0051]

[0077] As shown in FIG. 10, the upper run 362 of the O-ring 360 is spaced a distance 430 above the upper surface 50 of the gap closure device 42. The upper surface 50 is positioned to contact the lower surface of the upper run 362 if the upper run 362 is deflected by the object being conveyed. The upper surface 50 resists deflection of the upper run 362 in a downward direction beyond the distance 430 to the upper surface 50, which protects the O-ring 360 from excessive deformation and keeps the O-ring 360 engaged in the grooves 340, 334. Additionally, the lower end surface 434 of the upstream leg 436 of the gap closure device 42 is spaced a distance 432 above the lower run 364 of the O-ring 360 when the gap closure device 42 is seated within the gap 28.

[0052]

[0078] With reference to Fig. 11, the lateral ends of the lateral adjacent gap closures 42,44 are shown with the resilient arms 190,192 in their deflected configuration. More specifically, the resilient arms 190,192 have contact surfaces 452,454 such that, with the arms 190,192 in their resiliently deflected, loaded configuration, the gap closures 42,44 are positioned within the gap 28 along with the gap closures 46,48 shown in Fig. 1. Impact between the resilient arms 190,192 causes intermediate portions 460,462 of the resilient arms 190,192 to bend. The bending of the resilient arms 190,192 creates a biasing force acting in directions 464,468 urging the gap closures 42,44 apart. The impingement between the resilient arms 190, 192 of the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 across the gap 28 accommodates non-uniform transverse spacing between the transverse sides 154, 156 of transversely adjacent gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 and the skirt 15, so that the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 are uniformly spaced along the rollers 330, 332. The uniform transverse spacing between the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 provided by the engaged resilient arms 190, 192 limits one of the transverse gaps between the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 from being larger than the other transverse gap. Large transverse gaps between the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 may be undesirable in some applications. Because the larger transverse gap provides a recess in which an object can be caught and / or an object label can be attached. Another advantage of the impingement between the resilient arms 190, 192 is that the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 are maintained in place along the rollers 330, 332, which prevents the gap closures 42, 44, 26, 48 from moving to an undesirable position. For example, if one of the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 has a cut leg to provide clearance for an O-ring runner, the impingement between the resilient arms 190, 192 keeps the gap closures 42, 44, 46, 48 in place and with the cut leg aligned with the O-ring runner.

[0053]

[0079] 12 and 13, a drive assembly 499 for the roller conveyor 10 is shown including the drive pulley 18, rollers 506, 508, 510, 512, and O-rings 546, 502, 504, 552, 554. The O-rings of the roller conveyor 10 are sized such that when seated in their respective grooves in the rollers and drive pulley 18, the O-rings frictionally engage, whereby rotation of the drive pulley 18 or the upstream roller causes rotation of the driven roller, either directly by the drive pulley, or directly by the upstream roller which is driven directly by the drive pulley. The rollers 506, 508, 510, 512 have transverse inner annular grooves 530, 532, 534, 536 and transverse outer annular grooves 538, 540, 542, 544 which house the transversely alternating O-rings 546, 502, 504, 552, 554. The gap closure member 522 has an upper surface 630 that does not intersect with any O-rings above it because the adjacent O-rings 502, 504 are directed downwardly of the gap closure member 522 toward the drive pulley 18 below the level of the rollers 506-512.

[0054]

[0080] Rollers 506, 508, 510, 512 are separated by gaps 514, 516, 518 such that rollers 506-512 are spaced apart from one another in the direction of longitudinal travel. Conveyor system 10 includes gap closures 520, 522, 524 within gaps 514, 516, 518 to prevent objects from falling through gaps 514, 516, 518. Rotation of drive pulley 18 causes O-rings 502, 504 to move around pulley 18 and rollers 508, 510, and friction between O-rings 502, 504 and rollers 508, 510 causes rollers 508, 510 to rotate. Rollers 506, 512 are connected to rollers 508, 510 via O-rings 546, 552 such that rotation of rollers 508, 510 caused by rotation of drive pulley 18 causes similar rotation of rollers 506, 512. Gap closures 520, 522, 524 remain generally stationary within gaps 514, 514, 516 as rollers 506, 508, 510, 512 rotate.

[0055]

[0081] 14, the O-ring 502 includes a downstream run 570, an upstream run 572, a curved portion 574 in the groove 540 of the roller 508, and a curved portion 574 in the groove 576 of the drive pulley 18. Rotation of the drive pulley 18 in a rotational direction 580 causes the O-ring 502 to move around the pulley 18 and the roller 508 such that the downstream run 570 moves in a direction 582 toward the groove 576 of the drive pulley 18 and the upstream run 572 moves in a direction 583 into the groove 540 of the pulley 508. The gap closure device 520 has downstream legs 590 and a transverse space 592 between the downstream legs 590. The transverse space 592 provides a clearance for the upstream run 572 to extend between the downstream legs 590. Similarly, gap closure 522 has upstream legs 594 and a transverse space 596 between upstream legs 594. Transverse space 596 provides clearance for downstream run 570 of O-ring 502 to extend from roller 508 to drive pulley 18.

[0056]

[0082] 15, O-ring 504 includes upstream and downstream runs 600 and 602 that move in rotational directions 604, 606, respectively, as drive pulley 18 rotates in direction 580. O-ring 504 includes a curved portion 610 that is received in inner groove 534 of roller 510 and a curved portion 612 that is received in groove 614 of drive pulley 18. Gap closure member 522 has a transverse space 622 between downstream legs 620, allowing upper run 600 of O-ring 504 to extend through transverse gap 622 of gap closure member 522 without contacting downstream legs 620.

[0057]

[0083] 14 and 15, the transverse gap 596 between the upstream legs 594 and the transverse gap 622 between the downstream legs 620 provide clearance for the O-rings 502, 504 to move and transfer rotation from the drive pulley 18 to the pulleys 508, 510. Thus, the gap closure 522, similar to other gap closures of the roller conveyor 10, may be installed on roller conveyors having complex arrangements of O-rings without interfering with the operation of the O-rings.

[0058]

[0084] 16, a roller conveyor 700 is provided that includes a conveyor frame 702 that rotatably supports rollers 704 that are rotatable in a direction 706 to transport objects downstream in a longitudinal direction 708. Although the rollers 704 are rotatable, the rollers 704 are fixed against movement in the longitudinal direction 708 via a bearing connection to the conveyor frame 702. The rollers 704 may be driven by a drive band that contacts the underside of the rollers 704, or may be rotated by the objects as gravity moves them along the roller conveyor 700. In another embodiment, the rollers 704 may have grooves to accommodate O-rings that drive the rollers 704 in a manner similar to the roller conveyors described above.

[0059]

[0085] The roller conveyor 700 has gaps 710 between the rollers 704. The conveyor frame 702 includes skirts or sidewalls 712, 714 extending laterally outward from the rollers 704 and extending longitudinally along the roller conveyor 700. In some embodiments, the sidewalls 712, 714 extend upwardly beyond the rollers 704 to keep conveyed objects moving in the downstream longitudinal direction 708 on the roller conveyor 700 and to prevent the conveyed objects from falling off the roller conveyor 700 in either transverse direction.

[0060]

[0086] As shown, gap 710 includes gap 720 having gap closure 40 and gap closure 730 disposed therein. Gap closure 730 is similar in many respects to gap closure 40 described above. It will be understood that other gaps 710 may include one or more gap closures as described above.

[0061]

[0087] 16 and 17, the gap closure device 730 has a body 732 configured to be supported within the gap 720 via a sliding contact between the body 732 and the associated rollers 704A, 704B. With reference to FIG. 17, the body 732 of the gap closure device 730 has an upper portion, such as a closure portion 734, sized to be positioned within the gap 720 above the narrowest portion of the gap 720 as measured in the downstream longitudinal direction 708 to prevent objects from falling between the rollers 704A, 704B. The closure portion 734 includes an upstream contact portion 736 and a downstream contact portion 738 configured to form a sliding contact with the rollers 704A, 704B above the narrowest portion of the gap 720 to support the gap closure device 730 within the gap 720 during operation of the roller conveyor 700. The body 732 further includes a resilient upstream leg 740, a resilient downstream leg 742, and resilient arms 744, 746, as shown in Figures 17 and 18. The gap closure device 730 has transverse spacing between the upstream legs 740 and downstream legs 742, such as downwardly open-ended slots 750, 752. The upstream legs 740 and downstream legs 742 are each transversely spaced apart from one or more transversely adjacent legs over the entire length of the legs 740, 742. The transverse spacing between the upstream legs 740 and downstream legs 742 allows the legs 740, 742 to displace independently of one another, so that each can accommodate localized deviations in the outer surface of the rollers 704A, 704B.

[0062]

[0088] 17, in a roller conveyor utilizing a drive member to rotate rollers 704A, 704B, gap closure 730 has an upper surface 760 with a wide recess 762 disposed below a portion of the drive member to provide clearance for that portion of the drive member. For example, the vertical location of the upper run of an O-ring used to rotate the rollers may vary from conveyor system to conveyor system, as well as within a given conveyor system, due to dimensional variations in the conveyor system components. The recess 762 provides a floor or concave portion 764 below a top portion 766 of the upper surface 760 to accommodate variations in drive member placement.

[0063]

[0089] 18, the closure portion 734 has an underside 770 with alternating longitudinal ribs 772 and recesses 774 extending transversely between the longitudinal ribs. The alternating longitudinal ribs and transverse recesses 774 form a crenulated, inclined lower contact surface 776 with thin and thick sections of the upstream contact portion 736 that contacts the upstream roller 704A. The downstream contact portion 738 of the gap closure member 730 has a similar configuration. The alternating transverse recesses 774 and longitudinal ribs 772 reduce the contact area between the gap closure member 730 and the roller 704, which reduces friction between the gap closure member 730 and the rollers 704A, 704B by dividing the inclined lower contact surface 776 into thin and thick sections such that there is no long, uniformly thick surface that engages the rollers 704A, 704B.

[0064]

[0090] 19, the upstream and downstream legs 740, 742 include pairs of longitudinally aligned upstream and downstream legs 740, 742, each pair separated by a longitudinal spacing 780 therebetween. The longitudinal ribs 772 each extend longitudinally from the upstream contact portion 736 to the downstream contact portion 738, each rib 772 being interrupted by a pair of the upstream and downstream legs 740, 742, such that the longitudinal ribs 772 each include an upstream rib portion 782, a downstream rib portion 784, and an intermediate rib portion 786. The longitudinal ribs 772 increase the thickness of the closure portion 734 at spaced locations along the gap closure 730 to facilitate the flow of material through a mold used to form the gap closure 730 during the injection molding process.

[0065]

[0091] 20, the gap closure member 730 includes a wide recess 762 and raised portions 790, 792 on either side of the recess 762. The gap closure member 730 has a channel 794 that includes the recess 762. The raised portion 790 includes a generally flat top portion 800, a side portion 802 of the channel 794 that extends upwardly from a recessed floor portion 804 of the channel 794, and a junction 806 between the flat top portion 800 and the side portion 802. Similarly, the raised portion 792 includes a flat top portion 810, a side portion 812 of the channel 794, and a junction 814 therebetween. When the gap closure device 730 is utilized in a roller conveyor with an upper run 824 of an O-ring 825, the floor 804 of the channel 794 provides a vertical spacing 820 having a distance 822 between the underside of the upper run 824 of the O-ring 825 and the floor 804 of the channel 794. The spacing 820 provides room to accommodate temporary downward displacement of the upper run 824, such as when a conveyed object contacts the upper run 824. The drive member 825 may include a lower run 826 that extends below the upstream leg 740 and downstream leg 742 of the gap closure device 730, the upper run 824 and the lower run 826 being interconnected by an arcuate portion that extends into a groove around the roller.

[0066]

[0092] 21 and 22, a retainer 850 is shown that may be utilized to hold one side of the gap closure device 730 adjacent to the sidewall 712 or other conveyor structure and prevent movement of the gap closure device 730 in the transverse direction 852 away from the sidewall 712 or other structure. The gap closure device 730 intermittently contacts the retainer 850 as the gap closure device 730 displaces slightly back and forth in the transverse directions 852, 896 during operation of the roller conveyor. The gap closure device 730 prevents the gap closure device 730 from displacing more than a predetermined transverse distance from the sidewall 712. In other words, the retainer 850 allows the gap closure device 730 to float within the gap 720 but limits the transverse movement of the gap closure device 730 within the gap 720. For example, retainer 850 may be used to hold gap closure 730 in a position where recess 762 is below the upper run of the O-ring. As another example, there may be only one gap closure 730 in the gap between rollers driven by the O-ring, and retainer 850 may be used to hold the gap closure 730 between the upper and lower runs of the O-ring to protect the O-ring from being damaged by an object. For example, the presence of gap closure 730 below the upper run of the O-ring positions the gap closure to prevent the upper run from deflecting downward too much when an object contacts the upper run. In some applications where a more secure connection may be desired, retainer 850 may be configured such that gap closure 730 is continuously in contact with or secured to retainer 850 during roller conveyor operation.

[0067]

[0093] In the illustrated form, the retainer 850 includes a mounting bracket 854 having a body 856 and an attachment member, such as an adhesive pad 858, for securing the body 856 to the sidewall 712. The attachment member may include one or more attachment members, such as fasteners, welding, or chemical bonding. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket 854 has openings for receiving fasteners, such as bolts or screws, for securing the mounting bracket 854 to the sidewall 712.

[0068]

[0094] The body 856 has a receptacle 860 that is sized and configured to receive a portion of the gap closure device 730, such as the resilient arm portion 746. As shown, the receptacle 860 can include a gap closure engagement portion, such as an arm portion 862, for engaging and limiting the movement of the gap closure device 730. The arm portion 862 is spaced from a base portion 866 of the body 856 by a gap 864. The arm portion 862 includes an angled upper end 870 having a tapered lead-in surface 872 that guides a lower end 874 of the resilient arm portion 746 into the gap 864 as the gap closure device 730 advances downwardly in a direction 880 into the gap 720. The tapered lead-in surface 872 is angled to extend downwardly and laterally outwardly from its upper end to its lower end. Both arm portion 862 and arm portion 746 are formed so as to be able to resiliently flex as required when arm portion 746 is inserted into receptacle 860 .

[0069]

[0095] The retainer 850 includes a stop 884 to prevent or inhibit the gap closure device 730 from moving in the transverse direction 852. In the illustrated form, the stop 884 is a section of the arm 862 that perpendicularly overlaps and interferes with the resilient arm 746 of the gap closure device 730 in the transverse direction 852. For example, the arm 862 of the retainer 850 overlaps the resilient arm 746 of the gap closure device 730 by a distance 886. The distance 886 is selected such that the arm 862 can accommodate variations in the installation of the retainer 850 as well as variations in the position of the gap closure device 730 within the gap 720, while still including an overlapping section of the arm 862 that forms the stop 884.

[0070]

[0096] The arm portion 862 of the retainer 850 has a surface portion 890 positioned to engage an opposing surface portion 892 of the resilient arm portion 746 of the gap closure device 730 to resist movement of the gap closure device 730 in the short-term direction 852. The illustrated retainer 850 may also include a base portion 866 secured to the side wall 712 and cooperating with the arm portion 862 to form a pocket or receptacle 860 therebetween. The lower end 874 of the resilient arm portion 746 and the base portion 866 have opposing vertically extending flat surfaces 900, 902 configured to engage and stop movement of the gap closure device 730 in the short-term direction 896.

[0071]

[0097] 22, the resilient arm 746 of the gap closure device 730 is received within a receptacle 860 of the retainer 850. The base 866 of the body 856 has a transverse extent sized such that when the retainer 850 is attached to the skirt 712, the retainer 850 fits into the space between the skirt wall 712 and the rollers and does not interfere with the rotation of the rollers 704A, 704B. In another embodiment, the retainer 850 may be integrally formed as a unitary structure as part of the sidewall 712 or other conveyor structure. As an example, the retainer 850 may include a tab bent out of the plane of the sidewall 712 that is configured to engage the resilient arm 746 of the gap closure device 730 and prevent the gap closure device 730 from being displaced transversely away from the sidewall 712, as well as the arm 862.

[0072]

[0098] 23, a gap closure device 950 is provided that is similar in many respects to the gap closure devices described above. The gap closure device 950 has a body 952 with an upper closure portion 954 and lower upstream and downstream legs 956 and 958. The upstream legs 956 have a lateral spacing 960 therebetween, and the downstream legs 958 have a lateral spacing 962 therebetween. The gap closure device 950 includes one or more bosses or posts 966, 968, 970. The bosses 966, 968, 970 may be remnants from the molding process and reflect the geometry of the material passage into the mold cavity used to form the gap closure device 950.

[0073]

[0099] The upstream legs 956A, 956B have flat sides 980, 982 connected by a flat end surface 984. The gap closure 950 has a junction between the sides 980, 982 and the flat end surface 984, such as a corner 990, 992. The sides 980, 982 have a slight taper toward each other from their bottom ends to the top flat end surface 984, whereby the bottom opening between the legs 956A, 956B is slightly enlarged. In this manner, the short spacing 960A forms an open ended slot 957 with an upper closed end at the flat end surface 984. The enlarged opening at the bottom of the slot 957 allows a cutting tool or cutter to be more easily inserted into the slot 957. The generally flat sides 980, 982 allow a user to slide a cutter, such as a knife blade, along one of the sides 980, 982 in a direction 996 to engage one of the corners 990, 992 as part of cutting the gap closure device 950 to a desired length. The relatively sharp corners 990, 992 provided by the intersecting sides 980, 982 and the flat end surface 984 provide two locations for a user to easily position the cutter and apply a cutting force against the gap closure device 950, which makes it easier to cut the gap closure device 950 to a desired length.

[0074]

[0100] The gap closure 950 has a repeating pattern of legs 956, 958 and short intervals 960, 962 to facilitate cutting of the gap closure 950 to a desired length while maintaining maneuverability of the gap closure 950. For example, the gap closure 950 can have an initial overall length 995 of approximately 12 inches. The gap closure 950 can have a length 997 from the midpoint of a pair of aligned short intervals 960, 962 to an adjacent pair of aligned short intervals 960, 962 of approximately 1 inch. The corners 990 and 992 of one of the slots are separated by a distance of approximately 0.25 inches. To cut the gap closure 950 to the desired length, the user decides to cut the gap closure 950 longitudinally (see reference numeral 166 in FIG. 2 ) at either corner 990 or corner 992 at one of the pairs of aligned short intervals 960, 962, so that the remaining portion of the gap closure 950 has the desired length.

[0075]

[0101] 25, there is shown a gap closure 1000 which is similar in many respects to the gap closures described above. The gap closure 1000 has a closure portion 1002 with an upstream leg 1004 and a downstream leg 1006 depending therefrom. The closure portion 1002 has a lower surface 1010 which includes a longitudinal rib 1012 which extends between an upstream contact portion 1014 and a downstream contact portion 1016. The lower surface 1010 further includes a transverse rib 1020 which forms a junction 1022 with the longitudinal rib 1012. The portions of the mold cavity used to form the transverse rib 1020 provide additional cross-sectional area for material to flow within the mold cavity to facilitate accurate formation of the gap closure 1000.

[0076]

[0102] 26, there is shown a gap closure 1050 which is similar in many respects to the gap closures described above. The gap closure 1050 has a closure portion 1052 and an upstream leg 1054 and a downstream leg 1056. The closure portion 1052 has an underside 1060 with longitudinal ribs 1062 intersecting with transverse ribs 1064. The gap closure 1050 further includes a longitudinal wall portion 1070 upstanding from the longitudinal ribs 1062 and a transverse wall portion 1072 upstanding from the transverse ribs 1064. The longitudinal wall portion 1070 and the transverse wall portion 1072 are connected at joints 1076. The gap closure 1050 further includes posts 1078 projecting from the transverse walls 1072. The portions of the mold cavity used to form the longitudinal walls 1070 and the transverse walls 1072 provide an increased cross-sectional area for material to flow within the mold cavity, facilitating accurate formation of the gap occluder 1050.

[0077]

[0103] With reference to FIG. 27, a gap closure 1100 is provided having a closure portion 1102 with an upstream contact portion 1104 and a downstream contact portion 1106. The gap closure 1100 has an upstream leg 1110 and a downstream leg 1112 depending from the closure portion 1102. The closure portion 1102 has a thickness 1120 that is greater than the minimum thickness 1122 (see FIG. 18) of the closure portions of some of the other gap closures disclosed herein. The increased thickness 1120 provides a greater cross-sectional area of ​​the portion of the mold cavity that forms the closure portion 1102 to facilitate material flow in the mold cavity. The upstream and downstream contact portions 1102, 1106 include recesses 1130, 1132 to reduce the contact area with the upstream and downstream rollers as described above and to reduce noise during operation of the roller conveyor.

[0078]

[0104] Use of singular terms such as "a," "an," and the like is intended to encompass both the singular and the plural unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" is intended to be construed in a disjunctive sense. For example, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to encompass A, B, or both A and B.

[0079]

[0105] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and that the invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A gap closure for a roller conveyor having upstream and downstream rollers for conveying objects in a downstream longitudinal direction, and a gap between the upstream and downstream rollers, comprising: a body configured to be supported by the upstream rollers and the downstream rollers within the gap as the upstream rollers and the downstream rollers rotate during operation of the roller conveyor; an upper closure portion of the body for preventing the object from falling through the gap; an upper contact portion of the upper blocking portion that is in sliding contact with the upstream roller and the downstream roller above the narrowest portion of the gap; a plurality of laterally spaced apart upstream legs of the body connected to the upper occlusion and having upstream distal ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap; a plurality of laterally spaced downstream legs of the body connected to the upper occlusion section and spaced longitudinally from the upper leg so that the upstream leg and the downstream leg have a longitudinally extending space therebetween, the downstream legs having downstream distal ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap; A gap closure device comprising:

2. 1. A gap closure for a roller conveyor having upstream and downstream rollers for conveying objects in a downstream longitudinal direction, and a gap between the upstream and downstream rollers, comprising: an elongated body configured to be supported in the gap by the upstream rollers and the downstream rollers as the upstream rollers and the downstream rollers rotate during operation of the roller conveyor, the body having a length extending in a lateral direction when the body is in the gap; an upper closure portion of the body for preventing the objects conveyed by the roller conveyor from falling through the gap; an upper contact portion of the upper blocking portion that is in sliding contact with the upstream roller and the downstream roller above the narrowest portion of the gap; a plurality of laterally spaced apart upstream legs of the body connected to the upper occlusion and having upstream distal ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap; a plurality of laterally spaced downstream legs of the body connected to the upper occlusion section and spaced longitudinally from the upper leg so that the upstream leg and the downstream leg have a longitudinally extending space therebetween, the downstream legs having downstream distal ends positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain the body within the gap; A gap closure device comprising:

3. the main body includes an upstream lateral spacing that separates adjacent pairs of the upstream legs in a lateral direction, and a downstream lateral spacing that separates adjacent pairs of the downstream legs in a lateral direction, 3. The gap closure device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream short interval is longitudinally aligned with the downstream short interval to facilitate cutting the body longitudinally through the aligned upstream and downstream short intervals of the body.

4. 3. The gap closure device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper contact portion includes an upstream contact portion having a plurality of upstream recesses and a downstream contact portion having a plurality of downstream recesses to reduce the contact area between the main body and the upstream roller and the downstream roller.

5. the main body includes an upstream lateral spacing that separates adjacent pairs of the upstream legs in a lateral direction, and a downstream lateral spacing that separates adjacent pairs of the downstream legs in a lateral direction, the upstream lateral spacing is longitudinally aligned with the upstream recess; 5. The gap closure device of claim 4, wherein the downstream short-side spacing is longitudinally aligned with the downstream recess to facilitate cutting the body longitudinally through the longitudinally aligned one of the upstream recess, the downstream recess, the upstream short-side spacing, and the downstream short-side spacing.

6. the plurality of upstream legs includes at least four upstream legs; 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of downstream legs includes at least four downstream legs.

7. 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream leg is configured to be spaced from the upstream roller during operation of the roller conveyor.

8. 8. The gap closure of claim 7, wherein the downstream distal end of the downstream leg is configured to slide against the downstream roller during operation of the roller conveyor.

9. 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream leg and the downstream leg include a plurality of longitudinally aligned pairs of upstream and downstream legs.

10. 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream leg and the downstream leg are resilient to allow the legs to flex when the gap closure is positioned within the gap.

11. 3. The gap closure device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream leg and the downstream leg have outer surfaces above the upstream distal end and the downstream distal end configured to have a gap between the upstream roller and the downstream roller when the body is supported in the gap by the upstream roller and the downstream roller.

12. the body includes an upstream open-ended slot that laterally spaces the upstream legs from one another; 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the body includes downstream open-ended slots that laterally space the downstream legs from one another.

13. the main body has opposing side portions extending between the contact portions of the upper closure portion; 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the side portions of the body includes a resilient biasing member configured to engage an adjacent surface and apply a transverse biasing force against the adjacent surface.

14. 14. The gap closure of claim 13 in combination with another gap closure having another resilient biasing member including said adjacent surface.

15. 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper closure includes an upper channel for providing clearance for a drive member extending between the upstream roller and the downstream roller.

16. the upper blocking portion includes an upper surface that covers the entire gap and a lower surface that faces the upper surface, 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower surface includes a plurality of recesses and a laterally extending surface portion associated with each of the recesses.

17. the upstream leg and the downstream leg each include an upper end connected to a lower surface of the upper closure portion and a free end opposite the upper end, 3. The gap closure of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the upstream and downstream legs is separated over its entire extent from the adjacent upstream and downstream legs.

18. 2. The gap closure device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal spacing between the upstream leg and the downstream leg extends continuously from the upper closure portion of the body to the upstream and downstream distal ends of the upstream and downstream legs.

19. 10. The gap closure of claim 1, wherein said body has a unitary, one-piece construction.

20. the body has a width extending in a longitudinal direction when the body is in the gap, and a length extending in a transverse direction when the body is in the gap, the length being perpendicular to the width; 2. The gap closure of claim 1, wherein the length is greater than the width.

21. 1. A roller conveyor system comprising: a fixed conveyor frame; upstream and downstream rollers rotatably mounted on the conveyor frame, the upstream and downstream rollers being rotatable to transport objects downstream across a gap between the upstream and downstream rollers, but being fixed against longitudinal movement; an elongated gap closure supported in the gap by the upstream and downstream rollers fixed against longitudinal movement so as to remain in a fixed longitudinal position along the fixed conveyor frame between the upstream and downstream rollers, the gap closure having a length extending laterally within the gap; an upstream contact portion and a downstream contact portion of the gap closure member that slide against the upstream roller and the downstream roller when the upstream roller and the downstream roller rotate during operation of the roller conveyor system; a plurality of laterally spaced upstream legs of the gap closure device having upstream distal ends positioned adjacent the upstream roller below the narrowest portion of the gap; a plurality of laterally spaced downstream legs of the gap closure having downstream distal ends positioned adjacent the downstream roller below the narrowest portion of the gap; A roller conveyor system comprising:

22. 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein the upstream leg and the downstream leg are resilient, allowing the upstream leg and the downstream leg to flex when the gap closer is placed into or removed from the gap.

23. the gap closure includes opposing side portions extending longitudinally intermediate the upstream contact portion and the downstream contact portion; 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein one of the side portions includes a transverse biasing member that applies a transverse biasing force against a surface adjacent the gap closure member.

24. the gap closure device includes a first lateral biasing member; 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, further comprising a second gap closure having a second transverse biasing member in the gap engaged with the first transverse biasing member of the gap closure.

25. the fixed conveyor frame includes a conveyor structure outwardly of the gap in a transverse direction; 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein the gap closure device includes opposing sides including one side adjacent the conveyor structure, and a retainer configured to maintain the one side portion of the retainer adjacent the conveyor structure and to prevent transverse movement of the gap closure device away from the conveyor structure during operation of the roller conveyor.

26. 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein the gap closure includes a top surface having a recess, and a drive member extending from the upstream roller to the downstream roller above the recess of the gap closure.

27. an O-ring connecting the upstream roller and the downstream roller; the O-ring having upper and lower runs separated by a first vertical distance and extending longitudinally across the gap; 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein the gap closure has a height that is less than the first vertical distance to allow the gap closure to extend between the upper run and the lower run of the O-ring.

28. an O-ring connecting one of the upstream roller and the downstream roller to a drive pulley rotatably supported by the conveyor frame below the upstream roller and the downstream roller; 22. The roller conveyor system of claim 21, wherein the O-ring has an upper run that extends the transverse space between either the upstream pair of legs or the downstream pair of legs of the gap closure.

29. a gap closure device disposed in a gap between rotatable upstream and downstream rollers to convey objects across the gap in a downstream longitudinal direction, the gap closure comprising: a body disposed within the gap; an upstream contact portion of the main body that is in sliding contact with the upstream roller; a downstream contact portion of the main body that is in sliding contact with the downstream roller; opposing side portions of the main body extending longitudinally intermediate the upstream contact portion and the downstream contact portion; a lateral biasing member on one of the side portions of the body configured to apply a lateral biasing force to a surface adjacent the body to maintain a gap between the body and the surface during operation of the roller conveyor; A gap closure device comprising:

30. 1. A gap closer system for a roller conveyor having rollers operable to transport objects across gaps between the rollers in a downstream longitudinal direction, comprising: the roller conveyor has a conveyor structure adjacent the gap and extending laterally outward from the roller; The gap closure system comprises: a gap closure device to be disposed within the gap, the gap closure device having a contact portion configured to slide against the roller and support the gap closure device within the gap; an upper surface of the gap closure for preventing objects from falling through the gap; opposing side portions of the gap closure extending longitudinally within the gap, one of the side portions configured to be positioned adjacent to the conveyor structure when the gap closure is positioned within the gap; a retainer configured to maintain the one side of the gap closure adjacent the conveyor structure and to prevent transverse movement of the gap closure away from the conveyor structure during operation of the roller conveyor; A gap closure system comprising:

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