Conveyor roller and conveyor system

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive assembly for driving a rotating body, the assembly comprising a drive unit (10) and a body, in particular a wheel or a roller, which is driven in a rotational movement by means of the drive unit (10). The drive unit (10) has: a sleeve (12) which is connected to the body for conjoint rotation and is surrounded by the body; an external rotor motor which is arranged within the sleeve (12); and an inverter which is arranged within the sleeve (12) for supplying the external rotor motor with electrical energy; the external rotor motor having a rotor which is connected to the sleeve (12) for conjoint rotation and a stator (20) which is surrounded by the rotor.

Description

[0001] Funding role and funding system

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a drive arrangement with a drive unit and a rotating body driven by means of the drive unit, in particular a wheel or a roller, a conveyor roller and a conveyor system with a plurality of conveyor rollers.

[0004] Drive units of the type in question are primarily used to drive a rotating body in its rotational motion. In many technical applications where rotating bodies are driven, there is a desire to integrate the electric drive unit into the body itself. This allows for a compact design and eliminates the need for mechanical transmission means to transfer motion from an external drive unit to the rotating body.

[0005] The drive assembly, consisting of the rotating body and the drive unit, can be used in a wide variety of technical fields. The rotating bodies driven by the drive unit are typically wheels or rollers. One field particularly well-suited for the use of such drive assemblies due to its technical requirements is conveyor technology. There, drive units of this type are used especially to drive conveyor rollers.

[0006] Conveyor rollers of the type in question have an integrated electric drive for powering the roller. Such conveyor rollers are also referred to as "active conveyor rollers." This allows them to be used in conveyor systems to actively move objects within the system. The advantage is that the conveyor rollers do not require external drives, which significantly simplifies the design of the conveyor system. Furthermore, eliminating external drives for the conveyor rollers offers additional benefits. For example, mechanical transmission elements, such as drive belts, that connect the conveyor rollers to external drives are no longer necessary.

[0007] A common problem with such drive arrangements, however, is the limited installation space inside the conveyor roller. This results in two main issues: firstly, mechanical problems. It is challenging to accommodate all the necessary components within the rotating body, especially when the rotating body needs to be driven with a sufficiently high torque. Secondly, thermal challenges arise. Heat dissipation from the interior of the rotating body is often difficult, so the continuous power outputs achievable with such drive arrangements, particularly with active conveyor rollers, are limited in practice.

[0008] The problem is solved by a drive arrangement, a conveyor roller, and a conveying system with the features of the independent claims. The features of the dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments.

[0009] The drive arrangement for powering a rotating body comprises a drive unit and a body driven in a rotational motion by the drive unit. The body is, in particular, a wheel or a roller. Accordingly, the drive unit can be, in particular, a drum motor and / or a hub motor.

[0010] The drive unit further comprises a sleeve connected to and surrounded by the body at a twisted angle, and an external rotor motor arranged within the sleeve. The sleeve may, in particular, have a circular cylindrical shape. The sleeve may be pressed into the body. The material of the sleeve may, in particular, be a metallic material.

[0011] The external rotor motor has, in particular, a shaft that is non-rotatably connected to the stator. The shaft of the external rotor motor can be rotatably mounted in the sleeve. Such a rotatable mounting of the shaft of the external rotor motor makes it possible, in particular, to use the shaft of the external rotor motor as the shaft of the wheel or roller of which the drive assembly is a component. Accordingly, the shaft of the external rotor motor is also, in particular, the shaft of the rotating body.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive unit features an inverter located within the housing to supply the external rotor motor with electrical energy. By relocating the inverter to the drive unit, the supply of electrical energy to the external rotor motor is simplified. To supply the external rotor motor with electrical energy, it is then only necessary to provide a DC power supply to the inverter. In other words, the inverter and external rotor motor are located together within a housing, which in turn is surrounded by the body and connected to it via a twisted connection. It is therefore a drive unit integrated into the housing.

[0013] Especially when the body is a conveyor roller, the sleeve can be a conveyor cartridge. A conveyor cartridge is understood to be, in particular, an insert that houses the motor, inverter, and especially the bearings.

[0014] This design of the drive unit, with a housing that integrates the inverter and external rotor motor, offers the particular advantage that the housing design can be varied simply by fitting the drive unit to a different housing. In this way, a standardized drive unit can be combined with different housings, and / or a specific housing can be combined with different drive units, similar to a modular system. In practice, this allows for variations in the dimensions, shape, coating, and / or surface finish of the housing.

[0015] The external rotor motor of the drive unit comprises a stator and a rotor surrounding the stator. The rotor is connected to the housing in a twisted manner. The problem is solved, in particular, by the fact that the electric drive is a gearless direct drive with an external rotor motor. For the design of the drive arrangement, this means, in particular, that the drive arrangement is designed such that the body moves with the same angular velocity and / or rotational speed as the rotor of the external rotor motor. Specifically, this means that the rotor is mounted in the body in a twisted position relative to the surface of the body about the axis of the external rotor motor.

[0016] Within the scope of the present invention, it has been shown that, even and especially in high-performance drive arrangements, the advantages of a gearless design can outweigh the disadvantages that can arise from omitting the gearbox.

[0017] The drive assembly can, in particular, include control electronics located within the sleeve. These control electronics can be, in particular, control electronics located within the sleeve for controlling the inverter. In other words, control electronics, especially control electronics for controlling the inverter, can be integrated into the sleeve. Integrating the control electronics into the sleeve can, in particular, reduce the effort required for connecting the drive unit to an external control unit. For example, control electronics for controlling the inverter integrated into the conveyor roller make it possible to regulate the speed of the conveyor roller using such control electronics. Accordingly, the control electronics can, in particular, include control electronics.The drive assembly, in particular the drive unit, may have an interface for connecting the inverter integrated into the drive unit to a power supply line. The interface for connecting to the power supply line may, in particular, include electrical connection elements for a DC power supply to the inverter.

[0018] The drive assembly, in particular the drive unit, can have an interface for connecting the control electronics integrated into the conveyor roller to an external control unit. This interface can be, in particular, a combined interface for connecting the inverter integrated into the drive unit to a power supply line and the control electronics integrated into the drive unit to an external control unit. In particular, such an interface can enable the drive unit to be connected using a single cable with multiple conductors. This allows for a simple and, in particular, space-saving connection of the drive assembly.

[0019] The interface for connecting the control electronics integrated into the drive unit to an external control unit can be digital and / or analog. The drive unit, in particular its control electronics, can be configured to transmit actual values ​​to an external control unit and / or receive setpoint values ​​from an external control unit via this interface. The actual values ​​and / or setpoint values ​​can, in particular, relate to position, rotational speed, torque, and / or acceleration, and / or values ​​of a quantity that is dependent on at least one of the aforementioned quantities, especially linearly.

[0020] Alternatively and / or additionally, the drive unit, in particular the control electronics, can be configured to transmit and / or receive further parameters and / or process data, for example for limiting and / or controlling current, position and / or torque, to an external control unit via this interface. Especially when a digital interface is used, complex control functions can be implemented with minimal wiring effort.

[0021] The rotor can incorporate polymer-bonded magnets. In connection with the present invention, it has been shown that polymer-bonded magnets enable the construction of efficient drive arrangements. This is particularly due to the comparatively low eddy current losses compared to other magnets. Polymer-bonded magnets are understood to be, in particular, those magnets that contain a magnetic powder bound in a polymer. Such magnets are also referred to as composite magnets.

[0022] Alternatively and / or additionally, the rotor can feature sintered magnets. Sintered magnets are characterized by their high performance, particularly with regard to their remanence and durability.

[0023] The polymer-bonded and / or sintered magnets can, in particular, be configured as magnetized regions of a body, especially a ring-shaped one, made of polymer-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder. In other words, the rotor can be configured as a ring-shaped body comprising a plurality of magnets in the form of magnetized regions. The body can, in particular, be at least substantially hollow cylindrical with an annular cross-section. The body, in particular, surrounds the stator.

[0024] The body, made of plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder, can be formed in one piece. Alternatively, the body, made of plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder, can be composed of multiple sub-bodies, each containing multiple magnets in the form of magnetized areas. The body, which is particularly ring-shaped, can have a wall thickness of at least 1 mm and / or at most 5 mm. Ring-shaped bodies with a wall thickness of 2 mm have proven particularly advantageous. The wall thickness refers specifically to the thickness of the body, particularly the ring-shaped body, in the radial direction.

[0025] Alternatively and / or additionally, the rotor can have a plurality of individual magnets, in particular plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnets. These can be attached to the inside of the rotor, in particular by means of adhesive bonding.

[0026] The rotor can be partially laminated. The laminated section of the rotor can be, at least substantially, hollow cylindrical with an annular cross-section. In particular, annular laminations can be stacked along the axis of the external rotor motor to form the laminated section of the rotor. The laminated rotor design also reduces eddy currents and the associated losses. The rotor can have a lamination thickness of no more than 2 mm, and in particular no more than 0.5 mm. Using correspondingly thin laminations reduces eddy current losses more effectively.

[0027] The laminated section can surround the magnets, particularly the polymer-bonded and / or sintered magnets. The laminated section of the rotor can, in particular, surround the body made of polymer-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder. Such a rotor design serves, in particular, to guide the magnetic flux with minimal loss. Especially in conjunction with a sleeve made of a metallic material, eddy current losses that can arise from eddy currents generated in the sleeve can thus be avoided or at least reduced.

[0028] The external rotor motor can be built according to the Vernier principle. Electric drives built according to the Vernier principle have proven particularly suitable for use in conveyor rollers. In particular, losses in the drive unit can be further minimized by external rotor motors built according to the Vernier principle. A number of stator slots of twelve and a number of rotor poles of 22 or 26 have proven particularly advantageous.

[0029] The drive unit can have a drive power of at least 70 W, and in particular at least 85 W. It has been shown that the specific advantages of the described drive arrangement are particularly pronounced in high-power drives.

[0030] Alternatively and / or additionally, the drive unit can be designed to operate at a voltage of 24 V. The drive power of a drive unit operated at 24 V can, in particular, be at least 50 W and / or at most 60 W.

[0031] Alternatively and / or additionally, the drive unit can be designed to operate at a voltage of 48 V. The drive power of a drive unit operated at 48 V can, in particular, be at least 100 W and / or at most 120 W.

[0032] The external rotor motor can have a mechanical air gap between the rotor and stator of at least 0.1 mm, and in particular at least 0.3 mm. It has been shown that larger air gaps result in better decoupling of the rotor and stator with regard to eddy currents.

[0033] The conveyor roller comprises a described drive arrangement. It has been shown that conveyor rollers, in particular, can be advantageously implemented using the described drive arrangements. Specifically, the conveyor roller is a described drive arrangement. The conveyor system has a plurality of conveyor rollers, wherein the conveyor system has a first conveyor roller according to the preceding description and at least one second conveyor roller, in particular a plurality of second conveyor rollers. The at least one second conveyor roller can be driven by the first conveyor roller. In particular, the conveyor system has a plurality of second conveyor rollers that can be driven by the first conveyor roller.

[0034] The first conveyor roller can be connected to at least one other conveyor roller by a mechanical transmission means, in particular by a drive belt. In this way, conveyor systems with multiple driven conveyor rollers can be implemented cost-effectively.

[0035] The use of the conveyor roller described above as the first conveyor roller in such a conveyor system is particularly advantageous because high drive power can be achieved using a conveyor roller as described above, which makes the conveyor roller with integrated electric drive ideal for driving further conveyor rollers.

[0036] Further practical embodiments and advantages of the invention are described below in connection with the drawing.

[0037] Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a cutaway drive unit.

[0038] The drive arrangement for driving a rotating body comprises a drive unit 10, in particular a drive unit 10 as shown by way of example in Figure 1. The drive unit 10 is connected to the body in a twisted manner and has a sleeve 12 which is surrounded by the body of the drive arrangement. For the sake of clarity, the body surrounding the drive unit 10 is not shown in Figure 1. However, the body can be, in particular, a wheel or a roller. The drive unit 10 has an external rotor motor arranged inside the sleeve 12. The external rotor motor, in turn, has a rotor connected to the sleeve 12 in a twisted manner. As in the example shown, the rotor can have a laminated section 14 which surrounds the magnets 16 of the rotor. The magnets 16 can, in particular, as in the example shown, be formed as bodies made of magnetic powder bound in plastic.As shown by way of example, the sheet-faced area 14 and the body made of magnetic powder bound in plastic can be hollow cylindrical with an annular cross-section.

[0039] Furthermore, as in the example shown, the external rotor motor can have a stator 20 connected to an axle 18 of the external rotor motor in a twisted manner. The axle 18 of the external rotor motor can be rotatably mounted in the sleeve 12 and thus form the axle 18 of the drive unit 10 and therefore of the body connected to the drive unit 10 in a twisted manner.

[0040] The drive unit 10 further comprises an inverter arranged within the sleeve 12 for supplying the external rotor motor with electrical energy. For illustrative purposes, the inverter itself is not shown in Figure 1. However, it can be seen in Figure 1 that the stator does not extend over the entire length of the axis 18. Accordingly, a space is formed within the sleeve 12, in which the inverter and, in particular, control electronics, which can be used to control the inverter, can be accommodated. As in the example shown, an arrangement can result in which the inverter and stator 20 are arranged one behind the other along the axis 18 of the external rotor motor.Such a spatial arrangement of the inverter and external rotor motor within the sleeve 12 enables a space-saving and, with regard to the achievable performance parameters, particularly a low-loss design of the drive arrangement. The features of the invention disclosed in this description and in the claims can be essential for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments, both individually and in any combination. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments. It can be varied within the scope of the claims and taking into account the knowledge of the person skilled in the art.

[0041] Reference symbol list

[0042] 10 Drive unit

[0043] 12 Sleeve

[0044] 14 laminated area

[0045] 16 magnets

[0046] 18 axle

[0047] 20 Stator

Claims

Patent claims 1. Drive arrangement for driving a rotating body, comprising a drive unit (10) and a body driven in a rotational motion by means of the drive unit (10), in particular a wheel or a roller, wherein the drive unit (10) has a sleeve (12) twistedly connected to and surrounded by the body and an external rotor motor arranged inside the sleeve (12) and an inverter arranged inside the sleeve (12) for supplying the external rotor motor with electrical energy, wherein the external rotor motor has a rotor twistedly connected to the sleeve (12) and a stator (20) surrounded by the rotor.

2. Drive arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit (10) has control electronics arranged within the sleeve (12), in particular control electronics arranged within the sleeve (12) for controlling the inverter.

3. Drive arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive unit (10) has an interface for connecting the inverter arranged inside the sleeve (12) to a supply line and / or the control electronics integrated into the sleeve (12) to an external control unit.

4. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor of the external rotor motor has plastic-bonded magnets.

5. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor of the external rotor motor has sintered magnets.

6. Drive arrangement according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnets are formed as magnetized areas of a body surrounding the stator (20), in particular at least substantially hollow cylindrical with annular cross-section, made of plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder.

7. Drive arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the body is formed in one piece from magnetic powder bound in plastic and / or sintered.

8. Drive arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the body is composed of a plurality of sub-bodies made of plastic-bound and / or sintered magnetic powder, each of which has a plurality of magnets in the form of magnetized areas.

9. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor is, at least in some areas, laminated and in particular has a sheet thickness of at most 0.5 mm.

10. Drive arrangement according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the laminated area (14) of the rotor, which is in particular at least substantially hollow cylindrical with annular cross-section, surrounds the plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnets, in particular the body made of plastic-bonded and / or sintered magnetic powder. 1 1 . Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the external rotor motor is constructed according to the Vernier principle.

12. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive unit is designed to be operated with a voltage of 24 V, in particular wherein the drive power is at least 50 W and / or at most 60 W, and / or to be operated with a voltage of 48 V, in particular wherein the drive power is at least 100 W and / or at most 120 W.

13. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electric drive has a mechanical air gap between rotor and stator (20) of at least 0.1 mm, in particular of at least 0.3 mm.

14. Conveyor roller, characterized in that the conveyor roller comprises a drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Conveyor system with a plurality of conveying rollers, wherein the conveying system has a first conveying roller according to claim 11 and at least one second conveying roller, in particular a plurality of second conveying rollers, wherein the at least one second conveying roller can be driven by the first conveying roller, in particular wherein the conveying system has a plurality of second conveying rollers that can be driven by the first conveying roller.

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