Conveyor MDR Fault Localization to Prevent Jams and Damage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conveyor systems fail to detect and localize faults in motorized drive roller circuitry, leading to secondary issues like object jams and damage, without proactive identification of the specific circuitry and location of the fault.

Innovation Solution

A conveyor system with a controller that identifies and determines the location of motorized drive roller (MDR) operations circuitry faults, such as power or network issues, and initiates responsive actions to prevent further damage, including generating a fault schematic interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conveyor systems operate without proactive fault detection, then system simplicity is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to undetected faults causing secondary issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller performs preliminary fault detection by continuously monitoring MDR operations circuitry before faults can propagate to cause secondary issues. The system proactively identifies faults in upstream circuitry and takes preventive actions, such as generating fault schematic interface components and alerting operators, before downstream components are affected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary between MDR operations circuitry and the monitoring system. It receives status information from circuitry, processes fault conditions, and generates appropriate responses including visual fault representations and alerts, thereby mediating between the physical circuitry and the operator interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If fault detection is implemented without localization capability, then some reliability improvement is achieved, but loss of information occurs regarding specific fault locations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection capabilityVSAvoidfault location information
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The conveyor system is segmented into multiple MDR operations circuitry units, each monitored independently. The controller identifies and localizes faults to specific segmented circuitry components by determining which upstream circuitry is associated with detected faults, thereby preventing information loss about fault locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system generates visual fault schematic interface components that use visual representations (such as color-coded indicators) to show the location and status of faults. This provides immediate visual information about where faults occur in the system, preventing loss of location information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Loss of time

If reactive fault response is used, then response time is reduced, but loss of time occurs due to secondary issues like object jams and damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault response timeVSAvoidsecondary issues
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting faults in upstream MDR operations circuitry and taking corrective actions before secondary issues can develop. By proactively identifying and responding to faults, the system prevents object jams, damage, and other harmful effects that would otherwise occur downstream.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller implements feedback by continuously monitoring MDR operations circuitry status and automatically responding to detected faults. The system generates fault schematic interface components and can trigger alerts or shutdowns based on feedback from the monitored circuitry, creating a closed-loop system that prevents secondary issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4657191A1Conveyor system and an associated method
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS LLC
  • EP4657191A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4657191A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4657191A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A conveyor system and an associated methods are provided. An example conveyor system may include a plurality of conveyor sections and a conveyor system controller. In some embodiments, the conveyor system controller may be configured to identify a MDR operations circuitry fault. In some embodiments, the conveyor system controller may be configured to determine that the MDR operations circuitry fault is associated with a first MDR operations circuitry of a first conveyor section of the plurality of conveyor sections. In some embodiments, the conveyor system controller may be configured to initiate performance of one or more MDR operations circuitry fault response actions based at least in part on the determination that the MDR operations circuitry fault is associated with the first MDR operations circuitry.