Integrated Conveyor Rollers With Built-In Sensing and Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized conveyor rollers in conveyor systems face challenges such as complex wiring, limited diagnostic capabilities, and reliance on external control cards, leading to installation and maintenance complexities, as well as inefficiencies in object detection and system monitoring.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a motorized conveyor roller with a housing containing a motor assembly, drive assembly, sensing elements, and a controller component that can receive configuration data, obtain operational data, and transmit it electronically, simplifying installation, enhancing diagnostic capabilities, and improving object detection and system monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If motorized conveyor rollers use external control cards and complex wiring, then control functionality is achieved, but installation and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the controller component directly into the conveyor roller housing, merging previously separate components (motor assembly, drive assembly, controller, and wiring infrastructure) into a single integrated unit. This eliminates external control cards and reduces wiring complexity, directly resolving the technical contradiction between achieving control functionality and maintaining installation/maintenance simplicity.
2Reliability
If conveyor systems lack integrated sensing and control, then device simplicity is maintained, but diagnostic capabilities and object detection are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated controller component performs multiple functions: it controls the motor assembly and drive assembly, processes data from sensing elements, enables diagnostic capabilities, and supports system monitoring. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to achieve enhanced reliability through integrated sensing and control without proportionally increasing device complexity, as a single component handles diverse tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing elements are disposed within the housing of the conveyor roller, nested inside the same structure that contains the motor and drive assemblies. The controller component is also integrated within this housing, creating a nested arrangement where multiple functional elements coexist in a compact configuration. This nesting strategy enables enhanced diagnostic and detection capabilities while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
3Productivity
If configuration and operational data are not integrated, then system simplicity is maintained, but remote configuration and data collection efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The controller component is configured to obtain operational data via sensing elements and can transmit this data to external systems. This feedback mechanism enables remote monitoring and configuration, allowing the system to collect and report operational status, diagnostic information, and sensor data without requiring physical intervention. The feedback loop integrates data collection and transmission functions into the controller, improving productivity in remote configuration and data collection while managing communication complexity through standardized protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, methods and systems comprising integrated motorized conveyor rollers are provided. The example integrated motorized conveyor roller comprises: a housing; a motor assembly and a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing that are configured to cause rotation of at least a portion of the integrated motorized conveyor roller; at least one sensing element operatively coupled to the integrated motorized conveyor roller; and a controller component in electronic communication with the at least one sensing element, the motor assembly and the drive assembly, wherein the controller component is configured to obtain operational data via the at least one sensing element.