DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of mechanical engineering. More specifically, present disclosure relates to the field of conveyor systems.
BACKGROUND
A conveyor system is a material or an article handling system that moves material or articles from one location to another. They are generally used in applications which involve transporting or moving heavy or bulky articles. One such application of conveyor systems is in the automobile industry where there is a need to transfer a vehicle body from the body shop to the paint shop.
Conventional conveyor systems, such as powered rolling bed (PRB) conveyor systems, are suitable for skid (frame) based transfer, such as logistics skid transfer. The PRB conveyor system typically includes a pair of support leg assemblies, a pair of long members, a pair of cross members, a plurality of roller assemblies, a motor mounting plate, a motor, a pair of V-belts, and a plurality of flat belts. The pair of long members and the pair of cross members are connected together to form a frame. The support leg assemblies are attached to the rectangular frames by means of fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, and are disposed apart from one another. Each of the plurality of roller assemblies comprises a pair of rollers connected to each other via a motor shaft which is placed in a moveable manner between the pair of long members. The motor mounting plate is provided in the PRB conveyor system to mount the motor. The pair of V-belts is configured to couple the motor with the nearby roller assembly, and the plurality of flat belts is configured to connect the adjacent roller assemblies in a cascading manner. Use of a plurality of rolling assemblies makes the structure of the conveyor of the PRB conveyor system very heavy. Further, a lot of power is consumed in displacing the V-belts and the flat belts. Therefore, the powered rolling bed conveyor system is time inefficient, has inventory issues, and consumes a lot of power, thereby increasing the running cost.
After conducting various analysis and benchmarking exercises relating to conventional PRB systems, it was observed that a friction drive conveyor system (FDS) is more suitable for automobile applications. However, the cost of implementing and running the friction drive conveyor system is too high and is not operation and maintenance friendly, since it requires change in existing logistics skids.
Thus, there is a need for developing a conveyor system that alleviates the above mentioned drawbacks of the conventional systems.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveyor system that is cost-effective, and decreases the power consumption.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveyor system that has applications across all industries with frame base transfer media.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor system that supports existing logistics skids.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor system that is light in weight and is easy to implement.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a conveyor system. The conveyor system comprises a pair of rails, a plurality of idler rollers, a plurality of trolley, a mounting arrangement on the plurality of trolley, and a driving assembly. The pair of rails is arranged in a spaced apart configuration, and is laid between working stations of a shop floor. The plurality of idler rollers is mounted on an operative inner wall of each of the pair of rails. Each of the plurality of trolleys is configured to be displaceable along the pair of rails on the plurality of idler rollers. The mounting arrangement is configured on each of the plurality of trolleys for removably mounting articles on each of the plurality of trolley. The driving assembly includes a driving wheel. The driving wheel is in friction fit arrangement an operative inner side wall of the plurality of trolleys for displacing the plurality of trolleys on the idler rollers along the rails, thereby conveying the articles along the rails between the working stations.
The driving assembly further includes a motor mounting plate, and a motor. The motor mounting plate is connected to at least one of the rails. The motor is mounted on the motor mounting plate, and is configured to rotate the driving wheel. The driving assembly further includes a compression spring. The compression spring is configured to be compressed during abutment of the driving wheel with the plurality of trolleys to facilitate continuous surface contact between the driving wheel and the plurality of trolley.
The conveyor system comprises a guide roller that is configured to guide the plurality of trolleys over the driving assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A conveyor system, of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of an accompanying drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a conventional powered roller bed conveyor;
Fig. 2A illustrates a top view of a conveyor system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2B illustrates a bottom view of the conveyor system of figure 2A;
Fig. 2C illustrates a front view of the conveyor system of figure 2A;
Fig. 2D illustrates a back view of the conveyor system of figure 2A;
Fig. 2E illustrates a side view of the conveyor system of figure 2A;
Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a driving assembly of the conveyor system illustrated in Figures 2A to 2E;
Fig. 4 illustrates an isometric view the conveyor system illustrated in Figures 2A to 2E;
Fig. 5 illustrates an isometric view of a driving assembly of the conveyor system illustrated in Figures 2A to 2E;
Fig. 6 illustrates another isometric view of the driving assembly of the conveyor system of the present disclosure; and
Fig. 7 illustrates another isometric view of the conveyor system of the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN ACCOMPANYING DRAWING AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION
100 – Conventional conveyor system
105 – Pair of support legs
110 – Pair of rails
115 – Pair of cross members
120 – Plurality of roller assemblies
125 – Motor mounting plate
130 – Motor
135 – V-belt
140 – Plurality of flat belts
200 – Conveyor system of the present disclosure
205 – Plurality of support legs
210 – Pair of rails
215 – Plurality of idler rollers
220 – Motor mounting plate
221 – Driving assembly
225 – Motor
230 – Driving wheel
240 – Compression spring
245 – Guide bracket
250 – Guide roller
270 – Plurality of trolleys
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A conveyor system is a material or article handling system that moves material or articles from one location to another. They are generally used in applications which involve transporting or moving heavy or bulky material. One such application of conveyor systems is in the automobile industry where there is a need to transfer a body of a vehicle from the body shop to the paint shop.
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a conventional conveyor system 100, hereinafter also referred to as a powered rolling bed (PRB) conveyor system 100.
The PRB conveyor system 100 typically comprises a pair of support legs 105, a pair of rails 110, a pair of cross members 115, a plurality of roller assemblies 120, a motor mounting plate 125, a motor 130, a V-belt 135, and a plurality of flat belts 140. The pair of cross members 115 is orthogonally connected to the pair of rails 110 to form a rectangular frame. The support legs 105 are attached to the rectangular frames by means of fasteners such as nuts and bolts, and are placed apart from one another. Each of the plurality of roller assemblies 120 comprises a pair of rollers connected to each other via a shaft which is placed in a rotatable manner between the pair of rails 110. The motor mounting plate 125 is provided in the conveyor system 100 to mount the motor 130. The V-belt 135 is configured to connect the motor 130 with the nearby roller assembly 120, and the plurality of flat belts 140 are configured to connect the adjacent roller assemblies 120 in a cascading manner. The plurality of roller assemblies 120 is configured to facilitate movement of a plurality of trolley, which is required to be moved from one place to another, on the PRB conveyor system 100. The plurality of roller assemblies 120 is powered by the motor 130.
As the roller assemblies 120 are powered by the motor 130 via multiple V-belts, the conveyor system 100 illustrated in Figure 1 is called as the powered rolling bed conveyor system 100. The PRB system 100 is suitable for skid (frame) based transfer which will hereinafter also be referred as logistics skids. However, the powered rolling bed conveyor system 100 causes inventory issues, and consumes a lot of power which increases the running cost.
After conducting various analysis and benchmarking exercises relating to conventional PRB systems, it was observed that a friction drive conveyor system (FDS) is more suitable for automobile applications. However, the cost of implementing and running the friction drive conveyor system is more, since it requires change in existing logistics skids. Further the friction drive conveyor system is not operation and maintenance friendly.
The present disclosure envisages a conveyor system that alleviates the abovementioned drawbacks of the conventional conveyor systems. The conveyor system, of the present disclosure is now described with reference to figure 2A through figure 7.
Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E illustrate different views of a conveyor system 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of a wheel assembly of the conveyor system 200. Figure 4 illustrates another isometric view of the conveyor system 200. Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of a driving assembly of the conveyor system 200. Figure 6 illustrates another isometric view of the driving assembly of the conveyor system 200. Figure 7 illustrates another isometric view of the conveyor system 200 of the present disclosure. The preferred embodiment does not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The conveyor system 200 comprises a pair of rails 210, a plurality of idler rollers 215, a plurality of trolleys 270, and a driving assembly 221. The pair of rails 210 is arranged in a spaced apart configuration, and is laid between working stations of a shop floor. A plurality of support legs 205 is orthogonally connected to the pair of rails 210. Ends of each of the plurality of support legs 205 are removably attached to the pair of rails 210 defining a rectangular frame. In one embodiment, the plurality of support legs 205 and the pair of rails 210 are connected to each other by means of fasteners. In another embodiment, the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of nuts and bolts, screws, rivets and the like. The present disclosure has been described herein with the help of two rails, and three support legs as illustrated in Figure 2A. However, the number of rails, and support legs do not limit the scope and ambit of the present disclosure and can be one or more than one.
The plurality of idler rollers 215 is mounted on the operative inner wall of each of the rails 210. The plurality of idler rollers 215 is configured to be placed equidistant from each other, such that the idler rollers 215 mounted on a first rail of the pair of rails 210 faces the idler rollers 215 mounted on a second rail of the pair of rails 210. The idler rollers 215 that face each other, together form a pair of idler rollers (not exclusively labelled in the figures). In one embodiment, such pairs of idler rollers are disposed equidistantly throughout the length of the pair of rails 210.
The plurality of trolleys 270 is configured to be displaced along the pair of rails 210. The plurality of trolleys 270 is attached to each other. In an embodiment, the plurality of trolleys 270 is attached to each other by means of welding. In another embodiment, the plurality of trolleys 270 is attached to each other by means of fasteners. Further, the plurality of trolleys 270 includes a mounting arrangement (not shown in figures) that is configured on the plurality of trolleys 270 to facilitate removable mounting of a plurality of articles on the plurality of trolleys 270.
The driving assembly 221 is disposed over the at least one support leg 205. In an embodiment, the driving assembly 221 is mounted on an operative end of the support leg 205 placed substantially in a middle region of the rectangular frame, and proximal to one of the rails 210 of the rectangular frame. The driving assembly 221 is configured to facilitate translational motion of the plurality of trolleys 270 disposed on the conveyor system 200. In an embodiment, the plurality of trolleys 270 includes a plurality of logistic skids having a base on which materials or products can be stacked.
The driving assembly 221 includes a driving wheel 230. The driving wheel 230 is in friction fit arrangement with an operative inner side wall of the plurality of trolleys 270 for displacing the plurality of trolleys 270 on the pair of rails 210. The driving wheel 230 is configured to abut the plurality of trolleys 270 that is required to be displaced. More specifically, the driving wheel 230 tangentially abuts the operative inner side wall of the plurality of trolleys 270. The displacement of the plurality of trolleys 270 by means of the driving wheel 230 facilitates conveying of a plurality of articles disposed on the plurality of trolleys 270 from one working station to another.
The driving assembly 221 further includes a motor mounting plate 220, and a motor 225. The motor mounting plate is connected to at least one of the rails 210. The motor mounting plate 220 is removably attached to one of the rails 210 on one side of the rectangular frame. In one embodiment, the motor mounting plate 220 is made integral to the rails 210 by means of welding. In another embodiment, the motor mounting plate 220 can be attached to the support leg 205 on which the driving assembly 221 is disposed.
The motor 225 is mounted on the motor mounting plate 220, and configured to rotate the driving wheel 230. In an embodiment, the motor 225 is a light weight motor making the conveyor system 200 lightweight.
In an embodiment, the driving wheel 230 is a polyurethane coated wheel.
In another embodiment, the driving wheel 230 is mounted in a horizontal plane on the output shaft of the motor 225, considering the geometry and construction of the plurality of trolleys 270 and to facilitate the locking the plurality of trolleys 270 in horizontal plane. The driving wheel 230 is configured to be in direct contact with the plurality of trolleys 270 such that an effective linear transfer of the plurality of trolleys 270 takes place by rotation of the driving wheel 230. The driving wheel 230 is configured to convert rotational motion into linear motion.
The configuration of the driving wheel 230 is determined as per the requirement and configuration of the plurality of trolleys 270. In an embodiment, the driving wheel 230 has hardness ranging from 90 to 100 units, thermal resistance ranging from -40o Celsius to 80o Celsius, tensile strength ranging from 300 Kg/cm2 to 400 Kg/cm2, and compressive strength ranging from 20 Kg/cm2 to 35 Kg/cm2.
In an embodiment, the plurality of trolleys 270 of the conveyor system 200 is provided with round pipes at all the corners, in order to have smooth contact with the driving wheel 230, thereby increasing the life of the driving wheel 230 and reducing wear and tear thereof. The plurality of trolleys 270 is configured to have a positive contact with the driving wheel 230, thereby avoiding any risk of slippage.
The driving assembly 221 further includes a compression spring 240. The compression spring 240 is configured to be compressed during the abutment of the driving wheel 230 with the plurality of trolleys 270 to facilitate continuous surface contact between the driving wheel 230 and the plurality of trolleys 270. The positive contact or the continuous contact of the driving wheel 230 with the plurality of trolleys 270 results in effective transfer of the plurality of article from one location to another, and avoids slipping of the plurality of trolleys 270.
In an embodiment, the compression spring 240 has a rectangular cross-sectional profile.
The compression spring 240 is connected to the motor mounting plate 220 at an operative inner wall of the rail 210 to which the motor mounting plate 220 is connected. In an exemplary embodiment, the compression spring 240 can have a rectangular profile section with an outer circumferential diameter of 50 mm and an inner circumferential diameter of 27.5 mm, and a spring constant equal to 2.67 Kg/mm.
The conveyor system 200 further comprises at least one guide roller 250. The guide roller 250 is mounted on the at least one support leg 205 diametrically opposite to the driving wheel 230. The guide roller 250 is configured to guide the plurality of trolleys 270 over the driving assembly 221. The guide roller 250 has an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive wheel 230. The guide roller 250 is disposed in the same plane of the drive wheel 230.
Further, the conveyor system 200 comprises a guide bracket 245 that is configured to facilitate mounting of the guide roller 250 on the support leg 205. More specifically, the guide roller 250 is moveably fitted to the guide bracket 245. The guide bracket 245 is attached to the other end of the support leg 205 on which the driving assembly 221 is mounted. The guide roller 250 can be fitted at a position opposite to that of the driving assembly 221. The conveyor system 200 can have more than one guide rollers 250.
In an embodiment, the guide roller 250 is mounted on one of the rails 210. More specifically, the guide bracket 245 is connected to the operative inner portion of the rail 210 proximal to the driving assembly 221, and the guide roller 250 is mounted on the guide bracket 245.
The guide roller 250 is configured to ensure that the plurality of trolleys 270 is within the range of the area of action of the driving wheel 230.
The conveyor system 200 further comprises a control system that is configured to control actuation of the drive wheel 230, thereby initiating or restricting the displacement of the plurality of trolleys 270 along the pair of rails 210. In an embodiment, the control system is electrically coupled with the motor 225. The actuation of the motor 225 by the control system initiates rotation of the driving wheel 230, thereby initiating the displacement of the plurality of trolleys 270.
The conveyor system 200 eliminates the use of roller-to-roller contact elements, such as belts, thereby reducing the load on the driving wheel 230 to a large extent.
In an operative configuration, the plurality of trolleys 270, which is to be moved from one place to another, is disposed on the conveyor system 200 such that the driving wheel 230 abuts the operative inner side wall of the plurality of trolleys 270. The motor 225 rotates the driving wheel 230, which in turn, facilitates the translational motion of the plurality of trolleys 270 over the pair of rails 210. More specifically, the rotational motion of the driving wheel 230 is converted into the translational motion of the plurality of trolleys 270. The plurality of idler rollers 215 further facilitates the translational motion of the plurality of trolleys 270.
The conveyor system 200 is a friction roller bed conveyor system, which transfers the plurality of trolleys 270 having the plurality of articles disposed thereon, or a plurality of logistics skids by means of direct contact (direct friction) of the driving wheel with the plurality of trolleys 270, and therefore, resembles the bed type concept of logistics. As the conveyor system 200 works on the principle of bed type concept, it is suitable for existing skids based transfer.
As compared to the conventional conveyor system 100, the conveyor system 200 of the present disclosure comprises fewer parts. Therefore, the conveyor system 200 is cost effective.
During experiments, the conveyor system 200 was evaluated on the basis of several risks associated with transferring a vehicular body. The conveyor system 200 addressed the risks of system failure that is generally caused due to failure in integrating the new conveyor system with other conventional systems of the industry. It is also possible to integrate the conveyor system 200 with the existing conveyor system at any desired throughput. The conveyor system 200 can be interfaced with existing logistics skids, thereby providing smooth transfer and also does not increase the cost of manufacturing new logistics skids.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a conveyor system that:
• increases the transportation speed and reduces the installation time;
• is safe and compatible with the existing conveyor systems and logistics skids;
• allows use of energy efficient drives, thereby decreasing the power consumption;
• has applications across all industries with frame base transfer media;
• is light in weight; and
• is easy to implement
The disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM

1. A conveyor system (200) comprising:
a pair of rails (210), in a spaced apart configuration, laid between working stations of a shop floor;
a plurality of idler rollers (215) mounted on an operative inner wall of each of said pair of rails (210);
a plurality of trolleys (270) attached to each other, and configured to be displaced along said pair of rails (210) on said plurality of idler rollers (210);
a mounting arrangement configured on each of said plurality of trolleys (270) for removably mounting articles on said plurality of trolleys (270); and
a driving assembly (221) including a driving wheel (230) in friction fit arrangement with an operative inner side wall of each of said plurality of trolleys (270) for displacing said trolleys (270) on said idler rollers (215) along said pair of rails (210), thereby conveying said articles along said rails (210) between said working stations.
2. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving assembly (221) further includes:
a motor mounting plate (220) connected to at least one of said rails (210); and
a motor (225) mounted on said motor mounting plate (220), and configured to rotate said driving wheel (230).
3. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving wheel (230) is polyurethane coated.
4. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving wheel (230) tangentially abuts a side wall of each of said plurality of trolleys (270).
5. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving wheel (230) has hardness ranging from 90 to 100 units, thermal resistance ranging from -40o Celsius to 80o Celsius, tensile strength ranging from 300 Kg/cm2 to 400 Kg/cm2, and compressive strength ranging from 20 Kg/cm2 to 35 Kg/cm2.
6. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving assembly (221) includes a compression spring (240) configured to be compressed during abutment of said driving wheel (230) with said plurality of trolleys (270) to facilitate continuous surface contact between said driving wheel (230) and said plurality of trolleys (270).
7. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said compression spring (240) has a rectangular cross-sectional profile.
8. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a plurality of support legs (205) disposed operatively between said pair of rails (210), and connected with said pair of rails (210) via a plurality of fasteners selected from the group consisting of screws, rivets, and nut and bolt assemblies.
9. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 8, which comprises:
a guide roller (250) mounted on a support leg from said plurality of support legs (205) diametrically opposite to said driving wheel (230), and configured to guide said plurality of trolleys (270) over said driving assembly (221), said guide roller (250) having an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive wheel (230), and disposed in the same plane of said drive wheel (230); and
a guide bracket (245) configured to facilitate mounting of said guide roller (250) on said support leg (205) from said plurality of support legs (205).
10. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said guide roller (250) is moveably fitted to said guide bracket (245).
11. The conveyor system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conveyor system (200) comprises a control system configured to control actuation of said drive wheel (230), thereby initiating or restricting the displacement of said plurality of trolleys (270) along said pair of rails (210).