Systems and methods for diverting objects

Abstract

In one embodiment, a conveyor system includes a conveyor belt having a plurality of conveyor belt rollers configured to divert objects on the conveyor belt, and a drive mechanism that engages the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being adjustable such that the conveyor belt rollers can be selectively driven in a first angular direction and a second, opposite angular direction so that objects can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers protruding above the upper surface and configured to divert objects on the conveyor belt; and 
 a drive mechanism that engages the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being adjustable such that at least one individual conveyor belt roller can be selectively rotated in a first angular direction and a second angular direction so that objects can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt rollers have axes of rotation that are aligned with a direction of travel of the conveyor belt such that the conveyor belt rollers can divert objects in either transverse direction across the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt rollers are elongated in a direction of their axes of rotation. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a plurality of free-spinning angularly adjustable drive rollers that engage the conveyor belt rollers, such engagement causing the conveyor belt rollers to rotate when a direction of rotation of the drive rollers is not aligned with a direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers can be adjusted from an orientation in which they rotate in a direction in line with the direction of belt travel to orientations in which they rotate in directions that form an angle with the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the greater the angle between the direction of drive roller rotation and the direction of belt travel the greater a diverting angle at which objects are diverted by the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the diverting angle can extend from approximately −90 degrees to approximately 90 degrees relative to the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the diverting angle can extend from at least approximately −70 degrees to at least approximately 70 degrees relative to the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       9. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers configured to directly contact and divert objects across the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned with a direction of travel of the belt such that the conveyor belt rollers can divert objects in either transverse direction across the conveyor belt; and 
 a plurality of free-spinning angularly adjustable drive rollers that engage the conveyor belt rollers, such engagement causing the conveyor belt rollers to rotate when a direction of rotation of the drive rollers is not aligned with the direction of belt travel, wherein the angular orientation of the drive rollers can be adjusted relative to the direction of belt travel to change a diverting direction and a diverting angle of the conveyor belt. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the conveyor belt rollers are elongated in a direction of their axes of rotation. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers can be adjusted from an orientation in which they rotate in a direction in line with the direction of belt travel to orientations in which they rotate in directions that form an angle with the direction of belt travel, the angle being equivalent in magnitude to the diverting angle. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the diverting angle can extend from approximately −90 degrees to approximately 90 degrees relative to the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the diverting angle can extend from at least approximately −70 degrees to at least approximately 70 degrees relative to the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers can be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the conveyor belt rollers. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers comprise relatively short caster rollers. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least two angularly adjustable drive rollers are positioned adjacent a conveyor belt roller during conveyor operation. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers are aligned in rows transverse to the direction of belt travel and columns aligned with the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the angularly adjustable drive rollers are independently actuable such that an angular orientation of at least some of the drive rollers can be independently controlled. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the angularly adjustable drive rollers are actuable together in groups such that an angular orientation of at least some of the drive rollers can be controlled in synchrony. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers are elongated in a direction of their axes of rotation. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers are supported by a frame, an orientation of the frame being adjustable, and wherein when the orientation of the frame is adjusted, orientations of the drive rollers are adjusted in synchrony. 
     
     
       22. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having a frame and a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers supported by the frame, the conveyor belt rollers extending above and below top and bottom surfaces of the frame and being configured to divert objects across the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned with a direction of travel of the belt such that the conveyor belt rollers can divert objects in either transverse direction across the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rollers being elongated along their axes of rotation; and 
 a plurality of free-spinning angularly adjustable drive rollers that can be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the conveyor belt rollers from a position below the conveyor belt, angular orientations of the drive rollers being adjustable relative to the direction of belt travel such that the drive rollers can be selectively positioned from an orientation in which, through engagement with the conveyor belt rollers, the drive rollers rotate in the direction of belt travel to orientations in which the drive rollers rotate in directions other than the direction of belt travel; 
 wherein drive roller rotation in the direction of belt travel brakes the conveyor belt rollers so that they will not rotate and drive roller rotation in directions other than the direction of belt travel drives the conveyor belt rollers due to frictional forces between the drive rollers and the conveyor belt rollers; 
 wherein angular orientations of the drive rollers can be adjusted such that the drive rollers rotate in directions that form substantially any angle from at least approximately −70 degrees to at least approximately 70 degrees relative to the direction of belt travel. 
 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers comprise relatively short caster rollers that are aligned in rows transverse to the direction of belt travel and columns aligned with the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least two angularly adjustable drive rollers are positioned adjacent a conveyor belt roller during conveyor operation. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least some of the angularly adjustable drive rollers are independently actuable such that an angular orientation of at least some of the drive rollers can be independently controlled. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers are elongated in a direction of their axes of rotation and are at least as long as the conveyor belt is wide. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26 , wherein the angularly adjustable drive rollers are supported by a frame, an orientation of the frame being adjustable with an actuator, and wherein when the orientation of the frame is adjusted, orientations of the drive rollers are adjusted in synchrony. 
     
     
       28. A method for diverting objects, the method comprising:
 supporting the objects on a conveyor belt that includes a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers configured to directly contact the objects; 
 engaging the conveyor belt rollers with free-spinning angularly adjustable drive rollers; and 
 adjusting an angular orientation of the drive rollers relative to a direction of belt travel to adjust a diverting angle of the conveyor belt. 
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , further comprising adjusting the angular orientation of the drive rollers such that a direction of rotation of the drive rollers in in line with the direction of conveyor belt travel to brake the conveyor belt rollers. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , further comprising adjusting the angular orientation of the drive rollers from the orientation in which the direction of drive roller rotation is in line with the direction of conveyor belt travel to an orientation in which the direction of drive roller rotation forms an angle with the direction of belt travel so as to cause the conveyor belt rollers to accelerate from zero angular velocity to a final angular velocity. 
     
     
       31. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt rollers protrude below the lower surface of the conveyor belt.  
     
     
       32. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt rollers are configured to directly contact the objects on the conveyor belt.  
     
     
       33. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt rollers are arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and in a multiplicity of rows of conveyor belt rollers extending across a width of the conveyor belt.  
     
     
       34. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt rollers are arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and wherein the drive mechanism includes a plurality of free-spinning drive rollers arranged in a multiplicity of columns, each column of free-spinning drive rollers being aligned with a column of conveyor belt rollers.  
     
     
       35. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes discrete groups of drive rollers individually controlled in different zones of the conveyor system.  
     
     
       36. The system of claim 35, wherein the discrete groups of drive rollers are individually rotatable in the different zones.  
     
     
       37. The system of claim 35, wherein the discrete groups of drive rollers are individually vertically actuable in the different zones to engage and disengage the conveyor belt rollers.  
     
     
       38. The system of claim 9, wherein the conveyor belt has an upper surface and a lower surface and the conveyor belt rollers protrude above the upper surface and below the lower surface.  
     
     
       39. The system of claim 9, wherein the conveyor belt rollers are arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and in a multiplicity of rows of conveyor belt rollers extending across a width of the conveyor belt.  
     
     
       40. The system of claim 9, wherein the conveyor belt rollers are arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and wherein the drive rollers are arranged in a multiplicity of columns extending along the length of the conveyor belt, each column of drive rollers being aligned with a column of conveyor belt rollers.  
     
     
       41. The system of claim 9, wherein the drive rollers are arranged in discrete groups that are individually controlled in different zones of the conveyor system.  
     
     
       42. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and in a multiplicity of rows of conveyor belt rollers extending across a width of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt rollers being configured to divert objects from the conveyor belt; and   a drive mechanism that engages the free-spinning conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being adjustable such that at least one individual conveyor belt roller can be selectively rotated in a first angular direction and a second angular direction so that objects can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle.    
     
     
       43. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers arranged in a multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers extending along a length of the conveyor belt and configured to divert objects from the conveyor belt: and   a drive mechanism that engages the free-spinning conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism including a plurality of free-spinning drive rollers arranged in a multiplicity of columns of drive rollers equal in number to the multiplicity of columns of conveyor belt rollers, each column of drive rollers being aligned with a column of conveyor belt rollers, the drive rollers being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, wherein the drive mechanism is adjustable such that at least one individual conveyor belt roller can be selectively rotated in a first angular direction and a second angular direction so that objects can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle.    
     
     
       44. A conveyor system comprising:
 a conveyor belt having a plurality of free-spinning conveyor belt rollers arranged in columns extending along a length of the conveyor belt and configured to divert objects from the conveyor belt; and   a drive mechanism including drive rollers, each drive roller being directly engageable with all the free-spinning conveyor belt rollers of one of the columns of conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being adjustable such that at least one individual conveyor belt roller can be selectively rotated in a first angular direction and a second angular direction so that objects can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle.