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A multi-directional roller assembly for directing articles in a conveying system. The multi-directional roller assembly has a rotatable roller frame housing at least one set of mutually-actuating rollers. The multi-directional roller assembly directs an article supported by the assembly along a traj

A multi-directional roller assembly for directing articles in a conveying system. The multi-directional roller assembly has a rotatable roller frame housing at least one set of mutually-actuating rollers. The multi-directional roller assembly directs an article supported by the assembly along a trajectory determined by the orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly relative to an input force. The orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly may be changed to change the trajectory. A conveyor system may include an array of multi-directional roller assemblies. An actuator controls the orientation of the multi-directional roller assemblies individually and may also control an array of multi-directional roller assemblies as a group.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A conveyor system, comprising: a roller plate having an upper surface and a bottom surface;an array of roller assemblies in the roller plate, each roller assembly comprising a frame, a first roller rotatably mounted to the frame and protruding below the bottom surface and a second roller rotatabl

1. A conveyor system, comprising: a roller plate having an upper surface and a bottom surface;an array of roller assemblies in the roller plate, each roller assembly comprising a frame, a first roller rotatably mounted to the frame and protruding below the bottom surface and a second roller rotatably mounted to the frame and protruding above the upper surface, wherein the first roller and the second roller are mutually-actuating with each other; anda conveyor belt extending below the roller plate for contacting portions of each of the roller assemblies protruding below the bottom surface to actuate the array of roller assemblies. 2. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt contacts and induces rotation in each first roller to cause rotation of the associated second roller. 3. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt induces rotation of a first frame in the array about an axis by contacting a portion of the first frame protruding below the bottom surface. 4. The conveyor system of claim 3, wherein a portion of the first frame protrudes above the upper surface, and an article resting on the portion of the first frame protruding above the roller plate will be diverted by rotation of the first frame. 5. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyer belt induces rotation in both the first roller and the frame of each roller assembly. 6. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the roller plate comprises an upper plate having an array of upper openings and a lower plate having an array of lower openings matching the openings in the upper plate, wherein a roller assembly is housed between each upper opening and lower opening. 7. The conveyor system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator for adjusting an orientation of the array of roller assemblies. 8. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt includes a first segment for conveying items towards and onto the roller plate and a second segment lower than the first portion that extends below the roller plate to selectively actuate the array of roller assemblies. 9. The conveyor system of claim 8, further comprising a diverter between the first segment and second segment for diverting the conveyor belt below the roller plate. 10. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each frame in the array of roller assemblies is oriented at a selected frame angle relative to a direction of movement of the conveyor belt, and an object on the roller plate will be directed off the roller plate at an output angle that is twice the frame angle. 11. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt has a first section having an upper surface that contacts the protruding portions of the roller assemblies. 12. The conveyor system of claim 11, wherein the first section of the conveyor belt is parallel to the upper surface and bottom surface of the roller plate. 13. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt extends from a first end of the roller plate to a second end of the roller plate. 14. A conveyor system, comprising: a conveyor belt for conveying items in a first direction;a diverting plate for receiving items from the conveyor belt and selectively diverting items from the first direction to a second direction; anda first conveyor belt diverter for diverting the conveyor belt below the diverting plate, wherein the conveyor belt forms a driver for the diverting plate to cause the diverting plate to selectively divert items. 15. The conveyor system of claim 14, wherein the diverting plate comprises an array of orientable assemblies protruding above the diverting plate for contacting conveyed items and below the diverting plate for contacting the conveyor belt. 16. The conveyor system of claim 14, further comprising a second conveyor belt diverter for diverting the conveyor belt up from below the diverting plate to receive and convey articles away from the diverting plate. 17. The conveyor system of claim 14, wherein the diverting plate comprises an array of multi-directional roller assemblies, each roller assembly having a first roller protruding from a bottom of the diverting plate and into contact with the conveyor belt and a second roller connected to the first roller and protruding above the diverting plate. 18. The conveyor system of claim 17, wherein the first roller and second roller are mounted to a rotatable frame. 19. A conveyor system, comprising: a roller assembly having an orientable housing, a top roller protruding from the top of the orientable housing for contacting a conveyed item and a bottom roller protruding from the bottom of the orientable housing; anda conveyor belt below and in contact with a bottommost portion of the bottom roller for inducing rotation in the bottom roller, the bottommost portion protruding from the bottom of the orientable housing. 20. The conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the roller assembly further comprises a rotatable frame mounted to the housing for mounting the top roller and bottom roller, wherein the rotatable frame protrudes above and below the housing. 21. The conveyor system of claim 20, wherein the rotatable frame has a plurality of pairs of mutually-actuating rollers arranged about the periphery of the frame and offset from each other, such that a first roller in a first pair protrudes from the top to form the top roller and the other roller in the first pair protrudes from the bottom to form the bottom roller. 22. The conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the conveyor belt contacts the frame and induces rotation of the frame when the frame is in a select orientation relative to the conveyor belt. 23. The conveyor system of claim 19, further comprising an actuator for orienting the roller assembly relative to the conveyor belt. 24. The conveyor system of claim 19, wherein rotation of the bottom roller induces rotation of the top roller. 25. The conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the top roller and the bottom roller comprise flat-ended ellipsoids. 26. The conveyor system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of teeth about at least a portion of the perimeter of the orientable housing for engaging a device to orient the roller assembly. 27. The conveyor system of claim 19, wherein the conveyor belt moves in a direction that is tangential to the bottommost portion of the bottom roller at the point of contact between the bottom roller and the conveyor belt.