A conveyor module includes an elongate frame to which a looped conveyor track is mounted. The frame includes first and second end housings which include end pulleys for the conveyor track. The frame also includes a drive housing located at a mid-portion thereof which houses the drive motor for the conveyor track. The conveyor module is a discrete independently driven unit with an upper portion (running surface) of the conveyor track in a planar orientation for conveying items thereon in use. The conveyor module can include additional smart features. A warehouse floor arrangement uses a plurality of side by side conveyor modules being identical and grouped into banks.

Conveyor idler monitoring apparatus, systems and methods are provided. In some embodiments, one or more sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, load sensors, etc.) are supported by the shaft of a conveyor idler. In some embodiments, one or more sensors are in data communication with a wireless transmitter. In some embodiments, a power generator driven by rotation of the idler is in electrical communication with one or more sensors and/or a wireless transmitter. In some embodiments, idler monitoring systems are in data communication with a conveyor monitoring system and/or operational monitoring system.

A contactless monitoring system detects operating performance of movers in an independent cart system. A contactless sensor is provided on an actuator to automatically track a mover as it travels along the track. The sensor includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal and a receiver configured to receive the signal after it is reflected off the mover. The actuator may be configured to mover the sensor in a single axis or in multiple axes of motion. As a mover travels along the track, the sensor transmits a signal towards the mover and detects the signal after it has been reflected off the mover. A controller may synchronize motion of the actuator with motion of the mover, such that the sensor may continually transmit the signal off the mover for at least a portion of the travel by the mover along the track.

The present invention relates to a pouch conveyor belt with a conveyor belt body, preferably an elastomer conveyor belt body, which is designed to hold a conveyed material in the interior of the closed pouch conveyor belt. The pouch conveyor belt is characterized in that the conveyor belt body comprises at least one sensor element which is configured to detect at least the temperature of the conveyor belt body at the location of the sensor element.

A system and method arranged for monitoring modular conveyor belts. The modular conveyer belt comprises a plurality of modules made from a plastic material and linked together to form a continuous path operated by a gear which in turn comprises a shaft. The system further comprises at least two sensors in such a way that a first sensor is configured for detecting the passage of reference element in the drive shaft, and at least a second sensor which is configured for detecting the passage of two consecutive reference elements inserted in the longitudinal edges of the modules.

A temperature detection device and method that can simply and accurately detect the presence or absence of abnormal heating of a conveyor belt. Correlation data between an electrical resistance value of a passive IC tag embedded in a conveyor belt and a temperature of the IC tag when it is activated is grasped in advance when the tag receives a transmitted radio wave from a non-contact detector. Data of electrical resistance value when the IC tag is activated is received by the detector through a returned radio wave returned from the tag in response to the transmitted radio wave transmitted from the detector toward the tag embedded in the conveyor belt running. A temperature at a position of the conveyor belt where the tag is embedded is calculated in accordance with the data of the electrical resistance value received and the correlation data.

A sensor assembly has a housing for mounting on a shaft of an idler roller in a belt conveyor system. The housing has one or more sensors for detecting one or more parameters of the idler roller and a processor in communication with the sensors and a wireless communication device. The sensors transmit the detected parameter data to the processor, which causes the detected parameter data to be transmitted by the wireless communication device. A monitoring system is also provided.

A method of sorting articles with a sorter apparatus and a sorter apparatus having a conveying surface that is adapted to transport articles in a direction of conveyance and a mechanism adapted to displace articles on the conveying surface, the sorter apparatus having an endless web of bodies travelling in an endless loop defining the conveying surface includes a distributed drive system having at least one drive that is adapted to produce to provide force with at least one of the bodies to propel the endless web. A diagnostic device traveling with the web and positioned at one of the bodies of the endless web. The diagnostic device is adapted to monitor operation of the sorter apparatus and includes at least one sensor that is adapted to detect at least one parameter of a proximate drive that is proximate to the at least one sensor, and a controller adapted to receive the at least one parameter from the at least one sensor. A stationary thermal sensor may also monitor the endless loop via another controller including receiving thermal data from the stationary thermal sensor and the another controller correlates the thermal images with a portion of the endless loop.

A method for establishing and transmitting the status parameters of a conveyor and it's articles accumulated includes recording a first signal and a second signal with the first signal received from at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors in a conveyor zone and the second signal transmitted in response to receiving the first signal. The first signal is indicative of an article presence status in the conveyor zone and the second signal is indicative of an actuation status of the conveyor zone. Further, the method includes storing the first signal and the second signal recorded over a periodic scan cycle in a memory to create a historical log of the first signal and the second signal.

A method for establishing and transmitting the status parameters of a conveyor and it's articles accumulated includes recording a first signal and a second signal with the first signal received from at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors in a conveyor zone and the second signal transmitted in response to receiving the first signal. The first signal is indicative of an article presence status in the conveyor zone and the second signal is indicative of an actuation status of the conveyor zone. Further, the method includes storing the first signal and the second signal recorded over a periodic scan cycle in a memory to create a historical log of the first signal and the second signal.