Mobile drive unit having a conveyor module
A mobile drive unit includes a pivot between the front chassis unit and the rear chassis unit, which both support a support structure that pivotally supports a payload housing.
1. A mobile drive unit comprising:
a front chassis unit including a pair of mid-chassis drive wheel assemblies and a front caster wheel mounted on a front chassis base;
a rear chassis unit including a rear caster assembly mounted on the rear chassis base;
a pivotal connection between the rear chassis base and the front chassis base;
a front support structure mounted on the front chassis base;
a rear support structure pivotally mounted on the rear chassis base;
a payload housing pivotally mounted on the front support structure and the rear support structure;
a conveyor belt assembly mounted on the payload housing, the conveyor belt assembly comprising a conveyor belt powered by a conveyor motor;
a payload detection sensor mounted on the payload housing;
a controller communicatively coupled to the payload detection sensor;
memory storing instructions that cause the controller to effectuate operations, the operations comprising:
detecting that a package on the conveyor belt assembly is within a threshold distance from an edge of the conveyor belt; and
operating the conveyor motor to cause the conveyor belt to move the package away from the edge of the conveyor belt.
2. A mobile drive unit comprising:
a front chassis unit and a rear chassis unit;
a pivotal connection between the rear chassis unit and the front chassis unit;
a front support structure mounted on the front chassis unit by a first mount;
a rear support structure mounted on the rear chassis unit by a second mount;
a payload housing pivotally mounted on the front support structure by a third mount and the rear support structure by a fourth mount,
wherein at least two of the first mount, second mount, third mount, and fourth mount are pivotal mounts.
3. The mobile drive unit of claim 2 , wherein the pivotal mounts are the second mount, the third mount and the fourth mount.
4. The mobile drive unit of claim 3 , wherein the fourth mount includes a vibration isolator.
5. The mobile drive unit of claim 4 , wherein the rear support structure comprises a bottom support structure connected to a top support structure by a vertical spring.
6. The mobile drive unit of claim 5 , wherein the front support structure comprises a second bottom support structure connected to a second top support structure by a second vertical spring.
7. The mobile drive unit of claim 2 , further comprising a conveyor belt assembly including a conveyor belt supported by the payload housing.
8. The mobile drive unit of claim 7 , wherein the conveyor belt assembly comprises a rotating turntable.
9. The mobile drive unit of claim 7 , wherein the payload housing further comprises a plurality of walls.
10. The mobile drive unit of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of walls is a spring-loaded wall.
11. The mobile drive unit of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of walls comprises a sensor for detecting a payload on the conveyor belt.
12. The mobile drive unit of claim 7 , wherein the payload housing comprises a ramp located at a front of the conveyor belt.
13. The mobile drive unit of claim 2 , further comprising a powered roller assembly supported by the payload housing.
14. The mobile drive unit of claim 13 , wherein the powered roller assembly comprises a rotating turntable.
15. The mobile drive unit of claim 13 , wherein the payload housing further comprises a plurality of walls.
16. The mobile drive unit of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of walls is a spring-loaded wall.
17. The mobile drive unit of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of walls comprises a sensor for detecting a payload on the powered belt assembly.
18. The mobile drive unit of claim 2 , wherein the payload housing comprises a ramp located at a front of the powered roller assembly.
19. A mobile drive unit comprising:
a front chassis unit pivotally connected to a rear chassis unit;
a front support structure mounted on the front chassis unit;
a rear support structure mounted on the rear chassis unit;
a payload housing pivotally mounted on the front support and the rear support, the payload housing comprising a top surface and a wall along a side of the top surface;
a sensor integrated into the wall for detecting a package on the top surface of the payload housing;
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor; and
memory storing instructions that cause the controller to effectuate operations, the operations comprising:
receiving data from the sensor;
based on the data, detecting that the package has moved along the top surface to within a threshold distance of an end of the top surface; and
operating a motor to move the package away from the end of top surface,
wherein the motor powers at least one of a powered roller assembly or a conveyor belt.
20. The mobile drive unit of claim 19 , the operations further comprising: calculating a threshold based on a relative size of the package and the top surface.