A non-metallic idler for harsh working environments

Abstract

A non-metallic idler for harsh working environments, comprising an idler shaft, an idler sleeve, a bearing housing, and bearings; the idler sleeve is arranged outside the idler shaft and is rotatably connected to the idler shaft through the bearing housing and bearings; end protection sleeves are fixedly arranged at the exposed ends of both ends of the idler shaft, and a plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided on the end faces of the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft; the idler cylinder body, the bearing housing, and the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft are all made of non-metallic materials, solving the problems of high use energy consumption, short service life, and high noise existing in metal idlers; especially, the exposed parts at both ends of the idler shaft are made non-metallic by setting the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft, completely solving the defect that the existing non-metallic idlers for harsh working environments do not protect the two ends of the metal idler shaft, so that when the non-metallic idlers for harsh working environments are applied in humid and corrosive gas environments, their overall service life is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of idlers for belt conveyors, and particularly to a non-metallic idler for harsh working environments. Background Art

[0002] Existing idlers are generally made of metal, which is relatively heavy. During actual use, a relatively large driving motor power is required, so the energy consumption is relatively high. In addition, the existing metal idlers are made of steel, and their corrosion resistance and wear resistance are relatively poor. When used in humid environments and environments with corrosive gases, their service life is also relatively short. In addition, there is also a relatively large noise during the use of metal idlers. In view of the various drawbacks of metal idlers during use, many existing companies have launched non-metallic idlers for harsh working environments, mainly improving the materials of the idler cylinder and bearing seat to use non-metallic materials to solve the problems existing in metal idlers. However, none of them have improved and protected the metal idler shafts. In particular, both ends of the metal idler shafts are still exposed. When used in humid and corrosive gas environments, there is still a problem of short service life. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the deficiencies in the background art, the present invention discloses a non-metallic idler for harsh working environments, which includes an idler shaft, an idler cylinder, a bearing seat, and bearings; the idler sleeve is arranged outside the idler shaft and is rotatably connected to the idler shaft through the bearing seat and bearings; end protection sleeves are fixedly arranged at the exposed ends of both ends of the idler shaft, and a plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided on the end faces of the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft; the idler sleeve, the bearing seat, and the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft are all made of non-metallic materials, solving the problems of high energy consumption, short service life, and large noise existing in metal idlers.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: A non-metallic idler for harsh working environments includes an idler shaft, an idler cylinder, a bearing seat, and bearings; the idler sleeve is arranged outside the idler shaft and is rotatably connected to the idler shaft through the bearing seat and bearings; end protection sleeves are fixedly arranged at the exposed ends of both ends of the idler shaft, and a plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided on the end faces of the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft. The concentric annular grooves on the end faces of the end protection sleeves of the idler shaft cooperate with the bearing seat to form a first labyrinth seal, which is used to prevent foreign objects, water vapor, and corrosive gases from entering the inside of the idler during the working process and damaging the bearings. In particular, the exposed parts at both ends of the idler shaft are made non-metallic by setting end protection sleeves of the idler shaft, completely solving the defect that the existing non-metallic idlers for harsh working environments do not protect both ends of the metal idler shafts. When the non-metallic idlers for harsh working environments are applied in humid and corrosive gas environments, their overall service life is further improved.

[0005] Further, the bearing seat is in the shape of a special-shaped ring. One end of the ring of the bearing seat is provided with a bearing mounting hole, and the other end of the ring of the bearing seat is provided with a bearing seat sealing retaining ring. The end of the bearing seat sealing retaining ring is provided with a plurality of concentric ring grooves, and the concentric ring grooves at the end of the bearing seat sealing retaining ring cooperate with the sealing ring to form a second labyrinth seal, which is used to further prevent foreign objects, water vapor, and corrosive gases from entering the inside of the idler during operation and damaging the bearing.

[0006] Further, a sealing ring is arranged between the idler shaft and the bearing seat. The sealing ring is in the shape of a "U"-shaped ring, and a plurality of concentric ring grooves are provided at the outer end of the ring of the sealing ring. The concentric ring grooves of the sealing ring cooperate with the bearing seat to form a third labyrinth seal, which is used to further prevent foreign objects, water vapor, and corrosive gases from entering the inside of the idler during operation and damaging the bearing.

[0007] Further, the bearing and the sealing ring are axially positioned on the idler shaft through an axial retaining ring arranged on the idler shaft.

[0008] Further, a felt sealing ring is arranged between the bearing seat sealing retaining ring and the sealing ring. The felt sealing ring is impregnated with lubricating oil before assembly. It further strengthens the seal of the non-metallic idler for harsh working environments, preventing foreign objects, water vapor, and corrosive gases from entering the inside of the idler during operation and damaging the bearing. At the same time, the lubricating oil impregnated in the felt sealing ring can improve the sliding friction between the bearing seat sealing retaining ring and the sealing ring, preventing the non-metallic idler for harsh working environments from having too large frictional resistance during rotation.

[0009] Further, a plurality of sealing grooves are provided at the inner circumference of the idler cylinder in contact with the bearing seat, and sealing rings are arranged in the sealing grooves.

[0010] Further, the idler cylinder is formed by winding a plurality of layers of fiberglass cloth or fiberglass filaments, and then infiltrating and curing in one or two or more matrix resins of modified epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane, and engineering plastics, and adding one or two or more modifying materials of nano-scale wear-resistant materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, glass microspheres, and graphite. After curing and forming, it is machined to reach the designed geometric dimensions. The plurality of layers of fiberglass cloth are divided into an inner layer, a middle layer, a transition layer, and an outer layer. The inner layer and the outer layer are 45° fiberglass cloth. The middle layer is 30° and 60° fiberglass cloth arranged alternately. The transition layer is 0° fiberglass cloth. The arrangement of the inner layer, middle layer, transition layer, and outer layer of fiberglass cloth of the idler sleeve is analyzed and optimized by finite element structure, so that the idler cylinder has good structural mechanical properties. One or two or more of the matrix resins of epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane, and engineering plastics are added with antistatic agents and flame retardants, which are used to prevent the idler cylinder from generating static electricity during operation due to friction with the belt.

[0011] Further, the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft are made of one or two or more of modified epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane, and engineering plastics, and after adding glass fiber, they are formed by hot injection molding or compression injection molding at one time. Adding glass fiber is used to improve the dimensional stability and structural strength of the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft after injection molding; the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft are subjected to hot water conditioning treatment at 100°C for 4 hours after injection molding; the concentric ring grooves of the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft are all designed at the ends, which prevents the formation of undercuts in the structure and is conducive to the demolding of the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft during injection molding; the conditioning treatment after the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft are formed is used to improve their material mechanical properties and the residual internal stress after molding, so as to further improve the dimensional stability and impact resistance of the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft.

[0012] Further, grease is provided in the concentric ring grooves of the bearing housing, the sealing ring, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft. The grease completely fills the labyrinth seal formed by the concentric ring grooves, resulting in the complete isolation of the inside and outside of the idler roller. Therefore, it completely prevents external foreign objects, water vapor, and corrosive gases from entering the inside of the idler roller and damaging the bearing.

[0013] Due to the adoption of the above-mentioned technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: A non-metallic idler roller for a harsh working environment disclosed by the present invention includes an idler roller shaft, an idler roller sleeve, a bearing housing, and a bearing; the idler roller cylinder is arranged outside the idler roller shaft and is rotationally connected to the idler roller shaft through the bearing housing and the bearing; end protection sleeves are fixedly arranged at the exposed ends of both ends of the idler roller shaft, and several concentric ring grooves are provided on the end faces of the end protection sleeves of the idler roller shaft; the idler roller cylinder, the bearing housing, and the end protection sleeve of the idler roller shaft are all made of non-metallic materials, which solves the problems of high use energy consumption, short service life, and high noise existing in metal idler rollers; especially, the exposed parts at both ends of the idler roller shaft are made non-metallic by arranging the end protection sleeves of the idler roller shaft, completely solving the defect that the existing non-metallic idler rollers for harsh working environments do not protect the two ends of the metal idler roller shaft; at the same time, the multiple sealing structure design makes the inside and outside of the idler roller completely isolated. Therefore, when the non-metallic idler roller for a harsh working environment is applied to a humid and corrosive gas environment, its overall service life is greatly improved. Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1 It is a structural sectional view of a non-metallic idler roller for a harsh working environment;

[0015] Figure 2 It is an enlarged schematic view of a partial area A.

[0016] In the figure: 1. idler shaft; 2. idler drum body; 3. bearing housing; 3.1 bearing housing sealing retaining ring; 4. bearing; 5. sealing ring; 6. felt sealing ring; 7. sealing ring; 8. idler shaft end protective sleeve. Detailed implementation mode

[0017] The present invention can be explained in detail through the following embodiments, and the purpose of disclosing the present invention is to protect all technical improvements within the scope of the present invention.

[0018] A non-metallic idler for harsh working environments, comprising an idler shaft 1, an idler drum body 2, a bearing housing 3, and a bearing 4; the idler drum body 2 is arranged outside the idler shaft 1 and is rotatably connected to the idler shaft 1 through the bearing housing 3 and the bearing 4; at both ends of the exposed ends of the idler shaft 1, an idler shaft end protective sleeve 8 is fixedly arranged, and several concentric annular grooves are arranged on the end face of the idler shaft end protective sleeve 8; the bearing housing 3 is in a special-shaped ring shape, with a bearing mounting hole at one end of the ring on one side and a bearing housing sealing retaining ring 3.1 at the other end of the ring on the other side; several concentric annular grooves are arranged at the end of the bearing housing sealing retaining ring 3.1; a sealing ring 5 is arranged between the idler shaft 1 and the bearing housing 3; the sealing ring 5 is in a "U" - shaped ring shape, and several concentric annular grooves are arranged at the outer end of the ring on its outer side; the bearing 4 and the sealing ring 5 are axially positioned on the idler shaft 1 through a shaft retaining ring arranged on the idler shaft 1; a felt sealing ring 6 is arranged between the bearing housing sealing retaining ring 3.1 and the sealing ring 5; several sealing grooves are arranged at the inner circumference of the idler drum body 2 in contact with the bearing housing 3, and a sealing ring 7 is arranged in the sealing grooves; lubricating grease is arranged in the concentric annular grooves of the bearing housing 3, the sealing ring 5, and the idler shaft end protective sleeve 8.

[0019] The idler drum body 2 is formed by winding several layers of fiberglass cloth or fiberglass filaments, and after being infiltrated and cured with epoxy resin filled with nano - scale wear - resistant material silica modifier, it is machined to reach the designed dimensional position after curing; the several layers of fiberglass cloth are divided into an inner layer, an intermediate layer, a transition layer, and an outer layer; the inner layer and the outer layer are 45° fiberglass cloth; the intermediate layer is 30° and 60° fiberglass cloth arranged alternately; the transition layer is 0° fiberglass cloth; the epoxy resin is added with antistatic agent and flame retardant.

[0020] The bearing housing 3, the sealing ring 5, and the idler shaft end protective sleeve 8 are formed by hot injection molding after adding glass fiber to modified nylon; the bearing housing 3 and the sealing ring 5 are subjected to hot water humidity adjustment treatment at 100 °C for 4 hours after injection molding.

[0021] Parts not detailed in the present invention are prior art.

Claims

1. A non-metallic idler for harsh working environments, comprising an idler shaft (1), an idler barrel (2), a bearing housing (3), and a bearing (4); the idler barrel (2) is arranged outside the idler shaft (1) and is rotationally connected to the idler shaft (1) through the bearing housing (3) and the bearing (4); characterized in that: End protection sleeves (8) are fixedly arranged at the exposed ends of both ends of the idler shaft (1). A plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided on the end face of the end protection sleeve (8) of the idler shaft. The concentric annular grooves on the end face of the end protection sleeve (8) of the idler shaft cooperate with the bearing housing (3) to form a first labyrinth seal; The bearing housing (3) is annular. A bearing mounting hole is provided at one annular end of it, and a bearing housing sealing retaining ring (3.1) is provided at the other annular end of it. A plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided at the end of the bearing housing sealing retaining ring (3.1); A sealing ring (5) is arranged between the idler shaft (1) and the bearing housing (3). The concentric annular grooves at the end of the bearing housing sealing retaining ring (3.1) cooperate with the sealing ring (5) to form a second labyrinth seal. The sealing ring (5) is in a "U"-shaped ring. A plurality of concentric annular grooves are provided at the outer annular end of it. The concentric annular grooves of the sealing ring (5) cooperate with the bearing housing (3) to form a third labyrinth seal; A felt sealing ring (6) is arranged between the bearing housing sealing retaining ring (3.1) and the sealing ring (5). A plurality of sealing grooves are provided at the inner circumference where the idler roller cylinder (2) contacts the bearing housing (3), and sealing rings (7) are arranged in the sealing grooves.

2. The non-metallic idler for harsh working environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing (4) and the sealing ring (5) are axially positioned on the idler shaft (1) through an axial retaining ring arranged on the idler shaft (1).

3. The non-metallic idler for harsh working environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The idler roller cylinder (2) is formed by winding several layers of fiberglass cloth or fiberglass filaments, and then impregnating and curing in one or two or more matrix resins of modified epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane, and engineering plastics, and adding one or two or more modifying materials of nanoscale wear-resistant materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, glass microspheres, and graphite. After curing and forming, it is machined to reach the designed shape and position dimensions. The several layers of fiberglass cloth are divided into an inner layer, an intermediate layer, a transition layer, and an outer layer. The inner layer and the outer layer are 45° fiberglass cloth. The intermediate layer is 30° and 60° fiberglass cloth arranged alternately. The transition layer is 0° fiberglass cloth. One or two or more matrix resins of epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyurethane, and engineering plastics are added with antistatic agents and flame retardants.

4. The non-metallic idler for harsh working environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing housing (3), the sealing ring (5), and the end protection sleeve (8) of the idler shaft are formed by adding fiberglass to one or two or more matrix resins of modified nylon, polyurethane, PET, and engineering plastics, and then thermally injecting or molding and injecting in one step. After injection molding, the bearing housing (3) and the sealing ring (5) are treated with hot water conditioning at 100°C for 4 hours.

5. The non-metallic idler for harsh working environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: Grease is arranged in the concentric annular grooves of the bearing housing (3), the sealing ring (5), and the end protection sleeve (8) of the idler shaft.

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