Method for manufacturing a conveyor belt and product obtained by the method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a reinforced conveyor belt (100) and a product obtained by the method comprising a plurality of plastic modules (10, 10'), wherein each module (10, 10') includes at least one opening (12, 12') for receiving rollers (11, 11'), and the rollers are configured to rotate relative to a shaft (13, 13') consisting of a metal tube capable of being filled with plastic material; and the method includes the following stages: (i) inserting the shaft (13, 13') into an injection mold (200, 200') for the plastic modules (10, 10') in a region corresponding to the opening (12, 12'); and (ii) injecting the plastic modules (10, 10') in a single stage such that the injected plastic fills the interior of the shaft (13, 13'), thereby forming a single component or structure with the body of the modules (10, 10').

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention proposes a reinforcing belt and a method for manufacturing the reinforcing belt. The invention relates to a solution to the technical problem that holes or openings must be manufactured in some conveyor belts to include rollers, wherein the rollers are configured to accommodate possible changes in the orientation and / or speed of the conveyed object, thereby weakening the modules in these conveyor belts. Background Technology

[0002] It is known in the prior art that, in order to automate and facilitate the transport of any product, a conveyor belt with rollers inserted therein is provided. These conveyor belts are sometimes manufactured together with the rollers, which are configured to handle the accumulation of products, lateral transfer, movement of the products themselves on the conveyor surface, and / or these rollers are configured to reduce friction between the belt and the conveyor surface.

[0003] A first example of the above-mentioned type of conveyor belt is described in document US3550756A, which discloses a conveyor belt having rollers for 90° transfer. The document describes the transfer of products by arranging inclined rollers on a conveyor. When the product reaches the deflector by means of the rollers, it moves perpendicular to the second conveyor with minimal friction because it moves on the inclined rollers.

[0004] Document EP066530B1 discloses a conveyor belt with rollers inserted into the conveyor surface to reduce friction between the product and the conveyor belt when products accumulate. A key feature of this device is that the product can stop without damage while the belt continues to move. The document describes how certain modules of the belt are positioned as idler rollers on the conveyor surface when the product stops on the belt. These idler rollers roll beneath the product, thus preventing friction on the belt that continues to move beneath the product while it stops.

[0005] Document EP1272406B1 discloses a conveyor belt having rollers inserted into the lower portion of a belt module to reduce friction between the belt and a supporting surface, thereby converting frictional sliding into rolling sliding. This document describes how the rollers are inserted into modules of the conveyor belt, which in turn contact the supporting surfaces of the conveyor belt that form the rolling surfaces, thereby reducing the coefficient of friction between the product and the rolling surfaces.

[0006] Document EP1868924B1 discloses a conveyor belt with rollers inserted at different angles and driven from below to change the position of packaged products on the conveyor belt during transport. Arranging the rollers at different angles on the belt and rotating them from below by means of different actuation systems causes the products to be conveyed to move on the surface of the conveyor, while the belt moves accordingly.

[0007] Finally, a conveyor belt disclosed in document EP1398282B1 is also known, which describes a conveyor belt having rollers inserted into the module in different directions and actuated from below. This document describes a method where holes or openings are formed in the module of the belt, and a shaft / roller assembly is introduced through the holes or openings to perform related operations, in which case it is driven from below and generates movement on the upper surface, the purpose of which is to move the belt on top of the upper surface. Furthermore, in this solution, the insertion of the shaft / roller assembly is achieved due to the fact that the module is manufactured in two halves, wherein holes are always made in both halves.

[0008] Considering all these known solutions for inserting rollers into conveyor belts in the prior art, these solutions can be classified by two main distinguishing features: solutions with driven rollers and solutions without driven rollers.

[0009] Currently, in all these applications where rollers are driven to generate movement on the upper or conveyor sections, such as in documents EP1868924B1 and / or EP1398282B1, holes must always be made in the belt modules to introduce shaft / roller assemblies, and the shaft / roller assemblies must be free on both sides. When this opening is formed, the conveyor belt is weakened because material is removed and the holes are only connected at the sides of these openings. Multiple elements, which may be referred to as resistance supports, are defined on the belt and are defined to support all the resistance of the belt, which weakens the belt assembly or structure. Furthermore, as in EP1398282B1, the shaft / roller assemblies necessary to perform these movements require through holes and peripheral grooves to allow for the insertion and movement of shafts / rollers, which also weakens the connection and thus the structure of the belt.

[0010] Document US2012298487A1 describes a method for manufacturing a module for a conveyor belt, the method comprising the steps of: (i) molding a shaft using a first injection mold and removing the injection mold from the shaft; and (ii) molding an intermediate portion around the shaft using a second injection mold such that at least one end of the shaft is embedded in the intermediate portion; and (iii) wherein the intermediate portion includes at least one hinge element at a first end and at least one hinge element at an end opposite to the first end. The present invention primarily describes a method for manufacturing a module, wherein, particularly for this purpose, ends with complex geometries are embedded in the module upon injection, thereby locking the shaft so that it does not move.

[0011] Furthermore, document US2012298487A1 describes a plastic shaft with rollers mounted on it, the rollers being two integrally connected bodies. A significant drawback of this solution is that the rollers consist of two plastic parts connected to each other mechanically—mechanical plastic joints, such as tabs or other equivalent elements—and are prone to breakage during continuous use, while conveyor belts fundamentally require reliability and durability. Moreover, given that both the shaft and rollers are made of plastic, their wear is relatively rapid, even when subjected to friction with special materials. Furthermore, these types of materials have issues with shrinkage and expansion; therefore, depending on the operating temperature, the shaft and rollers may excessively expand to a size larger than the bore designed for this purpose and bulge out.

[0012] Considering the aforementioned known literature, the technical solution provided in this invention solves the problem of weakened conveyor belt modules by manufacturing a conveyor belt with reliable and durable insert rollers for movement. To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a module that uses a rotating shaft with rollers to provide a more resistant support within an opening or hole, as described in the appended claims, thereby reinforcing that area. Summary of the Invention

[0013] According to the independent claims appended to this specification, one object of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a reinforced conveyor belt and a product obtained by this method, which enables the production of a modular plastic conveyor belt reinforced by a plurality of reinforcing pins of shafts configured as a plurality of rollers inserted into holes in the conveyor belt. The dependent claims illustrate specific and / or preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0014] More specifically, a method for manufacturing a reinforced conveyor belt comprising a plurality of plastic modules is provided, wherein each module includes at least one opening for receiving rollers, and the rollers are configured to rotate relative to an axis consisting of a metal tube capable of being filled with plastic material, and wherein the method includes the following stages: (i) inserting the shaft / roller assembly into an injection mold for the plastic module in a region corresponding to the opening, wherein the shaft is preferably a steel tube, and the rollers are previously manufactured in another mold; (ii) injecting a single stage of the plastic module such that the injected plastic fills the interior of the shaft / tube, thereby forming a single component or structure with the body of the module.

[0015] Rollers are typically made of a hard plastic with a good coefficient of friction with steel and can have a rubbery outer layer for greater adhesion; in other words, the roller is composed of or made of two materials. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the roller is solid and monolithic, or composed of separate parts assembled together.

[0016] In one embodiment, the roller and shaft are assembled independently before being inserted into the injection mold. In another embodiment, the roller is injected onto the shaft before being inserted into the injection mold.

[0017] In a second aspect of the invention, the reinforced conveyor belt includes a plurality of modules obtained and assembled together according to the aforementioned manufacturing method. Thus, the conveyor belt includes a plurality of modules, each module including an opening for receiving rollers configured to reduce friction between the product and the conveying surface of the reinforced conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is characterized in that it includes a shaft disposed in each opening, wherein the shaft is a metal tube of plastic filled with molded plastic and fixed to the module assembly, and is configured as the rotation axis of the respective rollers.

[0018] In an embodiment, the arrangement or orientation of the rollers in the reinforcing conveyor belt is variable, always radial, but can be set with an inclination between 0° and 360° relative to the axis of motion of the reinforcing conveyor belt. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To supplement the specification provided herein and for the purpose of helping to make the features of the invention more readily understood, the specification is accompanied by a set of drawings that form part of the specification, which are illustrated by way of illustration rather than limitation as follows:

[0020] Figure 1 A front plan view of a portion of a reinforced conveyor belt (100) manufactured according to the manufacturing method described in the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 An isometric view of a module (10) according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The cross-section of the module (10) shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A view of a roller (11) and shaft (13) assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 4a Details of the shaft (13) or shaft tube (13) are shown.

[0024] Figure 5 It shows the manufacturing process. Figure 2 A view of the mold (200) component of the module (10) shown.

[0025] Figure 6 An isometric view of a module (10') according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The cross-section of the module (10') shown.

[0027] Figure 8 A view of a roller (11') and shaft (13') assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8a A detailed view of the shaft (13') or shaft tube (13') is shown.

[0028] Figure 9 It shows the manufacturing process. Figure 6 A view of the mold (200') assembly of the module (10') shown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Figure 1 A conveyor belt 100 comprising multiple modules 10, 10' is shown. Figure 1 In the image shown, the conveyor belt 100 comprises four rows, each with four modules 10, 10'. Each row is integrated with the preceding rows by means of a hinge shaft 101 transverse to the direction of travel of the belt 100, indicated by an arrow, and each module 10, 10' is associated with a laterally continuous module by means of a male-female connector 102. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that this conveyor belt 100 is a modular conveyor belt, but it can also be used for any other type of conveyor belt made of plastic.

[0030] Each module 10, 10' also includes circular rollers 11, 11', which are embedded in holes 12, 12' such that the outer surface or rolling surface of the rollers 11, 11' is substantially tangent to the conveyor surface T of the conveyor belt 100. Therefore, the rollers 11, 11' reduce friction between the conveyor surface T and the conveyed product. It will be understood that the tangent surface is a parallel plane that allows the product to rest on the roller. This reduction in friction or wear facilitates changes in product orientation, accumulation of product at specific points, and acceleration or deceleration of the product. Furthermore, the holes 12, 12' have two lateral regions configured as structural reinforcement regions or structural reinforcement areas 14, 14', thereby making the assembly more robust.

[0031] exist Figure 2 and Figure 6 The diagram shows detailed and separate views of each module 10, 10'. More specifically, as will be explained in further detail below, in Figures 2 to 5 The first embodiment of the present invention is defined in the text, while... Figures 6 to 9 The second embodiment of the present invention is defined in the text.

[0032] First Embodiment

[0033] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, module 10 is a generally rectangular body with its longer side hinged 101 to allow it to be connected to other adjacent modules via a through shaft, and its shorter side having a male-female connector 102. Module 10 has rollers 11 embedded in holes 12, which are free to rotate relative to shaft 13. A particular feature of shaft 13 is that it is constructed as a generally metallic tube that is wider at the central portion than at the ends. Figure 4a The configuration is shown in detail in a separate manner.

[0034] The manufacturing method of module 10 in the first embodiment includes a single stage of injecting plastic into mold 200, wherein shaft 13 is pre-set, which is pre-installed in roller 11 before being arranged in mold 200. Figure 5 As can be seen more clearly in the mold 200, with the roller 11 and shaft 13 assembly in the mold, plastic is injected to form module 10, such that the plastic fills the interior of shaft 13 to form a solid assembly. Unless the connection between shaft 13 and module 10 assembly is broken or cut, the solid assembly prevents the removal of roller 11 without hindering the movement of roller 11.

[0035] Second Embodiment

[0036] In such Figures 6 to 9In the second embodiment, as can be seen, module 10' is a substantially rectangular body with its longer side hinged 101 to allow connection to other adjacent modules via a through shaft, and its shorter side having a male-female connector 102. Module 10' has rollers 11' embedded in holes 12', which rotate freely relative to shaft 13'. A specific feature of shaft 13' is that it is constructed as a substantially metallic tube; however, unlike that shown in the first embodiment, the tube has a substantially uniform diameter along its entire length, and has an end for connection to the body of module 10' with a larger diameter than that shown in the first embodiment. Figure 8a The configuration of the shaft (13') is shown in detail in the figure.

[0037] The manufacturing method of module 10' in the second embodiment differs in the stages prior to the single injection of module 10'. In other words, the shaft 13' is first mounted on the mold, followed by the injection of roller 11' onto the mold. Then, the roller 11' and shaft 13 assembly are arranged in the injection mold 200' of module 10'. From... Figure 9 In the case of the roller 11' and shaft 13' configuration in the mold 200' which is better seen in the middle, plastic is injected to form module 10', such that the plastic will fill the interior of shaft 13' to form a solid assembly, which prevents the removal of roller 11' without hindering the movement of roller 11' unless the connection between shaft 13' and module 10' assembly is broken or sawn apart.

[0038] Compared to existing technologies, this second embodiment using the shaft tube 13' has a smaller diameter enlargement at the ends, which is achieved not through injection molding but through a simpler configuration. In existing technologies, the shaft is precisely made of plastic to realize this particular form at the ends, and then the shaft is embedded in a module. This is complex because these tubes must be machined individually, which is uneconomical or operationally impractical. This is the difference and advantage, not only because it is a fillable tube 13'—which is the most important aspect—but also because it allows the tube to be "molded" in a more reasonable way, without having to make and inject the tube from plastic.

[0039] In both embodiments, shafts 13 and 13' are constructed as reinforcing pins, which are hollow metal tubes. Therefore, during the plastic injection process or stage, the tube is not initially filled, but rather filled simultaneously with the remaining portions of the plastic modules 10 and 10' of the filling conveyor belt 100. In this way, plastic is simultaneously injected into the tubular pin, thereby connecting the pin to the rest of the module, forming new resistance supports in addition to the existing supports 14 and 14' in modules 10 and 10'. These new resistance supports are constructed as additional reinforcement in the weakest areas of the modules.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a reinforced conveyor belt (100), wherein the reinforced conveyor belt (100) includes rollers (11, 11') configured to rotate relative to a shaft (13, 13') comprising a tube capable of being filled with plastic; characterized in that, The manufacturing method The process includes the following stages: (i) inserting the shaft (13, 13') and roller (11, 11') assembly into the injection mold (200, 200'); and (ii) a single injection stage of the conveyor belt (100) such that the injected plastic fills the interior of the tubular shaft (13, 13'), thereby forming a single assembly with the body of the conveyor belt (100) and forming a solid assembly that prevents the removal of the roller (11, 11') without impeding the movement of the roller, unless the connection between the shaft (13, 13') and the module (10, 10') assembly of the reinforced conveyor belt (100) is broken, and wherein plastic is simultaneously injected into the interior of the tubular shaft, thereby connecting the shaft to the rest of the module, forming a new resistance support in addition to the existing support (14, 14') in the module (10, 10'), the new resistance support being constructed as an additional reinforcement in the weakest region of the module.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein, The first roller (11) of the rollers (11, 11') and the first shaft (13) of the shafts (13, 13') are installed independently before being inserted into the first injection mold (200) of the injection molds (200, 200').

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first shaft (13) of the shafts (13, 13') is a tube made of steel, and the first shaft (13) is wider at its central portion than at its ends.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein, The second roller (11') of the rollers (11, 11') is injected onto the second shaft (13') of the shafts (13, 13') before being inserted into the second injection mold (200') of the injection molds (200, 200').

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein, The second shaft (13') of the shafts (13, 13') is a tube made of steel, which has a substantially the same diameter along its entire length except at the ends, where the diameter at the ends is greater than the diameter at the center.

6. A reinforced conveyor belt (100) obtained by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The reinforced conveyor belt (100) includes shafts (13, 13') that are metal tubes filled with molded plastic and fixed to the plastic of the module (10, 10') assembly, and the shafts (13, 13') are configured as rotation shafts for the individual rollers (11, 11') of the module (10, 10').

7. The reinforced conveyor belt (100) according to claim 6, wherein, The arrangement or orientation of the rollers (11, 11') is variable, always radial, but can be set at an inclination between 0° and 360° relative to the axis of motion of the reinforcing conveyor belt (100).

8. The reinforced conveyor belt (100) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, The rollers (11, 11') are solid and integral, or assembled from multiple independent parts.

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