Belt splicing apparatus and method

Abstract

A portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus is provided that includes an upper press assembly and a lower press assembly that each include an upper platen assembly and a lower platen assembly. The upper press assembly and the lower press assembly can each include a forced air cooling system for rapidly cooling the platens of the platen assemblies. The upper press assembly and the lower press assembly can include an insulation assembly having a resilient member that supports the upper press assembly and the lower press assembly. The resilient member provides structural support and isolates the platens from the frame, which reduces the power required to heat the platens. In one form, the apparatus includes a power supply circuit that can alternate between providing power to the upper heater and the lower heater in response to the apparatus being connected to different types of standard power sources. Further, the power supply circuit allows for a single configuration to be used for a particular conveyor belt regardless of the type of power source.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) application No. 201680070959.X, entitled "with splicing equipment and method", filed on December 2, 2016 (also entitled "with splicing equipment and method", application number 202011286075.2).

[0002] Cross-reference to related applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 262,905, filed December 3, 2015, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to a device for connecting two ends of a conveyor belt together, and more particularly to a portable splicing press device for connecting two ends of a conveyor belt together. Background Technology

[0005] Some industries utilize conveyor belts to move loads from one location to another or to transfer loads through continuous handling operations. Many of these applications require conveyor belts to remain clean under a wide variety of, and sometimes harsh, conditions. For example, in the food and dairy industry, conveyor belts must provide hygienic surfaces for conveying food and dairy products to minimize the possibility of contamination. To meet this requirement, conveyor belt surfaces are typically formed of materials that are not easily contaminated when in contact with food or dairy products on the conveyor belt surface, such as thermoplastics. To provide additional stability, low- to medium-load conveyor belts used in these applications are typically formed in multiple layers, including one or more fabric layers sandwiched between thermoplastic or rubber layers. Thus, for example, in the food industry, the conveying surface may be formed of a thermoplastic material that does not readily absorb liquids from the conveyed food, while the core may be formed of fabric to provide strength to the conveyor belt. Furthermore, in the food and other industries, conveyor belts with uniform thickness and smooth, continuous surfaces offer higher strength, generate less wear on the conveying system, and can be operated with smaller idlers compared to conveyor belts with uneven thickness or discontinuous surfaces.

[0006] During the installation and maintenance of conveyor belts, one or more conveyor belt ends typically need to be joined together. Although several existing methods and tools are available to join belt ends together, such as using adhesives or mechanical fasteners, welding is generally the preferred method for joining conveyor belt ends, including low- to medium-load PVC belts, polyurethane belts, and polyester belts, because welding typically provides a more uniform and continuous joint and surface than other methods.

[0007] Welding the ends of a conveyor belt together typically involves preparing the conveyor belt ends for splicing in a generally overlapping or interlocking pattern, positioning the prepared conveyor belt ends in a generally end-to-end orientation between a pair of heating plates, and subjecting the belt ends to specific temperatures and pressures applied by one or both plates for a specific amount of time to melt or soften the material in the belt ends and allow them to flow together. Upon subsequent cooling of the belt ends and release of pressure, the material will harden again, fusing the materials of the two belt ends to join them together. However, existing splicing presses may have several drawbacks that limit their use.

[0008] First, some existing splicing presses have low electrical efficiency. For example, some existing splicing presses have thick metal plates (e.g., 20 mm thick) and a substantially rigid insulating member made of insulating material between the platen and the belt end. This substantially rigid member can provide a more desirable heat distribution across the belt end, including the central hot zone and the lateral external cold zone.

[0009] However, the thick pressure plates and insulation components increase the mass that must be heated within the system, as the entire thickness of the pressure plates and insulation components must be heated. Since more heat must be provided to adequately heat the ends of the strips, this additional heat must also be removed by the system before subsequent splicing, thus increasing the cycle time of the press for each strip splicing operation. Furthermore, in some environments, only a relatively low voltage output (e.g., 110V) is available. Due to the energy consumed in heating the thick pressure plates and insulation components, there may simply not be enough power to adequately heat these existing splicing presses.

[0010] Another drawback of existing splicing presses, with their thick pressure plates and essentially rigid insulation components, is that they increase the time required to heat the belt joining surfaces and to remove heat after splice formation. This delay reduces the user's ability to rapidly apply and remove heat from the belt ends. Consequently, splice quality can be affected, as it depends on the temperature applied to the heated surfaces at the belt ends and the amount of time the belt ends are exposed to that temperature. For example, prolonged heating of the conveyor belt ends can lead to undesirable material flow and / or deterioration of the belt material. For thermoplastic belts with fabric layers, this undesirable material flow may include the seepage of thermoplastic material through the fabric layers, potentially creating high-friction areas on the belt. Therefore, the ability to rapidly cool the splicing press surfaces affects the resulting splice quality. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In one aspect of this disclosure, a portable conveyor belt splicing device is provided for joining the ends of a conveyor belt together. The portable conveyor belt splicing device includes a first press assembly and a second press assembly, and elongated pressure plates of the first and second press assemblies for clamping the belt ends and extending longitudinally and laterally across the conveyor belt ends. The portable conveyor belt splicing device also includes heaters for the first and second press assemblies operable to heat the pressure plates, and at least one bladder of the first press assembly that can expand to increase the clamping force applied to the belt ends by the pressure plates of the first press assembly, the at least one bladder having a pair of opposing ends and extending longitudinally between the pair of opposing ends. The first press assembly also includes at least one first fan assembly of the first press assembly, spaced between and from the ends of the bladders, to direct air laterally across the bladders in its longitudinal direction and toward the pressure plates of the first press assembly to cool the pressure plates.

[0012] In one embodiment, the device further includes at least one second fan assembly of the second press assembly, the second fan assembly being configured to direct air toward and cool the pressure plate of the second press assembly. In another embodiment, the at least one bladder includes a pair of longitudinally extending bladders, and the at least one fan assembly is configured to direct air transversely through the bladders along its longitudinal direction.

[0013] On the other hand, a portable conveyor belt splicing device is provided for joining the ends of a conveyor belt together. This portable conveyor belt splicing device includes an upper press assembly and a lower press assembly, as well as an upper pressure plate assembly of the upper press assembly and a lower pressure plate assembly of the lower press assembly. The device includes heaters for the upper pressure plate assembly of one of the press assemblies and the lower pressure plate assembly. The press assembly includes a heat insulation component having a plurality of elastic members made of metallic material supporting the pressure plate assembly. In one embodiment, the elastic members include helical springs.

[0014] This disclosure also provides a conveyor belt splicing device for joining the ends of a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt splicing device includes a housing comprising an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion having a release position and a clamping position relative to the end of the conveyor belt. The upper and lower housing portions include an upper pressure plate and a lower pressure plate for clamping the belt end with clamping force when the upper and lower housing portions are in the clamping position. The device includes a heater associated with one of the housing portions for heating its pressure plate, and at least one first bladder and at least one second bladder associated with said housing portion, the bladders being expandable to increase the clamping force applied to the belt end by the pressure plate of said housing portion. The device includes a gap between the at least one first bladder and the at least one second bladder, and at least one fan assembly associated with said housing portion and arranged to direct airflow toward the pressure plate of said housing portion through the gap between the at least one first bladder and the at least one second bladder to cool the pressure plate.

[0015] In another aspect of this disclosure, a portable conveyor belt splicing device is provided, comprising an upper pressure plate and a lower pressure plate for clamping belt ends therebetween, and an upper heater and a lower heater operable to heat the upper and lower pressure plates. The device also includes a power supply circuit operatively connected to the upper and lower heaters for supplying power to the upper and lower heaters for splicing the belt ends. The power supply circuit is adapted to be electrically connected to either a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply. The power supply circuit is configured such that the predetermined dwell characteristics for the belt splicing operation generated by the powered upper and lower heaters are identical, regardless of whether the power supply circuit is connected to the high-power or low-power standard power supply.

[0016] In one form, the dwell characteristic includes a dwell time such that the upper and lower pressure plates are heated during the same dwell time, regardless of whether the power supply circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

[0017] The dwell characteristics may include the dwell temperature of the upper and lower pressure plates, such that the upper and lower pressure plates have the same dwell temperature, regardless of whether the power supply circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

[0018] In one embodiment, the conveyor belt splicing device further includes an air pump and at least one inflatable bladder connected to the air pump, and the dwell feature includes a dwell pressure. The power supply circuitry is configured to control the operation of the air pump to inflate at least one bladder and apply the same dwell pressure to the belt ends, regardless of whether the power supply circuitry is connected to a high-power or low-power standard power supply.

[0019] The power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment can be configured to operate the upper and lower heaters according to a first heating mode in response to connection to a high-power standard power supply. The power circuit can also be configured to operate the upper and lower heaters according to a second heating mode in response to connection to a low-power standard power supply. The second time period may be longer than the first time period.

[0020] In another embodiment, the power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing device is configured to alternate between providing more power to the upper heater than the lower heater and providing more power to the lower heater than the upper heater during the heating phase of the splicing operation in response to the power circuit being connected to a low-power standard power supply. In one embodiment, the power circuit is configured to provide more power to the upper heater than the lower heater by providing power to the upper heater but not to the lower heater. The power circuit can also be configured to provide more power to the lower heater than the upper heater by providing power to the lower heater but not to the upper heater.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for splicing the ends of a conveyor belt between a pair of pressure plates of a portable conveyor belt splicing device. The method includes receiving electrical power from either a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply at a power supply circuit of the conveyor belt splicing device. The method further includes supplying power to a heater operatively connected to the power supply circuit to heat the pressure plates and splice the conveyor belt ends such that predetermined dwell characteristics generated by the heater are identical, regardless of whether the power supply circuit receives electrical power from the high-power standard power supply or the low-power standard power supply. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a type of conveyor belt splicing equipment, showing the upper press assembly and the lower press assembly in a clamping or operating position;

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The conveyor belt splicing equipment shown is in a perspective view of an open configuration, wherein the upper press assembly is located above the lower press assembly and the end of the conveyor belt is located between the upper press assembly and the lower press assembly;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The side view of the conveyor belt splicing equipment shown illustrates the longitudinal length of the equipment.

[0025] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by line 4-4 shows the platen assembly and insulation assembly of each of the upper and lower press assemblies;

[0026] Figure 5 It is similar to Figure 4 A cross-sectional view showing a pair of inflatable bladders in an inflatable configuration, with a pressure plate assembly clamping the conveyor belt ends between them;

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of the upper press assembly shown shows the helical springs of the insulation assembly, which support the pressure plate assembly of the upper press assembly.

[0028] Figure 7A yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a perspective view of the upper compressor assembly, with portions of the upper compressor assembly removed to show the fans oriented to guide airflow into the insulation assembly of the upper frame.

[0029] Figure 7B yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the pressure device of the upper press assembly shown illustrates a pair of expandable bladders, a compressor for expanding the bladders, and a valve for releasing pressure from the bladders.

[0030] Figure 8A yes Figure 1 The bottom perspective view of the upper press assembly is shown, in which the pressure plate assembly is removed to show the springs of the insulation assembly;

[0031] Figure 8B It is similar to Figure 8A The bottom perspective view shows the springs of the upper press assembly, with the spring seats removed to show the opening in the frame that allows the fan in the frame to direct airflow through the gaps between the bladders.

[0032] Figure 9 yes Figure 8A An enlarged view of the circular area in the image shows the air gap between the spring coils;

[0033] Figure 10 yes Figure 1 The perspective view of the spring seat of the upper press assembly shown illustrates the longitudinal channel that houses the spring.

[0034] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of a portion of the lower press assembly shows the cooling system housed within the lower frame of the lower press assembly;

[0035] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 The perspective view of the lower press assembly shown shows the springs of the insulation component of the lower press assembly, which support the pressure plate assembly of the lower press assembly.

[0036] Figure 13 yes Figure 12The end front view of the frame of the lower press assembly shown;

[0037] Figure 14 yes Figure 1 The end front view of the conveyor belt splicing device shown illustrates a user interface including a screen and buttons for operating the device;

[0038] Figure 15 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by line 15-15 shows the clamp that holds the upper press assembly relative to the lower press assembly;

[0039] Figure 16 yes Figure 1 The perspective view of the end of the conveyor belt splicing equipment shown illustrates the umbilical cord that electrically connects the upper press assembly to the lower press assembly and the power cord for connecting the lower press assembly to a standard power source.

[0040] Figure 17 It is used to connect to the lower press assembly. Figure 16 A front view of the connector for the power cord shown;

[0041] Figure 18 It is used to connect to Figure 17 The front view of the connector of the lower press assembly shown;

[0042] Figure 19 yes Figure 16 A front view of the electrical connector for the umbilical cord shown.

[0043] Figure 20 It is used to connect to Figure 19 A front view of the electrical connector of the lower press assembly of the umbilical cord connector shown.

[0044] Figure 21 , Figure 21A , Figure 21B , Figure 21C and Figure 21D yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment shown;

[0045] Figure 22 It is a table showing the correspondence between multiple different power lines used to connect to different standard power supplies and the binary codes provided by the different power lines;

[0046] Figure 23 It is a table providing a summary of different embodiments with splicing equipment and different operating modes of embodiments based on different standard power supplies;

[0047] Figure 24This illustrates the effects of connecting the device's power cord to a lower power standard power supply and when the power cord is connected to a higher power standard power supply during the splicing operation. Figure 1 The graph shows the average temperature of the pressure plate of the conveyor belt splicing equipment, expressed in degrees Celsius.

[0048] Figure 25 It corresponds to Figure 24 The data table shown in the chart;

[0049] Figure 26 This is a perspective view of another conveyor belt splicing device, which has a longer longitudinal length for splicing wider conveyor belts;

[0050] Figure 26A It is across Figure 26 The cross-sectional view taken along lines 26A-26A shows pairs of stacked bladders that can expand to clamp the upper pressure plate of the conveyor belt splicing device onto the end of the conveyor belt; and

[0051] Figure 27 , Figure 27A , Figure 27B , Figure 27C and Figure 27D yes Figure 26 The diagram shows the circuit diagram of the conveyor belt splicing equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0052] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 The invention provides portable belt splicing equipment, such as a splicing press 10, for connecting the ends 20, 22 of a conveyor belt 24. The splicing press 10 includes an upper press assembly 12 and a lower press assembly 14, each including a corresponding opposing upper pressure plate assembly 16 and lower pressure plate assembly 18. Figure 4 As shown, the upper pressure plate assembly 16 and the lower pressure plate assembly 18 include an upper pressure plate 46 and a lower pressure plate 48, and heaters 42 and 44 configured to heat the pressure plates 46 and 48. The splicing press 10 has an onboard control system, such as a power supply circuit 50 (see...). Figure 21C It can be connected to different power sources and can provide sufficient power to heaters 42, 44 and heat pressure plates 46, 48 so that the material at the ends of conveyor belts 20, 22 begins to melt, even when the power available to splicing press 10 is limited (such as 110 volts, 15 amps; 110 volts, 20 amps; and 230 volts, 10 amps).

[0053] refer to Figure 4One or both of the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 have insulation components 56, 58, which improve the efficiency of the pressure plates 46, 48 by resisting heat loss in the pressure plates. In other words, the insulation components 56, 58 retain the heat generated by the heaters 42, 44 at the pressure plates 46, 48. This ensures that the pressure plates 46, 48 are adequately heated even when the available power in the power circuit 50 is relatively low. Furthermore, the insulation components 56, 58 can reduce the duration of heat application to the conveyor belt ends 20, 22, which improves splicing quality.

[0054] In one embodiment, insulation components 56, 58 reduce heat transfer from the upper pressure plate assembly 16 and the lower pressure plate assembly 18 by using existing air as the insulator and minimizing the surface area of ​​the material in contact with the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18. (See reference) Figure 8A and Figure 9 The insulation components include resilient support members, such as a helical spring 61, which includes a plurality of coils 129, each coil 129 having a curved portion 130 extending around a central point 132 of the spring 61. The resilient nature is intended to mean that the helical spring 61 is capable of elastic deformation during typical operation of the splicing press 10. The curved portion 130 includes an outer surface 134, each outer surface 134 forming a point contact 136 with the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the diagram. More specifically, the outer surface 134 may be circular and contact the generally flat support plates 137, 139 of the upper pressure plate assembly 16 and the lower pressure plate assembly 18. By utilizing point contact, the conduction area between the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18 and the spring 61 is minimized. The spring 61 also forms point contact with the spring seats 59, 180 to minimize the conduction area between them.

[0055] Support plate 137, heater 42, and pressure plate 46 together form the flat main body portion of the upper pressure plate assembly 16. Similarly, support plate 139, heater 44, and pressure plate 48 form the flat main body portion of the lower pressure plate assembly 18. The spring 61 of the upper press assembly 12 is strong enough to transmit forces from the inflatable bladders 96, 98 to the flat main body portion of the upper pressure plate assembly 16 during splicing operations. The spring 61 of the lower press assembly 14 is strong enough to support the flat main body portion of the lower pressure plate assembly 18 during splicing operations to prevent deflection.

[0056] Additionally, spring 61 can be made of an elastic material that allows for some localized elastic deflection of the pressure plates 46, 48. This localized elastic deformation allows the pressure plates 46, 48 to conform to the shapes of the belt ends 20, 22 and distributes the clamping force more evenly across the belt ends 20, 22, thus improving the splicing quality. After the loading from the splicing operation has ended, the elastic coil 129 of spring 61 can deform into a deflected configuration, such as by flattening, and then elastically return to a generally undeflected configuration, such as a more rounded shape.

[0057] refer to Figure 9 Spring 61 includes an air gap 142 between the curved portions 130 measured generally along the longitudinal direction of the spring seat and an air gap 144 between adjacent springs 61 (see [link]). Figure 5 Thus, each point contact 136 between the spring 61 and the support plates 137, 139 is surrounded by a generally annular continuous air gap. When the spring 61 supports or presses against the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18 at the point contact 136, the air gaps 142, 144 around the point contact 136 reduce the surface area for conductive heat transfer between the spring and the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18.

[0058] Spring 61 can be a compression spring with a helical shape. Spring 61 can be made of round wire or wire with other cross-sectional shapes. In one form, the wire of spring 61 has a circular cross-section with a diameter of 1.5 mm. This relatively small cross-section limits heat conduction through the material of spring 61. Spring 61 can be made of metallic materials, such as steel, spring steel, or stainless steel. The material of spring 61 can be selected to provide sufficient strength while providing relatively low thermal conductivity to limit conductive heat transfer through the material of spring 61 (such as stainless steel).

[0059] Back Figure 1 and Figure 4 The splicing press 10 includes a clamp 40 for clamping the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 together onto the conveyor belt ends 20, 22 with a desired clamping force. The upper press assembly 12 has a pressure device 92 that is operated to apply further pressure, such as approximately two bar, to the pressure plates 46, 48, and increase the clamping force applied thereon. (Reference) Figure 8A and Figure 12 Spring 61 is fixed in spring seats 59 and 180 above and below the upper pressure plate assembly 16 and the lower pressure plate assembly 18, respectively. (Back to...) Figure 4 and Figure 5The pressure device 92 includes a pair of inflatable bladders 96, 98 located between the extrusion upper frame 81 and the spring seat 59 of the upper press assembly 12. The expansion of the bladders 96, 98 pushes the spring seat 59 and the spring 61 fixed therein downwards in direction 99, which also pushes the support plate 137, heater 42, and pressure plate 46 downwards. In other forms, the pressure device 92 may be included in the lower press assembly 14; both the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 may include pressure devices, or neither the upper press assembly 12 nor the lower press assembly 14 may have pressure devices.

[0060] refer to Figure 4 The upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 each include a cooling system, such as a forced air cooling system 70, 72, to cool the pressure plates 46, 48 once the belt ends 20, 22 have been subjected to the desired pressure and temperature for a specific period of time for that particular belt end 20, 22. The forced air cooling systems 70, 72 rapidly cool the pressure plates 46, 48, which can improve splicing quality by reducing the duration of the splicing operation. By cooling the pressure plates 46, 48 more quickly, the forced air cooling systems 70, 72 also reduce the time spent performing splicing operations on multiple conveyor belts 20.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown, the forced air cooling system 70 directs airflow through the gap 90 between the bladders 96 and 98 to cool the pressure plate 46. The upper forced air cooling system 70 and the bladders 96 and 98 thus allow cooling of the pressure plate 46 while simultaneously providing the ability to apply clamping force to the pressure plate 46 by expanding the bladders 96 and 98. This is an advantage over some existing systems, where air cooling is only applicable to pressure plates not deflected by the expandable bladders.

[0062] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7A The upper forced air cooling system 70 includes a longitudinally extending airflow assembly 76 that supports a fan assembly 78 located above an elongated duct 100 within a gap 90. The duct 100 is partially formed by portions of a frame 81 and spring seats 59, such as a larger channel 100A in the frame 81 and a smaller channel 100B in the spring seats 59, and extends substantially over the entire working length of the upper pressure plate 46. Channels 100A, 100B include a pair of upright walls 104, 106 of the spring seats 59 nested within a pair of downwardly overhanging walls 108, 110 of the frame 81, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the image.

[0063] refer to Figure 8BThe channel 100A of the frame 81 includes a laterally extending wall 109, with an opening 80 leading to the channel 100 located between the bladder members 96 and 98. The wall 109 includes a bottom wall 109A separating the opening 80. A fan assembly 78 is located above the bottom wall 109A, with a portion of the fan assembly 78 extending longitudinally above the adjacent opening 80. In this way, most of the airflow from the fan assembly 78 first impacts the bottom wall 109A, giving the airflow a longitudinal component of motion, causing it to generally exit the opening 80 along directions 111A, 111B. This longitudinal component of the airflow causes the air to move longitudinally along the duct 100.

[0064] refer to Figure 7A The fan assembly 78 includes a fan 82 rotatable about axis 83, the fan 82 being oriented to pass through screen 86 (see [link]). Figure 2 Cooler ambient air is drawn into the airflow assembly 76. The fan assembly 78 includes an electric motor for rotating the fan 82 and a generally cylindrical fan shroud 82A extending around the fan 82. Each fan shroud 82A includes an inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening 82A at the other end. The fan shroud helps guide airflow through the fan assembly 78 and improves the efficiency of the fan 82.

[0065] During cooling operation, fan assembly 78 moves along directions 111A, 111B (see...) Figure 8B The airflow is guided through the opening 80 of the frame channel 100A, longitudinally along the pipe 100, and perpendicularly outward in direction 116 through the opening 114 of the spring seat 59 (see...). Figure 8A and Figure 10 ) enters the volume generally occupied by spring 61 and reaches support plate 137 (see Figure 4 Referring to Figure 8, once air reaches the support plate 137, the fan assembly 78 laterally propels the air along directions 154, 156 between the coils 129 of the adjacent springs 61. Furthermore, spring 61 has a central longitudinal opening 132, around which a curved portion 130 extends. The central opening 132 allows some air to flow longitudinally through the center of spring 61. In this way, the fan assembly 78 guides air through the opening 80 of the frame 81 and through the opening 114 of the spring seat 59, both of which are connected to the central high-temperature portion 160 of the upper pressure plate 46 (see Figure 8). Figure 5 The vertical alignment allows air to remove heat from the high-temperature section 160 first. Then, the fan assembly 78 guides the airflow or laterally along directions 154, 156, which reduces the temperature of the support plate 137, heater 42, pressure plate 46 and spring 61 as the airflow travels toward the periphery of the spring seat 59.

[0066] Although the terms "lateral" and "longitudinal" have been used to describe the airflow through the insulation components 56, 58 for ease of explanation, it should be understood that the airflow through the insulation components 56, 58 can include both longitudinal and lateral motion, as well as rotational or other motion. It is believed that the arrangement of the multiple walls of spring 61 and the coils 129 facilitates turbulent airflow within the insulation components 56, 58, which further increases the rate at which the forced air cooling systems 70, 72 can remove heat from the pressure plate assemblies 16, 18.

[0067] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 11 The forced air cooling system 72 of the lower press assembly 14 is similar to the forced air cooling system 70 of the upper press assembly 12, and is configured to direct air into the insulation assembly 58 and rapidly cool the lower press plate 48 after splicing operations. One difference between the forced air cooling systems 70 and 72 is that the forced air cooling system 72 of the lower press assembly 14 does not include a duct like the conduit 100 that longitudinally directs the airflow before it is directed vertically into the insulation assembly 58. Instead, the air cooling system 72 has a fan assembly 174 that directs the airflow vertically upward into the insulation assembly 58, instead of having an intermediate duct as in the forced air cooling system 70. However, in some applications, the forced air cooling system 72 may include a duct similar to the conduit 100 if desired.

[0068] The forced air cooling system 72 includes an airflow assembly 170 having a shroud 172 containing a fan assembly 174. The lower press assembly 14 has a lightweight extruded frame 176 with an internal cavity 178 (see [link]). Figure 13 The internal cavity 178 houses the shroud 172 and the fan assembly 174. In one embodiment, the shroud 172 and the fan assembly 174 can slide longitudinally into the cavity 178 during assembly of the lower press assembly 14. Furthermore, the shroud 172 can slide longitudinally outward from the cavity 178 during disassembly of the lower press assembly 14, which facilitates maintenance.

[0069] refer to Figure 11 The lower frame 176 includes support portions, such as a spring seat portion 180, which receives a spring 61 that supports the lower pressure plate assembly 18. (See reference) Figure 11 The lower frame 176 has an opening 190, and the fan assembly 174 is generally aligned with the opening 190. The shroud 172 includes vents 194 at each end of the splicing press 10, such as... Figure 12 As shown in the image. Reference Figure 2When the belt ends 20 and 22 are clamped between the upper pressure plate assembly 16 and the lower pressure plate assembly 18, the vent 194 is not covered by the belt ends 20 and 22. Instead, the vent 194 is uncovered and allows the fan assembly 174 to draw cooler ambient air into the end of the shroud 172 in the direction 200 and towards the fan assembly 174.

[0070] Back Figure 12 The fan assembly 174 draws air upward from the shroud 172 through the opening 190 of the frame 176 and guides the air into the insulation assembly 58. The fan assembly 174 then guides the air vertically upward along direction 204 through the spring 61 and to the support plate 139 of the lower pressure plate assembly 18. The opening 190 of the fan assembly 174 and the frame 176 is approximately aligned with the central high-temperature portion 210 of the lower pressure plate 48 (see...). Figure 11 Alignment. The fan assembly 174 allows air to first remove heat from the central portion 210, and then travel longitudinally 211, 213 and laterally 212, 214 away from the opening 190 toward the periphery of the spring seat 180.

[0071] Back Figure 10 The spring seat 59 includes a channel 220 for receiving the spring 61. The channel 220 includes a wall 222 extending along the spring seat 59, which separates the spring 61 and resists lateral movement of the spring 61. The channel 220 includes a central channel 220A having an opening 114, and a bottom wall 224 separating the opening 114 along the channel 220A. The wall 222 and bottom wall 224 of the channel 220A support the spring 61 received in the channel 220A while allowing airflow from the fan assembly 78 to proceed toward the upper pressure plate assembly 16.

[0072] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 10 The wall 222 has an end 226 and a height 228 smaller than the height or diameter 230 of the spring 61. Because the wall height 228 is smaller than the spring diameter 230, the wall end 226 is separated from the support plate 139 to resist conductive heat transfer from the support plate 139 to the spring seat 59. The height 228 can be a portion of the diameter 230, such as greater than half the diameter 230, so that the wall 222 extends above the mid-latitude line of the spring 61 to prevent a minimum amount of lateral movement of the spring 61. As an example, the height or diameter 230 of the spring 61 can be approximately 16 mm and the wall height 228 can be approximately 11 mm. In another form, the wall height 228 can be greater than three-quarters of the spring diameter 230.

[0073] refer to Figure 8A and Figure 10The spring seat 59 includes a pair of capturing members 240 at its longitudinal ends to hold the spring 61 within the channels 220. In one embodiment, the spring 61 is a compression spring and is compressed before being inserted into each channel 220 between the capturing members 240. Because the spring 61 is in a compressed state, it is thus restricted from movement in the longitudinal directions 150, 152 by the capturing members 240. Furthermore, the wall 222 resists lateral movement of the spring 61 in the directions 154, 156. To prevent the spring 61 from making vertical movements, the channel 220 includes a wall 250 supporting the upper portion of the spring 61, and a support plate 137 contacts the lower portion of the spring 61, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the diagram. In this way, the spring 61 is constrained between the spring seat 59 and the upper pressure plate assembly 16.

[0074] Temporary reference Figure 3 The pressure plates 46 and 48 have a longitudinal working length 260 for extending across the conveyor belt ends 20 and 22. (Reference) Figure 8A Once spring 61 is secured in spring seat 59, spring 61 has a length 262. In one embodiment, spring length 262 is close to working length 260 to provide support along the entire length of working surfaces 30, 32 (see [link to documentation]). Figure 6 and Figure 11 Furthermore, the spring 61 in the spring seat 59 has an overall lateral width 280, which is selected to be at least half, at least three-quarters, or at least nine-tenths of the lateral width 282 of the pressure plate 46 (see also...). Figure 6 and Figure 8A ). refer to Figure 5 The lower pressure plate 48 may be wider in the lateral direction than the upper pressure plate 46, and the total lateral width 280A of the spring 61 of the lower press assembly 14 may be the lateral width 282A of the pressure plate 48 (see...). Figure 5 At least half, at least two-thirds, or at least three-quarters of the surface area of ​​the pressure plates 46, 48. The spring 61 thus provides support for most of the surface area of ​​the pressure plates 46, 48, while resisting heat loss within the pressure plates 46, 48. As an example, the splicing press 10 may have the following dimensions:

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] Go to Figure 10The capturing member 240 is detachably received within a recess 290 formed in the upper side 296 and wall 222 of the spring seat 59. To mount one of the capturing members 240 into the spring seat 59, the capturing member 240 travels along direction 294 into the recess 290 until it contacts the end 298 of the recess 290 in the wall 222. The end 298 restricts further movement of the capturing member 240 along direction 294, and once the spring 61 has been compressed and loaded into the channel 220 between the capturing members 240, the spring 61 pushes a plate 241 against the longitudinal end of the recess 290, which holds the plate 241 within the recess 290.

[0078] refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 The spring seat 180 of the lower frame 176 is similar in many respects to the spring seat 59 discussed above. For example, the spring seat 180 includes a channel 300 with a wall 302 having a height 304 less than the height or diameter 230 of the spring. This positions the end 306 of the wall 302 away from the support plate 139 of the lower pressure plate assembly 218. In this way, conductive heat transfer between the support plate 139 and the wall 302 is reduced, which improves the efficiency of the lower pressure plate assembly 16.

[0079] refer to Figure 11 and Figure 13 Some channels 300A have openings 310, which together form an opening 190 of the fan assembly 174. A wall 302 of the channel 300A extends uninterrupted above the opening 190 to provide lateral support for the spring 61 as it extends through the opening 190. Another similarity between the spring seats 59 and 180 is that the spring seat 180 includes a pair of trapping members 312 received in a recess 314 in the wall 302, such as... Figure 12 As shown in the diagram, spring 61 is held between the capturing members 312 that are compressed within the channel 300.

[0080] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 8A The bladders 96 and 98 can be made of multiple flat, foldable hoses, such as fire hoses, and each end of the fire hose is held closed by a clamp 330. The clamp 330 is fixed to the upper frame 81 by fasteners and may include an upright wall 334 that restricts the longitudinal movement of the spring seat 59 when the bladders 96 and 98 expand and contract.

[0081] refer to Figure 7BThe pressure device 92 includes a compressor 340 operably coupled to bladders 96, 98, which can inflate or contract bladders 96, 98. The compressor 340 is mounted on a frame 81 and connected to bladders 96, 98 via pipes 101, fittings 103, and valves. As discussed in more detail below, the splicing press 10 includes a main controller 1050, which in one form includes a pressure sensor 107 configured to detect pressure within bladders 96, 98. To contract bladders 96, 98, the pressure device 92 includes a valve 102. In one form, the valve 102 has an actuator, such as a button 102A (see...). Figure 14 When the splicing operation is completed, the user presses the actuator as indicated by the screen 468, lights, and / or a buzzer. These valves may also include a quick-release valve 105 and a safety valve 105A. In another configuration, the main controller 1050 automatically operates valve 102 to release pressure from bladders 96, 98.

[0082] As described above, the clamp 330 secures the bladder members 96 and 98 to prevent longitudinal movement relative to the frame 81 and typically fixes the bladder members 96 and 98 to the frame 81. Each of the bladder members 96 and 98 is also typically restricted to contract in a predetermined manner, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the springs 96 and 98 are constrained by the frame wall 346, the bladder support portion 348 of the spring seat 59, the laterally downward overhanging wall 360 of the frame 81, and the upright wall 104 of the spring seat 59. The generally rectangular configuration of the frame wall 346, the bladder support portion 348, the frame wall 360, and the spring seat wall 104 causes the bladders 96 and 98 to maintain their rectangular shape when expanded, which further promotes the flattening of the upper portion 342 and the lower portion 344 of the bladders 96 and 98 and a more uniform pressure distribution applied to the spring seat 59.

[0083] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The upper pressure plate assembly 16 includes a pressure plate 46, a heater 42, and a support plate 139, as described above. The upper pressure plate assembly 16 also includes legs 370 extending along the frame wall 360 and hooking inward at feet 372. Feet 372 are configured to engage studs 374 at each end 380, 382 of the splicing press 10 (see...). Figure 1 The engagement of the foot 372 of the leg 370 with the stud 374 captures the upper pressure plate assembly 16, spring 61 and spring seat 59 on the upper frame 81.

[0084] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 11The lower pressure plate assembly 18 includes the pressure plate 48, heater 44, and support plate 139 as described above, and also includes a leg portion 400 extending downward and then inward at a foot 402. The lower frame 176 includes channels 408 on its two opposing lateral sides for receiving the foot 402 of the pressure plate leg portion 402. The foot 402 extends below the lip 410 of the channel, thereby securing the leg portion 402 relative to the lower frame 176. In this way, the lower pressure plate assembly 18 is secured to the lower frame 176, which in turn secures the spring 61, housed in the spring seat 180, vertically between the support plate 139 and the lower frame 176.

[0085] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7A The legs 370 of the upper pressure plate assembly 16 include openings 380, which allow cooling of the upper pressure plate 46 along directions 154, 156 (see...). Figure 8A The airflow exits the upper press assembly 12. The opening 380 can be vertically positioned so that the airflow can travel above the wall 222, between the coils 129 of adjacent springs, and flow outward through the opening 380 without being vertically distorted. Similarly, the leg portion 402 of the lower press plate assembly 18 has an opening 420 that allows airflow to exit in direction 212 after cooling the lower press plate 48, such as... Figure 11 As shown in the image.

[0086] refer to Figure 1 Ends 380 and 382 can be releasably secured to frames 81 and 176. For servicing or otherwise disassembling the splicing press 10, one or both ends 380 and 382 can be removed from the upper frame 81 and lower frame 176. The upper pressure plate assembly 16 and lower pressure plate assembly 18 can slide longitudinally relative to the upper frame 81 and lower frame 176 to disengage them from the upper frame 81 and lower frame 176. This allows for the removal of the spring and, for the upper frame 81, the removal of the spring seat 59.

[0087] refer to Figure 14End 380 includes an upper end body 460 and a lower end body 462, respectively connected to the upper frame 81 and the lower frame 176. End 380 includes a user interface 466, which can be used to program, operate, or otherwise control the splicing press 10. The user interface 466 can provide prompts to the user to select the desired temperature and duration for splicing operations, and / or can allow the user to select parameters from a predetermined set of options. The user interface 466 can include various audio, visual, and tactile interfaces to receive information from or send information to the user. In one embodiment, the user interface 466 includes a screen 468 for displaying information, a start button 470 and a stop button 472, and a navigation knob 473 for navigating a rotary encoder 474 displayed on the screen 468. The user interface 466 can also include other types of interfaces, such as sensors, receivers, or other devices. In one form, the splicing press 10 includes a USB port 1012 capable of receiving information from a USB drive (see...). Figure 21A This includes configuration information such as temperature, duration, pressure, and other parameters related to the splicing process. (See reference.) Figure 21A The power supply circuit 50 may include a main controller 1050 with a memory that stores splicing configuration schemes that can be selected by the user.

[0088] refer to Figure 15 The clamp 40 includes an actuator 510, which is connected to the lower end body 462 at a pivot connection 512. The actuator 510 includes a rotatable handle 514 and a connecting rod 516. Once the conveyor belt ends 20, 22 are positioned on the lower pressure plate 48 and the upper press assembly 12 is positioned on the conveyor belt ends 20, 22, the actuator 510 can pivot in the direction 518 into the corresponding slot 520 of the upper end body 460 (see [link]). Figure 2 This positions the handle 514 above the cup-shaped portion 524 of the upper body 460, as... Figure 15 As shown in the diagram. The user can then turn the handle 514 clockwise, which, through its threaded engagement with the connecting rod 516, pulls the handle 514 downward against the cup-shaped portion 524. The user can continue to turn the handle 514, causing the lower end 530 of the handle 514 to engage against the cup-shaped portion 524 of the upper end body 460. This tightening of the handle 514 at each actuator 510 rigidly clamps the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 together with the conveyor belt ends 20, 22 therebetween.

[0089] refer to Figure 14 and Figures 16 to 18The splicing press 10 includes electrical connectors, such as a power cord 600, configured to supply electrical power to the power circuit 50 from a standard power source, such as an electrical socket. End 380 of the splicing press 10 includes a power cord interface (such as connector 606) that engages an interface (such as connector 602) of the power cord 600. At the other end of the power cord 600, a main power interface, such as a plug 610, is provided for connection to a main power source. For example, the plug 610 has prongs 612 that engage with an opening in an electrical socket.

[0090] The splicing press 10 may include multiple power lines 600 corresponding to different power sources. Each power line 600 has a plug 610 with a specific configuration for connecting to a particular standard power source. For example, the plug 610 of the first line 600 may have pins 612 arranged to connect to a socket providing a single-phase 110-volt, 20-amp power; the second line 600 may have pins 612 arranged to connect to a socket providing a single-phase 230-volt, 10-amp power. In another form, a single line 600 can be used to connect the splicing press 10 to different standard power sources. For example, the plug 610 of a single line 600 can be reconfigured to adjust the plug 610 to match different electrical sockets and send different amounts of power to the splicing press 10.

[0091] The end 380 of the splicing press 10 also includes an electrical connector, such as an umbilical cord 620, which electrically connects to portions of the power circuit 50 housed in the upper frame 81 and the lower frame 176. The umbilical cord 620 has one end 621 that is permanently connected to electrical components within the upper frame 81. The other end of the umbilical cord 620 includes an umbilical cord interface, such as a connector 626, which connects to a press interface, such as a connector 630, mounted to the lower end body 462. The connection between the umbilical cord connector 626 and the connector 630 allows the transmission of power and control information between portions of the power circuit 50 housed in the upper frame 81 and the lower frame 176.

[0092] exist Figure 21A , Figure 21B and Figure 21CIn the assembly press 10, a power supply circuit 50 is included, having an upper portion 1001 and a lower portion 1002 connected by an electrical connector or wire 1003 via an umbilical cord 620. The upper portion 1001 includes a control portion 1010 and a heater portion 1020, with the control portion 1010 monitoring and controlling the heater portion 1020. The heater portion 1020 includes a heater 42 of the upper pressure plate assembly 16. The heater 42 includes heating elements 1023 and 1024, which receive power from the control portion 1010 via wire 1025. As discussed in more detail below, the heating elements 1023 and 1024 are electrically connected in parallel or series depending on the power supplied by a standard power source.

[0093] Similarly, the lower portion 1002 of the power supply circuit 50 includes a control portion 1060 for controlling and monitoring the heater portion 1070. The heater portion 1070 includes a heater 44 of the lower pressure plate assembly 18. The heater 44 includes heating elements 1073 and 1074, which receive power from the control portion 1060 via wires 1075. As discussed in more detail below, the heating elements 1073 and 1074 are electrically connected in parallel or in series depending on the power supplied by a standard power source.

[0094] Control units 1010 and 1060 provide power to heating elements 1023, 1024 and 1073, 1074 to heat pressure plates 46 and 48. To measure the temperature of pressure plates 46 and 48, heater units 1020 and 1070 include thermocouples 1021 and 1071. Thermocouples 1021 and 1071 provide mV signals to control unit 1010. Control units 1010 and 1060 use changes in the signals to determine the temperature measured by thermocouples 1021 and 1071.

[0095] Continue to refer to Figure 21A , Figure 21B , Figure 21C The control units 1010 and 1060 respectively include power controllers 1030 and 1080. Power controllers 1030 and 1080 control the application of heat to pressure plates 46 and 48 via heaters 42 and 44, and the removal of heat from pressure plates 46 and 48 via fan assemblies 78 and 174. Power controllers 1030 and 1080 also have temperature input terminals 1026 and 1076 that receive temperature readings from thermocouples 1021 and 1071.

[0096] The upper portion 1001 of the power supply circuit 50 includes a main controller 1050 that controls power controllers 1030 and 1080. To store configuration schemes for different conveyor belt materials and configurations, the main controller 1050 has a memory that can be pre-programmed with configuration schemes accessible to the user via a menu presented on a display 468 using a knob 473. The user can connect a USB drive containing configuration schemes stored in its memory to a USB port 1012. The main controller 1050 is configured to retrieve configuration scheme information from the USB drive and transfer the configuration scheme information to its memory. In another embodiment, the splicing press 10 may include a network interface, such as a modem or wireless device, which can connect to a remote resource via a network (such as the Internet) and facilitate the retrieval of configuration schemes from the remote resource.

[0097] The control units 1010 and 1060 also include thermal fuse relays 1040 and 1090, solid-state relays 1041 and 1091, series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092, and fan circuits 1043 and 1093, respectively. Once the terminals 22 and 24 have been maintained at the desired temperature, pressure, and time, the power controllers 1030 and 1080 can supply power to the fan circuits 1043 and 1093 to operate the fan assemblies 78 and 174 and cool the pressure plates 46 and 48.

[0098] As described above, the splicing press 10 is powered by a standard power supply via one or more power lines 600. (Reference) Figure 16 and Figure 21A The connector 606 of the lower press assembly 14 has electrical contacts 1062 for connection to electrical contacts 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, and 1009 of one of the power lines 600 (see [link]). Figure 21D One of them. The pins A1, A2, A3, A4, and B1 of electrical contact 1063 transmit power from power line 600. The standard power supply can be any of a variety of standard wall sockets, including single-phase, 110 volts, 15 amps; single-phase, 110 volts, 20 amps; single-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; single-phase, 230 volts, 30 amps; three-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; three-phase, 400 volts, 16 amps; and three-phase 460 volts. Other power supplies can also be used.

[0099] The pins A1, A2, A3, A4, and B1 of the electrical contact 1062 provide power to the thermal fuse relays 1040 and 1090 and to the power supply 1061 of the lower portion 1002 of the power supply circuit 50. The power supply 1061 receives high-voltage power from a standard power source, which can be 110 volts, 230 volts, or 400 volts of alternating current (AC), and converts the high-voltage power to low-voltage power, such as 24 volts of direct current (DC) or 12 volts of direct current.

[0100] refer to Figure 16 and Figure 21D The electrical contacts 1062 of connector 606 are designed to interact with the electrical contacts 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, and 1009 of connector 602 of different power lines 600. (Reference) Figure 17 and Figure 21D Each power cord connector 602 includes ten contacts A1 to A4 and B1 to B6. Electrical contacts A1 to A4 and B1 transmit power to the power circuit 50. However, electrical contacts B2 to B6 of connector 602 form a binary code representing a standard power supply configured for connection to a cord 600. When connector 602 of cord 600 is connected to connector 606 of the lower press assembly 14, the binary code is formed by a specific combination of the connected electrical connectors B3 to B6. More specifically, each cord 600 connector 602 has a jumper 1063 that connects two or more electrical connectors B3 to B6 of connector 602 to connector B2 of connector 602. To configure the power controllers 1030 and 1080 according to which cord 600 is connected to the power circuit 50, the memory of the main controller 1050 includes... Figure 22 The lookup table 609 is shown and allows the main controller 1050 to determine the line 600 connected to the power supply circuit 50 based on the binary code generated by the electrical connectors B3 through B6 of electrical contacts 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, or 1009. (Reference) Figure 22 Some binary numbers (such as 15, 13, 14, 12, 4, and 8) can be associated with different standard power supplies for unique applications of splicing press 10 or additional standard power supplies.

[0101] To determine the binary signals generated by electrical connectors B3 through B6, electrical connector B2 is grounded and connectors B3 through B6 receive voltage from power supply circuit 50. A jumper 1063 of connector 606 connects one or more electrical connectors B3 through B6 to the grounded electrical connector B2. Because jumper 1063 is connected to one or more electrical connectors B3 through B6, the voltage supplied to one or more electrical connectors B3 through B6 is pulled to ground. The lower voltage generated by one or more electrical connectors B3 through B6 is considered logic "1", while the higher voltage of electrical connectors B3 through B6 not connected to jumper 1063 is considered logic "0". For reference... Figure 21D In an example arrangement of electrical contacts 1004, the power controller 1080 determines the power allocated to the power line 600 by detecting: a "0" for connector B3 (first column); a "1" for connector B4 (second column); a "0" for connector B5 (third column); and a "1" for connector B6 (fourth column). Therefore, the power controller 1080 can determine that electrical contact 1004 connected to electrical contact 1062 is associated with line 600 for a single-phase, 230-volt, 16-amp standard power supply. Alternatively, voltage can be supplied to pin B6, and a binary signal can be generated using jumper 1063 to transmit the voltage to a selected connector among connectors B3 through B6.

[0102] refer to Figure 16 and Figure 21A The connector 626 of the umbilical cord 620 is releasably connected to the connector 630 of the lower press assembly 12. The umbilical cord 620 includes wires 1003. Wires 1003 connected to electrical connectors B3 to B5 transmit data between the main controller 1050 and the lower power controller 1080. Wires 1003 connected to electrical contacts B1 to B2 transmit low-voltage DC power from the power supply 1061 to the upper portion 1001 of the power circuit 50. Furthermore, wires 1003 connected to electrical contacts A3 to A4 transmit high-voltage AC power from electrical contact 1062 to the upper portion 1001.

[0103] refer to Figure 21B Power controllers 1030 and 1080 have power input terminals 1036 and 1086. Power input terminals 1036 and 1086 receive low-voltage DC power from power supply 1061. Power controller 1030 in the top control section 1010 receives power via wire 1003 of umbilical cord 620.

[0104] Power controller 1030 includes four power output terminals 1031, 1032, 1033, and 1034, and an input terminal 1035 adapted to proximity sensor 1045. Power controller 1080 similarly includes four power output terminals 1081, 1082, 1083, and 1084, and an input terminal 1085, which can be used to receive information from proximity sensor 1045 (however, in the illustrated form, power controller 1080 is not connected to proximity sensor 1045). Each power output terminal includes a positive lead or live wire and a negative lead or neutral wire. The various power output terminals of power controllers 1030 and 1080 provide various functions to the components of splicing press 10. For example, power controllers 1030 and 1080 can selectively power output terminals 1033 and 1083 to selectively power fan circuits 1043 and 1093, such as at the end of the splicing process, to cool pressure plates 46 and 48. When the power controllers 1030 and 1080 detect that the temperature of one or both of the pressure plates 46 and 48 is above a predetermined temperature using thermocouples 1021 and 1071, the power controllers 1030 and 1080 can also supply power to the fan circuits 1043 and 1093.

[0105] The power controller 1030 operates the circuit 1044 of the compressor 340. To inflate the components 96 and 98, the main controller 1050 sends a signal to the power controller 1030. The power controller 1030 energizes the power output terminal 1034 and causes the compressor 340 to inflate the components 96 and 98.

[0106] refer to Figure 21C The power supply circuit 50 includes thermal fuse relays 1040 and 1090, which are normally open single-pole single-throw relays. The coil of thermal fuse relay 1040 is powered by 24 volts DC. The coil is grounded through thermal fuse 1022. Contact 1040A of thermal fuse relay 1040 is connected to electrical contact A3 of umbilical cord 620. Contact 1040B of thermal fuse relay 1040 is connected to contact 1041A of solid-state relay 1041.

[0107] During operation, 24 volts of DC power flows through the coil of the thermal fuse relay 1040, closing the thermal fuse relay 1040 and connecting contacts 1040A and 1040B. If the temperature of the pressure plate 46 exceeds a certain temperature, the thermal fuse 1022 trips, thereby breaking the ground connection. As a result, the thermal fuse relay 1040 returns to its normally open state and no longer supplies power to the solid-state relay 1041. In this way, the thermal fuse relay 1040 protects the upper pressure plate 46 from overheating.

[0108] The thermal fuse relay 1090 operates in essentially the same manner as the thermal fuse relay 1040. High-voltage DC power flows from electrical contact A1 through a coil, which is grounded via the thermal fuse 1072. When the lower pressure plate 48 exceeds a certain temperature, the thermal fuse 1072 trips, breaking the ground connection. As a result, the thermal fuse relay 1090 returns to its normally open state, cutting off the power supply to the solid-state relay 1091. Thus, the thermal fuse relay 1091 protects the lower pressure plate 48 from overheating.

[0109] In one configuration, thermal fuses 1022 and 1072 may be two fuses connected in series. Alternatively, thermal fuse 1022 may be a single fuse and will still operate in the same manner.

[0110] refer to Figure 21C Solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 are normally open single-pole single-throw relays. The coils of solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 are controlled by the power output terminals 1031 and 1081 of power controllers 1030 and 1080. When power is supplied to the coils of solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 from the power output terminals 1031 and 1081, contacts 1041A and 1041B and 1091A and 1091B are connected, thereby providing power to heating elements 1023 and 1073 and series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092.

[0111] Series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 are double-pole double-throw relays. The coils of series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 are powered by the power output terminals 1032 and 1082 of power controllers 1030 and 1080, respectively. Series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 have five contacts 1042A to 1042E and 1092A to 1092E, respectively. Contacts 1042B and 1092B are connected to the high-voltage AC power via solid-state relays 1041 and 1091. In a single-phase system, this is the live wire; in a three-phase system, it is the first phase. Contacts 1042A, 1092A and 1042C, 1092C are connected to the neutral wire or the second phase of the high-voltage AC power. Contacts 1042D and 1092D are connected to heating elements 1024 and 1074 that are not connected to solid-state relays 1041 and 1091. Contacts 1042E and 1092E are connected to the opposite ends of two heating elements 1023, 1024, 1073, and 1074.

[0112] When the coils of the series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 are not powered by the power controllers 1030 and 1080, contacts 1042A and 1092A are connected to contacts 1042D and 1092D. Contacts 1042B and 1092B, 1042C and 1092C, and 1042E and 1092E are not connected. In this state, power flows from the solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 through the first heating elements 1023 and 1073, then through the second heating elements 1024 and 1074, and returns to the neutral line of the power supply through the contacts 1042D, 1092D and 1042A, 1092A of the series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092. Therefore, in this state, heating elements 1023 and 1024 are connected in series with 1073 and 1074.

[0113] When the coils of the series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 are powered, contacts 1042B and 1092B are connected to contacts 1042D and 1092D, while contacts 1042C and 1092C are connected to contacts 1042E and 1092E. In this state, power flows from solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 through the first heating elements 1023 and 1073 and via the series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 through the second heating elements 1024 and 1074. The power then returns to the neutral line through the connection between contacts 1042E and 1092E and 1042C and 1092C. Therefore, in this state, heating elements 1023 and 1024 are connected in parallel with 1073 and 1074.

[0114] refer to Figure 21B The power controller 1030 supplies power to the proximity sensor 1045 via a power socket 1035. The proximity sensor 1045 may include a series of reed switches mounted in the upper press assembly 12, which interact with one or more magnets in the lower press assembly 14. The proximity sensor 1045 senses the proximity of the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 of the splicing press 10. The power controller 1030 may operate a relay of the compressor 340 in response to a signal from the proximity sensor 1045. If the distance between the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 is too large, the compressor 340 may be shut off. Furthermore, the power controller 1030 may not heat the pressure plates 46, 48 unless the upper press assembly 12 and the lower press assembly 14 are clamped together, as determined by the proximity sensor 1045. In other forms, the proximity sensor may be replaced by a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and / or a pressure sensor.

[0115] refer to Figure 21A and Figure 21CThe power controller 1030 has two input terminals 1037 and 1038 connected to temperature sensors 1047 and 1048. Temperature sensors 1047 and 1048 detect the temperature of the upper pressure plate 46 and send a corresponding temperature signal back to the power controller 1030. Temperature sensors 1047 and 1048 can be thermistors, infrared temperature sensors, thermocouples, resistance thermometers, or other types of electrical temperature sensors. Temperature sensors 1047 and 1048 operate as another safety mechanism, whereby when the temperature of the upper pressure plate 46 reaches a limit temperature, the power controller 1030 will shut down heater elements 1023 and 1024 via solid-state relay 1031.

[0116] The umbilical cord 620 allows bidirectional information flow between the upper portion 1001 and the lower portion 1002 of the power supply circuit 50. For example, the information flow can be between the main controller 1050 and the power controllers 1030 and 1080. The umbilical cord 620 allows communication between the main controller 1050 of the upper portion 1001 of the power supply circuit 50 and the power controller 1080 of the lower portion 1002 of the power supply circuit 50.

[0117] refer to Figure 21B The power controller 1080 includes a power outlet 1084 connected to a buzzer 1094. The buzzer 1094 is used to emit sound to notify the user of a specific status. For example, the buzzer 1094 may sound when the splicing process is complete, or when the temperature of the pressure plates 46, 48 exceeds a specific threshold. In an alternative embodiment, the buzzer 1094 may include or be replaced by a lamp.

[0118] refer to Figure 21A The main controller 1050 includes a power input 1055 for receiving power from the umbilical cord 620. The main controller 1050 also includes two data ports 1053 and 1054 for communicating with power controllers 1030 and 1080. The main controller 1050 also includes a USB interface 1052 for receiving data from and sending data to a USB drive connected to the USB port 1012. For example, the USB port can be used to update the splicing device 1000 with a new configuration scheme.

[0119] refer to Figure 23 The splicing press 10 can have various different embodiments, including versions with different lengths. These versions include 600, 900, 1200, 1500, 1800, and 2100, whose version numbers generally correspond to the working length of the splicing press 10. For example, Figure 1 The splicing press 10 disclosed in the report is believed to be press No. 1200. Figure 23Table 611 is included, which provides an overview of the different operating modes for each different version of the splicing press 10. Each column represents a different version of the splicing press 10. The operating mode depends on the standard power supply connected to the splicing press 10, as shown in the different rows. The operating mode includes whether the heating elements 1023 / 1024 and 1073 / 1074 are connected in series or in parallel, and whether the power supply circuit 50 alternately supplies power to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44.

[0120] refer to Figure 24 The power supply circuit 50 is configured to provide different heating of the upper pressure plate 46 and the lower pressure plate 48 during the heating of the pressure plates 46, 48 in response to a standard power supply. The power supply circuit 50 is further configured to provide a dwell time during splicing operations based at least in part on dwell characteristics such as dwell time, dwell temperature of the upper pressure plate 46 and the lower pressure plate 48, and pressure applied by the bladders 96, 98, regardless of the available standard power supply, so that for a given conveyor belt, only a single configuration option needs to be selected by the user. This makes the splicing press 10 more intuitive and easier to use. The dwell phase of the splicing operation is primarily used to immerse heat into the belt ends 20, 22 after the pressure plates 46, 48 have reached a predetermined dwell temperature. Generally, the thicker the belt, the longer the dwell time. During the dwell phase, the fingers of one of the belt ends 20, 24 (see...) Figure 2 The material begins to flow and engages with the material of the finger portion of another belt end in belt ends 20 and 24.

[0121] Figure 24 It contains two curves. Curve 2250 shows the average temperature profile of the plates 46 and 48 during splicing operation when the splicing press 10 is connected to a low-power, 110-volt standard power supply. Figure 24 It also includes curve 2200, which shows the temperature profile of the plates 46 and 48 when the splicing press 10 is connected to a higher power, 230-volt standard power supply. Figure 24 Temperatures are shown in degrees Celsius, and times are in minutes and seconds. As used herein, the terms "high-power standard power supply" and "low-power standard power supply" are used to refer to the relative electrical power provided by different standard power supplies. Whether a standard power supply is high-power or low-power depends on the splicer itself. For example, see references. Figure 23 The splicing press 12 could be version 900, and the splicing press 3000 discussed below could be version 2100. A single-phase, 230-volt, 16-amp standard power supply might be a high-power standard power supply for version 900, while a single-phase, 230-volt, 16-amp standard power supply might be a low-power standard power supply for version 2100. Furthermore, a three-phase, 400-volt standard power supply could be used for the high-power standard power supply of version 2100, while version 900 is configured not to receive power from such a power supply.

[0122] For curve 2250, the main controller 1050 causes the power controllers 1030 and 1080 to alternately (i.e., one after another) power heaters 42 and 44 during the heating mode or stage 2254 of operation, with power line 600 connected to a 110-volt standard power supply. However, for curve 2200, the main controller 1050 causes the power controllers 1030 and 1080 to continuously and simultaneously power both heaters 42 and 44 during the heating mode or stage 2200A, with line 600 connected to a 230-volt standard power supply. In one embodiment, the main controller 1050 can respond to the above relative to... Figure 22 and Figure 23 The result of the binary code lookup process described in the discussion determines whether to use alternating power supply from heaters 42 and 44 or simultaneous power supply from heaters 42 and 44. In one scheme, the available wattage determines whether the power supplied to power circuit 50 is high or low.

[0123] In one embodiment, the main controller 1050 includes a microcontroller that alternately supplies power to heaters 42 and 44 by regulating solid-state relays 1041 and 1091 that control the power of heaters 42 and 44. Regulation of the relays causes more power to flow to one of heaters 42 and 44 rather than the other. In one embodiment, alternating power supply to heaters 42 and 44 involves supplying power to heater 42 while not supplying power to heater 44, and then supplying power to heater 44 while not supplying power to heater 42. In other words, one heater 42 is off while the other heater 44 is on. As an example, heater 42 may be powered for two seconds while heater 44 is off during those two seconds, and then heater 44 may be powered for two seconds while heater 42 is off during those two seconds.

[0124] In another embodiment, alternating power supply to heaters 42 and 44 may involve providing one heater 42 and 44 with a higher percentage (e.g., 90%) of its available power, while providing the other heater 42 and 44 with a smaller percentage (e.g., 10%) of its available power. In this way, both heaters 42 and 44 are powered, but one heater is powered more than the other.

[0125] Back Figure 24The operation of the splicing press 10 includes heating stages 2200A and 2254 until the pressure plates 46 and 48 reach critical temperatures 2202 and 2260. When the splicing press 10 is connected to a 110-volt standard power supply, the available power of the splicing press 10 is lower (i.e., curve 2250) because the main controller 1050 alternates between powering heaters 42 and 44, causing the pressure plates 46 and 48 to take longer to reach the critical temperature 2260. When the splicing press 10 is connected to a 230-volt standard power supply, more power is available, allowing the pressure plates 46 and 48 to reach the critical temperature 2202 more quickly. Because the main controller 1050 can alternately power heaters 42 and 44 when the splicing press 10 is connected to a low-power standard power supply, the splicing press 10 can still raise the pressure plates 46 and 48 to the holding temperature 2264, resulting in the material with ends 20 and 22 still melting despite the lower available power.

[0126] refer to Figure 24 The temperatures of the pressure plates 46 and 48 begin at initial temperatures 2201 and 2252 and increase until they reach critical temperatures 2202 and 2260, which are the same for both curves 2200 and 2250 (e.g., 170 degrees Celsius). Once the critical temperature 2260 is reached in curve 2250, the main controller 1050 continues to alternately power the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 to heat the upper pressure plate 46 and the lower pressure plate 48 at a rate 2262. Conversely, in curve 2200, the main controller 1050 powers the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 together before the pressure plates 46 and 48 reach the critical temperature 2202 (thus the heating rate is faster than in curve 2250). Once the critical temperature 2202 is reached in curve 2200, the main controller 1050 begins to alternately power the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44. This causes the pressure plates 46 and 48 to heat at a slower rate 2202A than the heating phase 2200A. Furthermore, the main controller 1050 operates the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 such that the rate 2202A approximates the rate 2262. In addition to alternately powering the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44, the main controller 1050 can also reduce the duration of each power supply to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 to compensate for the higher power standard supply and provide similar rates 2202A and 2262.

[0127] refer to Figure 25The similarity between rates 2262 and 2202A is indicated by the "heating time (170-180)," which is 34 seconds for a 110-volt single-phase power supply and 29 seconds for a 230-volt single-phase power supply. By making rates 2262 and 2202A similar, the melting of the end-piece material from the dwell temperature 2203, 2264 is more consistent and independent of the available standard power supply.

[0128] The main controller 1050 continues to alternate between supplying power to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 on both the low-power curve 2250 and the high-power curve 2200 until the pressure plates reach a dwell temperature 2203, 2264 that is the same for both curves 2200 and 2250, for example, 180 degrees Celsius. As needed, the main controller 1050 continues to alternate between supplying power to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 to maintain the upper pressure plate 46 and the lower pressure plate 48 at dwell temperatures 2203, 2264 for dwell times 2207, 2256, which is the same for both curves 2200 and 2250, for example, 1 minute. In one embodiment, the dwell mode or phase begins when the pressure plates 46, 48 reach temperatures 2203, 2264 and continues for dwell times 2207, 2256, ending at temperatures 2205, 2268. In some designs, the temperatures of pressure plates 46 and 48 can vary during residence times 2207 and 2256. The power supply circuit 50 can utilize temperature sensors 1047 and 1048 (see [reference]). Figure 21B and Figure 21C The feedback loop determines when to supply power to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44.

[0129] Continue to refer to Figure 24 The main controller 1050 maintains the pressure plates 46 and 48 at dwell temperatures 2203 and 2264 for dwell times 2207 and 2256 set by the configuration scheme, until dwell endpoints 2205 and 2268 are reached and heaters 42 and 44 are turned off. At this time, cooling phases 2200D and 2258 begin. During cooling phases 2200D and 2258, the main controller 1050 causes the power controllers 1030 and 1080 to supply power to the fan circuits 1043 and 1093 and operate the fan assemblies 78 and 174 to reduce the temperature of the pressure plates 46 and 48.

[0130] As mentioned above, Figure 24 A temperature profile 2200 is provided for the pressure plates 46, 48 during splicing operations when line 600 is connected to a high-power standard power supply. For example, the user may have selected line 600 configured to connect to a three-phase, 230-volt, 16-amp standard power supply. The connector 602 of line 600 includes electrical contacts 1006 (see...). Figure 16 and Figure 21DOnce the user connects connector 602 to connector 606 of the lower press assembly 12 and powers on the splicing press 10, the main controller 1050 uses... Figure 23 The lookup table and the binary code provided by connector 602 determine the phase, voltage, and current ratings of the standard power supply.

[0131] As described above, the main controller 1050 is configured to alternate between supplying power to the upper heater 42 and the lower heater 44 during the heating phase when the splicing press 10 is connected to a low-power standard power supply. This allows the pressure plates 46, 48 to be heated to critical temperatures even with very low power. The main controller 1050 is also configured to operate each pair of heating elements 1023, 1024 and 1073, 1074 in series or parallel during splicing operation, depending on the voltage of the standard power supply.

[0132] refer to Figure 25 Provides forms 2222A, 2222B, and 2222C, which include information from... Figure 24 The curve data corresponds to a single configuration for splicing a specific conveyor belt, regardless of whether the splicing press 10 is connected to a 110-volt single-phase or 230-volt single-phase system. As an example, a configuration for splicing a specific conveyor belt may include the information in Table 2222A. The information in Table 2222A includes residence characteristics such as residence temperature (temperature of the upper pressure plate 46 and lower pressure plate 48), residence time (how long the main controller 1050 holds the pressure plates 46, 48 at the residence temperature), and pressure applied by the bladders 96, 98. The information in Table 2222A may also include other information such as preheating / non-preheating. (See review...) Figure 24As can be seen from Table 2222A, there are single configuration options for both 110-volt single-phase (see curve 2250) and 230-volt single-phase (see curve 2200). Specifically, in both operating modes, the residence temperature for pressure plates 46, 48 is 180 degrees Celsius, the residence time is 1 minute, the pressure applied by the bladders 96, 98 is 1.2 bar, and there is no preheating operation. In short, the user can select the configuration option for a specific conveyor belt, and the power supply circuit 50 will take into account the rest, causing the pressure plates 46, 48 to be heated alternately if a low-power standard power supply is available, and simultaneously heating the pressure plates 46, 48 if a high-power standard power supply is available. Once the pressure plates 46, 48 reach residence temperatures 2203, 2264, the power supply circuit 50 operates heaters 42, 44 to provide the same heating profile for the pressure plates 46, 48 during residence times 2207, 2256, regardless of whether a low-power or high-power standard power supply is available. It should be noted that a particular conveyor belt can be made of one or more specific materials and have a specific thickness and width. For example, for a specific thermoplastic belt material, each size of belt can have different configurations. In other configurations, the residence temperatures of the pressure plates 46 and 48 can be different, such as the residence temperature of the upper pressure plate 46 being higher than that of the lower pressure plate 48.

[0133] Initially, the series-parallel relays 1042 and 1092 are in a safe series connection mode, where heating elements 1023 and 1024 are connected in series and heating elements 1073 and 1074 are connected in series. When the splicing press 10 is connected to a high-voltage standard power supply, relays 1042 and 1092 remain unpowered, causing heating elements 1023 and 1024 to be connected in series and heating elements 1073 and 1074 to be connected in series.

[0134] When the splicing press 10 is connected to a low-voltage standard power supply, relays 1042 and 1092 are powered. This causes heating elements 1023 and 1024 to be connected in parallel, and heating elements 1073 and 1074 to be connected in parallel. This allows each heating element 1023, 1024, 1073, and 1074 to experience the same or nearly the same voltage drop, regardless of whether a lower or higher voltage standard power supply is available. As an example, when the splicing press 10 is connected to a 110-volt power supply and heating elements 1023, 1024 and 1073, 1074 are connected in parallel, and when the splicing press 10 is connected to a 230-volt power supply and heating elements 1023, 1024 and 1073, 1074 are connected in series, the voltage drop across each of the heating elements 1023, 1024, 1073, and 1074 is 110 volts.

[0135] refer to Figure 23Table 611 shows different models of the splicing press 10 described in this application under different standard power supplies. The table indicates whether the equipment can operate at a specific power, and if so, whether the heating elements 1023, 1024 and 1073, 1074 are connected in series or in parallel during splicing operation, and whether the splicing press 10 needs to alternate heating between the upper pressure plate 46 and the lower pressure plate 48 during heating. Figures 21 to 21D The electrical schematic diagrams are shown in Table 611 for versions 600, 900, and 1200 of the splicing press 10.

[0136] exist Figure 26 The text mentions another type of splicing press, the 3000, which is... (The sentence is incomplete and requires more context to translate accurately). Figure 23 Version 2100 is identified in Table 611. The splicing press 3000 is similar in many respects to the splicing press 10 discussed above. The splicing press 3000 has a working length 3002 of approximately 2200 mm for the press plate, which is longer than the working length 260 of the splicing press 10 described above.

[0137] refer to Figure 26A Another difference between the splicing presses 10 and 3000 is that the splicing press 3000 includes pairs of vertically stacked bladders 3010, 3012 and 3014, 3016, which can expand to push away the frame 3020 and spring seat 3022 of the splicing press 3000. In some applications, the frame 3020 of the longer splicing press can deflect more in the longitudinal middle of the frame 3020 than the frame of the shorter splicing press. Therefore, the bladders of these longer splicing presses may have a longer vertical stroke than the bladders of the shorter presses. Utilizing two pairs of bladders 3010, 3012 and 3014, 3016 is advantageous for the longer splicing press because each bladder has a shorter stroke compared to the case where only one bladder is used on each side. Because each bladder has a shorter stroke, each of the bladders 3010, 3012, 3014, and 3016 bends less in cross-section compared to using only one bladder. This reduced curvature improves the pressure distribution on the spring seat 3022 and enhances splicing quality by reducing hot spots that may occur along the conveyor belt ends during splicing operations.

[0138] refer to Figure 27 , Figure 27A , Figure 27B , Figure 27C and Figure 27D The splicing press 3000 has a power supply circuit 3010, which is similar in many ways to the power supply circuit 50 of the splicing press 10. Figures 27 to 27D Indicates above Figure 23 The splicing presses labeled in Table 611 are versions 1500, 1800, and 2100.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications, alterations, and combinations are considered to fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A portable conveyor belt splicing device, characterized in that, The portable conveyor belt splicing equipment includes: Upper and lower pressure plates are used to clamp the ends of the conveyor belt between them; It can be operated to heat the upper and lower pressure plates, including the upper and lower heaters. A power supply circuit, operably connected to the upper heater and the lower heater, for supplying power to the upper heater and the lower heater to splice the conveyor belt ends, the power supply circuit being adapted to be electrically connected to either a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply; and The power circuit is configured such that the predetermined dwell characteristics for splicing operations generated by the powered upper heater and lower heater are the same, regardless of whether the power circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply. The power supply circuit is configured to operate the upper heater and the lower heater according to a first heating mode in response to the power supply being connected to a high-power standard power supply, and the power supply circuit is configured to operate the upper heater and the lower heater according to a second heating mode in response to the power supply being connected to a low-power standard power supply.

2. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dwell characteristic includes a dwell time such that the upper and lower pressure plates are heated within the same dwell time, regardless of whether the power circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

3. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dwell characteristics include dwell temperatures suitable for the upper and lower pressure plates, such that the upper and lower pressure plates each have the same dwell temperature, regardless of whether the power supply circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

4. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an air pump and at least one inflatable bladder connected to the air pump; and The dwell feature includes dwell pressure, and the power circuit is configured to control the operation of the air pump to inflate the at least one bladder and apply the same dwell pressure to the end of the conveyor belt, regardless of whether the power circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

5. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first heating mode lasts for a first time period and the second heating mode lasts for a second time period longer than the first time period.

6. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply circuit is configured to alternate between providing more power to the upper heater than to the lower heater and providing more power to the lower heater than to the upper heater during the heating phase with splicing operation, in response to the power supply circuit being connected to a low-power standard power supply.

7. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The power supply circuit is also configured to supply power to both the upper heater and the lower heater together during the heating phase with splicing operation in response to the power supply circuit being connected to a high-power standard power supply.

8. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The power supply circuit is configured to provide more power to the upper heater than to the lower heater by providing power to the upper heater and not to the lower heater, and the power supply circuit is configured to provide more power to the lower heater than to the upper heater by providing power to the lower heater and not to the upper heater.

9. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power circuit is configured to alternate between providing more power to the upper heater than to the lower heater and providing more power to the lower heater than to the upper heater during the dwell phase of the splicing operation, regardless of whether the power circuit is connected to a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

10. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes at least one line for connecting the power supply circuit to a high-power standard power supply and a low-power standard power supply, the power supply circuit being configured to determine whether the power supply circuit is connected to the high-power standard power supply or the low-power standard power supply based at least in part on the at least one line.

11. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply circuit is adapted to connect to a high-power standard power supply providing one of the following: single-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; single-phase, 230 volts, 30 amps; three-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; and three-phase, 400 volts, 16 amps; and The power supply circuit is adapted to connect to a low-power standard power supply that provides one of the following: single-phase, 110 volts, 15 amps; single-phase, 110 volts, 20 amps; and single-phase, 230 volts, 10 amps.

12. The conveyor belt splicing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply circuit is adapted to connect to a high-power standard power supply that provides one of the following: single-phase, 230 volts, 30 amps; three-phase, 400 volts, 16 amps; and... The power supply circuit is adapted to connect to a low-power standard power supply that provides one of the following: single-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; and three-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps.

13. A method for splicing the ends of a conveyor belt between a pair of pressure plates in a portable conveyor belt splicing device, the method comprising: The power supply circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment receives power from either the high-power standard power supply or the low-power standard power supply. as well as Power is supplied to the heater, which is operatively connected to the power circuit to heat the pressure plate and splice the end of the conveyor belt, such that the predetermined dwell characteristics generated by the heater are the same, regardless of whether the power circuit receives power from a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply. Specifically, when the received electrical power is received from a low-power standard power source, power is supplied to the heater to heat the pressure plate, and the splicing conveyor end includes alternating between providing more power to one heater than to another heater and providing more power to the other heater than to the first heater during the heating phase of the splicing operation.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The dwell characteristic includes dwell time, and powering the heater includes powering the heater so that the pressure plate is heated in the same dwell time, regardless of whether the power supply circuit receives power from a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The dwell characteristics include a dwell temperature suitable for the pressure plate, and powering the heater includes powering the heater so that the pressure plates each have the same dwell temperature, regardless of whether the power supply circuit receives power from a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The residence characteristics include residence pressure; and Inflate at least one bladder to apply the same dwell pressure to the end of the conveyor belt, regardless of whether the power circuit receives power from a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

17. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Powering the heater to heat the pressure plate and splicing the conveyor belt end includes powering the heater according to a first heating mode in response to the power circuit receiving power from a high-power standard power source, or operating the heater according to a second heating mode in response to the power circuit receiving power from a low-power standard power source.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first heating mode lasts for a first time period and the second heating mode lasts for a second time period longer than the first time period.

19. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Providing more power to one heater than to another heater includes providing power to one heater and not providing power to the other heater, and providing more power to another heater than to one heater includes providing power to the other heater and not providing power to one heater.

20. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Powering the heaters to heat the pressure plates and splice the conveyor belt ends involves alternating between providing more power to one heater than the other and providing more power to the other heater than the first heater during the dwell phase of the splicing operation, regardless of whether the power circuit receives power from a high-power standard power supply or a low-power standard power supply.

21. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The power supply circuit determines whether it receives power from a high-power or low-power standard power source based at least in part on the lines that electrically connect the power supply circuit to the standard power source.

22. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The electrical power received at the power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment includes power received from a high-power standard power supply, which provides: single-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; single-phase, 230 volts, 30 amps; three-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; or three-phase, 400 volts, 16 amps.

23. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The electrical power received at the power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment includes power received from a low-power standard power source, which provides: single-phase, 110 volts, 15 amps; single-phase, 110 volts, 20 amps; or single-phase, 230 volts, 10 amps.

24. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The electrical power received at the power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment includes power received from a high-power standard power supply, which provides: single-phase, 230 volts, 30 amps; three-phase, 400 volts, 16 amps.

25. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The electrical power received at the power circuit of the conveyor belt splicing equipment includes power received from a low-power standard power source, which provides: single-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps; or three-phase, 230 volts, 16 amps.

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