A rack assembly and a conveyor line assembly

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of rack assembly and conveying line assembly, conveying line assembly includes main rail and conveying component;Rack assembly includes flexible rack and support boss;At the upper end of the rack, the support boss is arranged on both sides of the rack;Or, at the upper end and the lower end of the rack, the support boss is arranged on both sides of the rack;The lower end of main rail includes left chamber and right chamber of opposite opening, and the support boss of the upper end of the rack is arranged on both sides of the rack respectively installed in left chamber, right chamber.This application uses the elastic deformation of flexible rack, cancels the tensioning device of chain transmission mechanism, solves the problem that traditional rigid rack cannot be bent and changed direction.Simple structure can realize turning in two directions at the same time.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number CN 201610462382.9 entitled "A rack assembly and a conveyor assembly", which was filed on June 22, 2016. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a conveyor assembly and a rack and pinion assembly. Background Technology

[0003] Conveyor lines are widely used in material handling processes across various industries, offering advantages such as high efficiency and low labor intensity compared to manual material handling. While there are many types of conveyor line structures, the drive mechanism is almost universally based on chain drive. The advantages of chain drive include convenient long-distance transmission, but disadvantages include: bulky structure, high structural strength requirements, and difficulty in installation and maintenance; chain elongation due to wear during use necessitates a tensioning structure, resulting in a complex mechanism and short chain lifespan; furthermore, chain drives cannot simultaneously achieve turning and changing direction in two directions, failing to meet customized user needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a rack and pinion assembly that utilizes the elastic deformation of a flexible rack to eliminate the tensioning device of the chain drive mechanism. It has a simple structure and can achieve turning and changing direction in two directions simultaneously.

[0005] The rack assembly provided by this invention includes a flexible rack and supporting bosses. The supporting bosses are located on both sides of the upper end of the rack; alternatively, the supporting bosses are located on both sides of the rack at its upper and lower ends. The rack assembly is hung below the main rail of the conveyor line via the supporting bosses at the upper end of the rack. The rack is driven by a drive device. Due to the use of a flexible rack, it can elastically deform, simplifying the conveyor line mechanism, facilitating assembly, and enabling simultaneous turning and changing direction in two directions. The supporting boss at the lower end of the rack is used to hang accessories such as clothes hanger hooks. The rack and supporting bosses are preferably made of highly wear-resistant and highly elastic plastic.

[0006] In order to mesh with the gear, the rack has a corrugated cross section. The support bosses on both sides of the rack can be set at the crests and troughs of the corrugations, respectively. As long as the strength of the corrugated rack is properly controlled, the weight of the rack can be greatly reduced while ensuring reliable quality.

[0007] To enhance the strength of the rack, its cross-section is corrugated, comprising an upper corrugated rack and a lower corrugated rack arranged in parallel. The crests of both the upper and lower corrugated racks face outwards and are staggered by half a wavelength, allowing the gear to be driven from either side of the rack assembly. The upper and lower corrugated racks are connected, and support bosses on both sides of the rack are respectively located at the crests of the upper and lower corrugated racks. The interconnected and parallel arrangement of the two corrugated racks increases the overall strength of the rack without sacrificing its flexibility. The connection point between the upper and lower corrugated racks is preferably in the middle of the rack's height direction, and a connection is also made at the ends of the rack. The tooth surface shape of the corrugated rack adopts an isosceles trapezoid with an included angle of 40 degrees. For structures with upper and lower corrugated racks, the corrugation shape of the upper and lower corrugated racks should preferably adopt an isosceles trapezoid with an included angle of 40 degrees to facilitate meshing with gears.

[0008] To facilitate transportation and installation, individual racks are relatively short, and racks are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure. Racks can also be connected end to end by a snap-fit ​​mechanism.

[0009] To achieve a stable connection of the rack and pinion and prevent it from falling off during operation, the fastening structure includes insertion parts and fastening parts located at both ends of the rack; the insertion part includes an L-shaped boss and L-shaped boss, The L-shaped bosses form upward-facing and downward-facing first and second slots with the rack, respectively. The L-shaped boss also forms a first insertion port with the rack, opening to the right, wherein the first insertion port is located between the first and second slots; the fastening part includes the L-shaped boss, L-shaped boss, The shaped boss and the rack form a second insertion port with an opening to the left. The second insertion port and its opening are respectively connected to... The vertical and horizontal sides of the shaped boss are adapted; the rack is also provided with a boss adapted to the first slot; the first insertion port and the second slot are respectively adapted to... The vertical sides of the L-shaped boss and the vertical sides of the L-shaped boss are compatible.

[0010] After the rack assembly is installed on the main rail, the outer edge of the support boss is arc-shaped to facilitate the turning of the rack assembly.

[0011] This invention also provides a conveyor assembly, including a main rail and a conveying component, wherein the conveying component employs the rack assembly provided by this invention. The lower end of the main rail has a left chamber and a right chamber with opposing openings. Support bosses on both sides of the rack at its upper end are respectively installed in the left and right chambers. The rack assembly is mounted in the left and right chambers of the main rail via the support bosses. The rack is driven to move on the main rail by a driving device. Due to the use of a flexible rack, it can elastically deform, making the conveyor mechanism simple, easy to assemble, and enabling simultaneous turning and track changing in two directions. The rack and support bosses are preferably made of highly wear-resistant and highly elastic plastic. The left and right chambers are preferably U-shaped.

[0012] To avoid noise and rapid wear of the flexible rack due to direct contact between the rack and the main rail, a liner is used to isolate the flexible rack from the main rail. Specifically, the left and right chambers are filled with the liner, and the support boss is installed within a groove in the liner. The liner is made of self-lubricating, highly wear-resistant plastic.

[0013] The lower end of the main rail is also provided with left and right anti-detachment protrusions to prevent the liner from falling off the main rail. Once the liner is installed in the left and right cavities of the main rail, it is reliably fixed and cannot be separated. The structure is simple and the connection is reliable.

[0014] The present invention has the following advantages: (1) Some parts of the conveyor assembly are made of high wear-resistant and high elastic plastic, which solves the problems of heavy structure, difficult installation and short life of traditional chain drive mechanism; (2) The structure is simple, the operation is stable and the noise is low; (3) By utilizing the elastic deformation of the flexible rack, the tensioning device of the chain drive mechanism is eliminated, which reduces the cost and facilitates the installation. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor line assembly described in this invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a side view of the rack assembly described in this invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a front view of the rack assembly described in this invention (the fastening structure is not shown).

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rack and pinion main rail described in this invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the liner described in this invention;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a top view of the rack assembly described in this invention;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the rack assembly described in this invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Main rack rail; 2. Liner; 3. Rack assembly; 1-1. Left chamber; 1-2. Left anti-detachment boss; 1-3. Right anti-detachment boss; 1-4. Right chamber; 2-1. Slide groove; 2-2. Groove; 3-1. Support boss; 3-2. Upper corrugated rack; 3-3. Outer edge of boss; 3-4. Socket one; 3-5. Boss one; 3-6. Slot one; 3-7. Boss two; 3-8. Socket two; 3-9. Boss three; 3-10. Slot two; 3-11. Boss four; 3-12. Lower corrugated rack; 3-13. Lower corrugated rack crest line; 3-14. Lower corrugated rack trough line; 3-15. Boss five. Detailed Implementation

[0023] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the rack assembly 3 includes a flexible rack and support bosses 3-1. Support bosses 3-1 are located on both sides of the rack, with support bosses at both the upper and lower ends. The outer edges of the support bosses are arc-shaped. The rack has a corrugated cross-section, and the support bosses are located at the crests and troughs of the corrugated rack. If a single rack structure is used, with only one corrugated rack, the support bosses are correspondingly located at the crests and troughs of that single corrugated rack. Figure 6 The rack assembly 3 includes an upper corrugated rack 3-2 and a lower corrugated rack 3-12. The upper and lower corrugated racks 3-2 and 3-12 are arranged in parallel and connected to each other. The crests of both racks point outwards and are staggered by half a wavelength (the distance between an adjacent crest and trough), allowing the gear to be driven from either side of the rack assembly 3. The connection point between the upper and lower corrugated racks 3-2 and 3-12 is located in the middle of the rack's thickness direction. Support bosses 3-3 on both sides of the rack are respectively located at the crests of the upper and lower corrugated racks 3-2 and 3-12. The corrugation shape of the upper and lower racks is an isosceles trapezoid with an included angle of 40 degrees, facilitating meshing with a standard gear with a pressure angle of 20 degrees.

[0024] In actual production, single racks are relatively short. To connect racks and form a circular conveyor line, snap-fit ​​structures are installed at both ends of the rack. These snap-fit ​​structures connect two rack components or connect rack assemblies end-to-end to form a circular conveyor line. The snap-fit ​​components include insertion parts and snap-fit ​​parts located at both ends of the rack. The insertion parts can be cylindrical, and the snap-fit ​​parts can be annular with an opening (the opening accommodates the connection between the cylindrical insertion part and the rack). Inserting the cylindrical insertion part into the annular snap-fit ​​part achieves the connection. The snap-fit ​​components can also use... Figure 6 The structure shown includes an L-shaped boss, 3-15, in the insertion part. The bosses 3-5, 3-15, and 3-6 form an upward-opening slot 3-10 and a downward-opening slot 3-6 with the upper corrugated rack 3-2, respectively. The bosses 3-15 and 3-5 also form a right-opening insertion port 3-4 with the upper corrugated rack 3-2, wherein the insertion port 3-4 is located between slot 3-6 and slot 3-10; the fastening part includes an L-shaped boss 3-7. The boss 3-9, boss 2 3-7, and boss 3-9 together with the upper corrugated rack 3-2 form a left-facing insertion port 3-8. Insertion port 3-8 and its opening are respectively adapted to the vertical and horizontal sides of boss 1 3-5. The inner side of the crest of the upper corrugated rack 3-2 is also provided with a boss 4 3-11 adapted to slot 2 3-10. Insertion port 1 3-4 and slot 1 3-6 are respectively adapted to the vertical sides of boss 3-9 and boss 2 3-7. During insertion, align the vertical edge of boss 1 3-5 with socket 2 3-8 and boss 4 3-11 with slot 2 3-10. After insertion, insert the vertical edge of boss 1 3-5 into socket 2 3-8, insert boss 4 3-11 into slot 2 3-10, insert the vertical edge of boss 3 3-9 into socket 1 3-4, and insert the vertical edge of boss 2 3-7 into slot 1 3-6. This ensures a stable connection of the rack and pinion and prevents it from falling off.

[0025] like Figure 1 , 4 As shown in Figure 5, the rack assembly is installed below the main rail 1. Specifically, the lower end of the main rail is provided with a left chamber 1-1 and a right chamber 1-4, which are U-shaped. The liner 2 has a groove 2-1 on the left end and a pit 2-2 on the right end, and the liner 2 is approximately I-shaped. The liner 2 is installed in the left chamber 1-1 and the right chamber 1-4 respectively. The main rail is also provided with a left anti-detachment boss 1-2 and a right anti-detachment boss 1-3. Due to the anti-detachment bosses, once the liner 2 is installed in the U-shaped cavities at the left and right ends of the main rail, it is reliably fixed and cannot be separated. The structure is simple, the connection is reliable, and it prevents the liner 2 from falling out of the U-shaped cavities at the left and right ends. The support bosses 3-3 on the upper end and both sides of the rack are installed in the grooves 2-1 of the liner 2. The support bosses on the lower end and both sides of the rack are used to hang other components, such as the clothes hanger hook mechanism provided in application number 2015210974128. Liner 2 and rack are both made of self-lubricating, highly wear-resistant, and highly elastic plastic.

[0026] In a specific implementation, this invention is driven by gears, combined with Figure 3 , 7The gear is approximately inserted between the crest lines 3-13 and the trough lines 3-14 of the lower corrugated rack (the gear can also be positioned opposite, with the gear approximately inserted between the crest lines of the upper corrugated rack and the trough lines of the upper corrugated rack). The rotating gear drives the rack to move along the main rail. If the rail is circular, the elasticity of the flexible rack allows for easy turning and changing of direction. Accessories such as clothes hanger hooks or push rod mechanisms can be attached to the flexible rack as needed to meet specific user requirements.

Claims

1. A rack assembly comprising a flexible rack and support bosses; at the upper end of the rack, the support bosses are arranged on both sides of the rack; or, at the upper end and the lower end of the rack, the support bosses are arranged on both sides of the rack; the cross section of the rack is corrugated; both ends of the rack are provided with a buckling structure for connecting two rack assemblies; characterized in that: The two rack assemblies are connected, and the corrugated shape is continued at the connection position, and the buckling structure is located in the corrugation formed by the continuation of the connection position; the rack comprises upper and lower corrugated racks arranged in parallel, the wave crests of the upper and lower corrugated racks are outward and staggered by a half wavelength distance, the upper corrugated rack is connected with the lower corrugated rack, and a gap is formed between the upper and lower corrugated racks, and the support bosses on both sides of the rack are arranged at the wave crest positions of the upper and lower corrugated racks, respectively. The rack is made of plastic.

2. The rack assembly of claim 1, wherein: The buckling structures of the rack assemblies at both ends are used to connect the plurality of rack assemblies into a ring shape.

3. The rack assembly of claim 1, wherein: The two rack assemblies are connected, and the corrugated shape is continued at the connection position, and the buckling structure is located in the corrugation formed by the continuation of the connection position; the rack comprises upper and lower corrugated racks arranged in parallel, the wave crests of the upper and lower corrugated racks are outward and staggered by a half wavelength distance, the upper corrugated rack is connected with the lower corrugated rack, and a gap is formed between the upper and lower corrugated racks, and the support bosses on both sides of the rack are arranged at the wave crest positions of the upper and lower corrugated racks, respectively.

4. Rack assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The buckle structure comprises an insertion part and a buckle part at both ends of the rack The L-shaped boss and the L-shaped boss form a first insertion slot and a second insertion slot respectively, which are open upward and downward, and the L-shaped boss forms a first insertion hole which is open to the right, wherein the first insertion hole is located between the first and second insertion slots; the buckle part comprises an L-shaped boss and the L-shaped boss forms a second insertion hole which is open to the left, and the vertical edge and the horizontal edge of the L-shaped boss are adapted to the second insertion hole and its opening respectively; the rack is further provided with a boss which is adapted to the first insertion slot; the vertical edge of the L-shaped boss and the vertical edge of the L-shaped boss are adapted to the first insertion hole and the second insertion slot respectively.

5. A rack assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein: The insertion part and the buckling part are arranged at the end connection position of the upper and lower corrugated racks, and the boss matched with the first insertion slot is located in the inner wall surface of the wave crest of the upper corrugated rack.

6. The rack assembly of claim 1, wherein: The wave trough of the lower corrugated rack extends into the inner space formed by the wave crest of the upper corrugated rack.

7. The rack assembly of claim 1, wherein: The tooth surface shape of the corrugated rack adopts an isosceles trapezoid with an included angle of 40 degrees.

8. The rack assembly of claim 1, wherein: The gap is corrugated.

9. A conveyor line assembly comprising a main track and a conveyor element, the main track having a cavity at its lower end, characterized in that: The conveying component adopts the rack assembly of any one of claims 1-8; the support bosses arranged on both sides of the rack at the upper end are respectively installed in the chamber.

10. The delivery line assembly of claim 9, wherein: The chamber comprises left and right chambers with opposite openings, and the support bosses arranged on both sides of the rack at the upper end are respectively installed in the left and right chambers.

11. The delivery line assembly of claim 10, wherein: The left and right chambers are filled with a lining, and the support bosses are installed in the sliding groove of the lining.

12. The delivery line assembly of claim 11, wherein: The lower end of the main rail is further provided with an anti-falling boss for preventing the lining from falling off the main rail. The lower end of the main rail is further provided with an anti-falling boss for preventing the lining from falling off the main rail.

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