Follow-up section front support device and belt conveyor and tmb main machine with same

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a front support device for a follower section and a belt conveyor and a TBM main unit having the same. The front support device for the follower section includes a support base, a horizontal support device, a lateral limiting device, and a height limiting device. The horizontal support device, the lateral limiting device, and the height limiting device are located on top of the support base, forming a space between them for the front of the follower section to pass through. The horizontal support device is adapted to support the front of the follower section. This disclosure designs a combined support structure that can follow the main unit, improving the adaptability and multi-degree-of-freedom movement of the TBM main unit belt conveyor, and meeting the need for TBMs, especially small-diameter TBM main units, to achieve small turning radii.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tunneling conveyor technology, specifically to a follower section front support device and a conveyor belt and TBM main unit having the same. Background Technology

[0002] TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) is a new type of advanced tunnel construction machinery that uses rotating cutting tools to excavate, break the surrounding rock inside the tunnel, and excavate to form the entire tunnel cross-section.

[0003] Currently, TBM main unit slag removal systems primarily employ belt conveyors and conventional belt conveyor designs, achieving turning radii exceeding 200m. However, due to the considerable length of the TBM main unit, typically exceeding 10m, reducing its turning radius becomes extremely difficult.

[0004] In recent years, in order to reduce the turning radius of TBM main units, the method of overlapping transfer between the top and bottom belt conveyors has been adopted. However, the belt conveyor requires a large space in the vertical direction, which is easier to implement in large-diameter TBM main units. But it is not suitable for small TBMs, especially TBMs with a diameter of less than 4m. Moreover, the cost of the main unit belt conveyor is high, and it generates a lot of dust pollution and noise during operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a follower section front support device and a belt conveyor or TBM main unit having the same, thereby solving or at least mitigating one or more of the aforementioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objective, a first aspect of this disclosure provides a front support device for the follower section of a TBM main conveyor belt, wherein the front support device for the follower section includes a support base, a horizontal support device, a lateral limiting device, and a height limiting device, wherein the horizontal support device, the lateral limiting device, and the height limiting device are located on top of the support base, and a space for the front follower section to pass through is formed between the horizontal support device, the lateral limiting device, and the height limiting device, and the horizontal support device is adapted to support the front follower section.

[0007] In the aforementioned follower section front support device, optionally, the horizontal support device includes a first horizontal support roller and a second horizontal support roller for supporting the bottom surface of the front of the follower section. The first horizontal support roller and the second horizontal support roller are mounted on the top surface of the support base and are respectively located on both sides of the top surface.

[0008] In the aforementioned follower section front support device, optionally, a first upright and a second upright are fixed to both sides of the support base, and:

[0009] The lateral limiting device includes a first lateral limiting roller and a second lateral limiting roller for defining the side of the front portion of the follower section. The first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller are respectively installed on the inner sides of the first upright and the second upright. The height of the first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller is between the horizontal support device and the height limiting device.

[0010] The height limiting device includes a height limiting element that extends laterally between the top of the first stand and the top of the second stand.

[0011] In the aforementioned follower section front support device, optionally, the height limiting device includes an L-shaped first height limiting device and a second height limiting device, wherein the lateral portions of the first height limiting device and the second height limiting device serve as the height limiting element.

[0012] In the aforementioned follower section front support device, optionally, the follower section front support device includes an elastic support cylinder, the elastic support cylinder being fixedly supported on the top of the support base, the elastic support cylinder comprising:

[0013] A cylinder body, wherein the cylinder body is hollow and has an open top and a closed bottom;

[0014] A spring, the spring being located within the cylinder, and the bottom end of the spring abutting against the bottom end of the cylinder inside the cylinder; and

[0015] A piston rod, the inner end of which is located inside the cylinder and presses against the spring, the piston rod being able to move up and down inside the cylinder via a guide key, the outer end of which extends out of the top of the cylinder, and the horizontal support device being disposed on the top of the piston rod.

[0016] In the aforementioned follow-up section front support device, optionally, the elastic support cylinder includes a first elastic support cylinder and a second elastic support cylinder, the first elastic support cylinder and the second elastic support cylinder are respectively located inside the first upright and the second upright, and the horizontal support device is respectively disposed in the U-shaped groove at the top of the piston rod of the first elastic support cylinder and the U-shaped groove at the top of the piston rod of the second elastic support cylinder.

[0017] To achieve the aforementioned objective, a second aspect of this disclosure provides a TBM main unit conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt includes a fixed section and a follower section, the fixed section and the follower section being movably connected, the fixed section being adapted to be fixed to the housing of the cutterhead drive system of the TBM main unit, the front of the follower section being provided with a follower section front support device as described in any one of the first aspects above, the follower section front support device being adapted to be fixed to the front end housing of the main propulsion system of the TBM main unit, and the rear of the follower section being provided with a follower section rear support device, the follower section rear support device being adapted to be fixed to the rear shield of the main propulsion system.

[0018] In the belt conveyor as described above, optionally, the fixed section and the follower section are hinged by a pin. The pin is arranged in a hinge lug between the tail end of the fixed section and the front end of the follower section. Both the fixed section and the follower section can swing freely up and down around the pin. At the same time, a spherical bearing is installed in the hinge lug to adapt to the horizontal turning motion and rolling motion of the TBM main unit.

[0019] In the belt conveyor as described above, optionally, the follower section rear support device includes:

[0020] A support frame is used to fix the rear support device of the follower section to the rear shield of the main propulsion system of the TBM host.

[0021] An arc-shaped support plate is fixedly installed on the support frame and is adapted to support the rear part of the follower section of the belt conveyor.

[0022] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, a third aspect of this disclosure provides a TBM host, wherein the TBM host is provided with a belt conveyor as described in any one of the preceding second aspects.

[0023] This disclosure proposes a front support device for the follow-up section and a belt conveyor and TBM main unit having the device. It designs a combined support structure that can follow the main unit, which improves the adaptability and multi-degree-of-freedom motion of the TBM main unit belt conveyor, and meets the needs of TBM, especially small-diameter TBM main units, to achieve small turning radii. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The disclosure of this invention will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the TBM host of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the follower section front support device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the elastic support cylinder of the front support device of the middle follower section;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the follower section rear support device of the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Cutterhead drive system; 2-Fixed section; 3-Correction system; 4-Pin shaft; 5-Front support device of follower section; 6-Main propulsion system; 7-Follower section; 8-Rear support device of follower section; 9-Height limiting device; 10-Lateral limiting device; 11-Horizontal support device; 12-Elastic support cylinder; 13-Support base; 14-Piston rod; 15-Guide key; 16-Spring; 17-Cylinder body; 18-Support frame; 19-Arc-shaped support plate; 20-Lateral limiting device. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Referring to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, the following will illustrate by way of example the structural composition, features and advantages of the follower section front support device and the belt conveyor and TBM main unit having the same, however, all descriptions should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way.

[0031] Furthermore, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned herein, or any single technical feature shown or implied in the various figures, the present invention still allows for any combination or deletion of these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacle, and thus these further embodiments according to the present invention should also be considered within the scope of this description.

[0032] It should also be noted that terms such as "setup" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Unless otherwise explicitly defined, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] The terms "inner" and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship of the components in the TBM host shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0034] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., can refer to different or the same objects. They are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. "A plurality of," etc., means at least two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the TBM host of the present invention. Figure 1 It can be seen that a belt conveyor is arranged in the TBM host. The belt conveyor is located inside the TBM host and can be used to transport the material cut by the cutter head to the rear.

[0036] The TBM main conveyor belt can include two sections, a fixed section 2 and a follower section 7, which are movably connected. This improves the adaptability of the TBM main conveyor belt and meets the needs of TBMs, especially small-diameter TBMs, to achieve small turning radii. In this example, the two sections can be hinged together by a pin 4. In optional embodiments, other movable connections different from those shown in the figure can also be considered, which will not be listed here.

[0037] In the illustrated example, the belt conveyor fixing section 2 is fixed to the housing of the cutter head drive system 1 by flange bolts, and the fixing section 2 moves synchronously with the housing of the cutter head drive system 1.

[0038] The follower section 7 of the belt conveyor is supported on the front support device 5 and the rear support device 8. This arrangement allows the follower section 7 to slide forward and backward and deflect in all directions (up, down, left, and right) under the traction of the fixed section 2. Sometimes, it can even generate complex spatial compound deflection movements to adapt to the small turning radius tunneling, uphill and downhill, and horizontal turns of the TBM main unit. It should be noted that the small turning radius can be less than 100 meters, or even smaller, and is especially suitable for TBM main units with small diameters.

[0039] In this embodiment, as can be seen from the figure, the front support device 5 of the follower section is fixed to the front housing of the main propulsion system 6 of the TBM host, and the rear support device 8 of the follower section is fixed to the rear shield of the main propulsion system 6.

[0040] The pin 4 is horizontally arranged in the hinge lug between the tail end of the fixed section 2 of the belt conveyor and the front end of the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor. Both the fixed section 2 and the follower section 7 can swing freely up and down around the pin 4, thereby releasing the degree of freedom in both the upper and lower directions at a large angle. The hinge lug is equipped with a spherical bearing to adapt to the horizontal turning motion of the TBM host for small turning radius tunneling and the small-angle rolling of the host caused by the rolling of the cutterhead.

[0041] The front end of the correction system 3 is connected to the cutterhead drive system 1 via flange bolts, and the rear end of the correction system 3 is connected to the main propulsion system 6 via flange bolts. In actual working environments, the correction system 3 enables the cutterhead drive system 1 to produce deflection movements in multiple directions, including up, down, left, and right, thereby achieving the turning correction function of the TBM main unit in various directions and meeting the needs of the TBM main unit in uphill, downhill, and horizontal turning tunneling conditions. Furthermore, when a deviation occurs in the tunneling direction, the correction system 3 can perform its correction function, quickly returning the TBM to the correct tunneling direction.

[0042] The front end of the main propulsion system 6 is connected to the rear end of the correction system 3 via flange bolts. The rear end of the correction system 3 can provide reverse thrust, and through the telescopic hydraulic cylinder, the main machine will move linearly in the direction of the main machine axis, thereby realizing the forward tunneling of the TBM.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the follower section front support device of the present invention.

[0044] In such Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the follower section front support device 5 may include a height limiting device 9, a lateral limiting device 10, a horizontal support device 11, an elastic support cylinder 12, and a support base 13. The horizontal support device 11, the lateral limiting device 10, and the height limiting device 9 may be located on top of the support base 13. In some embodiments, the elastic support cylinder 12 is an optional component. The follower section front support device 5 can be connected to the front end housing of the main propulsion system 6 via flange bolts on the support base 13.

[0045] As shown in the figure, a space can be formed between the horizontal support device 11, the lateral limiting device 10, and the height limiting device 9 for the front portion of the follower section 7 to pass through. The horizontal support device 11 is adapted to support the front portion of the follower section 7. Figure 2 The position of the follower segment 7 is schematically marked with a double-dotted line. As can be seen from the figure, the follower segment 7 is provided with room to move in both the left-right and up-down directions.

[0046] In this embodiment, the horizontal support device 11 may include a first horizontal support roller and a second horizontal support roller for supporting the bottom surface of the front part of the follower section 7. The first and second horizontal support rollers may be mounted on the top surface of the support base 13 and located on opposite sides of the top surface. The horizontal support rollers may be located on the elastic support cylinder 12. In addition to supporting the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor, the horizontal support rollers also roll as the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor moves back and forth, further reducing the frictional resistance when the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor moves back and forth.

[0047] A first upright and a second upright are fixed to both sides of the support base 13. The height limiting device 9 includes a height limiting element that extends laterally between the top of the first upright and the top of the second upright. In this example, the height limiting element may be a single element extending between the first upright and the second upright.

[0048] In the illustrated example, the height limiting device 9 may include an L-shaped first height limiting device and a second height limiting device for further ensuring equipment safety under abnormal conditions. The lateral portion extends laterally between the top of the first and second uprights as a height limiting element, thus providing two height limiting elements that can function together. The first and second height limiting devices are symmetrically distributed from left to right.

[0049] The lateral limiting device 10 may include a first lateral limiting roller and a second lateral limiting roller for limiting the side of the front part of the follower section 7. The first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller are respectively installed on the inner side of the first frame and the second frame. Meanwhile, the height of the first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller is between the horizontal support device 11 and the height limiting device 9.

[0050] In this example, the height limiting device 9, the lateral limiting device 10, and the elastic support cylinder 12 are all symmetrically distributed and fixed on the support base 13. The height limiting device 9 can limit the highest limit position that the follower segment 7 can reach when it moves upward to prevent safety hazards caused by exceeding the maximum correction angle. The lateral limiting device 10 can limit the limit position that the follower segment 7 can reach when it deflects left and right. While performing the limiting function in the left and right directions, when the lateral limiting device 10 contacts the follower segment 7, the roller will also roll to reduce the frictional resistance when the follower segment 7 moves back and forth.

[0051] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the elastic support cylinder of the front support device of the middle follower section.

[0052] In such Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic support cylinder 12 may include a piston rod 14, a guide key 15, a spring 16, and a cylinder body 17. A horizontal support roller at the top of the piston rod 14 is also shown in the figure.

[0053] As shown in the figure, the cylinder 17 is hollow with an open top and a closed bottom; the spring 16 is located inside the cylinder 17, and the bottom end of the spring 16 abuts against the bottom end of the cylinder 17 inside the cylinder 17; the inner end of the piston rod 14 is located inside the cylinder 17 and presses against the spring 16; the piston rod 14 can move up and down inside the cylinder 17 through the guide key 15; the outer end of the piston rod 14 extends out of the top of the cylinder 17; and the horizontal support device 11, i.e., the horizontal support roller, is set on the top of the piston rod 14.

[0054] In this embodiment, the number of elastic support cylinders 12 is two, namely a first elastic support cylinder and a second elastic support cylinder (see...). Figure 2 The first elastic support cylinder and the second elastic support cylinder are located inside the first upright and the second upright, respectively. A horizontal support device 11 is provided in the upper U-shaped groove of the piston rod 14. The outer end of the piston rod 14 extends out of the top of the cylinder body 17. The lower end of the piston rod 14 contacts the spring 16 that touches the bottom inside the cylinder body 17 and generates pre-compression by storing force downward. Then, it moves up and down inside the cylinder body 17 through the guide key 15 to adapt to the up and down undulating movement of the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor.

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the follower section rear support device of the present invention. Figure 4 The right-hand image is a cross-sectional view of section AA shown in the left-hand image.

[0056] In such Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the follower section rear support device 8 may include a support frame 18, an arc-shaped support plate 19, and left and right limiting rollers serving as lateral limiting devices. The follower section rear support device 8 is fixedly installed to the rear shield of the TBM main propulsion system 6 via the support frame 18.

[0057] In the illustrated example, the support frame 18 may include a first column and a second column located on both sides, with an upper horizontal column and a lower horizontal column fixed to the upper and lower parts between the first column and the second column, respectively. As shown in the cross-sectional view, the upper and lower horizontal columns may be I-beams. The upper and lower ends of the first column and the second column can be connected to the rear shield of the main propulsion system 6 via flanges. As shown in the figure, a space is formed between the first column, the second column, the upper horizontal column, and the arc-shaped support plate to accommodate the rear of the follower section. Figure 4 The follower section of the belt conveyor is shown in the form of a double-dotted line, which rests on the arc-shaped support plate 19.

[0058] In the illustrated example, the arc-shaped support plates 19 are fixed to the support frame 18 and are symmetrically distributed below the follower section 7. In this embodiment, two columns are provided for multiple limiting in case of accidents, further increasing safety. The figure shows two arc-shaped support plates 19 on the left and right sides. Using two arc-shaped support plates 19 advantageously reduces the contact area with the bottom surface of the follower section 7, reducing noise and friction. In an alternative embodiment, a single arc-shaped support plate extending between the two columns can also be used. As shown in the figure, the arc-shaped support plate 19 includes a first arc-shaped support plate and a second arc-shaped support plate symmetrically fixed to the inner sides of the first and second columns, with the first and second arc-shaped support plates having arc-shaped raised top surfaces.

[0059] During TBM tunneling or turning, the follower section 7 of the conveyor belt moves back and forth while also rotating along the curved surface, allowing the rear support device 8 of the follower section to adapt to the forward and backward movement and the up-and-down undulating motion of the follower section 7. Lateral limiting devices 20 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rear support device 8 of the follower section. These lateral limiting devices 20 include a first lateral limiting roller and a second lateral limiting roller, which limit movement in the left and right directions while reducing the frictional resistance generated during the forward and backward movement of the follower section 7. In this example, the left and right limiting rollers are optional components.

[0060] As shown in the figure, the first and second lateral limiting rollers are vertically aligned, and their axes are higher than the arc-shaped support plate 19, allowing them to act on the rear side of the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor to laterally limit the arc-shaped support plate 19. In this example, two first lateral limiting rollers are provided on the inner side of the first column, and two second lateral limiting rollers are provided on the inner side of the second column. This ensures that the follower section 7 of the belt conveyor can contact the rollers even when tilted, rather than interfering with the columns.

[0061] The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the above specification. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the above embodiments without departing from the technical concept of this invention, and all such modifications and variations should fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A front support device (5) for the follower section of a TBM main conveyor, characterized by, The belt conveyor includes a fixed section (2) and a follower section (7). The follower section front support device (5) is used for the front of the follower section (7). The follower section front support device (5) includes a support base (13), a horizontal support device (11), a lateral limiting device (10), and a height limiting device (9). The horizontal support device (11), the lateral limiting device (10), and the height limiting device (9) are located on the top of the support base (13). A space is formed between the horizontal support device (11), the lateral limiting device (10), and the height limiting device (9) for the front of the follower section (7) to pass through. The horizontal support device (11) is adapted to support the front of the follower section (7). The horizontal support device (11) includes a first horizontal support roller and a second horizontal support roller for supporting the bottom surface of the front part of the follower section (7). The first horizontal support roller and the second horizontal support roller are mounted on the top surface of the support base (13) and are located on both sides of the top surface, respectively. The support base (13) is fixed with a first upright and a second upright on both sides respectively, and: The lateral limiting device (10) includes a first lateral limiting roller and a second lateral limiting roller for limiting the side of the front portion of the follower section (7). The first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller are respectively installed on the inner sides of the first upright and the second upright. The height of the first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller is between the horizontal support device (11) and the height limiting device (9); and The height limiting device (9) includes a height limiting element that extends laterally between the top of the first stand and the top of the second stand. Among them, the first horizontal support roller, the second horizontal support roller, the first lateral limiting roller and the second lateral limiting roller roll as the follower section (7) moves back and forth.

2. The drogue front support device (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that The height limiting device (9) includes an L-shaped first height limiting device and a second height limiting device, the lateral portions of the first height limiting device and the second height limiting device serving as the height limiting element.

3. The follower section front support device (5) as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The follower section front support device (5) includes an elastic support cylinder (12), which is fixedly supported on the top of the support base (13). The elastic support cylinder (12) includes: The cylinder body (17) is hollow and has an open top and a closed bottom; A spring (16) is located inside the cylinder (17), and the bottom end of the spring (16) abuts against the bottom end of the cylinder (17) inside the cylinder (17); and The piston rod (14) has its inner end located inside the cylinder (17) and pressing against the spring (16). The piston rod (14) can move up and down inside the cylinder (17) via a guide key (15). The outer end of the piston rod (14) extends out of the top of the cylinder (17), and the horizontal support device (11) is located on the top of the piston rod (14).

4. The follower section front support device (5) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic support cylinder (12) includes a first elastic support cylinder and a second elastic support cylinder. The first elastic support cylinder and the second elastic support cylinder are located inside the first stand and the second stand, respectively. The horizontal support device (11) is respectively installed in the U-shaped groove at the top of the piston rod (14) of the first elastic support cylinder and in the U-shaped groove at the top of the piston rod (14) of the second elastic support cylinder.

5. A TBM main conveyor characterized by, The belt conveyor includes a fixed section (2) and a follower section (7), the fixed section (2) and the follower section (7) are movably connected, the fixed section (2) is adapted to be fixed to the housing of the cutter head drive system (1) of the TBM host, the front part of the follower section (7) is provided with a follower section front support device (5) as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the follower section front support device (5) is adapted to be fixed to the front end housing of the main propulsion system (6) of the TBM host, the rear part of the follower section (7) is provided with a follower section rear support device (8), the follower section rear support device (8) is adapted to be fixed to the rear shield of the main propulsion system (6).

6. The belt conveyor of claim 5, wherein, The fixed section (2) and the follower section (7) are hinged by a pin (4). The pin (4) is arranged in a hinge lug between the tail end of the fixed section (2) and the front end of the follower section (7). Both the fixed section (2) and the follower section (7) can swing freely up and down around the pin (4). At the same time, a joint bearing is installed in the hinge lug, which can adapt to the horizontal turning motion and rolling motion of the TBM host.

7. The belt conveyor of claim 5, wherein, The follower section rear support device (8) includes: Support frame (18), the support frame (18) is used to fix the follower section rear support device (8) to the rear shield of the main propulsion system (6) of the TBM host; An arc-shaped support plate (19) is fixedly installed on the support frame (18) and is adapted to support the rear of the follower section (7) of the belt conveyor.

8. A TBM host, characterized in that, The TBM host is equipped with a belt conveyor as described in any one of claims 5 to 7.

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