Self-correcting belt conveyor and method for correcting the same

Abstract

This invention discloses a self-correcting belt conveyor and its correction method. The self-correcting belt conveyor includes: a frame body, comprising two rows of support legs arranged opposite each other along the designed transmission direction, and an idler assembly connected between the two rows of support legs for driving the belt forward; a monitoring device for monitoring whether the belt deviates and sending deviation information when deviation is detected; at least one pair of robotic arms for adjusting the position of the belt, each pair of robotic arms being connected opposite each other between the two rows of support legs, and the top of each robotic arm being connected to a U-shaped clamp for the belt edge to engage; and a controller for acquiring the deviation information and controlling the robotic arms to drive the belt to reset, the controller controlling the monitoring device and the robotic arms. By setting up the self-correcting belt conveyor, its practicality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of building construction, and in particular to a self-correcting belt conveyor and its correction method. Background Technology

[0002] During tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction, the belt conveyor is mainly responsible for transporting excavated soil. However, due to improper equipment installation, easy bending of the belt at tunnel bends, and uneven weight distribution of excavated soil on both sides of the belt, the belt often runs off-center during operation. This often results in "slag shedding" during the transport of excavated soil. Furthermore, belt misalignment during operation may affect the normal operation of the belt conveyor equipment, thereby impacting the construction schedule.

[0003] Existing intelligent belt conveyor belt alignment systems adjust the belt by adjusting idlers, which can easily affect the fixing and positioning of the idlers. Secondly, existing intelligent belt conveyor belt alignment systems require the braking of the equipment to be considered during the design of the belt conveyor system, and cannot be directly added to an already operating belt conveyor system. In addition, existing intelligent belt conveyor belt alignment systems can only correct the belt deviation, but cannot locate the position that has deviated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a self-correcting belt conveyor and its correction method, which can be plugged and used in various belt conveyors without the need for additional programming, thus improving practicality.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is a self-correcting belt conveyor, comprising:

[0006] The frame body includes two rows of support legs arranged opposite each other along the designed transmission direction, and a roller assembly connected between the two rows of support legs for driving the belt to travel.

[0007] A monitoring device for monitoring whether the belt has deviated and sending deviation information when a deviation is detected;

[0008] At least one pair of robotic arms for adjusting the position of the belt, each pair of robotic arms being connected opposite to each other between the two rows of legs, and the top of each robotic arm being connected to a U-shaped clamp for the edge of the belt to be engaged.

[0009] A controller is used to acquire the offset information and control the robotic arm to drive the belt to reset. The controller controls the monitoring device and the robotic arm.

[0010] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that the monitoring device includes at least one pair of sensors, each pair of sensors being connected relative to each other between the two rows of support legs and located on opposite sides of the orthographic projection of the designed installation position of the belt, the sensors being configured to emit the offset signal when the edge of the belt shifts to a position directly above the corresponding sensor, and the controller controlling the connection to each sensor.

[0011] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that, when the belt is not deviated, the sensor is located between a row of support legs and the corresponding edge of the belt, and there is a certain horizontal distance between the sensor and the corresponding edge of the belt.

[0012] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that the sensors are provided in multiple pairs and are arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction, the robotic arms are provided in multiple pairs and are set one-to-one with the multiple pairs of sensors, the controller is connected to each robotic arm, and the controller controls the corresponding robotic arm to move after receiving an offset signal.

[0013] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that it also includes an alarm device that sounds an alarm when an alarm signal is received. The alarm device is connected to the controller, and the controller sends the alarm signal to the alarm device when it receives offset information.

[0014] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that the robotic arm is detachably connected to the adjacent legs in the same row via a base, and the sensor is connected to the top of the base.

[0015] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention is that the robotic arm is rotatably connected to the base via a servo motor.

[0016] A self-correcting belt conveyor correction method, comprising the following steps:

[0017] Step 1: Provide the self-correcting belt conveyor mentioned above;

[0018] Step 2: When the monitoring device detects belt misalignment, it sends misalignment information to the controller;

[0019] Step 3: The controller controls the robotic arm to move according to the offset information to drive the belt to reset.

[0020] A further improvement of the self-correcting belt conveyor correction method of the present invention is that the sensors are provided in multiple pairs and are arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction, the robotic arms are provided in multiple pairs and are set one-to-one with the multiple pairs of sensors, and the controller controls the connection between each robotic arm and the sensor.

[0021] During step 3, the controller identifies the corresponding robotic arm based on the offset information and controls the corresponding robotic arm to drive the belt to reset.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0023] The base plate can be detachably connected to the frame body, enabling the robotic arm and sensors on the base to be used interchangeably. It is suitable for belt conveyors that do not have self-correcting capabilities, and its plug-and-play functionality improves practicality. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating state of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the self-correcting belt conveyor of the present invention.

[0027] In the diagram: 1. Support leg; 2. Idler roller assembly; 3. Belt; 4. Base; 5. Robotic arm; 6. Servo motor; 7. U-clamp; 8. Bolt; 9. Monitoring device; 10. Power supply; 11. Development board. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0029] The following detailed description of the IoT-based belt conveyor correction system and its correction method, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, further illustrates the present invention.

[0030] Please see Figures 1-2 As shown, the IoT-based belt conveyor correction system includes:

[0031] The frame body includes two rows of support legs 1 arranged opposite each other along the designed transmission direction, and a roller assembly 2 connected between the two rows of support legs 1 and used to drive the belt 3 to travel.

[0032] Monitoring device 9 is used to monitor whether the belt 3 has deviated and to send deviation information when a deviation is detected;

[0033] At least one pair of robotic arms 5 for adjusting the position of the belt 3 are connected opposite to each pair of robotic arms 5 between the two rows of legs 1, and the top of the robotic arm 5 is connected to a U-shaped clamp 7 for the edge of the belt 3 to be engaged.

[0034] A controller is used to acquire the offset information and control the robotic arm 5 to drive the belt 3 to reset. The controller controls the monitoring device 9 and the robotic arm 5.

[0035] Specifically, the openings of the two U-shaped clamps 7 of each robotic arm 5 are arranged opposite each other. When the belt 3 is not shifted, both sides of the belt 3 rest on the bottom flange plate of the corresponding U-shaped clamp 7, and the edges of both sides are a distance away from the web plate of the corresponding U-shaped clamp 7.

[0036] By placing a pair of U-shaped clamps 7 on both sides of the belt 3, the belt 3 can be stopped without affecting its movement, thus preventing it from derailing from the idler assembly 2 when it deviates significantly.

[0037] Preferably, the monitoring device 9 includes at least one pair of sensors, each pair of sensors being connected relative to each other between the two rows of legs 1 and located on opposite sides of the orthographic projection of the designed installation position of the belt 3. The sensor is configured to emit an offset signal when the edge of the belt 3 shifts to a position directly above the corresponding sensor, and the controller controls the connection to each sensor.

[0038] Preferably, when the belt 3 is not offset, the sensor is positioned between the opposite row of legs 1 and the corresponding edge of the belt 3, and there is a certain horizontal distance between the sensor and the corresponding edge of the belt 3.

[0039] Specifically, the horizontal distance between the sensor and the corresponding edge of the belt 3 is the allowable offset range of the belt 3.

[0040] Specifically, the allowable offset range is between 10cm and 12cm.

[0041] Specifically, the sensor is an upward-emitting infrared sensor. When the belt 3 is deflected or within the allowable deflection range, the belt 3 and the infrared sensor are misaligned. When the belt 3 deflects out of the allowable deflection range, the belt 3 blocks the sensor at the position corresponding to the deflection direction. At this time, the sensor detects that it is blocked by an object and transmits the deflection information to the controller.

[0042] Preferably, the sensor is provided in multiple pairs and is arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction. The robotic arm 5 is provided in multiple pairs and is set up one-to-one with each pair of sensors. The controller is connected to each robotic arm 5 and controls the corresponding robotic arm 5 to move after receiving an offset signal.

[0043] Preferably, the system also includes an alarm that is activated upon receiving an alarm signal, the alarm being connected to the controller, the controller sending the alarm signal to the alarm when it receives offset information.

[0044] Preferably, the robotic arm 5 is detachably connected to the adjacent legs 1 in the same row via a base 4, and the sensor is connected to the top of the base 4.

[0045] Specifically, the base 4 is connected to two adjacent legs 1 on the same side by bolts 8.

[0046] By detachably connecting the base 4 to the belt conveyor, it is suitable for belt conveyors that do not have a self-correcting function. There is no need to program the idler assembly 2 of the belt conveyor itself, which improves its practicality through plug-and-play functionality.

[0047] Preferably, the robotic arm 5 is rotatably connected to the base 4 via a servo motor 6.

[0048] Specifically, the base 4 is also connected to a power supply 10 and a development board 11. The sensor and the servo motor 6 on each base 4 are electrically connected to the controller through the development board 11. The sensor sends the detected offset information to the development board 11, and then the development board 11 sends it to the controller. After receiving the offset information, the controller determines the offset direction and sends a signal to the development board 11 to control the robotic arm 5 to correct the offset. The two development boards 11 on each base 4 are interconnected.

[0049] By setting up the development board 11, the sensors and servos 6 on each base 4 are connected as a whole, so that after the controller receives the offset information sent by the corresponding development board 11, it can directly send a signal to the corresponding development board 11, and then the corresponding development board 11 controls the servo 6 connected to it to correct the deviation, without the controller having to locate the servo 6 at the corresponding position.

[0050] By connecting the two development boards 11 on each base 4, after detecting that the belt 3 has deviated, the two development boards 11 can simultaneously receive the signal sent by the controller, thereby controlling the two corresponding servo motors 6 to link the two robotic arms 5 to reset the belt 3. The two robotic arms 5 cooperate with each other to lift the belt 3, which improves the correction efficiency.

[0051] The power supply 10 is configured to provide power to the development board 11, the servo motor 6, and the sensor.

[0052] Specifically, the alarm is also connected to a locator. When the alarm receives the alarm signal, it will also locate the development board 11 that sends the offset signal.

[0053] Because belt 3 is quite long, by setting up this alarm and this locator, construction workers can quickly reach the offset position of belt 3 to clean up any materials that may have spilled.

[0054] A self-correcting belt conveyor correction method, comprising the following steps:

[0055] Step 1: Provide the self-correcting belt conveyor mentioned above;

[0056] Step 2: When the monitoring device 9 detects that the belt 3 has deviated, it sends offset information to the controller;

[0057] Step 3: The controller controls the movement of the robotic arm 5 based on the offset information to drive the belt 3 to reset.

[0058] Preferably, the sensor is provided in multiple pairs and is arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction; the robotic arm 5 is provided in multiple pairs and is set to correspond one-to-one with each pair of sensors; the controller controls the connection between each robotic arm 5 and the sensor.

[0059] When performing step 3, the controller identifies the corresponding robotic arm 5 based on the offset information and controls the corresponding robotic arm 5 to drive the belt 3 to reset.

[0060] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and to facilitate understanding and reading. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0061] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-correcting belt conveyor, characterized in that, include: The frame body includes two rows of support legs arranged opposite each other along the designed transmission direction, and a roller assembly connected between the two rows of support legs for driving the belt to travel. A monitoring device for monitoring whether the belt has deviated and sending deviation information when a deviation is detected; At least one pair of robotic arms for adjusting the position of the belt, each pair of robotic arms being connected opposite to each other between the two rows of legs, and the top of each robotic arm being connected to a U-shaped clamp for the edge of the belt to be engaged. A controller for acquiring the offset information and controlling the robotic arm to reset the belt is connected to the monitoring device and the robotic arm. The monitoring device includes at least one pair of sensors, each pair of sensors being connected opposite each other between the two rows of outriggers and located on opposite sides of the orthographic projection of the designed installation position of the belt. The sensors are configured to emit the offset information when the edge of the belt shifts to a position directly above the corresponding sensor. The controller is connected to each sensor. In the state where the belt is not shifted, the sensor is positioned between the opposite row of outriggers and the corresponding edge of the belt, and there is a certain horizontal distance between the sensor and the corresponding edge of the belt. The robotic arm is detachably connected to adjacent legs in the same row via a base. The sensor is connected to the top of the base, and the robotic arm is rotatably connected to the base via a servo motor. A power supply and a development board are also connected to the base. The sensor and the servo motor on each base are electrically connected to the controller via the development board. The sensor sends the detected offset information to the development board, which then sends it to the controller. After receiving the offset information and determining the offset direction, the controller sends a signal to the development board to control the robotic arm to correct its deviation. The two development boards on each pair of bases are interconnected and used to control the corresponding robotic arms to swing synchronously to lift the belt and reset.

2. The self-correcting belt conveyor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sensors are provided in multiple pairs and are arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction. The robotic arms are provided in multiple pairs and are set up one-to-one with the multiple pairs of sensors. The controller is connected to each robotic arm and controls the corresponding robotic arm to move after receiving an offset signal.

3. The self-correcting belt conveyor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an alarm that sounds when an alarm signal is received, the alarm being connected to the controller, and the controller sending the alarm signal to the alarm when it receives offset information.

4. A self-correcting belt conveyor correction method, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Step 1: Provide a self-correcting belt conveyor as described in claim 1; Step 2: When the monitoring device detects belt misalignment, it sends misalignment information to the controller; Step 3: The controller controls the robotic arm to move according to the offset information to drive the belt to reset.

5. The belt alignment method for a self-correcting belt conveyor as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The sensors are provided in multiple pairs and are arranged at intervals along the designed transmission direction. The robotic arms are provided in multiple pairs and are set up one-to-one with the multiple pairs of sensors. The controller is connected to each robotic arm and each sensor. During step 3, the controller identifies the corresponding robotic arm based on the offset information and controls the corresponding robotic arm to drive the belt to reset.

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