Down-running driveless self-braking belt conveyor

CN118753702BActive Publication Date: 2026-11-03NINGXIA TIANDI NORTHWEST COAL MACHINERY
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410653955.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-05-24
Publication Date
2026-11-03
Estimated Expiration
2044-05-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing belt conveyors have low output power for the drive drum and require a speed reduction structure during the lower running section due to gravity, resulting in energy waste. Furthermore, there is a runaway phenomenon caused by the inertia of the conveyor belt after the drive drum stops.

Method used

The long conveyor is designed into several sections. The upper section is equipped with a drive mechanism, while the lower section is not equipped with a drive mechanism. The conveyor belt is driven by the gravitational potential energy of the material, and a self-braking mechanism is used to achieve rapid stopping through the meshing of gears and racks.

Benefits of technology

It saves 60% of energy, avoids wasted effort in driving the rollers, solves the problem of excessive speed in the lower running section, and quickly and effectively stops the conveyor belt when stopping, preventing runaway.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application provides a lower running non-driven self-braking belt conveyor, which comprises a plurality of upper running section conveyors and lower running section conveyors, the discharge roller of the adjacent upper running section conveyor is overlapped above the turning roller of the adjacent lower running section conveyor, so that the adjacent upper running section conveyor and the adjacent lower running section conveyor are overlapped with each other in the material conveying direction, the upper running section conveyor is provided with a driving mechanism, and the lower running section is not provided with a driving mechanism; in the scheme, only the upper running section conveyor is provided with the driving mechanism, the driving roller drives the conveying belt to run between the turning roller or the driving roller and the discharge roller, the lower running section conveyor is not provided with the driving mechanism, the material continuously falls on the conveying belt, the gravitational potential energy and the gravity of the material are converted into the kinetic energy of the conveying belt moving to the lower side, the movement of the conveying belt is driven, and therefore the driving mechanism is not needed.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of belt conveyor technology, and more particularly to a downward-running, self-braking, undriven belt conveyor. Background Technology

[0002] Existing belt conveyors can be used in underground tunnels or for conveying bulk materials on the surface. Commonly used belt conveyors come in various lengths, ranging from tens or hundreds of meters to several kilometers or even tens of kilometers. Longer conveyors are preferred, especially for long-distance transport. Inevitably, in long transport distances, due to varying road conditions and uneven terrain, a single or long conveyor laid on the roadway or surface will always have an upward and downward running section. Regardless of the upward or downward running section, the conveyor uses a main drive to provide power. During the upward running section, the main drive drum outputs a large driving force, moving the belt and material from low to high. During the downward running section, the main drive drum still outputs driving force, moving the belt and material from high to low. For example... Figure 1 However, for the lower running section, the output power of the drive roller is actually lower than that of the upper running section. Sometimes, due to the gravitational potential energy and gravity of the material, the speed of the conveyor belt moving downwards increases. In this case, a deceleration structure is needed to increase the resistance or friction of the lower running section in order to control the speed of the conveyor belt in the lower running section. This results in the drive roller's driving force doing useless work, and even requires a deceleration structure to offset the power of the drive roller, resulting in a huge waste of energy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above defects, the present invention proposes a down-running driveless self-braking belt conveyor, comprising several sections of up-running conveyors and down-running conveyors. The discharge rollers of adjacent up-running conveyors overlap above the redirecting rollers of adjacent down-running conveyors, so that adjacent up-running and down-running conveyors overlap each other in the material conveying direction. The up-running conveyors are equipped with drive mechanisms, while the down-running conveyors are not equipped with drive mechanisms.

[0004] In this design, the original long conveyor can be redesigned into several shorter conveyors, each with the same conveying length as the original long conveyor, based on actual working conditions. Only the upper section conveyor requires a drive mechanism, which drives the conveyor belt between the redirecting roller or the drive roller and unloading roller via a drive drum. The lower section conveyor does not have a drive mechanism; the material continuously falls onto the conveyor belt, and its gravitational potential energy and gravity are converted into kinetic energy that drives the conveyor belt to move downwards at an angle. Therefore, this design eliminates the need for a separate drive mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a belt conveyor in the prior art.

[0006] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the belt conveyor of the present invention. In the diagram, V represents the direction of travel of the conveyor belt and the material.

[0007] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower running section conveyor 20.

[0008] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Diagram of direction A in the middle.

[0009] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the self-braking mechanism 24.

[0010] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Another embodiment of the diagram is shown.

[0011] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical braking assembly 248.

[0012] Figure 8 This is a magnified view of a portion of the conveyor belt and unloading rollers.

[0013] In the diagram: 10 for the upper running section conveyor, 20 for the lower running section conveyor, 21 for the redirecting roller, 22 for the unloading roller, 221 for the slot, 23 for the conveyor belt, 231 for the locking block, 24 for the self-braking mechanism, 241 for the front mounting bracket, 242 for the rear mounting bracket, 243 for the control valve, 244 for the hydraulic cylinder, 245 for the brake box, 2451 for the left connecting rod, 2452 for the right connecting rod, 2453 for the upper rack, 2454 for the lower rack, 246 for the gear, 247 for the right rack, 248 for the mechanical brake assembly, 2481 for the handle, 2482 for the screw, 2483 for the cover, and 2484 for the brake groove. Detailed Implementation

[0014] See Figure 2-8 The present invention proposes a self-braking belt conveyor with no drive for downward operation, comprising several sections of upper section conveyor 10 and lower section conveyor 20. The discharge rollers of adjacent upper section conveyors 10 overlap above the redirecting rollers 21 of adjacent lower section conveyors 20, so that adjacent upper section conveyors 10 and lower section conveyors 20 overlap each other in the material conveying direction. The upper section conveyor 10 is provided with a drive mechanism, while the lower section is not provided with a drive mechanism.

[0015] In this design, the original long conveyor can be redesigned into several shorter conveyors based on actual working conditions. The conveying length of the shorter conveyors is the same as that of the original long conveyor. Only the upper section conveyor 10 is equipped with a drive mechanism, which drives the conveyor belt to run between the redirecting roller 21 or the drive roller and the unloading roller 22 via the drive roller. The lower section conveyor 20 does not have a drive mechanism. The material continuously falls onto the conveyor belt, and the gravitational potential energy and gravity of the material are converted into the kinetic energy of the conveyor belt moving obliquely downward, thus driving the conveyor belt. Therefore, this design does not require a drive mechanism.

[0016] As shown in the diagram, the original design was for a single belt conveyor for a ground-based bulk material transport site, 9km long, conveying slag. It had two lower running sections and one upper running section, with a drive drum output power of 500kW. With this new design, it's a three-section conveyor: two lower running sections and one upper running section. Only one upper running section needs a drive drum with an output power of 200kW, while the two lower running sections do not require drive drums. Energy consumption is reduced by (500-200) / 500 = 60%.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower running section conveyor 20 includes a redirecting roller 21, an unloading roller 22, a conveyor belt 23, and a self-braking mechanism 24. The conveyor belt 23 winds between the redirecting roller 21 and the unloading roller 22, and the height of the redirecting roller 21 is higher than the height of the unloading roller 22, so that the conveyor belt 23 keeps running in a downward direction. The self-braking mechanism 24 is located at the end of the unloading roller 22 and includes a front mounting frame 241, a rear mounting frame 242, a control valve 243, a hydraulic cylinder 244, a brake box 245, and a gear 246. The front mounting frame 241 and the rear mounting frame 242 are respectively fixedly mounted on the frame on the left and right sides of the unloading roller 22. The front plate and the rear plate of the brake box 245 are connected to the front mounting frame 241 and the rear mounting frame 242 through the left connecting rod 2451 and the right connecting rod 2452, respectively. The left connecting rod 2451 is axially movable relative to the front mounting bracket 241 and the rear mounting bracket 242, respectively. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 244 is connected to the cylinder seat of the hydraulic cylinder 244, which is fixed to the front mounting bracket 241. The control valve 243 is used to control the action of the hydraulic cylinder 244. The gear 246 is set inside the brake box 245 and is fixedly connected to the shaft of the unloading roller 22 so that the gear 246 and the unloading roller 22 move synchronously. The teeth of the gear 246 are distributed within 1 / 2 of the circumference of the outer edge of the gear 246. An upper rack 2453 and a lower rack 2454 are respectively set on the inner walls of the upper plate and the lower plate of the brake box 245. The teeth of the upper rack 2453 and the lower rack 2454 match the teeth of the gear 246 to achieve meshing. The lengths of the upper rack 2453 and the lower rack 2454 are 1 / 2 of the circumference of the outer edge of the gear 246.

[0018] In this design, since no drive mechanism or brake is installed, a self-braking mechanism 24 is designed to quickly stop the conveyor belt in case of abnormal situations or shutdown requirements. This braking mechanism differs from existing technologies that "install disc brakes on the extended shaft of the redirecting roller 21 or drive roller, or install push rod brakes on the drive unit to slowly reduce the roller speed by brake engagement" or "install damping plates or damping rollers on the machine body section to stop the conveyor belt through the frictional resistance between the conveyor belt and the damping plates or damping rollers." This prevents runaway (in this industry, when a conventional braking mechanism is used to stop the conveyor belt, the drive roller stops rotating, but the conveyor belt cannot stop synchronously and immediately due to its own inertia, causing the conveyor belt to continue moving and causing the material on it to fly out or scatter, which is called runaway).

[0019] In this design, the self-braking mechanism 24, when the vehicle stops, controls the hydraulic cylinder 244 to immediately cease operation via the control valve 243. Simultaneously, the gear 246 also stops, the unloading roller 22 stops rotating, and the conveyor belt on it stops as well. This ensures that the material remains stably placed on the conveyor belt, preventing runaway. Therefore, this design places the self-braking mechanism 24 on the unloading roller 22, and stops the conveyor belt by controlling the unloading roller 22 to stop rotating.

[0020] When the conveyor belt is running normally, the working principle of the self-braking mechanism 24 is as follows: the falling material drives the conveyor belt to move, the conveyor belt drives the unloading roller 22 and the redirecting roller 21 to move counterclockwise, the unloading roller 22 drives the gear 246 to rotate counterclockwise, the teeth on the gear 246 first run half a revolution along the upper rack 2453, at the same time the brake box 245 moves to the left a distance of the length of the upper rack 2453, then the gear 246 disengages from the upper rack 2453 and then meshes with the lower rack 2454. After running half a revolution, it drives the brake box 245 to move to the right a distance of the length of the lower rack 2454, then the gear 246 disengages from the lower rack 2454, completing one cycle of movement. During this cycle, the gear 246 and its teeth rotate one revolution, and the brake box 245 moves to the left and right a distance of the length of the upper rack 2453 in sequence, returning to its original position. In each cycle of motion, the gear only contacts one of the upper rack 2453 and the lower rack 2454. During normal operation, the control valve 243 does not send a control signal, and the oil cylinder 244 is in an adaptive and driven state, performing adaptive extension and retraction motion with the left connecting rod 2451.

[0021] When braking is required, the control valve 243 sends a signal to the hydraulic cylinder 244, which stops operating. The left connecting rod 2451 stops operating, the brake box 245 stops operating, the upper rack 2453 and the lower rack 2454 both stop operating, and the gear 246 meshing with them stops rotating. The gear 246 drives the unloading roller 22 to stop rotating, thereby stopping the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0022] This solution achieves braking through the engagement of gear 246 and rack. The mechanical structure is stable and reliable. Moreover, this braking mechanism is driven when the conveyor belt is running normally, without affecting the normal operation of the conveyor. During braking, the control valve 243 and the oil cylinder 244 are sensitive to action. There is no misalignment or displacement between the upper rack 2453, the lower rack 2454 and the gear 246. The gear 246 and the unloading roller 22 are rigidly connected as one unit. The braking response is fast and sensitive. For conveyor belts without a drive mechanism, this braking mechanism only needs to overcome the inertia of the automatic movement of the conveyor belt and materials, which fully meets the function of the conveyor and has a very good braking effect.

[0023] Furthermore, through holes are made on the front mounting bracket 241 and the rear mounting bracket 242 respectively, for the left connecting rod 2451 and the right connecting rod 2452 to pass through, and the left connecting rod 2451 and the right connecting rod 2452 can move axially within the through holes.

[0024] Furthermore, the self-braking mechanism 24 also includes a mechanical braking assembly 248. The right connecting rod 2452 is also equipped with a right rack 247. The mechanical braking assembly 248 includes a handle 2481, a screw 2482, a cover 2483, and a brake groove 2484. The handle 2481 is bolted to the screw 2482, and the cover 2483 is bolted to the brake groove 2484. The brake groove 2484 is adapted to the right rack 247. The screw 2482 is installed in a threaded hole in the brake frame. When it is necessary to release, the handle 2481 is rotated counterclockwise to disengage the brake groove 2484 from the slot 221 of the rack mechanism. When it is necessary to brake, the handle 2481 is rotated clockwise to push the brake groove 2484 downward and into contact with the slot 221 of the rack mechanism, thereby achieving braking.

[0025] Furthermore, hydraulic cylinder 244 is used instead of screw 2482.

[0026] Furthermore, the surfaces of the redirecting roller 21 and the unloading roller 22 are provided with several slots 221, and the surface of the conveyor belt is provided with several locking blocks 231. The locking blocks 231 are adapted to the slots 221 to achieve a locking connection. In the original design, the rollers are flat rollers, and the conveyor belt is also a flat belt. When braking, the rollers stop rotating under the action of the control signal. At this time, since both are smooth surfaces, the stopped roller can only resist the inertia of the conveyor belt through friction to prevent the conveyor belt from continuing to move. Obviously, the friction is limited, and after the roller brakes, the conveyor belt still runs a certain distance before stopping. In this solution, after braking, the mechanical resistance between the slots on the surface of the stopped unloading roller 22 and the locking blocks 231 on the back of the conveyor belt is sufficient to limit the continued operation of the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt can stop moving immediately. Both the locking block 231 and the locking groove 221 have width and high mechanical strength. Moreover, the conveyor belt wraps around the unloading roller 22 for at least 1 / 2 of its circumference. Within half the circumference, several locking grooves 221 of the unloading roller 22 and several locking blocks 231 of the conveyor belt make contact with the keyways. The contact area is large and the locking strength is high. After the unloading roller 22 stops, the keyway contact within this half circumference can immediately restrict the conveyor belt to a stop.

[0027] The card block 231 and the card slot 221 can be trapezoidal slots or trapezoidal blocks.

[0028] The embodiments of this solution have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this solution is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this patent.

Claims

1. A self-braking, non-driven belt conveyor, characterized in that: It includes several sections of upper running section conveyors and lower running section conveyors. The discharge rollers of adjacent upper running section conveyors overlap above the redirecting rollers of adjacent lower running section conveyors, so that adjacent upper running section conveyors and lower running section conveyors overlap each other in the material conveying direction. The upper running section conveyors are equipped with drive mechanisms, while the lower running section conveyors are not equipped with drive mechanisms. The lower running section conveyor includes a redirecting roller, an unloading roller, a conveyor belt, and a self-braking mechanism. The conveyor belt winds between the redirecting roller and the unloading roller, with the redirecting roller being higher than the unloading roller. The conveyor belt runs from top to bottom at an angle. The self-braking mechanism is located at the end of the unloading roller and includes a front mounting frame, a rear mounting frame, a control valve, a hydraulic cylinder, a brake box, and gears. The front and rear mounting frames are fixedly mounted on the frames on the left and right sides of the unloading roller, respectively. The front and rear plates of the brake box are connected to the front and rear mounting frames via left and right connecting rods, respectively. The front plate and the rear plate are axially movable relative to the front mounting bracket and the rear mounting bracket, respectively. The left connecting rod is connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder seat of the hydraulic cylinder is fixed to the front mounting bracket. The control valve is used to control the action of the hydraulic cylinder. The gear is set inside the brake box. The gear is fixedly connected to the shaft of the unloading roller so that the gear and the unloading roller move synchronously. The teeth of the gear are distributed within 1 / 2 of the circumference of the outer edge of the gear. An upper rack and a lower rack are also set on the inner walls of the upper plate and the lower plate of the brake box, respectively. The teeth of the upper rack and the lower rack match the teeth of the gear to achieve meshing. The lengths of the upper rack and the lower rack are 1 / 2 of the circumference of the outer edge of the gear, respectively. The reversing roller and unloading roller have several slots on their surfaces, and the conveyor belt has several blocks on its surface. The blocks are adapted to the slots to achieve a snap-fit ​​connection.

2. The self-braking belt conveyor with no drive as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The front and rear mounting brackets each have through holes for the left and right connecting rods to pass through, allowing the left and right connecting rods to move axially within the through holes.

3. The self-braking belt conveyor with no drive as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The self-braking mechanism also includes a mechanical braking assembly. The right connecting rod is also provided with a right rack. The mechanical braking assembly includes a handle, a screw, a cover, and a brake groove. The handle and the screw are connected by bolts, the cover and the brake groove are connected by bolts, and the brake groove is adapted to the right rack.

4. The self-braking belt conveyor with no drive as described in claim 3, characterized in that: Use a hydraulic cylinder instead of a screw.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Intelligent conveyor running system and method

    CN105819160A

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    CN113460566A