Conveying belt with climbing assisting function

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of conveying belts, in particular to a conveying belt with an auxiliary climbing function, which comprises a climbing conveying belt and a roller conveyor, a plurality of high baffles and a plurality of low baffles are alternately fixed on the conveying surface of the roller conveyor, a first accommodating groove is defined between every two adjacent high baffles, and a second accommodating groove is defined between every two adjacent low baffles. A second containing groove is defined between the short baffle and the adjacent baffle, and the span of the first containing groove is larger than that of the second containing groove. The discharging end of the roller type conveyor is arranged above the feeding end of the climbing conveying belt, a falling gap is formed in the section, close to the feeding end, of the roller type conveyor, and the width of the falling gap is configured to be larger than the width of the second containing groove and smaller than the width of the first containing groove. Compared with the prior art, the roller type conveyor with the falling gap is used for screening the small first parcels to the second containing grooves with the compact intervals, the large second parcels are guided to the first containing grooves with the wide intervals, accurate space matching is achieved, and therefore idle waste of the conveying face is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of conveyor belts, and more specifically to a conveyor belt with an auxiliary climbing function. Background Technology

[0002] In modern logistics warehousing and automated sorting systems, inclined conveyor belts are key equipment connecting work areas at different heights. In order to overcome the material backlash caused by gravity, existing inclined conveyor belts generally have baffles with fixed intervals on their surface.

[0003] However, due to the huge differences in package sizes in actual business operations, the existing fixed-pitch baffle design faces significant adaptability bottlenecks: if the baffle spacing is designed for small packages, large packages cannot fall into the trough and are prone to instability, tumbling, or even falling off the belt when tilted; if the baffle spacing is designed for large packages, when conveying a large number of small packages, the first trough will be filled with small items, resulting in extremely low effective space utilization of the conveyor belt and severely restricting the overall throughput of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a conveyor belt with an auxiliary climbing function to solve the problems of low space utilization and poor size compatibility of fixed baffle conveyor belts in the prior art.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention specifically provides the following technical solution: A conveyor belt with an auxiliary climbing function includes: an inclined conveyor belt; Multiple high baffles and multiple low baffles are alternately fixed to the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt, wherein a first receiving groove is defined between adjacent high baffles, and a second receiving groove is defined between a low baffle and an adjacent baffle, and the span of the first receiving groove is greater than the span of the second receiving groove. A roller conveyor comprising multiple parallel rollers, the discharge end of which is located above the feed end of the inclined conveyor belt; The roller conveyor is provided with a drop gap in the section near the feed end. The width of the drop gap is between the width of the first receiving trough and the width of the second receiving trough. It is configured to allow a first package with a chord length less than a set threshold to pass through the drop gap by gravity and fall into the second receiving trough, while supporting a second package with a chord length greater than the set threshold to cross the drop gap and guiding the second package to fall from the end of the roller conveyor into the first receiving trough.

[0006] Furthermore, the roller conveyor includes at least one independent drive unit, and at least one roller located downstream of the drop gap and near the end of the roller conveyor is drively connected to the independent drive unit. The independent drive unit is configured to independently output mechanical torque to adjust the rotational angular velocity of the connected roller, thereby controlling the timing and initial velocity of the second package as it leaves the roller conveyor.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes a controller and a position feedback device, which is mechanically connected to the main drive shaft of the inclined conveyor belt and is configured to output a continuous electrical signal characterizing the instantaneous spatial position of the high baffle and the low baffle during the operating cycle. The controller is communicatively connected to the position feedback device and the independent drive unit. The controller is configured to: calculate the time window for the first receiving slot to reach the receiving position based on the electrical signal of the instantaneous spatial position, and send a control command to the independent drive unit accordingly to adjust the rotational angular velocity, thereby guiding the second package to fall into the first receiving slot.

[0008] Furthermore, the roller conveyor includes a gap adjustment mechanism mechanically coupled to a support bearing of at least one of the rollers defining the drop gap. The gap adjustment mechanism is configured to generate linear displacement along an axis parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor to change the center distance between adjacent rollers on both sides of the drop gap.

[0009] Furthermore, the gap adjustment mechanism includes: a translation track, which is fixedly arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor; The movable frame is slidably mounted on the translational track, and all the rollers downstream of the drop gap can be rotatably supported on the movable frame; A linear drive unit, which is connected to the moving frame, is configured to drive the moving frame to move linearly along the translation track as a whole, thereby synchronously and uniformly changing the width of the drop gap.

[0010] Furthermore, the independent drive unit that drives the roller downstream of the drop gap is fixedly mounted on the mobile frame.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a controller and an outline feedback device, the outline feedback device being fixedly installed upstream of the drop gap, the detection path of the outline feedback device spanning the conveying path of the roller conveyor, and being configured to obtain the outline dimensional parameters of the package passing through the conveying path. The controller is communicatively connected to the shape feedback device and the gap adjustment mechanism. The controller is configured to: receive the shape dimension parameters, identify the size distribution characteristics of the current package based on the shape dimension parameters, and send a displacement command to the gap adjustment mechanism to dynamically change the width of the drop gap.

[0012] Furthermore, the shape feedback device includes a vision inspection device comprising at least one industrial camera and a corresponding light source assembly. The industrial camera is mounted on a frame above the roller conveyor to cover the conveying path upstream of the drop gap. The vision inspection device is configured to acquire image data of the package and transmit the image data as shape dimensional parameters to the controller.

[0013] Furthermore, the low baffle is elastic and is configured to elastically deform when subjected to normal compression and recover by its own elasticity after the external force is removed.

[0014] Furthermore, the cross-sectional profile of the low baffle is teardrop-shaped, including a narrowed proximal end fixed to the surface of the inclined conveyor belt, and a rounded distal end extending outward and away from the inclined conveyor belt. The low baffle is configured such that, when subjected to a lateral shear force on the first package along a direction parallel to the conveying direction, one side of the rounded distal end is folded backward and physically abuts against the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt to limit further bending of the low baffle, thereby forming a support surface on the other side of the rounded distal end to resist the sliding of the first package. When subjected to the normal compression of the second package, the rounded distal end elastically deforms towards the conveying surface of the inclined conveyor belt and recovers by its own elasticity after the external force is removed.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: This invention creates a first and second receiving trough with different volumes by alternately setting high and low baffles on an inclined conveyor belt. At the same time, a roller conveyor with drop gaps is used to pre-screen smaller first packages to the closely spaced second receiving trough, while larger second packages are guided to the widely spaced first receiving trough, achieving precise spatial matching and reducing idle waste on the conveyor surface. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the second embodiment of the present invention; The labels in the diagram represent the following: 1-Inclining conveyor belt; 11-High baffle; 12-Low baffle; 121-Narrowing near end; 122-Rounded far end; 13-First receiving trough; 14-Second receiving trough; 2-Roller conveyor; 21-Roller; 22-Drop gap; 23-Independent drive unit; 3-Gap adjustment mechanism; 31-Transfer track; 32-Moving frame; 33-Linear drive component. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] To address the issues of low space utilization and poor size compatibility in existing fixed baffle conveyor belts, this invention proposes a conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function, comprising: a climbing conveyor belt 1 and a roller conveyor 2.

[0020] (First embodiment) refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The inclined conveyor belt 1 has a feed end and a discharge end. The conveying surface of the inclined conveyor belt 1 is provided with multiple high baffles 11 and multiple low baffles 12. The high baffles 11 and multiple low baffles 12 are alternately fixed to the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt 1.

[0021] The first receiving groove 13 is defined between adjacent high baffles 11, and the second receiving groove 14 is defined between the low baffle 12 and the adjacent baffle. The span of the first receiving groove 13 is greater than the span of the second receiving groove 14. The discharge end of the roller conveyor 2 is located above the feed end of the inclined conveyor belt 1, and includes multiple parallel rollers 21. A drop gap 22 is provided in the section of the roller conveyor 2 near the feed end.

[0022] The width of the drop gap 22 is configured such that a first package with a chord length less than a set threshold can pass through the drop gap 22 by gravity and fall into the second receiving trough 14, while supporting a second package with a chord length greater than the set threshold to cross the drop gap 22 and guiding the second package from the end of the roller conveyor 2 into the first receiving trough 13.

[0023] In this embodiment, by alternately setting high baffles 11 and low baffles 12 on the inclined conveyor belt 1, a first receiving trough and a second receiving trough with different volumes are formed. At the same time, the roller conveyor 2 with drop gap 22 is used to pre-screen the smaller first package to the closely spaced second receiving trough 14, and guide the second package to the widely spaced first receiving trough 13, thereby achieving precise spatial matching and reducing the idle waste of the conveying surface.

[0024] Furthermore, since the second package needs to fall into the moving first receiving groove 13 after crossing the drop gap 22, it is prone to colliding with the high baffle 11 or experiencing a deviation in the landing point.

[0025] To address the aforementioned issues, the roller conveyor 2 includes at least one independent drive unit 23. At least one roller 21 located downstream of the drop gap 22 and near the end of the roller conveyor 2 is connected to the independent drive unit 23. The independent drive unit 23 is configured to independently output mechanical torque to adjust the rotational angular velocity of the connected roller 21, thereby controlling the timing and initial velocity of the second package as it leaves the roller conveyor 2, ensuring that its parabolic trajectory aligns with the first receiving groove 13 of the target, and preventing the second package from getting stuck or falling.

[0026] Furthermore, it also includes a controller and a position feedback device. The position feedback device is mechanically connected to the main drive shaft of the inclined conveyor belt 1 and is configured to output a continuous electrical signal representing the instantaneous spatial position of the high baffle 11 and the low baffle 12 during the operating cycle. The controller is communicatively connected to the position feedback device and the independent drive unit 23. The controller is configured to calculate the time window for the first receiving slot 13 to reach the receiving position based on the electrical signal of the instantaneous spatial position, and send a control command to the independent drive unit 23 accordingly to adjust the rotational angular velocity, thereby guiding the second package to fall into the first receiving slot 13.

[0027] Furthermore, the pre-designed drop gap 22 is no longer applicable when the baseline parcel specifications handled by the sorting center change seasonally or operationally.

[0028] To address the aforementioned issues, the roller conveyor 2 includes a gap adjustment mechanism 3, which is mechanically coupled to a support bearing of at least one roller 21 defining the drop gap 22. The gap adjustment mechanism 3 is configured to generate linear displacement along an axis parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor 2, thereby changing the center distance between adjacent rollers 21 on both sides of the drop gap 22.

[0029] Furthermore, the gap adjustment mechanism 3 includes: a translation track 31, a moving frame 32, and a linear drive 33.

[0030] The translation track 31 is fixedly set parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor 2; the movable frame 32 is slidably mounted on the translation track 31, and all the rollers 21 downstream of the drop gap 22 can be rotatably supported on the movable frame 32; the linear drive 33 is connected to the movable frame 32 and is configured to drive the movable frame 32 to move linearly along the translation track 31 as a whole, thereby synchronously and uniformly changing the width of the drop gap 22.

[0031] In this embodiment, the downstream roller 21 and the independent drive unit 23 are integrated on the mobile frame 32, which ensures the integrity of the geometry and transmission structure of the downstream conveying section during the gap adjustment process and simplifies the mechanical complexity.

[0032] Furthermore, the linear drive component 33 includes a railcar.

[0033] Furthermore, the independent drive unit 23 of the roller 21 downstream of the drop gap 22 is fixedly mounted on the mobile frame 32. The independent drive unit 23 includes a motor and its transmission mechanism connected to each corresponding roller 21.

[0034] Furthermore, it also includes a controller and an outline feedback device. The outline feedback device is fixedly installed upstream of the drop gap 22. The detection path of the outline feedback device spans the conveying path of the roller conveyor 2 and is configured to obtain the outline size parameters of the packages passing through the conveying path. The controller is communicatively connected to the outline feedback device and the gap adjustment mechanism 3. The controller is configured to receive the outline size parameters, identify the size distribution characteristics of the current packages based on the outline size parameters, and send displacement commands to the gap adjustment mechanism 3 to dynamically change the width of the drop gap 22.

[0035] Furthermore, the shape feedback device includes a vision inspection device, which includes at least one industrial camera and a corresponding light source assembly. The industrial camera is mounted on a frame above the roller conveyor 2 to cover the conveying path upstream of the drop gap 22. The vision inspection device is configured to acquire image data of the package and transmit the image data as shape dimensional parameters to the controller.

[0036] The visual inspection device detects the shape of the package in advance, and the controller dynamically determines the optimal drop gap 22 width based on real-time data stream, enabling the conveyor belt to have adaptive adjustment capabilities and maintain good sorting and filtering efficiency for a long time without manual intervention.

[0037] The overall working principle of the first embodiment is as follows: Preparation stage: Packages of different sizes enter the roller conveyor 2 in a single row. The shape feedback device located upstream continuously takes pictures and scans the packages as they pass. The controller receives the image data, analyzes the size distribution of the current batch of packages, and drives the gap adjustment mechanism 3 accordingly to set the width of the drop gap 22 to the optimal threshold.

[0038] The first package is transported as follows: When the package travels to the drop gap 22, the first package with insufficient chord length passes through the drop gap 22 under the action of gravity. At this time, the climbing conveyor belt 1 runs synchronously, and the first package falls into the second receiving groove 14 defined by the high baffle 11 and the low baffle 12, or between two low baffles 12. During the climbing process, the gravity component of the first package is converted into a lateral shear force that presses the teardrop-shaped low baffle 12. The low baffle 12 deflects and abuts against the belt surface to form support, preventing the first package from slipping.

[0039] The second package is transported as follows: the second package with a larger chord length crosses the drop gap 22 by its own chord length and arrives at the downstream roller 21 section on the moving frame 32; at the same time, the controller reads the electrical signal of the position feedback device on the main drive shaft in real time and accurately calculates the time window when the nearest first receiving trough 13 on the climbing conveyor belt 1 arrives at the docking point; based on the above time window calculation, the controller issues an instruction to the independent drive unit 23 to adjust the rotational angular velocity of the downstream roller 21 so that the second package leaves at the predetermined time and initial velocity and falls smoothly into the first receiving trough 13.

[0040] (Second Embodiment) refer to Figure 4 The low baffle 12 is elastic and is configured to elastically deform when subjected to normal compression and recover by its own elasticity after the external force is removed.

[0041] Specifically, the cross-sectional profile of the low baffle 12 is teardrop-shaped, including a narrowed proximal end 121 fixed to the surface of the inclined conveyor belt 1, and a rounded distal end 122 extending outward and away from the inclined conveyor belt 1; the low baffle 12 is configured to have the following two operating states: When subjected to lateral shear force on the first package along the direction of transport, one side of the rounded distal end 122 is bent backward and physically abuts against the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt 1 to limit further bending of the low baffle 12, thereby forming a support surface on the other side of the rounded distal end 122 to resist the sliding of the first package, thus stably supporting the first package.

[0042] When subjected to the normal compression of the second package, the rounded distal end 122 elastically deforms towards the conveying surface of the inclined conveyor belt 1, and recovers by its own elasticity after the external force is removed, so that the second package can be smoothly and deeply embedded in the first receiving groove 13 supported by the rigid high baffles 11 on both sides, protecting the second package from top cutting damage.

[0043] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention within its spirit and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered as falling within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt with an auxiliary climbing function, characterized in that, include: Inclined conveyor belt (1); Multiple high baffles (11) and multiple low baffles (12) are alternately fixed to the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt (1), wherein a first receiving groove (13) is defined between adjacent high baffles (11), and a second receiving groove (14) is defined between the low baffles (12) and adjacent baffles, and the span of the first receiving groove (13) is greater than the span of the second receiving groove (14); The roller conveyor (2) includes multiple parallel rollers (21), the discharge end of which is located above the feed end of the inclined conveyor belt (1); The roller conveyor (2) has a drop gap (22) in the section near the feed end. The width of the drop gap (22) is between the width of the first receiving groove (13) and the width of the second receiving groove (14). It is configured to allow a first package with a chord length less than a set threshold to pass through the drop gap (22) by gravity and fall into the second receiving groove (14), while supporting a second package with a chord length greater than the set threshold to cross the drop gap (22) and guiding the second package to fall from the end of the roller conveyor (2) into the first receiving groove (13).

2. The conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roller conveyor (2) includes at least one independent drive unit (23). At least one roller (21) located downstream of the drop gap (22) and near the end of the roller conveyor (2) is connected to the independent drive unit (23). The independent drive unit (23) is configured to independently output mechanical torque to adjust the rotational angular velocity of the connected roller (21), thereby controlling the timing and initial velocity of the second package when it leaves the roller conveyor (2).

3. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a controller and a position feedback device, which is mechanically connected to the main drive shaft of the inclined conveyor belt (1) and is configured to output a continuous electrical signal characterizing the instantaneous spatial position of the high baffle (11) and the low baffle (12) during the operating cycle; The controller is communicatively connected to the position feedback device and the independent drive unit (23). The controller is configured to: calculate the time window for the first receiving slot (13) to reach the receiving position based on the electrical signal of the instantaneous spatial position, and send a control command to the independent drive unit (23) accordingly to adjust the rotational angular velocity, thereby guiding the second package to fall into the first receiving slot (13).

4. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 2, characterized in that, The roller conveyor (2) includes a gap adjustment mechanism (3) that is mechanically coupled to a support bearing of at least one of the rollers (21) that defines the drop gap (22). The gap adjustment mechanism (3) is configured to generate linear displacement along an axis parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor (2) to change the center distance between adjacent rollers (21) on both sides of the drop gap (22).

5. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gap adjustment mechanism (3) includes: The translation track (31) is fixedly set parallel to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor (2); The movable frame (32) is slidably mounted on the translation track (31), and all the rollers (21) downstream of the drop gap (22) can be rotatably supported on the movable frame (32); The linear drive (33), which is connected to the moving frame (32) in a transmission manner, is configured to drive the moving frame (32) to move linearly along the translation track (31) as a whole, thereby synchronously and uniformly changing the width of the drop gap (22).

6. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The independent drive unit (23) that drives the roller (21) downstream of the drop gap (22) is fixedly mounted on the mobile frame (32).

7. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a controller and an outline feedback device, which is fixedly installed upstream of the drop gap (22). The detection path of the outline feedback device crosses the conveying path of the roller conveyor (2) and is configured to obtain the outline size parameters of the package passing through the conveying path. The controller is communicatively connected to the shape feedback device and the gap adjustment mechanism (3). The controller is configured to receive the shape dimension parameters, identify the size distribution characteristics of the current package based on the shape dimension parameters, and send a displacement command to the gap adjustment mechanism (3) to dynamically change the width of the drop gap (22).

8. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 7, characterized in that, The shape feedback device includes a vision inspection device, which includes at least one industrial camera and a corresponding light source assembly. The industrial camera is mounted on a frame above the roller conveyor (2) to cover the conveying path upstream of the drop gap (22). The vision inspection device is configured to acquire image data of the package and transmit the image data as shape dimension parameters to the controller.

9. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low baffle (12) is elastic and is configured to elastically deform when subjected to normal compression and recover by its own elastic force after the external force is removed.

10. A conveyor belt with auxiliary climbing function according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cross-sectional profile of the low baffle (12) is teardrop-shaped, including a narrow proximal end (121) fixed to the surface of the inclined conveyor belt (1) and a rounded distal end (122) extending outward and away from the inclined conveyor belt (1). The low baffle (12) is configured such that, when subjected to a lateral shear force of the first package along a direction parallel to the conveying direction, one side of the rounded distal end (122) is folded backward and physically abuts against the outer surface of the inclined conveyor belt (1) to limit further bending of the low baffle (12), thereby forming a support surface on the other side of the rounded distal end (122) to resist the sliding of the first package. When subjected to the normal compression of the second package, the rounded distal end (122) elastically deforms toward the conveying surface of the inclined conveyor belt (1) and recovers by its own elasticity after the external force is removed.

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