Cleaning device for a conveyor belt

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning device (11) for a conveyor belt (12) which has a belt mat (17) with spaced-apart carriers (18) extending transversely to the conveying direction of the belt mat (17), with a brush shaft (27) extending transversely to the conveying direction of the belt mat (17), with at least one brush strip (28) arranged on the brush shaft (27) which can be arranged in a cleaning position (33) on the belt mat (17) in the lower run (15), wherein the brush shaft (27) has at least two brush strips (28) offset at an angle to each other and extending parallel to the brush shaft (27), and wherein the brush strips (28) can be positioned successively by a rotary movement of the brush shaft (27) in the cleaning position (33) on the belt mat (17) of the lower run (15).

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning device for a conveyor belt, in which a brush strip is provided in the lower strand of the conveyor belt for cleaning a belt mat.DE 202 13 358 U1 discloses a device for cleaning conveyor belts and conveyor belts. This cleaning device comprises wiper elements arranged in a star shape on a shaft. These scraper elements are successively transferred into a cleaning position resting on the conveyor belt, wherein a rotary drive for controlling the shaft for a rotary movement of the scraper elements is provided for this purpose.An analogous cleaning device is known from DE 29 603 717 U1, CN 20 834 51 00 U, DE 103 32 020 A1 and DE 101 59 096 A1.CN 11 333 58 47 A discloses a cleaning device for a conveyor belt. This cleaning device comprises bars arranged in a star shape on a brush shaft and cleaning elements arranged between the bars on a brush shaft, which rest on a conveyor belt for cleaning. Webs are provided on the conveyor belt. The rotating drive of the cleaning device is effected by the webs which engage successively on the radially arranged strips and thereby set the cleaning elements in rotation.DE 103 04 984 B4 discloses a cleaning device for a pallet belt conveyor. This cleaning device comprises a brush station for cleaning the belt mat in the lower run. A brush shaft with a brush strip extends transversely to the conveying direction of the belt mat and is assigned to the lower strand. The brush strip is arranged on a brush arm. Opposite this, a counterweight is provided, wherein the brush bar is pivotably mounted by rollers between the brush arm and the counterweight. The belt mat comprises drivers which deflect the brush arm during a travel movement in the conveying direction, so that after the driver has been traveled over by the counterweight, the brush arm automatically returns to the brush position counter to the deflection direction.This arrangement has the disadvantage that, due to the successive pivoting movement of the brush strip in and counter to the conveying direction, a larger region of the belt mat on the lower strand is not cleaned when pivoting back into the brush position. Moreover, the same brush always rests against the belt mat in the lower strand and is subject to increased wear. The service lives of the brush station are thereby reduced.The object of the invention is to propose a cleaning device for a conveyor belt, by means of which a more effective cleaning of a belt mat in the lower strand is made possible.This object is achieved by a cleaning device for a conveyor belt, in which a brush shaft is provided with at least two brush strips, which are offset at an angle to one another and oriented parallel to the brush shaft and which can be positioned on the belt mat of the lower run by a successive rotational movement of the brush shaft in the same direction into a cleaning position. This configuration of the brush shaft with at least two brush strips enables a rapid change between a first brush strip and the following brush strip into the cleaning position. In this case, a rotational movement of the brush shaft is controlled by drivers on the belt mat in the lower strand, by means of which the further clocking of the brush strip takes place in the same rotational direction. At the same time, this also allows a rapid engagement of the following brush strips in the cleaning position on the belt mat of the lower strand, whereby a more effective cleaning of the belt mat is made possible. In addition, this cleaning device is subject to less wear due to the at least two brush strips. This increases the service life of the cleaning device.It is preferably provided that a rotational movement of the brush shaft in only one rotational direction for the successive transfer of the at least two brushes into the cleaning position can be controlled by the drivers on the lower strand of the belt mat, which engage the brush strip when driving over and control the rotational movement of the brush shaft in the conveying direction of the belt mat. Thus, no additional control of a rotational movement on the brush shaft is required in order to transfer the brush strips successively into the cleaning position to the belt mat of the lower strand.In particular, a control device is provided on the brush shaft, by means of which the rotational movement of the brush shaft and the maintenance of the cleaning position of the brush strips relative to the belt mat in the lower run can be controlled. This allows, on the one hand, a rotational movement of the brush shaft to be controlled by the driver and, on the other hand, allows the cleaning position of the brush strip relative to the belt mat to be maintained during the period of two successive drivers and to brush off the belt mat.According to a preferred embodiment in the control device, it is provided that it has a cam disc with a roller engaging on the cam disc or a cam. As a result, a defined control for a rotational movement on the one hand and the maintenance of the cleaning position on the other hand can take place in a simple manner.Advantageously, the cam disc of the control device has a number of latching positions which corresponds to the number of brush strips on the brush shaft. As a result, in each case after the brush strip has been clocked further from a cleaning position into a rest position, the following brush strip is held in the cleaning position by the corresponding latching position of the cam disc.The roller or cam of the control device which engages on the cam disk is preferably held by a prestressing force, in particular a spring prestress, with respect to the cam disk, wherein the prestressing force is smaller than a rotational force introduced by the driver on the brush strip arranged in the cleaning position. This makes it possible for the respective brush strip to remain in principle in the cleaning position and for only the driver to be led out of the cleaning position, wherein subsequently the following brush strip is again transferred into the cleaning position.Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the control device, in particular the cam disk, is assigned a monitoring device which preferably has at least one sensor which detects the position of the cam disk. Process automation can thereby be made possible.In particular, the monitoring device comprises a control disk which, corresponding to the latching positions of the cam disk, comprises control lugs for activating the sensor. This allows the monitoring device to be synchronized with the cam disk and thus allows the position of the brush shaft to be detected with respect to a brush strip arranged in the cleaning position.According to a further preferred embodiment of the cleaning device, it is provided that at least two brush strips, which are oriented offset to one another at the same angle, are arranged on the brush shaft. Particularly preferably, four brush strips, which are each arranged offset by 90° with respect to one another, are provided on the brush shaft. This can increase the cleaning of the belt mat and reduce the wear of each individual brush strip.The brush shaft of the cleaning device is preferably rotatably mounted on a positioning device, by means of which the brush shaft can be transferred from a rest position, in which the at least one brush strip of the brush shaft is arranged at a distance from the lower run, into a working position, in which the at least one brush strip of the brush shaft engages the belt mat in the lower run. This makes it possible for the conveyor belt to be cleaned, for example, when the material to be processed is changed, by the brush shaft being transferred into the cleaning position. After cleaning the conveyor belt, the brush shaft can be transferred into a rest position in order to avoid increased wear of the brush strips. In particular, a cleaning cycle of the conveyor belt can thereby be controlled in a simple manner.The positioning device preferably has an actuating drive, by means of which a displacement movement of the brush shaft between the rest position and the working position can be controlled. For example, at least one printing cylinder or a drive motor or the like can be provided.In particular, the positioning device comprises pivot levers, by means of which the brush shaft can be transferred about a fixed pivot axis from the rest position into the working position. This results in a constructionally simple construction. In addition, low actuating forces are sufficient for the actuating drive in order to transfer the positioning device from the rest position into the working position.The cleaning position of the brush bar can be controlled by the positioning device until the complete belt mat has passed through the cleaning position of the brush bars at least once. This can result in an increase in the purity of the type in the event of a material change in the plant. In the system, for example, a machining of a material can be carried out. The chips or contaminations or the like are brushed off by the brush strips in the cleaning device, so that when there is a change of material no impurities of the preceding material (conveyed material) are mixed with the material (conveyed material) to be newly processed.The cleaning device preferably has a collecting container or a collecting trough below the brush strip for dirt cleaned on the belt mat on the lower run. These collecting containers can likewise be changed after a material change.The invention and further advantageous embodiments and developments thereof are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the examples illustrated in the drawings. The features to be gathered from the description and the drawings can be used according to the invention individually or together in any combination. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cleaning module for a conveyor belt, FIG. 2 shows a further perspective view of a cleaning device of the cleaning module according to FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a control device of the cleaning device according to FIG. 1, FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a brush shaft of the cleaning device according to FIG. 1 in a rest position, FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of the brush shaft when it is pivoted into a working position, FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of the brush shaft during the cleaning of contaminants in the working position, FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of the brush shaft when the brush strips are changed into the cleaning position, and FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of the brush shaft after the successive brush strips have been changed in the cleaning position.FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cleaning module 10 for a conveyor belt 12. This conveyor belt 12 can extend between a processing machine, not shown in detail, and a cleaning device 11 of the cleaning module 10. An upper strand 14 is fed to or guided through the cleaning module 10. In the cleaning module 10 or outside the cleaning module 10, the conveyor belt 12 can be deflected, so that a lower strand 15 is guided through the cleaning device 11 again. The conveyor belt 12 consists of a belt mat 16 which has drivers 18 extending transversely to the conveying direction and preferably over the entire width of the conveyor belt 12. These followers 18 are provided at regular or irregular intervals along the conveyor belt 12.The cleaning device 11 is designed in particular for discontinuous cleaning of the conveyor belt 12. A continuous cleaning of the conveyor belt 12 can also take place. During this cleaning, dirt on the surface can be removed from the belt mat 17. Small scrap parts, waste parts, other adhering parts or contaminations are preferably removed, in particular brushed off, for example.The cleaning module 10 comprises at least the cleaning device 11 and a base frame 21, which base frame 21 is shown, for example, on only one side and only schematically in FIG. 1. This base frame 21 can comprise guides, not shown in detail, for supporting the upper strand and lower strand 14, 15. The cleaning device 11 can be fastened to the base frame 21 or to support supports.The cleaning device 11 comprises a positioning device 23. This positioning device 23 has two pivot levers 24 which are mounted on the base frame 21 such that they can pivot about a common pivot axis 25. Opposite the pivot axis 25, the positioning device 23 receives a brush shaft 27 rotatably mounted. The brush shaft 27 extends transversely to the conveying direction of the bottom strand 15. the brush shaft 27 comprises at least two, preferably four, brush strips 28. The brush bars 28 extend parallel to the brush shaft 27, and the length of the brush bars 28 is preferably equal to or wider than the width of the conveyor belt 12.The brush strip 28 can consist of a bristle row. Further cleaning elements can likewise be provided which are suitable for wiping off soiling on the surface of the belt mat 17.In the exemplary embodiment, four brush strips 28 are provided on a brush shaft 27 offset by 90° with respect to one another. These brush strips 28 are held by two or more web-shaped holders 31 relative to the brush shaft 27. This allows the largest possible clearance to be provided between the brush strips 28 and the brush shaft 27. As a result, the dirt cleaned off from the belt mat 17 on the lower strand 15 can fall freely downwards.The brush shaft 27 is shown with one of the brush strips 28 in a cleaning position 33. The further or further brush strips 28 are in a disengagement position from the belt mat 17. in this cleaning position 33, the brush strip 28 engages the surface of the belt mat 17 of the lower strand 15. To assume the cleaning position 33, the positioning device 23 is provided in a working position 35.FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the cleaning device 11. The positioning device 23 as well as the received brush shaft 27 as well as an actuating drive 36 can form an integrated unit. The actuating drive 36, in particular the pressure cylinder, acts on the positioning device 23, by means of which the brush shaft 27 can be transferred from the working position 35 into a rest position 38 (FIG. 4 ). The pivot levers 24 are preferably moved in the working position 35 and / or the rest position 38 against a stop 39, so that a defined assumption of the positions can be ensured.The brush strips 28 of the brush shaft 27 are successively transferred to the cleaning position 33 by a rotary movement in only one direction of rotation. This will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. A control device 41 is provided for changing the cleaning positions 33 and for temporarily holding the brush strips 28 in the cleaning position 33. This control device 41 comprises a cam disc 42 and a roller 43 which is guided along the cam disc 42. This control device 41 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. The roller 43 is rotatably mounted on an actuating lever 44 mounted under prestress. This actuating lever 44 is acted upon by the prestressing force of a force storage element 46, so that the roller runs along an outer contour of the cam disk 42. A spring prestress is advantageously provided by at least one spring element. This cam disc 42 has latching positions 48 (FIG. 3 ). These latching positions 48 are formed as depressions. Furthermore, this cam disk has drive-over positions 49, which lie between the latching positions 48. The number of latching positions 48 corresponds to the number of brush strips 28 on the brush shaft 27.FIG. 3 shows the control device 41 when the cleaning positions of two successive brush strips 28 are changed as initiated by the driver 18. The entrainment force of the entrainment member 18 in the conveying direction acting on the brush strip is greater than the spring prestress force of the force storage element 46, so that a pivoting movement of the brush shaft 27 can be initiated via the brush strip 28. The roller 43 is transferred from a previous detent position 48 into a drive-over position 49 and subsequently reaches the following detent position 48. in this detent position 48, which is held by the prestress of the force storage element 46, it is made possible for the brush strip 28 to remain in the cleaning position 33. The frictional forces between the belt mat 17 and the brush strip 28 abutting against it do not change the cleaning position 33 of the brush strip 28.For monitoring the cleaning position 33 of the brush strip 28, the control device 41 comprises a control disk 51. A sensor 52 is assigned to this control disk 51. The sensor 52 is connected to a control, not shown in detail, of the cleaning device and / or of the installation or processing machine connected thereto. The control disk 51 has control lugs 53. The number of control lugs 53 corresponds to the number of latching positions 48 or driving over positions 49, respectively. This allows the position of the brush bar 28 to be verified. A proximity switch can be provided as sensor 52. Alternatively to the control disk 51 and the sensor 52, an incremental encoder can also be provided.FIGS. 4 to 8 show schematic side views of the cleaning device at different phases of a cleaning cycle. FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of the cleaning device 11, in which the positioning device 23 is arranged in a rest position 38. In this resting position 38, the conveyor belt 12 is not cleaned.In the event of a material change or for controlling a cleaning cycle, the positioning device 23 is transferred from the rest position 38 into the working position 35 according to FIG. 5. This is effected by a pivoting movement about the pivot axis 25 The brush strip 28 abuts the belt mat 17 in the lower strand 15. The contaminants 55 adhering to the belt mat 17 are scraped off or cleaned off or brushed off from the belt mat 17 by the brush strip 28 (FIG. 6 ). These contaminants fall, as shown in FIG. 6, into a collecting container 57 arranged below the brush shaft 27 and / or the positioning device 23.FIG. 7 shows a change from a first brush strip 28 from a cleaning position 33 into a rest position and the transfer of a subsequent brush strip 28 from the rest position into the cleaning position 33. By the displacement movement of the driver 18 in the conveying direction, a pivoting movement of the brush shaft 27 is initiated via the brush strip 28 in the cleaning position 33. This introduced rotational movement takes place under a rotational force which is higher than the prestress of the force storage element 46. As a result, the roller 43 is led out of the latching position 48 and a rotational movement of the brush shaft 27 takes place. Immediately after the driving over of the pivoted-away brush strip 28 by the driver 18, the following brush strip 28 is again arranged in the cleaning position 33 relative to the belt mat 17 in the lower strand 15. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 8. It can be seen from this that the rotational movement of the brush shaft 27 which takes place in only one direction results in a rapidly successive engagement of the brush strips 28 on the belt mat 15. The cleaning efficiency is increased.As soon as the conveyor belt 12 is guided at least once completely through the cleaning device 11, cleaning cycle can be concluded. The positioning device 23 is lowered into the rest position 38.

Claims

Cleaning device for a conveyor belt (12), which has a belt mat (17) with entrainment means (18) arranged at a distance from one another, which extend transversely to the conveying direction of the belt mat (17), - with a brush shaft (27), which extends transversely to the conveying direction of the belt mat (17), - with a brush strip (28) arranged on the brush shaft (27), which can be arranged on the belt mat (17) in the lower strand (15) in a cleaning position (33), - wherein the brush shaft (27) has at least two brush strips (28) offset at an angle to one another and extending parallel to the brush shaft (27), and - wherein the brush strips (28) can be positioned on the belt mat (17) of the lower strand (15) in succession by a rotational movement of the brush shaft (27) in the cleaning position (33), - characterized in that, a rotary movement of the brush shaft (27) for successively transferring the at least two brush strips (28) into the cleaning position (33) can be controlled by the drivers (18) on the lower strand (15) of the conveyor belt (12) without additional control of a rotary movement on the brush shaft, which sets the brush shaft (27) in rotation when driving over the brush strip (28) in the cleaning position (33).Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that a control device (41) is provided on the brush shaft (27), by means of which control device the rotational movement of the brush shaft (27) and the maintenance of the cleaning position (33) of the brush strip (28) relative to the belt mat (17) in the lower strand (15) can be controlled in only one rotational direction.Cleaning device according to claim 2, characterised in that the control device (41) has a cam disc (42) with a roller (43) engaging on the cam disc (42) or a cam.Cleaning device according to claim 3, characterised in that the cam disc (42) has latching positions (48) corresponding to the number of brush strips (28) on the brush shaft (27), by means of which latching positions the respective brush strip (28) is held aligned in the cleaning position.Cleaning device according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the roller (43) or the cam is held relative to the cam disc (42) by a prestressing force of a force storage element (46), and the prestressing force of the force storage element (46) is smaller than a rotational force introduced by the driver (18) on the brush strip (28) arranged in the cleaning position (33).Cleaning device according to one of Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the cam disc (42) is assigned a monitoring device (50) which preferably has at least one sensor (52) which detects the position of the cam disc (42).Cleaning device according to claim 6, characterised in that the monitoring device (50) comprises a control disc (51) which, corresponding to the latching positions (48) of the cam disc (42), has control lugs (53) for activating the sensor (52).Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least two brush strips (28) are provided with brush strips (28) arranged offset at the same angle to one another on the brush shaft (27), preferably four brush strips (28) arranged offset by 90° to one another in each case are provided on the brush shaft (27).Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the brush shaft (27) is rotatably mounted on a positioning device (23), by means of which the brush shaft (27) can be transferred from a rest position (38), in which the at least one brush strip (28) of the brush shaft (27) is arranged at a distance from the lower strand (15), into a working position (35), in which the at least one brush strip (28) engages on the belt mat (17) of the lower strand (18).Cleaning device according to claim 9, characterised in that the positioning device (23) has a drive (36), preferably at least one pressure cylinder, which controls a displacement movement of the brush shaft (27) between the rest position (38) and the working position (35).Cleaning device according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the positioning device (23) comprises pivot levers (24), which are mounted on the base frame (21) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (25) and the brush shaft (27) can be transferred about the pivot axis (25) from the rest position (38) into the working position (35).Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning position (33) of the at least one brush strip (28) can be controlled by the positioning device (23) until the conveyor belt (12) has passed completely through the cleaning device (11) at least once.Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a collecting container (57) for impurities (55) dissolved by the belt mat (17) in the lower strand (18) is provided below the brush shaft (27) and / or the positioning device (23).

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