Conveyor belt formed by multiple bristle brushes

Abstract

To provide a conveyor belt formed of a plurality of bristle brushes that is highly flexible and enables the conveyor belt to have a very small turning radius.SOLUTION: A conveyor belt is formed by joining together a plurality of bristle brushes, each comprising a support plate 1 and a plurality of flexible bristles 2 emerging from one of surfaces of the support plate, ends of the bristles furthest from the support plate defining a support surface intended to receive a component to be conveyed and / or cut. The support plate includes a leading edge 11 and a trailing edge 12 which define complementary shapes to form a uniform base. Such a bristle brush shape makes it possible to obtain a uniform transition when passing over gears and rollers forming the conveyor belt during operation thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor belt in which a plurality of modular bristle brushes are joined together to form a uniform base, such as an endless conveyor belt. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, brushes are known which, when properly secured to a series of machine elements, form a moving surface for use with an endless conveyor belt.

[0003] Such conveyor belts are used in various industrial sectors for transporting and / or handling elements that need to be lifted or that must not come into contact with hard or continuous surfaces.

[0004] There are brushes with multiple bristles mechanically secured to a support plate, with multiple brushes linked together to form a large surface or conveyor belt.

[0005] This system has several drawbacks, including manufacturing cost (the bristles are fixed to the support plate), weight (the support plate must be thick to properly fix the bristles), and the power required to move the conveyor belt (the greater the weight, the greater the power required).

[0006] An example of this type of brush is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,623,613, which describes a modular, plastic, self-engaging bristle brush that includes a pair of opposing guides and a set of runners with self-centering ends that protrude from the periphery of the brush, and which is described as being distributed so that the ends of successive brush runners overlap and interlock with each other.

[0007] Furthermore, the runner includes at its guide and self-centering end an articulating means between successive brushes for self-engagement of the runner, turning a set of multiple brushes into a cutting base on which material is left and which allows its handling, cutting, die cutting, etc., to be carried out, thereby forming an endless conveyor belt.

[0008] Preferably, the bristle modules, formed by injection, molding or 3D printing, are manufactured from different materials with different hardness to suit various applications such as cutting, handling or transport on an endless belt.

[0009] Initially, bristle brushes were made of relatively hard plastics, which required a certain turning radius to rotate the conveyor belt, generally larger than 150 mm. For cutting and subsequent handling applications, more flexible materials were chosen, which made handling easier and more comfortable, while at the same time the bendability of the base allowed for a very small turning radius, down to a minimum of 30 mm.

[0010] The design described in this document has the drawback that when the modules are joined by a single shaft, this shaft must bear all the stress, which causes slight separation between the modules in the direction of belt travel, which has almost no effect on operation, but should be improved from the standpoints of durability and aesthetics.

[0011] US Patent No. 5,999,949 discloses an apparatus for cutting a pattern from successive adjacent segments of a stretched layup of sheet material, the apparatus including a zoned vacuum table including an endless loop brush mat conveyor, the apparatus having the function of moving the layup along the table to position and hold segments of the layup in a cutting zone of the table, and a carriage assembly for moving a cutting mechanism relative to the table, maintaining cutting contact with the segments, and cutting the pattern from the segments in response to signals from a programmable controller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 2656987 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 4,328,726 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor belt formed from a plurality of bristle brushes that is highly flexible, allowing the conveyor belt to have a very small turning radius. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The above-mentioned drawbacks are overcome by the conveyor belt of the present invention, and other advantages are described below.

[0015] A conveyor belt according to the invention is defined by claim 1, wherein each bristle brush comprises a support plate and a plurality of flexible bristles emerging from one of the faces of the support plate, the support plate including connecting elements, the ends of the bristles furthest from the support plate defining a support surface intended to receive a part to be conveyed and / or cut or handled. The support plate comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge and the trailing edge having a complementary shape, or the support plate comprises a polygonal shape (e.g. hexagonal), which allows for a staggered or interspersed combination of multiple brushes.

[0016] The shape of the bristle brushes as described above allows for a uniform transition when passing over the gears or rollers forming the conveyor belt, especially during movement when changing direction at the end of said conveyor belt, since the flexible material tends to yield slightly in the shaft area causing small separations between the brushes.

[0017] Furthermore, in the bristle brush, the support plate also includes a connecting element.

[0018] According to a first embodiment, the connecting element is an anchor provided with a longitudinal hole. This longitudinal hole is for placement of ties and tow rods.

[0019] Preferably, the anchors are associated in pairs and the longitudinal holes of the anchors are Two longitudinal axes are defined on the leading edge and two longitudinal axes are defined on the trailing edge, each for a corresponding traction rod.

[0020] In this way, a more uniform and micro-separate visual transition of the shaft direction change is achieved, and also a better distribution of the tensile stress is achieved by dividing it between two traction rods inserted longitudinally between the brushes at each joint area.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the brushes may be polygonal in shape, not necessarily square, but having any number of sides. If a hexagonal shape is used, the brushes have an equidistant regular distribution on the traction shafts.

[0022] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the support plate includes a plurality of notches on a surface opposite the flexible bristles.

[0023] According to a second embodiment, the coupling element is a flange that fits into a complementary housing.

[0024] According to this embodiment, the flange is preferably arranged in the protrusion of the support plate, and the housing is arranged in the recess of the support plate.

[0025] Further, according to this embodiment, the surface of the support plate opposite the flexible bristles is smooth, and the opposite surface includes an adhesive substrate.

[0026] This smooth support plate can be used especially when the end of the conveyor belt is cylindrical with no steps or pull notches, and is commonly used for faster moving belts that do not require precise positioning.

[0027] It may also be a system that allows the traction to be adapted or adapted to industry specific or standard modules, using standardized pull pinions as required.

[0028] Preferably, the adhesive substrate is covered with a protective sheet before its first use, which is removed to secure the support plate.

[0029] Each of the convex portions at the leading and trailing edges of the support plate is formed by a straight central portion and two straight side portions arranged perpendicularly or at any other oblique angle.

[0030] The conveyor belt is formed by a plurality of bristle brushes as described above, said brushes being joined together in a staggered manner thanks to the complementary shapes of the leading and trailing edges.

[0031] In these different embodiments, the lower surface of the support plate of the bristle brush is intended to accommodate conventional belts made of layered materials, so that the bristle brush has a bristle surface that allows the use of robotic systems, and this surface can be incorporated into static work and handling surfaces to increase productivity in operations that require lower handling of elements or materials (cutting, die cutting, linear objects, organic materials, compact, low-profile flat elements, etc.), and also in operations where collection must be fast and is preferably performed at a low position, by avoiding physical contact between the hands and the hard surface of the support or the robot surface.

[0032] An advantage of using bristle brushes instead of smooth belts as the material transport surface is that the material placed on the brushes is essentially floating, allowing for handling that would not be possible by automation or robotics, or that would have to be done using clamps or complex designs, because the handler or robot tools can penetrate and access the bristles from underneath.

[0033] This feature greatly simplifies the design of the robot clamp and enables "gravital picking" without the need for vacuum or advanced motion. This feature also enables "multipicking," reducing robot motion by allowing different objects or quantities to be carried in one and the same motion.

[0034] This design is also very useful for collaboration between humans and robots or cobots (collaborative robots). For this purpose, and to allow for comfortable working, the design of the bristles has been perfected, ultimately resulting in a hemispherical or conical surface, which allows for a more comfortable interaction with the hand of the operator or robot and a more reliable use of available tools such as blades, drills or dies.

[0035] This allows for smoother use of the hand and improves the durability of mechanical elements in the cutting or handling process (blade or other material cutting such as clamps or robot / cobot attachments) by allowing for smoother, less bumpy progressive entry.

[0036] In some cases, modules can be infused into one or more materials to combine their properties. In this way, a bristle brush can be infused with a combination of a harder, more resistant polymer for the anchor region to improve the brush's mechanical performance, and a softer, smoother polymer for the rest of the base and bristles to improve the base's flexibility during rotation and the feel of the bristles. These infused modules are very useful given their simplicity, versatility, and economical cost compared to alternative methods.

[0037] In order that the above may be better understood, several drawings are attached. Actual embodiments are shown diagrammatically only as non-limiting examples. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a bristle brush for a conveyor belt according to a first example that does not form part of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the bristle brush shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view of the three bristle brushes shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 joined together. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the bristle brush shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a bristle brush of the conveyor belt of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the bristle brush shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor belt formed by bristle brushes. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a bristle brush that does not form part of the present invention. [Figure 9] 9 is a plan view of a state in which a plurality of bristle brushes shown in FIG. 8 are joined together. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a top detail view of a bristle brush of a conveyor belt according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] 1 to 4 show an example of a bristle brush for a conveyor belt that does not form part of the present invention, the bristle brush comprising a support plate 1 from which a plurality of flexible bristles 2 extend (specifically from the upper surface of the support plate 1).

[0040] The support plate 1 defines four edges: a leading edge 11, a trailing edge 12, and two side edges 13. The leading edge 11 and the trailing edge 12 include complementary recesses and protrusions, which may be, for example, trapezoidal in shape, defining a straight central portion and two beveled, also straight, sides.

[0041] The support plate 1 further comprises connecting elements, in this embodiment anchors 3 (fasteners), each of which comprises a longitudinal hole for positioning a traction rod.

[0042] The anchors 3 are associated in pairs to define two longitudinal shafts for corresponding traction rods, two of which (not shown) are located on the leading edge 11 and two on the trailing edge 12.

[0043] The anchor 3 is preferably, but not necessarily, made from a harder material, for example a harder polymer, than the support plate 1 and flexible bristles 2. This feature is shown in Figure 4 by the anchor 3 being a darker color than the support plate 1 and flexible bristles 2.

[0044] The support plate 1 includes a number of notches 14 on its underside to allow for traction of the support plate 1 by gears (not shown) when using multiple brushes as a conveyor belt.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows how multiple brushes can be combined using complementary concave and convex portions, with the brushes interspersed or staggered.

[0046] 5 and 6 show an embodiment of a bristle brush for a conveyor belt according to the present invention.

[0047] For simplicity, in this embodiment, features common to the above example will not be described, and the same or similar elements will be designated with the same reference numerals.

[0048] This embodiment differs from the previous examples in that the underside of the support plate is smooth and includes an adhesive substrate 15 that is covered by a protective sheet 16 before being secured to a surface.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connecting element is a flange 4 housed in a complementary housing 5. As can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the flange 4 is preferably arranged in a protrusion, while the housing 5 is preferably arranged in a recess.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a portion of a conveyor belt formed by a number of bristle brushes, illustrating the small turning radii that can be achieved thanks to the flexibility of the brush material, and in particular the support plate 1.

[0051] 8 and 9 show further examples of bristle brushes which do not form part of the present invention.

[0052] In this example, the support plate 1 is hexagonal in shape and multiple brushes are attached in a staggered arrangement (FIG. 9), for example, by one anchor 3 on the leading edge 11 of the support plate 1 and two anchors 3 on the trailing edge 12 of the support plate 1.

[0053] Although reference has been made to specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications can be made to the conveyor belt described, and that all the above-mentioned details can be replaced by other technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 support plate 2 hair 3. Anchor 4 flanges 5 Complementary Housing 11 leading edge 12 Trailing edge 13 Side edges 14 notches 15 Adhesive base material 16 Protective Sheet

Claims

1. A conveyor belt formed by joining a plurality of bristle brushes, each of which is A support plate (1), a plurality of flexible bristles (2) emerging from one of the faces of said support plate (1); Equipped with the ends of the bristles (2) farthest from the support plate (1) define a support surface intended to receive the parts to be transported and / or cut, The support plate (1) includes a leading edge (11) and a trailing edge (12), The leading edge (11) and the trailing edge (12) define complementary shapes to form a uniform base; A conveyor belt characterized by:

2. Each of the convex portions of the front edge (11) and the rear edge (12) of the support plate (1) is formed by a straight central portion and two straight side portions that form an oblique angle.

2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

3. A plurality of the bristle brushes are joined together in a staggered manner.

3. The conveyor belt according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The support plate (1) comprises connecting elements (3, 4), 2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

5. The connecting element is an anchor (3) provided with a longitudinal hole or a flange (4) fitted into a complementary housing (5), 5. The conveyor belt of claim 4.

6. The flange (4) is disposed on a protruding portion of the support plate (1), and the housing (5) is disposed on a recessed portion of the support plate (1). A conveyor belt according to claims 1 and 5.

7. The upper surfaces of the plurality of flexible bristles (2) are hemispherical or conical.

2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

8. Each of said bristle brushes consists of a single piece; 2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

9. Each of the bristle brushes is made from a polymer; 2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

10. the anchor (3) is made of a material harder than the material of the support plate (1) and the flexible bristles (2); 6. The conveyor belt of claim 5.

11. The surface of the support plate (1) opposite to the flexible bristles (2) is smooth, and the opposite surface includes an adhesive substrate (15).

2. The conveyor belt of claim 1.

12. The adhesive substrate (15) is covered with a protective sheet (16) before its first use.

12. The conveyor belt of claim 11.

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