Flexible Rolling Belt Conveyor

Abstract

The flexible rolling belt conveyor includes a plurality of rolling element units (1), each of which includes a support frame (3) with power rollers (2) above, running wheels (4) on both sides, and a chain link unit (5) in the middle, and a guide wheel (6) below the chain link unit (5). The chain link unit (5) includes main chain links (11) and auxiliary chain links (12), which are hingedly connected via vertical hinge shafts (15) and horizontal hinge shafts (14), respectively, and the vertical hinge shafts and horizontal hinge shafts form a crisscross structure with no contact at the centers of the crisscrosses. The plurality of rolling element units (1) are connected in sequence from front to back via the chain link units (5), and the rolling element units (1) are rotatable in both horizontal and vertical directions, forming a continuous flexible conveying rolling belt. This conveyor can rotate in both directions simultaneously, and its short chain link unit and small turning radius make it suitable for complex warehouse storage and transportation work situations, such as small warehouse storage spaces and narrow transfer spaces. It is less likely to malfunction, such as items getting caught, making transportation more stable and reliable.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of conveyors, and more particularly to flexible rolling belt conveyors. [Background technology]

[0002] For various reasons, loading and unloading cargo, luggage, parcels, and the like can be extremely difficult, especially when space is limited. Delivery personnel are typically required to bend or kneel for extended periods of time, often under very uncomfortable conditions, repeatedly transporting cargo, luggage, parcels, and the like from conveyors to warehouse storage facilities and vice versa. Prolonged periods of such work not only reduce loading and unloading efficiency, but can also severely strain the delivery personnel's knees and lower back.

[0003] Chinese Patent CN109969734A discloses a telescopic flexible conveyor that is attached to a luggage cart and includes a frame, a bottom plate, a main conveying unit, a telescopic mechanism, a flexible roller conveyor, a head conveying unit, and a bridge plate. This patent can meet the needs of different directions and different heights in the luggage conveying process. However, in this flexible roller conveyor, the rear end of each intermediate connecting member is connected to the front end of the fixed connecting member of the frame holder via a bolt, and the front end of the intermediate connecting member is connected to the rear end of the fixed connecting member of the frame holder via a pin. As a result, the chain link unit of this flexible roller conveyor is long and has a large turning radius, making it impossible to convey goods in complex working situations such as small warehouse storage and narrow conveying spaces. In addition, the gap between two adjacent power rollers is large, making it easy for goods to get caught during corner conveying, which affects the stability and smoothness of conveying. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one technical problem existing in the background art by providing a flexible rolling belt conveyor that can rotate both horizontally and vertically at the same time, realize continuous transportation of cargo, luggage, parcels, etc. between conveyors and warehouse storage facilities, improve loading and unloading efficiency, and prevent industrial accidents. In addition, since the chain link units are short, the turning radius is small, and the spacing between two adjacent power rollers is small, it is adaptable to complex warehouse storage and transportation work situations such as small warehouse storage spaces and narrow transfer spaces, and is less likely to cause malfunctions such as snagging of goods and damage to equipment, resulting in more stable and reliable transportation.

[0005] In order to achieve the above technical object, the present invention uses the following technical means.

[0006] A flexible rolling belt conveyor including a plurality of rolling element units, each of which includes a support frame having a power roller provided above, running wheels provided on both sides, and a chain link unit provided in the middle, and a guide wheel provided below the chain link unit, the plurality of rolling element units being connected in sequence from front to back via the chain link unit, the rolling element units being rotatable in horizontal and vertical directions, and forming a continuous flexible conveying rolling belt, The chain link unit includes a main chain link and an auxiliary chain link, and a horizontal lug is provided at the middle of the front end of the main chain link, and a main longitudinal hinge hole is provided in the horizontal lug in a longitudinal direction. The main chain link has vertical lugs on both sides of the rear end of the main chain link, and a main lateral hinge hole is provided in the vertical lugs in a horizontal direction. the auxiliary chain link is provided with an auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole that matches the main longitudinal hinge hole and an auxiliary lateral hinge hole that matches the main lateral hinge hole, the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole and the auxiliary lateral hinge hole being provided on the same plane; The main vertical hinge hole and the auxiliary vertical hinge hole are hingedly connected via a vertical hinge shaft, and the main horizontal hinge hole and the auxiliary horizontal hinge hole are hingedly connected via a horizontal hinge shaft, and the horizontal hinge shaft and the vertical hinge shaft form a crisscross structure, and the centers of the crisscross do not come into contact with each other.

[0007] Furthermore, the main chain link of the chain link unit is further provided with a position limiting groove structure including a lateral position limiting groove provided on the rear side of the main longitudinal hinge hole and a longitudinal position limiting groove provided on the front side of the main lateral hinge hole; the auxiliary chain link is provided with a position limiting hole structure including a lateral position limiting hole provided on the rear side of the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole and a longitudinal position limiting hole provided on the front side of the auxiliary lateral hinge hole, corresponding to the position limiting groove structure; The horizontal position limiting groove and the horizontal position limiting hole are connected via a vertical position limiting pin to limit the horizontal position, and the vertical position limiting groove and the vertical position limiting hole are connected via a horizontal position limiting pin to limit the vertical position.

[0008] Furthermore, the horizontal position limiting groove and the vertical position limiting groove are both fan-shaped through-hole grooves.

[0009] Furthermore, anti-tip wheels are provided alternately in front and behind the chain link unit below the chain link unit.

[0010] Furthermore, the horizontal hinge shafts are two horizontal short shafts, the vertical hinge shafts pass through the chain link unit from top to bottom, and guide wheels are provided at the bottoms of the vertical hinge shafts.

[0011] Furthermore, the support frame is composed of two half frames, one end of which is fixedly connected to the main chain link of the chain link unit via a first side connecting plate and the other end of which is connected to the side protective cover via a second side connecting plate, and the running wheel is attached to the inside bottom of the second side connecting plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the two first side connecting plates on the left and right sides of the support frame are arranged diagonally opposite each other in the front and rear, and anti-tip wheels are provided on the outside of the bottom of the first side connecting plates, and the two anti-tip wheels are arranged alternately in the front and rear below the chain link unit.

[0013] Furthermore, the power roller has a surface coated with adhesive and has a conical shape with large diameters at both ends and a small diameter in the middle.

[0014] Furthermore, the guide wheels are provided with a set of vertical U-shaped guide rails.

[0015] Furthermore, the running wheels are provided with a set of horizontal U-shaped guide rails.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) In the chain link unit of the present invention, the auxiliary vertical hinge holes and auxiliary vertical hinge holes are located on the same plane, and the horizontal hinge shafts and vertical hinge shafts are formed in a crisscross structure with no contact at the centers of the crossings. This structural design allows the chain link units of the present invention, when connected in series, to simultaneously rotate at a fixed angle in both horizontal and vertical directions, enabling continuous transport of cargo, luggage, and parcels between conveyors and warehouses, improving loading and unloading efficiency and preventing work-related accidents. Compared to the prior art disclosed in Patent CN109969734A, the chain link unit's two hinge shafts are located on the same plane, crisscrossing and not touching each other, resulting in a shorter chain link unit and a smaller turning radius, enabling the transport needs of more complex work situations, such as small warehouse storage spaces and narrow transfer spaces. Furthermore, the shorter chain link units and the smaller spacing between adjacent power rollers make it less likely for goods to get caught at points such as the turning radius, resulting in more stable, smooth, and reliable transport.

[0018] (2) The chain link unit of the present invention is provided with a fan-shaped position limiting groove structure, which can limit the rotation position of the flexible rolling belt conveyor in both the horizontal and vertical directions, effectively avoiding the occurrence of situations where the gap between two adjacent power rollers before and after the rotation angle rotation position is too large, resulting in the catch of goods, temporary suspension of conveying, or damage to the equipment, ensuring more stable, smooth, and reliable conveying.In addition, the specific position limiting angle of the fan-shaped position limiting groove structure in both directions can be set as needed, allowing the position limit to be accurately controlled, further ensuring the reliability of the equipment conveying.

[0019] (3) In the device of the present invention, anti-tip wheels are alternately installed below the chain link units. When multiple chain link units are connected in sequence, the two alternating anti-tip wheels of the chain link unit located in the middle segment are combined with the anti-tip wheels of the adjacent front and rear chain link units to form four anti-tip wheels, so that the bottom of the chain link unit of the middle segment has support points for four anti-tip wheels, which effectively prevents multiple rolling element units from tipping over under the action of external forces during transportation and further ensures the stability and reliability of transportation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible rolling belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a rolling element unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rolling element unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of a rolling element unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the rolling element unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a chain link unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a main chain link according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an auxiliary chain link according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a power roller according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a support frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a plurality of rolling element units according to an embodiment of the present invention when connected together. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible rolling belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention when rotating horizontally. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible rolling belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention when rotating in the vertical direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, the technical means in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without any creative work are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] In addition, in the description of the present invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "coaxial," "bottom," "one end," "top," "middle," "other end," "upper," "one side," "inner," "front," "center," "both ends," etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are merely for the convenience and simplification of the description of the present invention. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown must have a specific orientation or be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0023] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "attached," "installed," "connected," "fixed," "rotationally connected," etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integrated connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, an internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Unless otherwise expressly limited, a person skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] Example 1 As shown in Figures 1 to 13, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a flexible rolling belt conveyor including a plurality of rolling element units. As shown in Figure 1, the rolling element unit includes a support frame 3 having a power roller 2 on the top, running wheels 4 on both sides for running and supporting, and a chain link unit 5 in the middle, and a guide wheel 6 attached below the chain link unit 5. The plurality of rolling element units are connected in sequence from front to back via the chain link unit 5, and the rolling element units can rotate in horizontal and vertical directions to form a continuous flexible rolling belt for conveying.

[0025] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the chain link unit 5 includes a main chain link 11 and an auxiliary chain link 12. A horizontal lug is provided in the middle of the front end of the main chain link 11, and a main longitudinal hinge hole 1101 is provided vertically on both sides of the rear end of the main chain link 11, and a main lateral hinge hole 1103 is provided horizontally on the vertical lug. The auxiliary chain link 12 is provided with an auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole 1201 that matches the main longitudinal hinge hole 1101 and an auxiliary lateral hinge hole 1203 that matches the main lateral hinge hole 1103. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole 1201 and the auxiliary lateral hinge hole 1203 are located on the same plane. The main longitudinal hinge hole 1101 and the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole 1201 are hingedly connected via a longitudinal hinge shaft 15. The main lateral hinge hole 1103 and the auxiliary lateral hinge hole 1203 are hingedly connected via a lateral hinge shaft 14. The lateral hinge shaft 14 and the longitudinal hinge shaft 15 form a crisscross structure, and the centers of the crisscrossing do not come into contact with each other. Specifically, either the vertical hinge shaft or the horizontal hinge shaft may be hinged as two short shafts, or both the vertical and horizontal hinge shafts may be hinged as two short shafts. In this embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal hinge shafts 14 are two horizontal short shafts, and the vertical hinge shaft 15 passes through the chain link unit 5 from top to bottom. In addition, a guide wheel 6 is provided at the bottom of the vertical hinge shaft 15, which cooperates with a set of vertical U-shaped guide rails 1301 to provide positioning guidance during transportation.

[0026] In this embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary vertical hinge hole 1201 and the auxiliary horizontal hinge hole 1203 are located on the same plane, and the horizontal hinge shaft 14 and the vertical hinge shaft 15 form a crisscross structure, with the centers of the crisscross not touching each other. Due to the above structural design, the chain link unit of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) When the chain link units of the present invention are connected in series, the auxiliary chain links 12, which are on the same plane as the hinge axis, form the rotation plane (see Figures 6 and 3). The front main chain link 11 can rotate up and down around the horizontal hinge axis 14, and the rear main chain link 11 can rotate left and right horizontally around the vertical hinge axis 15. This allows the entire device to rotate at a certain angle both horizontally and vertically at the same time (see Figures 12 and 13). This enables continuous transportation of cargo, luggage, parcels, etc. between conveyors and warehouses, improves loading and unloading efficiency, and prevents industrial accidents.

[0028] (2) Compared with the prior art patent CN109969734A, the hinge axes of the chain link unit in both directions of the present invention are crisscrossed, and the centers are not in contact but are located on the same plane, which makes the chain link unit shorter and reduces the turning radius, thereby meeting the transportation needs of more complex working situations such as small warehouse storage spaces and narrow transfer spaces.

[0029] (3) Compared with the prior art patent CN109969734A, the hinge axes of the chain link unit of the present invention are crisscrossed in both directions, and the centers are not in contact but are located on the same plane. This makes the chain link unit shorter and the distance between two adjacent power rollers smaller, which makes it less likely for items to get caught at points such as the turning radius, making the conveyance more stable, smooth, and reliable.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 9, the surface of the power roller 2 is coated with adhesive and has a conical shape with a larger diameter at both ends and a smaller diameter in the middle, which effectively prevents cargo, luggage, parcels, etc. from slipping off the rolling belt due to centrifugal force at the curved part of the flexible rolling belt conveyor, thereby ensuring the reliability of the conveyance.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 10, the support frame 3 is composed of two half frames, one end of which is fixedly connected to the main chain link 11 of the chain link unit 5 via a first side connecting plate 301 and the other end of which is connected to the side protective cover 10 via a second side connecting plate 302, and the running wheel 4 is attached to the inside bottom of the second side connecting plate 302.

[0032] 3, in some other embodiments, in addition to the cooperation between the guide wheels 6 and the vertical U-shaped guide rails 1301, a horizontal U-shaped guide rail 1302 is provided in association with the running wheels 4. The purpose of this configuration is as follows: cooperation between the guide wheels 6 and the vertical U-shaped guide rails 1301 ensures mainly horizontal left-right positioning, and cooperation between the running wheels 4 and the horizontal U-shaped guide rails 1302 ensures mainly vertical up-down positioning. By providing these positioning guide rails in both directions, it is possible to further ensure the stability and reliability of transport at any horizontal and vertical rotation angle of the device.

[0033] Example 2 The present embodiment is based on the first embodiment and has the following improvements.

[0034] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the main chain link 11 of the chain link unit 5 is further provided with a position limiting groove structure including a lateral position limiting groove 1102 provided on the rear side of the main longitudinal hinge hole 1101 and a longitudinal position limiting groove 1104 provided on the front side of the main lateral hinge hole 1103, and the lateral position limiting groove 1102 and the longitudinal position limiting groove 1104 are both fan-shaped through-hole grooves, and the angle of the fan-shaped through-hole groove is specifically set as needed.

[0035] The auxiliary chain link 12 is provided with a position limiting hole structure that corresponds to the position limiting groove structure and includes a lateral position limiting hole 1202 provided on the rear side of the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole 1201 and a longitudinal position limiting hole 1204 provided on the front side of the auxiliary lateral hinge hole 1203.

[0036] The lateral position limiting groove 1102 and the lateral position limiting hole 1202 are connected via a vertical position limiting pin 8 (see FIG. 2) to provide horizontal lateral position limiting, thereby limiting the rotation angle of the rear main chain link 11 in the horizontal direction (left and right) around the vertical hinge axis 15 (see FIG. 4). The vertical position limiting groove 1104 and the vertical position limiting hole 1204 are connected via a lateral position limiting pin 9 to provide vertical longitudinal position limiting, thereby limiting the rotation angle of the front main chain link 11 in the vertical direction (up and down) around the horizontal hinge axis 14 (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 6).

[0037] In the embodiment of the present invention, the fan-shaped position limiting groove structure is provided to limit the rotation position of the flexible rolling belt conveyor in both the horizontal and vertical directions, which can avoid the situation where the gap between the two adjacent power rollers before and after the rotation angle rotation position is too large, which will cause the article to get caught, the conveying to be stopped temporarily, or the equipment to be damaged, ensuring a more stable, smooth and reliable conveying.In addition, the specific position limiting angle of the fan-shaped position limiting groove structure in both directions can be set as needed, which can accurately control the position limit and further ensure the reliability of the equipment conveying.

[0038] Example 3 The present embodiment is based on the first or second embodiment, and the following improvements have been made.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 10, below the chain link unit 5, anti-tip wheels 7 are provided alternately in the front and rear.

[0040] Specifically, the support frame 3 is composed of two half frames, one end of which is fixedly connected to the main chain link 11 of the chain link unit 5 via a first side connecting plate 301 and the other end of which is connected to the side protective cover 10 via a second side connecting plate 302, and the running wheels 4 are attached to the inside of the bottom of the second side connecting plate 302, and the two first side connecting plates 301 on the left and right of the support frame 3 are arranged diagonally opposite each other in the front and back, and an anti-tip wheel 7 is provided on the outside of the bottom of the first side connecting plate 301, and the two anti-tip wheels 7 are arranged alternately in the front and back below the chain link unit 5.

[0041] The purpose of this configuration is as follows: As shown in Figure 11, the anti-tip wheels 7 are installed alternately in the front and rear below the chain link units 5. When multiple chain link units 5 are connected in front and rear order, two alternating anti-tip wheels 7 of a chain link unit 5 located in an intermediate segment are combined with the anti-tip wheels 7 of the adjacent front and rear chain link units 5 to form four anti-tip wheels, thereby realizing that the bottom of the chain link unit 5 of the intermediate segment has four support points for the anti-tip wheels. This effectively prevents multiple rolling element units from tipping over under the action of external forces during transportation and further ensures the stability and reliability of transportation.

[0042] The above is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Rolling element unit 2 Power Roller 3 Support Frame 301 First side connecting plate 302 Second side connecting plate 4 running wheels 5 Chain link units 6 Guide wheels 7 Anti-tip wheels 8 Vertical position limit pin 9 Lateral position limit pin 10 Side protection cover 11 main chain links 1101 Main longitudinal hinge hole 1102 Lateral position limiting groove 1103 Main lateral hinge hole 1104 Vertical position limiting groove 12 Auxiliary chain links 1201 Auxiliary vertical hinge hole 1202 Lateral position limiting hole 1203 Auxiliary lateral hinge hole 1204 Vertical position limiting hole 1301 Vertical U-shaped guide rail 1302 Horizontal U-shaped guide rail 14 Lateral hinge axis 15 Vertical hinge axis

Claims

1. A flexible rolling belt conveyor including a plurality of rolling element units, each of which includes a support frame having a power roller provided above, running wheels provided on both sides, and a chain link unit provided in the middle, and a guide wheel provided below the chain link unit, the plurality of rolling element units being connected in sequence from front to back via the chain link unit, the rolling element units being rotatable in horizontal and vertical directions, and forming a continuous flexible conveying rolling belt, The chain link unit includes a main chain link and an auxiliary chain link, and a horizontal lug is provided at the middle of the front end of the main chain link, and a main longitudinal hinge hole is provided in the horizontal lug in a longitudinal direction. The main chain link has vertical lugs on both sides of the rear end of the main chain link, and a main lateral hinge hole is provided in the vertical lugs in a horizontal direction. the auxiliary chain link is provided with an auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole that matches the main longitudinal hinge hole and an auxiliary lateral hinge hole that matches the main lateral hinge hole, the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole and the auxiliary lateral hinge hole being provided on the same plane; the main vertical hinge hole and the auxiliary vertical hinge hole are hingedly connected via a vertical hinge shaft, the main horizontal hinge hole and the auxiliary horizontal hinge hole are hingedly connected via a horizontal hinge shaft, the horizontal hinge shaft and the vertical hinge shaft form a crisscross structure, and the crisscross centers do not contact each other; A flexible rolling belt conveyor characterized by:

2. The main chain link of the chain link unit is further provided with a position limiting groove structure including a lateral position limiting groove provided on the rear side of the main longitudinal hinge hole and a longitudinal position limiting groove provided on the front side of the main lateral hinge hole; the auxiliary chain link is provided with a position limiting hole structure including a lateral position limiting hole provided on the rear side of the auxiliary longitudinal hinge hole and a longitudinal position limiting hole provided on the front side of the auxiliary lateral hinge hole, corresponding to the position limiting groove structure; The lateral position limiting groove and the lateral position limiting hole are connected via a vertical position limiting pin to limit the horizontal lateral position, and the vertical position limiting groove and the vertical position limiting hole are connected via a lateral position limiting pin to limit the vertical vertical position.

2. The conveyor of claim 1.

3. The horizontal position limiting groove and the vertical position limiting groove are both fan-shaped through-hole grooves.

3. A conveyor according to claim 2.

4. Anti-tip wheels are provided alternately in front and behind the chain link unit.

2. The conveyor of claim 1.

5. The horizontal hinge shafts are two horizontal short shafts, the vertical hinge shafts pass through the chain link unit from top to bottom, and guide wheels are provided at the bottoms of the vertical hinge shafts. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The support frame is composed of two half frames, one end of which is fixedly connected to the main chain link of the chain link unit via a first side connecting plate and the other end of which is connected to the side protective cover via a second side connecting plate, and the running wheels are attached to the inside bottom of the second side connecting plate. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The two first-side connecting plates on the left and right of the support frame are arranged diagonally opposite each other in the front-rear direction, and anti-tip wheels are provided on the outer bottom surfaces of the first-side connecting plates, and the two anti-tip wheels are arranged alternately in the front and rear directions below the chain link unit.

7. A conveyor according to claim 6.

8. The power roller has a surface coated with an adhesive and has a conical shape with large diameters at both ends and a small diameter in the middle. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The guide wheels are provided with a set of vertical U-shaped guide rails. A conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. The running wheels are provided with a set of horizontal U-shaped guide rails.

10. The conveyor of claim 9.

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