Conveyor belt

Abstract

To provide a belt conveyor which has a compact configuration, can properly remove moisture from a conveyed object at the final stage of conveyance, and is less likely to cause troubles due to the type of the conveyed object. [Solution] The belt conveyor 1 comprises a conveyor main body 2 equipped with an endless, nonporous conveyor belt 23 (conveyor belt) that extends and moves in a conveying direction of the conveyed object, and a water removal unit 3 provided at an end portion in the conveying direction of the conveyor main body 2. The water removal unit 3 is disposed below an end position P1 (end portion) of the conveyor belt 23 in the conveying direction, and comprises an endless, porous drain belt 33 that extends along the conveying direction and moves in a circle in the same direction as the conveyor belt 23, and a water receiving member 40 disposed below the drain belt 33.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt conveyor that is capable of transporting objects containing moisture and removing moisture from the objects. [Background technology]

[0002] Belt conveyors that convey objects containing moisture and have the function of removing moisture from the objects are well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a belt conveyor (conveyor belt) that has multiple conveyors (referred to as unit conveyors) equipped with water-permeable conveyor belts, conveys soil containing moisture while transferring it between the unit conveyors in sequence, and separates and discharges moisture during transport by each unit conveyor.

[0003] Patent document 2 also discloses a belt conveyor (sludge dewatering device) that includes a lower belt conveyor that extends from a sludge inlet to a sludge discharge outlet and is inclined upward, and an upper belt conveyor that is positioned above the rear half of the lower conveying belt, and is configured to transport sludge from the sludge inlet to the sludge discharge outlet using the lower belt conveyor, and at the end of the transport, to remove moisture from the sludge by sandwiching the sludge between the lower belt conveyor and the upper belt conveyor and compressing it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-291419 [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-58979 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the belt conveyor of Patent Document 1 includes multiple unit conveyors, and since it is necessary to provide equipment for discharging separated moisture for each unit conveyor, it is likely to become complicated and large, and it is difficult to make it compact. In addition, since moisture is constantly separated during transportation, there is a risk that the roles of "transporting" and "water removal" will be incomplete, making it non-functional. Furthermore, it is not suitable for cases where there is a need to avoid (actively) separating moisture as much as possible from the transported material during transportation.

[0006] According to the belt conveyor of Patent Document 2, the above-mentioned problems of Patent Document 1 can be solved. However, since the belt conveyor of Patent Document 2 compresses the transported object between the lower belt conveyor and the upper belt conveyor, if the transported object contains a large solid object, the transported object may get stuck (squeezed) between the upper and lower belt conveyors, causing trouble. Also, if the transported object contains heterogeneous objects of different sizes, the transport cannot be carried out smoothly.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a belt conveyor that has a compact configuration, can properly remove moisture from the transported goods at the end of the transport, and is less likely to cause problems depending on the type of transported goods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] [Aspect 1] In order to solve the above problems, the belt conveyor of the present invention includes a conveyor body having an endless and non-porous conveyor belt that extends in a conveying direction of the conveyed object and moves in a circular motion, and a water removal unit provided at an end portion of the conveyor body in the conveying direction. The water removal unit is disposed below the end portion of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, and includes an endless and porous drain belt that extends along the conveying direction and moves in a circular motion in the same direction as the conveyor belt, and a water receiving member disposed below the drain belt.

[0009] According to this belt conveyor, the object is conveyed with the movement of the conveyor belt of the conveyor main body, is handed over (drops) from the end of the conveyor belt onto the drain belt of the water removal unit, and is further conveyed with the rotation of the drain belt. At this time, since the conveyor belt is non-porous, moisture is not actively removed during the conveyance of the object by the conveyor main body. On the other hand, since the drain belt is porous, moisture in the object passes through the drain belt and is received in the water receiving member. As a result, moisture in the object is actively removed. That is, according to this belt conveyor, the object is handed over from the conveyor belt to the drain belt, and the moisture is removed from the object by filtering the moisture with the porous drain belt. Therefore, there is no risk of the object being clogged (squeezed) between the upper and lower belt conveyors, as in the conventional belt conveyor of this type, and even if the object contains foreign matter, it does not hinder the conveyance, and it is possible to appropriately remove moisture from the object at the end of the conveyance. Furthermore, in this belt conveyor, a water removal unit is provided at the end portion of the conveyor main body, i.e., equipment for removing water from the transported material is arranged only at the end portion of the conveyor main body, making the configuration compact.

[0010] [Aspect 2] In the belt conveyor of the first aspect, the draining belt may be inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0011] According to this configuration, the drain belt is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side, so that the moisture contained in the transported goods flows down along the drain belt under its own weight and is filtered, which makes it possible to more effectively remove moisture from the transported goods.

[0012] [Aspect 3] In this case, the drain belt may be inclined at an angle of 1° to 45° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0013] According to this configuration, it is possible to effectively remove moisture from the transported object while maintaining the transport performance of the drain belt for the transported object.

[0014] [Aspect 4] The belt conveyor according to any one of the first to third aspects may be provided with an angle adjustment mechanism capable of changing the inclination angle of the drain belt.

[0015] With this configuration, the inclination angle of the drain belt can be adjusted as desired depending on the final destination position (height) and the type of item being transported, improving convenience when using the belt conveyor.

[0016] [Aspect 5] In the belt conveyor of aspect 4, the conveyor body may include a main body frame that supports the conveying belt so that it can move in a circular motion, the draining unit may include a unit frame that supports the draining belt so that it can move in a circular motion, and the angle adjustment mechanism may be configured to change the inclination angle of the draining unit by displacing the unit frame relative to the main body frame.

[0017] According to this configuration, it is possible to change the inclination angle of the drain belt with a relatively simple configuration of displacing the unit frame relative to the main body frame.

[0018] [Aspect 6] In the belt conveyor of any one of the first to fifth aspects, the moving speed of the drain belt is preferably slower than the moving speed of the transport belt.

[0019] With this configuration, it is possible to secure a longer transport time for the transported material in the water removal unit, in other words, a longer filtering time for water, compared to when the moving speed of the drain belt is the same as the moving speed of the conveyor belt.

[0020] [Aspect 7] The belt conveyor of any of aspects 1 to 6 may be provided with a first belt drive mechanism including a motor as a drive source and driving the conveyor belt, and a second belt drive mechanism that shares the motor as a drive source and drives the drain belt.

[0021] According to this configuration, a rational configuration is achieved in which the conveyor belt of the conveyor body and the draining belt of the water removing unit are driven by a common motor, which contributes to making the belt conveyor 1 compact.

[0022] [Aspect 8] In the belt conveyor of any of aspects 1 to 7, the water removal unit may include a pair of guide members arranged along both sides of the width of the drain belt to guide the transported material from the terminal end of the conveying belt onto the drain belt.

[0023] According to this configuration, it is possible to smoothly transfer (drop) the transported object from the conveyor belt of the conveyor main body to the draining belt of the water removal unit.

[0024] [Aspect 9] The belt conveyor according to any one of the first to eighth aspects may further include a scraper disposed adjacent to a terminal end of the draining belt in the conveying direction to separate the conveyed object from the draining belt.

[0025] According to this configuration, the items can be smoothly separated from the drain belt, improving the transport performance of the items.

[0026] [Aspect 10] In the belt conveyor of any of aspects 1 to 9, the water removal unit may be configured to include a cleaning nozzle arranged inside the drain belt and cleaning the drain belt by spraying cleaning water toward a portion of the drain belt, and the cleaning nozzle may be arranged in a position facing the water receiving member, with a portion of the drain belt in between.

[0027] With this configuration, the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle can remove any deposits or dirt that may have adhered to the draining belt. This can prevent the draining belt from being used with foreign matter still attached that could block the opening. In this case, the removed deposits and the cleaning liquid used for cleaning can be collected in the water receiving member and drained away. Effect of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a belt conveyor that has a compact configuration, can properly remove moisture from the transported goods at the end of the transport, and is less likely to cause problems depending on the type of transported goods. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the side; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the draining unit as viewed from the side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a portion of the draining belt. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the belt conveyor for explaining a conveying operation by the belt conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

[0031] [Overall structure of the belt conveyor] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a belt conveyor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

[0032] The belt conveyor 1 is used, for example, together with a dust remover. The dust remover is a device that separates impurities (screening residue, garbage) from flowing water such as discharged water from rivers and reservoirs and inflow water into sewerage facilities. In this case, the belt conveyor 1 transports the impurities containing moisture that are separated from rivers and the like by the dust remover as a transported object.

[0033] The belt conveyor 1 comprises a conveyor body 2 that mainly conveys the transported object, and a water removal unit 3 that transports the transported object to a final location while filtering the moisture from the transported object. The X direction shown in the figure is a horizontal direction along the transport direction of the transported object, with X1 indicating the upstream side in the transport direction and X2 indicating the downstream side in the transport direction. The Y direction in the figure is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction. In the following description, these directional indicators will be used as appropriate.

[0034] The conveyor main body 2 includes a main body frame 10 extending in the X direction, a tail roller 22A and a head roller 22B arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction and each supported by the main body frame 10, a conveyor belt 23 (transport belt) stretched across both rollers 22A, 22B, and a drive mechanism (referred to as a first belt drive mechanism) that moves the conveyor belt 23 in a circular motion.

[0035] The main body frame 10 is placed on an installation surface via legs 11. More specifically, an installation surface G2 on which the end of the belt conveyor 1 on the X2 side is placed is set lower than an installation surface G1 on which the other end (X1 side) is placed. A height adjustment stand 15 is installed on the installation surface G2, and the main body frame 10 is placed on the installation surface G1 via the legs 11, and is placed on the installation surface G2 via the legs 11 and the height adjustment stand 15.

[0036] The tail roller 22A and the head roller 22B are rollers having the same outer diameter dimension that are both rotatable about an axis extending in the Y direction, and are rotatably supported by the main body frame 10. The head roller 22B is a drive roller that is driven by a motor 26, which will be described later.

[0037] The conveyor belt 23 is an endless, nonporous flat belt made of rubber or resin, and extends in the X direction by being stretched around both rollers 22A, 22B. For example, ribs extending in the Y direction may be protrudingly provided on the surface of the conveyor belt 23 and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Although not shown, support members such as driven rollers that support the conveyor belt 23 from the inside are appropriately arranged on the inside of the conveyor belt 23.

[0038] The first belt drive mechanism includes a motor 26 as a drive source, a sprocket 27 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 26, a sprocket 25 fixed to the roller shaft 24 of the head roller 22B, and a drive chain 28 stretched around both sprockets 25, 27. The head roller 22B is driven by the motor 26 via the sprockets 25, 27 and the drive chain 28, causing the conveyor belt 23 to move in a direction indicated by the dashed arrow in Fig. 1. The movement of the conveyor belt 23 in a circular motion transports the transported object from the X1 side to the X2 side.

[0039] The water removal unit 3 is provided integrally below the end portion on the X2 side of the conveyor main body 2. The water removal unit 3 has a structure similar to that of the conveyor main body 2. That is, the water removal unit 3 includes a unit frame 30 extending in the X direction below the main body frame 10, a tail roller 32A and a head roller 32B arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction and supported by the unit frame 30, a draining belt 33 stretched across both rollers 32A and 32B, and a drive mechanism (referred to as a second belt drive mechanism) that moves the draining belt 33 in a circular motion.

[0040] The tail roller 32A and the head roller 32B are rollers having the same outer diameter dimension that can rotate around an axis extending in the Y direction, and are rotatably supported by the unit frame 30. The outer diameter dimension of each of the rollers 32A, 32B is set to be smaller than that of the rollers 22A, 22B of the conveyor main body 2.

[0041] The draining belt 33 is an endless, porous flat belt. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a part of the draining belt 33. As shown in the figure, the draining belt 33 is made of, for example, a metal mesh belt. The draining belt 33 extends in the X direction by being stretched over both rollers 32A and 32B. In detail, as shown in FIG. 1, the tail roller 32A is disposed on the X1 side with respect to the head roller 22B of the conveyor main body 2, and the head roller 32B is disposed on the X2 side. As a result, the draining belt 33 extends in the X direction below the conveyor belt 23 so as to straddle the terminal end (referred to as terminal position P1) of the conveyor belt 23 on the X2 side. That is, the draining belt 33 is disposed so as to be able to receive the transported object that falls from the conveyor belt 23 at the terminal position P1. Although not shown, a support member such as a driven roller that supports the conveyor belt 23 from the inside is appropriately disposed inside the conveyor belt 23.

[0042] The second belt drive mechanism is configured to share the motor 26 as a drive source. That is, the second belt drive mechanism includes a sprocket 37 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 26, a sprocket 35 fixed to the roller shaft 34 of the head roller 32B, and a drive chain 38 stretched around both sprockets 35 and 37. The head roller 32B is driven by the motor 26 via the sprockets 35 and 37 and the drive chain 38, so that the drain belt 33 moves in a direction indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 1, i.e., in the same direction as the conveyor belt 23. Due to the rotation of the drain belt 33, the transported object that has fallen onto the drain belt 33 from the conveyor belt 23 is transported from the X1 side to the X2 side. The second belt drive mechanism is configured or controlled so that the moving speed of the drain belt 33 is slower than the moving speed of the conveyor belt 23.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water removal unit 3 further includes an apron 14, a water receiving member 40, a scraper 46, a cleaning nozzle 45, and a duct 48.

[0044] The aprons 14 are disposed above the draining belt 33 along both sides in the width direction (both sides in the Y direction) of the draining belt 33. The aprons 14 are guide members that guide the transported articles that drop from the conveyor belt 23 onto the draining belt 33 at the terminal position P1.

[0045] The water receiving member 40 is a funnel-shaped member that collects water that permeates the draining belt 33 and drips from the transported object. The water receiving member 40 has a rectangular receiving mouth that opens upward in a plan view, and collects water dripping from the transported object through the receiving mouth. A drain pipe 41 is connected to the bottom of the water receiving member 40, and the collected water is discharged through the drain pipe 41.

[0046] The scraper 46 is disposed below the head roller 32B. The scraper 46 is a spatula-shaped member extending in the Y direction along the head roller 32B. The scraper 46 scrapes off deposits on the conveyor belt 23 when the draining belt 33 reverses direction at the terminal end (referred to as terminal position P2) on the X2 side of the draining belt 33.

[0047] The cleaning nozzle 45 is disposed inside the drain belt 33 at a position facing the water receiving member 40. The cleaning nozzle 45 sprays cleaning water toward the water receiving member 40, and removes deposits and dirt from the drain belt 33 by the pressure of the cleaning water.

[0048] The duct 48 is a guide member that guides the transported objects that drop from the drain belt 33 at the end position P2 of the drain belt 33 and the attached objects removed from the drain belt 33 by the scraper 46 to a container 50 arranged on the installation surface G2. In this example, the duct 48 has a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section that penetrates in the vertical direction. The container 50 is a transported object storage box that is placed on the installation surface G2 and opens upward.

[0049] The apron 14, the water receiving member 40, the scraper 46, the washing nozzle 45 and the duct 48 are all fixed directly or indirectly to the unit frame 30.

[0050] The belt conveyor 1 further includes an angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the angle of the conveying surface of the conveyed object on the draining belt 33. More specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the water removal unit 3 is supported at the X1 side end of the unit frame 30 by a bracket 10a provided on the main frame 10 via a support shaft 30a. This allows the water removal unit 3 to swing around an axis extending in the Y direction with the support shaft 30a as a fulcrum. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the draining unit as seen from the side.

[0051] On the other hand, the end of the unit frame 30 on the X2 side is provided with a bracket 31 equipped with a nut member 42. The nut member 42 is held by the bracket 31 via a universal joint, and a screw shaft 43 extending in the vertical direction provided on the main frame 10 is screwed into the nut member 42. With this configuration, when the nut member 42 is rotated, the end of the unit frame 30 on the X2 side is displaced in the vertical direction along the screw shaft 43 with the support shaft 30a as a fulcrum, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3. As a result, the inclination angle of the entire water removal unit 3 changes, and the angle of the conveying surface of the draining belt 33 can be adjusted.

[0052] In the example of Figure 1, the conveying surface of the conveyor belt 23 of the conveyor main body 2 and the conveying surface of the drain belt 33 of the water removal unit 3 are both approximately horizontal, but in actual use, the inclination angle of the water removal unit 3 is adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism so that the conveying surface of the drain belt 33 is inclined upward from the X1 side (upstream side) toward the X2 side (downstream side) as shown by the solid line in Figure 3, for example, so that it is inclined within a range of 1° to 45° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0053] 1, reference numeral 12 denotes a box-shaped housing 12 that substantially entirely surrounds the conveyor main body 2. An opening is provided in the ceiling wall of the housing 12 near the tail roller 22A, and the position of the opening is set as the input position P0 of the transported object relative to the belt conveyor 1. In addition, an opening is provided in the bottom wall of the housing 12 at a position on the X2 side from the center of the head roller 22B, which allows the transported object to fall from the conveyor belt 23 onto the drain belt 33.

[0054] The inner bottom surface of the housing 12 is inclined downward from the X2 side toward the X1 side, and the end of the inner bottom surface on the X1 side is provided with a water collecting section 13. That is, moisture released from the transported object during transport by the conveyor belt 23 flows down along the inner bottom surface of the housing 12 to the X1 side, and is collected in the water collecting section 13 and drained.

[0055] [Conveying operation by belt conveyor 1] 5 is a schematic diagram of the belt conveyor 1 for explaining the conveying operation of the belt conveyor 1. The white arrows in the figure indicate the movement of the conveyed objects. As mentioned above, the conveyed objects are impurities containing moisture that are separated from rivers and the like by a dust removal device.

[0056] The transported object is dropped onto the conveyor belt 23 of the conveyor main body 2 at the input position P0. The dropped object is transported from the X1 side to the X2 side by the drive of the conveyor belt 23, and falls from the conveyor belt 23 onto the drain belt 33 of the water removal unit 3 at the end position P1 of the conveyor belt 23. Since the drain belt 33 is porous, the moisture in the transported object permeates the drain belt 33 and flows down to the water receiving member 40 (hatched arrow in the figure). In other words, the moisture in the transported object is filtered by the drain belt 33 and collected by the water receiving member 40 and drained.

[0057] The transported object is transported from the X1 side to the X2 side by the drive of the drain belt 33, and at the terminal position P2 of the drain belt 33, falls from the drain belt 33 through the duct 48 and is stored in the container 50.

[0058] [effect] As described above, the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment includes the conveyor body 2 including the endless, nonporous conveyor belt 23 that extends and moves in the X direction (the conveying direction of the conveyed object), and the water removal unit 3 provided at the end portion of the conveyor body 2 in the X-axis direction. The water removal unit 3 is disposed below the end position P1 (end portion) of the conveyor belt 23 in the X direction, and includes an endless, porous drain belt 33 that extends in the X direction and moves in the same direction as the conveyor belt 23, and a water receiving member 40 disposed below the drain belt 33.

[0059] According to the configuration of the belt conveyor 1, as described above, the conveyed object is conveyed with the movement of the conveyor belt 23 of the conveyor main body 2, and is handed over (dropped) from the terminal position P1 of the conveyor belt 23 to the drain belt 33 of the water removal unit 3, and is stored in the container 50 via the drain belt 33. At this time, since the conveyor belt 23 is non-porous, moisture is not actively removed during the conveyance of the conveyed object by the conveyor main body 2. On the other hand, since the drain belt 33 is porous, moisture in the conveyed object is actively removed from the conveyed object by filtering it with the drain belt 33. For this reason, there is no risk of the conveyed object being clogged (squeezed) between the upper and lower belt conveyors, as in the conventional belt conveyor of this type, and even if the conveyed object contains foreign matter, it does not hinder the conveyance, and it is possible to properly remove moisture from the conveyed object at the end of the conveyance. Moreover, in this belt conveyor 1, the water removal unit 3 is arranged at the end part of the conveyor main body 2, that is, the equipment for removing moisture from the conveyed object is arranged only at the end part of the conveyor main body 2, so the configuration is compact.

[0060] Therefore, according to the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, it is possible to provide a belt conveyor that has a compact configuration, can appropriately remove moisture from the transported object toward the end of the transport, and is less likely to cause problems depending on the type of transported object.

[0061] Moreover, the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment is provided with an angle adjustment mechanism capable of changing the inclination angle of the conveying surface of the draining belt 33. Therefore, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the inclination angle of the draining belt 33 according to the position (height) of the final destination and the type of the conveyed object, improving the convenience of using the belt conveyor 1.

[0062] In particular, when the conveying surface of the drain belt 33 is inclined upward from the X1 side (upstream side) toward the X2 side (downstream side), the moisture contained in the transported goods flows down along the drain belt 33 due to its own weight, making it possible to more effectively remove moisture from the transported goods.

[0063] In the embodiment, the inclination angle of the drain belt is within the range of 1° to 45° with respect to the horizontal plane. This is because if it is less than 1°, it is difficult to promote the flow of water down from the transported goods, and if it exceeds 45°, the transported goods are likely to slip off the drain belt 33.

[0064] In the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, the angle adjustment mechanism is configured to change the inclination angle of the water removal unit 3 itself by displacing (swinging) the unit frame 30 of the water removal unit 3 relative to the main body frame 10 of the conveyor main body 2. Therefore, with a relatively simple configuration in which the unit frame 30 is displaced relative to the main body frame 10, the inclination angle of the drain belt 33 can be changed.

[0065] The belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment includes a first belt drive mechanism for driving the conveyor belt 23 of the conveyor body 2 and a second belt drive mechanism for driving the draining belt 33 of the water removal unit 3, and both drive mechanisms are configured to share a single motor 26 as a drive source. Therefore, according to the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, a rational configuration is achieved in which the conveyor belt 23 and the draining belt 33 are driven by the common motor 26, which contributes to making the belt conveyor 1 compact.

[0066] In the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, the second belt drive mechanism is configured or controlled so that the moving speed of the drain belt 33 is slower than the moving speed of the conveyor belt 23. Therefore, it is possible to secure a longer transport time of the transported object in the water removing unit 3, in other words, a longer filtering time of the water, compared with the case where the moving speed of the drain belt 33 and the moving speed of the conveyor belt 23 are equal. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably remove the water from the transported object.

[0067] In the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, the water removal unit 3 is provided with aprons 14 (guide members) that are arranged along both sides of the drain belt 33 in the width direction and can guide the transported objects that drop from the terminal position P1 of the conveyor belt 23 onto the drain belt 33. This makes it possible to smoothly transfer (drop) the transported objects from the conveyor belt 23 to the drain belt 33.

[0068] The belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment is provided with a scraper 46 disposed adjacent to the end position P2 of the drain belt 33 in the X direction to separate the transported object from the drain belt 33. This allows the transported object to be smoothly separated from the water removal unit 3, thereby improving the transport performance of the transported object.

[0069] In the belt conveyor 1 of the embodiment, the water removal unit 3 includes a washing nozzle 45 that is disposed inside the drain belt 33 and sprays washing water toward a part of the drain belt, and the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle can remove deposits and dirt on the drain belt. This makes it possible to prevent the drain belt 33 from being used with foreign matter attached thereto that may block the opening of the drain belt 33.

[0070] In this case, the cleaning nozzle 45 is positioned opposite the water receiving member 40 across a portion of the drain belt 33, so that the removed deposits and the cleaning liquid used for cleaning can be collected by the water receiving member 40 while being drained, which is efficient.

[0071] [Variations] The belt conveyor 1 described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the belt conveyor according to the present invention, and the specific configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following configurations can be applied.

[0072] (1) In the embodiment, the conveyor body 2 has a configuration in which the conveyor belt 23 is stretched only around the tail roller 22A and the head roller 22B, but the conveyor belt 23 may be further stretched around a snub roller for increasing the winding angle of the conveyor belt 23 with respect to the tail roller 22A and the head roller 22B. The conveyor belt 23 may also be stretched around a tension roller for pulling the conveyor belt 23. In short, the conveyor body 2 may be provided with various rollers for smoothly moving the conveyor belt 23 around in relation to the conveyed object. This is also true for the drain belt 33 of the water removal unit 3.

[0073] (2) Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the conveyor belt 23 may be a belt with chains and configured to mesh with sprockets attached to the rollers 22A and 22B. This also applies to the drain belt 33 of the water removing unit 3.

[0074] (3) In the embodiment, the screw shaft 43 provided on the main frame 10 is screwed into the nut member 42 of the water removal unit 3. However, a screw shaft may be provided on the height adjustment table 15, and the screw shaft may be screwed into the nut member 42. Also, in the embodiment, the water removal unit 3 is supported by the bracket 10a of the main frame 10 via the support shaft 30a so as to be swingable. However, a bracket may be provided on the height adjustment table 15, and the water removal unit 3 may be supported by the bracket so as to be swingable via the support shaft. In short, as long as the angle of the conveying surface of the drain belt 33 can be adjusted, the specific configuration of the angle adjustment mechanism is not limited to that of the embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Conveyor belt 2 Conveyor body 3 Water removal unit 10 Main frame 14 Apron (guide part) 22A Tail roller 22B Head roller 23 Conveyor belt (transport belt) 26 Motor 30 Unit Frame 32A Tail roller 32B Head roller 40 Water receiving member 46 Scraper 47 Duct 50 Container

Claims

1. A conveyor body including an endless, non-porous conveyor belt that extends in a conveying direction of an object to be conveyed and moves in a circular motion; A water removal unit is provided at an end portion of the conveyor body in the conveying direction, The water removal unit comprises: an endless porous drain belt disposed below a terminal end of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, extending along the conveying direction and rotating in the same direction as the conveyor belt; A belt conveyor comprising a water receiving member disposed below the drain belt.

2. The belt conveyor according to claim 1, The drain belt is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction.

3. The belt conveyor according to claim 2, The drain belt is inclined at an angle of 1° to 45° with respect to a horizontal plane.

4. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A belt conveyor equipped with an angle adjustment mechanism capable of changing the inclination angle of the drain belt.

5. The belt conveyor according to claim 4, The conveyor body includes a body frame that supports the conveyor belt so as to be capable of circulating therethrough, The draining unit includes a unit frame that supports the draining belt so as to be rotatable, A belt conveyor, wherein the angle adjustment mechanism changes the inclination angle of the draining unit by displacing the unit frame relative to the main body frame.

6. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A belt conveyor, wherein the moving speed of the drain belt is slower than the moving speed of the transport belt.

7. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a first belt driving mechanism including a motor as a driving source and configured to drive the conveyor belt; a second belt drive mechanism that uses the motor as a drive source and drives the drain belt.

8. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The water removal unit is a belt conveyor comprising a pair of guide members arranged along both sides of the width of the drain belt and guiding the transported material from the terminal end of the conveying belt onto the drain belt.

9. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A belt conveyor comprising a scraper disposed adjacent to an end of the drainage belt in the conveying direction to separate the conveyed object from the drainage belt.

10. The belt conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The water removal unit includes a cleaning nozzle disposed inside the draining belt and configured to spray cleaning water toward a portion of the draining belt to clean the draining belt, The cleaning nozzle is disposed at a position facing the water receiving member with a portion of the drain belt interposed therebetween.

Images