Balance Net

Abstract

To provide a balance net with little breakage, easy in repair and replacement of parts at site, economical by recycling of the parts, causing little labor for manufacturing and having a high width accuracy.SOLUTION: A balance net has multiple spirally formed spiral lines and multiple linear rib lines penetrating through inner spaces of the spirals of two adjacent spiral lines in the multiple spiral lines. Each of the multiple rib lines has a first projection arranged at each of both end parts and a second projection arranged with an interval from the first projection. Each of the first and second projections can pass through the inner spaces formed by the spirals of the spiral lines. Both end parts of each of the multiple spiral lines are connected to the rib lines between the first and second projections.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor belt made of metal wire, and more specifically to a balance net having a spiral wire formed by bending a metal wire into a spiral shape and a straight force wire passing through the spiral of the spiral wire. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in shellfish farming, washing machines for cleaning farmed shellfish and cages generally use conveyor belts made of a metal mesh such as stainless steel (for example, the device described in Patent Document 1). A balance net, a type of metal conveyor belt, is made up of multiple spiral wires formed by bending stainless steel wire into a spiral shape and a force wire. The multiple spiral wires are arranged with right-handed spiral wires and left-handed spiral wires alternately. Two adjacent spiral wires are connected to each other by a single force wire that is bent into a wave shape and passed through the internal space of the spiral. The spiral wire and the force wire are usually connected by welding the ends of the spiral wire to the force wire (welding process), or by bending the end of the force wire and wrapping it around the adjacent force wire, and then winding the spiral wire around the force wire (bending process). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-23592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, in a washing machine for cleaning scallop culture cages, high-pressure water is sprayed onto the cages on a balance net to remove foreign objects from the cages. Conventional balance nets often vibrate when hit by high-pressure water, resulting in damage. Specifically, balance nets made by welding often suffer breakage at the welded points due to vibration. Furthermore, balance nets made by bending often break at the small bending radius of the rib wires, causing breakage from there.

[0005] Furthermore, from the perspective of repairing balance nets (for example, replacing worn spiral wires), welding processes that require stainless steel welding are impossible for workers (fishermen) to perform on-site. In the case of bending, it is possible to stretch and pull out the bent force wires, but once stretched, the force wires are fragile and are likely to break if reused. For this reason, the force wires are generally cut and discarded without being reused, which is uneconomical because two force wires are discarded every time one spiral wire is replaced.

[0006] Furthermore, with conventional balance nets, long wires are prepared, and the wires are manually combined with the spiral wires one by one, and then the wires are cut and bent. This makes the production process time-consuming and the width of the produced balance net varies depending on the location.

[0007] To provide a balance net which is less prone to breakage, is easy to repair or replace parts on site, is economical because parts can be reused, does not require much labor to manufacture, and has high width accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The balance net according to the present invention comprises a plurality of spiral wires formed in a helical shape and a plurality of linear force bone wires, each of which penetrates the internal space of two adjacent spiral wires in the plurality of spiral wires. Each of the plurality of force bone wires has a first protrusion disposed at each end thereof and a second protrusion disposed at a distance from the first protrusion. Both the first protrusion and the second protrusion are capable of passing through the internal space formed by the spiral wires. Both ends of each of the plurality of spiral wires are connected to the force bone wire between the first protrusion and the second protrusion. In one embodiment, both ends of each of the plurality of spiral wires can be connected to the force bone wire by being wound around the force bone wire between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

[0009] In one embodiment, the distance between the first and second protrusions is preferably set so that the end of each of the spiral wires is sandwiched between the first and second protrusions, thereby restricting movement of each of the spiral wires along the force bone line. In another embodiment, the distance between the two second protrusions is preferably set so that the two second protrusions arranged on each of the spiral wires abut against the spiral wire, thereby restricting movement of each of the spiral wires along the force bone line.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first and second protrusions can be circular or polygonal disks attached to each of the multiple force bone wires. In another embodiment, the first and second protrusions can be protrusions formed by machining each of the force bone wires. In yet another embodiment, the first and second protrusions can be flanges formed by expanding both ends of a pipe, and the pipe can be attached to each of the multiple force bone wires. In yet another embodiment, the first and second protrusions can be flanges formed by cutting out a round bar, and the round bar can be attached to each of the multiple force bone wires. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 shows a balance net according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a diagram showing the overall structure, (b) is a partially enlarged perspective view of a state in which a force frame wire penetrates the internal space of two adjacent spiral wires with different spiral directions, and (c) is a partially enlarged view of the balance net as seen from the end side in the width direction. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged view of both ends of a balance net according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing how two plates provided at both ends of the force frame wire restrict the movement of the spiral wire along the length of the force frame wire. [Figure 3] This shows the deviation of the spiral line that occurs when a straight force frame line is used instead of a wavy force frame line in a conventional balance net. [Figure 4] 10A-10C show various configurations of protrusions that can be used in a balance net according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a balance net 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) is a diagram illustrating the overall structure of the balance net 1. In this figure, intermediate portions in the length and width directions are omitted. FIG. 1(b) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a force frame wire penetrating the internal space of two adjacent spiral wires with different spiral directions. FIG. 1(c) is a partially enlarged view of the balance net 1 as viewed from the end side in the width direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1(b)). While FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) only show a portion of one end in the width direction, the other portion of that end and the other end have a similar structure. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of both ends of the balance net 1, showing how two plates provided at both ends of the force frame wire restrict movement of the spiral wire along the length of the force frame wire.

[0014] The balance net 1 includes multiple spiral wires 2 and multiple force frame wires 3. The spiral wires 2 are formed by bending a metal wire into a spiral shape. When viewed from one end (1a or 1b) of the balance net 1, right-handed (or left-handed) spiral wires 21 and left-handed (or right-handed) spiral wires 22 with the opposite spiral direction are alternately arranged side by side. As shown in FIG. 1(c), each of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) is preferably spirally formed so as to have an internal space 23 that appears to be approximately oval or elliptical when viewed from the end side in the width direction of the balance net 1 (e.g., the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1(b)). The ends 21a, 21b, 22a, and 22b of the spiral wires 21 and 22 are wound around the force frame wire 3 and connected to it.

[0015] The spiral wires 2 (21, 22) preferably have a wire diameter of 2 mm to 3 mm, but are not limited thereto. A thin spiral wire is lightweight and easy to process, but is prone to breakage due to wear, while a thick spiral wire is less prone to breakage but is heavy and difficult to process. Therefore, the wire diameter of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) is appropriately selected taking these advantages and disadvantages into consideration. The length of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) is not limited and is appropriately determined according to the width of the balance net 1, which is set depending on the application. The apparent width of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) when viewed from the end side of the balance net 1 in the width direction (for example, the direction of arrow A in Figure 1(b)) (the length in the major axis direction of the approximately oval or approximately elliptical shape) is not limited, but can be 35 mm to 45 mm. The spiral wires 2 (21, 22) are preferably made of stainless steel, but are not limited thereto, from the viewpoints of strength and corrosion resistance.

[0016] The force bone wires 3 are straight metal wires. One force bone wire 3 passes through the internal spaces 23 of both adjacent two spiral wires 21, 22. As can be seen from FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c), one force bone wire 3 passes through the portion where the longitudinal end of one spiral wire 21 in the internal space 23 and the corresponding longitudinal end of the other spiral wire 22 in the internal space 23 overlap when viewed from the direction of ends 1a and 1b of the balance net 1.

[0017] The wire diameter of the force frame wires 3 is not restricted as long as they pass inside the bent portions of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22), and any wire diameter that provides sufficient strength can be freely selected. In one embodiment, the wire diameter can be, for example, 4 mm. In contrast, in conventional balance nets, the force frame wires are manually processed into a corrugated shape, making it difficult to increase the wire diameter, resulting in strength problems. The length of the force frame wires 3 is appropriately determined according to the length of the spiral wire 2. The center-to-center spacing of two adjacent force frame wires 3 is not limited, but when used in an aquaculture cage cleaning machine, for example, it is preferably 20 mm to 30 mm to prevent parts of the ropes or nets of the aquaculture cages to be cleaned from falling through the meshes of the net. The force frame wires 3 are preferably made of stainless steel, although this is not limited, from the standpoints of strength and corrosion resistance.

[0018] Protrusions are provided on both ends 3a, 3b of the force frame wire 3. An outer disk 4a is provided as a first protrusion on one end 3a of the force frame wire 3, and similarly, an outer disk 4b is provided on the other end 3b. The outer disks 4a, 4b function as retaining members that prevent the spiral wire 2 wound around the force frame wire 3 from coming off the force frame wire 3, as will be described later.

[0019] An inner disc 5a is provided as a second protrusion at a predetermined interval on the inside of the outer disc 4a (toward the other end 3b of the force frame wire 3). Similarly, an inner disc 5b is provided at a predetermined interval on the inside of the outer disc 4b (toward one end 3a of the force frame wire 3). The distances between the outer disc 4a and the inner disc 5a, the distance between the outer disc 4b and the inner disc 5b, and the distance between the two inner discs 5a are set so as to prevent the spiral wire 2 from shifting to one side. This point will be described later.

[0020] The outer diameters of the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b are determined so that they can pass through the internal space 23 of the spiral wire 2. Preferably, they are set smaller than the apparent minor axis length when the internal space 23 is viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1(b). Setting the outer diameters of the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b in this manner facilitates inserting the force frame wire 3, to which the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b are attached, into and removing it from the internal space 23 of the spiral wire 2 during fabrication or repair of the balance net 1. In one embodiment, the outer diameters of the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b can be, for example, 9 mm. The thicknesses of the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b are not particularly limited.

[0021] The shapes of the outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b are not limited, and for example, disks with a circular or polygonal outer diameter can be used as appropriate. In this embodiment, the protrusions are formed by fixing the separately prepared outer disks 4a, 4b and the inner disks 5a, 5b to the force frame wire 3 by welding or crimping, but the present invention is not limited to this. Other embodiments of the protrusions will be described later.

[0022] The balance net 1 is assembled as follows. First, multiple spiral wires 2 (21, 22) are arranged roughly parallel to each other, with the spiral directions of adjacent spiral wires 21 and 22 opposite to each other. Adjacent spiral wires 21 and 22 are brought together, and the force frame wire 3 is passed through the overlapping internal space 23. At this time, the outer diameters of the outer disks 4a, 4b and inner disks 5a, 5b are set so that they can pass through the internal space 23, allowing the force frame wire 3 to pass smoothly through the internal space 23.

[0023] When the end of the force frame wire 3 emerges from the opposite side of the spiral wires 21 and 22, end 21a of spiral wire 21 is wound between the outer disk 4a and inner disk 5a of the force frame wire 3, and end 21b is wound between the outer disk 4b and inner disk 5b, as shown in Figure 2. Similarly, end 22a of spiral wire 22 adjacent to spiral wire 21 is wound between the outer disk 4a and inner disk 5a of the adjacent force frame wire 3, and end 22b is wound between the outer disk 4b and inner disk 5b. This winding makes the outer disks 4a and 4b function as stoppers that prevent the spiral wires 21 and 22 from slipping out of the force frame wire 3.

[0024] The balance net 1 is assembled by repeating the above-described process for all of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) and the force frame wires 3. Finally, the assembled balance net 1 is pulled in its longitudinal direction, so that the force frame wires 3 are positioned inside the bent portions of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22), completing the balance net 1. For repairs, the force frame wires 3 can be easily pulled out of the internal space 23 of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) by opening the ends 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b of the spiral wires 2 (21, 22) wound around the force frame wires 3. This facilitates on-site repairs and part replacement, and allows the force frame wires to be reused.

[0025] One of the features of the balance net of the present invention is that it can use straight force frame wires. In this regard, conventional balance nets use wavy force frame wires to prevent the spiral wires from shifting to one side. That is, in conventional balance nets, the bends of the spiral wires are located in the valleys of the wavy force frame wires, which reduces the movement of the spiral wires in the longitudinal direction of the force frame wires and makes it less likely for the spiral wires to shift to one side. However, when straight force frame wires are used instead of wavy force frame wires in a conventional balance net, as shown in the example of a bent balance net in Figure 3, adjacent spiral wires are shifted by the distance between the spirals (one turn), which results in the balance net as a whole shifting to one end of its original width or meandering in the width direction.

[0026] In contrast, the balance net of the present invention has two plates (protrusions) at both ends of each of the multiple force frame wires, and the plates are spaced at an appropriate distance to prevent the spiral wire from moving along the force frame wires, i.e., to prevent the balance net from becoming misaligned or meandering. Specifically, in the case of balance net 1, as shown in FIG. 2, end 21a of spiral wire 21 is sandwiched between outer plate 4a and inner plate 5a of force frame wire 3, and end 21b of spiral wire 21 is sandwiched between outer plate 4b and inner plate 5b. The distances between outer plate 4a and inner plate 5a and between outer plate 4b and inner plate 5b are set so as to restrict the movement of end 21a and end 21b. The same applies to spiral wire 22. In one embodiment, the distance between outer plate 4a, 4b and inner plate 5a, 5b, can be, for example, 6 mm to 7 mm.

[0027] Furthermore, even if the spiral wire 22 adjacent to the spiral wire 21 shifts upward in FIG. 2 along the force frame wire 3, the vicinity of portion 22c of the spiral wire 22 (specifically, on or near the inside of the bent portion of the spiral) abuts against the inner disc 5a of the force frame wire 3 around which the spiral wire 21 is wound, restricting further movement. Similarly, even if the spiral wire 22 adjacent to the spiral wire 21 shifts downward in FIG. 2 along the force frame wire 3, the vicinity of portion 22d of the spiral wire 22 (specifically, on or near the inside of the bent portion of the spiral) abuts against the inner disc 5b, restricting further movement. The distance between the inner discs 5a and 5b is set so that the inner discs 5a and 5b can restrict the movement of the adjacent spiral wire 2.

[0028] In this way, the ends 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b of the spiral wire 2 (21, 22) are sandwiched between two plates, i.e., the outer plates 4a, 4b and the inner plates 5a, 5b, and / or the portions 21c, 21d, 22c, 22d of the spiral wire 2 (21, 22) abut against the inner plates 5a, 5b, thereby restricting the movement of the spiral wire 2 (21, 22) along the length of the force frame wire 3, and as a result, preventing the balance net 1 from shifting or meandering.

[0029] Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the protrusions provided on the force frame wire 3. In each case, only one end of the force frame wire 3 is shown. Figure 4(a) shows the force frame wire 3 itself, with two ends thereof thickened by pressing or forging to form protrusions 4a and 5a corresponding to the outer and inner disks 4a and 5a in Figure 1. The same applies to the other end of the force frame wire 3.

[0030] Figure 4(b) shows a pipe with flanged ends attached to the end of the force frame wire 3. The two flanges 4a and 5a correspond to the outer and inner disks 4a and 5a in Figure 1. The same is true for the other end of the force frame wire 3.

[0031] In Figure 4(c), a round bar is machined (for example, by cutting) to form protrusions 4a and 5a on both ends, and the machined round bar is attached to the end of the force frame wire 3. The two protrusions 4a and 5a correspond to the outer disc 4a and inner disc 5a in Figure 1. The same is true for the other end of the force frame wire 3.

[0032] The protrusions shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the protrusions shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c) can be combined as needed. For example, the protrusions shown in Figures 1 to 3 can be provided at one end of the force frame wire, and the discharge portion shown in Figure 4(c) can be provided at the other end. Alternatively, the protrusions provided on the outside of both ends of the force frame wire can be outer disks shown in Figures 1 to 3, and the protrusions in the form of Figure 4(a) can be provided instead of the inner disks used in Figures 1 to 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Balance Net 2 Spiral wire 21, 22 Right-handed spiral wire or left-handed spiral wire 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b ends 22c, 22d Contact area with inner disc 23 Interior Space 3. Power bone line 3a, 3b ends 4a, 4b Outer disc (first protrusion) 5a, 5b Inner disc (second protrusion)

Claims

1. a plurality of spiral lines formed in a helical shape; a plurality of linear force lines each penetrating an internal space of a spiral of two adjacent spiral lines among the plurality of spiral lines; Equipped with The plurality of force bone wires are arranged as independent members, Each of the plurality of force ribs is provided with a first protrusion disposed at each of both ends and capable of passing through the internal space, and a second protrusion disposed at a distance from the first protrusion and capable of passing through the internal space, Both ends of each of the plurality of spiral wires are connected to the force frame wire between the first protrusion and the second protrusion. Balance net.

2. The balance net of claim 1, wherein the distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion is set so that the end of each of the plurality of spiral lines is sandwiched between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby restricting movement of each of the plurality of spiral lines along the force axis.

3. 3. The balance net according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between the two second protrusions is set so that the two second protrusions arranged on each of the plurality of force bone lines abut against the spiral line, thereby restricting movement of each of the plurality of spiral lines along the force bone line.

4. The balance net according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein both ends of each of the plurality of spiral wires are connected to the force bone wire by being wound around the force bone wire between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

5. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are either a circular or polygonal disk attached to each of the plurality of force frame wires, a protrusion formed by processing each of the force frame wires, a flange formed by expanding both ends of a pipe attached to each of the plurality of force frame wires, or a flange formed by cutting out a round bar attached to each of the plurality of force frame wires, or a combination thereof. A balance net according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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