Control device for supplying lubricant to a floating belt conveyor

Abstract

To provide a sliding material supply control device for a levitating belt conveyor that enables stable running of the belt levitating in the belt support trough.SOLUTION: A sliding material supply control device 50 for a levitating belt conveyor is arranged on a conveyor 10 having a looped belt 12 spanning the head pulley and the tail pulley and tubular belt bearing troughs 20, 30 arranged in the conveying direction of the belt and running with the belt levitating on the lower inner surface of the troughs, and is used to supply sliding material to the belt surface, including: sliding material supply means for supplying sliding material to either the lower belt surface of the trough on the carrier side or the upper belt surface of the trough on the return side; a temperature sensor 82 for measuring the temperature of a fluid coupling in the drive part of the conveyor; a current sensor 84 for measuring the current value of a drive motor in the drive part; and control means 86 for controlling the supply of sliding material from the sliding material supply means when the measured values of the temperature sensor and the current sensor exceed a set value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lubricant supply control device for a floating belt conveyor that is disposed in a floating belt conveyor that floats and runs a belt in a belt support trough and supplies a lubricant to a belt surface facing the lower inner peripheral surface of the belt support trough.

Background Art

[0002] A floating belt conveyor that conveys a conveyed object while floating the belt by supplying air to the lower surface of the belt is used. This floating belt conveyor has less wear due to the sliding between the roller and the belt compared to a roller-type belt conveyor, and the belt can have a longer service life. However, the belt contains a bloom of an anti-aging agent, and in addition to aging deterioration, it may seep out onto the belt surface depending on usage conditions (impact resistance, ambient temperature and humidity, etc.), storage conditions (ambient temperature and humidity, storage period, etc.), and manufacturing conditions (vulcanization conditions, cooling conditions, etc.). Then, the bloom that seeps out onto the belt surface adheres to the trough during operation, increasing the friction with the trough, and the conveyor falls into an overload state where the driving power of the conveyor jumps. As a result, as the required torque increases, the oil in the fluid coupling that forms part of the driving section of the conveyor is heated, and the temperature fuse plug, which is a coupling protection device, may melt, leading to equipment stoppage. Conventionally, in order to reduce the frictional resistance that occurs when driving the belt inside the trough, a lubricant has been applied to the belt surface facing the lower inner peripheral surface of the trough. A specific method for supplying the lubricant is, for example, disclosed in Patent Document 1, which provides a temperature sensor for measuring the surface temperature on the lower surface side of the belt in the trough, and a control unit for controlling the mixing amount of混入 a powder or liquid low-friction body into the air supplied to the lower surface of the belt based on the measured value of the temperature sensor, thereby reducing the sliding resistance and frictional resistance between the belt and the lower inner peripheral surface.

[0003] However, in the conveyor described in Patent Document 1, the surface temperature of the underside of the belt is measured, making it susceptible to ambient temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, due to heat diffusion in the structure and the fact that the belt is floating, it is not possible to accurately detect temperature increases caused by bloom adhesion. In addition, it is difficult to determine whether frictional resistance is occurring due to bloom adhesion when measuring the surface temperature of the belt. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-105761 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is, in view of the problems of the prior art described above, to provide a sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor that can accurately detect an increase in the friction coefficient of a belt floating in a belt support trough and achieve stable operation. Furthermore, the invention aims to provide a sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor that can prevent abnormal overheating of the fluid couplings that constitute the drive unit of the conveyor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a first means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, which is arranged on a floating belt conveyor that comprises a loop-shaped belt stretched over a head pulley and a tail pulley, and a cylindrical belt support trough arranged in the direction of conveying the belt, and which causes the belt to float and run on the lower inner circumferential surface of the belt support trough, and which supplies a sliding material to the belt surface. A sliding material supply means for supplying the sliding material to either the lower surface of the belt of the belt support trough on the carrier side or the upper surface of the belt of the belt support trough on the return side, A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fluid coupling in the drive unit of the floating belt conveyor, A current sensor for measuring the current value of the drive motor of the aforementioned drive unit, The objective is to provide a sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized by comprising a control means that controls the supply of the sliding material from the sliding material supply means when the measured values ​​of the temperature sensor and the current sensor exceed a set value. According to the first method described above, the temperature sensor and current sensor can accurately detect when bloom adheres to the belt surface, increasing the coefficient of friction, and when the torque of the fluid coupling increases. Furthermore, by controlling the supply amount of lubricant based on the measurements of temperature and current sensors, friction between the belt and trough can be reduced, allowing for stable operation and improved productivity.

[0007] As a second means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a lubricant supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that, in the first means, the lubricant supply means includes a spray unit that sprays the liquid lubricant toward the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface. According to the second method described above, the lubricant can be supplied directly and efficiently to the belt surface without waste, compared to mixing it with compressed air used to levitate the belt. Because the lubricant is liquid, it is easier to handle than powder and does not scatter, thus not degrading the work environment. In addition, liquid lubricant adheres better to the belt surface than powder, allowing it to exert its lubricating effect.

[0008] As a third means to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that, in the first means, the sliding material supply means includes a coating unit that applies the sliding material via a rotating body that contacts and is driven by the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough, or the upper surface of the belt at the inlet and outlet of the return-side belt support trough. According to the third method described above, the lubricant can be applied to the belt surface by directly (physically) contacting it with a simple configuration of a brush or mop that is in contact with and driven by the moving belt surface.

[0009] As a fourth means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a first means wherein the lubricant supply means includes a spraying unit that sprays liquid lubricant onto the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface, and an application unit that applies lubricant via a rotating body that contacts and is driven by a rotating body that contacts the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough, or the upper surface of the belt at the inlet and outlet of the return-side belt support trough. The objective is to provide a lubricant supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that the lubricant is applied by the coating unit after being sprayed by the spraying unit. According to the fourth method described above, by spraying a liquid lubricant, the belt surface becomes wet, making it easier for the powdered lubricant to adhere, and thus the lubricant can be applied efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This invention allows for accurate detection of increased friction coefficient due to bloom adhering to the belt surface and increased torque in the fluid coupling using temperature and current sensors. By controlling the supply amount of lubricant based on the measurements of the temperature and current sensors, friction between the belt and trough can be reduced regardless of ambient temperature, enabling stable operation and improved productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing a floating belt conveyor. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the lubricant supply control device. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram of the spraying section of the lubricant supply means. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram of the application area where the lubricant is applied from the underside of the belt. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram of the application area where the lubricant is applied from the top surface of the belt. [Figure 7]It is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of an application part for applying a sliding material from the upper surface side of a belt. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram of a lifting means of an application part. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram of an attachment position of a sliding material supply means. [Figure 10] It is a sliding material supply control flow of a sliding material supply control device of a floating belt conveyor of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] An embodiment of a sliding material supply control device (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a sliding material supply control device) of a floating belt conveyor of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [Floating belt conveyor 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a floating belt conveyor. Further, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. 1. In the floating belt conveyor in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an example is given of one equipped with a so-called belt reversing device, but the present invention can also be applied even when this is not equipped. Also, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sliding material supply control device according to the present embodiment is not shown for convenience. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a floating belt conveyor (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a belt conveyor) 10 provided with a sliding material supply control device according to the present embodiment mainly includes a pair of upper and lower cylindrical carrier-side belt support troughs (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as carrier troughs) 20 and a U-shaped cylindrical return-side belt support trough (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a return trough) 30, and a loop-shaped ( endless) belt 12 arranged so as to pass through these carrier troughs and return troughs 20 and 30.

[0014] The floating belt conveyor 10 has a structure that allows the belt 12 to travel in a floating state by blowing compressed air or the like from multiple air injection holes 21, 31 (see Figure 2) formed at predetermined intervals along the direction of travel of the belt 12 at the lower part of the carrier trough and return trough 20, 30, for example, by separating the curved lower inner circumferential surfaces 21a, 31a of the carrier trough and return trough 20, 30 from the lower surface of the belt 12. Below the air injection holes 21 and 31, air ducts 24 and 34 are arranged in the direction of travel of the belt 12, and air supply pipes 25 and 35 are connected to each air duct 24 and 34. Compressed air or other air is supplied to these air supply pipes 25 and 35 from an air supply device (not shown). The air supplied from the air injection holes 21 and 31 to the internal space of each trough 20 and 30 is discharged to the outside through exhaust pipes 26 and 36 provided in each trough 20 and 30. Furthermore, the floating belt conveyor 10 is equipped with belt bending guide devices 40 at the inlet and outlet sides of the belt 12 at the respective ends of the carrier trough and return troughs 20 and 30, respectively, for bending the flat belt 12 into a U-shaped (arc) cross-sectional shape.

[0015] The belt bending guide device 40 is installed to prevent uneven wear of the belt 12 and the lower inner surfaces 21a and 31a, for example, by preventing the belt 12 from becoming flat within the carrier trough and return troughs 20 and 30, which would cause the widthwise ends of the belt 12 to rub strongly against the lower inner surfaces 21a and 31a. Furthermore, the floating belt conveyor is equipped with a belt reversal device (hereinafter simply referred to as a reversal device) 42 that reverses the surface (the surface on which the conveyed object is placed) and the back surface of the belt 12 at the beginning and end of the return trough 30. Furthermore, the floating belt conveyor 10 is equipped with a supply-side chute cover 44 and a tail pulley 45 on the side of the material supply port 43, and an end cover 47, a discharge-side chute cover 48, and a head pulley 49 on the side of the material discharge port 46.

[0016] [Sliding material supply control device 50] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the sliding material supply control device. As shown in the figure, the lubricant supply control device 50 includes a lubricant supply means that supplies lubricant to either the lower surface of the belt of the carrier-side belt support trough or the upper surface of the belt of the return-side belt support trough, a temperature sensor 82 that measures the temperature of the fluid coupling of the drive unit of the head pulley 49 of the floating belt conveyor 10, a current sensor 84 that measures the current value of the drive motor 92 of the drive unit, and a control means 86 that controls the supply of lubricant by the lubricant supply means when the measured values ​​of the temperature sensor 82 and the current sensor 84 exceed set values.

[0017] (Means for supplying lubricant) The lubricants in this embodiment are liquid and powder. One example of a liquid lubricant is liquid silicone. Examples of powder lubricants include insoluble starch and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The lubricant supply means includes one or more of the following: a spraying unit 62 that sprays liquid lubricant onto the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough 20; and an application unit 52 that applies lubricant via a rotating body that contacts and is driven by a rotating body either onto the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough 20, or onto the upper surface of the belt at the inlet / outlet of the return-side belt support trough. (Spray part 62) Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the spraying section of the lubricant supply means. The spray unit 62 of the lubricant supply means shown in Figure (1) comprises a supply pipe 63, a nozzle 64 at one end of the supply pipe 63, a tank 65 at the other end, a pump 66 in the middle of the supply pipe 63, and a valve 67 between the pump 66 and the nozzle 64 of the supply pipe 63. The nozzle 64 shown in Figure 4 has an outlet on the lower inner circumferential surface facing the belt surface within the carrier-side belt support trough 20. Two nozzles 64 are installed with the air duct 24 of the carrier-side belt support trough 20 in between. The tank 65 stores the liquid lubricant. The pump 66 and valve 67 are provided in the middle of the supply pipe 63. With this configuration, the spray unit 62 can spray the liquid lubricant 51 from the tank 65 through the supply pipe 63 toward the belt surface from the nozzle 64 by opening and closing the valve 67. The spray unit 62A of the lubricant supply means shown in Figure (2) comprises a supply pipe 63, a nozzle 64 at one end of the supply pipe 63, a tank 65 at the other end, and a valve 67 in the middle of the supply pipe 63. Furthermore, a compressor 68 is branched and connected to the supply pipe 63 between the valve 67 and the nozzle 64. The configuration of the nozzle 64 and the tank 65 is the same as the configuration shown in (1). With this configuration, the spray unit 62A can open and close the valve 67 by utilizing the ejector effect of compressed air from the compressor 68 branched to the supply pipe 63, thereby spraying liquid lubricant 51 from the tank 65 through the supply pipe 63 towards the belt surface from the nozzle 64.

[0018] The coating unit 52 can be configured to coat from the underside of the belt (52A) or from the upper side of the belt (52B, 52C). (Application area 52A from the underside of the belt) Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the application section where the lubricant is applied from the underside of the belt. The coating section 52A, which coats the belt 12 from the lower surface, includes a brush 54 that contacts the lower surface of the belt 12 and moves in conjunction to coat the powder lubricant 51, and a casing 55 that surrounds the outer circumference of the brush 54 and stores the lubricant 51 inside, bringing the lubricant into contact with the rotating brush 54. The rotating brush 54 is a rotating brush with a length approximately the same as the width of the belt 12, and is mounted across the belt 12 in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. The tips of the bristles of the brush 54 are positioned to contact the belt surface with a predetermined pressure, and as the belt 12 moves, the brush 54 with its bristles in contact with the belt surface rotates in a driven motion. The casing 55 surrounds the outer circumference of the brush 54 in a U-shape in cross-sectional view, and is positioned to span the width direction of the belt 12 with its upper opening facing the lower surface of the belt. The lower inner surface of the casing 55 is set to make contact with the bristles of the brush 54, and is filled with a lubricant 51 inside. In this configuration, the coating unit 52A rotates with the brush 54, whose bristles contact the underside of the belt, while the belt 12 is moving. The brush 54, which rotates within the casing 55 surrounding the outer circumference, has its bristles contact the lubricant 51 at the lower inner surface of the casing 55, causing the lubricant 51 to adhere to it. The bristles, with the lubricant 51 attached, can then directly (physically) contact the underside of the belt above, allowing the lubricant 51 to be applied.

[0019] (Coating section 52B from the upper side of the belt) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the application section where the lubricant is applied from the upper surface of the belt. The coating section 52B, which applies the lubricant from the upper surface of the belt 12, includes a brush 54 that contacts and moves with the upper surface of the belt 12 to apply the lubricant 51 by rubbing it onto the belt surface, a rotating drum that rotates via a rotational motion transmission section 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the brush 54 to scatter a predetermined amount of lubricant onto the upper surface of the belt 12 as a scattering roller 57, and a hopper 58 that supplies the lubricant to the rotating drum. The rotating brush 54 is a rotating brush with a length approximately the same as the width of the belt 12, and is mounted across the belt 12 in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. The tips of the bristles of the brush 54 are positioned to contact the belt surface with a predetermined pressure, and as the belt 12 moves, the brush 54 with its bristles in contact with the belt surface rotates in a driven motion. The rotating drum, which serves as the spreading roller 57, is positioned in front of the brush 54 in the conveying direction of the belt 12 and rotates to supply a predetermined amount of lubricant 51, which falls from the hopper 58 that stores the lubricant 51 located above it, to the upper surface of the belt 12. The rotating drum and the brush 54 are connected via a rotational motion transmission unit 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the brush 54. The rotational motion transmission unit 56 is composed of a combination of gears, chains, and other components, and transmits the rotational motion of the brush 54 to the rotating drum. In this configuration, the coating unit 52B rotates with a brush 54 whose bristles contact the upper surface of the belt as the belt 12 moves. The rotating drum also rotates via a rotational motion transmission unit 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the brush 54, and a predetermined amount of lubricant 51 is sprayed onto the upper surface of the belt. The brush 54, positioned behind the rotating drum in the conveying direction of the belt 12, can apply the lubricant 51 by rubbing it against the upper surface of the belt.

[0020] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified application section in which the lubricant is applied from the upper surface of the belt. The modified application section 52C, which applies the lubricant from the upper surface of the belt, includes a driven roller 59 that contacts and moves with the upper surface of the belt 12, a spray roller 57 that sprays a predetermined amount of lubricant 51 onto the upper surface of the belt 12 via a rotational motion transmission section 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the driven roller 59, a hopper 58 that supplies the lubricant 51 to the spray roller 57, and a mop 60 that applies the lubricant 51 by rubbing it against the upper surface of the belt. The driven roller 59, which is the rotating body, is a cylindrical body with a length approximately the same as the width of the belt 12, and is mounted across the belt 12 in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. The outer circumferential surface of the driven roller 59 is positioned to contact the belt surface at a predetermined pressure, and as the belt 12 runs, the driven roller 59, whose outer circumferential surface is in contact with the belt surface, rotates in a driven manner. The spray roller 57 shown in Figure 7 is positioned behind the driven roller 59 in the conveying direction of the belt 12 and is a roller with a surface that provides a predetermined amount of lubricant 51 to the upper surface of the belt 12 as it falls from a hopper 58 that stores lubricant 51, while rotating. The surface of this roller has a surface that is filled with lubricant 51 as it passes through the hopper 58 on the roller, and when it rotates downwards facing the surface of the belt 12, the lubricant falls from the surface and can be sprayed onto the belt 12 in predetermined amounts. The spray roller 57 and the driven roller 59 are connected via a rotational motion transmission unit 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the driven roller 59. The rotational motion transmission unit 56 is composed of a combination of gears, chains, and gears, and transmits the rotational motion of the driven roller 59 to the spray roller 57. The mop 60 is positioned behind the spray roller 57 in the conveying direction of the belt 12 and is a component that contacts the upper surface of the belt 12 with a predetermined pressure to spread and apply the lubricant 51 to the upper surface of the belt. The mop 60 is made of a material with a predetermined elastic force, such as corduroy cloth, a puff with a napped surface, sponge, or plastic resin, and can spread the lubricant 51 without damaging the upper surface of the belt 12 when it comes into contact with it. In this configuration, the application unit 52C rotates with the driven roller 59, which is in contact with the upper surface of the belt 12, as the belt 12 travels. The spreading roller 57 also rotates via a rotational motion transmission unit 56 that transmits the rotational motion of the driven roller 59, and spreads a predetermined amount of lubricant 51 onto the upper surface of the belt. A mop 60 positioned behind the spreading roller 57 in the conveying direction of the belt 12 can spread and apply the lubricant 51 to the upper surface of the belt. Although the spray roller 57 shown in Figure 6 was described as having a rotating drum configuration, it is not limited to this configuration as long as it can spray a predetermined amount while rotating. It could also be a roller with uneven surfaces formed on its outer circumference, as shown in Figure 7, in which the lubricant falling from the hopper 58 is filled into the recesses, and the lubricant falls from the recesses when it rotates. In addition to the mop 60 that spreads and applies the lubricant 51 to the upper surface of the belt, the lubricant 51 may also be applied by a brush whose bristles are in contact with and follow the belt surface.

[0021] (Mechanism for raising and lowering the coating unit) Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the lifting and lowering mechanism for the coating section. As shown in the figure, the lifting and lowering mechanism 70 is equipped with an extension and retraction mechanism that brings the rotating bodies of the coating sections 52A, 52B, and 52C into contact with or not into contact with the belt surface. Specifically, the lifting and lowering mechanism 70 consists of a rod and cylinder to which one of the coating sections 52A, 52B, or 52C (the figure shows an example with coating section 52A attached, and coating sections 52B or 52C are shown with dotted lines) is attached, and comprises a first extension and retraction member 72 that extends and retracts the rod horizontally, and a second extension and retraction member 74 that extends and retracts the rod vertically, with the first extension and retraction member 72 attached to the rod and cylinder. The lifting and lowering mechanism 70 is positioned to the side of the conveyor belt 12 on which the coating sections 52A, 52B, and 52C are arranged. The lifting and lowering mechanism 70 may use an electric, hydraulic, or compressed air drive source, or it may be manually operated using a telescopic mechanism and a jack. In the case of a lifting mechanism 70 with this configuration, if the application section 52A applies the lubricant 51 from the lower surface of the belt 12, the application section 52A is positioned on the upper surface of the rod tip of the first telescopic member 72. When applying the lubricant 51, the first telescopic member 72 is extended to position the application section 52A on the lower surface of the belt 12, and then the second telescopic member 74 is extended so that the brush 54, which is the rotating body of the application section 52A, contacts the lower surface of the belt with a predetermined pressure. On the other hand, when the lubricant 51 is not applied, the second extension member 74 is retracted to move the rotating body of the application section 52A away from the underside of the belt. Also, when replenishing the lubricant 51 or performing maintenance such as inspection and repair, the first and second extension members 72 and 74 are retracted to position the application section 52A to the side of the belt 12 before proceeding. In the case of application sections 52B and 52C that apply the lubricant 51 from the upper surface of the belt 12, the application sections 52B and 52C are positioned on the lower surface of the rod tip of the first telescopic member 72. When applying the lubricant 51, the first telescopic member 72 is extended to position the application sections 52B and 52C on the upper surface of the belt 12, and the second telescopic member 74 is further retracted so that the rotating bodies of the application sections 52B and 52C contact the upper surface of the belt with a predetermined pressure. On the other hand, when the lubricant 51 is not applied, the second expandable member 74 is extended (and the first expandable member 72 is further retracted) to move the rotating bodies of the application sections 52B and 52C away from the upper surface of the belt. Also, when replenishing the lubricant 51 or performing maintenance such as inspection and repair, the second expandable member 74 is extended and the first expandable member 72 is retracted to position the application sections 52B and 52C to the side of the belt 12 before proceeding.

[0022] (Mounting position of the lubricant supply means) Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the mounting positions of the lubricant supply means. The lubricant supply means attached to the carrier-side belt support trough 20 are all mounted on the belt surface side facing the lower inner circumferential surface of the trough, while the lubricant supply means attached to the return-side belt support trough 30 are mounted on the upper surface of the belt. The specific mounting positions are as follows. The lubricant supply means equipped with the spray unit 62 is attached to the lower surface of the belt on the inlet side inside the carrier-side belt support trough 20, as shown in Figure (1). Alternatively, it may be located outside the trough, as indicated by the dotted line in the Figure, as long as it is on the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough 20. The lubricant supply means, which includes an application unit 52 for applying lubricant from the underside of the belt, is attached to the underside of the belt on the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough 30 behind the reversing device 42, as shown in Figure (2). In the case of an application unit 52 that applies lubricant from the top side of the belt, it is attached behind the reversing device on the outlet side of the return-side belt support trough, as shown by the dotted line in the figure. It is also possible to attach the application unit that applies lubricant from the top side before the reversing device on the inlet side of the return-side belt support trough, but it is preferable to attach it after the reversing device because there is a possibility that the applied lubricant may peel off when passing through the reversing device. As shown in Figure (3), the lubricant supply means, which includes a spraying unit 62 and a coating unit 52, is installed on the underside of the belt just before the entrance of the carrier-side belt support trough 20, with the spraying unit 62 and coating unit 52 installed in that order from the upstream side along the direction of travel, so that the lubricant is sprayed by the spraying unit 62 and then applied by the coating unit 52.

[0023] (Temperature sensor 82) The temperature sensor 82 is attached to the fluid coupling 96 of the drive unit 90 of the floating belt conveyor 10 and measures the temperature of the fluid coupling 96. The drive unit 90 includes a drive motor 92, a reduction gear 94 that reduces the rotational speed of the drive motor 92, and a fluid coupling 96 that mitigates the torque peak when the drive motor 92 starts up. Although the drive unit 90 in this configuration is mounted on the head pulley 49, it may also be mounted on the tail pulley 45 to avoid power shortage. (Current sensor 84) The current sensor 84 measures the current value of the drive motor 92 of the drive unit 90. Since the current value acting on the drive motor 92 and the load are proportional, measuring the current value allows us to infer that friction occurs in the belt and a load is applied. (Control means 86) The control means 86 is a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 82, the current sensor 84, the valve 67 of the spray unit 62, and the lifting means 70 of the coating unit 52, and controls the amount of lubricant supplied by the lubricant supply means based on the measured values ​​of the temperature sensor 82 and the current sensor 84. Specifically, the control method of the control means 86 is to pre-determine the set value (threshold) for the temperature of the fluid coupling, the set value (threshold) for the current value of the drive motor, the duration of exceeding each set value, and the supply time of the lubricant. When the measured value exceeds the set value and the duration of exceeding the set value also exceeds the set value, the control means supplies lubricant for a predetermined supply period. In the case of the spray unit 62, the control of supplying or stopping the supply of lubricant can be achieved by opening and closing the valve. In the case of the coating unit 52, it can be achieved by the lifting and lowering operation of the coating unit 52 of the lifting means 70. The temperature setting for the fluid coupling is determined based on the limit temperature of the components (for example, 90°C, the temperature at which the thermal fuse plug of a component may melt). The current setting for the drive motor is set to 75% of the torque, for example. The overload duration is set to a safe time (e.g., 30 seconds) to prevent the temperature from rising to the point where the thermal fuse plug melts, since it takes 10 seconds for the temperature to rise by 1°C under overload. The supply duration for the lubricant is set to the time it takes for the belt to complete one rotation, for example, and the supply amount can be controlled by changing this setting as needed. Furthermore, when drive units 90 are attached to the head pulley and tail pulley respectively, a temperature sensor 82 and a current sensor 84 are provided on the fluid coupling 96 and drive motor 92 of each drive unit 90. The control means 86 monitors the measured values ​​of the temperature sensor and current sensor at two locations, the tail side and the pulley side, and controls the supply of lubricating powder if either exceeds a set value.

[0024] [Method for controlling the supply of lubricant] A method for controlling the supply of sliding material using the sliding material supply control device for the floating belt conveyor of the present invention, configured as described above, will be explained below. Figure 10 shows the slide material supply control flow of the slide material supply control device for the floating belt conveyor of the present invention. (Step 1) It travels on the floating belt conveyor 10. (Step 2) A temperature sensor is used to measure the temperature of the fluid coupling. (Step 3) Determine whether the measured temperature of the fluid coupling exceeds a set value. (Step 4) When the measured value exceeds the set value, it is determined whether or not the duration of the temperature exceeding limit has been exceeded. (Step 5) In parallel with temperature measurement, the current value of the drive motor is measured using a current sensor. (Step 6) Determine whether the measured current value of the drive motor exceeds the set value. (Step 7) When the measured value exceeds the set value, it is determined whether or not the duration of the temperature exceeding limit has been exceeded. (Step 8) When the excess duration of step 4 or step 7 is exceeded, the control means 86 sends a signal to the lubricant supply means to supply lubricant. (Step 9) Determine whether the supply period for the lubricant has been exceeded. (Step 10) When the supply duration is exceeded, return to steps 2 and 5, and repeat thereafter.

[0025] According to this invention, the adhesion of bloom to the belt surface, which increases the coefficient of friction, and the increase in torque of the fluid coupling can be accurately detected by temperature and current sensors. Since the amount of lubricant supplied is controlled based on the measurements of the temperature and current sensors, friction between the belt and the trough can be reduced regardless of the influence of ambient temperature, allowing for stable operation and improved productivity. Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the combinations shown in the embodiments, but can be implemented using various combinations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 10. Floating Belt Conveyor 12 belts 20 Carrier-side belt support trough 21 Air inlet 21a Lower inner surface 24 Air duct 25 Air supply pipe 26 Exhaust pipe 30 Return side belt support trough 31 Air inlet 31a Lower inner surface 34 Air duct 35 Air intake pipe 36 Exhaust pipe 40 Belt Flexion Guide 42 Belt reversing device 43 Supply port 44 Supply side chute cover 45 Tail Pulley 46 Outlet 47 End cover 48 Discharge side chute cover 49 Head Pulley 50. Lubricant supply control device 51 Lubricant 52A, 52B, 52C Coating section 54 brushes 55 Casing 56 Rotational motion transmission unit 57 Spraying roller 58 Hoppa 59 Driven roller 60 mops 62,62A spray part 63 Supply pipe 64 nozzles 65 tanks 66 pumps 67 valves 68 Compressor 70 Lifting and lowering means 72 First expansion / contraction means 74 Second expansion / contraction means 82 Temperature Sensor 84 Current Sensor 86 Control means 90 Drive unit 92 Drive motor 94 Reducer 96 Fluid couplings

Claims

1. A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, which is arranged on a floating belt conveyor that provides a sliding material to the belt surface, and which comprises a loop-shaped belt stretched over a head pulley and a tail pulley, and a cylindrical belt support trough arranged in the direction of conveyance of the belt, and which causes the belt to float and travel on the lower inner circumferential surface of the belt support trough, A sliding material supply means for supplying the sliding material to either the lower surface of the belt of the belt support trough on the carrier side or the upper surface of the belt of the belt support trough on the return side, A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fluid coupling in the drive unit of the floating belt conveyor, A current sensor for measuring the current value of the drive motor of the aforementioned drive unit, A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized by comprising a control means that controls the supply of the sliding material from the sliding material supply means when the measured values ​​of the temperature sensor and the current sensor exceed a set value.

2. A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor as described in claim 1, A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that the sliding material supply means includes a spray unit that sprays the liquid sliding material toward the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface.

3. A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor as described in claim 1, A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that the sliding material supply means includes a coating unit that applies the sliding material via a rotating body that contacts and is driven by a belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough, or the upper surface of the belt at the inlet and outlet of the return-side belt support trough.

4. A sliding material supply control device for a floating belt conveyor according to claim 1, The lubricant supply means comprises a spraying unit that sprays the liquid lubricant onto the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface, and an application unit that applies the lubricant via a rotating body that contacts and is driven by a rotating body, either on the belt surface facing the lower inner circumferential surface at the inlet side of the carrier-side belt support trough, or on the upper surface of the belt at the inlet and outlet of the return-side belt support trough. A control device for supplying lubricant to a floating belt conveyor, characterized in that the lubricant is applied by the coating unit after being sprayed by the spray unit.

Images