Bead guide and curved belt conveyor

Abstract

To provide a bead guide and a curve belt conveyor which can reduce more than before generation of abrasion powder and sliding resistance during conveyor operation.SOLUTION: A bead guide 30 positions a conveying belt and suppresses the movement of the conveying belt to the inner circumference through contact of at least a part of a rod-shaped part 32 on bead of the conveying belt in a curve belt conveyor, and is configured with a support part 31 fixed to a pedestal and a rod-shaped part 32 which is made of resin, supported by the support part 31, extends from the support part 31 in a direction along the outer peripheral edge and is provided at least partially in contact with the beads.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bead guide and a curved belt conveyor.

Background Art

[0002] In a belt conveyor, in order to transfer between conveyors with different front and rear conveying directions, a curved belt conveyor is often interposed between those conveyors. At that time, when the conveyed object is, for example, a food such as small chocolate or a small electronic component, small-diameter end rollers are often used at both ends of the curved belt conveyor for smooth transfer. That is, these end rollers are arranged so that their axes intersect at a predetermined angle, and an endless conveyor belt is stretched between both end rollers to form a planar fan-shaped conveying surface.

[0003] Therefore, conventionally, a method has been adopted in which the conveyor belt and the driving body for driving the conveyor belt are separated and connected between them by a connecting fitting or the like, thereby enabling the conveyance of small items using small-diameter end rollers.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a curved belt conveyor including a conveyor main body, a conveyor belt with beads stretched on the conveyor main body, a movement blocking member for blocking the inward movement of the conveyor belt with beads, a driving unit for rotationally driving the conveyor belt with beads, a speed reduction motor of the driving unit, a cover covering the inner and outer circumferential portions of the upper surface side movement blocking member and the conveyor belt with beads, and legs for arranging the conveyor main body at an appropriate height.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a curved belt conveyor comprising two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, an endless conveying belt stretched between these end rollers and forming a flat fan shape, a drive roller and a tail roller provided on the axially outer side of the two end rollers, respectively, with the same axis direction as the two end rollers, an endless drive flat belt stretched between these drive roller and tail roller, positioned radially outward from the conveying belt and spaced away from the conveying belt, and a plurality of elastic bodies connecting the flat belt and the conveying belt, wherein beads are continuously attached along the outer edge of the drive flat belt.

[0006] In curved belt conveyors, the conveyor belt tends to move inward during operation. To prevent this, it is known to install resin beads near the outer ends of the conveyor belt, and to install bead guides that contact the beads to prevent the conveyor belt from moving inward. The bead guide components that contact the beads are typically made of metal rod-shaped members with rounded ends, coated with fluorocarbon resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-338022 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-234766 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The beads and bead guides on the outer circumference of the conveyor belt are configured to be in constant contact with each other. When the beads and bead guides are in constant contact in this way, there is a risk that friction between the beads and bead guides will occur during conveyor operation, generating wear particles. Furthermore, when the beads and bead guides are in constant contact, the sliding resistance due to friction between the beads and bead guides increases during conveyor operation, which in turn increases the load on the motor and thus increases the motor's power consumption.

[0009] Therefore, applying grease to the bead has been considered to reduce the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance caused by friction between the bead and the bead guide. However, this requires the work of applying grease, and the use of grease incurs additional costs. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance at the contact point between the bead and the bead guide without using grease.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a bead guide and a curved belt conveyor that can reduce the generation of wear particles and sliding resistance during conveyor operation compared to conventional designs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The bead guide of the present invention is for a curved belt conveyor having two end rollers mounted on a frame whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, and an endless conveying belt stretched between the two end rollers to form a flat fan shape, with a belt positioning bead attached to its outer edge, and the bead guide suppresses the movement of the conveying belt by positioning the conveying belt by having at least a part of it contact the bead, and comprises a support part fixed to the frame, and a rod-shaped part made of resin, supported by the support part, extending from the support part in a direction along the outer edge, and provided so as to have at least a part of it contact the bead.

[0012] The curved belt conveyor of the present invention comprises a frame, two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, an endless conveying belt stretched between the two end rollers to form a flat fan shape, with a belt positioning bead attached to its outer edge, and a bead guide. The bead guide has a support portion fixed to the frame, and a rod-shaped portion made of resin, supported by the support portion, extending from the support portion in a direction along the outer edge, with at least a portion of it in contact with the bead. The contact of at least a portion of the rod-shaped portion with the bead positions the conveying belt and suppresses the movement of the conveying belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The bead guide and curved belt conveyor of the present invention can reduce the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance during conveyor operation compared to conventional methods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a curved belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a bead guide according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the bead guide from a different direction than in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the curved belt conveyor near the bead guide in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side view of the bead guide of the curved belt conveyor. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a plan view of the bead guide of the curved belt conveyor. [Figure 7] This is a graph showing the coefficient of dynamic friction in the example. [Figure 8] This graph shows the cumulative wear amount for the example. [Figure 9] This is a graph showing the change in wear amount over time in the example. [Figure 10]It is a graph showing the time change of the current value according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of a bead guide according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view of a support portion of a bead guide according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of a rod-shaped portion of a bead guide according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view of a height adjustment portion of a bead guide according to another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples and can be appropriately modified within the obvious scope for those skilled in the art.

[0016] <Embodiment> (Configuration of Curve Belt Conveyor and Bead Guide) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a curve belt conveyor 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the curve belt conveyor 1 according to the present embodiment includes a gantry 10, two end rollers 11, 11, a conveyor belt 12, and a bead guide 30. The curve belt conveyor 1 is installed between an upstream conveyor and a downstream conveyor (not shown), and the conveyed object is sent onto the conveyor belt 12 from the upstream conveyor and smoothly transferred to the downstream conveyor.

[0017] The gantry 10 is a base to which members constituting the curve belt conveyor , such as two end rollers 11, 11, a conveyor belt 12, and a bead guide 30, are attached.

[0018] The two end rollers 11,11 are positioned so that their axes, extending along the longitudinal direction, intersect at a predetermined angle, and are mounted on the frame 10 while being rotatably held by bearings (not shown). The two end rollers 11,11 are small-diameter rollers, for example, each with a diameter in the range of 6 to 20 mm. The end rollers 11,11 are, for example, divided into multiple rollers in the circumferential direction. In this case, the end rollers 11,11 absorb the difference in peripheral speed between the peripheral speed on the outer and inner sides of the conveyor belt, thereby mitigating the peripheral speed difference. The angle at which the axes of the end rollers 11,11 intersect is not particularly limited, but in the curved belt conveyor 1 shown in Figure 1, the angle at which the axes of the end rollers 11,11 intersect is approximately 90°.

[0019] The conveyor belt 12 is an endless belt, stretched between two end rollers 11, 11 with appropriate tension applied by a tension adjustment unit (not shown), and is positioned so that a portion of it is supported by a conveyor base 14 (Figure 4), which will be described later and fixed to the frame 10, and has a planar fan shape. The conveyor belt 12 is equipped with a drive unit, such as a drive roller to which a motor is connected. The drive unit allows the conveyor belt 12 to move in the circumferential direction of the planar fan shape. Along its outer edge, the conveyor belt 12 has a bead 12b (Figure 4) attached to its surface, as will be described later.

[0020] The bead guide 30 positions the conveyor belt 12 by contacting the bead 12b with at least a portion of it, thereby suppressing the movement of the conveyor belt 12 toward the inner circumference.

[0021] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bead guide 30 according to this embodiment, and shows the bead guide 30 shown in Figure 1 in detail. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bead guide 30 of Figure 2 from a different direction than in Figure 2. The bead guide 30 of this embodiment is composed of a support portion 31, a rod-shaped portion 32, and a height adjustment portion 33.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bead guide 30 has a support portion 31 made of the same resin as the rod-shaped portion 32, and the support portion 31 and the rod-shaped portion 32 are integrally formed. In addition, the height adjustment portion 33 is also made of the same resin as the support portion 31 and the rod-shaped portion 32, and is integrally formed with the support portion 31 and the rod-shaped portion 32.

[0023] In Figures 2 and 3, Z indicates the height direction of the bead guide 30. X indicates the width direction of the support portion 31 of the bead guide 30. Y is a direction perpendicular to the height direction Z and the width direction X, and is the radial direction of the conveyor belt 12 when the bead guide 30 is installed on the conveyor base 14.

[0024] The support portion 31 is fixed to the conveyor base 14. The support portion 31 has a fixing portion 31a at one end that is fixed to the conveyor base 14, and a frame portion 31c that is integrally molded with the fixing portion 31a at the other end. The frame portion 31c is provided with a pair of side plate portions 31e and 31f that are integrally molded with the fixing portion 31a and arranged opposite each other, and a tip plate portion 31g that connects the tips of the side plate portions 31e and 31f.

[0025] In the frame portion 31c, the side plate portions 31e, 31f and the tip plate portion 31g are arranged in a U-shape in plan view, and an opening 31b that penetrates the thickness is provided in the area enclosed by the fixing portion 31a, the side plate portions 31e, 31f and the tip plate portion 31g.

[0026] The fixing portion 31a of the support portion 31, which is fixed to the conveyor base 14, may be provided with a recessed portion or the like for fixing to the conveyor base 14. The support portion 31 is configured such that the frame portion 31c extends from the fixing portion 31a fixed to the conveyor base 14 over the upper part of the outer edge of the conveying belt 12, and the frame portion 31c extends from the outer edge side to the inner edge side of the conveying belt 12.

[0027] In this embodiment, the support portion 31 is integrally molded from resin and has an opening 31b. For example, when an external force applied to the rod-shaped portion 32 is applied to the frame portion 31c via the rod-shaped portion 32, the shapes of the frame portion 31c and the opening 31b can be appropriately deformed, allowing the rod-shaped portion 32 to come into uniform contact with the beads 12b of the conveying belt 12.

[0028] The height adjustment section 33 is formed in a plate shape from the same resin as the support section 31 and the rod-shaped section 32, and is integrally molded with the tip plate section 31g of the support section 31 and the rod-shaped section 32. The height adjustment section 33 is provided to support the outer cover. As shown in Figure 2, the height adjustment section 33 according to this embodiment has a planar wall surface 33a including the height direction Z and the width direction X, and the area from the wall surface 33a to the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped section 32 is formed flat via a connecting section 33b. The connecting section 33b is provided between the wall surface 33a and the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped section 32, eliminating the step difference between the wall surface 33a and the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped section 32 and making the wall surface 33a and the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped section 32 flat.

[0029] The rod-shaped portion 32 is formed in the shape of a round rod, integrally molded with the support portion 30, and supported by the support portion 31. The rod-shaped portion 32 includes a first rod-shaped portion 32a formed to extend along the outer peripheral edge of the conveyor belt 12 in one direction from the side (frame portion 31c) of the support portion 31 that is fixed to the conveyor base 14, and a second rod-shaped portion 32b similarly formed to extend along the outer peripheral edge of the conveyor belt 12 in the opposite direction to the first direction.

[0030] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the curved belt conveyor 1 in Figure 1, crossing the vicinity of the bead guide 30. A conveyor belt 12 is supported on the conveyor base 14. The conveyor belt 12 consists of a belt body 12a and a bead 12b. The belt body 12a is formed by processing a sheet of material, for example, canvas such as polyester as the core and thermoplastic polyurethane or the like as the surface material for the conveying surface, into an endless belt. The bead 12b has a plate-like portion 21a and a wall-like thick portion 21b. The bead 12b is made of a synthetic resin material such as polyamide resin. The bead 12b is attached by sewing along the outer edge of the conveyor belt 12.

[0031] Figure 5 is a side view of the bead guide 30 of the curved belt conveyor 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a side view of the bead guide 30 attached to the conveyor belt 12, which is provided parallel to the XY plane, as seen from the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 12 is the Z direction. In Figure 5, with respect to the Z direction position (height) of the upper surface of the conveyor belt 12, the Z direction position (height) of the base portion 32aA supported by the support portion 31 of the first rod-shaped portion 32a is shown as H1, and the Z direction position (height) of the tip portion 32aB of the first rod-shaped portion 32a is shown as H2. The first rod-shaped portion 32a is inclined so that, with respect to the height of the conveyor belt 12, the height of the tip portion 32aB is higher than the height of the base portion 32aA, and the first rod-shaped portion 32a gradually moves away from the conveyor belt 12 from the base portion 32aA to the tip portion 32aB. In other words, it is preferable that the first rod-shaped portion is inclined such that the distance from the conveyor belt 12 to the tip portion 32aB is greater than the distance from the conveyor belt 12 to the base portion 32aA. This improves the stability of the circumferential movement of the conveyor belt 12. Figure 5 shows the first rod-shaped portion 32a, but the second rod-shaped portion 32b is similar.

[0032] Figure 6 is a plan view of the bead guide 30 of the curved belt conveyor 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a plan view of the bead guide 30 attached to the conveyor belt 12, which is provided parallel to the XY plane, as seen from the Z direction. The rod-shaped portion 32 is curved, for example, along the outer edge of the conveyor belt 12 (curved with a curvature that follows the shape of the outer edge). As shown in Figure 6, it is preferable that the curvature 32R of the curve of the rod-shaped portion 32 is greater than the curvature 12R of the outer edge of the conveyor belt 12, that is, the radius of curvature of the curve of the rod-shaped portion 32 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the outer edge of the conveyor belt 12. This can improve the stability of the circumferential movement of the conveyor belt 12.

[0033] The rod-shaped portion 32 is provided such that at least a part of it contacts the inner circumferential side surface of the bead 12b. The rod-shaped portion 32 has the shape of a round bar, for example, with only a short section at the end tapered, and is formed in an arc shape with a radius of curvature that contacts the inclined surface on the inner circumferential side of the thickened portion 21b.

[0034] In the bead guide 30 of this embodiment, the support portion 31, the height adjustment portion 33, and the rod-shaped portion 32 (first rod-shaped portion 32a, second rod-shaped portion 32b) are made of resin. As the resin constituting the support portion 31, the height adjustment portion 33, and the rod-shaped portion 32, polyamides such as fluorine-containing polyacetal (polyoxymethylene: POM), silicon-containing POM, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyamides consisting of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid can be used, and from the viewpoint of wear resistance, it is particularly preferable to use fluorine-containing POM.

[0035] Furthermore, since such a bead guide 30 can be manufactured, for example, by injection molding, the assembly of parts is unnecessary, thereby reducing the number of work steps during manufacturing and lowering costs.

[0036] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) In this embodiment, the bead guide 30 has a rod-shaped portion 32 that contacts the bead 12b made of resin. As a result, when the rod-shaped portion 32 is in contact with the bead 12b and sliding during conveyor operation, the rod-shaped portion 32 can move more flexibly than conventional guides in response to the external force applied from the bead 12b. This reduces the load applied to the rod-shaped portion 32 from the bead 12b, thereby reducing the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance at the contact point with the bead 12b.

[0037] Furthermore, since the resin rod-shaped portion 32 of the bead guide 30 moves flexibly in response to the external force applied from the bead 12b, the rod-shaped portion 32 can be made to make uniform contact with the bead 12b, thereby reliably preventing movement inward on the conveyor belt 12.

[0038] Incidentally, conventional bead guides have been considered that have a rod-shaped base made of a round rod-shaped metal such as stainless steel, on which a Teflon® coating is applied to the surface, and a resin layer is formed on the surface of the rod-shaped base. In this conventional bead guide, the resin layer of the rod-shaped part, to which grease is applied, is brought into contact with the bead 12b and slides, suppressing movement inward of the conveyor belt 12 during conveyor operation. Furthermore, in conventional bead guides, the rod-shaped part, the height adjustment part of a metal plate, and the support part made of resin are all made up of separate parts, and it was necessary to assemble these rod-shaped part, height adjustment part, and support part.

[0039] In contrast, the bead guide 30 according to this embodiment has a rod-shaped portion 32 whose entire interior is made of resin, making it more flexible than conventional rod-shaped portions that have a metal rod-shaped base inside. During conveyor operation, the rod-shaped portion 32 moves in response to the external force applied from the bead 12b, thereby reducing the load applied from the bead 12b. As a result, the bead guide 30 according to this embodiment can further reduce the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance at the contact point with the bead 12b compared to conventional designs.

[0040] With this type of bead guide 30, the generation of wear particles and sliding resistance at the contact point between the rod-shaped portion 32 and the bead 12b can be reduced without using the grease that was used in the conventional method. As a result, the amount of grease application work and costs can be reduced by eliminating the need for grease.

[0041] Furthermore, the bead guide 30 reduces the sliding resistance when the rod-shaped portion 32 slides against the bead 12b during conveyor operation, thereby reducing the load on the motor that drives the conveyor belt 12, and thus reducing the power consumption of the motor.

[0042] In addition, in the bead guide 30 according to this embodiment, the frame portion 31c formed of resin can deform in response to the external force applied from the bead 12b via the rod-shaped portion 32, thereby further reducing the load applied from the bead 12b, and consequently reducing the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance at the contact point with the bead 12b.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bead guide 30 integrates the support portion 31, the rod-shaped portion 32, and the height adjustment portion 33 by integrally molding them with resin. This eliminates the need for conventional assembly work, reducing the burden on workers during installation. Additionally, by integrally molding the support portion 31, the rod-shaped portion 32, and the height adjustment portion 33 with resin, the number of parts in the bead guide 30 can be reduced, thereby lowering costs.

[0044] <Examples> (Coefficient of kinetic friction) Next, the coefficient of dynamic friction was measured for the resin used in the bead guide 30. Here, test plates corresponding to the rod-shaped portion 32 of the bead guide 30 were manufactured using different types of resin, etc., and the coefficient of dynamic friction of each test plate was measured.

[0045] As Example 1, a plate-shaped test sheet material (50 mm long, 50 mm wide, 50 mm thick) made of polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS) (manufactured by DIC Corporation, product name FZL-4033) was prepared. As Example 2, a plate-shaped test sheet material (50 mm long, 50 mm wide, 50 mm thick) made of fluorine-containing POM (polyacetal) (manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Corporation, product name FL2020) was prepared. As Example 3, a plate-shaped test sheet material (50 mm long, 50 mm wide, 50 mm thick) made of silicone-containing POM (manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Corporation, product name FL2022) was prepared.

[0046] As Comparative Example 1, a conventional bead guide rod-shaped section was prepared, in which a rod-shaped stainless steel base with a diameter of φ8 mm was coated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0047] Using a Haydon surface texture analyzer, Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 1 were slid against nylon (Toray Industries, Inc., product name CM3003G1000) at a sliding speed of 5 mm / s and a load of 4.9 N, and the coefficient of dynamic friction of each was measured.

[0048] Figure 7 is a graph showing the measured values ​​of the kinetic friction coefficients obtained. As shown in Figure 7, the kinetic friction coefficient for Example 1 was 0.15, for Example 2 it was 0.10, and for Example 3 it was 0.10. On the other hand, the kinetic friction coefficient for Comparative Example 1 was 0.16. The kinetic friction coefficients for Examples 1 to 3 were smaller than those for Comparative Example 1, and in particular, Examples 2 and 3 had the smallest coefficients.

[0049] (Cumulative wear amount) Next, using a pico abrasion tester, the cumulative wear amount of each of the above Examples 1 to 3 was measured when the tester's blade was applied to them and they were rotated. Here, a load of 44N was applied and the tester's blade was applied to Examples 1 to 3 at a rotation speed of 60 rpm. One set consisted of 20 rotations in the forward and reverse directions alternately, for a total of 80 rotations. The cumulative wear amount was measured after performing three sets of tests.

[0050] Figure 8 is a graph showing the results of the measurement of the cumulative wear amount obtained. As shown in Figure 8, the cumulative wear amount for Example 1 was 18.8 mg, the cumulative wear amount for Example 2 was 8.8 mg, and the cumulative wear amount for Example 3 was 18.1 mg. Among Examples 1 to 3, Example 2 had the smallest cumulative wear amount.

[0051] (Change in wear amount over time) Next, a bead guide (Example 4) was prepared by integrally molding a rod-shaped section, a support section, and a height adjustment section using the same fluorine-containing POM as in Example 2 above. In addition, a conventional bead guide (Comparative Example 2) was prepared by assembling a separate rod-shaped section made of a metal rod-shaped base coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, a resin support section, and a metal height adjustment section. The bead guides of Example 4 and Comparative Example 2 were then set on a test curved belt conveyor, and the change in the amount of wear of the bead and the sliding parts of the bead guide over time during long-term operation was measured.

[0052] Four EC-I 90-20-50 (no load) machines were prepared as test machines. Three of them were fitted with the bead guide from Example 4, and one was fitted with the bead guide from Comparative Example 2. The operating speed was set to 30 m / min, the slip torque setting was 6.0 to 7.0 kg·cm (rated 5.5 to 7.0 kg·cm), and the current value was set to 0.45 A or less.

[0053] Figure 9 is a graph showing the time variation of the wear amount, which is the measurement result. In Figure 9, the vertical axis represents the wear amount (gf), and the horizontal axis represents the operating time (h). The results for Example 4 are shown by lines a to c. The results for Comparative Example 2 are shown by line x. In Example 4, as shown by line a, the wear amount was almost 0 during operation from 0 to 2000h, as shown by line b, the wear amount was 0.7gf during operation from 2000 to 4000h, and as shown by line c, the wear amount was 1.0gf during operation from 2000 to 6000h. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 2, as shown by line x, the wear amount was 1.8gf during operation from 0 to 6000h. It was confirmed that the wear amount in Example 4 was smaller than that in Comparative Example 2.

[0054] (Change in current value over time) Next, for the bead guides of Example 4 and Comparative Example 2 described above, the time change of the current value was measured simultaneously with the measurement of the time change of the wear amount, and the results shown in Figure 10 were obtained.

[0055] Figure 10 is a graph showing the measurement results of the change in current value over time, with the vertical axis representing the current value (A) and the horizontal axis representing the operating time (h). The results for Example 4 are shown in graphs a to c. The results for Comparative Example 2 are shown in graph x. In Example 4, all of graphs a to c showed current values ​​smaller than those in graph x of Comparative Example 2.

[0056] <Other Embodiments> In the embodiments described above, we have described a case in which a bead guide 30 is formed in a flat shape without a step between the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped portion 32 and the wall surface 33a of the height adjustment portion 33, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As another embodiment of the bead guide, for example, a bead guide 30X in which a step is formed between the circumferential surface of the rod-shaped portion 32 and the wall surface 33a of the height adjustment portion 33 may be applied, as shown in Figure 11.

[0057] This bead guide 30X has a structure in which a support portion 31X, a rod-shaped portion 32X, and a height adjustment portion 33X are integrally molded from resin. In this support portion 31X, similar to the embodiment described above, it has a fixing portion 31Xa that is fixed to the conveyor base 14 and a frame portion 31Xc that is integrally molded with the fixing portion 31Xa. The frame portion 31Xc is provided with a pair of side plate portions 31Xe and 31Xf whose ends are integrally molded with the fixing portion 31Xa and are arranged opposite each other, and a tip plate portion 31Xg that connects the tips of the side plate portions 31Xe and 31Xf.

[0058] In the frame portion 31Xc, the side plate portions X31e, 31Xf and the tip plate portion 31Xg are arranged in a U-shape in plan view, and an opening 31Xb that penetrates the thickness is provided in the area enclosed by the fixing portion 31Xa, the side plate portions 31Xe, 31Xf and the tip plate portion 31Xg.

[0059] The rod-shaped portion 32X is integrally molded with the support portion 31X having the above configuration and is supported by the support portion 31X. The rod-shaped portion 32X has a first rod-shaped portion 32Xa that extends from one side plate portion 31Xf of the frame portion 31Xc in one direction along the outer peripheral edge of the conveying belt 12, and a second rod-shaped portion 32Xb that extends from the other side plate portion 31Xe of the frame portion 31Xc in the opposite direction to the first direction along the outer peripheral edge of the conveying belt 12.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the rod-shaped portion 32 was configured to extend from the end of the support portion 31 in one direction and the other direction along the outer peripheral edge of the conveying belt 12. However, in the bead guide 30X according to another embodiment, the rod-shaped portion 32X is formed at a predetermined distance from the height adjustment portion 33X which is integrally molded with the tip plate portion 31Xg of the support portion 31X, and a step is provided between the rod-shaped portion 32X and the wall surface 33Xa of the height adjustment portion 33X.

[0061] Even with the bead guide 30X having the above configuration, similar to the bead guide 30 according to the embodiment described above, the rod-shaped portion 32X that contacts the bead 12b is made of resin, which reduces the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance during conveyor operation compared to conventional methods.

[0062] <Bead guide with separate rod-shaped section> In the embodiments described above, a bead guide 30 was used in which a support portion 31, a rod-shaped portion 32, and a height adjustment portion 33 are integrally molded from resin. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and bead guides with various shapes and configurations may be used as long as the rod-shaped portion is made of resin.

[0063] If the rod-shaped part of the bead guide is made of resin, then, for example, as shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14, the support part 31Y, the rod-shaped part 32Y, and the height adjustment part 33Y may be formed separately.

[0064] As a bead guide, the support portion 31Y, the rod-shaped portion 32Y, and the height adjustment portion 33Y may all be made of resin. For example, the height adjustment portion 33Y may be made of metal, and the support portion 31Y and the rod-shaped portion 32Y may be made of resin.

[0065] The support portion 31Y, the rod-shaped portion 32Y, and the height adjustment portion 33Y may be made of the same resin or different resins. The support portion 31Y and the height adjustment portion 33Y do not have to be made of resin.

[0066] The support portion 31Y includes a fixing portion 31Ya fixed to the conveyor base 14 and a frame portion 31Yc integrally molded with the fixing portion 31Ya. The frame portion 31Yc is provided with a pair of side plate portions 31Ye and 31Yf whose ends are integrally molded with the fixing portion 31Ya and arranged opposite each other, and a tip plate portion 31Yg that connects the tips of the side plate portions 31Ye and 31Yf.

[0067] In the frame portion 31Yc, the side plate portions Y31e, 31Yf and the tip plate portion 31Yg are arranged in a U-shape in plan view, and an opening 31Yb that penetrates the thickness is provided in the region enclosed by the fixing portion 31Ya, the side plate portions 31Ye, 31Yf and the tip plate portion 31Yg.

[0068] In this case, the rod-shaped portion 32Y is attached to the mounting portion 31Yd of the support portion 31Y in the above configuration. In this embodiment, the support portion 31Y, the rod-shaped portion 32Y, and the height adjustment portion 33Y may be fixed to each other using screws or the like, or they may be fixed using adhesive or the like.

[0069] Thus, as with bead guides according to other embodiments, since at least the rod-shaped portions 32X and 32Y that contact the bead 12b are made of resin, when the rod-shaped portions 32X and 32Y are in contact with the bead 12b and sliding during conveyor operation, the rod-shaped portions 32X and 32Y can move more flexibly than conventional rod-shaped portions 32X and 32Y in response to the external force applied from the bead 12b, similar to the embodiments described above. As a result, the load applied from the bead 12b can be reduced on the rod-shaped portions 32X and 32Y, and consequently, the generation of wear debris and sliding resistance at the contact point with the bead 12b can be reduced.

[0070] In the embodiments described above, the case was described in which support parts 31, 31X, and 31Y were provided with frame parts 31c, 31Xc, and 31Yc that form the openings 31b, 31Xb, and 31Yb. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, support parts may be applied in which the openings 31b, 31Xb, and 31Yb are not provided and the inside of the openings 31b, 31Xb, and 31Yb are formed in a solid shape.

[0071] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a rod-shaped portion 32 is described in which the first rod-shaped portion 32a and the second rod-shaped portion 32b are formed symmetrically with respect to the support portion 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be a rod-shaped portion in which the first rod-shaped portion 32a is shorter than the other second rod-shaped portion 32b, or a rod-shaped portion in which the curvature of the first rod-shaped portion and the curvature of the second rod-shaped portion are different, in which the first rod-shaped portion and the second rod-shaped portion are formed asymmetrically with respect to the support portion 31. Similarly, the bead guide 30X shown in Figure 11 may also have the first rod-shaped portion 32Xa and the second rod-shaped portion 32Xb formed asymmetrically with respect to the support portion 31X. Furthermore, in the bead guide formed by assembling the support portion 31Y shown in Figure 12, the rod-shaped portion 32Y shown in Figure 13, and the height adjustment portion 33Y shown in Figure 14, the first rod-shaped portion 32Ya and the second rod-shaped portion 32Yb may also be formed asymmetrically with respect to the support portion 31Y.

[0072] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment mentions the application of a bead guide 30 provided with a height adjustment section 33, the present invention is not limited to this, and a bead guide consisting of a support section 31 and a rod-shaped section 32 may be applied without a height adjustment section 33. In this case, it is desirable that the rod-shaped section 32 be integrally molded with the tip plate section 31g of the support section 31. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1. Curved belt conveyor 10 mounting bases 11 End Roller 12. Conveyor belt 12a Belt body 12b Bead 14 Conveyor base 21a Plate-like portion 21b Thick part 30 Bead Guides 31 Support part 31a Support body 31b opening 32 Rod-shaped part 32a First rod-shaped part 32b Second rod-shaped part 33 Height adjustment section

Claims

1. A bead guide for a curved belt conveyor, which is mounted on a frame and has an endless conveying belt in the shape of a flat fan, stretched between two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, The bead guide is At least a portion of the conveyor belt contacts a belt positioning bead made of resin attached to the outer edge of the conveyor belt, thereby positioning the conveyor belt and suppressing its movement. A support part fixed to the aforementioned frame, A rod-shaped portion is formed from resin, is supported by the support portion, extends from the support portion in a direction along the outer peripheral edge, and is provided such that at least a portion of it contacts the bead, Equipped with, The rod-shaped portion is configured such that its entire length is inclined to gradually increase in height from the base supported by the support portion towards the tip, relative to the height of the conveying belt, and moving away from the conveying belt. Bead guide.

2. A bead guide for a curved belt conveyor, which is mounted on a frame and has an endless conveying belt in the shape of a flat fan, stretched between two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, The bead guide is At least a portion of the conveyor belt contacts a belt positioning bead made of resin attached to the outer edge of the conveyor belt, thereby positioning the conveyor belt and suppressing its movement. A support part fixed to the aforementioned frame, A rod-shaped portion is formed from resin, is supported by the support portion, extends from the support portion in a direction along the outer peripheral edge, and is provided such that at least a portion of it contacts the bead, Equipped with, The rod-shaped portion is curved along the outer peripheral edge, and the curvature of the rod-shaped portion is greater than the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the conveyor belt. Bead guide.

3. The support portion is formed from the same resin as the rod-shaped portion, and the support portion and the rod-shaped portion are integrally molded. The bead guide according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Mounted on a frame, with two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, An endless conveying belt is stretched between the two end rollers, forming a flat fan shape, and has a belt positioning bead made of resin attached to its outer edge. Equipped with a bead guide, The bead guide is A support part fixed to the aforementioned frame, It has a rod-shaped portion which is formed from resin, is supported by the support portion, extends from the support portion in a direction along the outer peripheral edge, and is provided such that at least a part of it contacts the bead, The rod-shaped portion is configured such that the entire rod-shaped portion is inclined so that it gradually rises away from the conveyor belt from the base portion supported by the support portion to the tip portion, with the height of the conveyor belt as the reference point. At least a portion of the conveyor belt comes into contact with the bead to position the conveyor belt and suppress its movement. Curved belt conveyor.

5. Mounted on a frame, with two end rollers whose axes intersect at a predetermined angle, An endless conveying belt is stretched between the two end rollers, forming a flat fan shape, and has a belt positioning bead made of resin attached to its outer edge. Equipped with a bead guide, The bead guide is A support part fixed to the aforementioned frame, It has a rod-shaped portion which is formed from resin, is supported by the support portion, extends from the support portion in a direction along the outer peripheral edge, and is provided such that at least a part of it contacts the bead, The rod-shaped portion is curved along the outer peripheral edge, and the curvature of the rod-shaped portion is greater than the curvature of the outer peripheral edge of the conveyor belt. At least a portion of the conveyor belt comes into contact with the bead to position the conveyor belt and suppress its movement. Curved belt conveyor.

6. The support portion is formed from the same resin as the rod-shaped portion, and the support portion and the rod-shaped portion are integrally molded. The curved belt conveyor according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The bead has a plate-like portion and a thick portion, The bead guide is provided such that the rod-shaped portion contacts at least the side surface of the thickened portion. A curved belt conveyor according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

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