Curved belt conveyor

Abstract

To conquer the performance-related problem that a curved belt does not have an orbit fixed without employing a belt holding mechanism for tensing the curved belt, nor a belt holding mechanism, such as a pinch roller and a tracking roller, for correcting the orbit of the curved belt.SOLUTION: A curved belt conveyor comprises a belt tension equalizing mechanism which equalizes tension, with which a curved belt 420 is loaded in a circumferential direction of a concentric circle having the center at a vertex 470 where generators of the curved belt 420 cross one another, over the entire region of the curved belt 420, and the belt tension equalizing mechanism controls a length movement of a center line of the curved belt 420 during rotation of the curved belt 420 within a predetermined range, so that the curved belt 420 rotates along a predetermined orbit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a curved belt conveyor that is advantageous in terms of versatility, stability, safety, and quietness for conveyed articles when conveying conveyed articles with a curved conveyor, compared to curved roller conveyors. In particular, the present invention relates to a curved belt conveyor in which a curved belt is wound around a curved roller conveyor that has a small number of components and does not require a complicated configuration.

Background Art

[0002] In ancient civilizations, the principle of conveying heavy objects using rollers and hemp canvas invented for conveying heavy objects has been passed down to the present day, and remarkable improvements have been made in materials, mechanisms and other aspects. As defined as "a machine that continuously conveys cargo" by Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), it has evolved into a device that continuously conveys articles, industrial materials, earth and sand, semi-finished products, food materials and the like. In particular, it has contributed to the industrial development of the world as a fundamental technology forming a main line for conveying goods common to all industries. Nowadays, it is not limited to conveying goods, but also contributes to conveying people, dishes and the like, for example, moving walkways and conveyor belt sushi.

[0003] Even at present, typical conveyors are roughly classified into roller conveyors originating from rollers and belt conveyors originating from hemp canvas based on the principle of ancient conveying technology. Both types of conveyors have various advantages and disadvantages, so they are selectively used according to the purpose of use in industrial fields.

[0004] For example, belt conveyors are widely used in industries such as construction (handling coal and gravel), food and automotive (handling raw materials and semi-finished products of various properties and shapes) because they offer low cost, long-distance transport, and can handle various types of materials. In other words, belt conveyors are suitable for these industries because they can transport a wide variety of materials, including those of different weights, volumes, and properties, without consolidating them into units such as cardboard boxes or containers, using the strong frictional force of the belt. Similarly, in the logistics industry, belt conveyors are used for bulk materials, and because they minimize vibration and shock to the transported materials, they are also widely used in transport processes and for materials where stable and safe transport is required. Furthermore, since conveyors in the logistics industry are used indoors, the absence of impact noise from collisions with goods and their excellent quietness are major factors in their adoption.

[0005] On the other hand, roller conveyors are characterized by their low roller friction and suitability for transporting relatively heavy, large-volume items, such as cardboard boxes or containers, which are often consolidated into units. They are widely used in various processes within the logistics industry. This is because roller conveyors have excellent accumulating capabilities, allowing them to temporarily store transported items due to the low friction of the rollers, and because the gaps between the rollers allow for the insertion of various narrow conveyor technologies, enabling the transport direction of the items to be freely changed. Furthermore, by utilizing inclines, they can be used as energy-saving conveyors known as gravity conveyors, which do not require power. In other words, in the logistics industry, where goods must be delivered from producers to consumers and complex transport processes such as sorting and consolidation are required, roller conveyors, which allow for free control of the transport direction of items and are energy-efficient, are indispensable.

[0006] However, roller conveyors are limited to the types of goods that can be handled by four or more conveying rollers. This makes it difficult to handle the miniaturization, simplification of packaging, and handling of bulk goods, such as cardboard boxes and containers containing articles. Furthermore, they are also difficult to use for conveying liquids, precision equipment, and parts that need to be protected from impact damage. The former is clearly unsuitable because items would fall through the gaps between the rollers, but the latter is difficult to address because the instability of the conveying direction due to slippage of the conveyed goods makes them prone to falling from the roller conveyor, colliding with guards, and being damaged by collisions with metal rollers. In addition, the impact noise from collisions between goods and metal rolls is loud, posing a problem of noise reduction. In particular, in recent logistics centers and other facilities, there has been a strong demand for improvement of the working environment, including noise reduction, and noise reduction has become a pressing issue. However, these disadvantages stem from the fact that conveying on rollers with gaps between them is the source of the advantages of roller conveyors, which involve conveying through contact with hard metal rolls with low roller friction, and a solution that can reconcile these disadvantages has not yet been found.

[0007] Therefore, one might easily conceive of switching the conveying path from a roller conveyor to a belt conveyor to improve the shortcomings of such roller conveyors. However, this would require sacrificing the advantages of roller conveyors required for logistics systems, such as the ability to easily add functions like length adjustment, accumulation, and direction change using the gap between rollers, and thus it cannot be applied to all conveying paths.

[0008] However, in curved roller conveyors, which have an arc-shaped curve in their conveying path, the gaps between rollers are larger on the outer circumference of the curve than on the inner circumference, resulting in an uneven structure. Furthermore, the difference in diameter of the tapered rollers causes a speed difference between the outer and inner circumferences, making it easy for conveyed objects to fall into the gaps between the tapered rollers. This significantly increases the likelihood of objects sliding, rotating, or falling compared to straight roller conveyors. For the same reasons, damage to conveyed objects due to falling objects and collisions with metal rollers, as well as noise, are more severe in curved roller conveyors. Therefore, in curved conveyors, switching from roller conveyors to belt conveyors is an unavoidable and inevitable process.

[0009] Therefore, curved belt conveyors have been under development for a long time and, as a result, are already widely used (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 17). Such curved belt conveyors basically consist of two tapered rollers, which act as pulleys in a belt conveyor, positioned at radii that intersect with both ends of a sector-shaped arc, and equipped with a drive mechanism to make them function. A curved belt in the shape of a frustum of a cone is placed over these two tapered rollers and bridged so that tension is applied by wrapping around the outside of the two tapered rollers. Based on this configuration, curved belt conveyors have problems such as the shift towards the inner circumference due to the centripetal force of the curved belt in the shape of a frustum of a cone with the central sector removed in a plan view projected onto a horizontal plane, meandering due to the difference in peripheral speed between the inner and outer circumferences of the curved belt, and deformation and reduced lifespan of the curved belt due to the belt holding mechanism provided to prevent these problems. Various countermeasures have been taken to the basic configuration of the curved belt.

[0010] Firstly, this method involves multiple protrusions positioned on the outer edge of the curved belt, that is, on the base of the frustoconical curved belt, being held and rotated by rollers, ball bearings, etc., installed on the outer circumference of the curved belt conveyor (for example, Patent Documents 1-5). This method has been widely studied, and improvements have been made to absorb load fluctuations applied radially to the curved belt, the ease of attaching and detaching the curved belt, and the sliding properties of the protrusions, resulting in less damage to the curved belt and stable conveyance, and it has been put into practical use.

[0011] Secondly, in this method, an endless belt is attached to multiple rotating bodies such as rollers and ball bearings installed on the outer circumference of the curved belt conveyor, and the curved belt is held and rotated by bridging the outer edge of the curved belt with a spring-elastic connecting member (for example, Patent Document 6). The connecting member is elastic, and the endless belt to which it is hooked is severely damaged, so improvements have been made to the connection between the outer edge of the curved belt and the endless belt (for example, Patent Document 7). For a similar purpose, improvements using a chain instead of an endless belt have also been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 8 and 9).

[0012] Thirdly, a mechanism has been proposed that reverses the configuration of such a belt holding mechanism. This method involves arranging rotating bodies such as rollers or ball bearings on the outer edge of the curved belt, and providing guide rails on the outer edge of the curved belt conveyor for guiding these rotating bodies (for example, Patent Documents 10 and 11). Similar to the method using the above-mentioned protrusions, this method does not use springs, resulting in less damage to the curved belt and enabling stable conveyance, and it has already been put into practical use.

[0013] However, these curved belt conveyors require a belt holding mechanism, resulting in a large number of parts and a complex mechanical configuration. Furthermore, the tension applied to the curved belt by the belt holding mechanism can cause deformation and a reduction in the lifespan of the curved belt. Therefore, curved belt conveyors have been proposed that prevent the curved belt from shifting or meandering without requiring a belt holding mechanism.

[0014] Firstly, the drive roller that drives the curved belt is positioned such that the rotational axis of the drive roller, the center of the arc of the curved belt, and the center of the outer circumference of the curved belt coincide with the forward and return surfaces of the outer edge of the curved belt, and a pinch roller is positioned above the drive roller, so that the curved belt is clamped between the pinch roller and the drive roller (for example, Patent Document 12). According to this method, since the pinch roller presses against the drive roller from above the forward surface of the curved belt, it is possible to prevent the curved belt from shifting or meandering, and since it is not a curved belt holding mechanism that puts a load on the curved belt, the problem of damage to the curved belt can also be solved. Furthermore, the deployment of this mechanism in which the curved belt is clamped between the pinch roller and the drive roller on the return side, and even the deployment of multiple such mechanisms on both the forward and return sides, have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 13 and 14). However, even though these pinch rollers and drive rollers do not place any load on the curved belt by pulling it, they still fall under the category of belt holding mechanisms.

[0015] Secondly, for a similar purpose, a curved belt conveyor has been proposed that does not require any additional parts to be attached to the basic structure of the curved belt conveyor, but rather features optimized shapes for the tapered rollers at both ends and the curved belt (for example, Patent Documents 15 and 16).

[0016] However, it is considered difficult to prevent the curved belt from shifting or meandering by simply optimizing the shapes of the two tapered rollers at both ends of the curved belt conveyor and the shape of the curved belt itself. Therefore, a third type of curved belt conveyor has been proposed in which a frustoconical curved belt is placed over a curved roller conveyor in which multiple tapered rollers are arranged in a fan shape, and is bridged so as to wrap around the outside of two tapered rollers and apply tension (for example, Patent Documents 17 and 18).

[0017] In this type of curved belt conveyor, problems of the curved belt shifting and meandering occur. As a means of solving this problem, control of the surface contact state between the curved belt and the tapered roller has been proposed, and attempts have been made to deploy tracking rollers to correct belt trajectory fluctuations (tracking failure) and to attach convex tracking members to the tapered roller (Patent Document 17). In addition, uneven tension control to increase the elongation rate on the outer circumference of the curved belt, i.e., the tension on the outer circumference of the curved belt, has been proposed, and the design of the curved belt and the attachment of sleeves to the outer circumference of the tapered roller have been proposed (Patent Document 18). However, the present inventor has experimentally confirmed that these proposals are insufficient as means of solving the problems of the curved belt shifting and meandering that occur in curved belt conveyors that use a curved roller conveyor system in which the curved belt is wound around the curved belt. Furthermore, the deployment of tracking rollers is a belt holding mechanism and complicates the machine configuration, so it is a solution that should be avoided.

[0018] However, curved belt conveyors that do not use a belt holding mechanism, particularly the third type of curved belt conveyor that winds a curved belt onto a curved roller conveyor, have not yet overcome performance issues. Nevertheless, because they have fewer parts and a simpler mechanical configuration, they offer many practical advantages that surpass currently used curved belt conveyors with belt holding mechanisms, including ease of manufacturing, maintenance, and reconfiguration, as well as the repurposing of curved roller conveyors. Therefore, they are expected to be a promising type of curved belt conveyor for the future. [Prior art documents] [Patent Document]

[0019] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-155413 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-114343 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-213487 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-251779 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-143522 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-208023 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-083946 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-203504 [Patent Document 9] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-021899 [Patent Document 10] Japanese Published Translation of PCT International Application No. 2002-502345 [Patent Document 11] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-299857 [Patent Document 12] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-327117 [Patent Document 13] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-338025 [Patent Document 14] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-206015 [Patent Document 15] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-176008 [Patent Document 16] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-297155 [Patent Document 17] Japanese Published Translation of PCT International Application No. 2005-525276 [Patent Document 18] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-180293 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0020] As explained in the background technology section, curved belt conveyors that do not use a curved belt holding mechanism and instead wind a curved belt onto a curved roller conveyor have not overcome performance issues. However, because they have fewer parts and a simpler mechanical configuration, they have many practical advantages that surpass currently used curved belt conveyors with belt holding mechanisms, including ease of manufacturing, maintenance, and reconfiguration, as well as the repurposing of curved roller conveyors. Therefore, they are expected to be a promising curved belt conveyor for the future.

[0021] The present invention aims to overcome the performance problem of tracking failure, where the trajectory of the curved belt is not fixed, in a curved belt conveyor of the type in which a curved belt is wound around a curved roller conveyor, without employing a belt holding mechanism for pulling the curved belt, or a belt holding mechanism such as a pinch roller or tracking roller for correcting the trajectory of the curved belt. In particular, it aims to prevent tracking failure, which is considered to be the biggest problem in this type of system, where the curved belt deviates towards the inner circumference side (towards the center of the arc) of the curved belt conveyor.

[0022] Furthermore, in order to clarify the problems that this invention aims to solve in a concrete and technical manner, we analyzed the reasons why the trajectory of the curved belt of this type of curved roller conveyor is not fixed, and in particular, why the curved belt tends to deviate towards the inner circumference of the curved belt conveyor.

[0023] In conducting a cause analysis, it is necessary to understand the belt conveyor trajectory correction technology, which is closely related to the cause and forms the basis of the basic thinking behind the analysis. Therefore, Figures 1 and 2 show the trajectory correction technology for a straight belt conveyor.

[0024] Figure 1 is an abstract schematic plan view of a straight conveyor belt 100 in which the conveyor belt 110 is bridged between a head pulley 120 and a tail pulley 130, illustrating conveyor belt trajectory correction technology for a straight belt conveyor. Figure 1(a) shows a trajectory correction method when the conveyor belt is biased downwards in the plane of the paper, and Figure 1(b) shows a trajectory correction method when it is biased in the opposite direction. The only difference between the two is the direction of trajectory correction, and the principle of this trajectory correction method is based on the property that the conveyor belt 110 enters the pulley at a right angle and travels the shortest distance across the pulley. As shown in Figure 1(a), when the conveyor belt 110 does not meander, the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 110 and the lateral directions of the head pulley 120 and tail pulley 130 are perpendicular. However, if the conveyor belt 110 deviates downwards in the plane of the paper, for example, if the tail pulley 130 is tilted to the right in the plane of the paper, the conveyor belt 110 will enter perpendicular to the side of the tail pulley 130 and attempt to travel the shortest distance across the pulley. As a result, tension T1 is applied to the conveyor belt 110 along the tail pulley 130 towards the upper edge of the paper, correcting the trajectory that is deviating downwards in the plane of the paper towards the upper edge. The trajectory of the conveyor belt 110 is corrected in the same principle as shown in Figure 1(b). Note that the term "pulley" is generally used for cylindrical components on which a belt is attached when driving a rotating machine, and is used for forms that have grooves like a pulley. However, in belt conveyors and other industrial equipment, as shown in Figure 1, for example, the term "roller," which refers to a cylindrical component that is rotated by a belt, is used synonymously with the term "pulley." Therefore, in this specification, the two terms are used without distinction.

[0025] Such trajectory correction technology for straight belt conveyors 100 is utilized in the shape of pulleys to prevent meandering of the conveyor belt 110 of the straight belt conveyor 100. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a crown pulley (a) and a concave pulley (b) around which the conveyor belt is wound, illustrating that, as an example, crown-shaped and concave-shaped rollers are used as bend pulleys, respectively, to exhibit an effective trajectory correction function. As can be seen from the diagram, in both cases, the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 110 is not perpendicular to the sides of the crown pulley 140 and the concave pulley 150. Therefore, the conveyor belt 110 approaches the sides of the crown pulley 140 and the concave pulley 150 at a right angle and attempts to travel the shortest distance between the pulleys. As a result, tensions T1 and T2 are applied to the conveyor belt 110 along the crown pulley 140 and the concave pulley 150 towards both ends of the pulleys, maintaining the straightness of the conveyor belt.

[0026] Next, in a curved belt conveyor that uses a curved roller conveyor to wind a curved belt, we will explain the tension (a) acting on the curved belt based on the conveyor belt trajectory correction technology of such a straight belt conveyor, and also the centripetal force (b) acting on the curved belt of the curved belt conveyor based on the circular motion of the curved belt, which is unique to curved belt conveyors. To explain this, Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a curved belt conveyor 200, which is an abstraction of only the essential parts of the curved belt conveyor, cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the curved rollers. Figure 3 shows a single tapered roller 210 located at one end of a curved roller conveyor in which two or more tapered rollers are arranged radially. A curved belt 220 with a roughly frustoconical side shape and uniform thickness is wound around the tapered roller 210, and the rotation of the curved belt 220 by the tapered roller 210 is depicted focusing on the contact surface between the outer side surface of the tapered roller 210 and the inner surface of the curved belt 220, and the outer surface of the curved belt 220. The taper angle of the tapered roller 210 and the thickness of the curved belt 220 are made extremely large compared to the width of the curved belt conveyor 200 for easier understanding.

[0027] As can be seen from Figure 3(a), the tension applied to the curved belt 220 is that the inner surface of the curved belt 220 and the side surface of the tapered roller 210 rotate about a common rotation center 230. On the contact surface between the outer side surface of the tapered roller 210 and the inner surface of the curved belt 220, the curved belt 220 always enters the tapered roller 210 at a right angle, so no large tension is generated on the inner surface of the curved belt 220. However, when focusing on the outer outer surface of the curved belt 220, it rotates about a rotation center 240 different from the rotation center 230 of the inner surface of the curved belt 220. The radius r2 of the inner peripheral end of the outer outer surface of the curved belt 220 is larger than the radius r1 of the inner peripheral end of the inner surface of the curved belt 220, and the outer outer surface of the curved belt 220 cannot enter the tapered roller 210 at a right angle. Therefore, in order to enter at a right angle and travel the shortest distance relative to the tapered roller 210, a large tension is generated in the direction of the rotation center 240 of the outer outer surface of the curved belt 220. Such a phenomenon causes the deviation of the curved belt to its inner peripheral side, as well as meandering of the curved belt due to deformation, reduced service life, damage and the like in a curved belt conveyor of a type where a curved belt is wound around curved rollers.

[0028] Furthermore, as can be seen from Figure 3(b), centripetal forces F1 and F2 based on the circular motion of the curved belt 220, which is unique to the curved belt conveyor 200, are generated in the curved belt 220, which causes the deviation of the curved belt 220 to the inner peripheral side. Moreover, a larger centripetal force acts on the outer surface of the curved belt than on the inner surface of the curved belt 220, which causes meandering of the curved belt due to deformation of the curved belt 220, reduced service life, and damage. This difference is apparent when viewing the inner peripheral end of the curved belt 220, for example, in Figure 3(b). The inner peripheral end of the inner surface of the curved belt 220 has a radius r1, an angular velocity ω1, and a rotation speed v1, while the inner peripheral end of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 has a radius r2, an angular velocity ω2 (=ω1), and a rotation speed v2. Although the angular velocities are equal, the radii are greatly different, so v1<<v2 holds. Therefore, the centripetal forces at the inner peripheral end of the inner surface and the inner peripheral end of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 are respectively F1=m·v1 2 / r1 and F2=m·v22 Since it is / r² and proportional to the square of the rotational speed, the centripetal force F2 at the inner end of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 is larger.

[0029] As described above, a large force acts on the curved belt of a curved belt conveyor toward the center of rotation of the curved belt conveyor, causing problems such as belt misalignment, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage. Therefore, the studies described in paragraphs 0010 to 0018 were conducted, and these problems were resolved by providing a belt holding mechanism for the curved belt. However, these problems have not yet been resolved without providing a belt holding mechanism for the curved belt.

[0030] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a curved belt conveyor that solves the above-mentioned technical causes of problems such as unevenness, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage to the curved belt, in a curved roller conveyor that uses a curved belt winding method, without providing a belt holding mechanism for the curved belt. In particular, the object is to find a means to solve the technical causes of tracking failure, namely unevenness and meandering of the curved belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0031] As described in paragraphs 0022 to 0028, the inventors analyzed the tension and centripetal force acting on a curved belt conveyor toward the center of rotation of the curved belt and hypothesized that there might be a relationship with the film thickness of the curved belt. Therefore, they investigated a curved belt in which the film thickness of the curved belt continuously thins from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, using Figure 4. Figure 4, similar to Figure 3, shows a single tapered roller 310 located at one end of a curved roller conveyor in which two or more tapered rollers are arranged radially. A curved belt 320 with a roughly frustoconical side shape and a film thickness that continuously thins from the outer circumference to the inner circumference is wound around the tapered roller 310, and the situation in which the curved belt 320 rotates due to the tapered roller 310 is depicted focusing on the contact surface between the outer surface of the tapered roller 310 and the inner surface of the curved belt 320, and the outer surface of the curved belt 320. A characteristic feature of the curved belt 320 and tapered roller 310, which have continuously changing film thicknesses, is that the extensions of the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320, and the extensions of the side and center lines of the tapered roller 310, intersect at a single convergence point 330. As is clear from this figure, the curved belt 320 enters the tapered roller 310 at a right angle, so it is considered that, in principle, no tension is generated from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the curved belt 320. Furthermore, since the radii r1 at the inner ends of the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320 are equal, although there is a difference in centripetal force due to the difference in angular velocity, it is considered that the centripetal force acting on the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320 does not generate stress that would deform the curved belt 320.

[0032] Based on these findings, and after further detailed examination, as explained using Figure 4, it was found that the solution to the problem of the present invention is not solely achieved by having the extensions of the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320 and the extensions of the side and center lines of the tapered roller 310 intersect at a single convergence point 330. Rather, the problem of the present invention can be solved by introducing a belt tension equalization mechanism that equalizes the tension applied in the circumferential direction of concentric circles with the convergence point 330 as the center of the circle. Furthermore, it was found that introducing a sliding prevention mechanism between the tapered roller 310 and the curved belt 320 is even more preferable for solving the problem of the present invention, thus completing the present invention.

[0033] In other words, the present invention relates to a curved belt conveyor comprising a curved belt formed in the shape of the side surface of a substantially frustoconical pyramid, and two or more rotatable tapered rollers arranged radially, wherein the inner surface of the curved belt and the outer surface of the tapered rollers are in contact, and the curved belt is wound so as to bridge the tapered rollers while wound, and the curved belt rotates due to the rotation of the tapered rollers, and is equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism that equalizes the circumferential tension in concentric circles with the vertices where the generatrixes of the curved belt intersect as the centers of the circles, which is applied to the curved belt, over the entire area of ​​the curved belt, and the belt tension equalization mechanism controls the longitudinal movement of the centerline of the curved belt within a predetermined range when the curved belt rotates, so that the curved belt rotates along a predetermined trajectory.

[0034] In such curved belt conveyors, achieving uniform belt tension is a fundamental technical principle for the curved belt to rotate on tapered rollers without causing tracking problems, and any mechanism that can realize uniform belt tension can be employed.

[0035] Therefore, the belt tension equalization mechanism is not limited, but the tension equalization tapered rollers are arranged such that the extensions of all of their centerlines and the extensions of all of the generatrixes of the tapered rollers that are in the same plane as the cross-section passing through these centerlines converge at a single point, and the curved belt is a shape enclosed in a cross-section obtained by cutting the curved belt conveyor in a horizontal plane, with the convergence point of the tapered rollers as the center of the circle, an outer circular arc formed with a predetermined radius shorter than the outer circular end of the tapered roller, an inner circular arc formed with a predetermined radius longer than the inner circular end of the tapered roller, and the generatrixes on the outside of the tapered rollers at both ends, Zhou From the side arc to the inside Zhou It is preferable that the belt tension equalization mechanism consists of a tension equalization curve belt in which the inner surface of the side of a roughly frustocone is formed by arcs of a predetermined ratio, selected from approximately 96 to 99%, for all arc lengths leading to the side arc.

[0036] Furthermore, in a curved belt conveyor constructed with tension-uniform tapered rollers and a tension-uniform curved belt designed in this manner, it is preferable that, in a cross-section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the centerline of the tension-uniform tapered roller, the tension-uniform curved belt is designed such that the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniform curved belt that contact the tension-uniform tapered rollers at both ends, and the intersection of these two extensions, is greater than or equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the outside of the tension-uniform tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point where the centerlines of all the tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrix lines meet. A curved belt conveyor equipped with such a tension-uniform curved belt exhibits a more significant effect in resolving problems such as curved belt misalignment, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage. In particular, it is suitable as a means of solving the technical causes of tracking failure, such as curved belt misalignment and meandering.

[0037] In particular, a tension-uniform curved belt designed such that the intersection of the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniform curved belt, which contacts the tension-uniform tapered rollers at both ends, coincides with the convergence point of the tension-uniform tapered rollers, is even more preferable in solving the problems of the present invention.

[0038] While such a belt tension equalization mechanism ensures stable movement of the curved belt in a curved belt conveyor and prevents tracking problems, it is more preferable to provide a sliding prevention mechanism on the tension equalization tapered roller in addition to the belt tension equalization mechanism to increase the contact force and frictional force between the tension equalization tapered roller and the tension equalization curved belt and prevent sliding.

[0039] The anti-slip mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it can increase the contact force and friction force between the tension-uniform tapered roller and the tension-uniform curved belt without impairing the belt tension uniformity mechanism. However, it is preferable that the anti-slip mechanism includes a grip-enhancing protrusion located at a distance of approximately 0 to 50% from the outer circumference end of the tension-uniform tapered roller, which is physically or chemically processed to increase the contact force and friction force with the inner surface of the tension-uniform curved belt. The addition of grip-enhancing protrusions not only eliminates sliding between the tension-uniform tapered roller and the tension-uniform curved belt, but this elimination of sliding also drastically reduces tension loss on the tension-uniform curved belt, maintaining more stable movement of the curved belt and enhancing the effect of preventing tracking defects.

[0040] Physical processing to increase contact and frictional forces includes forming protrusions with height, such as radial or tapered crown shapes or the opposite concave shape, as the overall shape of the grip-enhancing protrusions on the surface of the tension-uniform tapered roller; forming grooves such as longitudinal grooves, transverse grooves, threaded grooves, helical grooves, double helical grooves, and diamond-cut grooves; and forming fine irregularities, such as the weave of canvas, which are formed on the surface of general conveyor belts. To increase contact force, the grip-enhancing protrusions should be made higher, but this must be done to the extent that it does not cause tension imbalance on the tension-uniform curved belt. Frictional force can be further increased by using these physical processing techniques in combination.

[0041] Chemical processing involves increasing the coefficient of friction by lining the surface of the tension-uniform tapered roller or the surface of the grip-enhancing protrusions formed on the tension-uniform tapered roller. As the lining material, a rubber-based resin with a high coefficient of friction is preferred. Examples of such rubber-based resins include silicone rubber (VMQ, FVMQ), urethane rubber (AU, EU), isoprene rubber (IR), butadiene rubber (BR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), nitrile rubber (NBR), isobutylene-isoprene rubber (IIR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber (CSM), acrylic rubber (ACM), fluororubber (FKM), epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO), and the like.

[0042] Furthermore, tapered rollers include tapered pipe type tapered rollers (pulleys) in which a tapered pipe is inserted into a shaft, and tapered adapter type tapered rollers (pulleys) in which a tapered adapter is inserted into a shaft. The grip-enhancing protrusions can be provided on the tapered pipe and tapered adapter. In both physical and chemical processing, these can be provided during the molding process of the tapered pipe and tapered adapter, but they can also be provided in the form of a sleeve used as a roller covering material. Chemical processing can be applied to the physically processed tapered pipe and tapered adapter, as well as the sleeve covering them.

[0043] In particular, the sleeve is a thin cylindrical part that is easy to process physically and / or chemically, and the grip-enhancing protrusions can be easily attached to it, making it suitable for introducing grip-enhancing protrusions. The shape of the sleeve is important in relation to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt that contact the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends and the intersection of these two extensions, and the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the outside of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point of these tapered rollers. The shape of the sleeve also depends on the width of the curved belt conveyor and is not particularly limited, but in the case of a cylindrical shape, a width of about 20 to 80 mm and a thickness of about 1.0 to 3.0 mm is preferable, and a width of about 30 to 70 mm and a thickness of about 1.2 to 2.5 mm is more preferable. Furthermore, in addition to general-purpose resins such as nylon, polyvinyl chloride, and polyester, the material of the sleeve can also be a rubber-based resin with a high coefficient of friction, making it easy to mold and groove to be formed. Furthermore, the ability to select from a variety of materials means that lining is unnecessary. For these reasons, the sleeve is suitable and preferred as a method for providing grip-enhancing protrusions to tension-uniforming tapered rollers.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to effectively provide an anti-slip function to a curved belt conveyor equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism, it is preferable to select not only the specific position of the anti-slip mechanism installed within the tension equalization tapered roller as described in paragraph 0040, but also from the radially arranged tension equalization tapered rollers that constitute the curved belt conveyor, with both ends of the tension equalization tapered roller wound around the tension equalization curved belt being suitable. This is also true when grip-enhancing protrusions are used as the anti-slip mechanism.

[0045] Furthermore, in a curved belt conveyor equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism as described in paragraph 0036, it is preferable, as explained in paragraph 0037, that in a cross-section obtained by cutting the curved belt conveyor in a horizontal plane, the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension equalization curved belt that contacts the tension equalization tapered rollers at both ends, and the intersection of these two extensions, is greater than or equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the outside of the tension equalization tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point where the centerlines of all the tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrix lines meet. Such a relationship of magnitude of angles also exists when grip-reinforcing protrusions are provided on the tension equalization tapered rollers as a sliding prevention mechanism, in addition to the belt tension equalization mechanism. In other words, in a cross-section of a curved belt conveyor equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism and grip-enhancing protrusions as a sliding prevention mechanism, when cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the tension-equalizing tapered roller, it is preferable that the angle formed by the two tangents that contact the largest and smallest protrusions on the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt that contact the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends, and the intersection of these two tangents, is greater than or equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes on the outside of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point where the center lines of all the tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrixes meet. A curved belt conveyor designed in this way will, due to the synergistic effect of the tension equalization mechanism and the grip-enhancing protrusions as a sliding prevention mechanism, be free from problems such as shifting, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage to the curved belt, in particular, the occurrence of tracking defects such as shifting and meandering of the curved belt will be completely eliminated.

[0046] Furthermore, in accordance with paragraph 0038, it is even more preferable that the tension-equalizing curved belt and the tension-equalizing tapered rollers are equipped with grip-enhancing protrusions and are designed such that the intersection of the two tangents that contact the maximum and minimum protrusions at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt, which contact the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends, coincides with the convergence point of the tension-equalizing tapered roller.

[0047] The effectiveness of the belt tension equalization mechanism varies depending on the material and construction of the curved belt. The tension equalization curved belt of the present invention has a film thickness of approximately 0.7 to 2.6 mm and a mass of approximately 1.0 to 3.0 kg / m². 2 Therefore, a tension-uniform curved belt without a core made of the above-mentioned rubber resin or thermoplastic polyurethane is preferable because it has excellent elasticity, uniformizes the belt tension, and is effective in preventing tracking failures. For more effective prevention of tracking failures, a film thickness of approximately 1.0 to 2.0 mm and a mass of approximately 1.2 to 1.6 kg / m 2 Therefore, it is more preferable that the material be a tension-uniform curved belt without a core made of thermoplastic polyurethane. Thermoplastic polyurethane has the advantage that its physical properties can be controlled by changing its composition, so that curved belts can be made according to the application.

[0048] Conventional general-purpose conveyor belts are constructed by laminating a canvas core made from polyester fibers, polyamide fibers including nylon, etc., with various types of rubber. While these belts excel in terms of strength and lifespan, they lack elasticity and have anisotropic physical properties, making them unsuitable for the fundamental technical solution of the present invention, which is tension uniformity. Therefore, a curved belt without a core is a suitable configuration for a tension-uniform curved belt. However, in a tension-uniform curved belt where tension is applied in the circumferential direction with the center of the circle being the convergence point of the extension of the center line of the tension-uniform tapered roller and the extension of the generatrix, a linear resin body can be introduced as the core to provide long-term durability, arranged in the circumferential direction of the curved belt conveyor. This linear body avoids the drawbacks of conventional canvas and does not impair the tension uniformity of the curved belt. In particular, it is preferable that this linear body be made of polyurethane and nylon fibers and yarns with excellent elasticity.

[0049] The curved belt conveyor of the present invention, as described above, is a curved belt conveyor in which a tension-uniform curved belt is wound around a plurality of tension-uniform tapered rollers arranged radially. Although it can be used as a single unit, multiple such curved belt conveyors can be used as curved belt conveyor units. Install in series By aligning the convergence points where the centerlines and extensions of the mainframes of the tension-uniform tapered rollers meet, and by setting the spacing between each tension-uniform tapered roller and the spacing between the connected curved belt conveyor units to be approximately equal, it can be used as a curved belt conveyor system. By adopting this method, it is possible to connect curved belt conveyor units that can highly demonstrate the effectiveness of the tension-uniform mechanism, thereby forming a curved conveying path with excellent tracking properties. Furthermore, by using the curved belt conveyor unit of the present invention as a basic unit and combining multiple units, as well as combining them with straight conveyors, it is possible to freely construct main transport routes in logistics centers, various factories, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0050] According to the present invention, in a curved belt conveyor that uses a curved roller conveyor to wind a curved belt, it is possible to solve problems such as unevenness, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage to the curved belt without providing a belt holding mechanism for the curved belt. In particular, it is effective in preventing tracking defects such as unevenness and meandering of the curved belt. Furthermore, the curved belt conveyor of the present invention can be used as a basic unit and combined to construct a freely adaptable conveying path.

[0051] Furthermore, the curved belt conveyor of this invention, with its simple structure lacking a belt holding mechanism, offers the same mechanism and cost-effectiveness as a roller curved conveyor. It enables stable and safe transport of items that were difficult to transport with roller curved conveyors, such as carbonated beverages, with minimal impact, no dropping, and no risk of bursting. In addition, it can transport items of sizes that could not be transported by conventional roller conveyors without bundling them in cardboard boxes or containers, greatly easing the constraints on transportable items. Moreover, the transport noise and impact noise associated with the transport are extremely low, making the entire transport line in logistics centers quieter and significantly improving the working environment for workers in logistics centers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0052] [Figure 1] This is an abstract schematic plan view of a straight conveyor belt where the conveyor belt is bridged between a head pulley and a tail pulley, illustrating the conveyor belt trajectory correction technique for a straight belt conveyor. [Figure 2] As an example of utilizing conveyor belt trajectory correction technology to prevent meandering in a straight belt conveyor, the diagram shows a schematic plan view of the crown pulley (a) and concave pulley around which the conveyor belt is wound, when the crown shape and concave shape are used as bend pulleys for a straight belt conveyor, respectively. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a curved belt conveyor, cut horizontally, abstracting only the essential parts for explaining the tension (a) acting on the curved belt based on the conveyor belt trajectory correction technology of a straight belt conveyor, and the centripetal force (b) acting on the curved belt of a curved belt conveyor based on the circular motion of the curved belt, which is unique to curved belt conveyors. [Figure 4]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a curved belt conveyor, abstracted to show only the essential parts, in a curved belt conveyor where a curved belt is wound around a curved roller conveyor, and the curved belt is one that becomes continuously thinner from the outer circumference to the inner circumference. The diagram shows how the curved belt rotates due to the tapered roller, focusing on the contact surface between the outer surface of the tapered roller and the inner surface of the curved belt, and the outer surface of the curved belt. [Figure 5] According to one embodiment of the present invention, as a tension equalization mechanism, tension equalization tapered rollers are arranged radially such that the centerlines of the tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrixes converge at a single point, and the curved belt is formed such that, in a cross section obtained by cutting the curved belt conveyor in a horizontal plane, the convergence point of the tapered rollers is the center of the circle, and the outer circumference arc is formed with a predetermined radius shorter than the outer circumference end of the tapered roller, and the inner circumference arc is formed with a predetermined radius longer than the inner circumference end of the tapered roller, and tapered rollers at both ends (a) is a schematic plan view of a curved belt conveyor comprising a tension-uniforming curved belt whose inner surface is roughly that of a frustum of cone, and whose shape is enclosed by the outer generatrix of the roller, and the length of all arcs from the outer arc to the inner arc is formed by arcs that account for approximately 98% of the total length, and the tension-uniforming curved belt is wound around a tension-uniforming tapered roller, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the plan view (a) obtained by cutting perpendicular to the plane of the paper through the center line of the tapered rollers that constitute the tension-uniforming tapered roller. [Figure 6] (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same shape as Figure 5(b), (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view passing through the centerline of a tapered roller with a roller width of 600 mm, a small diameter of 40 mm, and a large diameter of 65 mm, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a curved belt conveyor equipped with a tension equalization mechanism, which consists of tension equalization tapered rollers arranged in the same way as in Figure 5 using the tapered rollers of (b), and a tension equalization curved belt designed in the same way as in Figure 5, and is cut vertically through the centerline of the tension equalization tapered rollers that are not at the ends. [Figure 7](a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a curved belt conveyor cut horizontally, with the main parts abstracted, referencing Figure 3(a), and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a curved belt conveyor cut horizontally, with the main parts abstracted, referencing Figure 4, and is shown together to compare the effect of the film thickness of the curved belt. [Figure 8] In a curved belt conveyor system where a curved belt is wound around a curved roller conveyor, this schematic cross-sectional view, abstracted from the essential parts, shows the curved belt rotating due to tapered rollers, focusing on the contact surface between the outer surface of the tapered roller and the inner surface of the curved belt, and the outer surface of the curved belt, in order to compare the effect of the thickness of the curved belt on the tension of the curved belt. [Figure 9] In a curved belt conveyor system where a curved belt is wound around a curved roller conveyor, this schematic cross-sectional view, abstracted from the essential parts, shows the curved belt rotating due to tapered rollers, focusing on the contact surface between the outer surface of the tapered roller and the inner surface of the curved belt, and the outer surface of the curved belt, in order to compare the effect of the thickness of the curved belt on the centripetal force of the curved belt. [Figure 10] This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram using the same method as Figure 6, for analyzing whether the protrusions provided on the tension-uniforming tapered rollers via sleeves have a tracking prevention effect on the tension-uniforming curved belt in a curved belt conveyor that uses a curved roller conveyor equipped with a belt tension uniformization mechanism. [Figure 11] This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram using the same method as Figure 6, illustrating the tracking prevention effect of an inclined, tension-uniformed curved belt with continuously changing film thickness in a curved roller conveyor equipped with a belt tension uniformization mechanism. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of a conveyor belt that can be used in a curved belt conveyor equipped with the belt tension uniformization mechanism of the present invention. [Figure 13]This schematic diagram shows the shape of a sleeve with vertical grooves that can be used as a grip-reinforcing protrusion for a curved belt conveyor equipped with the belt tension equalization mechanism of the present invention. (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken across the center line of the sleeve. [Figure 14] This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating a method for arranging the grip-enhancing protrusions of the present invention for tapered pipe-type tapered rollers and tapered adapt-type tapered rollers. [Figure 15] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the outline of a composite curved belt conveyor, which is formed by combining a curved roller conveyor equipped with the belt tension uniformity mechanism of the present invention as a unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0053] The present invention will be described in more detail below using embodiments shown in the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention, and is limited only to the technical concept described in the claims.

[0054] Figure 5 shows a belt tension equalization mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising tension equalization tapered rollers 410 arranged radially such that the centerlines of seven tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrixes converge at a single point 460, and a cross section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the centerline of the tension equalization tapered roller 410, with the convergence point where the centerlines of the tension equalization tapered roller 410 and the extensions of the generatrixes converge as the center of the circle, an outer circumference arc formed with a predetermined radius shorter than the outer circumference end of the tension equalization tapered roller 410, and an inner circumference arc formed with a predetermined radius longer than the inner circumference end of the tension equalization tapered roller 410, and at both ends (a) is a schematic plan view of a curved belt conveyor 400, which comprises a tension-uniform curved belt 420 whose shape is enclosed by the outer generatrix of a tension-uniform tapered roller 410, and whose inner surface is roughly that of a frustocone, with all arcs from the outer circumference to the inner circumference being approximately 98% of the total arc length. (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 wound around the tension-uniform tapered roller 410. (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 in the schematic plan view (a), taken perpendicular to the plane of the paper and passing through the centerlines of the tension-uniform tapered roller 410 that are not at the ends. The tension-uniform curved belt 420 is a coreless stretch curved belt made of thermoplastic polyurethane, with a film thickness of approximately 1.2 mm and a mass of approximately 1.4 kg / m2. Full surface This is a stretch curve belt that has uniform physical properties over a wide area.

[0055] Although it is not possible to recognize from this figure that the tension-uniform curved belt 420 is wound around the tension-uniform tapered roller 410 with approximately constant tension in the circumferential direction of concentric circles with the convergence point 460 as the center of the circle, this is clear from the design concept of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 described above.

[0056] Furthermore, as is clear from Figure 5(a), the generatrix of the tension-uniform tapered rollers 410 on the outer sides of both ends and the generatrix of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 that contacts these generatrix are in a parallel positional relationship with the film thickness of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 having a substantially uniform thickness. Therefore, the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniform curved belt 420 that contacts the tapered rollers 410 at both ends of the tension-uniform tapered rollers 410 and the intersection point 470 of these two extensions is equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes on the outer sides of the tapered rollers 410 at both ends of the tension-uniform tapered rollers 410 and the convergence point 460 where the centerlines and generatrix extensions of all the tapered rollers 410 converge. Considering this, it can be understood that the tension-uniform curved belt 420 is wound around the tension-uniform tapered rollers 410 with substantially constant tension in the circumferential direction of concentric circles with the convergence point 460 as the center of the circle.

[0057] Furthermore, in the curved belt conveyor 400 equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism, this angle condition is a necessary condition for achieving belt tension equalization, and satisfying this condition does not guarantee belt tension equalization. However, the condition for the tension-equalizing curved belt 410, which constitutes one of the belt tension equalization mechanisms described in paragraph 0053, specifies its inner surface, not its outer surface. Therefore, for the belt tension equalization mechanism to function more favorably, the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 needs to be specified. Without this specification, there are no restrictions on the cross-sectional shape of the curved belt, and it cannot be ruled out that tension equalization of the curved belt may not be achievable. However, this is not the case if the film thickness is uniform. Therefore, the fact that the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 that contacts the tapered rollers 410 at both ends of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410, and the intersection point 470 of these two extensions, is equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the outside of the tapered rollers 410 at both ends of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410 and the convergence point 460 where the centerlines and generatrix extensions of all the tapered rollers 410 converge identifies the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 and presents the conditions for the belt tension equalization mechanism to function effectively. However, this does not negate the validity of the belt tension equalization mechanism as a higher-level concept that takes this point into consideration.

[0058] Now, we have compared the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410 at both ends and the convergence point 460 with the angle formed by the extensions of the two outer generatrix lines of the tension-equalizing curved belt that is in contact with the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410 at both ends and their intersection point 470. It can be seen that this is the same as the comparison of angles when the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 is wound around a single tension-equalizing tapered roller. In other words, it is equivalent to comparing the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines of a single tension-equalizing tapered roller 410 and the convergence point 460 with the angle formed by the extensions of the two outer generatrix lines of the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 that is wound around this tension-equalizing tapered roller 410 and is in contact with the generatrix of this tension-equalizing tapered roller, and their intersection point 470. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5(b), in the cross-sectional view of a tension-uniform tapered roller 410 in Figure 5(a), the extensions of the two upper and lower generatrixes of the tension-uniform tapered roller 410 and the convergence point 460 This is equivalent to comparing the angle formed by the two extensions of the outer generatrix of the tension-uniforming curved belt 420 that contacts the generatrix of the tension-uniforming tapered roller 410 with the angle formed by their intersection point 470. In describing the curved belt conveyor of the present invention in detail below using an embodiment thereof, the cross-sectional view of Figure 5(b) will be adopted. This is for the purpose of making the explanation easier to understand.

[0059] Therefore, to first explain the relationship between angles shown in paragraph 0055 in more detail, and to demonstrate the validity of the relationship between angles explained in paragraph 0056, we will use the schematic cross-sectional diagram of Figure 5(b) as shown in Figure 6.

[0060] Figure 6 shows, in (a) a schematic cross-sectional view the same as in Figure 5(b), in (b) a schematic cross-sectional view passing through the centerline of a tapered roller 411 with a roller width of 600 mm, a small diameter of 40 mm, and a large diameter of 65 mm, which was used in the calculations, and in (c) a schematic cross-sectional view passing through the centerline of a tension-uniforming tapered roller 411 that is not at either end, when a curved belt conveyor is manufactured equipped with a tension-uniforming mechanism consisting of tension-uniforming tapered rollers 411 arranged in the same way as in Figure 5 using the tapered roller 411 in (b), and a tension-uniforming curved belt 420L with a film thickness of 1.2 mm, which was designed in the same way as in Figure 5. Note that in Figures 6(b) and (c), for clarity, the drive belt 440 for the tapered roller and the frame 450 that supports the tapered roller, as shown in Figure 6(a), are omitted, and the tapered roller 410, which was inclined in the curved belt conveyor 400, is made horizontal. Furthermore, for the sake of simplifying the calculations, the widths of the curved belt and the tapered roller were made to be the same, but this does not affect the angle being considered.

[0061] From the schematic diagram in Figure 6(c), it can be seen that the angle θ2 formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniforming curve belt 420L that contact the upper and lower sides of the tension-uniforming tapered roller 411 (not at both ends) and the intersection point 470L of these two generatrix lines is 0.0208 rad, which is the same as the angle θ1 of 0.0208 rad formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines, with the center line of the tension-uniforming tapered roller 411 as the center of symmetry, and the convergence point 460L where the center line of the tension-uniforming tapered roller and the extensions of the generatrix lines meet. Therefore, as explained in paragraph 0055, in the curved belt conveyor 400 shown in Figure 5, the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt 420 that contacts the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410 at both ends, and the intersection point 470 of these two extensions, is consistent with the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the outside of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers 410 at both ends, and the convergence point 460 where the centerlines of all the tapered rollers and the extensions of the generatrix lines meet.

[0062] The study of curved belt conveyors that do not have a belt holding mechanism for winding such curved belts suggests that the thickness of the curved belt is an important factor. This point is explained in Figures 7 and 8, which illustrate the effect of tension and centripetal force on the curved belt.

[0063] First, let's consider tension. As shown in Figure 4, in a curved belt conveyor 300 in which a curved belt 320 with a roughly frustoconical side shape and a continuously thinning film thickness from the outer circumference to the inner circumference is wound around a tapered roller 310, the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness enters the tapered roller 310 at a right angle, so in principle, tension from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness is not expected to occur. To compare this situation with a curved belt with a uniform film thickness, Figure 7(a) refers to Figure 3(a), and Figure 7(b) refers to Figure 4. As can be seen from Figure 7(a), the curved belt 220 with a uniform film thickness has a tendency for its outer surface to enter the tapered roller 210 at a right angle, and a strong tension T5 acts toward the intersection 240 of the extensions of the generatrix lines at both ends of the curved belt 220. In contrast, the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness shown in Figure 7(b) has both its inner and outer surfaces entering the tapered roller 310 at a right angle, so the tension T6 toward the intersection 330 of the extensions of the generatrix lines at both ends of the curved belt 320 is considered to be extremely small. Here, it is noteworthy that this intersection 330 is also the convergence point 330 where the extensions of the center line and the generatrix of the tapered roller 310 meet, and the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes at both ends of the curved belt 320, which has a sloping film thickness, and this convergence point is larger than the angle formed by the two outer generatrixes at both ends of the tapered rollers 210, 310 and the convergence points 230, 330 where the center line and generatrix of the tapered rollers 210, 310 meet, and the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes at both ends of the curved belt 220 and the intersection point 240 of these extensions.

[0064] Next, let's consider the centripetal force. In this case as well, Figure 4 shows that in the curved belt conveyor 300, in which a curved belt 320 with a roughly frustoconical side shape and a film thickness that is continuously thinner from the outer circumference to the inner circumference is wound around a tapered roller 310, if we look at the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320, the radius r1 of the inner circumference with the convergence point 330 as the center of rotation is equal. Therefore, although there is a difference in centripetal force due to the difference in angular velocity, it is considered that the centripetal force acting on the inner and outer surfaces of the curved belt 320 does not generate stress that would deform the curved belt 320. To compare this situation with a curved belt with a uniform film thickness, we used Figures 8 and 9, which are superimposed figures 3(a) and 4, as referenced in Figure 7. Figure 8 shows the superimposed figure as is so that the overall picture can be grasped, and Figure 9 shows an enlarged view to make the key parts for comparing the centripetal forces easier to understand.

[0065] As can be seen from the figure, the radius r2 of the inner edge of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 with uniform film thickness is larger than the common radius r1 of the inner edge of the inner surface of the curved belt 220 with uniform film thickness, and the common radius r1 of the inner edges of the outer and inner surfaces of the curved belt 320 with inclined film thickness. Therefore, the angular velocity ω2 of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 with uniform film thickness is equal to the angular velocity ω1 of the inner surface of both curved belts 220 and 320. As a result, the peripheral velocity v2 of the outer surface of the curved belt 220 with uniform film thickness becomes large, and the centripetal force F2, which is proportional to the power of the peripheral velocity, becomes extremely large compared to the centripetal force F1 of the inner surface of both curved belts 220 and 320. Consequently, the curved belt 220 with uniform film thickness is prone to shifting towards the inner circumference, which is thought to lead to deformation of the curved belt 220. Although the outer and inner radii r1 of the curved belt 320 with a gradient film thickness are equal, the angular velocity ω3 of the outer surface is greater than the angular velocity ω1 of the inner surface. Therefore, the circumferential velocity v3 of the outer surface is greater than the circumferential velocity v1 of the inner surface, and the centripetal force F3 of the outer surface is greater than the centripetal force F1 of the inner surface. However, compared to a curved belt 220 with a uniform film thickness, it is considered that the inward shift and deformation of the curved belt 320 with a gradient film thickness are extremely unlikely to occur.

[0066] Furthermore, as explained in paragraph 0062, in Figures 8 and 9, a notable feature of the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness is that the intersection point 330 of the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness coincides with the convergence points 230 and 330 where the two outer generatrix lines at both ends of the tapered rollers 210 and 310 meet, and the centerlines and generatrix lines of the tapered rollers 210 and 310. The angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the curved belt 320 with a sloping film thickness and their intersection point 330 is greater than the angle formed by the two outer generatrix lines at both ends of the tapered rollers 210 and 310 meet, and the convergence points 230 and 330 where the centerlines and generatrix lines of the tapered rollers 210 and 310 meet, and the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the curved belt 220 with a uniform film thickness and their intersection point 240, which is equal to this angle.

[0067] Based on these theoretical calculations, it was considered that increasing the thickness of the outer circumference of the curved belt would lead to a reduction in the tension and centripetal force of the curved belt. Therefore, a prototype curved belt conveyor was fabricated and tested using a tension-uniform tapered roller 410, which has a convex portion provided by a sleeve on the outer circumference of the tension-uniform tapered roller. Here, the curved belt was a tension-uniform curved belt 420 designed in the same way as in Figure 5, made of thermoplastic polyurethane, a coreless stretch curved belt, with a film thickness of approximately 1.2 mm and a mass of approximately 1.4 kg / m2. Full surface This is a stretch curved belt with uniform physical properties over its entire length. The sleeve 430-1 is made of the same thermoplastic polyurethane as the tension-uniform curved belt, has a width of approximately 50 mm and a film thickness of approximately 1.2 mm, and is positioned approximately 50 mm from the outer edge of the tension-uniform tapered roller 410. As a result, tracking defects such as shifting towards the inner circumference of the curved belt and meandering, which is thought to be due to deformation of the curved belt, did not occur. Due to the first-to-file principle of patents, it has not been possible to conduct long-term running tests, so it is difficult to compare it with the curved belt conveyor 400 equipped only with the belt tension uniformization mechanism shown in Figure 5. However, it was observed to have a more stable running condition, and the effect of providing the protrusions was recognized.

[0068] The results were analyzed using a tapered roller 411 with a roller width of 600 mm, a small diameter of 40 mm, and a large diameter of 65 mm, in exactly the same manner as the method used in Figure 6. The results are shown in Figure 10. Figures 10(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional diagrams, respectively, that are the same as those in Figures 6(a) and (c), respectively, for comparison, and Figure 10(c) is a schematic cross-sectional diagram corresponding to Figures 10(a) and (b) when a sleeve 430-1 is provided on the tension-uniform tapered roller 411. Here, as with the prototype, the sleeve 430-1 is mounted so that its left end is located 50 mm from the outer circumference end of the tension-uniform tapered roller 411.

[0069] As is clear from comparing Figures 10(b) and (c), the angle θ3 (=0.023rad) formed by the intersection point 480L of the two tangent lines that contact the maximum projection (left end of sleeve 430-1) and minimum projection (right end of tension equalization tapered roller 411) on the outer surface of the tension equalization curve belt 420L that contacts the top and bottom of the tension equalization tapered roller 411 is symmetrical with respect to the center line of the tension equalization tapered roller 411. The angle θ1 (=0.0208rad) formed by the extensions of the two central upper and lower generatrix lines and the convergence point 460L where the center line of the tension-uniforming tapered roller and the extensions of the generatrix lines meet, and the angle θ2 (=0.0208rad) formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniforming curved belt 420L that contacts the tension-uniforming tapered roller 411 and the intersection point 470L of these two extensions, are greater than the angle θ1 (=0.0208rad) formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniforming curved belt 420L that contacts the tension-uniforming tapered roller 411, are greater than the angle θ2 (=0.0208rad) formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniforming curved belt 420L that contacts the tension-uniforming tapered roller 410. Therefore, it is considered that the protrusions provided by the sleeve on the tension-uniforming tapered roller 410 effectively prevented tracking problems of the tension-uniforming curved belt 410, not only because of the effect of the inclined curved belt with a continuously changing film thickness as described in paragraphs 0062 to 0065, but also because the increased frictional force due to the protrusions prevented sliding of the curved belt towards the inner circumference. Although not yet certain, it is judged that the latter effect is superior, and as explained in the means for solving the problem, this protrusion is one means of a sliding prevention mechanism that increases the contact force and friction force between the outer surface of the tension-uniform tapered roller and the inner surface of the tension-uniform curved belt, and in the embodiment of the present invention, it functions as a grip-enhancing protrusion.

[0070] Furthermore, as one embodiment of a curved belt conveyor with the features of an inclined curved belt conveyor described in paragraph 0065 using Figures 8 and 9, a curved belt conveyor was designed in which a curved belt 421L was wound around a tapered roller 411 with a roller width of 600 mm, a small diameter of 40 mm, and a large diameter of 65 mm, which is tension uniformity, that is, all the centerlines and extensions of the generatrix lines of the tapered rollers converge at one convergence point, and the length of the arc connecting the inner surfaces of the generatrix lines at both ends of the frustoconical curved belt shown in paragraph 0053 was reduced to approximately 98% of the arc connecting the generatrix lines at both ends of the radially arranged tapered rollers. A schematic cross-sectional view similar to that in Figures 6 and 10 is shown in Figure 11.

[0071] In this case as well, naturally, the intersection point 490L of the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the upper and lower outer surfaces of the tension-uniformity curved belt 421L, which has a sloping film thickness, coincides with the convergence point 460L where the center line and generatrix lines of the tension-uniformity tapered roller 411 meet. The angle θ4 (=0.0221rad) formed by the extensions of the two generatrix lines on the upper and lower outer surfaces of the tension-uniformity curved belt 421L, which has a sloping film thickness, and their intersection point 490L is greater than the angle θ1 (=0.0208rad) formed by the two generatrix lines on the upper and lower surfaces of the tension-uniformity tapered roller 411 and the convergence point 460L where the center line and generatrix lines of the tension-uniformity tapered roller 411 meet. Therefore, in this case as well, similar to the case where sleeve 430-1 is provided, in addition to the effect of the inclined curved belt with continuously changing film thickness as described in paragraphs 0062 to 0065, because the outer circumference of the inclined tension-uniforming curved belt 421L is thicker, the contraction force acting in the circumferential direction of concentric circles with the intersection point 490L of the extensions of the two generatrixes on the upper and lower outer surfaces of the tension-uniforming curved belt 421L as the center of the circle becomes larger, and the increase in frictional force also has the effect of preventing sliding towards the inner circumference of the inclined tension-uniforming curved belt 421L, and is considered to enhance the effect of preventing tracking defects of the tension-uniforming curved belt 421L. At present, this is not certain, but it is judged that the former effect is superior, and as described in the means for solving the problem, the inclined curved belt constitutes part of the belt tension uniformization mechanism and functions as a tension-uniforming curved belt in the embodiment of the present invention as well.

[0072] From the above, the belt tension equalization mechanism can be determined by the size and thickness of the inner surface of the curved belt when the thickness of the curved belt is uniform. However, considering the tension and centripetal force of the curved belt, as well as the difference in contraction force due to the difference in the thickness of the curved belt, a curved belt that is inclined to become thinner from the outer circumference to the inner circumference is preferred.

[0073] Furthermore, the structure of the curved belt that can be applied to such a belt tension equalization mechanism is not particularly limited, and as shown in Figure 12(a), a 1-ply canvas core conveyor belt 420-1, which is a typical example of a commonly used resin conveyor belt, can be used. This conveyor belt has a structure in which a surface cover resin layer 421-1 and a back cover resin layer are laminated onto a canvas core 422-1 made from polyester fibers, etc., and the canvas core 422-1 is used for the purpose of improving the strength and durability of the conveyor belt. However, the mechanical strength and anisotropy of this canvas core 422-1 can sometimes be detrimental to the uniformity of tension in the curved belt. For this reason, a stretch conveyor belt as shown in Figure 12(b) is suitable as the curved belt. In particular, a coreless conveyor belt 420-2 made of thermoplastic polyurethane without a core is preferred. However, when durability is a consideration, a linear core conveyor belt 420-3 can be used in which a linear core 422-3 is arranged in the matrix resin 421-3 in the approximate rotational direction of the curved belt or in the tangential direction of the rotating circle. In this case, the matrix resin 421-3 is preferably thermoplastic polyurethane, and the linear core 422-3 is preferably made of elastic urethane or nylon fibers or yarns.

[0074] As a sliding prevention mechanism, it is sufficient to have a protrusion on the outer circumference of the tension-uniform tapered roller, and there are no particular limitations. However, a sleeve is the easiest to deploy and is easy to handle because its overall shape, surface shape, and deployment position can be freely changed according to the specifications of the curved belt conveyor. As shown in Figure 10(c), a sleeve with a smooth surface can be used as the surface-smooth grip-enhancing protrusion member 430-1. However, in order to further improve the grip force, i.e., the sliding prevention function, it is preferable to apply physical or chemical processing such as grooving or lining to the sleeve surface that contacts the inner surface of the curved belt. Figure 13 shows, as an example, a grooved grip-enhancing member 430-2, which is a sleeve with a longitudinal groove 431-2 formed therein.

[0075] The method of forming a grip-enhancing member by providing a protrusion as an anti-slip mechanism also differs depending on the type of tapered roller. As shown in Figure 14(a), in the case of a surface-smooth grip-enhancing protrusion member 430-1 shown in Figure 10(c), it can be easily attached to a tapered pipe type tapered roller 410-1 in which a tapered pipe 411-1 is attached to a shaft 412-1. Furthermore, such a sleeve surface-smooth grip 430-1 can be attached to a roller 415-2 fixed to a shaft 416-2 as shown in Figure 14(b), using first to fourth tapered adapters 411-2~ 414-2 It can also be similarly attached to the tapered adapter type tapered roller 410-2 that is equipped with it.

[0076] In the case of the tapered adapter type tapered roller 410-2, it is preferable that the grip-enhancing protrusions can be formed during the forming process of the tapered adapter. Figures 14(c) and (d) show the third tapered adapter 418-2 with a smooth surface and grip-enhancing protrusions, and the third tapered adapter 418-2 with diamond-cut grooves and grip-enhancing protrusions, respectively. Taper Adapter 419-2 shows an example in which a sliding prevention mechanism using a grip-reinforcing member is provided on a tapered roller.

[0077] As described above, the belt tension equalization mechanism, and the curved belt conveyor of the present invention equipped with the belt tension equalization mechanism and the sliding prevention mechanism, can be used as a curved belt conveyor on their own. However, by combining these as a unit, the range in which they can be used as a transport path is expanded. Figure 15 shows, as an example, a composite curved belt conveyor 500 in which a first curved belt conveyor 500-1, composed of a first tension equalization tapered roller 510-1 and a first tension equalization curved belt 520-1 of the present invention, and a second curved belt conveyor 500-2, composed of a second tension equalization tapered roller 510-2 and a second tension equalization curved belt 520-2 of the present invention, are connected. Such a composite not only allows for the construction of a transport path with a high degree of freedom, but also reduces the number of tapered rollers per unit, which has the effect of suppressing the occurrence of curved belt tracking failures. Furthermore, it is possible to install curved belt conveyors in reverse or in conjunction with straight conveyors, enabling the construction of core transport routes for logistics centers and various factories. [Industrial applicability]

[0078] The curved belt conveyor of the present invention is a simple curved belt conveyor that does not have a belt holding mechanism, and can solve problems such as unevenness, meandering, reduced lifespan, and damage to the curved belt. Furthermore, since one curved belt conveyor of the present invention can be used as a basic unit and combined with other units and straight conveyors to construct a freely adaptable transport route, it can be used to construct the main transport routes of logistics centers and various factories, and therefore has extremely high industrial applicability.

[0079] Furthermore, the tension uniformization technology for curved belts of the present invention is considered effective in improving various rotary drive devices that use belts, and is therefore thought to have extremely broad industrial applicability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 100 Belt Conveyor 110 Conveyor Belt 120 Head Pulley 130 Tail Pulley 140 Crown Bend Pulley 150 Concave Bend Pulley 200 Abstract curved belt conveyor to describe features 210 Tapered Roller 220 Curved Belt 230 Centerline and side convergence points of tapered roller 240 Convergence point on the side of the curved belt 300 Inclined curve belt mounted abstract curve belt conveyor 310 Tapered Roller (210) 320 Inclined Curved Belt 330 Convergence point (230) on the side of the inclined curve belt 400 Curved Belt Conveyor 410 Tension-Uniform Tapered Roller 410L Tapered roller with uniform tension of specified dimensions 410-1 Tapered pipe type tapered roller 411-1 Tapered pipe 412-1 Shaft 413-1 Bearing 410-2 Tapered adapter type tapered roller 411-2 First Tapered Adapter 412-2 Second Tapered Adapter 413-2 Third Taper Adapter 414-2 Fourth Taper Adapter 415-2 Laura 416-2 Shaft 417-2 Bearing 418-2 Third tapered adapter with surface smoothing and reinforced grip protrusions 419-2 Diamond-cut grooved grip reinforced third tape adapter with protrusions 420 Tension-Uniform Curved Belt 420L tension-uniform curved belt of specified dimensions 421L Tension-uniform inclined curve belt of specified dimensions 420-1 1-ply canvas core conveyor belt 421-1 Surface cover resin layer 422-1 Canvas core 423-1 Back cover resin layer 420-2 Coreless conveyor belt 420-3 Linear core conveyor belt 421-3 Matrix resin 422-3 Linear core 430 Grip-enhancing protruding member (sleeve) 430-1 Surface-smoothing grip-enhancing convex member (sleeve) 430-2 Vertical grooved grip reinforcement convex member (sleeve) 431-2 Longitudinal groove 440 Drive belt 450 frames 460 Convergence points of the centerline and side of the tension-uniform tapered roller 460L Centerline and side convergence points of tapered rollers of specified dimensions 470 Convergence point on the side surface of a tension-uniform curved belt 470L Convergence point on the side of a tension-uniform curved belt of specified dimensions 480L Convergence point of tangent to the side protrusion of a curved belt with predetermined dimensions and grip-enhancing protrusions 490L Convergence point on the side of a tension-uniform inclined curve belt 500 Composite Curved Belt Conveyor 500-1 First curved belt conveyor 510-1 First tension-uniform tapered roller 520-1 First tension-equalizing curved belt 540-1 First drive belt 560-1 Centerline and lateral convergence points of the first tapered roller 570-1 Convergence point on the side of the first curve belt 500-2 Second curved belt conveyor 510-2 Second tension-uniform tapered roller 520-2 Second tension-equalizing curved belt 540-2 Second drive belt 550 frames 560 Convergence points of the centerline and side of the tension-uniform tapered roller 570 Convergence point on the side surface of a tension-uniform curved belt Tension applied to curve belts T, T1-T6 Centripetal force acting on F, F1-F3 curve belts r1~r3 Turning radius of the inner circumference end of the curved belt Angular velocity of the ω1 and ω2 curved belts Velocity of the inner end of the v1-v3 curve belt t Curve belt film thickness The angle formed by the convergence point of the extensions of the center line and generatrix of the θ1 tapered roller and the generatrix with the center line of the tapered roller as the center of symmetry. The angle formed between the convergence point of the extensions of the generatrixes of a curved belt with the center line of the θ2~θ4 tapered roller as the center of symmetry, and those generatrixes.

Claims

1. A curved belt conveyor comprising a curved belt formed in the shape of the side surface of a roughly frustum of a cone, and two or more rotatable tapered rollers arranged radially, wherein the curved belt is wound so as to bridge the tapered rollers with the inner surface of the curved belt and the outer surface of the tapered rollers, and the curved belt rotates as the tapered rollers rotate, The film thickness of the curved belt is inclined such that it becomes thinner from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the tapered roller that is in contact with it. The curved belt is equipped with a belt tension equalization mechanism that applies tension in the circumferential direction of concentric circles, with the vertices where the generatrixes of the curved belt intersect as the centers of the circles, so that the tension acts uniformly over the entire region of the curved belt. A curved belt conveyor characterized in that, when the curved belt rotates, the longitudinal movement of the centerline of the curved belt is controlled within a predetermined range by the belt tension equalization mechanism, and the curved belt rotates along a predetermined trajectory.

2. The aforementioned belt tension equalization mechanism is, The tapered roller is a tension-uniform tapered roller in which the extensions of all the centerlines of the tapered roller and the extensions of all the generatrixes of the tapered roller that are in the same plane as the cross-section passing through the centerlines converge at a single point. The curved belt is a tension-uniforming curved belt in which, in a cross-section obtained by cutting the curved belt conveyor in a horizontal plane, the shape enclosed by an outer circular arc formed with a predetermined radius shorter than the outer circular end of the tapered roller, with the convergence point as the center of the circle, an inner circular arc formed with a predetermined radius longer than the inner circular end of the tapered roller, and the outer generatrix of the tapered rollers at both ends forms the inner surface of the side of a substantially frustoconical curved belt. The curved belt conveyor according to feature 1.

3. The belt tension equalization mechanism further includes: The curved belt conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the tension-equalizing curved belt is designed such that, in a cross section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the curved belt conveyor, the angle formed by the intersection of the extensions of the two generatrixes at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt that contact the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends is greater than or equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes on the outside of the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point.

4. The belt tension equalization mechanism further includes: The curved belt conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the tension-equalizing curved belt is designed such that, in a cross section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the curved belt conveyor, the intersection of the extensions of the two generatrixes at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-equalizing curved belt that contact the tension-equalizing tapered rollers at both ends coincides with the convergence point.

5. The tension-uniform tapered roller is further equipped with a sliding prevention mechanism, which increases the contact force and frictional force with the inner surface of the tension-uniform curved belt compared to the case where the tension-uniform tapered roller is not equipped with the sliding prevention mechanism. The curved belt conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the tension-equalizing curved belt rotates, the longitudinal movement of the centerline of the tension-equalizing curved belt is controlled within a predetermined range by the anti-slip mechanism, and the tension-equalizing curved belt rotates along a predetermined trajectory.

6. The curved belt conveyor according to claim 5, characterized in that the anti-slip mechanism includes a grip-enhancing protrusion located at a distance of approximately 0 to 50% from the outer circumference end of the tension-uniform tapered roller, which is physically or chemically processed to increase the contact force and friction force with the inner surface of the tension-uniform curved belt.

7. The curved belt conveyor according to claim 5, characterized in that the anti-slip mechanism is provided at both ends of the tension-uniform tapered rollers arranged radially.

8. The curved belt conveyor according to claim 6, characterized in that the anti-slip mechanism is provided at both ends of the tension-uniform tapered rollers arranged radially.

9. In the curved belt conveyor according to claim 7, The curved belt conveyor is characterized in that, in a cross section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the curved belt conveyor, the angle formed by the intersection of two tangents that contact a first portion of the outer surface of the tension-uniform curved belt, which is the portion facing the outermost end of the anti-slip mechanism, and a second portion, which is the portion facing the innermost end of the tension-uniform tapered roller, is greater than or equal to the angle formed by the extensions of the two generatrixes on the outside of the tension-uniform tapered rollers at both ends and the convergence point.

10. In the curved belt conveyor according to claim 8, The curved belt conveyor is characterized in that, in a cross section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the curved belt conveyor, the intersection of two tangents that contact the largest and smallest protrusions at both ends of the outer surface of the tension-uniformed curved belt, which contact the tension-uniformed tapered rollers at both ends, coincides with the convergence point.

11. The curved belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the tension-uniform curved belt is made of thermoplastic polyurethane with a thickness of approximately 0.7 to 2.6 mm and a mass of approximately 1.0 to 3.0 kg / m2, and does not have a core.

12. The curved belt conveyor according to any one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the tension-uniform curved belt is made of thermoplastic polyurethane with a thickness of approximately 0.7 to 2.6 mm and a mass of approximately 1.0 to 3.0 kg / m2, and the core is a linear resin body arranged in the circumferential direction of the curved belt conveyor.

13. A curved belt conveyor comprising a plurality of curved belt conveyors according to any one of claims 2 to 10, arranged radially such that the convergence points coincide and the spacing between the tension-uniform tapered rollers is substantially equal to the spacing between the connected curved belt conveyor units.

14. A curved belt conveyor comprising a plurality of curved belt conveyors as described in claim 11, arranged radially such that the convergence points coincide and the spacing between the tension-uniform tapered rollers is approximately equal to the spacing between the connected curved belt conveyor units.

15. A curved belt conveyor comprising a plurality of curved belt conveyors as described in claim 12, arranged radially such that the convergence points coincide and the spacing between the tension-uniform tapered rollers is approximately equal to the spacing between the connected curved belt conveyor units.

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