Additive Turn-Bolt Device for Star Wheel Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turn-bolt devices for transporting star wheels require complex assembly of individual parts, are costly to manufacture due to milling requirements, and are prone to damage in crashes, making them labor-intensive to replace.
Innovation Solution
A turn-bolt device with a bearing body and rotary member formed from additively manufactured material layers, allowing for a single, integrated component with reduced assembly complexity, cost-effective production, and a design that accommodates various container shapes and includes reinforcement parts for enhanced durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional individual parts are used for turn-bolt devices, then manufacturing precision can be achieved through milling, but assembly complexity and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual parts (housing, shaft, locking bolt, actuating means) into a single additively manufactured component. The rotary member integrates all these elements in one piece, eliminating assembly operations while maintaining manufacturing precision through additive manufacturing processes that can produce complex geometries with high accuracy.
2Strength
If solid design locking bolts are used, then holding strength is improved, but damage in crashes increases and replacement labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from solid metal to plastic material for the rotary member and locking bolt. This material substitution maintains sufficient holding strength for normal operation while enabling the component to break in a controlled manner during crashes, preventing damage to the assembly and reducing replacement needs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex milling work is performed for locking bolt adaptation, then container shape adaptability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from subtractive milling to additive manufacturing. This allows the locking bolt geometry to be directly formed in complex shapes suitable for different container types during the manufacturing process itself, eliminating the need for expensive post-manufacturing adaptation operations while maintaining versatility.
4Reliability
If permanently installed turn-bolt devices are used, then operational reliability is improved, but replacement labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the turn-bolt device into a modular design where the rotary member can be independently replaced without affecting the housing or other components. This modular approach maintains operational reliability during normal operation while enabling quick replacement of worn or damaged rotary members through simple removal and installation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates inter alia to a turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel, preferably a sorting star, for transporting containers. The turn-bolt device has a bearing body and a rotary member having an actuating region for actuating the rotary member, a bolt region for holding a container and a shaft region which integrally interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body. The bearing body and the rotary member are formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers which are preferably manufactured additively.