Adjustable Mine Conveyor Box Check for Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional box checks for mine conveyor belts are difficult to build, easily damaged, and fail to effectively limit air flow past the conveyor belt, leading to inadequate ventilation control.
Innovation Solution
A box check system comprising adjustable walls with telescoping beams and frames that can be custom-fitted to mine passages, including access doors and a partition for forming an airlock, to precisely control air flow and accommodate conveyor belt dimensions and mine conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional box checks are built with fixed concrete blocks or metal panels, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to build and easily damaged by belt failures or mine convergence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the wall structure adjustable and movable rather than fixed. The walls include adjustable components that can move to accommodate belt failures, mine convergence, or other changes in the mine environment, thereby improving reliability while managing complexity through controlled adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by allowing the wall dimensions and positions to be modified based on changing conditions. The adjustable walls can change their physical parameters (position, size) in response to belt failures or mine convergence, enabling the structure to maintain effectiveness under varying conditions
2Reliability
If conventional box checks use fixed apertures for conveyor belts, then the structure is simple, but it fails to properly limit air flow when the belt moves off track or the heap becomes too high
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture structure is made dynamic and adjustable to accommodate varying belt positions and heap heights. The adjustable walls can be repositioned to maintain proper aperture dimensions even when the belt moves off track or the material heap changes size, ensuring continuous effective air flow control
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable wall structure serves multiple functions: it acts as a barrier to air flow, accommodates belt failures, adapts to mine convergence, and maintains aperture integrity under various operating conditions. This multi-functionality improves reliability while the modular design helps ease of manufacture
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional box checks are built with rigid structures, then installation is straightforward, but it cannot adapt to varying mine sizes and conveyor belt structures
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structure is segmented into adjustable components (beams, frames, panels) that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows the structure to adapt to varying mine dimensions and conveyor belt sizes while managing overall complexity through modular assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid structure is replaced with a dynamic, adjustable framework that can be reconfigured for different mine conditions. The adjustable beams and frames allow the box check to adapt to varying mine sizes and conveyor dimensions, improving versatility through controlled structural flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor belt box check for installation in a mine is disclosed. The box check includes first and second generally parallel spaced-apart walls extending across a mine passage. Each of the walls has a conveyor belt aperture sized for receiving the conveyor. In some embodiments, access doors are provided in the first and second walls, and a partition extends between the first and second walls for separating the access doors from the conveyor belt apertures and for forming an air lock between the walls. A method of installing the box check is also disclosed.