Adjustable Wheel Arms for Floor Conveyor Gauge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor conveyors face challenges in adjusting wheel gauges without increasing material and manufacturing costs, as well as dealing with bulky frames and non-replaceable wheel arms, which limits flexibility and efficiency in accommodating different vehicle types and sizes.
Innovation Solution
A modular design featuring a frame with adjustable wheel arms using adapter blocks and bolts, allowing for customizable wheel gauge adjustment without the need for multiple wheel arm types, enabling easy replacement of defective components and minimizing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wheel arms are welded to the frame at different distances to change wheel gauge, then wheel gauge can be adjusted, but the frame becomes significantly bulkier and wheel arms are no longer replaceable
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel arm assembly is segmented into separate components: the frame with frame plates, the wheel arms, and the connecting bolts. This allows the wheel arms to be replaced independently without replacing the entire frame, while still achieving different wheel gauges through different frame plate configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel gauge is made dynamically adjustable through the use of multiple frame plates with different hole patterns and corresponding bolts. The system can be reconfigured for different wheel gauges as needed, rather than being fixed at manufacture, allowing flexibility without permanent frame modifications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different wheel arm types are provided for different wheel gauges, then wheel gauge requirements are met, but material storage variance increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal wheel arm design is used across all wheel gauge configurations. The wheel arms connect to different frame plates through standardized interfaces, allowing one wheel arm type to serve multiple wheel gauge requirements. This eliminates the need to store multiple specialized wheel arm types.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the wheel arm type, the system changes the frame plate parameters (hole patterns, positions) to achieve different wheel gauges. The wheel arms remain constant while the frame plates are varied to accommodate different vehicle types and wheel gauge requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable wheel arm interfaces are implemented, then wheel gauge can be changed, but additional manufacturing expense is incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable interface is segmented into multiple frame plates with different hole patterns rather than one complex adjustable mechanism. Each frame plate is a simple, inexpensive component that can be manufactured using standard processes, avoiding the need for expensive adjustable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple frame plates are created as simple copies with slightly different hole patterns rather than designing one complex adjustable interface. This copying approach allows different wheel gauges to be achieved through minor variations in standard components, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor conveyor, with a frame on which a drive unit and a load unit are attached, the load unit having a load carrying means adjustable in its height, further with two parallel wheel arms which are adapted to be mounted on the outer sides of the frame, each wheel arm mounting one load wheel, and with means for reducing the distance of the wheel arms from each other, wherein a frame portion or a frame plate is fixedly connected to the frame on each outer side thereof, said frame portion or frame plate having an outer bearing surface and holes which result in a first hole pattern, wherein a wheel arm plate is connected to the wheel arms, which has first through bores resulting in a second hole pattern, and an inner bearing surface.