Angled Nip Conveyor Rolls Non-Woven Strand
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for shaping non-woven material into small plugs for plant substrates are costly and inefficient, particularly for large quantities, as they require manual cutting and rolling, which is not suitable for mass production.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a conveyor belt system with return pulleys and guide pulleys that rolls a sheet of material into a strand at an angle, allowing for easy cutting into smaller plugs, with features like a support surface, drive means, and a secondary conveyor belt system for maintaining loop shape and tensionless operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cutting and rolling of non-woven material into plugs is used, then small quantities of plugs can be produced with acceptable quality, but the production cost increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (hand cutting and rolling) with an automated mechanical system consisting of a conveyor belt, guide pulleys, and rolling mechanism. The conveyor belt automatically transports the non-woven material through the rolling process, eliminating manual labor and enabling mass production while maintaining consistent plug quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to automatically perform the entire rolling process without manual intervention. The conveyor belt self-propels the material through the angled nip formed by guide pulleys, which automatically roll the material into plugs as it passes through. The process is self-regulating and continuous, requiring no operator input for each plug formation
2Manufacturing precision
If the conveyor belt runs parallel to the support surface through the nip, then the alignment is simple, but the rolled strand density becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetry by angling the nip between the conveyor belt and support surface at less than 90 degrees. This asymmetric configuration causes the material to be rolled askew rather than straight, which distributes the rolling pressure more evenly across the strand width, resulting in uniform density throughout the rolled plug
3Manufacturing precision
If the loop cross-section remains constant, then the device structure is simpler, but the pressure distribution on the strand becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the loop cross-section along its length. The loop is designed to be narrower where the strand is being formed and wider where the strand exits. This gradual expansion distributes the compressive force more uniformly across the rolling strand, preventing dense spots at the entrance and ensuring consistent density throughout the plug
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for rolling a sheet of material, such as a non-woven material, into a strand, which device comprises: - a first return pulley, a second return pulley and an endless conveyor belt running around the first and second return pulley forming a conveyor belt system with a transport plane extending from the first return pulley towards the second return pulley; - a support surface arranged between the first and second return pulley, wherein the support surface is arranged parallel to the transport plane and wherein the support surface supports part of the conveyor belt; - a first guide pulley arranged spaced apart over the support surface, wherein a nip of constant height is formed between the support surface and the surface of the first guide pulley, wherein the width direction of the nip makes an angle of less than 90° and more than 0° with the direction of movement of the conveyor belt over the support surface; - drive means for driving the conveyor belt, wherein the drive means engage onto the conveyor belt at least just in front of the nip; wherein the conveyor belt at least runs from the first return pulley along the transport plane, over the support surface into the nip, then forms a loop just after the nip and returns back through the nip along the surface of the first guide pulley and towards the second return pulley.