Ball Retainer Hook-Slot Structure to Prevent Chain Belt Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball retainers with insufficient connection strength between chain belt ends lead to unhooking and separation during operation, causing abnormal noises and inefficient rolling element movement.
Innovation Solution
A ball retainer design featuring a hook and slot structure with leaning protrusions and a limiting protrusion, where the hook is engaged with a slot portion to increase connection strength, preventing detachment and ensuring smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional connection structures (bolt, concave-convex, ball joint) are used to connect chain belt ends, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the connection strength is insufficient causing unhooking and separation during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is segmented into distinct functional components: a hook with neck portion, hook body, and limiting protrusion on one end, and a corresponding slot portion with abutting portions and receiving portion on the other end. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook body is nested within the slot portion during engagement, with the limiting protrusion fitting into the receiving portion. This nesting arrangement creates a secure interlocked connection that prevents unhooking and separation while maintaining a compact overall structure.
2Reliability
If chain belt ends are connected with insufficient strength, then the structure is simple, but the rolling elements cannot run smoothly and abnormal noises are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The hook and slot portion are designed with predetermined engagement geometry, including the neck portion leading into the slot and the limiting protrusion positioned to engage with the receiving portion. This preliminary design ensures that when the chain belt is assembled, the connection automatically engages in the correct position, preventing abnormal operation and noises from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the connection structure have optimized local geometries: the neck portion provides gradual engagement, the hook body width decreases from neck to end for proper fitting, and the limiting protrusion is positioned to prevent backward movement. These local quality variations ensure reliable and smooth operation at each critical point of the connection.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball retainer includes a chain belt, a hook, and a slot portion. The hook is arranged on the first end of the chain belt. The hook includes a neck portion, a hook body, two leaning protrusions, and a limiting protrusion. The hook body is connected to the neck portion. The two leaning protrusions extend outward along the short side direction of the chain belt toward two sides of the hook body, respectively. The slot portion is arranged on the second end of the chain belt. The slot portion includes a slot, two abutting portions, a connecting portion, and a receiving portion. After the hook is correspondingly engaged with the slot portion, the hook body is accommodated in the slot, the two leaning protrusions correspondingly lean against the two abutting portions, the neck portion leans against the connecting portion, and the limiting protrusion is correspondingly accommodated in the receiving portion.