Belt Transport System with Contactless Adhesion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing belt transport systems face issues with residual goods adhering to the slack side, leading to reduced transport capacity and increased wear on the belt due to friction with mechanical scrapers, which also consume additional power.
Innovation Solution
A system with adjustable scraper units controlled by sensors and actuators to minimize contact with the slack side, allowing for contactless detection and scraping of residual goods, reducing friction and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical scraper is used to remove residual material from the slack side of the belt, then the slack side is cleared of residual material, but friction occurs leading to belt wear and power loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraper system with an adhesion detection device and adhesion removal device that can detect and remove adhesions without continuous mechanical contact. The adhesion detection device identifies adhered material, and the adhesion removal device removes it only when necessary, substituting continuous mechanical scraping with targeted removal based on detection signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the belt to essentially clean itself by detecting when adhesions occur and removing them on-demand. The adhesion detection device monitors the belt surface, and when adhesions are detected, the adhesion removal device activates to remove them, allowing the belt to maintain itself without continuous external mechanical intervention.
2Reliability
If a mechanical scraper is used to remove residual material from the slack side of the belt, then the slack side is cleared of residual material, but additional power is required to overcome friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraper system with an adhesion detection device and adhesion removal device that can detect and remove adhesions without continuous mechanical contact. The adhesion detection device identifies adhered material, and the adhesion removal device removes it only when necessary, substituting continuous mechanical scraping with targeted removal based on detection signals.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous mechanical scraping, the system uses periodic action by activating the adhesion removal device only when the adhesion detection device signals the presence of adhesions. This on-demand removal based on detection signals reduces continuous power consumption while maintaining clearing effectiveness.
3Reliability
If the scraper continuously contacts the slack side to remove residual material, then complete removal is achieved, but belt wear increases due to constant friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraper system with an adhesion detection device and adhesion removal device that can detect and remove adhesions without continuous mechanical contact. The adhesion detection device identifies adhered material, and the adhesion removal device removes it only when necessary, substituting continuous mechanical scraping with targeted removal based on detection signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the belt to essentially clean itself by detecting when adhesions occur and removing them on-demand. The adhesion detection device monitors the belt surface, and when adhesions are detected, the adhesion removal device activates to remove them, allowing the belt to maintain itself without continuous external mechanical intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively removes residual goods from the slack side while minimizing belt wear and power usage, maintaining transport efficiency with reduced mechanical contact.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor is arranged and configured to detect goods adhering to the idle side without contact. The sensor is designed to generate a sensor signal representing the transported material detected by the sensor.
Implementation Method 2
The actuator is arranged and configured to change a distance between the scraper and the idle side of the belt in the transport direction of the belt.
Implementation Method 3
Due to the direct mechanical contact between the slack side and the scraper, friction occurs between them as the belt rotates in the direction of transport.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system (2) for transporting goods (4), wherein the system (2) comprises several deflection rollers (6, 8), a belt (10), a wiper (12), an actuator (14), a sensor (16), and a control unit (18), and wherein the belt (10) partially wraps around each of the deflection rollers (6, 8), forming a belt drive (20) with a working side (22), which serves to transport goods (4), and an idle side (24). At least one of the deflection rollers (6, 8) is coupled to a drive (26) to drive the belts (10) in a transport direction T. The sensor (16) is arranged and configured to detect goods (4) adhering to the idle side (24) without contact. The sensor (16) is configured to generate a sensor signal that represents goods (4) detected by the sensor (16).The actuator (14) is directly or indirectly coupled to the control unit (18) so that the actuator (14) can be controlled by the control unit (18). The control unit (18) is configured to control the actuator (14) based on the sensor signal such that the transported material (4) adhering to the slack side (24) of the belt (10) is scraped off by the wiper (12).