Food Processing Belt Conveyor with Eccentric Tracking Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional band conveyors in food processing plants face challenges with high mechanical forces due to large conveyor belt dimensions, leading to wear and tear, and potential contamination of food products.
Innovation Solution
A band conveyor system with a tape running correction arrangement that includes a correction drive, correction wave, and drive links, allowing for precise adjustment of the conveyor belt's direction by slanting the axis of rotation of the deflection rollers, while maintaining constant tape tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional V-belt guides are used for belt path correction, then the belt can be guided, but severe wear occurs due to manufacturing tolerances and lateral drift
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of guiding the belt from the sides with V-belts that wear against the belt edges, the invention uses a central deflection roller that guides the belt from the center. The deflection roller's axis can be tilted to correct lateral drift, and it presses against the center of the belt rather than the edges, eliminating the severe wear problem of conventional side guides.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a foam material layer on the deflection roller that replicates the gentle guiding action of conventional V-belts but without the wear problems. The foam material conforms to the belt surface and provides guidance through pressure distribution rather than mechanical friction against metal surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If steering pulleys with pivot bearings are used to correct belt path, then the belt direction can be adjusted, but the drive must overcome both steering forces and belt tension
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the belt tensioning function from the belt path correction function. The deflection roller is pressed against the belt by a spring force for path correction, while belt tension is maintained separately by the belt tensioner system. This segmentation allows the correction drive to only overcome spring force and friction, not the full belt tension.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded deflection roller uses elastic spring force to press against the belt for guidance, counterbalancing the need for high correction drive power. The spring provides a continuous gentle pressure that maintains belt contact without requiring the correction mechanism to constantly fight against high tension forces.
3Stability of the object's composition
If high belt tension is applied to maintain positional stability, then the belt position is stable, but the forces on mechanical components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The foam material layer on the deflection roller acts as an intermediary between the roller and the conveyor belt. This foam layer distributes the contact pressure over a larger area and provides gentle guidance without requiring excessively high localized forces, thus maintaining belt stability while reducing peak forces on mechanical components.
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 improves efficiency by reducing wear and tear, maintaining high-quality food processing, and lowering maintenance and manufacturing costs through a robust and easily constructed design.
Implementation Method 1
the pivot bearings of one deflection roller or both deflection rollers are each arranged, in particular in a linear bearing, so as to be displaceable along the main conveyor axis, in particular in a translational manner
Implementation Method 2
The pivot bearings are preferably designed as self-aligning bearings in all embodiments
Implementation Method 3
A belt travel correction arrangement is provided which directs the straight running of the conveyor belt by inclining the rotational axis of at least one of the deflection rollers. The belt travel correction arrangement comprises a correction drive, a correction shaft running transversely to the main conveyor axis and driven by the correction drive, and two drive elements provided on the correction shaft which act eccentrically in opposite directions
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
Belt conveyor of a food processing plant, comprising two deflection rollers (4) and an endless conveyor belt (6) tensioned along a main conveying axis (5) between the two deflection rollers (4) by a belt tensioner (3) and driven by a belt drive (2), wherein each deflection roller (4) is rotatably mounted on both sides in rotary bearings (8) via lateral pins (7), wherein the rotary bearings are arranged to be displaceable along the main conveying axis (5), wherein a belt tracking correction arrangement (10) is provided which guides the straight-line running of the conveyor belt (6) by tilting the axis of rotation (11) of the deflection roller (4), wherein the belt tracking correction arrangement (10) comprises a correction drive (12), a correction shaft (13) extending transversely to the main conveying axis (5) and driven by the correction drive (12), and two oppositely eccentrically acting drive elements (14) provided on the correction shaft (13).and wherein the two drive elements (14) are each in operative contact with one of the rotary bearings (8) and displace these in opposite directions along the main conveying axis (5) when the correction shaft (13) is rotated, thereby pivoting the deflecting roller (4) about a correction axis (15).