Conveyor Belt Positioning Rollers for Bent-Belt Drift Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belts in thermal treatment machines can drift, leading to jamming and stoppages, and existing correction methods are inadequate for bent belts, requiring complex and costly solutions.
Innovation Solution
A device that positions the conveyor belt using a pivoting mechanism with a transverse support roller or guide rollers to maintain a constant height separation from position control sensors, allowing for continuous correction of drift without amplifying deformation errors and reducing the complexity of the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sealing heads are mounted on vertical pivoting axes at a distance from the frames, then positioning correction can be achieved, but lever arm effect amplifies the correction and increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from the sealing head assembly by introducing a separate positioning device with rollers that contact the conveyor belt. This positioning device is mounted on the frame rather than being integrated into the sealing head, allowing independent positioning correction without requiring the sealing head to pivot at a distance, thereby eliminating the lever arm amplification effect and reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the positioning function from the sealing function by using a dedicated positioning device with rollers that independently correct conveyor belt position. This separation allows the sealing head to remain fixed while the positioning device handles drift correction, avoiding the need for complex pivoting mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity
2Measurement precision
If sealing heads are mounted with considerable overhang on pivoting axes, then positioning correction is possible, but stresses on the pivoting axis increase requiring larger mounting elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from the sealing head assembly by introducing a separate positioning device with rollers that contact the conveyor belt. This positioning device is mounted on the frame rather than being integrated into the sealing head, allowing independent positioning correction without requiring the sealing head to pivot at a distance, thereby eliminating the lever arm amplification effect and reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimensional approach by using rollers that contact the conveyor belt surface directly, creating a positioning mechanism that operates in the vertical dimension rather than relying on horizontal pivoting of the sealing head. This dimensional change eliminates the need for long overhanging pivoting axes and their associated structural strength requirements
3Extent of automation
If sensors detect conveyor belt position at inlet and outlet, then drift detection is achieved, but bent belts cause detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces positioning rollers as an intermediary mechanical element between the conveyor belt and the detection system. These rollers physically contact the belt and transmit its position information to the frame-mounted positioning device, providing a direct mechanical measurement that is independent of the belt's bending state, thereby eliminating detection errors caused by bent belts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the optical/electronic sensor-based detection system with a mechanical roller-based positioning system. The rollers physically contact the conveyor belt and provide direct mechanical feedback on belt position through their contact point location on the frame, eliminating the detection errors that occur with optical sensors when the belt is bent or deformed
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a machine for the thermal treatment of threads, which comprises a positioning mechanism (8) and a position control mechanism (9) acting on a very short area in the immediate proximity of each sealing head. The positioning mechanism (8) includes an axle (10) for pivoting the frame (3), connected directly to the frame (3), and an actuator (11) for pivoting the frame, which is acting on said frame (3) through the intermediary of a rod linkage (12), mounted between the edge of the frame (3) and the actuator (11). The device for positioning the conveyor belt (2) during its advance in the pressurized enclosure (1) is provided, with a mechanism for holding the conveyor belt (2) at a height separation with respect to the position control mechanism (9).