Cable Transport Inclined Roller Curvature Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable transportation systems experience wear and potential jamming/unseating of the draw cable due to the clamp's alignment with curved paths, leading to inefficient operation as the trolley moves along curved intermediate portions.
Innovation Solution
Inclined rollers are mounted to rotate about axes inclined at 5 to 45 degrees, with a top peripheral portion facing outwards and an outer surface defined by truncated-cone shaped surfaces forming a V-section groove, facilitating detachment and reconnection of the suspension portion along curved paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the idler rollers are distributed along curved paths with parallel trajectories, then the cable transportation system can navigate curved sections, but the draw cable experiences wear, jamming, and unseating due to misalignment between the suspension portion and rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the first path (for idler rollers) have a different curvature than the second path (for supporting cable). Specifically, the curved intermediate portion of the first path has a smaller radius of curvature than the parallel curved path of the supporting cable, creating an asymmetric configuration that allows the suspension portion to align properly with the rollers during curvature transitions, eliminating wear and jamming while maintaining reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the roller path by defining different curvature radii for the two parallel paths. The idler roller path (first path) has a curved intermediate portion with a specific radius that is optimized to match the dynamics of the draw cable suspension, while the supporting cable path (second path) has a different, larger radius. This parameter differentiation resolves the alignment issue during curved motion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A cable transportation system (1), wherein a draw cable (7) is connected by a clamp (10) to a trolley (9) of a transportation unit (8) to move the trolley (9) along two supporting cables (6); the system (1) having at least one fixed idler (4), wherein a succession of rollers (21), distributed in space along a first trajectory (Tl), supports and guides the draw cable (7), and a fixed shoe (23) supports and guides the supporting cables (6) along respective second trajectories (T2) extending along the first trajectory (Tl); the first trajectory (Tl) and each second trajectory (T2), when projected in a horizontal plane, respectively defining a first path (Pl) and a second path (P2), which respectively have a first curved intermediate portion (33), and a second curved intermediate portion (36) larger in curvature than the first curved intermediate portion (33).