Calender Roll Drive Flexibility for Uniform Wadding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for producing wadding rolls face issues with noise pollution and increased wear due to varying distances between calender rolls, leading to uneven batting and quality defects, as they rely on one-sided end toothing or belt drives that result in undesirable force components on the calender rollers.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a device with at least three calender rolls arranged in a row, utilizing flexible drive elements such as belts, chains, or cardan shafts between each calender roll and its associated pulley, allowing for adjustable distances without affecting the drive, thereby decoupling the drive side from the operating side and avoiding unwanted noise and vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If one-sided end toothing or belt drive is used to drive calender rolls, then the drive structure is simple, but noise pollution increases and wear increases due to varying distances between calender rolls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive structureVSAvoidnoise pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A flexible drive element is introduced as an intermediary between the drive belt and the calender rolls. This flexible element acts as a mediator that absorbs distance variations and prevents direct transmission of harmful forces to the calender rolls, thereby reducing noise and wear while maintaining the simplicity of the overall drive structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical state of the drive connection by introducing flexibility. The flexible drive element allows for parameter changes in distance and force transmission, enabling the system to adapt to varying calender roll positions without generating harmful noise and wear effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If one-sided belt drive is used to drive calender rolls, then the drive structure is simple, but uneven batting is produced due to one-sided component from resultant belt forces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive structureVSAvoidbatting uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible drive element serves as an intermediary that decouples the one-sided belt force from the calender roll. By introducing this flexible intermediate stage, the harmful one-sided force component is isolated and does not directly affect the calendering process, thereby maintaining batting uniformity while preserving the simple drive structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The drive system is segmented into distinct functional stages: the rigid belt drive stage for power transmission and the flexible drive element stage for force isolation. This segmentation allows the one-sided belt forces to be contained in one segment while the calendering process in another segment remains unaffected, ensuring batting uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If direct belt drive to calender rolls is used, then the drive structure is simple, but wear on transmission increases due to varying distances between calender rolls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive structureVSAvoidtransmission wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible drive element is positioned as an intermediary between the rigid belt drive and the calender rolls. This intermediary absorbs the mechanical stress and distance variations, preventing direct wear on the transmission components while maintaining the simplicity of the overall drive structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible drive element provides beforehand cushioning by absorbing distance variations and force shocks before they can reach the transmission components. This protective cushioning effect prevents wear and increases reliability while keeping the drive structure simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

This solution ensures a uniform wadding roll production by eliminating undesirable force components on the calender rollers, reducing noise exposure, and minimizing wear, while allowing for adjustable distances between the rolls without impacting drive performance.

Implementation Method 1

a flexible drive element, which is suitable to compensate for a sufficiently large axis offset

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlexibility: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The belt drive comprises a belt, a pulley arranged on the calender roll, and a pulley non-rotatably connected to the pulleys

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2935668B1Device for feeding and compressing a batting web
Publication Date: 2016.09.14 TRUETZSCHLER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2935668B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2935668B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2935668B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for feeding and compressing a batting web, comprising at least three consecutively arranged calender rolls (K1, K2, K3) and a drive, which drives belt pulleys (R1, R2, R3), one allocated to each of the calender rollers (K1, K2, K3), by means of a belt (10), wherein a flexible drive element is arranged between each belt pulley (R1, R2, R3) and the related calender roll (K1, K2, K3).