Chain Conveyor Articulated Links Stretched Compact Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chain conveyors experience instability and increased wear at high production rates due to stress on links during configuration changes, limiting their suitability for applications with high production rates, such as plastic preform manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A chain conveyor with articulated links that can transition between stretched and compact configurations, featuring a trolley with lateral guide rollers, a rotatable support with an actuator, and synchronized drive wheels to reduce link mass and stress, allowing for high-speed operation and reduced wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the chain conveyor operates at high production rates, then productivity increases, but instability and increased wear appear due to increasing thrust on the links during configuration changes
Solution Approach 1:
The chain is divided into modular links, each with its own actuator and support structure. This segmentation allows each link to independently manage its configuration changes, distributing the thrust loads across multiple smaller units rather than concentrating stress on the entire chain, thereby maintaining reliability at high production rates
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is designed to be dynamically adjustable between straight and oblique positions through actuators. This dynamic capability allows the chain to smoothly transition between configurations while maintaining controlled motion even at high speeds, preventing the instability that would otherwise occur during rapid deceleration and acceleration cycles
2Strength
If the links are made heavier to withstand high thrust forces, then strength increases, but the inertia increases causing more severe instabilities during pivoting movements
Solution Approach 1:
The link structure is segmented into separate functional components: the trolley body, the support structure, and the actuator. This allows each component to be optimized independently - the support can be lightweight since it only needs to provide structural framework, while the actuator provides the necessary force without adding significant mass to the moving link
Solution Approach 2:
Strength is concentrated locally where needed - in the actuator mechanism and at the connection points between components - rather than uniformly throughout the entire link. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary strength to withstand thrust forces while keeping the overall link mass low, preventing inertia-related instabilities during pivoting
3Stability of the object's composition
If the links exert more stress on the lateral surfaces of the wide guide section to maintain configuration change, then configuration stability improves, but wear of the contact surfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism between the support structure and the chain links. It provides the controlled force needed for configuration changes without requiring the links to directly exert high stress on the guide surfaces. The actuator mediates the configuration change process, reducing direct contact stress and thereby minimizing wear on the lateral surfaces of the wide guide section
Data Source
AI summary
Conveyor for transporting articles such as a chain conveyor that can be changed between a stretched configuration and a compact configuration, the chain being formed from a plurality of articulated links. Each link includes a trolley provided with lateral guide mechanism cooperating with a track defining a predetermined trajectory, a support carrying a nozzle for the releasable attachment of an article, the support mounted rotatably with respect to the trolley between a straight position corresponding to the deployed configuration of the chain, and an oblique position, corresponding to the compact position of the chain and in which the support is inclined with respect to the straight position; and an actuator coupled to the support, capable of driving the support in rotation from its straight position to its oblique position, and reciprocally.