Conveyor Chain Link Corner Geometry for Scrap-Efficient Punching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor chain manufacturing incurs significant material losses due to the need for clamping zones during punching of sheet metal chain link blanks, which increases production costs.
Innovation Solution
The design allows the corner face portion of the sheet metal conveying body to connect angularly with the side face portion, eliminating the need for a clamping zone along the short side and enabling a kinked or sharp-cornered transition at the outer corners, thereby optimizing material usage and reducing scrap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If rounded corner face portions are used to connect side face portions smoothly, then the chain link has a smooth periphery for aesthetic and functional purposes, but clamping zones are required during punching which increases material losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by changing the corner geometry from symmetric rounded connections to asymmetric angular connections with different face orientations. The first angular face connects to the first side face at a first angle, while the second angular face connects to the second side face at a second angle, creating an asymmetric corner structure that eliminates the need for clamping zones during punching while maintaining functional performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the corner connection from curved surfaces with continuous tangents to planar angular faces with specific orientation angles. By defining specific angle ranges (e.g., 45°-135° for the first angle and 45°-135° for the second angle), the design transforms the corner geometry to accommodate punching operations without requiring additional clamping zones, thereby reducing material waste.
2Ease of manufacture
If clamping zones are provided during punching of sheet metal blanks, then the punching process can be performed, but the width of the sheet metal strip must be larger than the blank width increasing material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angular corner design allows the blank width to exactly match the strip width without requiring additional clamping zones. The angular faces are oriented such that the punching tool can access all corners directly from the strip edge, eliminating the need for extra material extensions and enabling full utilization of the strip width.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent reorients the corner faces in three-dimensional space with specific angular orientations relative to the strip width direction. By tilting the angular faces at defined angles, the design allows punching operations to be performed without requiring the strip width to exceed the blank width, as the angular orientation provides the necessary access dimensions during the punching process.
3Loss of substance
If angular connections are used at outer corners, then material efficiency is improved and clamping zones are eliminated, but the transition at corners becomes kinked rather than smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different surface characteristics at different locations of the chain link. The angular connections at the corners provide the necessary geometric functionality for material-efficient punching, while the at least one side face maintains a smooth surface quality. This localized differentiation allows the corner regions to have kinked transitions for manufacturing efficiency while other regions maintain smooth surfaces for functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner connection is segmented into distinct planar faces (first angular face and second angular face) with different orientations, rather than using a continuous smooth curve. This segmentation into discrete angular surfaces enables the punching process to access each face independently without requiring material extensions, while the segmentation itself creates the kinked transition appearance at the corner.
Data Source
AI summary
A chain link for a conveyor chain includes a planar elongate sheet metal conveying body having four outer corners and sides that extend between adjacent outer corners, the sides include long sides and short sides that extend between the long sides, the sides further include side face portions that extend substantially transversely to a conveying plane of the conveying body, and at each of the outer corners, the conveying body may include a corner face portion that extends transversely to the conveying plane and that connects angularly to a side face portion of a short side.