Steel Strip Coiler Driver Roller Extraction Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional steel strip coiler systems face challenges in safely and efficiently maintaining the pinch and supporting rollers due to restricted access and the need for manual cleaning and polishing, which poses safety risks and requires significant time and effort.

Innovation Solution

A driver system with a supporting drive roller mounted on a frame and an adjustable drive roller on a rocker, featuring a side and/or upward open storage area and a fixing mechanism to secure the drive roller, allowing for controlled positioning and easier removal and insertion of rollers without significant rocker repositioning or dismantling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the drive roller is mounted between two rockers as in conventional steering drivers, then the drive roller is securely positioned during operation, but the drive roller becomes difficult to access for maintenance and requires complete dismantling of the swing arm construction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure positioning of drive rollerVSAvoidaccessibility for maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The drive roller assembly is segmented into a removable holding device that can be separated from the rocker mechanism. The holding device with drive roller can be independently removed from the rocker without dismantling the entire swing arm construction, enabling easy maintenance while maintaining secure positioning during operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The drive roller is extracted from the conventional mounted position and placed in a separate removable holding device. This allows the drive roller to be easily accessed and removed from the side of the rocker without affecting the rocker's structural integrity or requiring complete dismantling of the swing arm construction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If the pinch roller and support pinch roller are cleaned and polished by hand when installed, then cleaning can be performed without removal, but safety risks increase and the surface quality may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning without removalVSAvoidsurface quality and safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The drive roller is pre-positioned in a removable holding device that allows for easy removal. This preliminary arrangement enables the drive roller to be quickly accessed and removed for professional cleaning and polishing when high surface quality is required, while still allowing for quick reinstallation to minimize production downtime

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of repair

If the entire swing arm construction including the drive roller must be removed for maintenance, then the drive roller can be replaced, but the work time and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive roller replacementVSAvoidmaintenance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system is segmented into a removable holding device containing the drive roller and the stationary rocker mechanism. Only the holding device with the drive roller needs to be removed for maintenance, not the entire swing arm construction, significantly reducing maintenance time and complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The drive roller is extracted into a separate removable holding device that can be independently removed from the rocker. This extraction allows maintenance personnel to quickly remove and replace drive rollers without dealing with the complex swing arm construction, reducing maintenance time from potentially hours to minutes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2624977B1Driver for a steel strip coiling installation
Publication Date: 2015.10.28 PRIMETALS TECH AUSTRIA GMBH
  • EP2624977B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2624977B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2624977B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A driver (1) for a steel strip coiling installation comprising at least one supporting drive roller (3), which is mounted on a frame (2), and at least one drive roller (4), which can be adjusted with respect to the supporting drive roller (3) and is mounted on at least one rocking arm (5a, 5b) connected to the frame (2), wherein the drive roller (4) is attached to a bearing region (7) of the rocking arm (5a, 5b). The driver (1) is characterized in that the bearing region (7) is open for introducing and removing the drive roller (4) to the side and/or upwards when placing the rocking arm (5a, 5b) in the operating position. For fixing the drive roller (4) on the bearing region (7), the driver (1) has a fixing mechanism. The method for removing a drive roller (4) from such a driver (1) comprises the steps of opening the fixing mechanism and removing the drive roller (4) from the driver (1) to the side and/or upwards.