Suspended Conveyance Facility with Segmented Friction and Meshing Belts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suspended conveyance facilities fail to maintain consistent intervals between conveyance units due to insufficient holding mechanisms, especially during acceleration or deceleration, leading to misalignment and inconsistent pitch.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance facility with a friction transmission belt and a meshing transmission belt, where the travel mode switches from frictional contact to meshed contact at a sending device, utilizing a meshing transmission belt arranged downstream and a friction transmission belt upstream, with the meshing belt positioned lower than the friction belt, ensuring consistent intervals between conveyance units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If pins on the drive belt simply abut the side surface of carriers, then the structure is simple, but the carriers cannot be sufficiently held during acceleration or deceleration, causing interval misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The drive belt is divided into two distinct sections: an upstream friction transmission section and a downstream meshing transmission section. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specialized function - the friction section for normal operation and the meshing section for precise interval control during acceleration and deceleration, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and holding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The meshing transmission belt acts as an intermediary mechanism between the drive belt and the carrier pins. The meshing engagement provides a reliable holding force during critical phases (acceleration/deceleration) without requiring complete redesign of the entire transmission system, thus improving reliability while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
2Device complexity
If only friction transmission is used, then the device is simple, but the carriers cannot maintain consistent intervals during acceleration or deceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission system is segmented into two functional zones along the conveyance path. The upstream friction transmission zone handles normal steady-state operation, while the downstream meshing transmission zone handles dynamic phases requiring precise interval control. This spatial segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying complexity only where precision is critically needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different transmission qualities are applied locally along the conveyance path. The meshing transmission section provides high-precision, rigid coupling for interval control during acceleration and deceleration, while the friction transmission section provides smooth, flexible operation during steady state. This local differentiation of transmission quality resolves the contradiction between device simplicity and interval precision.
3Reliability
If the meshing transmission belt is arranged upstream, then the carriers can be held firmly, but it interferes with the sending device operation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the meshing transmission belt upstream (which would interfere with the sending device), the configuration is inverted: the friction transmission belt is placed upstream and the meshing transmission belt is placed downstream. This inversion resolves the contradiction by positioning the high-holding-force mechanism where it does not interfere with sending device operation, while still achieving reliable carrier control during acceleration and deceleration.
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 configuration reliably maintains consistent intervals between conveyance units, independent of their traveling status, preventing misalignment and ensuring precise spacing through the use of a meshing transmission belt with concave and convex portions for stable meshed contact.
Implementation Method 1
a friction transmission belt causing the traveling body to travel in frictional contact with the support
Implementation Method 2
a meshing transmission belt being meshed with the support to thereby cause the traveling body to travel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
A conveyance facility 10 for conveying a bag 90 along a conveyance path includes a carrier 40 including a traveling wheel 41 traveling on the conveyance path, and a support 42 supporting the bag 90 being suspended, the carrier 40 conveying the bag 90 along the conveyance path; and a traveling rail 30 provided along the conveyance path, and supporting the traveling wheel 41 so as to be travelable. The traveling rail 30 includes an accumulation belt 50 causing the traveling wheel 41 to travel in frictional contact with the support 42; and a tracking conveyance belt 52 being meshed with the support 42 to thereby cause the traveling wheel 41 to travel.