Conveying Device Overdrive Switch for Hanging Items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveying devices for hanging objects, such as clothing and bags, experience disruptions and collisions due to the vibration or rotation of items at switches during transport, leading to inefficiencies in the conveyor chain's operation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an overdrive mechanism within the switch, where the drive belt's speed exceeds the conveyor chain's speed, ensuring objects are transported away faster and preventing collisions, and uses elastically bendable fingers on the drive belt for secure and adaptable transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a switch with a separately driven conveyor chain is used to transfer holding adapters between rail profiles, then the transfer function is achieved, but the complexity of the control system increases and collisions occur due to speed synchronization issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drive functions by coupling the switch's drive belt to the conveyor chain via a drive roller and transmission roller. This merging eliminates the need for a separate motor and control system for the switch, reducing control complexity while maintaining reliable transfer through mechanical coupling to the existing conveyor chain movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drive belt as an intermediary element between the conveyor chain and the switch mechanism. The drive belt, driven by rollers, acts as a mediator that transfers motion from the conveyor chain to the switch, enabling synchronized operation without direct mechanical connection or complex electronic control.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the conveyor chain speed is increased to prevent collisions at the switch, then collision prevention is improved, but the friction drive capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The drive belt serves as an intermediary that can slip relative to the conveyor chain during acceleration phases, preventing excessive forces that would compromise friction drive capability. This intermediary layer allows speed differentiation between the conveyor chain and switch mechanism, enabling collision prevention while protecting the friction drive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the speed parameter of the drive belt relative to the conveyor chain, allowing the drive belt to operate at different speeds during different phases of operation. This parameter change enables the system to achieve both collision prevention and maintain friction drive capability by adjusting the relative speed relationship between components.
3Device complexity
If a simple switch design without overdrive is used, then device complexity is reduced, but collisions occur because objects cannot be transported away fast enough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drive functions by using the conveyor chain's motion to drive the switch mechanism through coupled rollers. This unified drive system ensures that the switch automatically operates at the correct speed relationship with the conveyor chain, providing overdrive capability without adding complex separate control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic speed relationship through the drive belt and roller mechanism, where the drive belt can slip or vary its effective transmission ratio. This dynamic characteristic allows the switch to operate with overdrive capability, transporting objects away faster than the conveyor chain speed during critical phases, while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.
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 effectively prevents collisions and ensures smooth, efficient transport of hanging objects by maintaining a higher speed for objects transferred through the switch, even at varying conveyor chain speeds, thereby enhancing the overall conveying process.
Implementation Method 1
The drive roller (61) coupled to the conveyor chain (9) arranged in the first rail profile (2) and a transmission roller (67) which is coupled to this via a coupling element (64) and drives the drive belt (7)
Implementation Method 2
elastically bendable fingers on the drive belt for secure and adaptable transport
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A conveying device for transporting hanging objects, comprising: - a first rail profile (2) with a first, upper raceway (21) and a second raceway (22) arranged below the first raceway (21); - a conveyor chain (9) driven by friction rollers, which is continuously movable in the first raceway (21) of the rail profile (2) in a conveying direction (x1); - holding adapters (8) for holding objects to be conveyed, each with a head section (81) mounted to roll in the second raceway (22) of the rail profile (2), which is coupled to the conveyor chain (9); - at least one sorting section with a switch (4) following in the conveying direction (x), via which the holding adapters (8) can be transferred from the first rail profile (2) into a second rail profile (10); is designed such that - the switch (4) has a drive (6) and a drive belt (7), wherein the drive (6) is designed such thatthat the running speed of the drive belt (7) is greater than the running speed of the conveyor chain (9) during operation.