Conveyor Belt Cable Locking Join with Radial Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable locking solutions face issues with excessive longitudinal tensile stress causing cable slippage, leading to bulky designs incompatible with certain applications, and require time-consuming and costly maintenance processes, especially in conveyor belt joins where qualified personnel are needed for complex vulcanization operations.
Innovation Solution
A cable locking element with supports having grooves forming a through-cavity with a widened intermediate part, where an anchoring member creates radial deformation of the cable, enhancing tensile strength and minimizing size, and a joining device using assemblies of these elements to connect conveyor belt ends with reduced maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the fastener is dimensioned to ensure sufficient clamping of the cable to avoid slippage under tensile forces, then the cable locking strength is improved, but the fastener becomes bulky and incompatible with certain applications
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity is designed with a widened intermediate part that creates localized radial deformation of the cable through an anchoring member, rather than requiring uniform clamping throughout the entire fastener length. This concentrates the locking action in a specific zone, achieving high strength without increasing overall fastener volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from purely longitudinal clamping to include radial deformation of the cable. The anchoring member penetrates the cable radially through the widened intermediate part, creating a three-dimensional locking mechanism that combines longitudinal retention with radial compression, thereby achieving superior strength in a compact form.
2Reliability
If contact surfaces of supports are configured with relief or significant roughness to increase frictional forces, then adhesion between cable and clamping interface is improved, but cable wear increases and maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring member creates radial deformation of the cable in advance, establishing a mechanical interlock before any sliding or wear can occur. This preliminary mechanical bonding action eliminates the need for friction-based adhesion, thereby preventing cable wear while ensuring reliable locking.
3Strength
If conventional cable stripping and vulcanization operations are performed to join conveyor belt ends, then the joining strength is improved, but the maintenance time and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex vulcanization process from the cable joining operation. By using a mechanical locking element with an anchoring member that creates radial deformation, the joining process is reduced to simple insertion and mechanical engagement, removing the need for time-consuming thermal processing and specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element with anchoring member serves as a simple, replaceable mechanical component that provides sufficient joining strength without requiring permanent chemical bonding through vulcanization. This allows for quicker replacement and maintenance while maintaining structural integrity.
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
The solution provides improved tensile strength and reduced size of the locking element, minimizing cable wear and simplifying the joining process by allowing for faster, less labor-intensive connections of conveyor belt ends with reduced maintenance requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the locking element comprising at least one anchoring member configured to at least partially occupy a portion of the widened intermediate part of the cavity situated in alignment with the entrance and exit openings, so as to locally create a radial deformation of the section of the portion of the cable
Data Source
AI summary
A joining device for at least one conveyor belt of the type extending along a longitudinal axis and including a body made of flexible material inside which a reinforcement including reinforcing cables extending at least in part axially is accommodated. The joining device is intended to connect at least a first and a second end portion of the conveyor belt. The joining device includes at least one assembly of at least two locking elements connected to each other by assembly means includes at least one connecting cable. The assembly is intended to be attached to the first end portion and the second end portion of the conveyor belt, so as to connect at least some of the reinforcing cables of the first end portion of the conveyor belt to at least some of the reinforcing cables of the second end portion of the conveyor belt.