Conveyor Belt Maintenance Position via Movable Rollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting units face challenges with maintainability and accessibility during assembly and maintenance due to stiffened conveyor belts and limited access to internal components, which leads to increased downtime and reduced efficiency, especially when handling low-yield crops.
Innovation Solution
A cutting unit design featuring guide recesses in support elements allowing rollers to be displaced for easy access, a maintenance flap for improved accessibility, and a clamping device for tensioning and positioning the rollers, enabling the conveyor belt to be moved into a maintenance position without disassembly, thus facilitating quick maintenance and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the conveyor belt is connected using two square tubes and screws to form an endless belt, then the conveyor belt can run continuously, but the connection point stiffens the belt over a large area causing unsteady running and creating a fatigue-prone break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the connection point (square tubes and screws) from the conveyor belt design, creating a truly endless belt without any joints. This extraction eliminates the stiffness and fatigue problems associated with connection points while maintaining continuous operation through alternative belt tensioning and guidance mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the conveyor belt system into modular components including separate tensioning devices and guidance rollers, allowing the endless belt to be maintained without creating stiffening connection points. The belt can be tensioned and guided in sections rather than requiring a continuous rigid connection.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the conveyor belt is made uninterrupted and guided around spaced rollers, then the belt can run smoothly, but the distance between roller and knife bar increases reducing compactness and crop flow efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the rollers (such as diameter, position, and spacing) to achieve smooth belt running while maintaining compact dimensions. By optimizing these parameters, the distance between the roller and knife bar is minimized, ensuring compact design without sacrificing belt stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamically adjustable elements such as movable rollers or adjustable tensioning devices that can adapt their position to maintain optimal distance between the conveyor belt and knife bar. This allows the system to achieve smooth belt running while preserving compactness through dynamic adjustment rather than fixed dimensions.
3Ease of manufacture
If the central conveyor is pivotally connected and detachably arranged for assembly and disassembly, then the conveyor belt can be removed for maintenance, but accessibility to internal components remains very limited requiring complete disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the conveyor system into independently accessible modules, allowing maintenance personnel to access internal components without complete disassembly. The guide recesses and movable rollers create natural access points that divide the system into serviceable sections, improving maintenance accessibility while maintaining ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary access mechanisms such as guide recesses and movable components that provide pathways to internal components. These intermediaries allow maintenance personnel to reach critical areas without removing the entire conveyor belt, bridging the gap between ease of assembly and maintenance accessibility.
4Productivity
If the conveyor belt is tensioned continuously in the operating position, then the belt runs efficiently, but maintenance and cleaning work cannot be accessed without interrupting the harvesting process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamically adjustable tensioning devices that can quickly transition between tensioned (operating) and relaxed (maintenance) states. This dynamic capability allows the conveyor belt to be efficiently tensioned during harvesting for optimal productivity, then quickly relaxed to provide access for maintenance and cleaning without prolonged interruption of the harvesting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary action through pre-positioned guide recesses and accessible maintenance points that are prepared in advance. These features allow maintenance personnel to quickly access internal components when needed, minimizing interruption to the harvesting process while maintaining efficient operation during normal use.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a cutting unit (1) comprising a central section (3) arranged on a base frame (2) and at least two side sections (4) arranged adjacent to the central section (3), a cutter bar (5) extending substantially across the width of the cutting unit (1), and at least one conveying device (6) which transports crop material cut by the cutter bar (5) laterally towards the central section (3), which has a central conveyor (12) comprising an endlessly circulating, uninterrupted conveyor belt (13) which is guided around two spaced-apart rollers (24a, 24b) which are arranged on two support elements (14) extending parallel to the transport direction of the conveyor belt (13) and are each mounted at bearing points (15) provided on the support elements (14).wherein the support elements (14) each have a guide recess (25) extending in the longitudinal direction of the support element (14), in which one of the rollers (24a) can be displaced section by section in the longitudinal direction of the support elements (14), so that the conveyor belt (13) can be moved from an operating position in which the conveyor belt (13) is tensioned to a maintenance position in which the conveyor belt (13) sags section by section in the vertical direction.