Conveyor Chain Tooth Base Web Design for Curve Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor chains with existing designs face instability issues when navigating curves, particularly due to the need for deepening tooth gaps and elongating teeth, which increases the risk of injury and mechanical instability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates partially filled tooth bases with webs on the edges of the conveyor plates, reducing the gap size between teeth and enhancing mechanical stability, while allowing for curved engagement without collision, using a cuboid core section and angled edge sides to maintain stability and prevent human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tooth gaps are deepened and teeth are elongated to enable curved engagement, then the curve capability is improved, but the mechanical stability deteriorates and the risk of injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of tooth bases at different locations. Edge-side tooth bases are partially filled with webs to provide additional support and stability, while central tooth bases remain unfilled. This localized reinforcement allows the conveyor chain to navigate curves effectively while preventing the mechanical instability that would result from uniformly filling all tooth bases, thereby resolving the contradiction between curve capability and mechanical stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tooth gaps are deepened and teeth are elongated to enable curved engagement, then the curve capability is improved, but the safety deteriorates due to increased risk of human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by selectively filling only the edge-side tooth bases with webs, while leaving central tooth bases unfilled. This localized approach reduces the gap width at the edges where the risk of human intervention is highest, while maintaining curve capability. The partial filling creates a safety barrier that prevents fingers or objects from penetrating into the tooth gaps, thereby resolving the contradiction between curve capability and safety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the teeth are elongated to enable curved engagement, then the curve capability is improved, but the structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing selective reinforcement through webs at the edge-side tooth bases. These webs act as additional support structures that prevent excessive bending and deformation of the elongated teeth during curved engagement. By reinforcing only the edge-side teeth where the bending moment is highest, the patent maintains structural stability while preserving the curve capability enabled by the elongated teeth.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is a chain link (1) for a curved conveyor chain (100) or a curved conveyor chain (100) for a transfer system (101), comprising a base chain link (2) designed and configured for coupling with other base chain links (2) of the conveyor chain (100), and on which a conveyor plate (4) is arranged, the conveyor plate being designed and configured to support a conveyed material on its upper surface (6), and having teeth (12) projecting from its front face (8) in the conveying direction (A) and teeth (14) projecting from its rear face (10) in the opposite direction (B), which are designed and arranged to form a toothed, curved engagement between adjacent conveyor plates (4) in the conveyor chain (100). Also disclosed are a conveyor chain with such chain links and a transfer system with such a conveyor chain.