Chain Disk Conveyor Corner Housing Self-Cleaning Wheel
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Chain disk conveyors face issues with particulate matter lodging in wheel assemblies, leading to mold growth, reduced wheel rotation, and increased wear, as well as difficulty in monitoring the condition of the wheel assembly due to its opaque design.
Innovation Solution
A wheel assembly with a rotatable wheel and flapper mechanism that sweeps material into channels, allowing for self-cleaning and transparent or semi-transparent housing for visibility, facilitating smooth operation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the housing is made opaque to protect internal components, then the structural integrity and protection of the wheel assembly is improved, but the ability to monitor the wheel assembly condition is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into opaque and transparent portions, allowing different sections to serve different functions. The transparent portion enables visual monitoring of the wheel assembly condition while the opaque portions maintain structural integrity and protection where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the housing have different optical properties - some areas are opaque for structural strength while specific monitoring areas are transparent to allow observation of the wheel assembly and trapped material levels.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the housing is made transparent to allow monitoring, then the ability to detect wheel assembly condition is improved, but the structural strength and protection of internal components is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into transparent and opaque portions, allowing the transparent sections to provide monitoring capability while the opaque sections maintain structural strength and component protection.
Solution Approach 2:
Specific local areas of the housing are made transparent only where monitoring is needed, while the majority of the housing maintains opaque properties for structural integrity and component protection.
3Reliability
If particulate matter is allowed to accumulate in the wheel receiving area, then the self-cleaning function is reduced, but the wheel rotation is impaired and mold growth occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper mechanism automatically sweeps trapped material from the wheel receiving area through channels in the wheel rim, enabling the system to self-clean without external intervention. This prevents material accumulation that would cause mold growth and wheel rotation problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper mechanism converts the potentially harmful trapped material into a beneficial self-cleaning action by sweeping it through channels, transforming what would be a harmful accumulation into a controlled removal process that prevents mold growth.
4Reliability
If the flapper mechanism is added to sweep material, then the self-cleaning capability is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper mechanism provides automatic self-cleaning functionality that operates without external control systems, reducing the need for complex monitoring and maintenance infrastructure while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper mechanism is integrated directly into the wheel assembly structure, combining the cleaning function with the existing wheel and housing components rather than adding a separate independent cleaning system.
Data Source
AI summary
A corner assembly for a tube conveyor system comprises a housing defining a wheel receiving area and a flow path with ports at opposite ends of the flow path. A wheel rotatably received in the wheel receiving area comprises a rim having an upper surface and a lower surface; a pair of spaced apart channels formed in at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the rim; and at least one flapper pivotally mounted to the wheel inside of the rim. The flapper is freely movable between a position in which it is aligned with a wall of one of the channels and a position in which it is aligned with a wall of the other of the channels. Thus, when the wheel rotates, the flapper will sweep any material in the wheel receiving area towards and through one of the channels and into the flow path.