Conveyor Curve Guide Segmentation to Reduce Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors with small curve radii experience increased driving resistance and risk of workpiece carrier jamming due to high frictional forces, especially when using large, rectangular workpieces, which can lead to production interruptions in assembly lines.
Innovation Solution
The workpiece carrier features a wave-like inner side surface with a deflection recess and guide surface sections that minimize contact with the inner guide during curve transitions, reducing frictional forces and preventing jamming, while maintaining adequate guidance through the use of separate, adjustable inner and outer guide components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the inner guide section curved in a circle is arranged tangentially to the straight inner guide sections with a small radius of curvature, then the workpiece carrier performs almost pure rotational movement in the curve ensuring favorable alignment with drive means, but the curved outer guide section has high frictional force due to its small radius of curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The inner guide is divided into three separate sections: a first straight section, a curved section, and a second straight section. The spaced-apart arrangement creates gaps between these sections, allowing the workpiece carrier to transition through the curve without continuous contact, thereby reducing frictional forces while maintaining proper alignment during the rotational movement through the curve.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner guide section is extracted from continuous contact with the workpiece carrier by spacing it apart. This extraction eliminates the harmful frictional force while preserving the beneficial alignment function during curve traversal.
2Ease of operation
If the track width is selected to be slightly larger than the width of the workpiece carrier for low-friction sliding guidance, then lateral guidance is achieved with little play, but the workpiece carrier may get stuck in the curve due to increased driving resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The spaced-apart inner guide sections segment the guidance function, allowing the workpiece carrier to pass through the curve without continuous frictional contact. This segmentation reduces driving resistance while maintaining lateral guidance through the spaced arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance system transitions from static continuous contact to dynamic spaced contact. The gaps between inner guide sections allow the workpiece carrier to dynamically adjust its position during curve traversal, reducing the risk of jamming while maintaining guidance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the first and second straight inner guide sections are connected by a convexly curved inner guide section with continuous contact, then uninterrupted guidance is provided, but excessive friction on the long curved inner guide section increases resistance to movement and can lead to jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The inner guide is segmented into separate spaced-apart sections rather than a continuous curved surface. This segmentation maintains the guidance function while eliminating the excessive friction that would occur with continuous contact along a long curved section.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful frictional contact is extracted by spacing the inner guide sections apart. The guidance function is preserved through the spaced arrangement, while the harmful continuous frictional force is removed.
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 design significantly reduces driving resistance and prevents workpiece carrier jamming, allowing for reliable, trouble-free operation of large workpieces in curved conveyor sections, enhancing operational reliability and reducing production losses.
Implementation Method 1
a workpiece carrier (50) which is carried along in a frictionally engaged manner by drive means
Data Source
AI summary
The conveyor (10) has an inner guide (30) comprising two linear inner guide sections (31, 32) parallelly arranged with a preset path width (16) at a distance to two linear outer guide sections (41, 42) of an outer guide (40). A convex arcuate inner guide section (35) of the inner guide is attached to an arcuate outer guide section (43) of the outer guide. The arcuate inner guide section is arranged opposite to a virtual tangential line (39), and is radially inwardly offset to the linear inner guide sections with respect to the arcuate outer guide section.