Conveyor Dolly Roller Diameter Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dollies for automated car wash conveyors are overly complicated and costly due to the use of a single steel bolt, which compromises their robustness and service life.
Innovation Solution
A dolly design featuring a main center link with offset bores and arms, where tire and track engaging rollers have distinct effective diameters, and stabilizing rollers are supported by threaded bolts, allowing for a robust, easy-to-assemble, and cost-effective configuration with fewer components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single steel bolt is used to connect all components, then the design becomes less complicated and cost-effective, but the robustness and service life are reduced due to requiring multiple bearings and bearing members
Solution Approach 1:
The design segments the connection system into two distinct parts: a robust integrated center link made of hardened steel that provides structural strength and longevity, and simpler roller assemblies with bearing members that can be easily replaced. This segmentation allows the critical load-bearing components to be durable while keeping the overall design simple and maintenance-friendly.
2Reliability
If multiple bearings and bearing members are used to adapt rollers to a steel bolt, then the design becomes more robust and reliable, but the complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The center link integrates multiple functions into a single robust component: it serves as the structural backbone, provides mounting points for all rollers, and replaces the need for a complex steel bolt assembly with multiple bearings. This merging reduces the total number of parts while maintaining or enhancing structural integrity and reliability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stabilizing rollers are positioned to contact the track surface, then they provide additional stability, but they may interfere with tire engagement and cause stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing rollers are positioned asymmetrically on the center link at locations that prevent them from contacting the track surface during normal operation. This asymmetric placement ensures they provide lateral stability to the dolly without interfering with the tire engagement function of the tire engaging rollers, thus maintaining both stability and reliable tire engagement.
4Reliability
If tire engaging rollers are made larger in diameter, then they improve tire engagement, but the overall dolly size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tire engaging rollers are designed with locally optimized large diameter specifically at the tire contact zone to ensure effective engagement, while the rest of the dolly structure maintains compact dimensions. The center link and other components are sized appropriately for their specific functions, avoiding unnecessary size increases throughout the entire assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A dolly contains a main center link having two arms extending from a central portion. A pair of tire engaging rollers and a pair of track engaging rollers are supported on the arms. Bolts are provided and engage in offset bores formed in the arms. A pair of tire stabilizing rollers is supported on the bolts. The tire stabilizing rollers, the track engaging rollers and the tire engaging rollers each have a different effective diameter to a tangent point of tire contact. The effective diameter of the tire stabilizing rollers is greater than the effective diameter of the track engaging rollers. The effective diameter of the tire engaging rollers is greater than the effective diameter of the tire stabilizing rollers. The tire engaging rollers and the tire stabilizing rollers prevent the tire from engaging the tracking engaging rollers during operation of the dolly.