Folding Mechanism for Road Machinery Conveyors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional road construction vehicle conveyors face challenges in efficiently folding and unfolding mechanisms, which affect their transport efficiency and stability between job sites.
Innovation Solution
A folding mechanism for vehicle conveyors featuring a linkage system with a drive link and connector link, actuated by an inner section-mounted actuator, allowing the conveyor outer section to pivot between deployed and folded positions, maintaining alignment and minimizing torsional loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional folding mechanism is used for the conveyor, then the conveyor can be folded for transport, but the folding and unfolding process is inefficient and creates mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic linkage mechanism with multiple links (drive link, connector link, and additional linkage elements) that move in coordination to fold and unfold the conveyor outer section. This dynamic system distributes mechanical loads across multiple components and enables smooth, controlled movement between deployed and folded positions, reducing peak stresses on individual components while improving folding efficiency.
2Productivity
If the conveyor outer section is folded beneath the inner section, then transport efficiency is improved, but alignment precision and stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage mechanism acts as an intermediary system between the inner and outer conveyor sections during folding. The drive link connects to the inner section, the connector link connects to the outer section, and additional linkage elements mediate the transition. This intermediary system ensures that the outer section moves in a controlled arc that maintains proper alignment with the inner section, preventing misalignment while achieving the compact folded configuration for efficient transport.
3Device complexity
If a simple folding mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the folding process creates torsional loading and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The folding mechanism is segmented into multiple functional components: a drive link with pivot connections to the inner section, a connector link with pivot connections to the outer section, and additional linkage elements. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific aspects of the folding motion, distributing mechanical loads and eliminating torsional loading that would occur in a simple single-link mechanism. The segmented design provides multiple attachment points and control nodes, ensuring stable and reliable folding while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism is for a foldable vehicle conveyor having an axis, inner and outer sections and a joint connecting the sections, the outer section being pivotable between a deployed position and a folded position at which the outer section is disposed above the inner section. A linkage displaces the outer section between the two positions and includes a drive link pivotable on the inner section and a connector link pivotably connected with the drive link and with the outer section. The linkage moves between a deployed limit position where the drive link centerline extends parallel to the conveyor axis and the connector link centerline extends perpendicularly to the conveyor axis, and a folded limit position where the drive link centerline is generally perpendicular to the conveyor axis and the connector link centerline is generally parallel to and above the conveyor axis. An actuator displaces the linkage between the two positions.