Roller Conveyor Gap Blocker With Drive Member Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roller conveyors often have gaps between rollers that allow objects to fall through, potentially damaging underlying structures and creating hazards for workers.
Innovation Solution
A gap blocker is designed to fit within the gaps between rollers, featuring a body with upper and lower members that keep the blocker in place while allowing drive members like o-rings to pass through, and a retainer system to maintain the blocker's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If gap blockers are installed in gaps between rollers to prevent objects from falling through, then safety and damage prevention are improved, but the complexity of the conveyor system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap blocker is divided into multiple segments including upper blocking portions and lower members that can independently interact with the rollers. This segmentation allows the blocker to fit within existing gaps without requiring system-wide modifications, thus improving safety while minimizing added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The gap blocker serves as an intermediary component installed within the gap between rollers. It mediates between the rollers above and the underlying structure below, preventing objects from falling through while maintaining the original roller configuration and avoiding major system restructuring
2Object-affected harmful factors
If gap blockers are positioned to block gaps between rollers, then object containment is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to potential interference with drive members
Solution Approach 1:
The gap blocker features localized blocking portions at specific heights - upper blocking portions near the top of the gap and lower members near the bottom - that provide containment where needed while leaving intermediate spaces open for drive members like o-rings to pass through, thus maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The gap blocker utilizes vertical dimensionality within the gap space, positioning blocking features at different heights (upper and lower portions) rather than creating a solid horizontal barrier. This allows drive members to pass through horizontally while still providing vertical containment for objects
3Stability of the object's composition
If lower members of gap blockers are positioned below the narrowest portion of the gap to maintain position, then stability is improved, but clearance for drive members is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gap blocker employs different functional zones within its structure - lower members extend below the narrowest gap portion to provide anchoring and stability, while upper portions and recessed areas provide clearance spaces for drive members, thus achieving both stability and operational clearance through localized functional differentiation
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a roller conveyor gap blocker is provided that includes a body configured to be supported in a gap by upstream and downstream rollers. The body has a plurality of laterally spaced upstream lower members with laterally aligned, upstream lower free end portions. At least one of the upstream lower free end portions has an upstream recessed portion that is above a lowermost end of one of the other laterally aligned, upstream lower free end portions to provide clearance for a drive member. The body has a plurality of laterally spaced downstream lower members of the body with laterally aligned, downstream lower free end portions. At least one of the downstream lower free end portions has a downstream recessed portion that is above a lowermost end of one of the other laterally aligned, downstream lower free end portions to provide clearance for the drive member.