Conveyor Guide With Double-C Profile And Clamp
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor guides used in transporting articles, such as belt and chain conveyors, face issues with twisting and side bending due to transverse stresses, which can lead to improper functioning and require complex mounting processes.
Innovation Solution
A guide assembly featuring a longitudinally extended support element with a 'double C' profile and a clamp with complementary shape, allowing for secure mounting without special tools and providing enhanced resistance to bending through transverse compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If guides are mounted to conveyor frames using conventional clamps, then the mounting process becomes simple, but the guides suffer from twisting and side bending due to transverse stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is pre-formed with a double-C profile that includes integrated mounting appendages. These appendages are designed in advance to engage with the support bar in a specific manner that distributes transverse stresses along the guide's length, preventing twisting and side bending while maintaining simple installation
Solution Approach 2:
The guide is designed as a modular assembly consisting of a support element with integrated mounting appendages. This segmentation allows the guide to be mounted as a complete unit to the conveyor frame without requiring complex assembly procedures or special tools, while the distributed structure provides resistance to bending stresses
2Reliability
If roller guides are used instead of static guides, then frictionless contact is achieved, but the complexity of the guide assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the frictionless rolling contact surface, incorporates the mounting structure with appendages that engage the support bar, and distributes transverse stresses. This self-service design integrates what would otherwise be separate components, maintaining reliability while reducing overall assembly complexity
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
The guide assembly effectively resists twisting and side bending, ensuring proper functioning of conveyors while simplifying the mounting process without the need for special tools or holes in the support bar.
Implementation Method 1
The clamp is provided with appendixes for engagement with the guide element, so as to apply transverse compression to the guide element
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
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AI summary
A guide for a conveyor of articles, comprising: a guide element (105) comprising a substantially planar portion (135) and first and second edges opposed to each other in a first transversal direction, transversal to said longitudinal direction; a clamp (165) associable to said guide element, the clamp comprising a back portion (170) and two clamp appendixes (180a,180b) opposed to each other in said first transversal direction and adapted to clamp said guide element along said first and second edges. The clamp is adapted to the coupling to a support bar (160) of the conveyor of articles intended to support the guide element to a frame of the conveyor; tightening means (195) are provided, associable to said clamp and actuatable to exert an action of traction on the appendixes of the clamp to urge them one towards the other in said first transversal direction, so as to tighten said clamp appendixes against said first and second edges of the guide element.