Conveyor Guide Roller Deflects Traction Edge to Prevent Skewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor devices, such as round balers, face issues with uneven material supply leading to one-sided loading of the traction mechanism, causing skewing and potential tearing or blockages, which existing solutions like guide rails fail to adequately address due to increased wear and blockage risks.
Innovation Solution
A device with a guide roller that deflects the edge area of the traction mechanism, allowing it to be offset in the axial direction of the roller, reducing skewing and tension, and featuring a self-supporting design to prevent material accumulation and enhance cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If guide rails are used to prevent transverse movement of the traction means, then skewing is prevented, but friction causes faster wear and material accumulation leads to blockages
Solution Approach 1:
A guide roller is introduced as an intermediary element between the traction means and the guide rail structure. The guide roller has a conical surface that contacts the edge region of the traction means, deflecting it laterally to prevent skewing while rolling contact reduces friction and wear compared to sliding contact with traditional guide rails
Solution Approach 2:
The guide roller employs a conical (curved) surface instead of a flat guide rail. This curved surface allows the edge region of the traction means to be smoothly deflected laterally as it passes over the roller, preventing skewing while minimizing friction and material accumulation through the rolling and curved contact geometry
2Reliability
If the traction means is deflected by the guide roller, then skewing is prevented and course is corrected, but tensile stress increases in the edge area
Solution Approach 1:
The guide roller is positioned to deflect only the edge region of the traction means rather than the entire width. This partial action corrects the skewing by affecting only the necessary edge portion, while the majority of the traction means maintains its normal tension state, avoiding excessive tensile stress across the whole structure
3Reliability
If guide rollers are arranged between deflection rollers, then conveyor belt course is controlled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide roller is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as a guide element to prevent skewing, serves as a deflection element to correct the course of the traction means, and functions as a tension distribution element by smoothly transitioning the edge region. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate guide rollers and deflection rollers, simplifying the overall device structure
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 solution effectively prevents skewing of the traction mechanism, reduces wear, and minimizes blockages by ensuring a uniform material supply and self-cleaning, thereby extending the service life and maintaining operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Due to the friction between the side edge of the traction means and the guide rail, the traction means are subject to faster wear
Implementation Method 2
the guide roller is mounted in a self-supporting manner, which prevents the accumulation of circulating conveyed material and results in a self-cleaning effect
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The device has a traction unit (10) guided through a roller (12) and comprising an edge area (16). The edge area extends toward a side edge (18) of the traction unit in a width direction of the traction unit. A guide roller (14) is moved from a movement plane of the traction unit by the edge area. The guide roller is arranged in a traveling direction (20) of the traction unit before the roller. The guide roller moves relative to the roller, and comprises a cylindrical or conical outer shape. The guide roller and the roller are arranged on a same side with respect to the traction unit.