Articulated Conveyor Link With Interlocking Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors with articulated links have excessive spaces between links, leading to product falls and operator safety risks, and are often heavy, noisy, and require high drive power, especially in the pharmaceutical industry where larger products need to be transported efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor design with a dense configuration of protrusions and indentations between links minimizes spaces, reducing the risk of operator insertion and product loss, while using lighter materials and optimized geometrical dimensions to reduce noise and drive power requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If larger links are used to transport larger products, then the conveyor can handle bigger products, but the links become very heavy and noisy
Solution Approach 1:
The link is divided into multiple segments: a supporting portion for product transport and separate articulation means for connection. This segmentation allows the supporting portion to be optimized for product capacity while the articulation means can be minimized, reducing overall weight while maintaining product handling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation means are extracted as separate elements from the supporting portion. By removing the articulation function from the main link body and implementing it as discrete connection elements, the link can be made lighter while still achieving the necessary articulation for conveyor operation.
2Device complexity
If conventional link designs are used, then the conveyor structure is simple, but excessive spaces exist between links causing safety risks and product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves from a single-dimensional gap between links to a multi-dimensional coverage by extending protrusions longitudinally and transversely. This dimensional expansion creates a three-dimensional interlocking pattern that eliminates harmful spaces while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions and corresponding recesses are designed to nest together in a hierarchical manner, with smaller protrusions fitting into recesses between larger structural elements. This nesting creates a dense, space-efficient configuration that eliminates gaps without adding significant structural complexity.
3Productivity
If conventional link designs are used, then the conveyor can transport products, but high drive power is required
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the link into supporting portion and articulation means, the structure becomes more efficient with reduced material usage. This segmentation leads to lighter links that require less drive power to move while maintaining full product transport capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes geometric parameters of the link, particularly the ratio between the width of the supporting portion and the spacing between articulation points. By adjusting these parameters, the link achieves optimal structural efficiency, reducing weight and consequently drive power requirements while maintaining product transport capability.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E~6C
AI summary
Conveyor (10) with articulated links for transporting products, wherein each link (12) of the conveyor comprises a portion (14), defining the product supporting surface, and a portion (16), defining corresponding means for articulation to the adjacent links; the respective product supporting portion (14) comprising a first and a second plurality of protrusions (20, 30) extending longitudinally towards the opposite and adjacent links, the protrusions being separated from each other by corresponding longitudinal gaps, or indentations, (21, 31) designed to receive the corresponding protrusions of the opposite and adjacent links. The first plurality of protrusions (30) comprise a central protrusion (32) and opposite first and a second lateral protrusions (34), and between the central protrusion (32) and the respective lateral protrusion (34), a first and a second intermediate protrusion (36,38), respectively outer and inner.