Conveyor Belt Return Strand Rectilinear Cable Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional conveying installations require supporting rollers for both strands of the conveyor belt at supports, necessitating a turning mechanism downstream of the unloading station and upstream of the loading station, which increases design and maintenance complexity.

Innovation Solution

The conveyor belt's return strand is guided along rectilinear third supporting cables instead of catenary curves, eliminating the need for supporting rollers and thus the turning mechanism, by using first supporting frames to carry second supporting cables along catenary curves and second supporting frames to carry third supporting cables rectilinearly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If both strands of the conveyor belt are guided over supporting rollers at supports, then the conveyor belt can be supported and guided throughout the installation, but turning means must be provided downstream of the unloading station and upstream of the loading station, increasing design and maintenance complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupporting roller guidanceVSAvoidturning mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the supporting roller guidance system from the return strand, allowing it to run without supporting rollers. The return strand is guided by the catenary-shaped first supporting cables directly, eliminating the need for turning means while maintaining reliable guidance throughout the installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of guiding the return strand over supporting rollers (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by allowing the return strand to run freely along the catenary cables without rollers, using the cable's natural shape to provide guidance and support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the conveyor belt is turned in the upward direction downstream of the unloading station, then the return strand can be supported, but additional turning means are required, increasing design outlay and maintenance outlay

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereturn strand supportVSAvoiddesign outlay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the turning means from the system by extracting the roller guidance function from the return strand. The return strand is directly guided by the catenary cables without requiring turning mechanisms at the unloading station, simplifying both design and manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than turning the conveyor belt upward downstream of the unloading station (conventional method), the invention inverts the approach by allowing the return strand to run downward along the catenary cables, eliminating the need for turning means and reducing design complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If supporting rollers are used for both strands at supports, then the conveyor belt can be reliably guided, but the system requires additional components and maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconveyor belt guidanceVSAvoidmaintenance outlay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the supporting roller components from the return strand system, eliminating them entirely. The return strand is guided by the catenary cables without rollers, reducing the number of components that require maintenance and repair while maintaining reliable guidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using supporting rollers to guide the return strand (conventional approach), the invention inverts the system by using the catenary cable shape itself to provide guidance, eliminating roller maintenance requirements and simplifying repair operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS7562767B2Conveying installation for transporting goods by way of a conveyor belt

Publication Date: 2009.07.21 INNOVA PATENT GMBH

AI summary

A conveying installation for transporting goods has a conveyor belt that is guided over deflecting drums at the two ends of the installation and which is formed with a pair of first supporting cables that are borne by supports that are strategically placed in the installation and on which there are fastened supports for a pair of second supporting cables and for a pair of third supporting cables. The conveyor belt has supporting bars with supporting rollers mounted at each end. The supporting rollers of the forward strand of the conveyor belt roll along the second supporting cables and the supporting rollers of the return strand roll along the third supporting cables. There are provided first supporting frames, which bear the second supporting cables such that they run along catenary curves between the supports, and second supporting frames, which bear the third supporting cables such that they run more or less rectilinearly over the course of the installation.