Conveyor Roller Impeller Braking for Quiet Pallet Speed Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing braking systems for gravity-driven roller conveyors are expensive, prone to wear, and noisy, with magnetic and brake shoe systems overheating and being limited to a single brake per pallet space, leading to potential material damage and safety issues due to uncontrolled pallet acceleration.
Innovation Solution
A braking device for conveyor rollers featuring a rotating element with a transmission and impeller wheel that uses air compression to provide a braking effect, allowing multiple rollers to be equipped with a cost-effective and quiet solution, limiting pallet speed to 0.25 m/s.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brake rollers with brake shoes or magnetic brakes are used to regulate pallet speed, then pallet acceleration is controlled and safety is improved, but the system becomes expensive, complex, and prone to overheating and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical brake shoes and magnetic braking systems with a purely mechanical friction-based brake roller that uses a pressing element to apply friction to the conveyor roller. This substitution eliminates complex control systems, sensors, and power supplies while achieving reliable speed regulation through simple mechanical friction, directly resolving the contradiction between safety/reliability and system complexity.
2Reliability
If brake rollers are built in at a higher position to engage pallets securely, then braking effectiveness is improved, but the brake rollers are lifted when hit by pallets producing noise and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic pressing element that is spring-loaded or elastically mounted, allowing it to move vertically in response to pallet impacts. When a pallet hits the brake roller, the pressing element absorbs the impact by compressing the spring or elastic element, preventing the brake roller from being lifted. This dynamic response eliminates noise and material damage while maintaining braking effectiveness, resolving the contradiction between braking performance and harmful factors.
3Productivity
If multiple brake rollers are installed to handle high pallet intake and extraction, then speed control is improved, but each brake roller wears out quickly due to frequent braking of high-speed pallets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the brake roller by adjusting the pressing force applied to the conveyor roller. By optimizing the spring constant or elastic element properties, the system achieves effective braking for high-speed pallets without excessive wear. The pressing element is designed to apply sufficient friction for speed control while limiting peak forces that cause wear, enabling the brake roller to handle high pallet throughput over an extended service life, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and component durability.
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 braking device enables efficient, cost-effective, and quiet speed regulation for roller conveyors, allowing consistent conveyor speed control and increased safety by reducing pallet acceleration, while being durable and suitable for multiple rollers.
Implementation Method 1
The impeller wheel in a driven state performs air compression work with the rotor blades and thereby provides a braking effect
Implementation Method 2
the pallets may be driven by force of gravity
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a braking device (16) for a conveyor roller (10), comprising: a rotating element (30) that is couplable to the conveyor roller (10) such that upon rotation of the conveyor roller (10) the rotating element (30) rotates with the conveyor roller (10), a transmission (20, 20a, 20b, 20c) driving a shaft element (32) by a rotation of the rotating element (30), and at least one impeller wheel (43, 46) coupled to the shaft element (32), wherein the impeller wheel (42, 46) comprises a plurality of rotor blades (52), wherein the impeller wheel (42, 46) in a driven state performs air compression work with the rotor blades (52) and thereby provides a braking effect.