Conveyor Seal Clamping Assembly for Adjustable Secondary Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belt systems experience material spillage due to gaps between the conveyor belt and rigid side walls, leading to maintenance challenges and material loss, particularly with the frequent need to replace and adjust secondary seals to prevent damage and ensure proper sealing.
Innovation Solution
A clamping arrangement comprising a support with a base and extension, a clamping member with engaging features, and a nut or bolt system that applies a secure clamping force to the secondary seal, allowing for easy adjustment and replacement by rotating the clamping member 180 degrees and using detents to resist vibration-induced loosening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid side wall is used to prevent material spillage, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the risk of belt damage increases due to contact between the rigid wall and conveyor belt
Solution Approach 1:
A resilient secondary seal is introduced as an intermediary element between the rigid side wall and the conveyor belt. This secondary seal makes sliding contact with the belt, preventing the rigid wall from directly contacting and damaging the belt while maintaining the sealing effectiveness to prevent material spillage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a secondary seal is attached to the rigid side wall to prevent belt damage, then belt protection is improved, but maintenance complexity increases due to the need to replace and adjust the secondary seal
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping arrangement incorporates adjustable and replaceable components that allow the secondary seal to be dynamically adjusted and replaced. The clamping member with engaging features and threaded fasteners enables easy adjustment of the seal position and thickness, simplifying maintenance operations despite the additional component.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping arrangement is divided into separate modular components including a clamping member, support structure, and threaded fasteners. This segmentation allows individual components to be easily replaced or adjusted without affecting the entire sealing system, reducing maintenance complexity.
3Loss of substance
If the gap between the rigid side wall and conveyor belt is increased to prevent material lodging, then material spillage is reduced, but sealing effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap between the rigid side wall and conveyor belt is varied along the direction of belt movement, being smaller at certain locations and larger at others. This local variation in gap size prevents material from lodging in the gap while maintaining effective sealing where needed, addressing both material spillage and sealing effectiveness requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping arrangement may comprise a support having a base and an extension, a clamping member having a body, a clamping edge and one or more engaging features for engaging the support extension. The body may have a hole in which a fastener may be disposed when the clamping member engages the extension of the support. A stud and nut or a bolt may provide the fastener for moving the clamping member for applying a clamping force. The body may have an opening for engaging the extension of the support when the clamping member is in a certain position.