Conveyor Belt Side Chain Link Torque Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belt links currently cause unwanted stress and oscillation in conveyed products due to torque generated during interaction with driving means, leading to instability and potential damage, especially when handling small products.
Innovation Solution
A side chain link with a C-shaped lateral tab instead of a cantilevered flap, reducing torque and oscillation, and a V-shaped body design allowing for easier assembly and use with smaller guiding wheels, enabling smooth motion transmission and improved product integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cantilevered lateral tab is used in known links, then the link can be driven by toothed wheels, but torque is generated causing oscillation and stress on conveyed products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional cantilevered tab design by using a C-shaped tab that extends through the link body. This inversion changes the mechanical interaction with the toothed wheel, allowing the tab to engage and disengage more smoothly without generating harmful torque oscillations that affect product stability
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a C-shaped lateral tab is used instead of a cantilevered flap, then torque and oscillation are reduced, but the tab structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The C-shaped tab is integrated directly into the link body as a unified structure rather than being a separate component. This merging of the tab with the link body achieves the desired reduction in torque and oscillation while avoiding the complexity of additional separate parts, assemblies, or fastening mechanisms
3Manufacturing precision
If smaller guiding wheels are used, then transfer quality of small products is improved, but the driving mechanism becomes less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the C-shaped tab, specifically its height and thickness, to optimize the interaction with smaller guiding wheels. This parameter adjustment allows the use of smaller wheels that improve transfer quality for small products while maintaining driving mechanism stability through the optimized tab dimensions
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~7
Figure 8~10
AI summary
A link (10) of a side chain for conveyor belts, particularly for food, of the type comprising a substantially V-shaped body (11), the rear portion (15) of which has, on each end part (13, 14), a hole (21, 22) for the insertion of an end portion (18a) of a rod-like element (19a); the outer rear end part (13) has a lateral tab (23) that is contoured to mesh with a wheel or belt provided with teeth (24) of associated driving means. The lateral tab (23) is formed so as to be crossed by the axis of the holes (25) for the rod-like element (19a).