Conveyor Belt Skirt Assembly Pivoting Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belt skirt assemblies face challenges in retaining conveyed material due to transverse forces, which can cause the skirt to deflect and allow material to spill over the edges, and mistracking of conveyor belts leads to the skirt falling off, disrupting proper tracking.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor belt skirt assembly with a resilient L-shaped design, featuring a leg member and an inclined foot member that extends into the gap between the conveyor belt and side walls, combined with a mounting mechanism that allows pivotal adjustment to maintain engagement with the conveyor belt, preventing material spillage and accommodating belt mistracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the skirt assembly is made rigid to prevent deflection under transverse forces, then material retention improves, but the skirt cannot accommodate conveyor belt mistracking
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting mechanism transforms the rigid skirt assembly into a dynamic system where the leg member can pivot relative to the conveyor side wall. This allows the skirt to automatically adjust its position to accommodate belt mistracking while maintaining contact with the belt to prevent material spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameter of the skirt assembly by allowing the leg member to pivot. This parameter change enables the skirt to adapt to varying belt positions during mistracking events while maintaining effective material containment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the skirt assembly is made flexible to accommodate belt mistracking, then adaptability improves, but the skirt may deflect under transverse forces allowing material spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting mechanism provides controlled flexibility through pivotal movement rather than uncontrolled deflection. The leg member can pivot to accommodate mistracking but maintains sufficient structural integrity to prevent excessive deflection that would cause material spillage.
3Device complexity
If the skirt assembly is designed with a simple fixed structure, then device complexity is reduced, but the skirt cannot adjust to maintain engagement with the conveyor belt during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting mechanism adds minimal complexity through a pivotal connection that enables automatic adjustment. The leg member can pivot to follow belt position changes, providing self-adjusting capability without requiring complex control systems or multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The skirt assembly performs self-adjustment through the pivotal mounting mechanism. When the conveyor belt shifts position, the leg member automatically pivots to maintain engagement, eliminating the need for external adjustment mechanisms or manual intervention.
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 skirt assembly effectively retains conveyed material by creating a seal between the conveyor belt and side walls, while its flexible design allows it to adjust to belt mistracking, preventing the skirt from falling off and ensuring continuous operation.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient L-shaped design, featuring a leg member and an inclined foot member that extends into the gap between the conveyor belt and side walls
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor belt skirt assembly adapted to be attached to a side wall of a conveyor mechanism to retain conveyed material on a conveyor belt of the conveyor mechanism. The conveyor belt skirt assembly includes a skirt having a generally vertical leg member and an inclined foot member attached to the bottom end of the leg member. A bracket including an arm and a finger pivotally attaches the skirt to the conveyor mechanism.