Conveyor Belt Spiral Overlay Intermediate Loops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belts with densely arranged wire meshes face issues of increased binding, decreased flexibility, and wear, while also prone to buckling during tight turns due to excessive collapse of the belt.
Innovation Solution
A spiral overlay for conveyor belts featuring intermediate loops that reduce contact surface area with connecting rods, maintain or increase the conveying surface area, and prevent excessive longitudinal collapse by maintaining spacing between rods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a more densely arranged wire mesh is used to maximize the surface area of the conveying surface, then the conveying surface area is increased, but the contacting surface area between the wires and connecting rods increases, causing increased binding, decreased flexibility, and increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediate loops that extend in the vertical dimension (perpendicular to the conveying surface), allowing the spiral overlay to maintain lateral coverage while reducing longitudinal contact. The loops create a three-dimensional structure where the spiral wire forms vertical undulations, reducing the contact surface area with connecting rods while preserving the horizontal conveying area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the spiral overlay by introducing intermediate loops with specific dimensions (diameter, spacing, and position). These parameter changes transform the continuous contact between the spiral and connecting rods into discrete contact points, reducing binding and wear while maintaining overall structural integrity and conveying surface area.
2Area of stationary object
If a more densely arranged wire mesh is used to maximize the surface area of the conveying surface, then the conveying surface area is increased, but the contacting surface area between the wires and connecting rods increases, causing increased binding and decreased flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate loops create vertical undulations in the spiral overlay, transitioning from a two-dimensional planar contact to a three-dimensional structure. This dimensional change reduces the contact surface area between the spiral and connecting rods, thereby decreasing binding while maintaining the horizontal conveying surface area for article support.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameters of the spiral overlay to include intermediate loops with specific diameters and spacing, the patent reduces the contact parameters (surface area and friction) between the spiral and connecting rods. This parameter modification decreases binding forces while preserving the overall structural stability and conveying functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the belt collapses too far during turns to accommodate tighter curves, then the belt can navigate tighter turns, but buckling of the belt occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate loops extend in the vertical dimension, creating a three-dimensional structure that resists collapse in the longitudinal direction. When the belt navigates a turn and experiences lateral compression, the vertical loops provide structural rigidity that prevents excessive collapse and buckling, while still allowing the belt to accommodate turn geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate loops act as pre-configured structural elements that provide resistance against longitudinal collapse before it occurs. During turns, these loops serve as built-in cushioning elements that maintain spacing between connecting rods and prevent buckling, ensuring reliable operation during tight turns without requiring external support structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A spiral overlay for a conveyor belt includes a plurality of wire spirals assembled together in intermeshing relationship on connecting rods to provide a conveying surface and an opposing surface with a belt thickness extending in the vertical direction. Each of said wire spirals formed of a single length of wire and forming a helix extending laterally across the belt, said spiral comprising opposed arcuate linking bends at a forward end and a rearward end along the longitudinal axis, and at least one intermediate loop formed between said opposed arcuate linking bends and disposed within the belt thickness, said spirals arranged relative to one another such that said linking bends of one spiral are intermeshed with linking bends of an immediately adjacent one of said spirals and said intermeshed linking bends of adjacent spirals are adapted to receive one of the connecting rods to operatively connect said spirals.