Curved Return Guide for Chain Conveyor with Adjustable Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing return guides for chain conveyors are not standardized, leading to increased production and warehouse costs due to the need for multiple guides tailored to different chain thicknesses, resulting in compromised functionality and increased wear and jamming issues as the thickness of the chain plates decreases.
Innovation Solution
A curved return guide with a base body featuring a central channel and sliding channels of varying heights, adjustable via insert elements that can extend or retract based on the chain's thickness, ensuring proper support and sliding without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple return guides with different sliding channel heights are produced for different chain thicknesses, then the functionality for specific chain types is improved, but production costs and warehouse costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The return guide is segmented into a base body and a removable insert element. The insert element can be exchanged to accommodate different chain plate thicknesses, while the base body remains standardized. This segmentation allows a single standardized return guide to serve multiple chain types by simply replacing the insert element, thereby maintaining functionality while reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized base body of the return guide is designed to be universal and can accommodate multiple chain types with different plate thicknesses. By combining the universal base body with specific insert elements, a single return guide design can serve multiple functions across different chain specifications, reducing the need for multiple specialized guides.
2Reliability
If the sliding channel height is increased to accommodate thicker plates, then the functionality for maximum thickness chains is improved, but the support surface height for thinner plates is reduced causing wear and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The insert element is made adjustable in height to dynamically adapt to different chain plate thicknesses. This allows the sliding channel height to be optimized for each specific chain type, ensuring adequate support surface height for thinner plates (preventing wear and jamming) while accommodating thicker plates when needed, thus eliminating the compromise inherent in fixed-height designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The height parameter of the sliding channel is made variable through the use of interchangeable insert elements with different heights. This parameter change allows the return guide to be precisely matched to the specific chain plate thickness being used, optimizing the support surface height for each application and preventing both excessive wear and jamming issues.
3Ease of manufacture
If a standardized return guide design is used for all chain thicknesses, then production costs are reduced, but the support surface height becomes insufficient for thinner plates causing functionality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The return guide is divided into a standardized base body and a variable-height insert element. This segmentation allows the base body to be produced once in a standardized design, reducing production costs, while the insert element can be customized in height to match specific chain plate thicknesses, maintaining functionality for different chain types.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert element acts as an intermediary component between the standardized base body and the chain plates of varying thicknesses. It mediates the interface, providing the necessary height adjustment to ensure proper support surface height for thinner plates while maintaining compatibility with the standardized base body design.
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 solution allows for a standardized return guide that accommodates chains with varying plate thicknesses, maintaining stability and slidability while reducing production costs and preventing chain jamming.
Implementation Method 1
The links of the chain are held in sliding support on the respective sliding surfaces of the rails by the magnetic attraction exerted by magnets received in seats obtained in the guide
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
A return guide (10), in particular a curved return guide, for guiding the return branch of a chain (100) of a chain conveyor, wherein said chain (100) comprises a plurality of links (101) pivoted to one another at respective pivoting portions (102) by means of respective pins and each of which is provided with a plate-like portion (103), wherein the return guide (10) comprises: a base body (11) in which at least one central channel (12) inside which the pivoting portions (102) and a pair of walls (14, 15) arranged at the sides of the central channel (12) are received, wherein each of said walls (14, 15) comprises, on the respective inner side, a longitudinal groove (16, 17) defining a sliding channel (160, 170) wherein end portions of the plate-like portions (103) are slidably received, said return guide (10) being characterised in that the base body (11) comprises at at least one of said walls (14, 15) at least one hollow seat (18) open at least at the respective groove (16, 17) and in which a respective insert element (19) is housed, said insert element being supported by the base body (11) in a slidingly guided manner along a direction (D) substantially orthogonal to the lower and upper sides (161, 162; 171, 172) of the respective groove or to the bottom (13) of the central channel (12) between at least one extended position in the groove (16, 17) and one at least partially retracted position from the groove (16, 17), wherein the insert element (19) has a first face (190) which laterally delimits the central channel (12) and a second face (191), substantially orthogonal to the first face (190), which delimits on the top the sliding channel (160, 170) defined by the respective groove (16, 17).