Drive Roller One-Piece Ribbing for Conveyor Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive rollers for conveyor belts face challenges in maximizing energy efficiency while minimizing space usage and production costs, and require flexibility in roller width, which current designs fail to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A drive roller design featuring a one-piece roller tube and ribbing with continuous or essentially continuous positive and non-positive coupling, allowing for efficient power transmission without slippage, and incorporating a pinion and drive bracket for rotational force transfer, along with a computer-controlled system for adjustable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a complex construction of various gear wheels is used for the drive, then the drive can be transmitted to the roller, but the device complexity increases and space usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drive wheel and the roller tube into a single integrated component. The drive wheel is formed as one piece with the roller tube, eliminating the need for separate gear wheels and complex transmission mechanisms. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to transmit drive forces effectively to the roller.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate ribbing is driven into the roller tube, then the roller tube can be assembled, but manufacturing precision decreases and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ribbing is formed integrally with the roller tube in one piece during manufacturing. This eliminates the need for separate assembly of ribbing into the roller tube, ensuring precise coupling without requiring post-manufacturing assembly operations. The integral formation maintains manufacturing precision while simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ribbing has interruptions, then the roller tube can be manufactured more easily, but power transmission reliability decreases due to slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The ribbing is designed to extend continuously or substantially continuously from one end of the roller tube to the other end. This continuous ribbing structure ensures reliable power transmission from the drive wheel to the roller tube without interruptions that could cause slippage. The continuous structure maintains transmission reliability while being manufacturable through integral forming processes.
4Force
If a larger diameter sprocket is used, then the driving force per revolution increases, but the device complexity and space usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sprocket is integrated into the roller tube as a one-piece construction. This merging allows the use of a larger diameter sprocket that provides greater driving force per revolution, while the integration into the roller tube structure avoids the complexity and space requirements of separate sprocket assemblies. The single-piece design achieves high force transmission without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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
This design enhances energy efficiency, reduces production costs, and offers flexibility in roller width, enabling greater driving force and reduced friction losses while maintaining a compact form factor.
Implementation Method 1
the pinion and the ribbing can be coupled to one another in a positive and non-positive manner... guarantees power transmission of the pinion to the roller tube and prevents slippage
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
Drive roller for a conveyor belt with a drive (2) arranged in a roller tube (3), wherein the drive (2) has a pinion (4), wherein the pinion (4) is operatively connected to a ribbing (8), wherein the ribbing (8) is arranged in the roller tube (3), characterized in that the ribbing (8) is formed continuously or substantially continuously in one piece with the roller tube (3).