Elastic Roller Structure for Quieter Energy Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Energy chains with rollers experience vibration and noise issues due to roller encounters, leading to increased tensile force and wear, and existing solutions are either complex or maintenance-intensive.
Innovation Solution
Designing rollers with a plastic wheel body featuring a reduced material thickness in the radial region for elastic deformability, combined with a suitable plastic material and a specific rolling profile to reduce noise and vibration, and using a swivellable joint pin connection for increased service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If rollers are provided on chain links to enable rolling action, then friction is reduced, but vibration and noise increase due to roller encounters
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is designed with a radially extendable cushioning element (such as a rubber ring or elastic material) that protrudes beyond the narrow side of the link plate. This cushioning element absorbs impacts and dampens vibrations when rollers from opposite strands encounter each other, thereby reducing noise and vibration while maintaining the rolling action benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The roller comprises a combination of materials: a rigid core (metal or hard plastic) for structural strength and rolling function, combined with a soft cushioning material (rubber, elastomer, or plastic with elastic properties) that extends radially outward. This composite structure allows the roller to maintain its rolling capability while the softer outer layer absorbs impact energy and reduces vibration and noise during roller encounters
2Use of energy by moving object
If rollers protrude beyond narrow sides of link plates, then rolling action is enabled, but wear increases especially of the rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The roller uses a composite material structure with a durable rigid core for structural integrity and a softer wear-resistant outer layer (such as rubber, elastomer, or thermoplastic material) that contacts the running surface. This combination allows the softer outer material to absorb wear while the rigid core maintains structural strength, thereby reducing roller wear while enabling effective rolling action
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning element extending radially from the roller provides a compliant contact surface that distributes contact forces and reduces impact loads during operation. This cushioning effect protects the roller from excessive wear by absorbing shock and reducing peak contact stresses, thereby extending roller service life while maintaining rolling capability
3Object-affected harmful factors
If complex adjusting mechanisms are used to retract rollers, then roller encounters are avoided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is designed with a passive cushioning element that automatically extends radially beyond the link plate narrow side during normal operation. The cushioning element itself absorbs the impact when rollers encounter each other, eliminating the need for active retraction mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the cushioning element's inherent elasticity to handle roller encounters without requiring external control systems
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to prevent roller encounters through complex retraction mechanisms, the invention accepts that roller encounters will occur and converts the harmful impact into a beneficial damping effect. The cushioning element is specifically designed to absorb and dissipate the energy from roller encounters, transforming what would be a harmful vibration and noise source into a controlled, dampened interaction that protects the chain from damage
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 effectively reduces noise, vibration, and wear while maintaining durability, and simplifies the design by eliminating the need for complex adjusting mechanisms, and enhances the service life of energy chains under high tensile forces or longer lengths.
Implementation Method 1
the material thickness of which, in particular compared with the rim, is reduced so that radial impacts during the rolling action can be damped by elastic deformability of the radial region
Data Source
AI summary
An energy chain comprising rollers on a number of chain links of the upper strand and/or of the lower strand. The rollers project, at least to a slight extent, beyond narrow sides of the lateral plates in the direction of the respectively opposite strand, in order to allow for rolling action when the energy chain is displaced. The invention provides for the rollers to comprise a wheel body made of plastic and having a hub, a rim and a radial region, which connects the hub and rim. The material thickness of the radial region is reduced in comparison with the rim such that radial impacts during the course of the rolling action can be damped by elastic deformability of the radial region of the roller itself. This significantly reduces the development of noise and vibration caused by rollers located opposite one another coming into contact with one another. The invention also proposes a roller subassembly and/or a chain link made up of two opposite lateral plates with corresponding rollers and, as a further aspect, a special way of fastening the rollers on successive lateral plates.