Elastic Roller Peripheral Parts for Glass Blasting Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blasting processes damage fragile workpieces, such as glass substrates, due to abrasives entering the spaces between metallic or hard resin conveying rollers, leading to surface damage during the blasting process.
Innovation Solution
A conveying apparatus with rollers featuring peripheral parts made of a softer elastic material, such as urethane foam with separated air bubbles, which acts as a cushioning material to reduce the force of abrasives on workpieces and prevents damage by effectively removing used abrasives, and a zigzag arrangement of rollers to manage the conveyance of large flat plate-shaped workpieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metallic or hard resin conveying rollers are used, then the conveying apparatus can withstand the force of blasting abrasives, but the abrasives enter the spaces between the rollers and damage the surfaces of fragile workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying roller is designed with different materials for different parts: the core structure is made of hard material (metal or hard resin) to withstand blasting forces, while the peripheral contact surface is made of soft elastic material to prevent workpiece damage. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and surface protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveying roller uses a composite structure combining hard core material with soft elastic peripheral material. This composite design allows the roller to simultaneously possess the strength needed to resist blasting abrasives and the softness needed to cushion and prevent damage to fragile workpieces during conveyance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If soft elastic material is used for the peripheral part of rolling members, then workpieces are protected from abrasive damage, but the used abrasives may stick to the soft material and cause damage to subsequent workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The soft elastic material is designed with a porous structure that allows used abrasives to be easily removed. The pores enable the material to accommodate and release abrasives without them sticking permanently, ensuring that subsequent workpieces receive consistent protection without being damaged by retained abrasives.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft elastic peripheral material has self-cleaning capability through its elastic properties and porous structure. When the roller rotates and the load is removed, the material naturally releases and removes stuck abrasives, maintaining its protective function for subsequent workpieces without requiring external cleaning mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the peripheral parts of rolling members are made of soft elastic material, then the material can act as cushioning material to reduce abrasive force, but the peripheral parts may need frequent replacement due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying roller is segmented into a durable hard core and a replaceable soft elastic peripheral part. This segmentation allows the peripheral part to be replaced independently when worn, while the expensive hard core structure is preserved. The modular design simplifies maintenance and reduces overall system replacement costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft elastic material is selected and designed with optimized parameters for abrasion resistance while maintaining cushioning properties. By carefully selecting materials with appropriate hardness, elasticity, and wear resistance parameters, the peripheral parts achieve extended service life while still providing effective cushioning protection for workpieces.
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 prevents flaws on fragile workpieces by reducing abrasive force and facilitating easy removal of used abrasives, ensuring safe conveyance and reducing the need for frequent peripheral part replacement, while effectively managing the conveyance of large flat plate-shaped items.
Implementation Method 1
the peripheral part acts as a cushioning material that can reduce the force caused by the used abrasives and loaded on the workpieces
Implementation Method 2
since the peripheral parts of the rolling members are made of a soft and elastic material, the used abrasives are removed from the surfaces of the peripheral parts when the loads caused by the weight of the workpieces are eliminated from the peripheral parts
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a conveying apparatus and a blasting machine equipped with the conveying apparatus that can prevent workpieces from being damaged by the used abrasives attached to the conveying rollers.For the conveying apparatus, a peripheral part 33a disposed at the peripheral surface of a rolling member 33 of a rolling roller 31 is made of a softer elastic material than the material of the panel P, wherein when used abrasives get stuck between the peripheral part 33a of the rolling member 33 and the panel P, since the peripheral part 33a acts as a cushioning material that can reduce the force caused by the used abrasives and loaded on the panel P, even if the panel P is made of a fragile material, such as glass, the panel P can be conveyed without flaws being caused by the used abrasives.