Flexible Lance Drive Apparatus with Pneumatic Tension Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high pressure fluid rotary nozzle handling systems for flexible tube cleaning lances in heat exchangers are bulky, require laborious disassembly and modification for different hose sizes, and lack a compact, versatile solution for efficient operation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A compact flexible lance drive apparatus with a rectangular housing, rotatably supported drive rollers, a drive motor, and a pneumatic cylinder-driven link mechanism that allows for quick roller exchange and adjustable tension, enabling easy handling of various lance hose sizes and operation in different conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional drive mechanisms with fixed rollers or chain assemblies are used, then the drive force is sufficient for a specific hose size, but the device becomes bulky and requires laborious disassembly and modification for different hose sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability through a telescoping tube assembly with multiple sections that can be extended or retracted to accommodate different hose diameters. The roller pairs are mounted on adjustable arms that can be repositioned along the telescoping tubes, allowing the drive mechanism to adapt its geometry to different hose sizes without disassembly or modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism is designed as a universal system that can handle multiple hose sizes within a range. The telescoping tube structure and adjustable roller mounting positions enable a single device configuration to serve multiple functions across different hose diameters, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms for each hose size.
2Volume of moving object
If the drive mechanism is designed to be compact and mountable directly to the x-y lance positioner, then the space requirement is minimized, but the drive force and tension control capability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested telescoping tube structure where multiple tube sections are contained within each other, allowing the drive mechanism to collapse to a compact size when not in use while expanding to provide the necessary drive force and tension control when needed. The roller pairs and adjustment mechanisms are integrated within this nested structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism combines multiple functions including tension control, position adjustment, and hose guidance into a single integrated assembly that mounts directly to the x-y lance positioner. The telescoping tubes serve both as structural support and as the adjustment mechanism, merging what would traditionally be separate components.
3Ease of operation
If manual mechanical adjustment is used for roller position, then the tension control is simple, but the adjustment process is time-consuming and requires manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The roller pairs are mounted on arms that can be independently positioned along the telescoping tubes without requiring manual disassembly or complex adjustment procedures. The design allows operators to quickly adjust roller positions by simply moving them along the tube sections, and the system maintains tension control through its geometric configuration rather than requiring active mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flexible lance drive device is disclosed that has, in a compact housing, a drive motor between an inner and an outer wall, a linear array of pairs of driven upper and lower drive rollers outside the outer wall coupled to the drive motor via shafts extending through both of the inner and outer walls. Each driven roller is fastened to its shaft via a quick release device. A drive sprocket is fastened to each shaft outside the inner wall. The drive motor is coupled to each of the drive sprockets via a serpentine belt carried outside the inner wall. The lower driven rollers are rotatably carried by the inner and outer walls. The upper driven rollers are rotatably carried by a block positioned between the inner and outer walls and coupled to the lower driven rollers by a pair of parallel links releasably biased by a piston driven linkage.