Height-Adjustable Conveyor Segment for Maintenance Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Continuous conveyor systems require significant space, limiting their compactness and increasing maintenance and safety challenges due to the need for accessible paths and escape routes, while existing solutions struggle to balance space efficiency with maintenance and safety considerations.
Innovation Solution
A continuous conveyor system with a height-adjustable middle conveyor segment that allows for the creation of a free passage below the conveyor device, enabling space optimization and maintaining accessibility for maintenance, repairs, and emergency routes through mechanical height adjustment, ensuring sufficient clearance for personnel to pass underneath without compromising object conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the conveyor system is made more compact to reduce space requirements, then space efficiency is improved, but accessibility for maintenance and safety becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The middle conveying segment is designed with height adjustability, allowing it to dynamically change position between a lowered state (for maintenance access) and a raised state (for compact operation). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to adapt its configuration based on operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system is divided into separate conveying segments, with the middle segment being independently height-adjustable. This segmentation allows the middle segment to be raised or lowered independently, providing maintenance access without affecting the overall compactness of the integrated system.
2Productivity
If pedestrian walkway space is reduced to optimize conveyor compactness, then productivity is improved, but escape routes and maintenance access are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The middle conveying segment's height can be dynamically adjusted to create clearance for escape routes when needed. During normal operation, the segment remains in the raised position for compactness, but can be lowered to provide safe passage, thus maintaining both productivity and safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position parameter of the middle conveying segment is changed to create different operational modes: raised position for compact operation and lowered position for creating escape routes. This parameter change allows the system to meet both compactness and safety requirements at different times.
3Ease of operation
If the conveying system is raised to create passage space, then accessibility is improved, but object conveyance may be interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor is segmented into front, middle, and rear sections. When the middle segment is raised to create passage space, the front and rear segments can continue conveying objects independently, maintaining productivity while providing accessibility. The segmentation allows partial operation during maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The middle conveying segment periodically adjusts its height between raised and lowered positions based on operational requirements. During normal operation, it remains raised for compactness; when passage is needed, it temporarily lowers, creating periodic cycles that balance accessibility and continuous conveyance.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A continuous conveyor (1, 21), in particular a belt conveyor or roller conveyor, for conveying objects (15) is described and illustrated, comprising a front conveying segment (3, 23), a middle conveying segment (4, 31) and a rear conveying segment (5, 24), wherein at least the middle conveying segment (4, 31) has a conveying device (13, 32) for conveying objects (15) and at least one height adjustment device (14) for adjusting the height of at least the conveying device (13, 32) from at least one lower operating position (G, G1, G2) for conveying objects (15) to an upper position relative to the front conveying segment (3, 23) and the rear conveying segment (5, 24), wherein in one conveying position the front conveying segment (3, 23), the conveying device (13, 32) of the middle conveying segment (4, 31) and the rear conveying segment (5, 24) are arranged one behind the other in at least one conveying device (R).In order to achieve further compaction and a reduction in space requirements without having to accept excessive disadvantages with regard to maintenance and safety, it is provided that below the conveying device (13,32) of the middle conveying segment (4,32) in the upper position a free space (F), in particular a passage (D), with a height (Z) of at least 160 cm, preferably at least 175 cm, in particular at least 190 cm, a width (B) of at least 70 cm, preferably at least 90 cm, in particular at least 110 cm and a depth corresponding to the width of the conveying device (13,32) of the middle conveying segment (4,31) is provided.