Hinged Pallet Moving Walkway Reducing Transition Radius
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional moving walkways with pallets face issues such as high transition radii in curves, excessive component count leading to increased cost and assembly time, and instability due to reliance on traction chains and belts, which result in noise and lubrication issues.
Innovation Solution
The pallets are connected via hinges with perpendicular pins and mutual supports between coplanar consecutive pallets, reducing the number of rollers needed and allowing for load distribution, eliminating the need for a traction chain, and incorporating a system for easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional traction chains and belts are used to connect pallets, then the pallets can be transmitted along the walkway, but the number of components increases leading to higher cost and assembly time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pallet connection function with the pallet structure itself by incorporating hinge means directly into the pallet design. This eliminates the need for separate traction chains and belts, reducing component count while maintaining reliable pallet transmission along the walkway.
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet design integrates multiple functions: the pallet serves as both the load-bearing platform and the connection element through built-in hinge means. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated traction components, simplifying the overall system while maintaining transmission reliability.
2Ease of operation
If pallets are hinged to one another with traditional chains, then the pallets can transition in curves, but the transition radii become excessively large making the walkway too long
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge means between pallets provides dynamic articulation that allows the pallet assembly to adapt to curved paths with smaller radii. The flexible connection enables smoother transitions without requiring the excessive transition radii imposed by rigid traditional chain systems.
3Speed
If pallets are supported on rollers and traction belts, then the pallets can move along the walkway, but noise occurs during support and the system becomes unstable due to elastic belt deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traction belt from the system by incorporating hinge means that provide direct pallet-to-pallet connection. This removes the source of noise and instability associated with elastic belt deformation, while maintaining smooth pallet movement through the hinge articulation.
4Reliability
If pallets are attached to the traction chain with traditional methods, then the pallets can be transmitted, but the pitch must be a whole number of chain pitches limiting design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge means is segmented into multiple components (first element, second element, connection element) that can be configured with varying dimensions. This segmentation allows the pallet pitch to be optimized independently of chain pitch constraints, providing design flexibility while maintaining secure pallet attachment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a moving walkway formed by a series of pallets (1) with a rectangular contour having a passable surface and connected with drive means. The pallets are consecutively connected to one another along the end sections of their adjacent parallel edges, by means of connection devices defining hinges with a pin perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pallets, and have between said sections means defining, in the forward movement path of the walkway, mutual supports between coplanar consecutive pallets.