Horizontal Motion Conveyor With Floating Drives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional horizontal motion conveyors face inefficiencies and downtime when reversing direction, and require multiple conveyors for long-distance material transfer, leading to increased complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal motion conveyor system with a first and second drive, each equipped with a counterweight assembly and driveshaft, and a controller to regulate the rotation of the driveshafts, allowing for reversible material flow without stopping and using a floating mechanism to accommodate drive profile mismatches, enabling longer conveyor lengths with multiple smaller drives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the conveyor stops and reverses the drive motor to change material flow direction, then the direction control is achieved, but downtime increases and component lifetime decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the conveyor system continuously movable through dual-drive configuration. Instead of stopping and reversing a single drive, two drives operate simultaneously with adjustable speed ratios, allowing the pan to maintain continuous motion while reversing material flow direction. This dynamic approach eliminates idle stopping time and extends component lifetime by avoiding repeated start-stop cycles.
2Length of moving object
If multiple conveyors are connected in series for long-distance material transfer, then the transfer distance is increased, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple drive units into a single integrated conveyor system. By combining first and second drives on the same conveyor pan, the system achieves long-distance material transfer capability without requiring multiple separate conveyors connected in series. This unified approach reduces system complexity, eliminates inter-conveyor transfer points, and lowers overall system cost while maintaining extended transfer distance.
3Device complexity
If a single conveyor is used for long-distance material transfer, then system complexity is reduced, but drive profile mismatches and vibration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles through counterweight assemblies associated with each drive. These counterweights offset the oscillating forces generated by the drives during operation, reducing vibration and harmful effects. By incorporating counterbalancing mechanisms, the system can use a single conveyor for long-distance transfer without experiencing excessive vibration from drive profile mismatches.
4Productivity
If the conveyor operates continuously without stopping to reverse direction, then productivity increases, but energy consumption and component stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action through controlled variation of drive speeds. The two drives operate in a coordinated periodic cycle where one drive slows down while the other maintains or increases speed, creating alternating phases of material acceleration and deceleration. This periodic speed modulation enables continuous operation and direction reversal without complete stopping, maintaining high productivity while managing energy consumption through optimized speed profiles rather than constant high-speed operation.
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 system reduces downtime and energy consumption by reversing direction without stopping, allows for efficient long-distance material transfer with a single conveyor, and decreases component stress and noise through the use of multiple smaller counterweights and direct motor-to-driveshaft connections.
Implementation Method 1
The drive includes a counterweight assembly for reducing the vibration of the conveyor. The driveshaft causes the counterweight assembly to oscillate forward and back.
Implementation Method 2
The driveshaft causes the pan to oscillate forward and back causing material to move toward an end of the pan
Implementation Method 3
The drive includes a drive motor for rotating the driveshaft
Data Source
AI summary
Horizontal motion conveyors for moving material are disclosed. The horizontal motion conveyor includes multiple drives. The second drive may float relative to the first drive. The conveyor may be made successively longer by including additional floating drives. Each drive may include a motor such as a servomotor that is connected to the driveshaft that drives the horizontal motion of the conveyor. A control system may control the rotation and positioning of the shafts.