Interchangeable Slide Plate Pallet for Conveyor Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing conveyor systems require multiple pallet types for different environments and conveyor chain types, leading to inefficiencies, increased storage needs, and higher costs due to the fixed nature of pallets and conveyor chains.
Innovation Solution
A pallet system with interchangeable slide plates that can be easily mounted and dismounted using snap-locking mechanisms, allowing adaptation to various conveyor systems without the need for tools, and featuring resilient catches and protrusions for secure locking and easy exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pallet types are used for different conveyor chains and environments, then the system can accommodate various conveyor systems, but the device complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is divided into modular components: a base body and interchangeable slide plates. The slide plates can be detached and replaced independently, allowing the same pallet body to work with different conveyor chain types (plain plastic chain, steel top chain, metal chain) without changing the entire pallet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A single pallet body design serves multiple functions by accommodating different slide plate types. The standardized mounting interface (screws or rivets) allows the same pallet body to be used across various conveyor systems, making one pallet type universally compatible with different chain configurations and environments.
2Reliability
If conveyor chains and pallets are specially adapted for specific combinations, then the system operates reliably, but the loss of time for adaptation and increased manufacturing costs occur
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple slide plates are pre-configured with different materials and properties (plastic for clean environments, steel for tough environments with machining). When a conveyor system needs to change environments or chain types, the appropriate slide plate is already prepared and can be quickly swapped in without time-consuming adaptation or custom manufacturing.
3Device complexity
If fixed slide plates are used on pallets, then the structure is simple, but the adaptability to different conveyor systems is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The slide plates are designed to be dynamically replaceable rather than permanently fixed. The mounting mechanism (screws or rivets) allows easy attachment and detachment, transforming the pallet from a static, single-purpose component to a dynamic, multi-purpose system that can adapt to different operational requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Pallet (1) for a conveyer system, comprising a body (2), a first guide disc (3) and a second guide disc (4) attached to the body (2), where a first slide plate (9) is mounted to the first guide disc (3) and a second slide plate (10) is mounted to the second guide disc (4), characterized in that the slide plates (9, 10) are mounted to the guide discs (3, 4) with a snap locking by means of a plurality of protrusions (11, 12, 13). The advantage of the invention is that a pallet can easily be adapted for a different use in a conveyor system.