Keyless Shaft Wheel Assembly With Sealed Friction Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyed arrangements for securing drive or idler wheels to conveyor shafts complicate fabrication and hinder the provision of a seal, particularly in sanitary settings like food processing, where crevices can trap material and are difficult to clean.
Innovation Solution
The use of separate first and second wheel body components with a hollow sleeve to create a keyless shaft-mountable wheel that secures to a shaft via inwardly facing compression surfaces and gripping surfaces, eliminating the need for keys and providing a seal through the interaction of these components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If keyed arrangements (key and groove structures) are used to fix drive or idler wheels to conveyor shafts, then the wheels are securely fixed in angular orientation and longitudinal position, but the fabrication of both the wheel and shaft becomes complicated and sealing between the wheel and shaft becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the key and groove structures from the shaft, extracting the problematic elements that caused fabrication complexity. Instead, a simplified shaft without keys or grooves is used, while the wheel incorporates features to achieve secure fixation through friction and geometry alone
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel is divided into separate components: a hub with a bore that receives the shaft, and a wheel body that surrounds the hub. This segmentation allows the fixation features to be integrated into the wheel assembly rather than requiring modifications to the shaft
2Reliability
If keyed arrangements with close tolerance grooves are used to receive shaft keys, then the wheel is fixed in angular orientation, but crevices are created where material can accumulate and sealing becomes difficult in sanitary settings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the groove structure that creates crevices for material accumulation. By removing the key-groove interface, the design eliminates the harmful crevices while maintaining fixation through alternative means
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel hub bore is designed with a slightly larger diameter than the shaft, creating a small clearance that can be sealed with flexible sealing elements or elastomeric materials, preventing material accumulation while allowing for thermal expansion and misalignment
3Reliability
If key and groove structures are provided with close tolerances to ensure secure fixation, then the wheel maintains its position on the shaft, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase and sealing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the dimensional parameters from tight clearance fits (key in groove) to interference fits or friction-based connections. The hub bore diameter is made slightly larger than the shaft diameter, allowing for easier manufacturing while maintaining secure fixation through friction and geometric locking features
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
This solution simplifies manufacturing, allows for a tight seal that prevents material accumulation, and is suitable for low-profile applications, while maintaining secure angular and longitudinal positioning on the shaft.
Implementation Method 1
the first compression surface presses against the tapered loading surface with a gripping force
Data Source
AI summary
First and second wheel body components each define a respective wheel body component longitudinal opening and are adapted to be placed in a connected position. A portion of the first wheel body component opening is defined by an inwardly facing and tapered first compression surface. When the first and second wheel body components are placed together in the connected position with a hollow sleeve received in a sleeve operating position within the first wheel body component, the two wheel body components and sleeve together form a shaft-mountable wheel that may be installed on an appropriately sized shaft.