Mat Rolling Station Unidirectional Roll Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mat rolling mechanisms are inefficient, leading to idle time for both operators and machinery, and often result in undesirable S-shaped rolls that can cause tripping hazards when deployed, as mats are not consistently rolled in the same direction, leading to uneven deployment and potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
The method involves continuously feeding mats into a rolling mechanism where a rolled-up mat is ejected onto a new, flattened mat, allowing for automated ejection and immediate processing without operator intervention, using controlled conveyor speeds and inclined ramps to ensure consistent rolling direction and prevent S-bends by managing initial curl size and conveyer speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mats are rolled up and released from the rolling mechanism onto the same conveyor, then the rolling mechanism can process mats sequentially, but the operator and machinery must idle while waiting for mat substitution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second conveyor running parallel to the first conveyor. The rolled-up mat is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, creating a spatial separation between the rolling process and the mat substitution process. This allows the operator to load a new mat onto the first conveyor while the rolled mat is being transported away on the second conveyor, eliminating idle time and enabling continuous operation.
2Reliability
If the mat is rolled up in the same direction throughout, then the mat deploys flat without tripping hazards, but prior art mechanisms occasionally produce S-configurations that cause edges to fail to lie flat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide roller as an intermediary element between the conveyor and the mat. This guide roller ensures that the mat enters the rolling mechanism in a consistent orientation and maintains proper alignment throughout the rolling process. The guide roller acts as a mediator that prevents misalignment and S-fold formation by controlling the mat's entry angle and position, thereby ensuring reliable unidirectional rolling and eliminating tripping hazards.
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 approach enhances productivity by maintaining continuous operation of both the operator and machinery, ensuring mats are rolled consistently without S-bends, thus preventing tripping hazards and improving safety and efficiency in mat rolling.
Implementation Method 1
mats are advanced towards the mat rolling mechanism on an upwardly inclined ramp... rolled up mats ejected from the mat rolling mechanism may be advanced toward the starting point of the ramp by gravitational pull
Implementation Method 2
a conveyer which advance the flattened mat towards the rolling mechanism... moving surfaces advancing the side of the rolled up mat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Method for rolling up definite lengths of a mats (4) in a unidirectional rolled roll (5), where mats are advanced one after another into a rolling mechanism (3) in flattened out condition and released from the mechanism in rolled up condition, wherein a rolled up mat is ejected from the rolling mechanism and caused to roll out therefrom on top of a succeeding flattened out mat (4) which advances towards the rolling mechanism. Also a mat rolling station (3) for performing the method is provided, where a ramp conveyer (2) is provided which is configured to advance a flattened mat towards the rolling mechanism. At the rolling mechanism, bending conveyers (16, 17, 18) are provided for advancing the forwardly moving mat sections into a circular bend on the ramp conveyer, and further a difference of surface speeds of the bending conveyers and the ramp conveyer is controllable by a signal provoked by the advance of a succeeding mat on the ramp conveyer before the rolling mechanism.