Metal Shielded Support for Industrial Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shielded supports for industrial plants, particularly in the food industry, fail to effectively prevent the ingress of particles and moisture due to inadequate sealing, leading to reduced bearing lifespan and increased maintenance costs, especially in humid and low-temperature environments.
Innovation Solution
A Y-shaped shielded support with a rotating metal shield that integrates with the bearing and shaft, forming a kinematic pair to allow oscillation while providing complete sealing by preventing particle and moisture ingress through a disc-shaped metal shield that rotates with the shaft, ensuring hermetic sealing and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oil seals are used to shield the bearing, then the bearing is isolated from the external environment, but the sealing effectiveness is insufficient allowing particles and moisture to ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rubber to metal, and the geometric parameter from a simple seal lip to a multi-component shield system with disc-shaped shield, collar, and fasteners, achieving hermetic sealing that prevents particle and moisture ingress
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite sealing system combining metal disc-shaped shield, collar, and fastener components to create a robust hermetic seal that overcomes the limitations of single-material rubber oil seals in harsh food industry environments
2Reliability
If re-lubrication activities are performed, then the bearing maintains proper operation, but access to the bearing is required which compromises hygiene and increases maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lubrication function from the bearing assembly by using a sealed bearing design that does not require external re-lubrication, eliminating the need for maintenance access while ensuring continuous proper operation through factory-sealed lubrication
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing is designed with integrated factory-sealed lubrication that serves itself without external intervention, eliminating the need for periodic re-lubrication activities and maintaining hygiene by removing maintenance access requirements
3Ease of operation
If shielded supports are used to isolate the bearing, then re-lubrication activities are eliminated, but the service life is reduced to 3-4 months due to inadequate sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rubber to metal, and the structural parameter from a simple shield to a multi-component hermetic sealing system, extending service life from 3-4 months to potentially the full bearing lifespan by achieving complete protection against particle and moisture ingress
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the need for frequent replacement of short-lived sealing elements by implementing a robust metal hermetic sealing system that protects the bearing throughout its entire service life, reducing total cost of ownership despite higher initial material cost
Data Source
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AI summary
A shielded support (1) for industrial plants, in particular for the food industry; the shielded support having a supporting block (2) with a housing (3) inside which a bearing (4) is inserted; wherein said bearing (4) has a fixed ring (6), a rotatable ring (5) which can rotate relative to said fixed ring (6), and a plurality of rolling elements (7) interposed between said fixed ring (6) and said rotatable ring (5); wherein said rotatable ring (5) is fitted, in use, onto a rotatable component (S); wherein said rolling elements (7) allow, in use, a rotation of the rotatable ring (5) relative to the fixed ring (6); wherein said sealing device (8) has a shield (9) and a connecting unit (11, 14), which is configured to fix, in use, said shield (9) to said rotatable component (S) so as to avoid, in use, relative motions between said shield (9) and said rotatable ring (5).