Modular Conveyor Chain Hinge Assembly Without Lubrication Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal modular conveyor chains experience wear and tear at the area of rotation, necessitating frequent replacement of hinge pins and hinge eyes, and lubrication is cumbersome, especially in food processing industries where it is prohibited, and existing solutions with plastic sleeves have assembly issues and low wear resistance.
Innovation Solution
A modular conveyor chain with sheet metal link portions featuring a hinge pin with a constant cross section, a central plastic sleeve as bearing element, and end caps with radially inwardly extending flange portions to prevent axial migration, allowing for cost-effective and wear-resistant assembly without lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lubrication is applied to reduce hinge pin wear, then wear resistance is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome lubrication maintenance and potential contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional metal-on-metal hinge pin connection with a plastic bearing element that provides low-friction bearing surfaces. This substitution eliminates the need for lubrication while maintaining wear resistance, as the plastic material inherently provides self-lubricating properties through its material characteristics rather than external lubricants.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic bearing element serves itself by providing inherent low-friction properties through its material composition. The self-lubricating特性 of the plastic material allows the hinge mechanism to operate without external lubrication, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating maintenance requirements for lubrication application.
2Ease of operation
If plastic sleeve bearing element is used to reduce wear without lubrication, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to assembly problems and low wear resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the hinge pin, specifically creating a stepped cross-section with different diameter sections. This parameter change allows the hinge pin to be selectively retained at different positions within the coupling pieces - the first section is retained by the first coupling piece while the second section is retained by the second coupling piece, enabling precise assembly and positioning without lubrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge pin is segmented into multiple sections with different cross-sectional dimensions along its length. This segmentation allows each section to interact differently with the coupling pieces, providing distinct retention mechanisms for each coupling piece and improving assembly precision through differentiated engagement zones.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional hinge pin with varying cross section is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases due to assembly difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the hinge pin manufacturing by using a constant cross-section design, eliminating the need for complex varying cross-section machining. The constant diameter is achieved through extrusion or drawing processes, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining assembly functionality through the plastic bearing element and selective retention mechanism.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, wear-resistant conveyor chain that can be assembled easily and used without lubrication, reducing wear on hinge pins and hinge eyes, and preventing axial migration of the plastic sleeve, while maintaining standard dimensions and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a central portion of the hinge pin is provided with a plastic sleeve as bearing element
Implementation Method 2
a radially inwardly extending flange portion that cooperates with an end face of the hinge pin
Data Source
AI summary
Modular conveyor chain, comprising a number of successive, mutually hingedly connected modules. The modules each comprise a link portion made of sheet metal that has a body part that forms a conveying surface. The body part is provided with a centrally located coupling piece on one side thereof, and a pair of interspaced coupling pieces on an opposite side thereof that include an interspace in between. The coupling pieces of successive modules cooperate to form a hinge assembly because the centrally located coupling piece of a link portion is received in the interspace between the interspaced coupling pieces of a link portion of a successive module, and because a hinge pin extends through aligned receiving spaces of the cooperating coupling pieces. The modular conveyor chain further includes a plastic bearing element received between the centrally located coupling piece and the hinge pin. The hinge pin has a substantially constant cross section, and a central portion of the hinge pin is provided with a bearing element that has a closed cross section and extends along the hinge pin at the location of the central coupling element only. Opposing ends of the hinge pins are each provided with an end cap that includes a mantle portion that extends along the hinge pin at the location of an interspaced coupling piece only, and a radially inwardly extending flange portion that cooperates with an end face of the hinge pin.