Modular Conveyor Belt Module with Interlocking Eye Parts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional modular conveyor belt modules are difficult to assemble and disassemble, and they lack the necessary rigidity and durability to handle large loads over long distances.
Innovation Solution
A modular conveyor belt module design featuring a two-part construction with an upper cover and a main module part, where the upper cover is fitted onto the main module part with eye parts and apertures allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and providing a sturdy and rigid structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional modular conveyor belt modules are used with cavities for rollers or balls, then the conveyor can transport objects and allow lateral movement, but the assembly and disassembly becomes difficult and the structure lacks rigidity for large loads
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt module is divided into separate components: an upper cover, a lower main module part, and removable rollers or balls. This segmentation allows easy assembly and disassembly by simply connecting or separating these components, while each component maintains its structural integrity for handling large loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers or balls are nested within cavities in the lower main module part, and the upper cover is placed over them. This nesting arrangement provides a sturdy enclosed structure that maintains rigidity for large loads while allowing easy access to the nested components for assembly and disassembly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If rollers or balls are accommodated in cavities with axles or covers, then lateral movement and object holding functions are achieved, but the construction becomes complex and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The axles and covers are extracted from the conventional design. Instead of complex axle mechanisms, the patent uses simple cavities in the lower part that directly accommodate rollers or balls. The upper cover simply rests over these components, eliminating the need for complex fastening mechanisms and reducing overall construction complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavities in the lower main module part serve multiple functions: they hold the rollers or balls, provide structural support, and enable both object holding and lateral movement functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall construction.
3Strength
If the conveyor belt module is made from strong materials to handle large loads, then load capacity increases, but the cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the module are made from materials with appropriate properties for their specific functions. The lower main module part, which bears the primary load, is made from strong materials. The upper cover can be made from lighter materials since it provides primarily protective and structural enclosure rather than bearing the main load.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular conveyor belt module incorporating balls or rollers in the belt module, where the module is adapted for installation in a modular conveyor belt, where the conveyor belt is of the type assembled from a plurality of substantially identical modular belt links where one or more modular belt links forms lateral rows, and where a plurality of eye parts extend forwards and rearwards from the main body, the eye parts being spaced in a width direction of the modular belt link creating an opening between adjacent eye parts, such that when two modular conveyor belt links are pushed together, the eye parts on one link will inter-fit between eye parts on the other modular belt link, and where lateral apertures in all eye parts are provided, such that when the eye parts of modular belt links in one row are overlapping eye parts in an adjacent row.