Modular Roller Belt Gap Reduction via Vertical Axis Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modular roller belts for conveyors face issues with article jamming due to gaps between rollers, which are exacerbated by the need for design tradeoffs between roller pitch and diameter to optimize transport efficiency, particularly for articles with shaped bases like plastic bottles, where strict dimensional requirements are not met by existing designs.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves reducing the vertical distance between the rotation axis of rollers and the hinge pins' geometric axis, allowing the rollers to be closer and overlapping in height, with a minimum distance of ≤3 mm, enabling smaller roller diameters and elongated rollers that are compactly embedded, reducing gap depth without compromising bending flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the roller pitch is decreased to reduce interstices extension, then article jamming is reduced, but the belt loses bending flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the roller rotation axis from a horizontal position to a vertical position, creating a three-dimensional configuration where rollers are stacked above and below the module's geometric axis. This dimensional change allows the rollers to be positioned closer together (reducing interstices) while the module itself maintains bending flexibility through the hinge pin connection, as the rollers are mounted on pins that allow rotational movement during belt bending.
2Productivity
If the roller diameter is increased to reduce friction coefficient, then transport efficiency improves, but interstice depth increases causing more jamming
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the roller orientation from horizontal to vertical and positioning them at different heights above and below the module's geometric axis, the patent reduces the horizontal interstice distance between adjacent rollers while maintaining adequate vertical clearance. This allows for smaller effective roller diameters in the horizontal plane (reducing interstices) while the vertical stacking provides sufficient contact surface area for maintaining friction coefficient and transport efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the roller pitch and diameter are optimized for strict dimensional requirements, then transport precision improves, but design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the roller support function into multiple segments: rollers are positioned at different vertical levels (above and below the geometric axis), each roller can rotate independently on its mounting pin, and the modules themselves are segmented and hinged together. This segmentation allows the system to meet strict dimensional requirements for roller spacing and positioning while maintaining design flexibility through the modular hinged structure that can adapt to different conveyor configurations.
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 design reduces gap depth between rollers, enhances friction coefficient, and maintains optimal transport efficiency by preventing article jamming and wear, especially for articles with shaped bases, while adhering to strict dimensional requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the rotation of the rollers causes the advancement of the belt substantially independently from the advancement of the articles, thereby avoiding that excessive pressures are exerted between articles
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of hinge pins for hinging adjacent modules of the belt about a corresponding geometric axis defined by the hinge pin
Data Source
AI summary
A modular roller belt (100,200) for transporting articles is proposed. The belt comprises a plurality of modules (105) for transporting the articles, and a plurality of hinge pins (110), each for hinging adjacent modules of the belt about a corresponding geometric axis (GAX). Each module comprises at least one roller (115a,115b,115c,115d) and at least one mounting pin (1201,1202) for mounting the at least one idle roller to the respective module; the at least one roller is freely rotatable about a respective rotation axis (RAX1, RAX2) defined by the corresponding mounting pin. In the solution according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the rotation axis of facing rollers of adjacent modules along a belt moving direction (x) and the geometrical axis of the hinge pin located there between are spaced apart, in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction (sN) of the respective module, a vertical distance (H) such that a minimum distance between the outer surface of these rollers and the outer surface of the corresponding hinge pin is less than or equal to 3 mm.