Offset Scraper Fingers for Conveyor Belt Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scrapers for steep conveyor belts with transverse cleats or webs face challenges in maintaining effective cleaning due to interference between scraper fingers, leading to reduced bending behavior and cleaning efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The scraper fingers are offset transversely by more than their thickness, with inclined webs relative to the carrier, allowing independent deflection and ensuring continuous contact across the conveyor belt width, and tapering the fingers' width from front to rear to enhance deflection angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If scraper fingers are arranged closely together to cover the entire conveyor belt width, then the scraping area is continuous, but the scraper fingers interfere with each other during deflection, reducing cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper fingers are offset not only in the transverse direction but also in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt by an amount greater than the finger thickness. This two-dimensional offset arrangement allows fingers to cover the entire belt width while maintaining spacing that prevents interference during deflection, resolving the contradiction between continuous coverage and cleaning effectiveness.
2Reliability
If scraper fingers are offset transversely by more than their thickness to prevent interference, then independent deflection is improved, but gaps may appear in the scraping area
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing longitudinal offset in addition to transverse offset, the invention ensures that scraper fingers are staggered in both directions. This creates a pattern where fingers are spaced to deflect independently yet positioned such that their combined coverage maintains continuous scraping area across the conveyor belt width.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper fingers are arranged in an asymmetric staggered pattern rather than uniform alignment. Each finger is offset by different amounts in transverse and longitudinal directions, creating an asymmetric distribution that optimizes both independent deflection and continuous coverage.
3Reliability
If multiple scraper blades are used with spring forces to improve contact, then cleaning effect is enhanced, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding multiple scraper blades with spring forces, the invention achieves improved cleaning effect by changing the geometric parameters of the scraper finger arrangement - specifically the transverse and longitudinal offsets. This parameter optimization allows single fingers to deflect independently and maintain optimal contact, enhancing cleaning effect without increasing structural complexity.
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 arrangement ensures a good cleaning effect by allowing non-overlapping scraper fingers to independently deflect, maintaining contact with the conveyor belt and improving bending behavior, thus enhancing the scraper's ability to adapt to the conveyor belt's movement and structure.
Implementation Method 1
the scraper fingers can be deflected independently of one another in the direction of movement of the respective belt run
Data Source
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AI summary
The wiper has web comprising longitudinal structural units (4) arranged side by side in longitudinal direction of carrier (3). A stripper finger (5) of each unit has thickness (d) and increasing mass (m) that are offset from one another. The webs of the structural units are extended at inclination state, in response to the finger width (b) and the offset mass of the stripper finger relative to the carrier.