Pendulum Drive Roll for Skew-Free Mat Propulsion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal keeping installations face challenges in designing a simple, functionally reliable, and cost-effective drive device for an endless mat floor that prevents skewing and subsequent damage, leading to operating disturbances and breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
A drive device featuring a pendulum-suspended drive roll connected to a drive member with an energy-absorbing element and a drive cable, allowing intermittent operation and automatic adjustment of the mat position, ensuring the drive roll bears against the mat only when necessary, and utilizing a control apparatus for programmed operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the drive roll is connected to a ratchet wheel for energy storage, then energy can be stored and released to drive the floor, but the construction becomes complex and difficult to realize in a simple, functionally reliable and cost-effective manner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ratchet wheel component from the drive mechanism, replacing it with a pendulum-based energy storage system. The pendulum arm stores energy through its oscillating motion without requiring a ratchet wheel, thereby simplifying the construction while maintaining the energy storage and release functionality needed to drive the floor intermittently
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a ratchet wheel to store energy through mechanical engagement, the patent inverts the approach by using a pendulum arm that stores energy through gravitational potential energy during its oscillation. The drive roll is driven by the pendulum's motion rather than by a ratchet mechanism, fundamentally changing the energy storage method to achieve simplicity and reliability
2Productivity
If the drive roll continuously bears against the mat for driving, then propulsion is maintained, but the mat skews in relation to the drive roll causing sliding against mountings and bearings, leading to mat damage and operating disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by making the drive roll bear against the mat only during specific phases of the pendulum's oscillation cycle. The drive roll is brought into contact with the mat when the pendulum arm is in its lower position, and disengaged when the pendulum swings upward. This intermittent driving prevents continuous friction and skewing of the mat, thereby maintaining mat alignment stability and preventing damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the drive roll's contact with the mat dynamic rather than static. The drive roll is suspended in the pendulum arm, allowing it to move vertically and engage/disengage from the mat based on the pendulum's oscillation. This dynamic engagement ensures propulsion only when needed while preventing mat skewing that would occur with continuous contact
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 solution effectively prevents mat skewing, reduces operating disturbances, and enables automatic correction of the mat position, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the animal keeping installation's propulsion system.
Implementation Method 1
The drive roll is connected to, preferably suspended in, a pendulum and mounted in the latter in bearing journals for rotation about its centre axis. The pendulum allows the drive roll, on the one hand, to bear against the inner side of the mat and, on the other hand, to be released from the said bearing contact in dependence on the position of the pendulum.
Implementation Method 2
The said publication shows an energy storage through tensioning of a helical spring, which stored energy is used to drive a drive roll.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Animal keeping installation comprising a floor (11) provided with a mat (12) on which the animal treads when setting foot on the floor(11) and which mat (12) is arranged to be intermittently propelled by a drive roll (13) placed internally in relation to the mat (12), wherein the drive roll (13) is connected to and mounted in bearing journals (15) for rotation about its centre axis in a pendulum(14) which allows the drive roll (13), on the one hand, to bear against the inner side of the mat (12) and, on the other hand, to be released from the said bearing contact in dependence on the position of the pendulum (14), and wherein the drive roll (13) is connected to a drive member (18, 19, 51, 62) for driving the roll (13) at least into a position where the drive roll (13) bears against the mat (12).