Pivot Frame Support Roller Rack With Horizontal Guiding Slits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Changing support rollers in conveyor belt systems is labor-intensive and costly, especially when the belt is loaded with bulk material, due to the need to lift the conveyor belt to remove axle ends from vertically aligned guide and holding slots.

Innovation Solution

The support roller frame design features guide and holding slots aligned horizontally and parallel to the conveyor belt, allowing rollers to be removed without lifting the belt, utilizing a pivoting frame with idler rollers that maintain consistent contact pressure and enabling easy replacement of rollers, including larger diameter electrically driven ones.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If guide and holding slots are aligned vertically to support the conveyor belt, then the conveyor belt can be easily supported, but support rollers cannot be changed without lifting the conveyor belt

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of support roller replacementVSAvoidcomplexity of belt lifting operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide and holding slots are inverted from vertical alignment to horizontal alignment parallel to the conveyor belt's longitudinal direction. This inversion allows support rollers to be removed horizontally from beneath the belt without requiring the belt to be lifted, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of roller replacement and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The removal direction of support rollers is changed from the vertical dimension (requiring belt lifting) to the horizontal dimension (parallel to the belt). By changing the dimensional direction of the guide and holding slots from vertical to horizontal, the operation becomes simpler and does not require lifting the conveyor belt.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of repair

If heavy tools are used to lift the conveyor belt for roller replacement, then rollers can be changed, but the cost and effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of support roller replacementVSAvoidtime required for roller replacement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of lifting the conveyor belt vertically to access support rollers, the guide and holding slots are oriented horizontally so that rollers can be extracted from beneath the belt. This inverted approach eliminates the need for heavy lifting tools and reduces both the effort and time required for roller replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The support roller extraction process is simplified by allowing direct horizontal removal of rollers from beneath the conveyor belt through the horizontally aligned guide and holding slots. This extracts the roller replacement operation from the complex vertical lifting process, making it a simple, tool-free operation that reduces time and effort loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If vertically aligned guide and holding slots are used, then support rollers can be securely held, but roller replacement requires lifting the entire conveyor belt

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure holding of support rollersVSAvoidease of support roller replacement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide and holding slots are inverted from vertical to horizontal orientation. This maintains the secure holding function while completely changing the removal mechanism - rollers are now extracted horizontally from beneath the belt rather than vertically by lifting the belt, thereby improving ease of operation while preserving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The holding and removal operations are separated into different dimensions: horizontal alignment provides secure holding during operation, while horizontal extraction from beneath the belt enables easy replacement. This dimensional separation allows both reliable operation and easy maintenance without requiring vertical belt lifting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3380418B1Support roller rack having pivot frames and horizontal guiding and retaining slits
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 ARTUR KUPPER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3380418B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3380418B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3380418B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a support roller rack of a conveyor belt system, comprising multiple support roller racks (1) arranged in series and supporting the conveyor belt on support rollers (18, 19, 20, 30), wherein in at least one of these support roller racks (1), at least one first and one second support roller (20, 30) are arranged at a distance to one another, centrally and substantially horizontally aligned in the at least one support roller rack (1), on a pivot frame (28) which can pivot about a pivot axis (29) running in a transverse direction in relation to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt and which is mounted centrally in the support roller rack (1), wherein a solution is created that permits a support roller in a support roller rack to be changed with reduced effort in relation to the state of the art. This is achieved in that at least the axle ends (21) of the at least first and second support roller (20, 30) are mounted in guiding and retaining slits (11, 12, 15, 16, 26, 27) accommodating a respective axle end (21) of a support roller (18, 19, 20, 30), which slits are formed in the pivot frame (28) with the longitudinal extension thereof from the insert opening (17) oriented at least substantially in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt.