Reciprocating Floor Slat with Offset Feet for Flat Driveable Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing reciprocating floor slat conveyor systems with steel slats, designed for heavy bulk materials, do not provide a flat, driveable surface, limiting their use for both hauling heavy loads and conventional palletized loads, and there is a need for a commercially viable all-steel design that can support both types of loads.
Innovation Solution
A roll-formed steel slat system with a hardened steel load-carrying surface and laterally inwardly directed foot portions for slidable support, allowing the slats to capture bearing edges and prevent upward movement, combined with raised stiffening beads for attachment and reduced friction, enabling a flat surface for forklift operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel slats are used in a reciprocating floor slat conveyor system, then wear resistance and load-bearing capacity are improved, but the floor surface becomes uneven and non-driveable by forklifts
Solution Approach 1:
The steel slat system implements local quality by providing hardened steel load-carrying surfaces only where heavy bulk materials contact the slats, while the sides and edges remain smooth and flat to enable forklift operation. This selective application of material properties resolves the contradiction between wear resistance and floor surface flatness.
Solution Approach 2:
The steel slat structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: load-carrying surfaces with enhanced wear resistance for bulk materials, and smooth side surfaces for forklift access. This segmentation allows different parts of the same slat to serve different purposes, simultaneously achieving both wear resistance and forklift compatibility.
2Weight of moving object
If aluminum slats are used, then weight is reduced and manufacturing is easier, but wear resistance is insufficient for heavy bulk materials
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs composite material construction by combining aluminum slat bodies with steel reinforcement elements or coatings on the load-carrying surfaces. This composite approach maintains the lightweight advantage of aluminum while adding the wear resistance of steel where needed, resolving the contradiction between weight and durability.
3Strength
If the floor slat system is designed for heavy bulk materials, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but the trailer cannot be used for conventional palletized loads
Solution Approach 1:
The steel slat reciprocating floor system achieves universality by designing the slats with dual functionality: the hardened load-carrying surfaces handle heavy bulk materials effectively, while the smooth, flat side surfaces and overall floor configuration allow forklift operation for palletized loads. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction between specialized heavy-duty performance and general versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A roll-formed steel slat for use in a reciprocating floor slat conveyor system. The roll-formed steel slat is formed in a manner so as to have an upper, load-carrying surface, and a pair of downwardly depending side legs. Each side leg terminates in a foot. One foot is vertically offset from the other to provide a “hold-down” function that prevents the slat from vertically rising as the slat reciprocates back-and-forth.