Agricultural Rod Belt with Flexible Additional Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bar belt conveyors face challenges with rigid attachment points and limited flexibility due to extended holding pieces, which restrict the belt's running smoothness and allow plant material to get stuck, and require replacement of belts and wheels when changing rod divisions.
Innovation Solution
The bar belt design features rods with flattened ends connected to the belts, allowing for reduced rod division by bending connected rods downwards to align with the belt's neutral axis, and additional rods that are straight and flexible, with optional locking mechanisms to prevent slipping, enabling smaller rod divisions without compromising belt flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If holding pieces are attached between adjacent crossbars to enable additional bars, then rod division can be changed, but holding pieces extend beyond fastening points which restricts belt flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic holding pieces from the system and replaces them with directly attached additional bars. The additional bars are secured to the belts through the flattened end regions of the crossbars using rivets, eliminating the need for separate holding pieces that extended beyond the fastening points and restricted belt flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the function of holding pieces with the crossbar attachment system. The additional bars are directly integrated into the existing rivet attachment points on the flattened end regions of the crossbars, combining the support function into a single integrated structure that maintains belt flexibility.
2Strength
If holding pieces with through holes and locking screws are used for rigid additional bars, then strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex holding piece structure with through holes and locking screws. Instead, additional bars are directly attached to the belts through the existing flattened end regions of the crossbars using rivets, achieving the required strength without the additional complexity of separate holding pieces and locking mechanisms.
3Quantity of substance
If rod division is reduced by bringing rod ends close to belt inner sides, then rod density increases, but belt flexibility may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the belt structure into distinct functional zones: the flattened end regions of crossbars provide attachment points for additional bars, while the central belt portion maintains its flexibility. This segmentation allows high rod density in the attachment zones without compromising the flexibility of the belt itself.
4Reliability
If conventional bar belts are used with cams on underside, then positive drive is achieved, but bar division must match cam pitch requiring wheel replacement when changing rod divisions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the bar belt into modular components: crossbars with standardized flattened end regions for attachment, and additional bars that can be independently configured. This modular segmentation allows the rod division to be changed by simply adding or removing additional bars while maintaining the same cam-driven belts and drive wheels.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a bar conveyor belt (1) for bar conveyors of agricultural machinery, with bars (5) arranged transversely to the direction of travel and parallel to one another, wherein at least one of the bars (5) has flattened and perforated end regions with which it rests on parallel, tensile-resistant, elastic, and endless belts (2) and is connected by rivets (6) or similar fasteners that penetrate the end regions and the belts (2). The object of the invention is to provide a bar conveyor belt of this type which can be manufactured with a bar spacing that differs from, and in particular is smaller than, the spacing of the fastening points on the belts (2). This object is achieved by rigidly connecting at least one further bar (10) to the at least one bar (5) connected to the belts (2), wherein the at least one further bar (10) is not in contact with the belts (2).