Rod Network Belt Segmentation for Wide Conveyor Width

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rod braid tapes are limited to a maximum width of about 500 cm due to production constraints and uneven force distribution, leading to inaccurate tape formation and reduced lifespan at larger widths.

Innovation Solution

The use of rods of different lengths, arranged in offset rows with the same length, allows for the creation of rod braid tapes with theoretically infinite width while maintaining uniform force application and improved power transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If conventional rod braid tapes are produced with uniform rod lengths, then the production process is simple and consistent, but the width is limited to about 500 cm due to uneven force distribution and production constraints

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of rod braid tapeVSAvoidproduction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rod braid tape is segmented into multiple rows, where each row consists of rods of the same length. This segmentation allows the overall tape to achieve greater widths by combining multiple uniform rows, avoiding the need to produce extremely long individual rods while maintaining production simplicity and force distribution uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Length of stationary object

If rod lengths are increased to achieve larger tape widths, then the tape width exceeds 500 cm, but the bias voltage cannot be uniformly compensated, leading to inaccurate tape formation and reduced lifespan

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of rod braid tapeVSAvoidtape formation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the tape into rows of uniformly lengthed rods, the segmentation principle ensures that each row can be produced with consistent precision. This avoids the cumulative errors and bias voltage compensation issues that arise when producing single extremely long rods, thereby maintaining high manufacturing precision even as overall tape width increases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Length of stationary object

If rod lengths are increased to achieve larger tape widths, then the tape width exceeds 500 cm, but production requires large space and results in quality loss with increasing width

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of rod braid tapeVSAvoidtape quality and lifespan
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Segmenting the tape into rows of manageable rod lengths improves reliability by ensuring each segment can be produced and handled within optimal dimensions. This prevents the quality degradation and production difficulties associated with extremely long rods, while still achieving the desired large overall width through the combination of multiple segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each row of rods is given uniform local quality characteristics (same length), which ensures consistent performance throughout that row. This local uniformity, when combined across multiple rows, maintains overall tape reliability and quality even at large widths, avoiding the quality loss that occurs with non-uniform long rods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Length of stationary object

If very long rods are used to create large width tapes, then the space requirement for production increases, but the bias voltage compensation becomes non-uniform

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of rod braid tapeVSAvoidproduction space requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Segmenting the production into rows of standard-length rods reduces the production space requirement compared to producing single extremely long rods. Each segment can be produced in a compact, standardized space, and the segments are then assembled to achieve the desired large overall width, thereby reducing total production area needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3609818B1Rod network belt
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 MARTENS TRANSPORTBANDER
  • EP3609818B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3609818B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3609818B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A rod network belt (100) comprising a plurality of first rods (10) of a first length and a plurality of second rods (20) of a second length, a first row (A) being formed by a plurality of first rods (10) arranged sequentially one after the other, or a plurality of first rods (10) arranged sequentially one after the other with at least one inserted second rod (20), and a second row (B) being formed by a plurality of first rods (10) arranged sequentially one after the other with at least one inserted second rod (20). The first rods (10) of the first row (A) and the first rods (10) of the second row (B) are offset in relation to one another, the rods of the first row (A) and the rods of the second row (B) are interwoven with one another, and the first row (A) and the second row (B) are arranged alternately in the conveying direction.