Roll End Air Fitting Adapter for Low-Friction Sleeve Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The difficulty in sliding a compliant sleeve onto a cylindrical roll due to their close sizing and the resulting sliding friction, which hinders the proper application of the sleeve in industrial processes like corona or plasma treatment.
Innovation Solution
A roll end air fitting adapter is used, which includes an adapter ring that bolts onto the cylindrical roll and features an air channel and peripheral outlet openings. Compressed air is supplied through the adapter ring, creating an air curtain around the roll that facilitates the sliding of the compliant sleeve onto the roll.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inner diameter of the dielectric sleeve is sized close to the outer diameter of the active electrode roll to achieve a tight fit, then the bonding and surface treatment effectiveness is improved, but the sliding friction between the sleeve and roll increases making it difficult to slide the sleeve onto the roll
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adapter ring as an intermediary component between the dielectric sleeve and the active electrode roll. The adapter ring includes an air channel that delivers compressed air to the interface between the sleeve and roll, creating an air cushion that reduces sliding friction. This mediator enables the sleeve to be slid onto the roll despite the close sizing required for a tight fit during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic pressure through compressed air delivered via the adapter ring's air channel. The compressed air reduces the frictional contact between the dielectric sleeve and the active electrode roll during the sliding operation, allowing the closely-sized components to be assembled without excessive force while maintaining the tight fit required for reliable operation.
2Ease of operation
If compressed air is supplied through the adapter ring to create an air gap and reduce friction, then the ease of sliding the sleeve onto the roll is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional adapter ring component
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter ring serves multiple functions: it provides structural support during sleeve installation, delivers compressed air through its air channel to reduce friction, and features a bolt hole pattern for mounting to the roll. By combining these functions in a single component, the patent reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate elements for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the mounting structure (bolt hole pattern) and the air delivery system (air channel) into a single integrated adapter ring component. This consolidation simplifies the overall assembly process and reduces the number of separate parts that would otherwise be needed to achieve both mechanical attachment and friction reduction.
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
The adapter ring effectively reduces friction by creating an air gap between the sleeve and the roll, making it easier to slide the compliant sleeve onto the cylindrical roll, thereby improving the efficiency of industrial processes that rely on this application.
Implementation Method 1
supplying air to the adapter ring by the air source to force air through the air channel and the peripheral outlet openings, the adapter ring facilitates sliding the compliant sleeve onto the cylindrical roll
Data Source
AI summary
A roll end air fitting adapter is couplable to an end of a cylindrical roll. The adapter includes an inner ring and outer ring defining a central opening concentric with a roll axis, an annular air channel extending about the roll axis, and a plurality of air passages leading from the air channel through the inner ring and/or the outer ring to peripheral outlet openings in an outer circumferential surface(s) of the inner ring and/or the outer ring. A compliant sleeve is disposed along the roll axis with the peripheral outlet openings between the end of the compliant sleeve and the outer ring so that the compliant sleeve overlaps the peripheral outlet openings. Supplying air to the adapter ring by the air source to force air through the air channel and the peripheral outlet openings facilitates sliding the compliant sleeve onto the cylindrical roll.