Roller Conveyor Wheel Connection Using Interposed Welding Ring

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing roller-driven devices for conveyors face issues with weak connections between the roller and wheels under stress, complex and expensive manufacturing, and difficult inner weldings, leading to potential misalignment and weakening of the roller.

Innovation Solution

A roller-driven device with a tubular cylindrical roller and lateral wheels featuring a ring interposed between the flanges, where the ring is welded to both the roller and the flanges, providing a direct and double fixing that avoids critical weakening areas and simplifies manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If inner weldings are performed to connect the wheel to the roller, then the connection reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of performing difficult inner weldings to connect the wheel to the roller, the invention inverts the approach by using a ring that is welded to the outer surface of the roller and then has the wheel connected to it. This inversion transforms the welding operations from difficult inner weldings to easier outer surface weldings.

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

2Ease of manufacture

If sequential and spaced weldings are performed to fix the wheel to the roller, then the manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the misalignment risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The ring is first welded to the roller in a preliminary action, establishing a stable base with good alignment. Then the wheel is connected to the ring in a second step. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment is established early and maintained throughout the assembly process, reducing misalignment risk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the wheel is made solid to provide welding surface, then the welding reliability is improved, but the device weight and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding reliabilityVSAvoidwheel weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The connection structure uses a composite arrangement of the ring and the wheel, where the ring provides the welding surface to the roller and the wheel provides the functional elements. This composite structure allows the wheel to be lighter and less complex while still achieving reliable welding through the ring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 solution enhances the device's ability to withstand strong stresses, simplifies manufacturing, and reduces the risk of misalignment while maintaining the roller's strength, with easy-to-perform weldings and cost-effective production.

Implementation Method 1

the ring means 11 is interposed between the first flange means 8 and the roller means 3 and it is fixed to said flange 8 and to the roller means 3; more in detail the outer surface of the ring means 11 is engaged and welded to the central hole of the first flange means 8; consequently an end of the ring means 11 is sited between the first 8 and second 7 flange means and said end of the ring means 11 is welded to the outer surface of the roller means 3

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP2985245B1Roller driven device for roller conveyors
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 DUGOMRULLI SRL
  • EP2985245B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3B
  • EP2985245B1 patent drawingFigure 3C~5
  • EP2985245B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A roller driven device for roller conveyors comprises a cylindrical and tubular roller means (3), a first and second lateral wheel means (4; 5) and a pulley means (9) fixed to the outer surface of the roller means (3) adjacent to the first wheel means (4) to transmit to the device, via a belt or the like, an axial rotary motion. At least the first wheel means has a tubular cylindrical element (6) having at its end facing the second wheel means (5) a first flange means (8) and at the opposite end a second flange means (7) both the flange means (8, 7) in the shape of a annulus. Said device (1) further comprise a ring means (11) whose outer surface is engaged and fixed to a central hole of the first flange means (8). An end of the ring means (11) is sited between the first and second flange means (7; 8) and said end is fixed to the outer surface of the roller means (3) whose end portion is fixed a the central hole of the second flange means (7).