Preloaded Roller Pack Stops for Stable Grinding Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller packs for grinding devices face challenges in maintaining a constant grinding gap width, leading to variable material properties due to fluctuating forces, which affects the homogeneity of the ground material.
Innovation Solution
The roller pack design includes adjustable bearing bodies with stop surfaces that counteract contact between rollers, allowing for precise adjustment of the grinding gap width through a tensioning device and rotational mechanisms, ensuring consistent material properties by maintaining the preload force and relative position despite varying forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the rollers are allowed to move freely under varying forces, then the grinding gap can adjust to force changes, but the grinding gap width becomes variable leading to non-homogeneous ground material
Solution Approach 1:
The stop bodies are pre-positioned on the bearing bodies to provide predetermined counteracting contact surfaces. When radial forces widen the grinding gap, the stop surfaces make contact and prevent further gap widening, thereby counteracting the force-induced gap variation before it can significantly affect the grinding process and material homogeneity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop bodies are pre-installed and pre-positioned on the bearing bodies during assembly, establishing the maximum allowable grinding gap width in advance. This preliminary positioning ensures that regardless of force variations during operation, the gap cannot exceed the pre-determined limit, maintaining consistent grinding conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If the bearing bodies are pre-tensioned against each other, then the grinding gap width is maintained more consistently, but the complexity of the roller assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stop bodies are integrated directly onto the bearing bodies, merging the gap-limiting function with the existing bearing structure. This integration avoids adding separate, independent components and reduces overall assembly complexity while still achieving the goal of maintaining consistent grinding gap width.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing bodies are designed to serve multiple functions: supporting the rollers, allowing adjustment of the grinding gap, and incorporating stop bodies that prevent excessive gap widening under radial forces. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and simplifies the overall roller assembly structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stop surfaces are made rotatable, then the minimum grinding gap width can be adjusted, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The stop bodies are merged with the adjustable bearing bodies, so that the adjustment mechanism for the bearing bodies simultaneously adjusts the position of the stop surfaces. This integration means that a single adjustment action achieves both bearing body repositioning and stop surface repositioning, avoiding the need for separate adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing bodies are designed to perform multiple functions including supporting rollers, maintaining pre-tension, and providing rotatable stop bodies for gap adjustment. This multi-functionality allows the same structural elements to handle both support and adjustment tasks, reducing overall mechanism complexity.
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
This design ensures a consistent grinding gap width, improving the homogeneity of the ground material by adjusting the preload force and rotational position of the stop surfaces, thereby controlling starch damage, water absorption, and particle size distribution.
Implementation Method 1
the stop surfaces are designed and arranged or can be arranged on the bearing bodies such that contact between the stop surfaces counteracts contact between the rollers
Implementation Method 2
The first bearing body and the second bearing body can be pre-tensioned against each other by means of a clamping device such that the first roller and the second roller are pressed towards each other
Implementation Method 3
The first stop surface is formed by a circumferential surface of the first stop element that is eccentric with respect to the first axis of rotation, such that the rotational position of the first stop element determines the minimum width of the grinding gap
Data Source
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Figure 3a
AI summary
Disclosed are roller packages (10) for grinding devices (70), comprising a first roller (11) held by at least one first bearing body (13) and a second roller (12) held by at least one second bearing body (14). In a first aspect, it is provided that the first bearing body (13) and the second bearing body (14) are preloaded against each other and have stop bodies (17, 19) with stop surfaces (18, 20) whose contact opposes contact between the rollers (11, 12). The rotational position of the first stop body (17) determines the minimum width of the grinding gap. Also disclosed are grinding devices (70), methods for operating a roller package (10), and methods for determining the radial force acting between the rollers (11, 12) of a roller package (10).