Rotating Conveyor for Heat Exchanger Fin Conveying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manufacturing apparatuses for heat exchanger fins face limitations in high-speed conveying due to intermittent feeding mechanisms, which result in noise and potential damage, and occupy excessive space, hindering miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with rotating conveyors having tapered protrusions that advance into through-holes or cutaway portions, driven by synchronized rotating conveyor units, eliminating the need for reciprocal movement and power transmission mechanisms, allowing for high-speed and precise conveying while preventing deformation and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a hitch feeding mechanism is used to convey the metal strip, then the metal strip can be conveyed intermittently, but the conveying speed is limited and noise is generated due to insertions and withdrawals of hitch pins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hitch feeding mechanism entirely, replacing it with a rotating conveyor system that continuously conveys the metal strip without insertion/withdrawal actions. This removal of the harmful component directly resolves the noise issue while enabling higher conveying speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical hitch feeding mechanism with a rotating conveyor system driven by a motor. This substitution eliminates the need for hitch pins and their associated insertion/withdrawal actions, thereby eliminating noise generation while maintaining continuous conveying capability.
2Speed
If a hitch feeding mechanism is used to convey the metal strip, then the metal strip can be conveyed intermittently, but the conveying speed is limited due to the mechanism's operational constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex hitch feeding mechanism and its associated control systems, replacing them with a simpler rotating conveyor system. This extraction of unnecessary complexity directly enables higher conveying speeds without the operational constraints of the original mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the complex mechanical hitch feeding system with a motor-driven rotating conveyor system. This replacement simplifies the overall mechanism while enabling continuous, high-speed conveying without the speed limitations imposed by the original hitch mechanism.
3Volume of moving object
If a hitch feeding mechanism is used, then the metal strip can be conveyed, but the apparatus occupies excessive space, hindering miniaturization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the space-consuming hitch feeding mechanism, power transmission mechanisms, and other unnecessary components. This extraction directly reduces the apparatus volume, enabling miniaturization while maintaining conveying functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the conveying function directly into the rotating conveyor system, eliminating the need for separate power transmission mechanisms and control systems. This merging of functions reduces the overall apparatus volume and simplifies the structure, facilitating miniaturization.
4Speed
If high-speed conveying is attempted using a hitch feeding mechanism, then conveying speed may increase, but collisions between parts generate noise and risk damage to the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hitch feeding mechanism that is prone to collisions at high speeds, replacing it with a rotating conveyor system designed for continuous operation. This extraction eliminates the collision risk entirely, enabling reliable high-speed conveying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the collision-prone mechanical hitch system with a motor-driven rotating conveyor system. This replacement eliminates the reciprocating motion that causes collisions, thereby improving reliability while enabling high-speed operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The problem of providing an apparatus for conveying a molded body for heat exchanger fins that is capable of realizing high speed conveying of the molded body for heat exchanger fins, preventing the generation of noise during conveying, and miniaturization is provided. An apparatus conveys a metal strip in a predetermined direction after tube insertion portions are formed in a thin metal plate, and has a plurality of conveying units disposed along a conveying direction of the molded body for heat exchanger fins, each conveying unit including: a rotating conveyor that has a plurality of tapered protrusions that are capable of advancing into the tube insertion portions and a rotating shaft in a direction that is perpendicular to a conveying direction of the metal strip on a horizontal plane; and a rotating conveyor driving unit that rotationally drives the rotating conveyor. An operation control unit that controls the plurality of rotating conveyor driving units so as to synchronize respective rotational speeds of the plurality of conveying units is also provided.