Segmented Fish Conveyor Belt Links for Grip and Impact Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor belts struggle to handle slippery fish efficiently, leading to difficulty in maintaining production flow, frequent breakdowns, and potential damage to machinery due to sudden force impacts and material failure, especially in harsh marine environments.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor belt assembly with belt links featuring a specific design of connecting members and pins, utilizing materials like POM/acetal and stainless steel, ensuring strong joints and controlled wear, along with spikes for firm grip, to enhance reliability and durability while minimizing noise and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the conveyor belt uses gripping means to get a strong hold on the fish, then the fish can be moved in a fast and precise manner, but the conveyor belt is subjected to very sudden force impacts when it comes into contact with the fish
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is divided into multiple belt links connected by connecting members. This segmentation allows the belt to flex and absorb impact forces through the relative movement between links, preventing sudden force transmission to the entire belt system while maintaining gripping capability through the spikes on each link.
2Strength
If the conveyor belt is made of hardened stainless steel to be strong and reliable, then the belt can withstand operational forces, but breaking of the conveyor belt may cause damage to other parts of the machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting members are designed with specific geometric features including tapered sections and rounded corners that concentrate stress at controlled locations. This local quality design ensures that when the belt breaks, it breaks at predetermined weak points in the connecting members rather than shattering hardened stainless steel components, thereby protecting the rest of the machinery from damage.
3Strength
If the connecting members have equal width to ensure even wear and substantial material strength, then the joint strength is increased, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting members feature asymmetric tapered sections that provide a gradual width transition rather than abrupt changes. This asymmetric design allows for easier manufacturing within standard tolerances while the tapered geometry naturally distributes loads and compensates for minor width variations, achieving strong joints without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor belt assembly for conveying fish includes belt links each having a body defining a width, height and length. The body has a first end part with a first connecting member having a first width (SW), and a second end part with a second connecting member. The second connecting member consists of at least two arms, each having a second width, and the first and the second connecting members have holes. A pin is arranged in the holes to connect the first connecting member with the second connecting member of a second belt link via the holes in the connecting members. The combined width of the at least two arms has a second width that is more than 98% of the first width.