Segmented Roller Assembly for Wood Processing Wear Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driven rollers in industrial wood processing suffer from high resource consumption and disassembly effort due to unavoidable wear, necessitating the replacement of entire rollers, which is inefficient and labor-intensive.

Innovation Solution

A roller assembly design featuring detachable toothed segments that can be replaced individually, allowing for modular replacement of worn parts without disassembling the entire roller, utilizing a roller body with mechanical interfaces and clamping mechanisms to secure toothed segment stacks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire roller is replaced due to wear, then operational reliability is maintained, but resource consumption and disassembly effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The roller is divided into a roller body and multiple replaceable toothed segments that can be individually replaced when worn, eliminating the need to replace the entire roller assembly and reducing resource consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the entire roller is replaced due to wear, then operational reliability is maintained, but disassembly effort and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoiddisassembly effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The roller is segmented into a roller body and detachable toothed segments that can be quickly replaced without disassembling the entire roller, significantly reducing maintenance time and effort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The toothed segments are pre-assembled into stacks that can be attached to the roller body as complete units, eliminating the need for on-site assembly and reducing maintenance time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of substance

If individual toothed segments are replaced, then resource consumption is reduced, but the number of components and assembly complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource consumptionVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple toothed segments are combined into pre-assembled stacks that function as a single replaceable unit, reducing the number of separate assembly operations while maintaining the benefits of modular replacement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of repair

If toothed segments are detachably connected, then replaceability is improved, but connection reliability and structural integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereplaceabilityVSAvoidconnection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The toothed segments feature curved outer circumferential surfaces that match the roller body's geometry, ensuring proper alignment and reliable mechanical connection while maintaining structural integrity during rotation and operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP4574367A1Roller assembly, toothed segment stack for a roller assembly, toothed segment for a toothed segment stack
Publication Date: 2025.06.25 GEBRUEDER LINCK MASCHINENFABRIK GATTERKINCK GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4574367A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4574367A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4574367A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Roller assembly (1) for a wood processing plant, comprising a roller body (2) which is intended to be driven for a rotational movement of the roller assembly (1), and comprising a plurality of toothed segments (7), each comprising a plurality of toothed elements (8) which are intended to come into contact with a tree trunk during a rotational movement of the roller assembly (1), wherein at least two toothed segments (7) are detachably connected to one another and at least partially form a toothed segment stack (6), and the toothed segment stack (6) is detachably arranged on an outer circumferential side of the roller body (2)