Self-cleaning ring conveyor with parallel scraping slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyance mechanisms, such as conveyor belts, suffer from residual material accumulation during manufacturing processes, which can contaminate both the mechanism and subsequent articles, leading to operational issues and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A self-cleaning ring conveyor system featuring parallel rings with scrapers that effectively reduce residual material accumulation by using a combination of materials like silicone-based rings and scrapers with specific designs to minimize adhesion and efficiently remove contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conveyor belt is used to transport components through manufacturing processes, then support and frictional contact are provided for effective transport, but residual material from surface treatments accumulates on the conveyor belt causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is segmented into multiple parallel rings that can be independently cleaned. Each ring passes through scraping slots, allowing residual material to be removed from individual segments rather than requiring cleaning of the entire continuous belt at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping slots are positioned to remove residual material before it can accumulate significantly or transfer to subsequent components. The cleaning action occurs continuously during operation, preventing contamination rather than addressing it after the fact.
2Force
If the conveyor belt surface area is increased to provide sufficient contact with components, then transport support and friction are improved, but the surface area for residual material accumulation also increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the conveyor into multiple parallel rings, the total surface area is maintained for adequate frictional contact, but each individual ring's surface area is reduced, limiting the amount of residual material that can accumulate on any single ring segment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the conveyor system have different functions: the upper surfaces of the rings provide frictional contact for component transport, while the sides of the rings interact with the scraping slots for cleaning. This local differentiation optimizes both transport effectiveness and cleanability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a cleaning mechanism is added to remove residual material, then contamination is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system performs its own cleaning function through the scraping slots that remove residual material from the rings during normal operation. This self-cleaning capability is integrated into the conveyor structure itself, eliminating the need for separate external cleaning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is merged with the transport function by integrating the scraping slots directly into the conveyor ring structure. The same rings that transport components also serve as the surfaces to be cleaned, combining two functions into a single integrated system.
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 system significantly reduces residual material accumulation and transfer, ensuring smooth operation and minimizing contamination of articles, while maintaining support and friction necessary for conveying components.
Implementation Method 1
residual material accumulation and transfer... minimize adhesion... scrapers with specific designs
Implementation Method 2
The conveyance mechanism's sufficient surface area for contact provides support and frictional contact to effectively transport the component
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4B
Figure 5
AI summary
A self-cleaning ring conveyor includes a first roller having a first rotational axis and a second roller having a second rotational axis that is parallel with the first rotational axis. The conveyor also includes a first ring extending around a combination of the first roller and the second roller and a second ring extending around the combination of the first roller and the second roller. The first ring and the second ring are parallel to each other. The conveyor also includes a first scraper having a first scraping slot and a second scraping slot. The first ring extends through the first scraping slot and the second ring extends through the second scraping slot.