Side-flexing Conveyor Modules with Staggered Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors that flex laterally for changing direction have low strength and are prone to wear, especially as the turning radius decreases, leading to increased manufacturing costs and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates modules of varying widths and materials, such as carbon steel or thermoplastic polymers, connected by rods to form a side-flexing conveyor with staggered links and gaps, allowing for even load distribution and reduced material usage, which enhances strength and reduces wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conveyor modules are made narrower to achieve smaller turning radius, then adaptability improves, but strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor modules utilize composite construction combining carbon steel components for structural strength with thermoplastic polymer components for flexibility and wear resistance. This composite approach allows the conveyor to maintain high strength despite reduced module width, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor is divided into discrete modular units with staggered links and gaps. This segmentation allows the conveyor to flex laterally for direction changes while maintaining overall structural integrity through the interlocking modular design, enabling small turning radius without sacrificing strength.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conveyor modules are made narrower to achieve smaller turning radius, then adaptability improves, but wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The use of thermoplastic polymer components in the modular conveyor structure provides inherent wear resistance while allowing narrow module dimensions. The polymer material's self-lubricating properties reduce friction and wear during lateral flexing, enabling small turning radius operation without increased wear.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are applied to different parts of the conveyor modules based on their specific functional requirements. Carbon steel provides strength in load-bearing areas while thermoplastic polymers provide wear resistance in contact areas, allowing the narrow modules to withstand wear during frequent direction changes.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform width modules are used, then manufacturing simplicity improves, but material usage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor employs modules of varying widths optimized for their specific positions and load requirements. This allows material to be distributed efficiently throughout the conveyor structure, using more material where needed and less where not required, thereby reducing overall material consumption while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized modular components.
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor including a side-flexing belt having a plurality of modules and a plurality of rods. Each module includes a central portion having a main region extending in a straight path, a plurality of front links each including a front aperture, a plurality of rear links each including a rear aperture, a plurality of front gaps between adjacent pairs of front links, and a plurality of rear gaps between adjacent pairs of rear links. A length of each front gap is substantially the same along substantially the entire thickness of an adjacent front link, and a length of each rear gap is substantially the same along the entire thickness of an adjacent rear link.