Slat Conveyor Movable Support for Horizontal Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Slat conveyor apparatuses face issues with slats not being held horizontally at ends, leading to shorter conveying lengths, repeated impact, abrasion, and noise, as well as complex mechanisms required for inversion and load handling, resulting in larger chain rollers and potential interference during course changes.

Innovation Solution

A slat conveyor apparatus with a vertical circulation path where endless chains connect to either end of slats, and a movable supporting means supports the slats horizontally at course change path parts, eliminating the need for guide rails and complex mechanisms, and allowing for compact design and reduced chain roller size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If slats are moved one by one from conveyance path part to return path part without inverting upper and lower sides at front-side end portion, then space is saved and apparatus height is reduced, but slats are not held horizontally and conveying length becomes shorter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapparatus heightVSAvoidconveying length

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The support means is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation to support slats horizontally during the course change path, thereby maintaining conveying length while achieving compact apparatus height

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If slats fall from plate-like frame at front end in direction of conveyance, then simple structure is achieved, but impact force acts repeatedly on slats and may break slats

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidslat integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support means is positioned to support slats before they fall from the plate-like frame, cushioning the impact and preventing repeated impact forces that could break the slats, while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Device complexity

If slats have no rollers for receiving load and back-side ends slide over upper surface of plate-like frame, then simple structure is achieved, but abrasion and noise occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidabrasion and noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The support means acts as an intermediary element between the slats and the plate-like frame, providing a rolling contact interface that eliminates direct sliding contact, thereby reducing abrasion and noise while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If feed lever rotates to move up and down palettes held horizontally on course change track, then palettes can be conveyed, but guide rails are required to prevent slats from falling and open/close levers are needed for interference prevention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepalette conveyanceVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support means is designed to perform multiple functions: it supports slats horizontally, prevents them from falling, and eliminates the need for separate guide rails and open/close levers, thereby reducing mechanism complexity while maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

5Strength

If chain rollers bear load of slats and half of weight of subject to be conveyed, then chain rollers must be made larger in size, but this increases apparatus volume

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechain roller load bearingVSAvoidchain roller size

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The load bearing function is segmented and distributed: the support means bears the weight of the subject to be conveyed, while chain rollers only bear the load of the slats themselves, allowing for smaller, more compact chain rollers that reduce apparatus volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9010525B2Slat conveyor apparatus

Publication Date: 2015.04.21 NAKANISHI METAL WORKS CO LTD

AI summary

To provide a slat conveyor apparatus in which course change path parts are moved without inverting the upper and lower sides of slats to eliminate the need for an expensive pitting work, wherein the slats can be held horizontally by a simplified configuration on the course change path parts at front and back ends in the direction of conveyance, whereby the length of the working process does not become shorter, and a required inverting action can be made by a simplified configuration.Endless chains 2C are connected to front ends of the slats 3 in a traveling direction F, a supported means B to be supported at the course change path parts C1 is provided to back ends of the slats 3 in the traveling direction F, a movable supporting means C is provided to the course change path parts C1 to support the supported means B from below and hold the slats 3 in the horizontal posture, and the movable supporting means C repeatedly travels back and forth in the vertical direction in conjunction with movement of the endless chains 2C and moves to a position at which to support the supported means B from below only when the supported means B passes through the course change path parts C1.