Telescopic Conveyor Bridging Device for Bidirectional Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Telescopic conveyor systems with belt conveyors arranged one above the other face challenges in bidirectional transportation due to abutting edges, which cause issues with small, round, or elastic items that cannot overcome the height difference or are pushed away, leading to jamming or undesired movement.
Innovation Solution
A bridging device with a ramp and deflection rollers is introduced between adjacent belt conveyors, featuring a hold-down mechanism to ensure a smooth, stepless transition, eliminating abutting edges and allowing for bidirectional transportation without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If telescopic conveyor belts are arranged one above the other to save space, then space utilization is improved, but abutting edges are created that prevent bidirectional transportation of small, round, or elastic goods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing the sharp abutting edge with a rounded transition surface. The end section of the upper conveyor belt is bent downward in a curved path around a deflection roller, creating a smooth transitional surface that eliminates the sharp edge. This curved transition allows small, round, and elastic goods to pass seamlessly in both directions without jamming or being pushed away.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an equipotential transition by ensuring the curved end section of the upper conveyor belt connects smoothly to the lower conveyor belt at the same level. The deflection roller is positioned and sized such that the belt transitions gradually without creating height differences or steps, making the transition invisible to the conveyed goods and enabling bidirectional movement.
2Reliability
If a separate bridging device with rotating rollers is used to overcome height differences, then height bridging is improved, but abutting edges remain that cause jamming or pushing away of goods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful abutting edge from the system. Instead of adding a separate bridging device that creates new abutting edges, the invention modifies the conveyor belt itself by bending its end section downward. This removes the source of the problem (the abutting edge) rather than attempting to work around it with additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the bridging function with the conveyor belt structure itself. The end section of the upper conveyor belt is integrated into the lower conveyor belt assembly, with the belt continuously running over the deflection roller. This combines the conveying function and the height-bridging function into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate bridging devices.
3Length of stationary object
If the conveyor belt end is deflected around a smaller-diameter roller to reduce height difference, then height difference reduction is improved, but abutting edges are created that still obstruct goods movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the curvature of the deflection roller to create a smooth transition. The belt is deflected around the roller in a continuous curved path, and the roller's cylindrical shape provides a rounded transition surface that eliminates sharp edges. This curved geometry allows goods to follow the belt's path smoothly without encountering obstructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic transition where the conveyor belt continuously moves over the deflection roller. The roller can rotate to accommodate the belt's movement, creating a flexible and adaptive transition zone. This dynamic arrangement allows the system to maintain smooth goods flow while accommodating the height difference between conveyor levels.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a telescopic conveyor (1) having at least two conveyor belts (10). Said belts are arranged one above the other and can be moved relative to one another in the longitudinal direction. Each conveyor belt (10) here has a frame (11), a circulatory belt (12) and a first deflecting roller (13) at a first end (A), and a second deflecting roller (14) at a second end (B), of the conveyor belt (10), wherein the second end (B) is a transfer end of the conveyor belt (10), and wherein a bridging device (2', 2) is provided between in each case two adjacent conveyor belts (10) located one above the other, and said device bridges, at least to some extent, the difference in height (H) between the two conveyor belts (10) arranged one above the other, it being necessary for said difference in height to be overcome at the transfer end. The bridging device (2) comprises a ramp (3, 3') with a slope (S) and also a first deflecting roller (4), which is arranged at the higher end of the ramp (3, 3'), as well as a first holding-down device (5), which is arranged beneath the first deflecting roller (4), and also a second holding-down device (7) at the foot of the ramp (3, 3'). The circulatory belt (12) of the respectively lower conveyor belt (10) is guided, from a conveying plane (E1) beneath the second holding-down device (7), over the ramp (3, 3') with the slope (S) and, from there, is deflected over the first deflecting roller (4) and guided back to the conveying plane (E1) beneath the first holding-down device (5). The slope (S) of the ramp (3, 3') continues in stepless fashion tangentially along the circulatory belt (12) of the conveyor belt (10) located above, said circulatory belt being guided over its second end-side deflecting roller (14).