Vertical Block Chain Connector to Prevent Slack and Pin Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mining chain connectors in underground mining face issues of high wear and tear, metal fatigue, and frequent maintenance due to their complex design and exposure to harsh conditions, leading to increased downtime and safety risks from slack creation in the chain.
Innovation Solution
A vertical block chain connector design featuring a sliding fit between two elements with angled pin bores and a symmetrical body, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly without generating slack, reducing pin loosening, and distributing load to minimize fatigue, enabling quicker replacement and improved safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional flat connectors are used to link chain lengths, then the connectors can be separated to link/unlink chain lengths, but the connectors create slack in the chain which needs to be taken up before operation and increases safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional connector design by using a vertical block configuration instead of a horizontal flat design. The block connector engages with chain links vertically, allowing the chain to maintain its horizontal alignment and tension without creating slack, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and chain tension stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat connector to a three-dimensional vertical block connector. This dimensional change allows the connector to engage with chain links in a vertical orientation while maintaining horizontal chain tension, eliminating the slack problem associated with traditional flat connectors.
2Strength
If connectors are designed to be as strong as other chain links, then they provide sufficient strength, but they become prone to wear and fracture due to complicated design and rough treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The block connector is segmented into multiple components including the block body, pin, and retaining features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while simplifying the overall design, reducing stress concentration points, and improving durability under rough treatment conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the connector by adopting a vertical block configuration with specific dimensional ratios. This parameter optimization distributes mechanical loads more effectively across the connector structure, reducing wear and fracture risk while maintaining required strength levels.
3Ease of manufacture
If pins are used to hold connector parts together, then the connector can be assembled, but the pins work loose due to bearing load as the chain is dragged around the trough
Solution Approach 1:
The block connector incorporates built-in retaining features such as recesses, grooves, or interference fits that prevent pin loosening before it occurs. These pre-designed retention mechanisms cushion against the bearing loads generated during chain operation, eliminating the need for additional anti-loosening devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector employs composite construction with the block body and pin made from materials with complementary properties. The pin material is selected to have higher wear resistance and load-bearing capacity, while the block body provides structural support, creating a synergistic combination that prevents pin loosening under bearing loads.
4Strength
If conventional connectors require forging and machining, then they achieve required strength, but they become expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The block connector is designed with simplified geometry that allows manufacturing from cheaper materials or processes such as casting or extrusion instead of expensive forging and machining. The design accepts controlled wear as a normal lifecycle characteristic, replacing the connector as an economical unit rather than attempting to maximize individual component life.
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical or block chain connector for linking between two closed chain links includes a lower element and an upper element configured to engage with the lower element to form the chain connector in an assembled condition. In use the lower element is disposed vertically below the upper element in the assembled connector. The upper element is a sliding fit with the lower element and the direction of the sliding connection is in a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connector and in a plane which is parallel to the horizontal axis when the connector is vertically oriented in use.