CN117682285A

CN117682285A - Conveyor belt scraper and method for manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: CN117682285A
Application number: CN202311134974.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: H·J·罗尔夫森; L·M·佩尔森
Original assignee: Metso Outotec Finland Oy
Current assignee: Metso Finland Oy
Priority date: 2022-09-09
Filing date: 2023-09-04
Publication date: 2024-03-12
Also published as: SE2251046A1; WO2024052255A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a conveyor belt scraper (100), comprising: support structure (110) comprising a base (170) and a joint (150), wherein the joint (150) is interconnected with the base (170) and extends from the base towards a first end (111) of the doctor blade (100), wherein the joint (150) comprises at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d) and a doctor blade element (120), wherein the doctor blade element (120) and the support structure (110) are attached to each other along the joint (150) such that the at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d) protrudes into the doctor blade element (120), thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor blade element (120) and the support structure (110), wherein the support structure (110) is made of a first material and the doctor blade element (120) is made of a second material, and wherein the first material and the second material are different.

Description

Conveyor belt scraper and method for manufacturing the same

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a conveyor belt scraper and a method for manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper.

Background

The doctor blade of the conveyor belt serves to remove material that adheres to the conveyor belt and thus remains on the conveyor belt after the conveyed material leaves the conveyor belt. Many parameters are important for the functioning of the doctor blade. The doctor blade needs to have a stable structure to maintain its shape when stress is applied during use. The doctor blade also needs to have good wear characteristics to reduce downtime due to replacement of the doctor blade. If the doctor blade needs to be replaced too frequently, there are economic and environmental problems due to the waste of resources. As the scraper of the conveyor belt operates, the scraper becomes progressively worn due to the frictional forces exerted on it by the movable conveyor belt. At the end of the service life of the doctor blade, most of the doctor blade will come off due to wear, and therefore the doctor blade needs to be replaced to keep the desired conveyor belt clean. After replacement, the remaining part of the old doctor blade has to be disposed of. One problem with prior art doctor blades is that once their service life is over, the remainder thereof is considerably wasted. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved doctor blade to reduce the amount of waste material during replacement.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination. These and other objects are at least partially achieved by embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly preferred embodiments.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a conveyor belt scraper having an extension along a scraper axis and configured to scrape material from a conveyor belt surface along a scraping region extending parallel to the scraper axis, the conveyor belt scraper having a scraper tip at a first end and a mounting base at an opposite second end and tapering towards the scraper tip at least at the first end,

the conveyor belt scraper includes:

a support structure comprising a base and a joint, wherein the base comprises a mounting base, and wherein the joint is interconnected with the base and extends from the base towards the first end, wherein the joint comprises at least one reinforcement, and

the blade element is provided with a blade-shaped element,

wherein the doctor element and the support structure are attached to each other along the joint such that at least one reinforcement, part protrudes into the doctor element, thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor element and the support structure,

Wherein the conveyor belt scraper is constructed and arranged to wear during use, and the scraper element is arranged relative to the support structure such that the scraper element wears completely or partly at the end of the service life of the conveyor belt scraper,

wherein the support structure is made of a first material and the scraper element is made of a second material, and wherein the first material and the second material are different.

The conveyor belt scraper may be advantageous because its support structure allows to select which parts of the conveyor belt scraper accommodate the scraper elements. By selectively shaping and positioning the scraper elements at positions that are worn down until the end of the service life of the belt scraper, the total demand for material needed to manufacture the belt scraper will be reduced and a larger portion of the belt scraper will be available before the remaining portion of the belt scraper is disposed of as waste. The use of two different materials also allows for selection of material properties independent of each other. This allows the support structure with its preferred features to contribute to one function of the conveyor belt scraper, while the scraper element with other features contributes to the other function.

One purpose of the support structure is to help define the shape of the belt scraper. Another object of the support structure is to provide structural support and integrity for the belt scraper. One advantage of a belt scraper is that its two different materials minimize the amount of material used to maintain the structural shape of the belt scraper. This allows to minimize both the amount of material used for the support structure and the amount of material used for the doctor element. Therefore, the conveyor belt scraper may have a smaller environmental footprint (footprint) and have higher economic benefits.

During use, the belt scraper will be subjected to wear at the contact point between the scraper and the belt. Wear will occur where the doctor blade contacts the conveyor belt. A newly replaced conveyor belt scraper may thus first be subjected to wear of the scraper elements alone. However, over time, wear may increase to the point where the engagement portion of the support structure also interfaces with the conveyor belt. As a result, the doctor element may wear both separately and together with the support structure. At the end of the service life of the conveyor belt scraper, the scraper elements wear completely or partly. Thus, when replacing the conveyor belt scraper, the waste material will mainly or only comprise the remaining part of the support structure. Since the remainder of the support structure is not used to perform any scraping, the remainder of the support structure may be constructed and arranged to provide only structural integrity, reducing the amount of material that allows for such a design as compared to prior art doctor blades.

The belt scraper is positioned relative to the belt such that its upper end contacts the belt along the scraping zone. The scraping area extends parallel to the extension of the belt scraper. The scraping zone also extends substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the conveyor belt. This means that the scraping zone extends substantially transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. Typically, a plurality of belt scrapers are disposed adjacent to one another to form a common belt scraper structure that is long enough to scrape part or the entire width of the belt.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, during use, the moving parts of the belt scraper that abut the belt will move gradually as the belt scraper wears. However, as used herein, the terms "blade tip", "first end" and the like always refer to a conveyor belt blade that is not worn or used.

The term "engagement" shall be construed herein as a part of the support structure that engages with the doctor element. This means that the joint has an engagement surface to which the doctor element is attached. The engagement surface may have at least one engagement surface portion extending from the base toward the first end. The engagement surface may have at least one engagement surface portion extending along an intersection between the base and the engagement portion. Each of the one or more reinforcing portions may protrude outwardly from any of the engagement surface portions of the engagement portion. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the above means that the scraper element is positioned closer to the first end than the base. The engagement portion may extend from the base portion to the first end, thereby connecting the base portion with the first end. For such exemplary embodiments, the support structure will include a scraper tip. It is conceivable that the engagement portion extends only from the base portion towards the first end and not all the way to the first end. For such exemplary embodiments, the scraper element will comprise a scraper tip.

According to some embodiments, the engagement portion protrudes into the scraper element such that the scraper element partially encloses the engagement portion from the base towards the first end in a direction transverse to the scraper axis. This means that the doctor element is attached to the support structure on several sides of the support structure. For other embodiments, the doctor element may be attached to the support structure on only one side of the support structure. The engagement portion is interconnected with the base portion and extends from the base portion towards the first end, which means that in use the engagement portion may have an engagement surface with an engagement surface portion facing away from the conveyor belt and an engagement surface portion facing the conveyor belt. For embodiments in which the joint protrudes into the doctor element such that the doctor element partially encloses the joint from the base towards the first end in a direction transverse to the doctor axis, the joint may be attached to the doctor element along both joint surface portions.

The direction transverse to the blade axis includes a first direction extending from the first end to the second end of the belt blade and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and the blade axis. Thus, when using the belt scraper, the second direction extends substantially in the direction of movement of the belt.

An advantage of providing a joint that protrudes into the doctor element such that the doctor element partially encloses the joint from the base towards the first end in a direction transverse to the doctor axis is that the doctor can be manufactured more easily. Another advantage is that the doctor blade may have a high structural integrity. Yet another advantage is that the doctor blade can be more easily recycled.

It is emphasized that the above does not mean that the scraper element closes the joint in all three dimensions. The scraper element may be configured to not close the joint along the scraper axis.

According to some embodiments, the support structure has a constant cross-sectional profile along the blade axis.

According to some embodiments, the support structure is at least partially manufactured by an extrusion process, an injection molding process, or a 3D printing process.

The extrusion process is a reliable process for providing a product with a constant cross-sectional profile of the support shell structure. Which allows the manufacture of elements having a relatively complex shape, also having hollow spaces. Furthermore, it allows the manufacture of components having a relatively long length. This may allow for the manufacture of long conveyor belt blades to allow for the coverage of the entire scraping width with a single blade. Injection molding processes are also considered to be reliable processes for manufacturing support shell structures. Which is a versatile technique and allows the manufacture of very complex shapes. In particular, it may allow for the manufacture of support shell structures having varying cross-sectional profiles along the blade axis. The 3D printing process is also considered a reliable process for manufacturing the support shell structure. While the manufacturing time may not be too fast, this approach allows for the manufacture of very complex shapes. In addition, modifications in design are easier to implement because no special elements need to be designed and manufactured, such as custom molds used in extrusion and injection molding processes.

According to some embodiments, the second material comprises a polymer.

According to some embodiments, the second material comprises polyurethane or thermoplastic elastomer.

Polyurethanes can provide low friction, high abrasion resistance, and high strength. Another advantage is that the polyurethane-based doctor element can be formed by moulding. The second material may be a polyurethane composite. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) exhibit typical advantages of rubber materials and plastic materials. The benefits of using thermoplastic elastomers may include the ability to stretch to moderate elongation and return to their near original shape, thereby having a longer life and a better physical range than many other materials. Another advantage of thermoplastic elastomers may be that while most elastomers are thermoset, thermoplastic elastomers are easier to use in manufacturing, such as by injection molding and extrusion processes. The thermoplastic elastomer may be a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). The thermoplastic elastomer comprises at least: styrene block copolymer (TPS (TPE-s)), thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer (TPO (TPE-o)), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV (TPE-v or TPV)), thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic copolyester (TPC (TPE-E)), and thermoplastic polyamide (TPA (TPE-A)). Examples of TPE materials from the block copolymer group are CAWITON, thermollast K, thermollast M, arnitel, hytrel, dryflex, mediprene, kraton, pibiflex, sofprene, and Laprene. Among these styrene block copolymers (TPE-s) are CAWITON, THERMOLAST K, THERMOLAST M, sofprene, dryflex, and Laprene. Laripur, desmopan or Elastollan are examples of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU). Sarlink, santoprene, termoton, solprene, THERMOLAST V, vegaprene, or Forprene are examples of TPV materials. Examples of thermoplastic olefin elastomeric (TPO) compounds are For-Tec E or Engage.

The second material may also comprise other kinds of materials suitable for scraping the conveyor belt, such as rubber.

Other compounds may also be incorporated into the material. As an example, carbide may be suitable for some embodiments of conveyor belt scrapers because it is very wear resistant. In other words, the scraper element may be made of a material comprising, for example, carbide powder. The carbide powder may be mixed with a polymeric material such as polyurethane. Doctor elements comprising other ceramic powders or graphene powders may also be provided.

According to some embodiments, the first material is biodegradable and/or biobased. Providing a biodegradable and/or biobased first material also allows reducing the impact on the environment. When replacing the remaining part of the wear blade, it can be handled in a sustainable manner. For example, may be broken into smaller components and composted. Thus, providing these materials may completely eliminate or at least reduce the increase in landfills.

According to some embodiments, the first material has a higher hardness than the second material. The hardness of a material may be measured using a shore durometer. The hardness of the second material may be 50 ° to 95 ° shore a, and more preferably 70 ° shore a. When the first material is a harder material than the second material, the support structure may provide the conveyor belt scraper with the required stability to maintain its shape during use.

Increasing the stability of the support structure may be advantageous, as this allows the doctor element to use softer materials, even materials that cannot retain their shape by themselves during use. Softer materials are generally more wear resistant, which increases the life of the belt scraper. An advantage of increased lifetime is that the maintenance requirements of the conveyor belt are reduced, since the conveyor belt scraper does not need to be replaced frequently.

According to some embodiments, the first material comprises a polymer.

According to some embodiments, the first material comprises one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate, and polyethylene.

The first material may be a thermoplastic polymer. One suitable thermoplastic polymer may be acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), also known as styrene acrylonitrile acrylate, an amorphous thermoplastic material (amorphous thermoplastic) developed as an alternative to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). Which is an acrylate rubber modified styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. It has high uv resistance and mechanical properties, which makes it a material suitable for extrusion processes.

The first material may comprise a biodegradable thermoplastic elastomer. The first material may be a combination of two or more compounds. The two or more compounds may be selected from the following materials: thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinylchloride, or polyethylene, but may also be selected from other compounds.

The first material and the second material may each be a respective composition comprising the same compound. For example, the first material and the second material may each comprise a particular thermoplastic elastomer, or may each comprise polyurethane. The difference between the first material and the second material will depend on the composition, wherein the other compound components in the composition may be different.

Alternatively or additionally, the first material and the second material may comprise different kinds of the same group of materials. For example, the first material may comprise a first thermoplastic elastomer and the second material may comprise a second, different thermoplastic elastomer.

According to some embodiments, each of the one or more reinforcements has a proximal end connected to the engagement portion, and a distal end disposed opposite the proximal end, wherein the distal end includes an anchor portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of the reinforcement portion, the thickness being defined in a plane transverse to the blade axis. The anchor may be beneficial because it helps secure the scraper element to the support structure by locking engagement. This also helps to hold the doctor blade together, thereby increasing the structural integrity and durability of the doctor blade.

According to some embodiments, the anchoring portion comprises two sub-portions protruding in different directions from the distal end. The angle between the two sub-portions may be in the range 20 to 180 degrees, preferably 70 to 110 degrees. The two sub-portions may extend outwardly from the engagement portion. Alternatively, the two sub-portions may extend inwardly towards the engagement portion. Only one sub-portion is envisaged. In this case, the sub-portion may protrude from the distal end in a direction different from that of the reinforcing portion.

The anchoring portion may be implemented in a number of alternative ways, for example having a circular cross-section or a square cross-section. As long as the thickness of the reinforcement is greater than the thickness of the anchor, a locking engagement is achieved.

According to some embodiments, the support structure comprises one or more hollows, each defining a respective internal volume. One or more hollows may be beneficial because it further reduces the overall volume of the belt scraper and allows for a reduction in the volume of waste when the worn belt scraper is disposed of at the end of its useful life. Another advantage of the hollow is that the belt scraper is easier to handle due to its lighter weight.

Each of the one or more hollows may be a through opening extending through the support structure along the doctor blade axis.

According to some embodiments, one or more hollows are located within the base.

According to some embodiments, each of the one or more hollows comprises a first hollow located within the mounting base. The first hollow may be used for mounting a conveyor belt scraper. It can also be used for mounting attachment means of conveyor belt scrapers.

According to some embodiments, the one or more hollow portions comprise a second hollow portion located between the mounting base and the scraper portion. The second hollow may help to more efficiently utilize the material.

According to some embodiments, the support structure comprises one or more through holes extending through the joint. Each of the one or more through holes may extend in a direction transverse to the blade axis. One or more through holes may be beneficial because they may allow the second material comprising the doctor blade element to extend therethrough, further enhancing the structural integrity of the doctor blade. One or more through holes may extend through any portion of the joint. For example, one or more through holes may extend through one or more reinforcements. One or more through holes may extend through the joint in a direction transverse to the blade axis.

According to a second aspect, a conveyor belt scraper assembly for scraping material from a conveyor belt surface is provided. The conveyor belt scraper assembly includes:

A plurality of conveyor belt scrapers according to the first aspect, and

a support shaft constructed and arranged to support a plurality of belt scrapers, an

And a tensioning device configured to exert a torque or force on the support shaft for pressing the plurality of belt scrapers against the belt surface.

According to a third aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper having a scraper tip at a first end and a mounting base at an opposite second end, tapering towards the scraper tip at least at the first end, the method comprising the steps of:

a) The manufacturing steps are as follows: manufacturing a support structure made of a first material, wherein the support structure comprises a base and a joint, wherein the base comprises a mounting base, and wherein the joint is interconnected with the base and extends from the base towards the first end, wherein the joint comprises at least one reinforcement, and

b) The setting step: the doctor element made of the second material is arranged to the support structure such that the doctor element and the support structure become attached to each other along the joint and such that the at least one reinforcement protrudes into the doctor element, thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor element and the support structure.

According to some embodiments, the step of manufacturing the support structure is at least partially achieved by an extrusion process, an injection molding process, or a 3D printing process. If an embodiment of the support structure with one or more through holes is to be manufactured at least partly by an extrusion process, the support structure without through holes can first be manufactured by an extrusion process and in a second step the one or more through holes are formed in the support structure, for example by drilling.

According to some embodiments, the step of providing the doctor element to the support structure comprises:

the support structure is arranged into the mould and,

supplying a second material in liquid form into the mould, such that the second material meets the support structure along the joint,

whereby the second material is combined with the first material of the support structure to form a coherent structure (coherent structure) during cooling.

According to some embodiments of the above method, the first material and the second material are different.

The support structure may be manufactured as a whole in a single manufacturing step, but may also be manufactured in several parts which are subsequently attached to each other in a second step to form the support structure. As an example, the support structure may be manufactured by an extrusion process, i.e. two or more separate parts are manufactured, which parts are subsequently attached to each other. Such a modular manufacturing process may be advantageous for longer conveyor belt blades, wherein manufacturing using, for example, an extrusion process may become challenging. The modular manufacturing process provides the additional advantage of allowing a reinforcing structure to be provided in the support structure that does not extend in the direction of the doctor blade before the modules are mounted together.

The effects and features of the second and third aspects are largely analogous to those described above in connection with the first aspect. The embodiments described in relation to the first solution are largely compatible with the second and third solutions. It should also be noted that the concepts of the present disclosure relate to all possible combinations of features unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular components of the apparatus or steps of the method, as such apparatus and methods may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may include several devices, etc. Furthermore, the words "comprise," "include," "contain," and the like do not exclude other elements or steps.

Drawings

The present disclosure will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor belt scraper assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a conveyor belt scraper according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a perspective view of the support structure of the conveyor belt scraper of fig. 2A.

Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the support structure of the conveyor belt scraper shown in fig. 2A and 2B.

Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the scraper element of the conveyor belt scraper shown in fig. 3A.

Fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the reinforcement portion of the conveyor belt scraper of fig. 3A.

Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a support structure of a conveyor belt scraper in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the scraper element of the conveyor belt scraper of fig. 4A.

Fig. 4C is a perspective view of the support structure shown in fig. 4A.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the different steps in a method for manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 6A is a schematic side view of the support structure of fig. 4A-4C being inserted into a mold.

Fig. 6B is a schematic side view of the support structure and mold shown in fig. 6A after the mold has been filled with a second material to be the doctor element shown in fig. 4B.

Fig. 6C is a schematic side view of the support structure and the doctor element after the mould has been removed.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Conveyor belts are used to transport large amounts of material from one place to another. In certain applications, such as mining, conveyor belts are used to transport materials such as sand, ore, gravel, coal, minerals, and the like. For such applications, the material tends to adhere to the belt surface, and therefore, cleaning of the belt surface is required.

One known solution for keeping the conveyor belt clean is to mechanically remove material adhering to the conveyor belt surface. In fig. 1, one example of such a cleaning system is shown in the form of a conveyor belt scraper assembly 10. The belt scraper assembly 10 includes a plurality of belt scrapers 100 disposed adjacent to one another to form a common belt scraper structure that is long enough to scrape the entire width, or at least a substantial portion of the width, of the belt surface 24. The belt scraper assembly 10 includes a support shaft 26 constructed and arranged to support a plurality of belt scrapers 100. The belt scraper 100 will be described more fully in connection with fig. 2A and 2B. The support shaft 26 is configured to press the plurality of belt scrapers 100 against the belt surface 24 via a suitable tensioning device 34. The tensioning device 34 is configured to apply a torque or force on the support shaft 26 such that the support shaft 26 presses the belt scraper 100 against the belt surface 24. As known to those skilled in the art, there are many such suitable tensioning devices based on biasing, for example, by springs or weights. For the purposes of this disclosure, the tensioning device 34 is therefore only shown conceptually in fig. 1. As the conveyor belt surface 24 moves relative to the conveyor belt scraper 100, the scraper 100 will scrape adhered material from the conveyor belt surface 24. The belt scraper 100 is attached to a mounting element 28, which is rigidly fastened to a square tube 27, which in turn is attached to the support shaft 26. The mounting element 28 with the belt scraper 100 mounted thereon can be easily and quickly mounted and dismounted as a single unit. The belt scraper 100 is attached to the support shaft 26 via a respective mounting base 114 (see, e.g., fig. 2A). The mounting base 114 may be shaped in such a way that it is brought into locking engagement with the support shaft 26. The belt scraper 100 is intended to be positioned relative to the belt surface 24 such that its upper end 111 is in contact with the belt surface 24 along the scraping zone 16 (see dashed lines in fig. 1). The scraping zone 16 extends parallel to the extension of the belt scraper 100. The scraping zone 16 also extends substantially parallel to the rotation axis R of the conveyor pulley 25.

Fig. 2A-2B and 3A-3C illustrate a conveyor belt scraper 100 according to an example embodiment. The belt scraper 100 extends along a scraper axis a and has a scraper tip 112 at a first end 111 and a mounting base 114 at an opposite second end 113. The belt scraper 100 tapers toward the scraper tip 112 at least at the first end 112. The belt scraper 100 comprises a support structure 110 and a scraper element 120 attached to each other. For the present exemplary embodiment, the support structure 110 is embodied (presented) as a scraper tip 112, but for alternative embodiments (not shown), the support structure comprises a scraper tip.

The support structure 110 includes a base 170, the base 170 including the mounting base 114. The support structure 110 further includes an engagement portion 150, the engagement portion 150 being interconnected with the base 170 and extending from the base toward the first end 111. As can be seen in fig. 2A, the joint 150 extends from the base 170, but only partially to the first end 111. Instead, blade element 120 includes blade tip 112 and thereby defines first end 111 of blade 100. The joint 150 includes at least one reinforcing portion 151a-151d (in the present exemplary embodiment, four reinforcing portions 151a-151 d). For the present exemplary embodiment, the four reinforcements 151a-151d are substantially similar. As an example, the engagement portion 151d is shown in more detail in fig. 3C, and will be described further below.

As can be seen in fig. 2A, the scraper element 120 and the support structure 110 are attached to each other along the joint 150 such that at least one reinforcement 151a-151d protrudes into the scraper element 120, thereby reinforcing the attachment between the scraper element 120 and the support structure 110. As best shown in fig. 3C, each of the one or more stiffening portions 151a-151d has a proximal end 152 connected to the joint 150, and a distal end 153 disposed opposite the proximal end 152, wherein the distal end 153 includes an anchor portion (anchoring portion) 154 having a thickness W2 that is greater than a thickness W1 of the stiffening portions 151a-151d, the thicknesses W1, W2 being defined in a plane transverse to the blade axis a. The purpose of the anchor 154 is to assist in securing the scraper element 120 to the support structure 110 by locking engagement. For the present exemplary embodiment, the anchor portion 154 includes two sub-portions 154a, 154b that protrude in different directions at the distal end 153. These directions are shown in dashed lines in fig. 3C. The angle between the two sub-portions 154a, 154b may be in the range of 30 degrees to 120 degrees, preferably in the range of 60 degrees to 100 degrees. In the present exemplary embodiment, the angle is 90 degrees. As shown in fig. 3C, the two sub-portions 154a, 154b extend outwardly away from the joint 150. For another exemplary embodiment (not shown), the two sub-portions may extend inwardly toward the joint. For other exemplary embodiments (not shown), only one sub-portion protrudes from the distal end in a direction different from the direction of the reinforcing portion. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the anchor 154 may be implemented in a variety of alternative ways, such as having a circular cross-section or a square cross-section. As long as the thickness W2 is greater than the thickness W1, locking engagement can be achieved.

As best shown in fig. 2B, the support structure of the belt scraper 100 has a constant cross-sectional profile along the scraper axis a. This provides particular advantages for manufacturing the belt scraper 100, as will be described in more detail below.

The engagement 150 is defined herein as the portion of the support structure 110 that engages the scraper element 120. As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the engagement portion 150 extends from the base 170 toward the first end 111. The joint 150 further extends outwardly at the bottom of the joint 150 to support the scraper element 120 from below. This means that the engagement portion 150 has engagement surfaces 115a, 115b, or that the engagement portion 150 has two engagement surface portions, namely engagement surface portion 115a that meets engagement surface portion 125a of the scraper element 120, and engagement surface portion 115b that meets engagement surface portion 125b of the scraper element 120. The engagement surface portion 115a extends from the base 170 toward the first end 111, while the engagement surface portion 115b extends along the intersection between the base 170 and the engagement portion 150. The engagement surfaces 115a-115B, 125a-125B are best shown in fig. 3A and 3B, respectively.

The support structure 110 includes one or more hollow portions 133a-133c, each defining a respective interior volume 132A-132c (see fig. 2A and 2B). One or more hollows 133a-133c of the present exemplary embodiment are located within the base 170 and include three hollows 133a-133c. Alternative embodiments may have other numbers of hollows 133a-133c, or no hollows 133a-133c. One or more of the hollows 133a-133c may be through openings extending through the support structure 110 along the doctor axis a. The one or more hollows 133a-133c are separated from each other by a separation structure 140 interconnecting the opposing walls 116a, 116b of the base 170. The separation structure 140 may be a wall that completely separates adjacent hollow portions 133a-133c from each other. The separation structure 140 is connected at each end to one of the opposing walls 116a, 116 b. In the present exemplary embodiment, the opposing walls 116a, 116b are defined as walls extending from the mounting base 114 in a direction toward the first end 111. In other embodiments, the separation structure 140 may extend between other walls of the support structure 110. By means of one or more hollows 133a-133c, a number of different designs of the belt scraper 100 can be realized. It is also possible to adapt the belt scraper 100 to different belt scraper assemblies 10. The hollows 133a-133c reduce the weight of the belt scraper 100 and thus make it easier to handle. Another advantage of the separation structure 140 is that it constitutes a distinct separation of the multiple parts. This facilitates the manufacture of a conveyor belt scraper having the desired shape and properties. The hollows 133a-133c in fig. 2A consist of a first hollow 133c in the mounting base 114 and two hollows 133a, 133b in the upper part of the base 170 between the mounting base 114 and the scraper element 120. In order to reduce the amount of scrap material that is generated when changing worn conveyor belt blades, it is preferred that the blade element 120 only comprises a blade portion that will wear in use. Thus, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the inclination of each separation structure 140, the number of separation structures, and the number of hollows 133a-133c may be design parameters.

Doctor element 120 may have a plurality of fins 160 at one of the walls extending from doctor tip 112 to mounting base 114 to provide a stepped or serrated surface. Each fin 160 extends along the blade axis and covers the entire extension E of the belt blade 100.

Turning to fig. 4A-4C, disclosed is an alternative embodiment of a conveyor belt scraper, namely conveyor belt scraper 200. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art upon viewing the views, this alternative embodiment shares several features with the conveyor belt scraper 100 described above. For the sake of clarity, the same features as those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, while features specific to the second exemplary embodiment will have higher-level reference numerals.

The belt scraper 200 differs from the belt scraper 100 in that the engagement portion 250 protrudes into the scraper element 220 such that the scraper element 220 partially encloses the engagement portion 250 from the base 170 towards the first end 111 in a direction L1, L2 transverse to the scraper axis a. As can be seen in fig. 4A and 4B, the support structure 210 is connected to the scraper element 220 on more than one side thereof. The engagement portion 250 has engagement surfaces 215a-215c that can be divided into three distinct engagement surface portions. Similar to the first exemplary embodiment, the engagement surface portion 215b extends along the intersection between the base 170 and the engagement portion 250. The other two engagement surface portions 215a, 215c are defined on the portion of the engagement portion 250 extending towards the first end 111 and comprise an engagement surface portion 215a facing away from the belt in use and an engagement surface portion 215c facing the belt (in fig. 4A the belt is located to the left of the scraper blade 200). In other words, the joint 250 is attached with the scraper element 220 on opposite sides of the joint 250. One advantage of providing the engagement portion 250 protruding into the scraper element 220 such that the scraper element 220 partially encloses the engagement portion 250 from the base 170 towards the first end 111 in a direction transverse to the scraper axis a is that: the doctor blade 200 may be easier to manufacture. Another advantage is that the doctor blade 200 may have a higher structural integrity.

As previously mentioned, the engagement 250 is defined herein as the portion of the support structure 210 that engages the scraper element 220. As can be seen in fig. 4B and 4C, the engagement portion 250 extends from the base portion toward the first end 111. The engagement portion 250 also extends outwardly at the bottom of the engagement portion 250 to interface with the scraper element 220 from below. In this scenario, the support structure 210 is similar to the support structure 110. However, the engagement surface is different between the various embodiments. The engaging portion 250 has engaging surface portions 215a and engaging surface portions 215c provided on opposite sides of the engaging portion 250. The scraper element 220 thus has complementary engagement surface portions 225a, 225c defined as the inner surface of the cavity 228, as shown in fig. 4B. Finally, the scraper element 220 has an engagement surface portion 225b that is attached to the engagement surface portion 215b of the support structure 210.

As can be seen in fig. 4B and 4C, the support structure 210 includes one or more through holes 260, 261 extending through the joint 250. Through holes 260, 261 extend through the joint 250 in a direction transverse to the blade axis a. The through hole 260 interconnects the engagement surface portion 215a and the engagement surface portion 215c. In the present exemplary embodiment, four such through holes 260 are provided. The through holes may alternatively extend through one or more reinforcements. Shown in fig. 4C of the present exemplary embodiment, wherein a through hole 261 extends through the reinforcement 251d. However, through holes may also be provided in the other reinforcing portions 151a-151 c. The through holes 260, 261 may be beneficial because they allow the second material comprising the blade element 220 to extend therethrough, further enhancing the structural integrity of the blade 200. Although only the second exemplary embodiment is described herein, the through holes 260, 261 may also be used with the first exemplary embodiment, or any other embodiment falling within the scope of the appended claims.

The material properties of the conveyor belt scraper of the present disclosure will now be described in detail. This will be done with reference to the first exemplary embodiment, the conveyor belt scraper 100, but the description thereof is equally valid for the other exemplary embodiments described herein as well as for other exemplary embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. One important factor in designing the belt scraper 100 is the material. Support structure 110 is made of a first material and doctor element 120 is made of a second material. The first material and the second material are different. The use of two different materials allows the material properties to be selected independently of each other. This may allow providing a support structure 110 with one preferred feature to facilitate one function of the conveyor belt scraper 100 and a scraper element 120 with other features to facilitate another function.

The purpose of the support structure 110 is to provide structural integrity to the belt scraper 100. The support structure 110 has the advantage that it allows to minimize the amount of material used to maintain the structural shape of the belt scraper 100. This may allow for minimizing both the amount of material used for support structure 110 and the amount of material used for doctor element 120. The first material from which the support structure is made may be biodegradable and/or bio-based. The biodegradable and/or biobased first material is provided to further reduce environmental impact. When the remainder of the wear blade 100 is replaced, it can be handled in a sustainable manner. For example, it may be broken into smaller components and composted. Thus, providing these materials may completely eliminate or at least reduce the increase in landfills. The first material may comprise one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate, and polyethylene. The first material may be a thermoplastic polymer. One suitable thermoplastic polymer may be acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), also known as styrene acrylate acrylonitrile, which is an amorphous thermoplastic material developed as an alternative to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). Which is an acrylate rubber modified styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. It has high uv resistance and mechanical properties, which makes it a material suitable for extrusion processes.

The first material may comprise a biodegradable material, such as a biodegradable thermoplastic elastomer. The first material may be a combination of two or more compounds. The two or more compounds may be selected from the following materials: thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), and polyethylene, but may also be selected from other compounds.

The purpose of the scraper element 120 is to perform a scraping action on the conveyor belt surface 24. An important feature for the scraper element 120 may be wear resistance and flexibility to reduce the risk of the scraper element 120 damaging the conveyor belt surface 24. The second material from which the scraper element 120 is made may comprise a polymer, such as polyurethane or a thermoplastic elastomer. The second material may comprise a carbide material, for example in the form of carbide powder mixed in another material, such as a polymeric material. Polyurethanes can provide low friction, high abrasion resistance, and high strength. Another advantage is that the polyurethane-based doctor element can be formed by moulding. The second material may be a polyurethane composite. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) exhibit typical advantages of rubber materials and plastic materials. The benefit of using a thermoplastic elastomer may be the ability to stretch to moderate elongation and return to its near original shape, thus having a longer life and a better physical range than many other materials. Another advantage of thermoplastic elastomers is that, although most elastomers are thermoset, thermoplastic elastomers are easier to use in manufacturing, such as by injection molding and extrusion processes. The thermoplastic elastomer may be a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). Carbide may be suitable for some embodiments of conveyor belt scrapers because it is very wear resistant. The second material may also comprise other kinds of materials suitable for scraping the conveyor belt, such as rubber.

The first material may have a higher hardness than the second material. The hardness of a material may be measured using a shore durometer. The hardness of the second material may be 50 ° to 95 ° Shore a (Shore a), and more preferably 70 ° Shore a. When the first material is a harder material than the second material, the support structure may provide the conveyor belt scraper with the required stability to maintain its shape during use.

The support structure of the conveyor belt scraper of the present disclosure may be manufactured at least in part by an extrusion process. Extrusion processes are well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein. The extrusion process is a reliable process for providing a product with a constant cross-sectional profile. Such a product may be the support structure and/or one or more doctor elements of the present disclosure. With the aid of an extrusion process, it may be easy to manufacture the support structure, which is advantageous from an economical point of view.

A method of manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper will now be described with reference to fig. 5. The method is equally applicable to both the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and to any other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Doctor blade 100, 200 includes a doctor blade tip 112 at a first end 111, and a mounting base 114 at an opposite second end 113, and tapers toward doctor blade tip 112 at least at first end 111. The method comprises the following steps:

a) Manufacturing step S502: fabricating a support structure 110, 210 made of a first material, wherein the support structure 110, 210 comprises a base 170 and a joint 150, 250, wherein the base 170 comprises a mounting base 114, and wherein the joint 150, 250 is interconnected with the base 170 and extends from the base 170 towards the first end 111, wherein the joint 150, 250 comprises at least one reinforcement 151a-151d;251d

b) Setting step S504: disposing the doctor element 120, 220 made of the second material to the support structure 110, 210 such that the doctor element 120, 220 and the support structure 110, 210 become attached to each other along the joint 150, 250 and such that the at least one reinforcement 151a-151d;251d protrude into the doctor element 120, 220, thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor element 120, 220 and the support structure 110, 210.

Step S502 of manufacturing the support structure 110, 210 may be accomplished at least in part by an extrusion process, an injection molding process, or a 3D printing process.

The step S504 of disposing the doctor element 120, 220 to the support structure 110, 210 may comprise disposing the support structure 110, 210 into a mold M, as shown in fig. 6A of the second exemplary embodiment. The second material may then be supplied into the mold M in liquid form such that the second material interfaces with the support structure 210 along the joint 250. In fig. 6A, the supply of material is indicated by arrows. Fig. 6B shows the mold M completely filled. Once filled, the second material will bond with the first material of the support structure 210 to form a coherent structure during cooling. Subsequently, the mold M may be removed. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, this process is similar to the first exemplary embodiment, the mold must be slightly smaller and the liquid second material filled from the opposite end of the mold.

As previously mentioned, the first material is different from the second material. This does not exclude that the first material and the second material may comprise the same compound, e.g. polyethylene. The first material and the second material may each be a respective composition of two or more compounds, wherein one of the two or more compounds is common to both materials.

The drawings of the present disclosure illustrate the belt scraper 100, 200 prior to use. However, the belt scraper 100, 200 is constructed and arranged to wear during use, and the scraper element 120, 220 is arranged relative to the support structure 110, 210 such that the scraper element 120, 220 wears fully or partially at the end of the service life of the belt scraper 100, 200. During use, the belt scraper 100, 200 will be subject to wear at the contact point between the belt scraper 100, 200 and the belt surface 24. Wear will occur where the belt scraper 100, 200 contacts the belt surface 24, i.e., at the scraping zone 16. A new replacement belt scraper 100, 200 will thus first be subjected to wear by the scraper element 120, 220. As the top of the scraper elements 120, 220 wears and the conveyor belt surface 24 reaches the top of the support structures 110, 210, the support structures 110, 210 will also wear gradually. Thus, the doctor elements 120, 220 may be worn separately or in combination with the support structures 110, 210. At the end of the service life of the conveyor belt scraper 100, 200, the scraper elements 120, 220 wear out completely or partly. Thus, when replacing the conveyor belt scraper 100, 200, the waste material will mainly or only comprise the remaining part of the support structure 110, 210. Thus, the appearance of the used belt scraper 100, 200 may be very different from the appearance of the new belt scraper 100, 200 shown in the drawings.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Further, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments may be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt scraper (100) having an extension along a scraper axis (a) and being configured to scrape material from a conveyor belt surface (24) along a scraping region (16) extending parallel to the scraper axis (a), the conveyor belt scraper (100) having a scraper tip (112) at a first end (111) and a mounting base (114) at an opposite second end (113) and tapering towards the scraper tip (112) at least at the first end (111),

the conveyor belt scraper (100) comprises:

a support structure (110) comprising a base (170) and a joint (150), wherein the base (170) comprises the mounting base (114), and wherein the joint (150) is interconnected with the base (170) and extends from the base towards the first end (111), wherein the joint (150) comprises at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d), and

A doctor element (120),

wherein the doctor element (120) and the support structure (110) are attached to each other along the joint (150) such that the at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d) protrudes into the doctor element (120), thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor element (120) and the support structure (110),

wherein the conveyor belt scraper (100) is constructed and arranged to wear during use, and

the scraper element (120) is arranged relative to the support structure (110) such that the scraper element (120) wears completely or partly at the end of the service life of the conveyor belt scraper (100),

wherein the support structure (110) is made of a first material and the scraper element (120) is made of a second material, and wherein the first material and the second material are different.

2. The conveyor belt scraper (200) of claim 1 wherein the engagement portion (250) protrudes into the scraper element (220) such that the scraper element (220) partially encloses the engagement portion (250) from the base (170) towards the first end (111) in a direction (L1, L2) transverse to the scraper axis (a).

3. Conveyor belt scraper (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support structure (110) has a constant cross-sectional profile (P) along the scraper axis (a).

4. A conveyor belt scraper (100) as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support structure (110) is manufactured at least in part by an extrusion process, an injection moulding process, or a 3D printing process.

5. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the second material comprises polyurethane or a thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the first material is biodegradable and/or bio-based.

7. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the first material has a higher hardness than the second material.

8. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the first material comprises one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate, and polyethylene.

9. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein each of the one or more reinforcement portions (151 a-151 d) has a proximal end (152) connected to the engagement portion (150) and a distal end (153) disposed opposite the proximal end (152), wherein the distal end (153) comprises an anchor portion (154) having a thickness (W2) that is greater than a thickness (W1) of the reinforcement portion (151 a-151 d), the thicknesses (W1, W2) being defined in a plane transverse to the scraper axis (a).

10. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of claim 9 wherein the anchor portion comprises two sub-portions (154 a,154 b) protruding in different directions from the distal end (153).

11. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the support structure (110) comprises one or more hollows (133 a-133 c), each defining a respective internal volume (132 a-132 c).

12. The conveyor belt scraper (100) of claim 11 wherein one of the one or more hollows (133 a-133 c) is located within the base (170).

13. The conveyor belt scraper (200) of any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the support structure (210) comprises one or more through holes (260, 261) extending through the engagement portion (250).

14. A conveyor belt scraper assembly (10) for scraping material from a conveyor belt surface (24), comprising:

a plurality of conveyor belt scraper blades (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and

a support shaft (26) constructed and arranged to support a plurality of said belt scrapers (100), an

Tensioning means (34) configured to exert a torque or force on the support shaft (26) to press the plurality of belt scrapers (100) against the belt surface (24).

15. A method of manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper (100, 200) having a scraper tip (112) at a first end (111) and a mounting base (114) at an opposite second end (113) and tapering towards the scraper tip (112) at least at the first end (111),

the method comprises the following steps:

a) Manufacturing step (S502): manufacturing a support structure (110, 210) made of a first material, wherein the support structure (110, 210) comprises a base (170) and a joint (150), wherein the base (170) comprises the mounting base (114), and wherein the joint (150) is interconnected with the base (170) and extends from the base towards the first end (111), wherein the joint (150) comprises at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d), and

b) Setting step (S504): -providing a doctor element (120, 220) made of a second material to the support structure (110, 210) such that the doctor element (120, 220) and the support structure (110, 210) become attached to each other along the joint (150, 250) and such that the at least one reinforcement (151 a-151 d) protrudes into the doctor element (120, 220), thereby reinforcing the attachment between the doctor element (120, 220) and the support structure (110, 210).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the manufacturing step (S502) of the support structure (110) is at least partly realized by an extrusion process, an injection molding process, or a 3D printing process.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the step of arranging (S504) the doctor element (120, 220) to the support structure (110, 210) comprises:

-arranging the support structure (110, 210) into a mould (M),

supplying the second material in liquid form into the mould (M) such that it meets the support structure (110, 210) along the joint (150, 250),

whereby the second material is combined with the first material of the support structure (110, 210) to form a coherent structure during cooling.

18. The method of any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the first material and the second material are different.