JP7357888B1 - Meandering restriction mechanism for metal mesh belt and meandering restriction method for metal mesh belt - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a meandering limiting mechanism that prevents damage to metal mesh belts and guide rollers and eliminates the need for belt tension adjustment to correct meandering, thereby not shortening belt life and ensuring stable conveyance. A meandering restriction method is provided. A meandering restriction mechanism 2 includes a support body 25 that supports a guide roller 22, a holding part 24 that holds one end of a telescoping structure 21, and a fixed part that supports the other end of the telescoping structure 21. 23, and when the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 against the guide roller 22 increases due to the bias of the metal mesh belt 11, the distance between the holding part 24 and the fixed part 23 decreases, and the guide roller 22 The mesh belt 11 is displaced outwardly. [Selection diagram] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a meandering restriction mechanism and method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt in a conveyor that continuously conveys bulk materials such as raw materials loaded onto an endless metal mesh belt. .

As a conveyor that continuously transports bulk materials such as raw materials, it is equipped with a head pulley, a tail pulley, an endless belt that spans both pulleys, a belt receiving roller, a drive motor that rotates the head pulley, a pedestal frame, etc. What is composed is known. In this configuration, the conveyed objects are loaded on the carrier side (conveyance side) of the belt and conveyed from the tail pulley side toward the head pulley side. Various types of belts, such as metal mesh belts, steel belts, and rubber belts, are selected depending on the purpose and the type of conveyed object.

In the brewing and food industries, when the conveyed material becomes high temperature or when it is necessary to ventilate the conveyed material, it is possible to configure the equipment more compactly than steel belts, and inexpensive metal mesh is used. Belts are often used. Since a metal mesh belt has low elasticity in the width direction of the belt, it cannot be curved in the width direction over the entire area of the belt and must be held horizontally.

In a conveyor that uses a metal mesh belt, the parallelism of the rotating axes of the head pulley, tail pulley, and belt support roller is ensured, and each of them is installed horizontally, and the tension is applied evenly in the width direction of the metal mesh belt. If the conditions are right, such as when the conveyor belt is loaded, the conveyor belt will basically not meander during idle operation when there is no conveyed object on it.

However, the conveyed items may be loaded unevenly in the width direction of the belt, the belt may stretch partially due to the high temperature of the conveyed items, resulting in uneven belt tension, or water vapor generated from the conveyed items may cause condensation. When the frictional force between the belt and the head pulley becomes uneven, the metal mesh belt meanderes.

Regarding prevention of meandering of a belt, Patent Document 1 discloses a meandering prevention device in which a guide roller is placed in contact with an end surface of a belt conveyor (belt alone) (claim 1). According to FIG. 2 of the same document, a guide roller 6 is provided for the belt conveyor 1 on the return side. According to FIG. 2, the belt conveyor 1 on the carrier side is curved in the width direction along the carrier roller 2, so the belt in Patent Document 1 is presumed to be a rubber belt, but conventionally, a metal mesh belt Also, a mechanism similar to the meandering prevention device described in Patent Document 1 was employed on the return side of the belt.

In Patent Document 2, in view of the fact that it is extremely difficult to correct the meandering of a metal mesh belt (paragraph [0003]), the meandering of the flat mesh belt is detected by a meandering detection sensor, and the meandering of the flat mesh belt is detected. A flat mesh, characterized in that the direction in which the axes of a pair of meander correction rollers, which have axes in a direction parallel to the surface and are arranged to sandwich the flat mesh belt, are oriented is changed in the in-plane direction of the flat mesh belt. A belt conveyor meandering correction method is disclosed (claim 1).

Patent Document 3 assumes that the belt is an endless mesh belt made of metal, and that the belt is rotatable around the same roller axis in the width direction of the belt, and that the roller axis is the length of the belt on the return trajectory. The belt on the return track is lifted and supported from below in a relaxed state, and the belt on the return track is tilted in at least one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. A conveying device is disclosed in which the conveying device has a raised peak at the installation location and a trough that is bent downward in an arc on both front and rear sides of the meandering correction roller (Claim 1).

Utility Model Publication No. 49-83779 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-127113 Patent No. 6726790

However, when the meandering of the belt is restricted by a guide roller fixed to the device, as in the meandering prevention device described in Patent Document 1 and the conventional meandering prevention of a metal mesh belt, the guide roller is completely fixed in position to the device. Therefore, if the pressing force of the belt increases due to meandering, there is a risk that the metal mesh belt or the guide roller will be damaged.

In the meandering correction method described in Patent Document 2, the tension of the belt is increased to ensure the frictional force between the meandering correction roller and the belt (paragraphs [0024] and [0027], FIG. 1). The lifespan will be shortened. In order to prevent such problems in Patent Document 2, in the conveying device described in Patent Document 3, the belt is deflected by its own weight to ensure frictional force, but depending on the size of the device and the running speed of the belt, the head Even if the pulley is rotationally driven, it is assumed that the belt may slip and the object to be transported cannot be transported.

The present invention solves the conventional problems as described above, and prevents damage to the metal mesh belt and guide roller, and eliminates the need for belt tension adjustment to correct meandering, thereby extending belt life. It is an object of the present invention to provide a meandering limiting mechanism for a metal mesh belt and a meandering limiting method for a metal mesh belt that does not shrink or impair stable conveyance.

The present invention is a mechanism and method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt by bringing the belt edge of the metal mesh belt into contact with the roller of the guide roller. Hereinafter, with regard to the description of the present invention, the meaning of "the belt edge, which is the end in the width direction of the metal mesh belt, is deformed or abraded and damaged, and the metal mesh belt as a whole is damaged" will be simply " The metal mesh belt will be damaged.'' Similarly, it is simply written as "the guide roller is damaged" to mean "the guide roller as a whole is damaged due to the deformation or wear and tear of the rollers constituting the guide roller."

The meandering restriction mechanism for a metal mesh belt of the present invention is a meandering restriction mechanism for a conveyor in which objects are loaded and conveyed on an endless band of metal mesh belts that are stretched between a head pulley and a tail pulley. a guide roller that faces a belt edge of the metal mesh belt, a support that rotatably supports the roller via the rotating shaft, an elastic structure having an elastic member, and a retractable structure that is attached to the support. and a holding part that holds one end of the telescopic structure; and a fixing part that is fixed to a gantry frame of the conveyor and supports the other end of the telescopic structure, the holding part and the fixing part The elastic member is interposed between the holding part and the fixing part, and when the pressing force of the metal mesh belt against the guide roller increases due to deviation of the metal mesh belt, the distance between the holding part and the fixed part increases. When the belt is contracted, the guide roller is displaced outward from the metal mesh belt.

The meandering limiting method of a metal mesh belt of the present invention is a meandering limiting method using a meandering limiting mechanism in a conveyor in which objects are loaded and conveyed on an endless metal mesh belt stretched between a head pulley and a tail pulley. The meandering limiting mechanism has a roller and a rotating shaft, a guide roller facing a belt edge of the metal mesh belt, and a support that rotatably supports the roller via the rotating shaft. a telescoping structure having a telescoping member; a holding part attached to the support body and holding one end of the telescoping structure; and a holding part fixed to a pedestal frame of the conveyor and supporting the other end of the telescoping structure. a fixing part, the elastic member is interposed between the holding part and the fixing part, and when the pressing force of the metal mesh belt against the guide roller increases due to deviation of the metal mesh belt, The present invention is characterized in that the distance between the holding part and the fixing part is reduced, thereby displacing the guide roller outward of the metal mesh belt.

According to the metal mesh belt meandering limiting mechanism and metal mesh belt meandering limiting method of the present invention, even if the pressing force of the metal mesh belt against the guide roller increases due to the bias of the metal mesh belt, the guide roller is displaced toward the outside of the metal mesh belt, thereby preventing damage to the metal mesh belt and the guide roller. In addition, this kind of damage prevention can be achieved by providing the conveyor with a meandering restriction mechanism that mainly consists of guide rollers and a telescopic structure, so there is no need to adjust belt tension to correct meandering, which shortens belt life. There is no problem, and stable conveyance is not impaired.

In the meandering limiting mechanism for a metal mesh belt and the meandering limiting method for a metal mesh belt of the present invention, the distance between the holding part and the fixing part expands and contracts due to the expansion and contraction of the elastic member, and the metal It is preferable that the pressing force of the mesh belt and the reaction force generated by the elastic structure be balanced, thereby preventing damage to the metal mesh belt and the guide roller and restricting meandering. According to this configuration, the amount of displacement of the guide roller in the outward direction of the metal mesh belt changes depending on the magnitude of the pressing force of the metal mesh belt, and the pressing force and reaction force are balanced. . Therefore, it is possible to recognize the position of the guide roller when the pressing force and reaction force are balanced visually or by electric signals from area sensors, etc., and the degree of meandering of the metal mesh belt can be determined from the position of the guide roller. be able to. In other words, it can be seen that the more the guide roller is displaced toward the outside of the metal mesh belt, the more the pressing force increases, and the closer the guide roller approaches the failure area. Therefore, using the position of the guide roller as an indicator, check the operating status at an appropriate time before the metal mesh belt and guide roller are damaged, and perform maintenance inspections and replacement of mechanical parts related to meandering. You will be able to do this.

In the meandering limiting mechanism for a metal mesh belt and the meandering limiting method for a metal mesh belt according to the present invention, it is preferable that the elastic member is a compression coil spring. According to this configuration, by simply selecting a compression coil spring in consideration of the strength of the belt edge of the metal mesh belt and the roller of the guide roller, when the pressing force of the metal mesh belt increases, the guide roller becomes The effect of outward displacement of the mesh belt can be reliably obtained.

In the meandering limiting mechanism for a metal mesh belt and the meandering limiting method for a metal mesh belt of the present invention, one portion of the meandering limiting mechanism has a plurality of the guide rollers, and the support body is attached to the holding portion. Preferably, the metal mesh belt is rotatably attached, and when the metal mesh belt is tilted with respect to the traveling direction, the plurality of guide rollers contact and follow the belt edge. According to this configuration, even if the metal mesh belt is tilted with respect to the traveling direction, the plurality of guide rollers contact the belt edge and follow the belt edge, which further increases the effect of preventing damage to the metal mesh belt. , it is also possible to prevent damage to the guide roller.

In the method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of meandering restriction mechanisms be arranged on both sides of the metal mesh belt on the return side and tail pulley side of the metal mesh belt. According to this configuration, meandering of the metal mesh belt can be reliably restricted, and the effect of preventing damage to the metal mesh belt and the guide roller can be more effectively exhibited.

The effects of the present invention are as described above, and according to the metal mesh belt meandering limiting mechanism and metal mesh belt meandering limiting method of the present invention, the metal mesh belt is biased against the guide roller due to the bias of the metal mesh belt. Even if the pressing force increases, the guide roller is displaced outward from the metal mesh belt, so damage to the metal mesh belt and the guide roller can be prevented. In addition, this kind of damage prevention can be achieved by providing the conveyor with a meandering restriction mechanism that mainly consists of guide rollers and a telescopic structure, so there is no need to adjust belt tension to correct meandering, which shortens belt life. There is no problem, and stable conveyance is not impaired. Furthermore, the meandering restriction mechanism of the present invention can be used not only when installing a new conveyor, but also by adding it to an existing conveyor to ensure that the meandering of the metal mesh belt is prevented even on an existing conveyor. can be restricted.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cooler equipped with a meandering restriction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cooler shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the pair of meandering limiting mechanisms shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a side view of the meandering restriction mechanism shown in FIG. 4 as seen from direction D; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing main parts of a meandering restriction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 6; FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the front and rear views of the metal mesh belt when it is biased in the width direction in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a metal mesh belt is biased in an inclined direction in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a meandering restriction mechanism according to an embodiment in which the number of guide rollers is one. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a meandering restriction mechanism according to another embodiment using an air damper as an extensible member. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a meandering restriction mechanism according to another embodiment using an air cylinder as an extensible member.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention relates to a meandering limiting mechanism and a meandering limiting method for a conveyor. The conveyor may be any conveyor as long as it is equipped with a metal mesh belt, and examples thereof include conveyors used in the brewing industry and food industry, and more specifically conveyors used in brewing equipment such as rice steamers and coolers.

First, an overview of the conveyor will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a side view of a cooler 1 equipped with a meandering restriction mechanism 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the cooler 1 shown in FIG. 1. These figures only show the main parts related to the conveyor, and illustrations of structures such as an external case, a blower, and an exhaust fan are omitted.

In FIG. 1, an endless metal mesh belt 11 is stretched around a head pulley 12 and a tail pulley 13, forming the main part of the conveyor. The main part of the conveyor is supported by a trestle frame 16. Part B of FIG. 2 schematically shows a partially enlarged view of the metal mesh belt 11. As shown in part B, the metal mesh belt 11 is generally a combination of a spiral 11b and a rod 11c.

The head pulley 12 shown in FIG. 1 is driven by the belt drive mechanism 15 shown in FIG. Move circularly (arrows a, c). Specifically, the raw material (transferred material) loaded on the carrier side is cooled while being transported downstream (arrow a). During transportation, the raw material is crushed by a pin crusher 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pin crusher 17 is arranged across the metal mesh belt 11 and is rotationally driven by a pin crusher drive mechanism 18. In FIG. 1, the raw material after being transported falls from the downstream end (arrow b). Thereafter, the metal mesh belt 11 is guided by the belt receiving roller 14 on the return side and returns to the upstream side (arrow c).

Hereinafter, a structure of the meandering restriction mechanism 2 and a meandering restriction method using the meandering restriction mechanism 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the present embodiment in which one meandering limiting mechanism 2 includes a plurality of guide rollers will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and a pair of meandering restriction mechanisms 2 are arranged on both sides of the metal mesh belt 11 on the return side and tail pulley side of the metal mesh belt 11. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the pair of meandering restriction mechanisms 2 shown in FIG. 3. 5 is a side view of the meandering limiting mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 4 as seen from direction D, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the meandering limiting mechanism 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, one meandering limiting mechanism 2 has two guide rollers 22.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the fixing part 23 is composed of a horizontal part 231, a vertical part 232, and a boss 233, and each member is fixed by welding or the like and is integrated. The horizontal portion 231 is fixed to the pedestal frame 16 by a fixture 3. Specifically, a bolt 31 is inserted through the horizontal portion 231 and the gantry frame 16, and a nut 32 is screwed onto the bolt 31. As a result, the entire meandering restriction mechanism 2 is fixed to the gantry frame 16. For the fixture 3, a spring washer or a plain washer may be used as appropriate. Further, the fixing portion 23 only needs to be fixed to the gantry frame 16, and the fixing structure is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the guide roller 22 faces the belt edge 11a of the metal mesh belt 11. The structure of the guide roller 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 6. The guide roller 22 has a roller 221 and a rotating shaft 222. The rotating shaft 222 has reduced diameter portions 222a at both ends, and a step portion 222b is formed. A thread is formed in the reduced diameter portion 222a, and a tightening tool 26 composed of a nut 261 and a spring washer 262 is attached to the reduced diameter portion 222a.

As a result, the rotating shaft 222 is fixed to the support body 25 with the stepped portion 222b sandwiched between the support body 25. There is a slight gap between the roller 221 and the rotating shaft 222, and the roller 221 can rotate around the rotating shaft 222. Therefore, the roller 221 is rotatably supported by the support body 25 via the rotating shaft 222. As shown in FIG. 7, the end surface of the roller 221 may be protected by a spacer 27.

In FIG. 6, the holding part 24 is attached to the support body 25. More specifically, in FIG. 7, convex portions 24a are formed at both ends of the holding portion 24. The holding portion 24 is attached to the support body 25 with the convex portion 24a inserted through a hole 25a formed in the support body 25. There is a slight gap between the protrusion 24a and the hole 25a, and the support body 25 can pivot around the protrusion 24a. This effect will be explained later.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, the telescopic structure 21 has a guide shaft 212 inserted into a compression coil spring 211, which is a telescoping member. It is interposed between. The structure of the stretchable structure 21 will be explained with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 8, one end of the guide shaft 212 is fixed to the holding part 24, and one end of the compression coil spring 211 is in contact with the holding part 24. As a result, one end of the stretchable structure 21 is held by the holding part 24. The guide shaft 212 is inserted into a hole formed in the vertical part 232 and the boss 233 that constitute the fixing part 23, and the part of the guide shaft 212 protruding from the boss 233 is composed of a nut 291, a spring washer 292, and a flat washer 293. A shaft fixture 29 is attached. As a result, the other end of the telescopic structure 21 is supported by the fixed part 23. The shaft fixture 29 may be attached so that the guide shaft 212 is movable in the axial direction and does not come out of the holes formed in the vertical portion 232 and the boss 233, and its structure is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 8.

The fixed part 23 is fixed to the pedestal frame 16 and is an immovable body (see FIG. 4). Therefore, when a load is applied to the guide roller 22 and the holding part 24 moves in the direction of compressing the compression coil spring 211 (arrow d), the distance W between the holding part 24 and the fixed part 23 is reduced. When the load is removed, the compression coil spring 211 stretches and returns to its original state, and the spacing W returns to the initial spacing shown in FIG. That is, the distance between the holding part 24 and the fixing part 23 expands and contracts due to the expansion and contraction of the compression coil spring 211, which is an extensible member.

A meandering limiting method using the meandering limiting mechanism 2 will be described below. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the front and rear views when the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the width direction. For convenience of explanation, this figure shows a state in which the metal mesh belt 11 is biased only in the width direction. Furthermore, the meandering restriction mechanism 2 is shown in the same cross section as in FIG. 8 . Arrow e is the direction in which the metal mesh belt 11 moves. FIG. 9(a) shows the state of the metal mesh belt 11 before it is deflected. In this state, a gap s is secured between the belt edge 11a of the metal mesh belt 11 and the roller 221 of the guide roller 22.

FIG. 9(b) shows the state of the metal mesh belt 11 after it is biased. In this state, the metal mesh belt 11 has moved in parallel by the deviation amount s1. As a result, the belt edge 11a comes into contact with the roller 221, the guide roller 22 moves by the displacement amount s2 toward the vertical portion 232 of the fixed part 23, and the end surface of the guide shaft 212 also moves by the displacement amount s2. Additionally, the guide shaft 212 is exposed from the end surface of the boss 233 by a displacement amount s2. These are caused by the compression coil spring 211 being compressed by the guide roller 22 being pressed by the bias of the metal mesh belt 11, and the distance between the holding part 24 and the fixing part 23 being reduced.

In FIG. 9, when the deviation amount s1 of the metal mesh belt 11 increases, the pressing force against the guide roller 22 increases, the compression amount of the compression coil spring 211 increases, and the displacement amount s2 of the guide roller 22 also increases. That is, according to the meandering restriction mechanism 2 according to the present embodiment, even if the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 against the guide roller 22 increases due to the bias of the metal mesh belt 11, the guide roller 22 does not Since the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22 are displaced outward, damage to the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22 can be prevented.

Therefore, according to the meandering limiting method using the meandering limiting mechanism 2 according to the present embodiment, the distance between the holding part 24 and the fixed part 23 is expanded and contracted by the expansion and contraction of the compression coil spring 211, which is an extensible member, and the metal By balancing the pressing force of the mesh belt 11 and the reaction force generated by the elastic structure 21, meandering can be restricted while preventing damage to the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22.

In addition, such damage prevention can be achieved by providing the conveyor with a meandering restriction mechanism 2 that mainly consists of the guide roller 22 and the telescopic structure 21, so there is no need to adjust the tension of the belt to correct meandering, and the belt It does not shorten the lifespan and does not impair stable transportation. Furthermore, by additionally providing the meandering restriction mechanism 2 to an existing conveyor, it is possible to reliably restrict the meandering of the metal mesh belt 11 even in the existing conveyor.

In addition, as described above, when the guide roller 22 is pressed, the guide shaft 212 is exposed from the end surface of the boss 233 accordingly. By visually checking this exposure from the outside, it is possible to grasp the degree of meandering of the metal mesh belt 11 from the position of the guide roller 22.

In the embodiment described above, the compression coil spring 211 is used as the elastic member constituting the elastic structure 21. According to this structure, the strength of the belt edge 11a of the metal mesh belt 11 and the roller 221 of the guide roller 22 is taken into consideration. By simply selecting the compression coil spring 211, the effect of displacing the guide roller 22 outward of the metal mesh belt 11 when the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 increases is reliably obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the meandering restriction mechanism 2 is arranged on the return side and the tail pulley side of the metal mesh belt 11, and as shown in FIG. 3, it is arranged on both sides of the metal mesh belt 11. According to this configuration, the meandering of the metal mesh belt 11 can be reliably restricted by the meandering limiting method using the meandering limiting mechanism 2, and the effect of preventing damage to the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22 can be further improved. can be used effectively.

The metal mesh belt 11 may meander not only due to deviation in the width direction, but also may meander due to deviation in the inclined direction. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, a description will be given of the situation when the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the direction of inclination. In FIG. 10, for convenience of explanation, the angle at which the metal mesh belt 11 is inclined is exaggerated to be larger than it actually is.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state when the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the direction of inclination. FIG. 10A shows a state in which the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the width direction and inclined (arrow f) so that the direction of movement (arrow e) is inward. The two-dot chain line indicates the state before bias. Since the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the width direction, the guide shaft 212 is exposed from the end surface of the boss 233 by a displacement amount s3.

As explained using FIG. 7, the support body 25 is pivotable around the convex portion 24a of the holding portion 24. As the support body 25 rotates, the two guide rollers 22 supported by the support body 25 also rotate. In the state shown in FIG. 10A, as the metal mesh belt 11 inclines, the two rollers 221 are brought into contact with and follow the belt edge 11a.

In FIG. 10(b), the inclination direction of the metal mesh belt 11 is different from the inclination direction in FIG. 10(a). FIG. 10(b) shows a state in which the metal mesh belt 11 is biased in the width direction and is inclined (arrow g) so that the traveling direction (arrow e) is on the outside. In this state, compared to the state shown in FIG. 10(a), the rotating directions of the support 25 and the two guide rollers 22 are opposite, but the two rollers 221 are in contact with the belt edge 11a. There is no change in the fact that they are being followed.

Therefore, according to the meandering limiting method using the meandering limiting mechanism 2 according to the present embodiment, even if the metal mesh belt 11 is inclined with respect to the traveling direction, the two rollers 221 constituting the guide roller 22 can be Since the edge 11a is brought into contact with and follows the edge 11a, the effect of preventing damage to the metal mesh belt 11 is further enhanced, and it is also possible to prevent damage to the guide roller 22.

In the embodiment described above, one meandering restriction mechanism 2 includes two guide rollers 22, but it may be one, or three or more. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a main part of the meandering restriction mechanism 2 having one guide roller 22. As shown in FIG. The meandering restriction mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 11 has one guide roller 22, the support body 25 does not need to rotate, so the support body 25 is fixed in position to the holding part 24, and the layout is simple. This differs from the meandering restriction mechanism 2 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 in that it has been changed. However, the configuration other than these points is similar to the meandering restriction mechanism 2 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

Further, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the telescopic structure 21 has a guide shaft 212 inserted into a compression coil spring 211 which is a telescopic member, but this structure is not limited to this. It's not a thing. FIG. 12 shows a meandering restriction mechanism 2 according to an embodiment in which the telescopic structure 21 has a different configuration. The meandering limiting mechanism 2 shown in this figure is the same as the meandering limiting mechanism 2 shown in FIG. The air damper 213 includes a rod 213a and a cylinder 213b. Compressed air is filled in the cylinder 213b in advance. The air pressure in the cylinder 213b is set in consideration of the strength of the belt edge 11a of the metal mesh belt 11 and the roller 221 of the guide roller 22, just as the compression coil spring 211 was selected.

In this embodiment, when the guide roller 22 is pressed due to the bias of the metal mesh belt 11, the rod 213a is also pressed, the air in the cylinder 213b is compressed, and the rod 213a contracts. As a result, the distance between the holding part 24 and the fixed part 23 is reduced, and the guide shaft 212 moves in the axial direction and is exposed from the end surface of the boss 233. When the pressing force weakens, the rod 213a expands due to the reaction force of the compressed air, and the guide roller 22 moves in the direction of returning to its initial position. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the space between the holding part 24 and the fixing part 23 expands and contracts due to the expansion and contraction of the air damper 213 as an elastic member, which is generated by the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 and the elastic structure 21. By balancing the reaction forces, meandering can be restricted while preventing damage to the metal mesh belt 11 and guide roller 22.

FIG. 13 shows a meandering restriction mechanism 2 according to another embodiment in which an air cylinder 214 is used as an elastic member in place of the compression coil spring 211 shown in FIG. 11. The air cylinder 214 includes a rod 214a, a cylinder 214b, and an auto switch 214c. Compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 214b from a compressor (not shown), and thrust of the air cylinder 214 is applied in the direction in which the rod 214a pushes the holding part 24. Since the air pressure inside the cylinder 214b can be adjusted arbitrarily, the air pressure is set so that the thrust force will not damage the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22. Further, it is preferable to provide a relief valve in order to keep the air pressure inside the cylinder 214b constant. A relief valve is provided as a routine means to vent air when air pressure increases. According to this configuration, when the thrust force of the air cylinder 214 is exceeded by the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 against the guide roller 22, the guide roller 22 is displaced outward from the metal mesh belt 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 and the reaction force generated by the elastic structure 21 are not balanced, and if the pressing force of the metal mesh belt 11 is equal to or less than the reaction force of the elastic structure 21. The guide roller 22 will remain in a fixed position.

The auto switch 214c detects the position of the rod 214a, and the detection position can be changed depending on the mounting position of the auto switch 214c. The auto switch 214c of this embodiment is installed so as to detect the position of the rod 214a before the guide roller 22 is displaced outward of the metal mesh belt 11. When the guide roller 22 is displaced outward from the metal mesh belt 11, the auto switch 214c cannot detect the position of the rod 214a, and an electric signal is sent to indicate that the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22 are approaching a dangerous area where they will be damaged. It can be recognized by At this point, the metal mesh belt 11 and the guide roller 22 can be reliably protected by displaying a warning on the operation panel and stopping the belt drive mechanism 15.

As mentioned above, the air cylinder 214 is a telescopic member, and after the rod 214a is contracted and the auto switch 214c is activated to stop the belt drive mechanism 15, the rod 214a is expanded by supplying compressed air to the cylinder 214b. It can be stretched and returned to its initial position.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to each of the embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 7, the support structure of the guide roller 22 and the engagement structure between the holding part 24 and the support body 25 may be other structures. In addition, in FIG. 12, the air damper 213 as an extensible member may be any structure as long as the structure expands and contracts through the presence of air, and the rod 213a does not need to be an extensible member.

1 Cooler 11 Metal mesh belt 11a Belt edge 12 Head pulley 13 Tail pulley 16 Frame 2 Meandering restriction mechanism 21 Telescopic structure 211 Compression coil spring (telescopic member)
212 Guide shaft 213 Air damper (expandable member)
214 Air cylinder (expandable member)
22 Guide roller 221 Roller 222 Rotating shaft 23 Fixed part 24 Holding part 25 Support body

Claims (7)

A meandering restriction mechanism for a conveyor that loads and transports objects on an endless metal mesh belt stretched between a head pulley and a tail pulley,
a guide roller having a roller and a rotating shaft and facing a belt edge of the metal mesh belt;
a support that rotatably supports the roller via the rotation shaft;
A telescoping structure having a telescoping member;
a holding part that is attached to the support and holds one end of the telescoping structure;
a fixing part fixed to the pedestal frame of the conveyor and supporting the other end of the telescoping structure;
The elastic member is interposed between the holding part and the fixing part,
When the pressing force of the metal mesh belt against the guide roller increases due to the bias of the metal mesh belt, the distance between the holding part and the fixing part decreases, and the guide roller displaced outward;
One portion of the meandering restriction mechanism has a plurality of the guide rollers, the support body is rotatably attached to the holding part, and when the metal mesh belt is tilted with respect to the traveling direction, A meandering restriction mechanism for a metal mesh belt , wherein the plurality of guide rollers contact and follow the belt edge . Due to the expansion and contraction of the elastic member, the distance between the holding part and the fixed part expands and contracts, and the pressing force of the metal mesh belt and the reaction force generated by the elastic structure are balanced, so that the metal mesh belt and The meandering limiting mechanism for a metal mesh belt according to claim 1, which limits meandering while preventing damage to the guide roller. The meandering restriction mechanism for a metal mesh belt according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a compression coil spring. A meandering limiting method using a meandering limiting mechanism in a conveyor in which objects are loaded and transported on an endless metal mesh belt stretched between a head pulley and a tail pulley, the method comprising:
The meandering restriction mechanism is
a guide roller having a roller and a rotating shaft and facing a belt edge of the metal mesh belt;
a support that rotatably supports the roller via the rotation shaft;
A telescoping structure having a telescoping member;
a holding part that is attached to the support and holds one end of the telescoping structure;
a fixing part fixed to the pedestal frame of the conveyor and supporting the other end of the telescoping structure;
The elastic member is interposed between the holding part and the fixing part,
When the pressing force of the metal mesh belt against the guide roller increases due to the bias of the metal mesh belt, the distance between the holding part and the fixing part decreases, and the guide roller is pushed against the metal mesh belt. displaced outward ;
One part of the meandering restriction mechanism has a plurality of the guide rollers, the support body is rotatably attached to the holding part, and when the metal mesh belt is tilted with respect to the traveling direction, A method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt, characterized in that the plurality of guide rollers are brought into contact with and follow the belt edge . By expanding and contracting the elastic member, the distance between the holding part and the fixing part is expanded and contracted, and the pressing force of the metal mesh belt and the reaction force generated by the elastic structure are balanced. The method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt according to claim 4 , wherein meandering is restricted while preventing damage to the guide roller. 5. The method for restricting meandering of a metal mesh belt according to claim 4 , wherein the elastic member is a compression coil spring. 5. The meandering limiting method for a metal mesh belt according to claim 4 , wherein the pair of meandering limiting mechanisms are arranged on both sides of the metal mesh belt on the return side and tail pulley side of the metal mesh belt.

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