- -
MODULE FOR A TRANSPORTING GRID, MODULAR CONVEYOR GRID AND CONVEYOR
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to conveyors for modular conveyor grids, with modular conveyor grids and modules for modular plastic conveyor grids that are formed by rows of plastic grille modules coupled articulated by means of articulated bolts. DE 1044707 discloses a chain band that is driven on the articulated bolts by intermediate spaces between the chain links. The document of E.U.A. 5 706 934 discloses a modular conveyor grid that is driven over the eyelets articulated by a gear wheel. Since they are light in weight, do not corrode and are relatively easy to clean, modular plastic conveyor grids are widely used, for example, to transport food products. Modular plastic conveyor grids are often constructed of modular molded plastic connection elements, called grid modules which can be placed side by side in rows of the desired width. The rows of separate articulated eyelets extend to REF. : 194179
length of opposite sides of the modules. The rows of the hinged eyelets are provided with aligned hinge holes to receive an articulated bolt. The eyelets articulated along one side of a row of modules are then connected with the hinged eyelets of an adjacent row of modules, for example, as the pattern of interlocking fingers. An articulated bolt received in the aligned articulated holes usually forms an articulated joint between adjacent rows. The rows of modules are connected mainly to each other to form a conveyor grid without which it can pass through the return wheel. To drive the grid, drive wheels are typically provided which couple driving positions of the modules. A problem that presents itself in the modular grids is to provide driving places in the modules that limit the usefulness of the modules as much as possible. In particular, it is difficult to provide a driving position which guarantees a good transmission force, which allows an adequate cleaning and which allows the conveyor grid formed with the modules to cooperate with existing conveyor rails and driving supplies included therein. With grids that have a relatively small pitch between the hinge pins, for example, a pitch of less than 2.54 cm (1"),
the lack of space makes it even more difficult to provide an adequate driving location. To reduce this problem, the invention provides a conveyor according to claim 1, a method for driving a conveyor grid according to claim 9, a module for a modular conveyor grid according to claim 11, and a modular conveyor grid. according to claim 26. By driving the conveyor grid directly over the articulated bolts, use is made of a new driving location which generates many additional possibilities. In particular, driving the bolts requires little space so that grids with a pitch of less than 2.54 cm (1") can be driven relatively easily.Preferably, the conveyor grid is driven using a sprocket which engages the bolts articulated in the place of the intermediate spaces present transversely in the direction of transport between the hinged eyelets or the parts of the hinged eyelets, intermediate spaces which return to the articulated pin accessible for cooperation with the teeth of the gear. for a modular conveyor grid with opposite alternating rows of
articulated eyelets with articulated holes located eccentrically between the internal and external driving faces, the module can be driven in two places in the hinged eyelets so that a good transmission force can be combined with a good susceptibility to cleaning of the module and a good deployment of the module. In particular, the external driving faces can be optimized for cooperation with a first type of driving wheel whose teeth can be received laterally between the lateral surfaces of two adjacent jointed eyelets of a successive module, in particular the teeth of a gear wheel having six to twelve teeth. The internal driving faces can be optimized for cooperation with teeth of another type of driving wheel, for example, a driving wheel which cooperates with the internal driving faces of several eyelets hinged successively transverse to the transport direction and / or, for example a driving wheel with twelve or more teeth, in particular a cogwheel carried by the core of a drum motor. The invention also relates to a modular conveyor grid. The further advantageous embodiments of the invention are represented in the dependent claims and will be elucidated on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. In the figures:
-
Figure 1 shows a schematic top plan view of a conveyor grid according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic front view of the conveyor grid of Figure 1; figure 3 shows a schematic bottom view of the conveyor grid of figure 1; Figure 4 shows a schematic bottom view of the conveyor grid of Figure 1, in cross section along the line B-B in Figure 2; Figure 5 shows a schematic side view of the conveyor grid of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a schematic cross-section of the grid of Figure 1 along line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 7 shows a schematic side view of a detail of a first type of driving wheel which cooperates with an external driving face of the module; Figure 8 shows a schematic side view, in detail, of the teeth of a second type of driving wheel which cooperates with the internal driving faces of the modules; Figure 9 shows a schematic side view of a third type of driving wheel whose teeth cooperate with the articulated bolts of a conveyor grid; Y
Figure 10 shows a schematic perspective view of the modular conveyor grid of Figure 9 which is driven with the gear wheel by means of articulated bolts. It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is described by means of non-limiting exemplary embodiments. In the figures, identical or corresponding parts are designated with the reference numbers themselves. With reference to figures 1 to 6, a module 1 is shown which is included in a part of the conveyor grid 2. The module 1 comprises a body part 3 which, on a front side 4 and a rear side 5, transversely extend transversely in a transport direction indicated by an arrow P, and are provided with rows of hinged eyelets 6. Transverse to the transport direction P, the hinged eyelets 6 are separated by intermediate spaces 7. As indicated in figures 3 and 4, the hinged eyelets 6 of the front row 8A are alternating transversely to the transport direction in relation to the hinged eyelets 6 of the rear row 8B. The hinged eyelets 6 are provided with articulated holes 9 that extend transversely in
the transport direction P, which are aligned by row. The front sides 4 and the rear sides 5 of the successive modules are coupled by means of an articulated bolt 11 extending transversely to the transport direction P. The articulated eyelets 6 are then interlaced like the fingers of two interlocking fingers. The hinged eyelets 6 extend from the inner faces 13 located closest to the center line 12 of the module 1, represented in FIG. 6, to the external faces 14 located farthest from the center line and located on the front side 4 or the rear side 5, respectively, of the module 1. Here, the external faces 14 are located closer to the hinged holes 9 in comparison with the internal faces 13. The internal faces 13 are provided with internal driving faces 13a for cooperation with the teeth of a first type of driving wheel 15. The outer faces 14 are provided with external driving faces 14a for cooperation with the teeth of a driving wheel 16 of a second type. The internal driving faces 13a and the external driving faces 14a have a substantially curved configuration: the driving faces are bent into
relation to an axis of curvature Al or A2, respectively, extending substantially transversely to the conveyor direction. This axis of curvature is formed by the central axis of the articulated bolt 11 when it makes contact against the edge of the articulated eye 6 adjacent to the driving face. The curvature of the external driving faces 14a is more pronounced than the curvature of the internal driving faces; the radius of curvature Rl of the external driving faces 14a is smaller than the radius of curvature R2 of the external driving faces 13a. The part of the body 3 is substantially of sheet design. The hinged eyelets 6 extend downwards relative to the conveyor surface 17 of the module and forward or backward in the transport direction relative to the center line 12 of the module. The conveyor surface 17 on the upper side of the part 3 of the body of the modules 1 has a substantially flat configuration and is of a closed design. The inner side 23 of the body part 3, transversely spaced in the transport direction, has a substantially bell-shaped configuration. The conveyor surface 17 articulates in a substantially flat manner with the closing surfaces formed by the rear parts 21 of the hinged eyelets
6. Accordingly, when the successive modules 1 are placed in a horizontal plane, their conveyor surfaces 17 form a closed conveyor surface. In Figures 2 and 6 it is clearly visible that the lower side 23 of the body part is reduced adjacent the side edge, at least in the place of an intermediate space 7 located between the hinged eyelets 6. Between the internal driving faces 3A, moreover, a free space 18 is present. This free space increases the susceptibility to cleaning the lower side of the module. In Figure 7, a first type of drive wheel 15 is shown in which a tooth 24 cooperates with an external drive face 14A of the module 1. In this exemplary embodiment, this drive wheel has six teeth 24 evenly distributed along the length of the drive wheel. circumference. The teeth 24 can be received between the side surfaces 25 of two adjacent hinged eyelets 6 of a successive module 1. Each of the teeth 24 has a drive flank 24A and is for driving in a transport direction. The gear wheel 15 can also be provided with an equally large set of reflected teeth, alternating transversely to the transport direction for driving in the opposite direction. It is clearly visible in the figure that in the reduced intermediate space 7 the external driving face 14A becomes accessible to tooth 24 and, as
As a result, the outer driving face 14A, when passing around, can be cleaned well from the conveyor surface 17. In Figure 8, a second type of driving wheel 16 is shown which cooperates with the internal driving faces 13A of the modules 1. In contrast to the first type of driving wheel in which the width of the teeth 24 corresponds to the width transverse to the transport direction of an external driving face at 14A, the width of the teeth 26 in this second type of driving wheel 16 corresponds to the width of a plurality of internal driving faces 13A. The second type of gear 16 can be, for example, a gear wheel transported by the cover of a drum motor and having a relatively large diameter and which is provided, for example, with twelve teeth. This figure clearly shows that the free space 18 can also be used to receive a relatively large tooth 26. The tooth can be provided with drive flanges 27A, B on both sides for driving in two opposite directions. At least part of the hinged eyelets 6 are provided with a groove 28 that extends in the transport direction P reaching the articulated hole 9. This groove extends from the bottom side 27 of the hinged eye 6 in the direction of the conveying surface 17 to a point separated from the conveyor surface. In
- - this exemplary embodiment, the groove 28 extends to the lower side 28 of the body part 3. Figures 9 and 10 show a conveyor comprising a modular conveyor grid 2 driven by a gear wheel 19 of a third type. The conveyor grid 2 is driven by the gear wheel 19 in the articulated bolts 9. The modular conveyor grid comprises several successive modules 1 in the transport direction P. Each of the modules 1 is provided with a body part 3 extending transversally in the direction of transport. On the front side 4, the body part 3 is provided with hinged eyelets 6 that extend forward in the transport direction. In addition, on the rear side 5, the body part 3 is provided with hinged eyelets 6 that extend rearwardly in the transport direction. The hinged eyelets 6 of the successive modules 1 in the transport direction P cooperate and are coupled using the articulated bolts 9. The flanks 30 of the teeth 29 of the gear 19 are coupled with the articulated bolts 9 in place of the spaces intermediate ones 31 present transversally in the transport direction P between articulated eyelets 6. The intermediate spaces 31 become accessible to the articulated pin 9 for cooperation with the teeth 29 of the gear 19. The gear 19 cooperates with the pins
hinged 9 in the position of the lower side 23 of the grid 2 remote from the transport surface 17. In this exemplary embodiment, the intermediate spaces 31 are located between the loop portions 6A and 6B of the same module 1 which are successively transverse to the direction of transport P. The intermediate space 31 here corresponds to a groove 28 extending the direction of transport, which is provided with the articulated eye 6 in which it extends into the articulated hole. The intermediate spaces 31 can also be located between the hinged eyelets 6 of two modules 1 adjacent to each other transversely to the transport direction P. This can be done, for example, by selecting the intermediate space 7 between the hinged eyelets 6 to be greater than the width of the hinged eye 6 transversely in the transport direction P. The intermediate spaces 31 can also be located between hinged eyelets 6 of modules 1 successive in the transport direction which are coupled via an articulated pin 9. It will be evident that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments represented herein. For example, the body part of the module can be designed to be open at least partially, for example, in what is called a grating grid module therein.
plane and / or may have, for example, a sinuous, wavy, zigzag, grid or spine shape. In addition, the conveyor surface may be of a non-planar design, for example, concave, convex and / or corrugated. The variants will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are understood to be within the scope of the invention as represented by the following claims. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.