WO2006094423A1

WO2006094423A1 - Transport device, rolling body and transport body

Info

Publication number: WO2006094423A1
Application number: PCT/CH2006/000140
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter Reist; Erwin Müller
Original assignee: Wrh Walter Reist Holding Ag
Priority date: 2005-03-11
Filing date: 2006-03-07
Publication date: 2006-09-14
Also published as: AU2006222472B2; CA2600729A1; EP1858782A1; AU2006222472A1; AU2006222472A2; EP1858782B1; PL1858782T3; CA2600729C

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport device (100) comprising a plurality of transport bodies (102) which roll along a guide (101) by means of a plurality of rollers (3). Said rollers (3) are interconnected by means of a flexible connection body (9) and are arranged at a distance from each other. The transport body (102) comprises means (103; 104, 105) which mutually support each other, preventing a displacement of the transport body (102) out of the guide (101). A connection body (9) and associated rollers (3) form a roller body (2), said roller body (2) comprising an average of two or less rollers (3) per transport body (102) in the transport direction. A roller body (2) for a transport device (100) comprises a plurality of linearly connected rollers (3), said rollers (3) being interconnected, at a distance from each other, by means of a flexible and especially elastic connection body (9). The connection body (9) can be bent in at least two directions in a preferred form of embodiment.

Description

CONVEYOR, ROLL BODY AND CONVEYOR BODY

The invention is in the field of conveyor technology and relates to a conveying device and a rolling body and a conveying body according to the preamble of the corresponding independent claims.

In particular, the invention relates to conveying devices for transporting individual objects or bulk material in a flowing conveying movement. One of the tasks is to realize conveying devices with simple and inexpensive means.

The object is achieved by a conveying device and a rolling body and a conveying body according to the corresponding independent patent claims.

A conveyor device according to the invention has a plurality of conveyor bodies, which roll over a plurality of rollers on a guide, wherein the rollers are interconnected by a flexible connecting body and spaced from each other.

The conveyor bodies preferably have means for mutual support, which prevent movement of the conveyor body from the guide. This makes it possible that fewer rollers per conveyor body are needed, because not always everyone Conveyor must be held by several roles per reel body. Conversely, for a given roller spacing shorter conveyor body can be used, which in turn allows smaller curve radii of the guide respectively the conveyor. In particular, therefore, a connecting body and associated rollers form a roller body, wherein the roller body along the conveying direction has on average two or less than two rollers per conveyor body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, two roller bodies are each arranged on the left and right of a series of conveying bodies in the guide and support and guide the conveyor bodies. In addition, a third roller body can run below the conveyor body and record a larger load in the vertical direction. A drive of the conveyor preferably engages the

Conveyors, which continue to move each other by pushing. On the conveyor bodies various means for transporting conveyed may be appropriate.

The means for mutual support are preferably flexible connections between the conveyor bodies, in particular a leading through a plurality of conveyor bodies soul, that is, a continuous flexible element. Alternatively, the means for mutual support may be mating formations on the conveyor bodies. Preferably, these formations allow an arbitrarily wide pulling apart of the conveyor body in the conveying direction. This means that the conveyor bodies are only loosely and separably connected to each other, respectively, but only push each other but can not pull.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mating formations, the conveyor body form a cylinder joint or a ball joint. Between the various elements of the conveying device, ie guide rail, conveyor body and roller body, as well as within the reel body a game respectively a mobility is also allowed outside of a main movement direction. The game in conjunction allows a relatively loose connection of the mutually moving elements and on the other hand, but a clean rolling of loaded roles. Thanks to the game of the reel body, the rollers are loosely pulled and guided, so that a low friction and neither a mutual grinding still jamming or jamming due to low tolerances occurs.

In another embodiment of the invention, the connecting body comprises: holding areas, in which the rollers are inserted, and hinge areas, which flexibly connect the holding areas.

The conveyor bodies may have means for temporarily holding objects to be conveyed, for example clamps or grippers. In another embodiment of the invention, the conveyor body run around a central body, so that the central body can roll on a counter body. Thus, the rollers and conveyor body serve a replacement of a wheel for the central body. Here, the central body may have means for temporarily holding objects to be conveyed.

A roller body for a conveyor device has a plurality of linearly interconnected rollers, wherein the rollers are connected to each other by a flexible and in particular also elastic connecting body and spaced from each other. The connecting body thus forms a movable bearing cage, also called cage belt. In this case, the cage strip in a preferred embodiment of the invention is bendable in at least two directions. For this purpose, the connecting body preferably has holding regions in which the rollers are inserted, and hinge regions, which flexibly interconnect the holding regions - A -

connect. Thus, the reel body can move not only in a plane orbit, but also along an orbit that runs in a curved surface. In other words, it is the reel body reversibly bendable in two directions, these two directions and a direction of movement of the reel body are each perpendicular to each other.

A roller body with such a cage tape or connecting body can be produced as a standardized mass product in any length and versatile use in different conveyors, roller elements and bearings of all kinds. By the use described below of one-piece, simply shaped and easy to manufacture components and the admission of play in the movements of smooth-running reel body can be produced in a very cost effective manner.

The roller bodies according to the invention can be used, in particular, in conveyor devices as described in the Swiss patent application CH 456/04 18.03.2004 and in the international application PCT / CH 2005/000144 of 11.03.2005, which claims their priority, as well as in roller elements as described in the Swiss patent application CH 884/04 of 21.05.2004 and the international application PCT / CH 2005/000288 of 20.05.2005, which claims priority to them.

A drive of the conveyor device can be realized by a belt which is pressed against the conveyor body and / or surrounds a sequence of conveyor bodies along a curvature of the conveyor track. A drive can also be realized, for example, with drive cams, which are guided a distance along the conveyor body and attack on a plurality of conveyor bodies. Such a drive can be realized by a driven roller element, as described in the Swiss patent application CH 885/04 of 21.05.2004 and calling on its priority international application PCT / CH 2005/000289 of 20.05.2005 are described. In this case, rollers or projecting cams of a rotating roller body of the driven roller element engage in the conveying device and in particular its conveying body.

The content of the three cited Swiss and international applications is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting body is integral, e.g. molded from a plastic and the rollers are used directly or via a bearing body or roller ring in the connecting body.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the rollers are integral and cylindrical, and are formed and on the inner sides of the holding portions each opposing bearing points. On the rollers, in particular corresponding to the shape of the bearing points, projecting axle elements are formed. The rollers are inserted into the bearing points by means of the axle elements. The term roller-shaped in particular comprises the shape of a circular cylinder or a barrel-shaped, bulged cylinder or a recessed cylinder. The rollers are preferably integral and formed of metal or plastic.

Conversely, the inner sides of the holding regions may each have mutually opposite, projecting bearing projections, and are formed on the rollers, preferably corresponding to the shape of the bearing points, indentations. Thus, the rollers can be used by means of the indentations in the bearing projections. In order to facilitate insertion, the projecting axle elements or the protruding bearing projections are preferably tapered and in particular tapered.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the rollers are spherical and the rollers are each snapped into bearing bodies, which are inserted in the connecting body. The bearing bodies are in particular roller rings, which enclose the rollers, so that the rollers can roll on two opposite sides on another body. However, the bearing bodies can also partially enclose the rollers only from one side, so that the rollers can roll on other bodies on three sides.

The rollers within the roller body preferably form a single linear train or series of rollers. However, it is also possible for two or more rows of rollers to be arranged side by side in the same roller body.

Further preferred embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

In the following, the subject invention will be explained in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each show schematically:

1 shows a conveyor device according to the invention in a plan view; Figure 2 shows the same conveyor in cross section;

Figures 3 and 4, a further conveying device in a plan view and in the

Cross-section; Figure 5 shows a movement of conveying bodies in a curved

Embodiment of the further conveying device; Figure 6 corresponding conveyor body; FIG. 7 shows a conveying device with revolving conveying bodies;

Figures 8 and 9 reel body with spherical rollers; Figures 10 to 18 roller body with roller-shaped rollers; and FIGS. 19 to 20 further applications of reel bodies.

The reference numerals used in the drawings and their meaning are listed in the list of reference numerals. Basically, the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a conveying device 100 according to the invention in a plan view, and Figure 2 in cross section. In a guide rail 101 a plurality of conveyor body 102 are guided and supported in the longitudinal direction one behind the other by roller bodies 2 extending on both sides. The conveyor body 102 have on both sides each have a guide groove 108 which corresponds to the shape of the rollers 3. The roller bodies 2 have connecting bodies 9 and rollers 3 mounted therein. The conveyor bodies 102 are individual blocks or else lamellae, wherein in each case a plurality of lamellae per roller 3 are present in the longitudinal direction. The blocks or slats are defined by a soul 103, i. a flexible cable, cable or monofilament passing through the conveyor 102 is connected to each other. In this case, the core 103 is loosely guided by the conveyor body 102, or the soul 103 is connected to the conveyor bodies 102, which restricts a torsion of the conveyor body 102 to the soul 103. In both cases, the core 103 supports the conveyor bodies 102 in the areas in which the conveyor bodies 102 are not supported by the roller body 2 itself.

Figures 3 and 4 show a further conveying device 100 in a plan view and in cross section. Here, the conveying bodies 102 are shaped as blocks. It is longitudinally about a conveyor body 102 per roller 3 before. So that the conveyor body 102 does not fall out of the guide rail 101, the conveyor body 102 are provided with connecting elements 104, 105 for mutual support. Here are this respectively correspondingly shaped Gelenkausbuchtungen 104 and Jeheninbuchtungen 105, as will be explained with reference to the following figures,

FIG. 5 shows a movement of conveying bodies 102 in a curved embodiment of the further conveying apparatus 100. FIG. 6 shows corresponding different variants of individual conveying bodies 102 in a common

Side view 6a and in different views 6b, 6c. The

Joint bumps 104 and the hinge bumps 105 are spherical

(Figure 6b) or cylindrical (Figure 6c), wherein in each case a Gelenkausbuchtung 104 of a conveyor body 102 in a joint indentation 105 of a subsequent

Conveyor 102 fits. The conveyor body 102 each have one on each side

Guide groove 108, which corresponds to the shape of the rollers 3.

The two roller bodies 2 of the conveyor device 100 and their direction of movement thus extend in a plane substantially parallel to both sides of the conveyor body 102 and its direction of movement, wherein the means 104, 105 prevent relative support of the conveyor body 102 perpendicular to this plane for mutual support. At a curvature of the guide rail 101, the direction of movement is to be understood as tangential.

In order, as in FIG. 5, to permit a movement of the conveying bodies 102 out of this plane, the conveying bodies 102 have first bevels 106 between the end faces and an inner side 22. These chamfers begin, in a lateral projection as seen in Figure 5 or Figure 6a, at the location of the cylinder axis and the center of the ball. From there, the first bevels 106 lead to the inside 22 of the conveyor body 102, so that a series of conveyor bodies 102 can curve in the direction of their inner sides 22, with two conveyor bodies 102 rotating around each other around the intermediate joint 104, 105. If the conveyor body 102 pressed against each other, so lie their end faces in the upper part of each other rich and prevent buckling of the conveyor body 102 down.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, there are second bevels 107 on the front side, which allow a bend of a series of conveying bodies 102 in the same plane, along which plane the conveying bodies 102 and the roller bodies 2 extending laterally of the conveying bodies 102 move. For this purpose, the second bevels 107, in a projection from above, that is in a view as in the figures 3, 6b or 6c, from a line through the ball center to the left and right sides of the conveyor body 102. By contact along this line the mutual support of the conveyor body 102 continues to ensure against buckling down. Second bevels 107 are shown by dashed lines by way of example in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a conveying device 100 with revolving conveying bodies 102 in a side view 7a and in cross section 7b. The conveyor body 102 extend in a conveyor track 17 and are laterally supported by a roller body 2 with spherical rollers 3 in bearing grooves 14 of the conveyor track 17. As an alternative to the roller body 2 with balls, one of the roller bodies 2 presented below can also be used with rollers. In the case of a fixedly mounted conveyor track 17 or guide rail, the number of conveyor bodies 102 is generally greater than indicated and thus forms a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain. For this purpose, the conveyor bodies 102 may be e.g. be provided with grippers. The conveyor body 102 can transport by their movement piece or bulk material.

In another manner of use, the arrangement according to FIG. 7 can be designed as a roller element 10, which can roll over the conveyor body 102, which in this case function as a support body 82, on a mating body 5 drawn in a dashed line. A central body 1 of the roller element 10 as well as objects connected thereto can thus be conveyed as a whole with respect to the counter body 5. The Support body 82 and the roller body 2 replaced as a storage of the central body 1 by wheels.

At the transition between the straight portion and the curved portion s2 with a certain first radius of curvature, the guide rail 101 preferably has an intermediate portion sl with a larger radius of curvature than the first radius of curvature. This prevents that when the retraction of a conveyor body 102 in the curved region of the conveyor body 102 tilts, the subsequent conveyor body 102 is lifted away from the central body 1 away.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a guide projection 109, which limits the guide groove 108 inwardly, curved. As a result, in the curved region of the orbit 17, the abutting guide projections 109 at least approximately form a circle segment along which the rollers 3 can roll in a regular movement.

Figures 8 and 9 show reel body 2 with spherical rollers. Figures 8a and 8b show the complete reel body 2 in a plan view 8a and a cross section 8b. Figures 9a, 9b and 9c show a connecting body 9 or cage belt, a roller ring 83 in cross-section and a spherical roller 3. The connecting body 9 has on the one hand ring-like holding portions 91, in which the rollers 3 are inserted by means of roller rings 83, and on the other hand hinge portions 92nd which flexibly interconnect the holding portions 91. The roller rings 83 are for example made in one piece from plastic, and have an inner surface corresponding to a spherical surface, so that the balls can be snapped into the rings 83. The roller rings 83 have at the outer edge a circumferential groove, by means of which they are inserted into circular openings of holding portions 91 of the connecting body 9. The Verbihdungskörper 9 is preferably made of an elastic sheet of plastic or rubber or a blended fabric, for example by punching or water jet cutting.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting body 9 has no narrow hinge portions 92, but is a band of constant width, in which the rollers 3 are inserted.

FIGS. 10 to 18 show roller bodies with roller-shaped rollers. Figures 10a and 10b show a roller body 2 in a plan view 10a and a cross section 10b. Figures IIa, and IIb show a connecting body 9 or cage belt and a roller-shaped roller 3. The connecting body 9 has on the one hand ring-like holding portions 91, in which the rollers 3 are inserted, and on the other hand hinge portions 92 which connect the holding portions 91 with each other. The connecting body 9 is preferably in one piece and consists of a flexible or elastic but not soft elastic material, for example a plastic such as nylon. It is made by injection molding or from a flat material, for example by punching or water jet cutting. The rollers 3 are also made of plastic or metal, in particular steel. In this embodiment of the invention, the rollers 3 are conical and tapered in the axial direction, whereby conical axle elements 95 are formed, as can be seen in the detail view according to FIG. On the inner sides of the holding regions 91 corresponding depressions, such as inner cones, for example, are formed as bearing points 94 opposite each other. These inner cones cause a storage for the rollers 3. Instead of conical elements, of course, another form can be used for storage, such as a cylindrical. The connection through the joint regions 92, viewed in the running direction of the rollers 3, arranged at least approximately at the center of the rollers 3. Such a cage strip 9 can be bent within a plane perpendicular to the roller axes, and can thus be used with a central body 1 according to, for example, Figure 7. Thanks to the flexible and single connection through the hinge portions 92 of the connecting body 9 but also out of this plane is bendable, so that the central body 1 does not have to have a flat orbit. Furthermore, the cage belt 9 can be twisted by the joint areas 92 and thus also the roller body 2 of a web, which causes a torsion of the roller body 2, follow. Such a roller body 2 can therefore be used in many ways and can be made in a simple manner in large quantities.

Figures 13 and 14 show a further roller body 2 in a plan view 13a and a cross section 13b. Figures 14a, and 14b show a corresponding connecting body 9 or cage belt and a roller-shaped roller 3. These are produced in a similar manner as those of Figures 10 and 11. For the production of the roller 3, a further simplification is possible, since this by their simple shape can be made either as a single injection molded part or by cutting off a thick-walled pipe. The rollers 3 have in this embodiment of the invention, therefore, two indentations 97 for storage, said indentations 97 may also be formed by a through hole along the roller axis. The holding region 91 of the connecting body 9 has opposite bearing projections 96 which snap into the recesses 97 when the rollers 3 are inserted. To simplify this, the bearing protrusions 96, as well as the axle elements 95 of the previous embodiment, are preferably designed to taper and, in particular, to taper to a point.

FIG. 15 shows a further variant with a bearing projection 96 on the holding region 91 in a detailed view. FIG. 16 shows a variant of a roller body 2 with other proportions. FIG. 17 shows a variant of a roller body 2 in which the rollers 3 have projecting bearing shafts 31, which are mounted in bearing openings of the connecting body 9. In a variant with a As can be seen according to FIG. 18 a, the connecting body 9 has two separate halves or bearing bands which respectively connect the bearing shafts 31 on both sides of the roller body 2. As a result, the roller body 2 is bendable as a whole only in one direction. So that the roller body 2 does not fall apart and nevertheless the roller body 2 can be assembled, the bearing shafts 31 lie, for example, with an interference fit in the bearing bands and the rollers 3 are freely rotatable about the bearing axis 31. In the variant according to FIG. 18b, as in the previous embodiments, bending in two directions as well as torsion or rotation is possible. Again, the bearing shafts 31 may be secured with a press fit in the connecting body 9. However, the bearing shafts 31 can also be integrally formed on the rollers 3 and lie loosely in the holding regions 91 of the connecting body 9.

FIG. 19 shows a roller element 10 with a roller body 2 similar to that of FIGS. 10 and 11. The roller body 2 revolves around a central body 1 in an orbit 17 and thus permits unrolling and thus storage of the roller element 10 with respect to a further body.

FIG. 20 shows a movement of a roller body 2 in a curved guide rail 101, for example in a curved roller element 10. Thus, viewed from the direction of movement of the roller body 2, the movement of the rollers 3 is curved in two directions perpendicular to one another and to the direction of movement.

In principle, the various variants of cage bands 9, roller shapes, roller bearings, roller elements, etc. shown are combinable and modifiable in a variety of ways. Bezugszeichenhste

1 central body 94 bearing point

10 roller element 95 axle element

12 rectilinear section 96 bearing projection

14 Bearing groove 97 recess, bore

16 inner edge of the bearing groove 100 conveyor

17 conveyor track 101 guide rail

2 roller body 102 conveyor body

22 inside 103 soul

3 roller 104 articulation

31 Bearing axle 105 Pivoting recess

5 counter body 106 first bevel

82 support body 107 second bevel

83 roller ring 108 guide groove

9 cage tape 109 guide projection

91 holding area

92 joint area

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. conveying device (100) comprising a plurality of conveying bodies (102) which roll over a plurality of rollers (3) on a guide (101), characterized in that the rollers (3) by a flexible connecting body (9) are interconnected and spaced from each other ,

Second conveyor device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor body (102) comprises means (104, 105) for mutual support, which prevent movement of the conveyor body (102) from the guide (101).

3. conveying device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a connecting body (9) and associated rollers (3) form a roller body (2), and the roller body (2) along the conveying direction on average two or less than two rollers (3) per conveyor body (102).

4. conveying device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means (104, 105) for mutual support flexible connections between the conveyor bodies (102), in particular a through a plurality of conveyor bodies (102) leading soul (103 ).

5. conveying device (100) according to one of claims (1) to (3), characterized in that the means (104, 105) for mutual support mating formations on the conveyor bodies (102).

6. conveying device (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the mating formations (104, 105) allow a pulling apart of the conveyor body (102) in the conveying direction.

7. conveying device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the mating formations (104, 105) of the conveyor body (102) form a cylinder joint or a ball joint.

8. conveying device (100) according to one of claims (2) to (7), characterized in that it comprises two roller body (2), which roller body (2) in a plane substantially parallel to both sides of the conveyor body (102) in that the means (104, 105) for mutual support prevent a relative movement of the conveyor bodies (102) perpendicular to this plane.

9. conveying device (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the guide (101) has a curvature from said plane out, and at a transition between a straight portion and a curved portion (s2) with a certain radius of curvature an intermediate portion ( sl) having a larger radius of curvature.

10. Conveying device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting body (9) has holding regions (91) in which the rollers (3) are inserted, and hinge portions (92) which the holding portions (91) flexible connect with each other.

11. roller body (2) for a conveyor device (100), comprising a plurality of linearly interconnected rollers (3), characterized in that the rollers (3) by a flexible connecting body (9) are interconnected and spaced from each other.

12. roller body (2) according to claim 11, characterized in that the connecting body (9) has holding areas (91), in which the rollers (3) are inserted, and hinge portions (92), which connect the holding portions (91) flexible with each other ,

13. roller body (2) according to claim 12, characterized in that the roller body (2) is bendable in at least two directions, wherein these two directions and a direction of movement of the roller body (2) are each perpendicular to each other.

14. roller body (2) according to one of claims (11) to (13), characterized in that the connecting body (9) is integrally formed and the rollers (3) directly or via a bearing body (83) in the connecting body (9) are used.

15. roller body (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that the rollers (3) are integral and cylindrical and on the inner sides of the holding areas (91) each opposing bearing points (94) are formed on the rollers (3) projecting axle elements (95) are shaped, and that the rollers

(3) are inserted by means of the axle elements (95) in the bearing points (94).

16 roller body (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that the rollers (3) are integral and cylindrical in shape and on the inner sides of the holding areas (91) each opposing, projecting bearing projections (96) are formed on the rollers (3). Indentations (97) are formed, and that the rollers (3) by means of the recesses (97) are inserted into the bearing projections (96).

17. roller body (2) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the projecting axle elements (95) respectively the protruding bearing projections (96) are tapered.

18. roller body (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that the rollers (3) are spherical and in each case in bearing bodies (83) are snapped, which in the connecting body (9) are used.

19. A conveyor body (102) for use in a sequence of circulating conveyed conveyor bodies (102) in a conveyor device (100), comprising means for mutual support (103; 104, 105) on a further, identically shaped conveyor body (102).

20. A conveyor body (102) according to claim 19, characterized in that the means for mutual support (104, 105) prevent buckling of a sequence of conveyor bodies (102) in at least one direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when the conveyor body (102) pressed against each other are.

21, conveying body (102) according to claim 20, characterized in that the means for mutual support (104, 105) allow a pulling apart of the conveying body in the conveying direction.

22, conveying body (102) according to claim 21, characterized in that the means for mutual support (104, 105) spherical or cylindrical Gelenkausbuchtungen (104) respectively Gelenkinbuchtungen (105).

23, conveying body (102) according to claim 19, characterized in that the means for mutual support (103) by a flexible core (103) are formed, which soul (103) through the conveyor body (102) and adjacent conveyor body (102) leads ,