DE102023109568A1 - sliding element for guiding a conveyor belt - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sliding element for guiding a conveyor belt and to a conveyor belt with at least one sliding element according to the invention. In order to provide a sliding element for a conveyor belt that enables long-term operation of the conveyor belt with only low maintenance and repair costs and is particularly easy and quick to replace, it is provided that the sliding element has a first partial base body having at least one first coupling section and a second partial base body having at least one second coupling section, wherein the two partial base bodies are detachably connected to one another by means of the coupling sections to form a base body. Furthermore, the sliding element has a connecting section for securing the base body to the conveyor belt and/or for receiving a conveyor belt section of a conveyor belt and at least one guide section arranged on one of the partial base bodies for slidingly guiding the moving conveyor belt.

Description

The invention relates to a sliding element for guiding a conveyor belt and a conveyor belt with at least one sliding element according to the invention.

Conveyor belts with associated sliding elements, for example in the area of cleaning systems for bottles or containers, are usually used to guide or redirect conveyor belts and/or filter belts and/or sieve belts to or between different processing stations within the cleaning system.

For this purpose, several sliding elements, each with a guide section for sliding and/or linear guidance on a component of the system in question, in particular the container cleaning system, are usually arranged on the conveyor belt. However, as the conveyor belt is guided, the guide section of the sliding element wears out over time, which significantly limits the functionality of the conveyor belt.

The disadvantage of conveyor belts with sliding elements of the state of the art is that wear and tear on one or more sliding elements of a conveyor belt means that the entire conveyor belt has to be replaced. This results in high maintenance and repair costs and long periods of downtime for the cleaning system.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to provide a sliding element for a conveyor belt and/or a filter belt and/or a sieve belt, which enables long-term operation of the conveyor belt with only low maintenance and repair costs and is particularly easy and quick to replace.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a sliding element according to claim 1 and a conveyor belt according to claim 10. Advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The sliding element according to the invention has a first partial base body having at least one first coupling section and a second partial base body having at least one second coupling section, wherein the two partial base bodies are detachably connected to one another by means of the coupling sections to form a base body. Furthermore, the sliding element has a connecting section for securing the base body to the conveyor belt, in particular on both sides of the conveyor belt, and/or for receiving a conveyor belt section of a conveyor belt and at least one guide section arranged on one of the partial base bodies for slidingly guiding the moving conveyor belt.

The inventors have recognized that a sliding element with two partial base bodies that are detachably connected to one another via the coupling sections can be easily and quickly replaced in the event of wear by loosening the connection, which means that the entire conveyor belt does not need to be replaced. This enables a cost- and time-effective repair of a worn sliding element and thus of the conveyor belt.

A sliding element is basically understood to be a structural unit or an assembly that is intended for guiding and/or deflecting a conveyor belt so that it slides on a surface. The sliding element is preferably formed in at least two parts. According to the invention, the sliding element has at least the first and second partial base body and is particularly preferably formed therefrom.

The partial base bodies are basically provided as two parts that can be connected to one another and in particular as halves of the sliding element that can be connected to one another, which, when connected to one another, form a base body of the sliding element. In principle, the partial base bodies can be made of any material, for example a metal or a composite material. The partial base bodies are preferably made of a plastic, for example polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polysulfone, polyetheretherketone or polyvinylidene fluoride. For example, the partial base bodies can each be formed as injection-molded parts.

According to the invention, the sliding element has a connecting section for receiving a conveyor belt section of a conveyor belt and/or for securing the base body to the conveyor belt. Basically, a connecting section is understood to be a section of the sliding element and in particular of the base body that is intended for connecting the sliding element to a conveyor belt. For example, the connecting section is formed as a clip in which the conveyor belt section can be clamped, or preferably as an opening for passing through or receiving a component of the conveyor belt. Preferably, the connecting section is arranged on at least one of the partial base bodies and/or between the partial base bodies. Particularly preferably, the connecting section is arranged exactly in the middle between the partial base bodies and/or extends halfway within a part base body. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the connecting section is preferably adapted to the cross-section of the part of the conveyor belt to be accommodated and particularly preferably has a round cross-section.

According to the invention, the sliding element also has at least one guide section arranged on one of the partial base bodies for slidingly guiding the moving conveyor belt. A guide section is basically understood to be a section of the sliding element that is intended to guide the sliding element in a guide surface, a deflection element and/or a rail. For this purpose, the guide section preferably has a flat guide surface that particularly preferably extends in the intended direction of movement. The guide section also preferably forms an external region of the sliding element and very particularly preferably of the base body, which is arranged in particular at the maximum distance from the connecting section. Although it is conceivable that the sliding element can be formed as a separate component and arranged on the base body or on the relevant partial base body, it is preferred that the sliding element is formed in one piece with the base body and particularly preferably with a single partial base body.

The first and second coupling sections are generally provided for detachably connecting the partial base bodies to one another. The partial base bodies are detachably connected to one another, for example, by an indirect or direct interaction of the coupling sections. The first coupling section is arranged on the first partial base body and the second coupling section is arranged on the second partial base body. The partial base bodies preferably also have contact surfaces arranged facing one another. The coupling sections are preferably arranged on the partial base bodies in such a way that the contact surfaces of the partial base bodies abut one another in the connected state. The partial base bodies are particularly preferably detachably connected exclusively by means of the interacting coupling sections.

In principle, the coupling elements for detachably connecting the partial base bodies can be formed in any way or arranged on the partial base bodies. For example, the coupling elements are each formed as an internal thread that is detachably connected to one another by means of an additional connecting element, for example a screw. According to an advantageous development of the invention, however, it is provided that the coupling sections are formed and/or arranged on the partial base bodies in such a way that the partial base bodies can be connected to one another in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner and/or no further connecting element is necessary. The partial base bodies preferably each have a functional surface, wherein the functional surfaces are particularly preferably arranged facing one another when the partial base bodies are connected. The first coupling section is preferably arranged on a first functional surface of the first partial base body and the second coupling section is preferably arranged on a second functional surface of the second partial base body. The first coupling section and the second coupling section are preferably arranged in a coupling axis that is preferably arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sliding element. Particularly preferably, the coupling sections are designed to form a press and/or plug connection. For example, the first coupling section and/or the second coupling section are each designed as a projection protruding from a functional surface of the first or second partial base body.

To form the plug connection, the first coupling section is preferably designed as a deformable projection. In this case, deformable means that the projection gives way in the radial direction on the coupling axis when force is applied, for example when connecting the partial base bodies. The first coupling section preferably has an elliptical, polygonal or preferably circular cross-section extending in the direction of the coupling axis. The first coupling section preferably has a cavity extending in the direction of the coupling axis and delimited by an outer wall for deformation. In order to further increase the deformability of the first coupling section, the outer wall has, for example, a slot arranged parallel to the coupling axis. Furthermore, the first coupling section, in particular the outer wall of a coupling section designed as a projection, preferably has an end section with a larger circumference compared to the rest of the outer wall.

The second coupling section is preferably formed as a recess arranged on the second functional surface to form the plug connection. A recess is understood to be a free area of the second functional surface, for example a blind hole. The second coupling section preferably has a cross section extending along the coupling axis and adapted to the cross section of the first coupling section. The cross section of the second coupling section is adapted to the cross section of the first coupling section in such a way that the first coupling section for connecting the partial base bodies in the second coupling section is shaped is received conclusively. For example, the second coupling section has an undercut for receiving the end section of the first coupling section.

The partial base bodies preferably have at least two coupling sections. Preferably, two first coupling sections are arranged on the first partial base body and two second coupling sections are arranged on the second partial base body, each at a distance from one another.

An advantageous arrangement and design of the coupling sections according to a further development of the invention enables a positive and/or force-fitting connection of the partial base bodies. In particular, the design for forming a plug connection enables a positive connection of the coupling sections and thus of the partial base bodies in the direction of the coupling axis and/or perpendicular to the first and/or second functional surface.

In principle, the guide section can be arranged arbitrarily on the first or second partial base body. Preferably, the guide section is arranged on one of the partial base bodies in such a way that a conveyor belt section of the conveyor belt arranged in the connecting section is arranged perpendicular to an end face of the guide section. Particularly preferably, the guide section is arranged on an outer surface of the first or second partial base body facing away from the first and/or second coupling section. The first partial base body preferably has a first outer surface arranged at a distance from the first functional surface. Furthermore, the second partial base body preferably has a second outer surface arranged at a distance from the second functional surface.

The front face of the guide section is preferably arranged at a distance from the first or second outer surface. The guide section is preferably formed as a web protruding from the first or second outer surface. The guide section preferably has at least one sliding surface extending between the first or second outer surface and the front face for resting in the rail.

The sliding element and in particular the base body preferably has at least two guide sections. A first guide section is preferably arranged on the first partial base body and a second guide section is preferably arranged on the second partial base body. The two guide sections are also preferably arranged on opposite sides of the sliding element. The advantageous arrangement and design of the guide section enables simple and reliable guidance of the sliding element. By providing at least two guide sections, the sliding element can be guided on both sides on guide surfaces and/or in rails or the conveyor belt can be deflected in different directions.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the sliding element has a recess formed by two partial recesses arranged on each of the partial base bodies for arranging a further sliding element. The partial recesses are basically understood to be free areas of the partial base bodies. In the connected state of the partial base bodies, the partial recesses form the recess of the base body. The partial recesses preferably have an inner contour adapted to the shape of the base body in such a way that a further sliding element can be arranged to rest in the recess. For example, the partial recesses and/or the recess have a partially circular inner contour extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element. Accordingly, the base body has a partially circular outer contour arranged at a distance from the recess and extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element. Furthermore, the partial base bodies preferably have further recesses to save material when producing the partial base bodies, for example during injection molding. The advantageously provided partial recesses and the recess formed by them enable a simple arrangement of several sliding elements next to one another.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connecting section is formed by two partial connecting sections, each arranged on one of the partial base bodies. According to this embodiment of the invention, the connecting section is preferably formed as an opening penetrating the base body of the sliding element. The partial connecting sections preferably have a semicircular cross-section extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element, so that the connecting section has a circular cross-section extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element. By forming the connecting section by two partial connecting sections, a sliding element that is particularly simple and inexpensive to produce can be made possible.

The partial base bodies preferably have a base surface and a cover surface arranged at a distance from the base surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the sliding element. The contact surfaces, the functional surfaces and/or the outer surfaces of the partial base bodies extend preferably between the base surface and the cover surface of a partial base body. In addition, the partial base bodies can differ in the design of the differently formed coupling sections or the arrangement of the guide section. According to an advantageous development of the invention, however, it is provided that the partial base bodies are formed identically and/or mirror-symmetrically to one another.

According to this development of the invention, the partial base bodies each have a first coupling section that interacts with a second coupling section arranged on the other partial base body and a second contact section arranged with a first coupling section arranged on the other partial base body. Furthermore, a guide section is arranged on each of the partial base bodies. Because the partial base bodies are formed identically to one another, the manufacturing costs for the sliding element can be reduced in an advantageous manner.

The connecting section arranged between the partial base bodies is basically sufficient for arranging the sliding element on the conveyor belt section of the conveyor belt. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the connecting section is arranged on a connecting element arranged between the partial base bodies or a connecting element in the connecting section of the two partial base bodies, wherein the connecting element is particularly preferably formed as a connecting sleeve. The base body preferably has a receiving section formed by two partial receiving sections each arranged on one of the partial base bodies. The receiving section preferably describes a free area of the sliding element arranged between the guide surfaces of the partial base bodies and extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element, in which the connecting element can be arranged. The connecting element preferably has a shape adapted to the receiving section. The connecting element is preferably made of a metal, for example of steel or particularly preferably of alkali-resistant material, in particular of so-called stainless steel. The connecting element enables a particularly stable and low-wear connection of the sliding element to the conveyor belt. By advantageously forming the connecting element from a metal material, the wear of the sliding element on the connecting portion is advantageously reduced.

The connecting element preferably has two connecting sections arranged at a distance from one another for receiving different, preferably exactly two, in particular two adjacent conveyor belt sections of a conveyor belt, whereby the sliding element can be arranged on at least two conveyor belt sections of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt section can in principle be any part of the conveyor belt, an individual component or also an assembly. The conveyor belt section is preferably a section of a component arranged repeatedly in the transport direction of the conveyor belt, for example a rod or a bar, in particular with an extension transverse to the transport direction.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the connection element has at least one recess which is operatively connected to the first and/or the second coupling section for detachably connecting the partial base bodies. The recess preferably has a cross section extending in the direction of the coupling axis. Furthermore, the recess is preferably formed to form a plug connection with the first and/or second coupling section. Preferably, the recess has an undercut in the direction of the coupling axis for forming a positive connection with the end section of the first coupling section in the direction of the coupling axis. According to this embodiment of the invention, the second coupling section is advantageously formed as a projection protruding from the second functional surface for arrangement in the recess. Preferably, the second coupling section also has a larger cross section compared to the cross section of the recess in order to form a press connection between the connection element and the second coupling section. For example, the recess is formed as a through hole.

The connecting element preferably has a plurality of recesses arranged at a distance from one another, each associated with a pair of interacting coupling sections, i.e. a first coupling section and a second coupling section interacting with the first coupling section. For example, in the case of two pairs of coupling sections arranged on the partial base bodies, the connecting element has two recesses arranged at a distance from one another and each associated with one of the pairs. The advantageous design of the connecting element enables the partial base bodies to be mounted or dismounted particularly easily and particularly quickly on or from the connecting element arranged on the conveyor belt sections, whereby the maintenance times for repairing the conveyor belt in the event of wear are further reduced.

The invention further relates to a conveyor belt, in particular for a cleaning device, with a first conveyor belt section and a second conveyor belt section arranged at a distance from the first conveyor belt section. The conveyor belt has a clamping element to secure the conveyor belt sections. The clamping element is basically understood to be a component that is provided for securing the conveyor belt sections to one another. For example, the clamping element is designed as a bent sheet metal part with various openings for the conveyor belt sections to pass through. The conveyor belt also has a sliding element as described above, which is arranged with a connecting section on at least one of the conveyor belt sections. The sliding element can also be arranged on several conveyor belt sections, for example. Furthermore, several sliding elements can be arranged adjacent to one another on different conveyor belt sections.

• 1 eine perspektivische Ansicht auf eine erste Ausführungsform eines Gleitelements zum Lenken eines Transportbandes;
• 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht auf eine zweite Ausführungsform des Gleitelements von 1 ohne Gleitelement;
• 3 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Transportbandes mit dem Gleitelement von 2;
• 4 einen Querschnitt entlang der Linie A-A von 3 des Transportbandes 2;

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

• 1 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sliding element for steering a conveyor belt;
• 2 a perspective view of a second embodiment of the sliding element of 1 without sliding element;
• 3 a perspective view of a conveyor belt with the sliding element of 2 ;
• 4 a cross section along the line AA of 3 the conveyor belt 2 ;

A in 1 The sliding element 1, shown schematically in a perspective view, is formed in two parts and has a first partial base body 2 and a second partial base body 3. A first coupling section 4 is arranged on the first partial base body and a second coupling section 5 is arranged on the second partial base body 3. The partial base bodies 2, 3 are positively and detachably connected to one another by an interaction of the coupling sections 4, 5 and form a base body 6 of the sliding element 1. Furthermore, the partial base bodies 2, 3 are each formed as injection-molded parts made of a plastic.

The first coupling section 4 is arranged on a first functional surface 7 of the first partial base body 2 and the second coupling section 5 is arranged on a second functional surface 8 of the second partial base body 3. Furthermore, the coupling sections 4, 5 are arranged in a coupling axis LK arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal axis LG of the sliding element. The partial base bodies 2, 3 each have contact surfaces 9 arranged facing one another and lying against one another. The functional surfaces 7, 8 are arranged parallel to the contact surfaces.

The first partial base body 2 has a first outer surface 10 arranged at a distance from the first functional surface 7 and the second partial base body 3 has a second outer surface 11 arranged at a distance from the second functional surface 8.

The sliding element 1 has a connecting section 12 for receiving a conveyor belt section 13 of a conveyor belt 14. The connecting section 12 is formed by two partial connecting sections 15 each arranged on one of the partial base bodies 2, 3. The partial connecting sections 15 have a semicircular cross section 16 extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element 1, so that the connecting section 12 has a circular cross section 17 extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element 1.

In addition, the sliding element 1 has a guide section 18 arranged on the second partial base body 3. This is arranged on the second outer surface 11 of the second partial base body 3 facing away from the first and second coupling sections 4, 5. The guide section 18 has an end face 19 arranged at a distance from the second outer surface 11 and a sliding surface 20 extending between the second outer surface 11 and the end face 19 for guiding on a guide surface or in a rail of a container cleaning device.

Furthermore, the sliding element 1 has a recess 22 in the base body 6, formed by two partial recesses 21 arranged on each of the partial base bodies 2, 3, for arranging a section 23 of a further sliding element 1. In the connected state of the partial base bodies 2, 3, the partial recesses 21 form the recess 22 in the base body 6. The partial recesses 21 and the recess 22 each have a partially circular inner contour 24 extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element 1. Accordingly, the section 23 of the base body 6 has a partially circular outer contour 25 arranged at a distance from the recess 22 and extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the sliding element 1.

The base body 6 also has a second recess to save material when producing the partial base bodies 2,3 during injection molding.

For the 2 In the sliding element 1a shown, which represents a further embodiment of the sliding element 1, the same reference numerals are used for the same components. The sliding element 1a differs from the sliding element according to 1 by a different design and construction of the coupling sections 4a, 5a and a three-part construction with a connecting sleeve 26 arranged between the partial base bodies 2a, 3a. In addition, the sliding element has a further guide section 18 arranged on the first partial base body 2.

The base body 6a has a receiving section 28 formed by two partial receiving sections 27 arranged on each of the partial base bodies 2a, 3a. The connecting sleeve 26 is, as in 3 shown, can be arranged between the functional surfaces 7, 8 of the partial base bodies 2a, 3a in the receiving section 28.

The connecting sleeve 26 has two connecting sections 12a arranged at a distance from one another for receiving various, for example in 3 and 4 illustrated conveyor belt sections 13 of the conveyor belt 14.

The first partial base body 2a has two first coupling sections 4a arranged at a distance from one another and the second partial base body 3a has two second coupling sections 5a arranged at a distance from one another. Furthermore, the connection sleeve 26 has two recesses 29 each associated with a first coupling section 4a and a second coupling section 5a interacting with the first coupling section.

The first coupling section is formed in the form of a deformable projection 4a and has a cavity 31 extending in the direction of the coupling axis LK and delimited by an outer wall 30 for deformation. In order to further increase the deformability of the projection 4a, the outer wall 30 has a slot 37 arranged parallel to the coupling axis LK. Furthermore, the outer wall 30 of the projection 4a has an end section 32 with a larger circumference compared to the rest of the outer wall 30.

According to the embodiment, the second coupling portion is formed as a projection 5a protruding from the second functional surface 8 for arrangement in the recess 29.

The recesses 29 are each designed to form a plug connection with the deformable projection 4a and to form a press connection with projection 5a. The recesses 29 each have an undercut 33 for forming a positive connection with the end section 32 of the projection 4a in the direction of the coupling axis LK. In addition, the recesses 29 each have a cross section 34 extending in the direction of the coupling axis LK. The projection 5a has a larger cross section 35 compared to the cross section 34 of the recess. The conveyor belt 14 has, as in 3 and 4 schematically shown, a holding element 36 for fixing the conveyor belt sections 13 to one another.

The two-part or three-part sliding elements 1, 1a with two partial base bodies 2, 2a, 3, 3a detachably connected to one another via the coupling sections 4, 4a, 5, 5a can be easily and quickly replaced in the event of wear by loosening the plug and press connection.

All features explained in connection with the individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in different combinations for the sliding element 1, 1a or the conveyor belt 14 in order to simultaneously realize their advantageous effect, even if these have been described for different embodiments. For example, the partial base bodies 2a, 3a of the sliding element 1a can be formed identically, with a first coupling section 4a, 5a and a second coupling section 4a, 5a arranged at a distance from the latter being arranged on the partial base bodies 2a, 3a.

list of reference symbols

1

sliding element

2, 2a

first partial base body

3, 3a

second partial body

4, 4a

first coupling section/deformable projection

5, 5a

second coupling section/protrusion

6

base body

7

first functional area

8

second functional area

9

contact surface

10

first outer surface

11

second outer surface

12, 12a

connecting section

13

conveyor belt section

14

conveyor belt

15

partial connection section

16

cross-section of the partial connection section

17

cross-section of the connecting section

18

leadership section

19

frontal surface

20

sliding surface

21

partial recess

22

recess

23

section of the sliding element

24

inner contour

25

outer contour

26

connection sleeve

27

partial recording section

28

recording section

29

recess

30

exterior wall

31

cavity

32

final section

33

undercut

34

cross-section of the recess

35

cross-section of the second contact section/protrusion

36

holding element

37

slot

LG

longitudinal axis of the sliding element

LK

coupling axis

Claims (10)

Sliding element for guiding a conveyor belt (14), with - a first partial base body (2, 2a) having at least one first coupling section (4, 4a), - a second partial base body (3, 3a) having at least one second coupling section (4, 4a), - wherein the two partial base bodies (2, 2a, 3, 3a) are detachably connected to one another by means of the coupling sections (4, 4a, 5, 5a) to form a base body (6), - a connecting section (12, 12a) for securing the base body (6) to the conveyor belt (14) and/or for receiving a conveyor belt section (13) of the conveyor belt (14) and - at least one guide section (18) arranged on one of the partial base bodies (2, 2a, 3, 3a) for slidingly guiding the moving conveyor belt (14). sliding element after claim 1 , characterized in that the coupling sections (4, 4a, 5, 5a) are formed and/or arranged on the partial base bodies (2, 2a, 3, 3a) in such a way that the partial base bodies (2, 2a, 3, 3a) can be connected to one another in a positive and/or non-positive manner. Sliding element according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide section (18) is arranged on an outer surface (10, 11) of the first and/or the second partial base body (2, 2a, 3, 3a) facing away from the respective coupling section (4, 4a, 5, 5a). Sliding element according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a recess (22) in the base body for receiving a section (23) of a further sliding element (1), wherein the recess (22) is formed by two partial recesses (21) each arranged on one of the partial base bodies (2, 3). Sliding element according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting section (12) is formed by two partial connecting sections (15), each arranged on one of the partial base bodies (2, 3). Sliding element according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partial base bodies (2, 2a, 3, 3a) are formed identically to one another. Sliding element according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base body (6) is arranged on a connecting sleeve (26) arranged between the partial base bodies (2a, 3a). sliding element after claim 7 characterized in that the connecting sleeve (26) has two connecting sections (12a) arranged at a distance from one another for receiving two, in particular two adjacent conveyor belt sections (13) of the conveyor belt (14). sliding element after claim 7 or 8 , characterized in that the connection sleeve (26) has at least one recess (29) which is in operative connection with the first and/or the second coupling section (4a, 5a) for detachable connection to the partial base bodies (2a, 3a). Conveyor belt, in particular for a container cleaning device, with - a first conveyor belt section (13), - a conveyor belt section (13) arranged at a distance from the first conveyor belt section, - a clamping element for securing the conveyor belt sections (13) to one another and - a sliding element (1a) arranged with a connecting section (12a) on at least one of the conveyor belt sections (13) according to at least one of the Claims 1 - 9 .

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