Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G45/00—Lubricating, cleaning, or clearing devices
  • B65G45/10—Cleaning devices
  • B65G45/12—Cleaning devices comprising scrapers
  • B65G45/16—Cleaning devices comprising scrapers with scraper biasing means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G45/00—Lubricating, cleaning, or clearing devices
  • B65G45/10—Cleaning devices
  • B65G45/12—Cleaning devices comprising scrapers

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to a conveyor belt scraper blade and a method for manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper blade.
• Scraper blades for conveyor belts are used for cleaning the conveyor belt from material that gets stuck and therefore remains on the conveyor belt after the conveyed material leaves the same. There are many parameters that are important for the functionality of the scraper blade.
• the scraper blade needs to have a stable construction to keep its shape during the stress exerted thereon during use. It also needs to have good wear characteristics to reduce downtime due to scraper replacement. If the scraper blade needs to be replaced too often it is a problem both economically and for the environment, due to a waste of resources. When a scraper blade for a conveyor belt is in operation, it will gradually wear as a result from the frictional forces exerted thereon from the movable conveyor belt.
• the conveyor belt scraper blade may be advantageous since its supporting structure allows selecting which parts of the conveyor belt scraper blade that should house the scraper element. By selectively shaping and disposing the scraper element at positions that will be worn off until the end of the service life of the conveyor belt scraper blade, the total required volume of material needed to manufacture a conveyor belt scraper blade will decrease and a bigger portion of the conveyor belt scraper blade can be used before remaining parts thereof is disposed of as waste.
• the use of two different materials also allows selecting the material characteristics independently from each other. This may allow a supporting structure having its preferred characteristics to contribute with one function of the conveyor belt scraper blade, and the scraper element having other characteristics to contribute with another function.
• the engagement portion may be attached to the scraper element along both these two engagement surface portions.
• the scraper element encloses the engagement portion in all three dimensions.
• the scraper element may be structured to not enclose the engagement portion along the scraper axis.
• the supporting structure is manufactured, at least in part, by an extrusion process, an injection moulding process, or a 3D printing process.
• the extrusion process is a reliable process for providing the product with the constant cross-sectional profile of the supporting structure. It allows manufacturing elements with relatively complex shapes, also having hollow spaces. Also, it allows manufacturing elements with a relatively long length. This may allow manufacturing long conveyor belt scraper blades to allow covering the entire scraping width with a single scraper blade.
• the injection moulding process is also regarded as a reliable process for manufacturing the supporting structure. It is a versatile technique and allows manufacturing very complex shapes. Specifically, it may allow manufacturing supporting structures having a varying cross-sectional profile along the scraper axis.
• the 3D-printing process is also regarded as a reliable process for manufacturing the supporting structure. Although manufacturing time may be less fast, it allows manufacturing very complex shapes. Moreover, modifications in the design are more easily implemented, as dedicated elements such the tailored moulds used in the extrusion and injection moulding processes do not have to be designed and fabricated.
• the second material comprises a polymer
• the second material comprises polyurethane or a thermoplastic elastomer.
• Polyurethane may provide low friction, high wear resistance, and high strength. Another advantage is that a polyurethane-based scraper element may be formed by moulding.
• the second material may be a polyurethane composite material.
• Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) show advantages typical of both rubbery materials and plastic materials. The benefit of using thermoplastic elastomers may be the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape creating a longer life and better physical range than many other materials.
• the second material could also comprise other kind of materials suitable for scraping the conveyor belt, for example rubber.
• carbide may be suitable for some embodiments of the conveyor belt scraper blade since it is highly wear resistant.
• the scraper element may be made from a material which includes e.g. a carbide powder.
• the carbide powder may be mixed with a polymeric material such as polyurethane. It is also conceivable to provide a scraper element which includes other ceramic powders, or a graphene powder.
• the first material has a higher hardness than the second material.
• the hardness of the material may be measured with a Shore durometer.
• the second material may have a hardness of 50-95° Shore A and in general more preferably 70° Shore A.
• the first material is a harder material than the second material the supporting structure can provide the stability needed for the conveyor belt scraper blade to keep its shape during use.
• the anchoring portion comprises two sub portions which protrude out from the distal end in different directions.
• An angle between the two sub portions may be within the range 20 to 180 degrees, preferable 70 to 110 degrees.
• the two sub portions may extend outwardly away from the engagement portion.
• the two sub portions may extend inwardly towards the engagement portion. It is also conceivable to only have one sub portion. In such a case the sub portion may protrude out from the distal end in a direction being different from the direction of the reinforcement portion.
• Each of the one or more hollow portions may be a through-opening extending through the supporting structure along the scraper axis.
• the one or more hollow portions comprises a second hollow portion which is located between the mounting base and the scraper portion.
• the second hollow portion may contribute to a more efficient use of material.
• the supporting structure (110) comprises one or more through-holes which extend through the engagement portion.
• Each of the one or more through-holes may extend in a direction being transverse to the scraper axis.
• the one or more through-holes may be advantageous because they may allow the second material which constitutes the scraper element to extend therethrough thus further strengthening the structural integrity of the scraper blade.
• the one or more through-holes may extend through any part of the engagement portion.
• the one or more through-holes may extend through one or more of the reinforcement portions.
• the one or more through-holes may extend through the engagement portion along a direction being transverse to the scraper axis.
• a conveyor belt scraper assembly for scraping off material from a conveyor belt surface.
• the conveyor belt scraper assembly comprising: a plurality of conveyor belt scraper blades according to the first aspect, and a support shaft structured and arranged to support the plurality of conveyor belt scraper blades, and tensioning means configured to exert a torque or a force onto the support shaft for pressing the plurality of conveyor belt scraper blades towards the conveyor belt surface.
• a method of manufacturing a conveyor belt scraper blade which presents a scraper tip at a first end and a mounting base at a second, opposite, end and which is tapered towards the scraper tip at least at the first end, the method comprising the steps of: a) manufacturing a supporting structure made of a first material, wherein the supporting structure comprises a base portion and an engagement portion, wherein the base portion includes the mounting base, and wherein the engagement portion interconnects with the base portion and extends from the base portion towards the first end, wherein the engagement portion comprises at least one reinforcement portion, and b) arranging a scraper element made of a second material to the supporting structure such that the scraper element and the supporting structure becomes attached to each other along the engagement portion and such that the at least one reinforcement portion protrudes into the scraper element thereby reinforcing an attachment between the scraper element and the supporting structure.
• the step of manufacturing the supporting structure is achieved, at least in part, by an extrusion process, an injection moulding process, or a 3D printing process. If an embodiment of the supporting structure which has one or more through-holes is to be manufactured at least in part by an extrusion process, a supporting structure without through-holes may first be manufactured by the extrusion process, and the one or more through-holes provided therein in a second step, e.g. by drilling.
• the step of arranging the scraper element to the supporting structure comprises: arranging the supporting structure into a mould, supplying the second material in liquid form into the mould such that the second material meets the supporting structure along the engagement portion, whereby the second material binds with the first material of the supporting structure to form a coherent structure during cooling.
• the first and second materials are different.
• the supporting structure may be manufactured as a whole in a single manufacturing step but may alternatively be manufactured in parts which are later attached to each other in a second step to form the supporting structure.
• the supporting structure may be manufactured by an extrusion process by manufacturing two or more separate sections, which are subsequently attached to each other.
• This modular manufacturing process may be beneficial for longer conveyor belt scraper blades, where manufacturing using e.g. an extrusion process may become challenging.
• the modular manufacturing process provides an additional advantage in that it allows providing reinforcement structures within the supporting structure which are not extending along the scraper direction prior to mounting the modules together. Effects and features of the second and third aspects are largely analogous to those described above in connection with the first aspect. Embodiments mentioned in relation to the first aspect are largely compatible with the second aspect and third aspects. It is further noted that the inventive concepts relate to all possible combinations of features unless explicitly stated otherwise.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Belt Conveyors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=87930201

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2022
  • 2022-09-09 SE SE2251046A patent/SE546858C2/en unknown
• 2023
  • 2023-09-04 AU AU2023337415A patent/AU2023337415A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-09-04 CN CN202311134974.4A patent/CN117682285A/zh active Pending
  • 2023-09-04 CN CN202322402137.7U patent/CN221318032U/zh active Active
  • 2023-09-04 EP EP23764910.8A patent/EP4584189A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-09-04 WO PCT/EP2023/074126 patent/WO2024052255A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-09-04 CA CA3267068A patent/CA3267068A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-09-04 JP JP2025514377A patent/JP2025528557A/ja active Pending

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