HIGH-SPEED SKATEMILL WITH A MOVABLE SKATEMILL BELT

Abstract

A high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt that includes a movable skatemill belt mounted on the rotating drums and where the working area of the movable skatemill belt is supported by stationary rigid sliding pads with integrated distribution channels for distributing a compressed gas or gas mixtures into the injection openings or slits. The compressed gas or the compressed gas mixture optionally enriched with an anti-friction medium in the form of a vapor or aerosol or dispersion containing solid dust particles or solid microparticles is injected through the inlet openings. By means of the anti-friction applicator, the anti-friction medium is applied to the movable skatemill belt, which then transports the medium to the points of contact with the fixed rigid sliding pads. Stationary solid sliding pads can be cooled down by liquid and/or gaseous cooling medium circulating by default in the hollow support beams of the stationary solid sliding pads.

Claims

1. A high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt, wherein the movable skatemill belt is tensioned between two rotating support drums, that are mounted on a common support frame in rolling bearings, wherein at least one of the support drums is connected to a driving unit and the movable skatemill belt is mounted slidably with its inner upper side on a stationary rigid sliding pad or on a multitude of stationary rigid sliding pads, wherein the said stationary rigid sliding pad or at least one of the multitude of stationary rigid sliding pads do comprise at least one gas or gas mixture outlet opening arranged as at least one injection opening and/or at least one slit, directed towards the inner side of the movable skatemill belt and the at least one injection opening and/or the at least one slit in the stationary rigid sliding pad or in the at least one of the multitude of stationary rigid sliding pads is connected directly or through a distribution channel to at least one gas or gas mixture inlet opening, and/or the said skatemill comprises at least one applicator with an anti-friction medium outlet directed towards the inner side of the movable skatemill belt.

2. The high-speed skatemill of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening of gas or gas mixture is also connected to the outlet opening of the mixer containing secondary inlet opening of gas or gas mixture and a secondary inlet opening of an anti-friction medium.

3. high-speed skatemill of claim 1, wherein at least one stationary rigid sliding pad comprises at least one hollow connected to at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening of liquid and/or gas cooling medium.

Description

OVERVIEW OF DRAWINGS

[0013] The basic arrangement of the design elements of the high-speed skatemill with the movable skatemill belt according to the invention is explained in more detail in the enclosed drawings, in which

[0014] FIG. 1a represents the assembly of a movable skatemill belt supported in the work area by stationary rigid slides with injection openings.

[0015] FIG. 1b represents the assembly of a movable skatemill belt supported in the work area by stationary rigid slides with injection openings formed by continuous grooves.

[0016] FIG. 2a shows an arrangement of inlet openings for injecting compressed gas into rigid slides with integrated distribution channels, and a solution for the drive of the skatemill belt's drive drum using a drum electric motor.

[0017] FIGS. 2b and 2c illustrate two other possible arrangements of the movable skatemill belt's drive.

[0018] FIG. 3a shows an arrangement of inlet openings of compressed gas and distribution channels serving for the distribution of the compressed gas into the injection openings.

[0019] FIG. 3b shows an arrangement of inlet openings of the compressed gas and distribution channels serving for the distribution of the compressed gas or air to the injection openings formed by continuous grooves.

[0020] FIGS. 4a and 4b show an arrangement of inlet openings allowing direct injection of compressed gas into the injection openings without the need for a distribution channel.

[0021] FIGS. 5a, 5b and 6a show a stationary solid sliding pad with multiple injection slits.

[0022] FIG. 6b depicts an one slit variant of the stationary solid sliding pad.

[0023] FIG. 7a shows a construction solution to the solid

[0024] sliding pad with an injection slit with cooling. FIG. 7b shows a construction solution to the solid sliding pad with injection openings with cooling.

[0025] FIG. 8a depicts an arrangement of inlet and outlet openings of the cooling medium on hollow support beams of the stationary solid sliding pads.

[0026] FIG. 8b shows an arrangement of the solid sliding pad made up of two parallel support beams with the hollow profile, distribution channel serving for distribution of the compressed gas into the injection slits or the injection openings, through the inlet opening of the compressed gas and through the inlet and outlet openings for the supply of the cooling medium into the hollows and for its removal from the hollows of the support beams of the stationary solid sliding pad.

[0027] FIG. 8c shows an arrangement of the solid sliding pad formed by a support beam with the hollow profile featuring a distribution channel serving for distribution of the compressed gas into the injection slits or the injection openings, through the inlet opening of the compressed gas and through the inlet and outlet openings for the supply of the cooling medium into the hollows and for its removal from the hollows of the support beams of the stationary solid sliding pad.

[0028] FIG. 9 shows different ways how to connect the system of stationary solid sliding pads to the source of cooling.

EXAMPLES OF IMPLEMENTATION

[0029] It is understood that individual examples of the implementation of the invention are presented to illustrate and not to limit. Using no more than routine experimentation, any knowledgeable professionals may find or be able to find a number of equivalents to the specification of the implementation of the invention, which are not explicitly described here. Such equivalents are meant to fall within the scope of the following patent claims. Any topological or kinematic modification of this kind of hockey skatemill, including necessary design, choice of materials and design layout may not be a problem, therefore these features have not been dealt with in detail. In the following examples one can find individual descriptions of different manners of implementation that use an electric motor to drive the skatemill. It is understood that in an analogous way it is possible to use any undisclosed drive unit to drive the skatemill and smoothly control its direction and speed of rotation.

Example 1

[0030] This example of a specific implementation of the invention describes a structure design of the high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 as depicted in the enclosed FIG. 1a. The high-speed skatemill consists of a movable skatemill belt that comes as the so-called endless belt with its surface fitted with a material made of artificial ice. The skatemill belt is placed on a rotating drive drum 1b and on a rotating driven drum 1a that are placed in ball bearings and on a shared support frame that is not depicted. The movable skatemill belt 1 is mounted slidably with its inner upper side touching fixed rigid sliding pads 2 with sliding surfaces which are mechanically anchored to an undisclosed common supporting frame. The stationary rigid sliding pads 2 comprise integrated distribution channels 5 whose ends are sealed and which serve to distribute the compressed gas into the injection openings 3 in the fixed rigid sliding pads 2, on which the movable skatemill belt 1 moves. The injection openings 3 are directed toward the inner side of the movable skatemill belt 1. Through the inlet openings 4 shown in FIG. 2a, a compressed gas 4a is injected into the distribution channels 5. Typically it may be compressed atmospheric air which is supplied by a compressed gas source (not shown) and which is fed into the injection openings 3 through the distribution channels 5, through which the compressed gas 4a penetrates into the regions between the stationary rigid sliding pads 2 and the movable skatemill belt 1 where it forms the gas bearings. The cross-section of the stationary rigid sliding pad 2 with the integrated distribution channel 5 and the injection opening 3 is in a section A-A with the inlet opening 4 supplying the compressed gas 4a via distribution channel 5, as shown in FIG. 3a.

[0031] In order to reduce the undesired friction, the anti-friction agent applicator 6a is included. The applicator 6 is used to apply the anti-friction medium 6a, as for solid substances in the form of the dispersion, sanding or coating (not shown), as for liquid substances in the form of spraying or coating (not shown), as for gaseous substances in the form of steaming or sublimation over the inner surface of the movable skatemill belt 1 while it is moving. As it is moving, the anti-friction medium 6a gets transported into contact areas with the stationary rigid sliding pads 2.

[0032] The movable skatemill belt 1 is driven by the drive electric motor 1c, with the transmission of the electric motor 1c to the driving drum 1b of the movable skatemill belt 1 can be carried out in several alternative ways. The first alternative illustrated in FIG. 2a represents a direct drive of the driving drum 1b of the movable skatemill belt 1 wherein the so-called drum electric motor 1c is directly embedded into the drive drum 1b. The second alternative shown in FIG. 2b illustrates the case where the drive electric motor 1c drives the drive drum 1b of the movable skatemill belt 1 by means of a belt or chain drive 1d. The third alternative in FIG. 2c illustrates the case where the drive electric motor 1c drives the drive drum 1b of the movable skatemill belt 1 by means of a fixed gear ratio gearbox 1e. The drive unit 1c is in all cases a 3-phase asynchronous electric motor whose direction and speed of rotation are continuously controlled by a frequency converter with a control system with actuators (not shown in FIG. 2).

Example 2

[0033] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described wherein, in order to reduce undesirable friction, the injection openings 3 in the form of continuous longitudinal slits are made in the fixed rigid sliding pads 2. This technical solution is shown in the enclosed FIGS. 1b and 1n essence is sufficiently described in Example 1. FIG. 3b shows the cross-section of the stationary rigid sliding pad 2 with an integrated distribution channel 5 and with an injection opening 3 in the form of a continuous longitudinal slit in a Section B-B, together with an inlet opening 4 supplying the distribution channel 5 with gas 4a.

Example 3

[0034] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described, corresponding with the arrangement shown in the enclosed FIG. 1a, which is in its basic features sufficiently described in Example 1. The constructional variation is in the changed arrangement of the fixed rigid sliding pads 2, without the integrated distribution channels 5. The inlet openings 4 supplying the injection openings 3 with the compressed gas 4a are in this case connected directly to the individual injection openings 3, as shown in FIG. 4a. The compressed gas 4a is injected directly through the inlet openings 4 into the individual injection openings 3. FIG. 4b shows the cross-section of the stationary rigid sliding pad 2 together with an inlet opening 4 directly supplying an injection opening 3 with the compressed gas 4a in a Section C-C.

Example 4

[0035] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1 in a modification wherein the stationary rigid sliding pads 2 with injection openings and/or slits 3 are integrated with a common distribution channel 5 and together they form one mechanical unit—i.e. one immovable solid sliding pad with multiple injection slits, as described in the FIGS. 5a, 5b and 7a.

Example 5

[0036] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described, which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 4 in a modification wherein the injection slits 3 are all connected to a transverse injection slit 3a, resulting in one injection opening with a cross section formed by cross sections of all interconnected injection openings and/or slits, as described in the FIG. 6b.

Example 6

[0037] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described (not shown), which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1 in a modification wherein the stationary rigid sliding pads 2 come in any shape, cross section, dimensions and any mutual position and are placed in any number on any random positions under the movable skatemill belt 1, and can be mechanically connected to one another in any way, distribution channels 5 come in any shape, cross section, dimensions, any mutual position, number and can be connected to any number of solid sliding pads 2 and/or to any number of injection openings and/or injection slits 3 and/or to one another, injection openings and/or injection slits 3 in the stationary solid sliding pads 2 have a random shape, size, positional (topological) arrangement and manner of manufacturing and are positioned in any number in any random positions on the sliding surfaces of the sliding pads 2, transverse injection slit 3a has a random shape, positional (topological) placement and orientation as to the injection openings and/or slits 3 and a manner of manufacturing, inlet openings 4 come in any shape, size, manner of manufacturing and are placed in any number on any random places of the distribution channels 5 and/or sliding pads 2 and one or more applicator of an anti-friction medium 6 come in any shape, size and manner of manufacturing and is placed in any number, in any position as to the inner area of the movable skatemill belt 1.

Example 7

[0038] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described (not shown), which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1 in a modification wherein the injection openings 3 are made only on some (i.e. not all) of the immovable solid sliding pads 2.

Example 8

[0039] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described (not shown), which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1 in a modification where in an undisclosed mixer the anti-friction medium is added to the flow of a compressed gas 4a, either in the form of vapors and/or aerosol and/or the dispersion containing solid dust particles or solid microparticles and creates a mixture 4b of the compressed gas and the anti-friction medium which gets injected into the injection openings 3 through the inlet openings 4 and through distribution channels 5 in the stationary solid sliding pads 2.

Example 9

[0040] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described (not shown), which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1 in a modification without the injection openings 3 and other elements serving to inject the compressed gas 4a, i.e. without the distribution channel 5, inlet openings 4, injected compressed gas 4a and without the source of the compressed gas. It comprises solely an applicator 6 that is used to apply the anti-friction medium 6a, as for solid substances in the form of the dispersion, sanding or coating (not shown), as for liquid substances in the form of spraying or coating (not shown), as for gaseous substances in the form of steaming or sublimation over the inner surface of the movable skatemill belt 1 while it is moving. As it is moving, the anti-friction medium 6a gets transported into contact areas with the stationary rigid sliding pads 2.

Example 10

[0041] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which corresponds with the realization depicted in the enclosed FIG. 1b which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 1. Its construction difference is in a modified manner of manufacturing of the immovable solid sliding pads 2 which come with a couple of parallely mounted hollow support beams 7 each, along with a distribution channel 5, uninterrupted longitudinal injection slit 3 defined on the stationary solid sliding pad by grilles 10. Upper walls of the hollow support beams 7 and a grille or grilles 10 form a single planar surface of the stationary solid sliding pad 2 on which the skatemill belt 1 runs. Cooling medium 8a is let into the hollows of the support beams 7 through one or more inlet openings 8 which cools down the support beams 7. After passing through the hollows of the support beams, the cooling medium 8a flows out through one or more outlet openings 9 as a heated cooling medium 9a, as described in the FIGS. 8a and 7a. Unheated cooling medium 8a is pushed to the hollows of the support beams, in the case of a liquid cooling medium, by an undisclosed pump or pumps and in the case of a gaseous cooling medium by a compressor or compressors and/or a fan or fans through an undisclosed supply pipeline or pipelines. Heated cooling medium 9a is removed through undisclosed outlet pipeline or pipelines into an undisclosed heat exchanger, in which the cooling medium gets cooled down and from there it goes into an undisclosed storage tank for the cooling medium 8a. Examples of a connection of the solid sliding pads (system) to the cooling source are shown in the FIGS. 9a-9c. In the case of the alternatives shown in the FIGS. 9a and 9b, the solid sliding pads are fed in parallel by the cooling medium, i.e. all the inlet openings of the cooling medium 8 on all the hollow support beams 7 of the solid sliding pads 2 are connected to the common supply pipeline and all the outlet openings of the cooling medium 9 from all the hollow support beams 7 of the solid sliding pads 2 are connected to the common outlet pipeline. In the case of the alternative shown in the FIG. 9c, the hollow support beams 7 in the individual solid sliding pads are connected in series, i.e. the outlet opening of the cooling medium 9 of one hollow support beam is connected to the inlet opening of the cooling medium 8 on the other hollow support beam—with an exception of the inlet opening of the cooling medium 8 that is connected to the supply pipeline and outlet opening 9 connected to the outlet pipeline of the cooling medium. The cross-section of the stationary solid sliding pad 2 comprising a couple of parallely mounted hollow support beams 7, with a distribution channel 5, an injection opening 3 in form of an uninterrupted longitudinal slit, with an inlet opening 4 supplying the distribution channel 5 with gas 4a, and with an inlet opening 8 of the cooling medium 8a and with an outlet opening 9 of the heated cooling medium 9a in the E-E section is shown in the FIG. 8b.

Example 11

[0042] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which corresponds with the realization depicted in the enclosed FIG. 1b which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 10. Its construction difference is in a modified manner of manufacturing of the immovable solid sliding pads 2 wherein each stationary solid sliding pad 2 consists of a hollow support beam 7 featuring an inbuilt distribution channel 5, as shown in the E-E section in the FIG. 8c.

Example 12

[0043] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which corresponds with the realization depicted in the enclosed FIG. 1b which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Example 10. Its construction difference is in a modified manner of manufacturing of the immovable solid sliding pads 2 wherein the side walls of the distribution channel 5 are shared with the side walls of the hollow support beams 7, as shown in the E-E section in the FIG. 8d.

Example 13

[0044] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which corresponds with the realization depicted in the enclosed FIG. 1a which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Examples 10-12. Its construction difference is in a modification wherein the grilles 10 of the immovable solid sliding pads 2 feature injection openings 3 rather than uninterrupted injection slits.

Example 14

[0045] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described (not shown) which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Examples 10-13. Its construction difference is in a modification wherein the cooling medium used to cool down the support beams 7 of the stationary solid sliding pads 2 is atmospheric air that is pushed by an undisclosed fan or fans through the inlet opening 8 an/or through an undisclosed pipeline or pipelines into the hollows of the support beams 7 and that gets removed from the hollows of the support beams 7 through the outlet openings 9 and/or through an undisclosed outlet pipeline or pipelines.

Example 15

[0046] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Examples 4 and 5. Its construction difference is in a modification wherein the stationary solid sliding pads 2 integrated in a common distribution channel 5 are manufactured in one of the ways shown in the examples 10-13.

Example 16

[0047] In this example of a particular arrangement of the invention, a design of a high-speed skatemill with a movable skatemill belt 1 with gas bearings is described which is in the basic features sufficiently described in Examples 10 through 13 in a modification wherein the support beams 7 feature walls of any thickness, the hollows in the support beams 7 come in any shape, cross section, dimensions, number and in the case that there is more than one hollow then the hollows can be in any mutual position, inlet openings 8 and outlet openings 9 on the support beams 7 come in any number and in any random positions, any shape, cross section and any mutual position and each inlet opening 8 and outlet opening 9 can be connected with any number of the hollows in the support beam 7, grilles 10 defining the injection slits and injection openings 3 come in any dimensions, shape and any number of grilles may be used to make injection slits and injection openings.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

[0048] The high-speed skatemill with the movable skatemill belt with gas bearings, according to the invention, is intended in particular for individual training and performance testing of athletes who perform sports activities on the ice surface and who use skates to perform sports activities.