Rubberized pad, in particular for chains for handling/lifting products in product lines

Abstract

A rubberized pad with high flexibility, in particular for chains for handling/lifting product line products, has a vertical symmetry axis with a full base for coupling with the chain and a hollow upper part, including a wall opposed with respect to said base and suitable for engaging with a conveyed product. The pad has a total height and the upper part includes lateral walls having two semi-walls, with a thickness and connected with the wall, and two semi-walls having a thickness connected with the base. The pairs of semi-walls making between each other an angle (a1) directed toward the hollow part of the upper part, the semi-walls realizing an angle (a2) with respect to the vertical symmetry axis of the pad. The pad has a ratio between the height and thickness of ≥10, in that the angle (a1) is ≤90°, and in that the angle (a2) is ≥40°.

Claims

1. A rubberized pad for chains, the rubberized pad comprising: a vertical symmetry axis (I) with a base configured for coupling with the chain and a hollow upper part, including a wall opposed with respect to said base and configured for engaging with a conveyed product, said pad having a total height (h) and said upper part comprising lateral walls comprised of two semi-walls, having a thickness (s1) and connected with said wall, and two semi-walls having a thickness (s2) connected with said base, said pairs of semi-walls forming an angle (a1) innerly directed toward the hollow part of said upper part, said semi-walls realizing an angle (a2) with respect to said vertical symmetry axis of said pad, wherein said wall opposed with respect to said base has a wall thickness substantially equal to said thickness (s1) of lateral walls, said rubberized pad having a closed hollow geometry wherein the ratio between said height (h) and said thickness (s1) is ≥10, the angle (a1) is ≤90°, and the angle (a2) is ≥40°.

2. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein the rubberized pad is made of elastomeric material having a hardness between 40 and 55 ShA.

3. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein the rubberized pad has a height (h) comprised between 35 mm and 45 mm.

4. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein said angle (a1) is about 80°.

5. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein said angle (a2) is about 50°.

6. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein said thickness (s1) of said semi-walls is ≤4 mm.

7. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein the thickness (s2) of said semi-walls is ≤4 mm.

8. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein the rubberized pad has a distance (d1), corresponding to the distance between the angle (a1) between said semi-walls and and the angle between said semi-walls and said wall (3), ≥6.9 mm.

9. The rubberized pad for chains according to claim 1, wherein the rubberized pad has a distance (d2), corresponding to the distance between the angle between said semi-walls and said wall and the end of said upper part (2), ≥4.9 mm.

10. A rubberized pad for chains, the rubberized pad comprising: a vertical symmetry axis (I) with a base configured for coupling with the chain and a hollow upper part, including a wall opposed with respect to said base and configured for engaging with a conveyed product, said pad having a total height (h) and said upper part comprising lateral walls comprised of two semi-walls, having a thickness (s1) and connected with said wall, and two semi-walls having a thickness (s2) connected with said base, said pairs of semi-walls forming an angle (a1) innerly directed toward the hollow part of said upper part, said semi-walls realizing an angle (a2) with respect to said vertical symmetry axis of said pad, wherein the top of said upper part has a concave shape having a radius (r)<100 mm, said rubberized pad having a closed hollow geometry wherein the ratio between said height (h) and said thickness (s1) is ≥10, the angle (a1) is ≤90°, and the angle (a2) is ≥40°.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages shall be more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a pad for chains, illustrated merely by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) Figures from 1a to 1d are front views of pads for chains according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the pad for chains according to the disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3a is a top view of a bottle conveying system including the pad for chains of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 3b is a side view of the conveying system of FIG. 3a; and

(6) FIG. 4 is a graph representative of the deflection force (Fd) as a function of the deflection (d) of the pad according to the direction x-x indicated in FIG. 3a; this graph shows the trends for two known pads (type 1b and 1d) and for the pad according to the disclosure, shown in FIG. 2.

(7) With reference to FIG. 2, the rubberized pad for chains, in particular for chains for handling/lifting products in product lines, indicated globally with the reference number 1, includes a vertical symmetry axis I, a full base 2 for coupling with the chain and a hollow upper part 2′, including a wall 3 opposed with respect to the base 2 and suitable for engaging with a conveyed product. The pad 1 has a total height h and the upper part 2′ comprises two lateral walls comprised of two semi-walls 4,4′, having a thickness s1 and connected to the wall 3, and two semi-walls 5,5′ having a thickness s2 connected with the base 2. In particular, these pairs of semi-walls make between each other an angle a1 innerly directed toward the hollow part of said upper part 2′, while the semi-walls 4,4′ realize an angle a2 with respect to the vertical symmetry axis I of said pad 1.

(8) According to the disclosure, the ratio between the height h and the thickness s1 is greater than or equal to 10, the angle a1 is less than or equal to 90°, and the angle a2 is greater than or equal to 40°.

(9) Furthermore, the rubberized pad for chains 1 is made of an elastomer material with a hardness between 40 and 55 ShA.

(10) In particular, the height h is comprised between 35 mm and 45 mm, preferably it is about 40.5 mm, the angle a1 is about 80° and the angle a2 is about 50°.

(11) Furthermore, the thickness s1 of the half-walls 4,4′ is less than 4 mm, preferably about 3.2 mm.

(12) Additionally, the half-walls 5,5′ have a thickness s2 of less than 4 mm, preferably 3.2 mm.

(13) The distance d1, corresponding to the distance between the angle a1 between the half-walls 4; 4′ and 5; 5′ and the angle between the half-walls 4; 4′ and the wall 3 is substantially greater than 6.9 mm, preferably about 9 mm.

(14) Further the distance d2, corresponding to the distance between the angle between said half-walls 4; 4′ and said wall 3 and the end of said upper part 2, is greater than or equal to 4.9 mm, preferably about 5.7 mm.

(15) Finally, the top of said upper part 2 of the pad has an arcuate shape having a radius r of less than 100 mm, preferably about 50 mm.

(16) FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate the pad 1 according to the disclosure installed on a conveyor 6 of bottles B, having a plurality of links 7 and a plurality of said pads 1 which allow the handling of the bottles.

(17) These described characteristics allow to obtain a pad having deflection characteristics, therefore of grip of the elements to be conveyed, which are optimal, such as those of the finger pads, including the advantages of the pads with closed geometry.

(18) FIG. 4 illustrates a graph comparing the performances of a pad 1 according to the disclosure with respect to the two pads according to the prior art shown in FIGS. 1b and 1d, respectively. As can be seen, the deflection force Fd as a function of the deflection (d), obtained with the new closed geometry is substantially equivalent to that obtained with the finger geometry.

(19) The operation of the rubberized pad is clear and evident from what has been described.

(20) In practice, it has been found that the rubberized pad, according to the present disclosure, fulfils the intended aim and primary objectives (containment of the force Fd, extension of the adjustment range) while allowing the transport of objects under safe conditions.

(21) Another advantage of the rubberized pad, according to the disclosure, relates to the fact of having a great cleanability which allows it to be used in the context of a high number of applications.

(22) A further advantage of the rubberized pad, according to the disclosure, relates to the fact of having a limited kicking effect thanks to the symmetrical geometry thereof.

(23) The rubberized pad for chains as it is conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept.

(24) Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

(25) In practice, the materials used, as long as compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions and the contingent shape thereof, can be of any type according to the technical requirements. The present disclosure was described by way of non-limiting example, according to the preferred embodiments thereof, but it is understood that variations and/or modifications may be made by an expert in the field, without departing from the relative scope of protection, as defined in the appended claims.