Supporting washer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a washer having a generally circular shape and is used for supporting a screw head. The shank of the screw penetrates the central hole of the washer. When viewed from a planar perspective, the outer edges of the washer have a sinusoidal shape with depressions and elevations.

Claims

1. A supporting washer for a screwed or riveted assembly for a conveyor belt junction element, the supporting washer comprising: a central hole for receiving a connecting element comprising a stem and a head for supporting edges of the central hole; an outer edge including sinuosities comprising elevations and depressions, the elevations located further from a geometric center of the washer than the depressions in such a way that the outer edge has a linear shape that increases a length of the outer edge; a lower edge formed between a lower surface of the washer and the outer edge, said lower edge having a rounded edge on at least the elevations of the sinuosities of the outer edge; and an upper conical surface starting from an edge of a bowl surrounding the central hole or from a circular surface surrounding the central hole and terminating at the outer edge, the upper conical surface driving a progressive tapering of the washer such that an upper edge of the outer edge is flush with a surface of the junction whereon the washer is placed when the washer has been applied by riveting or screwing.

2. The supporting washer of claim 1, wherein the elevations and the depressions of the sinuosities of the outer edge have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual radius starting from the geometric center of the washer.

3. The supporting washer of claim 1, wherein the supporting washer is made of a metal or a synthetic material.

4. The supporting washer of claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a rivet.

5. The supporting washer of claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a screw comprising a male or female thread.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a supporting washer according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 shows one form of the washer according to the present disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the washer of FIG. 2 comprising a screw of which the stem passes through the central hole of the washer;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the washer according to FIG. 3, applied to a screw of which the stem passes through the central hole of the washer, which is screwed onto an insert;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an example of a screw connection according to the prior art;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of a screw connection using a washer according to the present disclosure, applied to a junction that connects the ends of a conveyor belt; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows on the left a known washer and on the right a washer according to the present disclosure, applied on an upper plate of a conveyor belt junction.

(9) The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

(11) The supporting washer 1 of FIG. 1, according to the prior art, consists of a part 3 with a round shape, the part 3 comprising a circumferential edge 4, a lower edge 5, a lower planar surface 6, a central hole 7 of which the edges form a bowl 7 intended to receive a screw head 2, the stem 8 of the screw passing through the central hole 7.

(12) The supporting washer 1 of FIG. 2, according to one form of the present disclosure, comprises a part with a generally round shape comprising an outer edge 4, a central hole 7, a bowl 7, a lower edge 5, and a lower surface 6. However, note that the outer edge 4 has, seen from a planar perspective, a sinusoidal shape having elevations 10 and depressions 9 (FIG. 3). The upper surface 17 is conical and the elevations 10 comprise, at their end, a rounded edge 11, this rounded edge 11 being created on the lower edge 5.

(13) The assembly shown in FIG. 3 is formed from a washer 1 and a screw.

(14) As shown in FIG. 3, the assembly includes the screw head 2, the screw stem 8, the depressions 9 and the elevations 10. Although the supporting washer 1 is illustrated as having six (6) depressions 9 and elevations 10, it should be understood that any number of depressions 9 and elevations 10 may be employed while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The depressions 9 and the elevations 10 are symmetrical with respect to a virtual radius 12 of the washer 1. This means that the washer 1 has a symmetry with respect to an axis carried by its virtual radius 12.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the same assembly as that of FIG. 3, with the same numerical references, the screw stem 8 being screwed on an insert 13.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of one example of a screwed assembly of the upper plate and of the lower plate of a junction for a conveyor belt of the prior art, according to French Patent No. 2 803 836. Note the female inserts 19 and the male inserts 20 respectively incorporated into the upper plate PS and into the lower plate PI, these plates surrounding the end E, of the conveyor belt.

(17) FIG. 6 is a cross-section along a vertical plane of an example of a use of a washer 1, according to the present disclosure, applied to a screwed assembly formed of the upper plate PS of the conveyor belt junction, the end E of the conveyor belt and the lower plate PI of the conveyor belt junction.

(18) In this cross-section, one can in particular see the conical surface 17 of the washer 1 shown by a line that is inclined with respect to the general plane of the washer 1, the screw head 2, the bowl 7 and the central hole 7, the rounded edge 11, the screw stem 8, the upper plate PS of the junction, the end E, of the conveyor belt, the insert 13, and the lower plate PI of the junction. The enlargement of the zone comprising the rounded edge 11 surrounded by a circle in FIG. 6, makes it possible to observe said rounded edge 11 better.

(19) Note in FIG. 7 that the end of the elevations 10 of the washer 1 on the right is flush with the surface of the upper plate PS of the junction for a conveyor belt. The rounded edge 11 (not visible in FIG. 7) of the lower edge 5 of the elevation 10 made it possible to not shear the material of the upper plate PS during screwing despite the slight sinking that occurs at the end of screwing. As such the scrapers mentioned hereinabove do not risk encountering the upper edge of the elevation 10 and pulling of the washer 1, and because of this, the screw. On the contrary, the washer 1 on the left exceeds the upper surface of the upper plate PS, and if this is screwed more tightly in order to sink the washer, the absence of a rounded edge on the periphery provokes a shearing of the underlying material as soon as it is screwed and then accentuates it, during the operation of the conveyor belt.

(20) The washer 1, according to the present disclosure, as such achieves all of the initially sought purposes, namely inhibiting the shearing effect and not giving hold to scrapers. The means used to achieve these purposes are described and illustrated. The following claims disclose the characteristics of the washers 1 according to the present disclosure.

(21) Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word about or approximately in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, manufacturing technology, and testing capability.

(22) As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.

(23) The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.