NOSE BAR FOR A CONVEYOR ELEMENT AND CONVEYOR COMPRISING SUCH NOSE BAR

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nose bar for a conveyor element, comprising a frame part, having a head end comprising a gutter with a circle segment shaped cross section, a rod with a circular cross section, having a radius equal to the circle segment of the cross section wherein the circular surface of the rod is arranged directly against the gutter of the frame part. The invention further relates to a conveyor, and a production line, in particular for dough products, comprising a conveyor according to any of the preceding claims.

Claims

1. A nose bar for a conveyor element, comprising: a frame part, having a head end comprising a gutter with a circle segment shaped cross section; a rod with a circular cross section, having a radius equal to the circle segment of the cross section; wherein the circular surface of the rod is arranged directly against the gutter of the frame part.

2. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein: the frame part is made of a metal; and at least the surface of the gutter of the frame part, and/or at least the circular surface of the rod, is provided with a bearing material, in particular a food grade bearing material.

3. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 3, wherein the bearing material is applied as a coating.

4. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 2, wherein the rod is entirely made from the bearing material.

5. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 2, wherein the frame part is provided with a liner of bearing material.

6. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 5, wherein the liner has a thickness between 0.2 and 4.0 and preferably between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.

7. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 2, wherein the bearing material is selected from the group consisting of: polyoxymethyleen (POM), polyamid (PA), polyethyleentereftalaat (PETP) and polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE).

8. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein the rod comprises sections with a larger diameter and the frame part has grooves that are deeper than the sections with the larger diameter.

9. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 8, wherein the sections with a higher diameter are provided with a texture, in particular with knurls.

10. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein the part of the gutter or part of the rod has grooves for draining dirt.

11. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 10, wherein the grooves have a direction with a diagonal component with respect to an axis of rotation of the rod.

12. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the frame part adjacent to the rod is smaller than the diameter of the rod.

13. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein the frame part has a tapered cross section with a decreasing thickness toward the gutter.

14. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein the rod is suspended solely at its distal ends.

15. The nose bar for a conveyor element according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the rod is smaller than 35 mm.

16. A conveyor comprising a conveyor belt and a conveyor element, wherein the conveyor element comprises at least one nose bar according to claim 1 and a second nose bar, wherein the conveyor belt is arranged to circulate over both nose bars.

17. A production line, in particular for dough products, comprising a conveyor according to claim 16.

Description

[0023] The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures. Herein:

[0024] FIGS. 1a-5a show cross sections of nose bars of conveyor elements according to the state of the art;

[0025] FIGS. 1b-5b, 6, and 7 show cross sections of nose bars of conveyor elements according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 8 shows a specific embodiment of the present invention; and

[0027] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 1a shows a nose bar 1 of a conveyor-belt 6 guide according to the state of the art, wherein a drum 2 is suspended on a shaft 4 which is mounted to a frame 5 by means of a spacer 3. Heat is generated between the conveyor belt 6 and the drum 2, and between the drum 2 and the shaft 4. A part of the heat is drained by the conveyor belt itself. The rest of the heat can be drained to the frame 5 via the spacer 3.

[0029] FIG. 1b shows a nose bar 11 of a conveyor-belt 16 guide according to the present invention comprising a frame 15 having a gutter 17 with a circular cross section, which is lined with a bearing material 18. The gutter 17 (and the bearing 18) have a circular cross section with a diameter that matches the diameter of a rod 12, so that the rod 12, which is arranged directly against the gutter 17 of the frame part 15, is received form fittingly in the gutter 17.

[0030] FIGS. 2a and 2b show the respective nose bars 1, 11 of the conveyor elements from FIGS. 1a and 1b. In the figures, a size A of a contact surface for draining heat from the drum 2 to the frame 5 is smaller compared to the diameter of the drum 2 than the size A of the contact surface for draining heat from the rod 12 to the frame 15, compared to the diameter of the rod 12. It is emphasized that the drawings need not necessarily have the same scale. From the figures it appears that the same surface for heat transfer may be obtained with a nose bar of a conveyor element according to the invention, for a rod that is smaller than a drum according to the prior art.

[0031] FIGS. 3a and 3b show the same nose bars 1, 11 of the conveyor elements from FIGS. 1a and 1b once again, now with an indication of relative rotational speeds for the case that the rod 12 has the same diameter as the drum 2. It is visible that in the configuration of FIG. 3a, the speed V1 between the surfaces of the shaft 4 and the drum 2 are smaller than the speed V2 at the surface of the rod 12 and the liner 18.

[0032] At first sight this seems a disadvantage of the configuration of the advantage, but FIGS. 4a and 4b, showing cross sections in the respective directions B-B and C-C in FIGS. 3a, 3b, show the respective surfaces 9 and 19 for heat transfer. As it appears from the figures, the surface 19 according to the invention for heat transfer is larger than the surface 9 according to the state of the art.

[0033] FIGS. 5a and 5b show that there is also a better mechanical support for the bar 12 than for the drum 2, which is beneficial for both the bar 12 and the conveyor belt (not depicted).

[0034] FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment, wherein the frame 13 is made of a metal, thus having a large heat capacity, and the bar 14 is entirely made of a bearing material. The belt 20 is in contact with the bearing material in this embodiment too. Like in the other embodiments, the frame 13 is tapered with a decreasing thickness toward its gutter 24.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows a rod 21 for use in the present invention, having a section 22 with a higher diameter, that is provided with a texture, in particular with knurls 23.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment 30 of a conveyor according to the present invention, comprising a so called retracting unit 34 wherein dough is placed from conveyor belt 35 onto conveyor belt 33. The embodiment 30 comprises a nose bar 31 according to the present invention. Configurations wherein besides nose bar other nose bars are nose bars according to the invention are thinkable too. Nose bars 31 and 37 are positioned at a fixed distance B from each other and are together arranged movably in the direction A. The conveyor belt 35 is looped around further roller 36.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment 40 of a conveyor according to the present invention, wherein a conveyor belt 43 is looped around two nose bars 41, 42 according to the present invention. The embodiments shown serve as examples only and do not limit the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.