SUPPORT PLUG FOR A TUBULAR ROLLER SLEEVE

Abstract

A disk-shaped support plug (100) for a tubular roller sleeve comprises a first surface (101), a second surface on an opposite side of the support plug with respect to the first surface, a through hole (103) on the center of the support plug, and an outer rim surface (105) for being against an inner surface of the tubular roller sleeve. The outer rim surface (105) and a surface (104) of the through hole connect the first surface to the second surface. The first surface has recessions (106, 107) such that stiffener ridges (108, 109) are formed between the recessions. The stiffener ridges extend between different sectors of an outer rim area of the first surface so that the stiffener ridges bypass the through hole. Thus, the stiffener ridges conduct mechanical tensions to bypass a rim area of the through hole which is typically a fracture-prone area.

Claims

1. A support plug for a tubular roller sleeve, the support plug being disk-shaped and comprising: a first surface, a second surface on an opposite side of the support plug with respect to the first surface, a through hole in a center of the support plug, a surface of the through hole connecting the first surface to the second surface, and an outer rim surface connecting the first surface to the second surface and suitable for being against an inner surface of the tubular roller sleeve, wherein the first surface has recessions such that stiffener ridges are formed between the recessions, and the stiffener ridges extend between different sectors of an outer rim area of the first surface so that the stiffener ridges bypass the through hole.

2. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the stiffener ridges cross each other.

3. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the first surface has an annular recession surrounding the through hole.

4. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the second surface has an annular ridge surrounding the through hole.

5. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the first surface has an annular recession on the outer rim area of the first surface.

6. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the second surface has an annular ridge on an outer rim area of the second surface.

7. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein a part of the outer rim surface connected to the second surface has a bevel.

8. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

9. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein depths of the recessions of the first surface are such that material thickness between bottoms of the recessions of the first surface and the second surface is constant.

10. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein the outer rim surface comprises lumps to improve a grip between the support plug and the inner surface of the tubular roller sleeve.

11. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein support plug is made of plastic.

12. A support plug according to claim 1, wherein support plug is made of composite material comprising wood fibers and plastic.

13. A support plug according to claim 2, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

14. A support plug according to claim 3, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

15. A support plug according to claim 4, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

16. A support plug according to claim 5, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

17. A support plug according to claim 6, wherein a part of the second surface extending from an outer rim area of the second surface to an inner rim area of the second surface surrounding the through hole is conical with a cone angle at least 170 degrees and opening in a direction away from the first surface.

18. A support plug according to claim 2, wherein the second surface has an annular ridge on an outer rim area of the second surface.

19. A support plug according to claim 3, wherein the second surface has an annular ridge on an outer rim area of the second surface.

20. A support plug according to claim 4, wherein the second surface has an annular ridge on an outer rim area of the second surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0019] Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment and suitable for a tubular roller sleeve.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLIFYING AND NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the accompanied claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0022] FIG. 1a shows a perspective view of a support plug 100 according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment and suitable for a tubular roller sleeve. FIG. 1b shows a section view of the support plug 100. The section surface is denoted with a diagonal hatching in FIG. 1b. The viewing directions related to FIGS. 1a and 1b are illustrated with a coordinate system 199. The support plug 100 is disk-shaped, and the support plug 100 comprises a first surface 101, a second surface 102 on an opposite side of the support plug 100 with respect to the first surface 101, a through hole 103 in the center of the support plug, and an outer rim surface 105 suitable for being against an inner surface of the tubular roller sleeve. The outer rim surface 105 and a surface 104 of the through hole 103 connect the first surface 101 to the second surface 102. The first surface 101 has recessions such that stiffener ridges are formed between the recessions. Two of the recessions are denoted with references 106 and 107 in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Two of the stiffener ridges are denoted with references 108 and 109 in FIG. 1a. Three of the stiffener ridges are illustrated with dashed lines in FIG. 1a. The stiffener ridges extend between different sectors of an outer rim area of the first surface 101 so that the stiffener ridges bypass the through hole 103. Thus, the stiffener ridges conduct mechanical tensions to bypass a rim area of the through hole 103 which is typically a fracture-prone area. Furthermore, as the stiffener ridges extend between different sectors of the outer rim area, the ridges provide mechanical strength against buckling under radial compression by forces F and-F shown in FIG. 1a.

[0023] In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the stiffener ridges cross each other as illustrated in FIG. 1a. The stiffener ridges crossing each other form triangles which are inherently stiff mechanical structures.

[0024] In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the first surface 101 has an annular recession 110 surrounding the through hole 103. In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the second surface has an annular ridge 111 surrounding the through hole 103. In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the first surface 101 has an annular recession 112 on the outer rim area of the first surface. In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the second surface 102 has an annular ridge 113 on an outer rim area of the second surface. In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, a part 115 of the second surface 102 extending from an outer rim area of the second surface 102 to an inner rim area of the second surface 102 surrounding the through hole 103 is conical. A cone angle of the conical surface is at least 170 degrees, and the cone angle opens in a direction away from the first surface 101, i.e. in the negative z-direction of the coordinate system 199.

[0025] By design of the above-mentioned annular recessions 110 and 112, the annular ridges 111 and 114, and the conicity of the second surface 102 it is possible to adjust tension distribution within the material of the support plug 100 in the axial direction of the support plug 100, i.e. in the z-direction of the coordinate system 199. Thus, the above-mentioned annular recessions, the annular ridges, and the conicity of the second surface 102 can be optimized to maximize mechanical strength of the support plug 100 against buckling with respect to amount of the material of the support plug 100. The annular recessions, the annular ridges, and the conicity of the second surface 102 can be optimized with e.g. prototypes and tests and/or with strength-technical simulations.

[0026] In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the depths of the recessions of the first surface 101 are such that material thickness between bottoms of the recessions of the first surface 101 and the second surface 102 is substantially constant. In FIG. 1b, the above-mentioned material thickness is denoted by D. The constant material thickness facilitates avoiding local tension maxima.

[0027] In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, a part of the outer rim surface 105 connected to the second surface 102 has a bevel 114. The bevel 114 makes it easier to install the support plug 100 in a tubular roller sleeve.

[0028] 30 In a support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the outer rim surface 105 comprises lumps on the periphery of the support plug 100 to improve a grip between the support plug 100 and an inner surface of a tubular roller sleeve. In FIG. 1a, one of the lumps is denoted with reference 116.

[0029] A support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is made of plastic that is advantageously recycled plastic.

[0030] A support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is made of composite material comprising wood fibers and plastic. The wood fibers and/or the plastic is/are advantageously recycled material.

[0031] A support plug according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is manufactured with compression molding or some other suitable manufacturing method.

[0032] The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or interpretation of the appended claims. It is to be noted that lists and groups of examples given in this document are non-exhaustive lists and groups unless otherwise explicitly stated.