Patent ID: 11970337
Assignee: LAITRAM, L.L.C.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 26:
27. A side-flexing conveyor belt comprising:
a plurality of belt modules, each belt module comprising:
a forward end and a rearward end;
alternating forward hinge sections at the forward end and rearward hinge sections at the rearward end connected by an angled connector,
wherein the forward hinge sections extend to a forward end in a conveying direction of the conveyor belt and wherein the rearward hinge sections extend to a rearward end in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt;
wherein the forward hinge sections are separated by spaces sized to receive the rearward hinge sections of a preceding belt module, and the rearward hinge sections are separated by spaces sized to receive the forward hinge sections of a subsequent belt module such that sequential belt modules interlink;
wherein each of the forward hinge sections and the rearward hinge sections include hinge apertures located medially between a top surface and a bottom surface of a belt module,
wherein the hinge apertures of the forward hinge sections, of the rearward hinge sections, or of both are elongated in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt; and
a protrusion comprising:
a drive face having a substantially planar surface located between the forward and rearward ends; and
a rounded portion, and
wherein the drive face is configured to engage a drive element of a rotating belt driver such that the drive element pushes against the drive face in the conveying direction to positively drive the belt along a conveying path,
wherein the drive face has a surface area sufficient to establish non-slip contact with the drive element,
wherein the protrusion is dimensioned such that a gap is maintained between adjacent protrusions when the belt is fully collapsed; and

a plurality of hinge rods extending perpendicular to the conveying direction through the hinge apertures of the forward hinge sections of each belt module and the rearward hinge sections of the preceding belt module to connect the plurality of belt modules into a continuous belt,
wherein the elongated hinge apertures allow the belt to traverse a spiral path in which a separation distance between the belt modules proximal to an inner radius is less than the separation distance between the belt modules proximal to an outer radius.