Patent ID: 7980979

Claim:
A conveyor belt, comprising: first and second ends; and first and second half-junctions at said first and second ends, respectively, the first and second half-junctions being shaped to interlink with each other to form a junction, each of the first and second half-junctions having a generally flat shape defining a general plane of the junction, the first half-junction including: an upper layer and a lower layer, each of the upper and lower layers being integral with the first end of the conveyor belt, a flexible core extending between the upper layer and the lower layer, the flexible core being folded so as to provide overlapping layers that form a fold protruding towards the second end of the conveyor belt parallel to the general plane of the junction, the upper layer and the flexible core being closer to the second end of the conveyor belt than the lower layer, and inserts extending through the upper layer and the overlapping layers of the flexible core perpendicularly to the general plane of the junction, the inserts of the first half junction being spaced from the lower layer, and the second half-junction including: a lower layer and an upper layer, each of the lower and upper layers being integral with the second end of the conveyor belt, a flexible core extending between the lower layer and the upper layer, the flexible core being folded so as to provide overlapping layers that form a fold protruding towards the first end of the conveyor belt parallel to the general plane of the junction, the lower layer and the flexible core being closer to the first end than the upper layer, and inserts extending through the lower layer and the overlapping layers of the flexible core perpendicularly to the general plane of the junction, the inserts of the second half-junction being spaced from the upper layer, wherein the flexible core of one of the first and second half-junctions overlaps the flexible core of the other one of the first and second half-junctions at the junction, and the upper layer of each one of the first and second half-junctions is arranged end-to-end with the upper layer of the other one of the first and second half junctions at the junction.