US 12,134,522 B2
Modular conveyor belt link
Kenneth Westergaard Andersen, Vejle (DK); and Germ Buter, Alkmaar (NL)
Assigned to AMMERAAL BELTECH MODULAR A/S, Vejle (DK)
Appl. No. 17/607,963
Filed by AMMERAAL BELTECH MODULAR A/S, Vejle (DK)
PCT Filed May 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/DK2020/050121
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 1, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/224735, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 12, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. PA 2019 70287 (DK), filed on May 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0281689 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 17/08 (2006.01); B65G 23/06 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 17/086 (2013.01) [B65G 23/06 (2013.01); B65G 2207/24 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A modular conveyor belt link, used in an endless conveyor belt assembled from a plurality of such modular conveyor belt links, where the endless conveyor belt has a load carrying surface and an underside opposite the load carrying surface, where the modular conveyor belt link has a main body extending in the modular conveyor belt link's width direction, and wherein the main body has a plurality of eye parts that extend forwards and rearwards, the plurality of eye parts being spaced in the width direction of the modular conveyor belt link, where forwards extending eye parts of the plurality of eye parts are offset relative to rearwards extending eye parts of the plurality of eye parts, such that when the modular conveyor belt link is pushed together with a second modular conveyor belt link the plurality of eye parts on the modular conveyor belt link will inter-fit between the plurality of eye parts on the second modular conveyor belt link, wherein the modular conveyor belt link laterally is limited by two sides, and outermost eye parts of the plurality of eye parts on either side are provided with a cutout, the cutout spanning an entire thickness of the modular conveyor belt link from the load carrying surface to the underside, such that the width of the modular conveyor belt link is smaller in the cutout than outside the cutout, where the cutout has an engagement surface spanning from the load carrying surface to the underside, the engagement surface is orthogonal to the two sides, and where the engagement surface is suitable to engage a drive member, wherein the plurality of eye parts are provided with apertures parallel to the load carrying surface, such that the apertures in one eye part may be overlapped with the apertures in the plurality of eye parts from adjacent modular conveyor belt links, and a connection pin may be inserted through the overlapping apertures thereby creating a hinge-like connection between the adjacent modular conveyor belt links, wherein the outermost eye parts have reduced material thickness orthogonally to the load carrying surface such that the outermost eye parts on one modular belt link may slide over adjacent outermost eye parts on adjacent modular belt links in the forwards and rearwards direction from the main body such that inner sides of the respective modular belt links are in a collapsed state while outer sides of the respective modular belt links are in an expanded state, and wherein the engagement surface of the cutout is suitable to engage the drive member in the collapsed state.