CONVEYOR BELT AND BELT CONSTITUENT MEMBERS

• US 20160114980A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Company
• Original Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Company
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Masayuki, Ozaki, Hajime, Shibayama, Katsutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/24 comprising a series of rollers which are moved , e.g. over a supporting surface, by the traction element to effect conveyance of loads or load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/40 Chains acting as load-carriers

Abstract

A conveyor belt (11) is formed by coupling multiple chain links 15 aligned in a conveyance direction X. The chain link (15) is provided with multiple recess parts (15a) and first hinge parts (21) protruding in the conveyance direction X from positions between which each of the recess parts (15a) is placed. If some object hits on an outer end of the conveyor belt (11) to apply force to the first hinge part (21), a section including the first hinge part (21) and a bulging part (30) pivots about a fulcrum at an outer base end of the first hinge part (21) to deform this section. In this invention, a point of action where force acts on the conveyor belt (11) and the center of pivotal motion of the first hinge part (21) and the bulging part (30) are determined to be spaced by a relatively short distance.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt comprising a belt part and a unit member, the belt part including multiple belt components, wherein

the belt part is formed by coupling adjacent belt components through a hinge part in a manner that allows the adjacent belt components to pivot freely,

each of the belt components is provided with a recess part having an opening pointed in a short-side direction of the belt,

the unit member is attached to the recess part of each of the belt components,

the hinge part includes multiple first hinge parts and multiple second hinge parts, the first hinge parts protruding from positions between which recess parts of each of the belt components are placed, the second hinge parts protruding toward a side opposite the first hinge parts,

a belt component among the multiple belt components placed at an end portion of the belt part in a width direction has an end portion provided with a bulging part that protrudes in the width direction,

the bulging part has a restricting part that protrudes in the same direction as the first hinge parts or the second hinge parts, and

the restricting part faces an end portion of a belt component in the width direction adjacent to the bulging part.

2. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein

the restricting part protrudes in the same direction as the second hinge parts, and

a first hinge part of the belt component adjacent to the bulging part is inserted between the restricting part and a second hinge part.

3. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the restricting part protrudes further than tips of the first hinge parts in the same direction as the first hinge parts.

4. The conveyor belt according to claim 2, wherein

the restricting part holds the first hinge part between the restricting part and the second hinge part,

the restricting part, the first hinge part, and the second hinge part form the hinge part together, and

a common pin passes through the hinge part.

5. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the bulging part has a sloping surface that rises up from a position outside the width direction of the belt part toward a position inside the width direction of the belt part.

6. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the unit member is at least one of a ball unit, a roller unit, a guide unit, and a scraper unit.

7. A belt component having one end or opposite ends in a longitudinal direction of the belt component that form the end portion of the belt part in the width direction in the conveyor belt according to claim 1,

the belt component comprising:

the first hinge parts and the second hinge parts; and

a bulging part provided to either of or both of the one end or the opposite ends of the belt component, the bulging part protruding in the longitudinal direction of the belt component, wherein

the bulging part has a restricting part that protrudes in the same direction as the first hinge parts or the second hinge parts, and

the restricting part faces an end portion of a belt component in the width direction adjacent to the bulging part.