CN-122009729-A - Curved conveyor belt and belt turning conveyor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a curved conveyor belt and a belt turning conveyor. A curved conveyor belt (3), in particular adapted for a belt-turning conveyor (1), in particular adapted for conveying objects in a conveying area (11) between a first end (E1) and a second end (E2) along a curved conveying direction (C), the conveying direction being perpendicular to a radial direction (R), in particular the belt-turning conveyor comprising-a support frame (2), -a conveyor belt (3) arranged circumferentially on the support frame (2) and adapted to carry the objects, -at least one deflecting roller at each of the first end and the second end around which the conveyor belt is deflected, -a drive motor (4) adapted to provide a driving force to the conveyor belt, -a guide (64), in particular a rail, adapted to guide the conveyor belt in the conveying direction providing a guiding force radially outwards, a plurality of receiving portions (32) within the belt body (31) adapted to engage with drive sprockets (44).

Inventors

• Fabian Ávila
• TOM HARDING
• Michael Harrell
• SCOTT HARRISON

Assignees

• 英特诺控股公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20251104

Priority Date

20241111

Claims (12)

1. 1. A curved conveyor belt (3), The curved conveyor belt is particularly suitable for a belt-turning conveyor (1), in particular adapted to convey objects in a conveying area (11) along a curved conveying direction (C) between a first end (E1) and a second end (E2), wherein the conveying direction (C) is perpendicular to a radial direction (R); In particular, the belt turning conveyor comprises: -a support frame (2); -a conveyor belt (3) arranged circumferentially on the support frame (2) and adapted to carry the objects; -at least one deflection roller (42) at each of the first end (E1) and the second end (E2), the conveyor belt (3) being deflected around the deflection roller (42); -a drive (4) adapted to provide a driving force to the conveyor belt (3); -a guide rail (51) adapted to guide the conveyor belt (3) in the conveying direction (C) providing a guiding force in a radially outward direction (R); it is characterized in that A plurality of receiving portions (32) in the belt body (31), The receiving portion (32) is adapted to engage with a drive sprocket (44).
2. 2. The curved conveyor belt (3) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The receiving portion (32) is provided with a reinforcement (33).
3. 3. The curved conveyor belt (3) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The reinforcement (33) provides at least a contact surface for contacting the drive sprocket (44) when a driving force is provided to the conveyor belt (3).
4. 4. A curved conveyor belt (3) according to claim 2 or 3, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The stiffener (33) at least partially surrounds the receptacle when viewed from a top view; In particular, the reinforcement (33) is a grommet which completely surrounds the receiving portion (32) at least in a U-shaped manner, when seen from a top view.
5. 5. The curved conveyor belt (3) according to any of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The conveyor belt (3) comprises a radial support (34) attached to the belt body and adapted to interact with a radial guide rail (51).
6. 6. The curved conveyor belt (3) according to the preceding claim and any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The radial support (34) is integrally formed with the reinforcement (33).
7. 7. Curved conveyor belt (3) according to claim 5 or 6, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, A radial guide (51) is located radially outward of the receiving portion (32).
8. 8. The curved conveyor belt (3) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, In the upper run (3U) of the belt, the radial support (34) is located on the upper side of the belt body (31).
9. 9. A belt turning conveyor (1), The belt turning conveyor is adapted to convey objects in a conveying zone (11) along a curved conveying direction (C) between a first end (E1) and a second end (E2), wherein the conveying direction (C) is perpendicular to a radial direction (R); The belt turning conveyor (1) comprises: -a support frame (2); -a curved conveyor belt (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, circumferentially arranged on the support frame (2) and adapted to carry the objects, and -At least one deflection roller (42) at each of the first end (E1) and the second end (E2), the conveyor belt (3) being deflected around the deflection roller (42); -a drive (4) adapted to provide a driving force to the conveyor belt (3); -a guide rail (51) adapted to guide the conveyor belt (3) in the conveying direction (C), in particular to provide a guiding force in a radially outward direction (R).
10. 10. Belt turning conveyor (1) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized in that A first plurality of deflection rollers (42) at each first end (E1) and A second plurality of deflection rollers (42) at each first end (E1), Wherein the rollers of each of the plurality of rollers are cylindrical in shape.
11. 11. Belt turning conveyor (1) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The rollers of each of the plurality of rollers are cylindrically shaped and are supported in a rotational manner independent of the rotation of the other rollers of the same plurality of rollers.
12. 12. Belt turning conveyor (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of, The driver (4) has a drive sprocket (44) adapted to engage into the receiving portion (312) of the belt body (31).

Description

Curved conveyor belt and belt turning conveyor Technical Field The present invention relates to a curved conveyor belt and a belt turning conveyor. Background A belt turning conveyor is shown at https:// www.youtube.com/watchv = QokVhGOaMfU. Such a belt turning conveyor is hereinafter referred to as a "conventional belt turning conveyor". The belt is mechanically tied. The position of the deflection roller at the first and second ends may be modified in order to accommodate the tension of the conveyor belt. The tension is increased by increasing the distance between the rollers, which is shown in the video between 2 minutes 00 seconds and 2 minutes 05 seconds. The belt turning conveyor is used to convey luggage. EP 2 276 685 B1 discloses another belt-turning conveyor similar to the conventional belt-turning conveyor described above. The deflection roller is suspended in the frame. The deflection roller can be moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt (conveying direction) in order to be able to tension the conveyor belt after installation of the conveyor belt (EP 2 276 685 B1, [0053 ]). In the e-commerce industry small items and so-called soft packs will also be automatically sorted and transported. The package generally has a defined shape and a rigid surface, which makes it easy to handle automatically. Soft packs are used to package soft contents such as clothing. The outer surface is made of plastic sheet so that the soft pack has a non-limiting shape and a smooth surface. The gap between the conveyors is a natural enemy of the flexible package. In order to optimize the reliability of the conveyor in conveying soft packets, it is necessary to minimize the gap size in the conveying track, in particular the gap with the adjacent conveyor. The small gap topic with respect to belt turning conveyors is described in detail in DE 20 2021 101 563 U1. In conventional belt turning conveyors, the position of the deflection roller is corrected for tensioning purposes. Thus, the gap size is a variable value depending on the belt tension. Thus, in conventional belt turning conveyors, the ability to optimize for gap is limited because the deflection rollers cannot be positioned in a manner that supports the smallest gap. In a belt turning conveyor, there are different possibilities to drive the conveyor belt. Positive drive here, the drive sprocket interacts with a drive chain, wherein the drive chain is fixedly connected to the conveyor belt. The advantage is that the conveyor belt is driven with high accuracy and that no high tension of the conveyor belt is required. The drive chain is typically very noisy. Friction drive-here, the deflection roller interacts with the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt maintains a certain high tension around the deflection roller, thereby transmitting the driving force from the deflection roller to the conveyor belt. In order to make the speed relationship between the belt and the deflection roller uniform, the deflection roller has a conical shape, wherein the radially inner region of the deflection roller has a smaller diameter. Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved belt turning conveyor, particularly in conveying soft packs and small items. In particular, the belt-turning conveyor should operate at a low noise level, and the belt-turning conveyor should be driven in a forced manner (positive manner). This object is solved by a curved conveyor belt and a belt turning conveyor according to the independent claims, embodiments being the subject matter of the dependent claims and the description. In particular, the belt has a belt body, in particular a continuous flexible mat. This is in contrast to so-called modular belts, in which the belt is made of a plurality of rigid polymeric elements hinged together. In particular, a belt turning conveyor to which a curved conveyor belt is adapted includes: -a support frame; -a conveyor belt arranged circumferentially on the support frame and adapted to carry objects; -at least one deflection roller at each of the first and second ends around which the conveyor belt is deflected; -a drive motor adapted to provide a driving force to the conveyor belt; A guide, in particular a guide rail, adapted to guide the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, thereby providing a guiding force radially outwards. The belt includes a plurality of receptacles within the belt body, the receptacles adapted to be engaged by a drive sprocket. In particular, the drive sprocket is in driving connection with the drive motor. The belt is directly engaged in a forced manner so that the drive chain of a conventional belt turning conveyor is dispensed with. By omitting the drive chain, the main noise source is turned off. Belt-turning conveyors are particularly suitable and/or used for conveying soft-pack type articles. The soft pack type has an outer wall made of a foil in a non-rigid shape. Drawings Exempl