Modular cooling belt
The conveyor belt module with a concave surface and stiffening ribs addresses the strength-airflow trade-off, ensuring effective cooling and easy maintenance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LAITRAM LLC
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Modular plastic conveyor belts used in cooling applications face a trade-off between strength and airflow, with limited open area compromising belt strength and airflow efficiency.
A conveyor belt module design featuring a series of rows joined by hinge rods, with a concave upper surface and stiffening ribs, providing structural rigidity while maintaining generous airflow through lateral and vertical passages.
The design achieves enhanced airflow for effective cooling while maintaining belt strength, preventing product sliding on inclines, and facilitating easy cleaning.
Smart Images
Figure US2025058675_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] MODULAR COOLING BELT
[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The invention relates generally to power-driven conveyors and more particularly to modular conveyor belts with concave conveying surfaces.
[0004] BACKGROUND
[0005] Modular plastic conveyor belts are often used in cooling lines to allow cooked food products to cool. The belts used in cooling applications are often characterized by generous open area to admit airflow through the belt from bottom to top to cool the products. But open area in a conveyor belt comes at the expense of belt strength. So the amount of open area and consequent airflow are limited. Thus, there is a need for a conveyor belt that is strong and provides good airflow impinging on conveyed products.
[0006] SUMMARY
[0007] A conveyor belt module embodying features of the invention comprises a first end and a second defining the length of the conveyor belt module and a first side and a second side defining the width of the conveyor belt module. First hinge elements are spaced apart laterally along the first end of the conveyor belt module, and second hinge elements are spaced apart laterally along the second end. An upper surface of the conveyor belt module has a concave profile viewed from the first side toward the second side or vice versa.
[0008] A conveyor belt comprises a series of belt rows of one or more conveyor belt modules as described in the preceding paragraph in which the belt rows are hingedly joined end to end by hinge rods at hinge joints.
[0009] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a modular cooling belt embodying features of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the belt portion of FIG. 1 conveying products. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation view of a small portion of the belt of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a belt module usable in a cooling belt as in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the belt module of FIG.4.FIG.6 is an enlarged side elevation view of a portion of the conveyor belt of FIG. 1 on an incline.
[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] A portion of a conveyor belt 10 that promotes good airflow is shown rounding a sprocket 12 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 2, the conveyor belt 10 is shown conveying products 14, such as tortillas. The conveyor belt 10 is constructed of a series of rows 16 of one or more belt modules. The belt rows 16 are joined end to end at hinge joints 18 by hinge rods 20. Hinge elements 22 at the trailing end of a belt row 16 are interleaved with the leading hinge elements of the following trailing belt row. Rod holes 24 in the interleaved hinge elements 22 are laterally aligned to form a passageway across the width of the belt in which a hinge rod 20 is received.
[0013] As better shown in FIG. 3, the lateral profile of the upper conveying surface 26 of each row 16 of the conveyor belt 10 is concave when viewed along a line of sight 28 (FIG. 1) parallel to the belt's hinge joints 18 from one side of the belt toward the other. In this example, the concave upper surface 26 defines a smooth curve. It could be formed by a single curved segment or a sequence of linear segments or a combination of curved and linear segments. The lowest point 27 of the concavity is midway between the hinge joints 18 in this version. The highest points of the concave profile are at the hinge joints. The concavity of the belt 10 permits airflow to flow under the conveyed products from the sides of the belt to enhance cooling of the products.
[0014] FIGS.4 and 5 show details of a belt module 30 used to construct the conveyor belt of FIG. 1. The belt module 30 extends in length from a first end 32 to a second end 33 and in width from a first side 34 to a second side 35. First hinge elements 36 are spaced apart along the first end 32 of the belt module 30. Second hinge elements 37 are spaced apart along the second end 33. Aligned rod holes through each set of the hinge elements 36, 37 arc sized to receive the hinge rod. The first hinge elements 36 are offset laterally in the width direction of the module 30 from the second hinge elements 37. Links 38 extend obliquely from the sides of the first hinge elements 36 to the nearer sides of the laterally offset second hinge elements 37. The tops of the oblique links 38 form the belt module's concave upper surface 26. The module's concave profile is viewed looking laterally from the first side 34 toward the second side 35 or vice versa.First stiffening ribs 40 extend laterally between the pair of links 38 that extend from opposite sides of each of the second hinge elements 37. Second stiffening ribs 41 extend laterally between the pair of oblique links 38 that extend from opposite sides of each first hinge element 36. The stiffening ribs 40, 41 give the belt module 30 enough rigidity and strength to minimize bending without sacrificing much open area. Stubs 42 protruding outward of the first and second sides 34, 35 of the module 30 are aligned with the second stiffening ribs 41 and meet the corresponding stub 42 of a laterally adjacent module in a belt row. The stiffening ribs 40, 41 and the stubs 42 are recessed below the concave upper surface 26 of the belt module 30.
[0015] The first hinge elements 36 have upper and lower openings 44, 45 that extend to the hinge-rod passageway 46. The resulting open-hinge design provides access to the rod holes at the hinge joint for cleaning. The lower portions of the laterally wider second hinge elements 37 provide drive faces 48 against which the teeth 50 of the sprockets drive the belt. Each of the second hinge elements 37, the pair of oblique links 38 that extend from opposite sides of each of the second hinge elements, and the corresponding first stiffening rib 40 bound a gap 51 that receives the sprocket tooth 50. The drive faces 48 are formed on the second hinge elements 37 inward of the second end 33 of the conveyor belt module 30 at the gap 51.
[0016] The cooling conveyor belt 10 of FIG. 1 can be driven on an incline as in FIG. 6. To prevent conveyed products 14 from sliding down the incline, a low-profile stop 52 with a flat top is formed on each hinge element 36, 37 at the upper surface 26. (The stops 52 are also shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.) The low-profile stops 52, which are located at the ends of the concave profile, provide catch points that are elevated far enough above the concave profile to prevent soft, malleable products 14 like soft tortillas from sliding down the belt 10 on inclines.
[0017] Thus, the cooling conveyor belt is strong, provides generous open area for air to flow vertically through the belt, and has a concave upper conveying surface for air to flow laterally under the conveyed products for effective cooling.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A conveyor belt module comprising:a first end and a second defining the length of the conveyor belt module;a first side and a second side defining the width of the conveyor belt module;first hinge elements spaced apart laterally along the first end and second hinge elements spaced apart laterally along the second end;an upper surface having a concave profile viewed from the first side toward the second side or vice versa.
2. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 comprising oblique links extending from a side of each of the first hinge elements to a side of each of the second hinge elements and wherein the tops of the oblique links form the upper surface with the concave profile.
3. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 2 comprising stiffening ribs extending laterally between each pair of adjacent links.
4. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 3 comprising stubs protruding outward from the first and second sides of the conveyor belt module and aligned with the second stiffening ribs.
5. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second hinge elements, the pair of oblique links that extend from opposite sides of each of the second hinge elements, and the stiffening ribs extending laterally between the pair of oblique links bound gaps.
6. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 5 comprising drive faces on the second hinge elements at the gaps.
7. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 comprising drive surfaces on each of the second hinge elements inward of the second end of the conveyor belt module.
8. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second hinge elements are wider than the first hinge elements.
9. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first hinge elements have upper and lower openings that open onto the rod holes for cleaning.
10. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 comprising low-profile stops atop each of the first and second hinge elements.
11. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 10 wherein the low-profile stops have flat tops that form part of the upper surface.
12. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the concave profile of the upper surface defines a smooth curve.
13. The conveyor belt module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the concave profile has a lowest point of concavity midway between the first and second ends of the conveyor belt module.
14. The conveyor bel module as claimed in claim 13 wherein the highest points of concavity are at the first and second hinge elements.
15. A conveyor belt comprising:a series of belt rows of one or more conveyor belt modules wherein the belt rows are hingedly joined end to end by hinge rods at hinge joints, wherein each of the conveyor belt modules includes:a first end and a second defining the length of the conveyor belt module;a first side and a second side defining the width of the conveyor belt module; first hinge elements spaced apart laterally along the first end and second hinge elements spaced apart laterally along the second end;an upper surface having a concave profile viewed from the first side toward the second side or vice versa.
16. The conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15 comprising low-profile stops atop each of the first and second hinge elements elevated far enough above the concave profile to prevent soft, malleable products from sliding down the conveyor belt on inclines.