Carrier-belt conveyor with diverter switch

A conveyor comprising:

• a carryway;
• a conveyor belt suitable for advancing along the carryway in a direction of belt travel, the conveyor belt comprising:
• a series of belt rows of one or more belt modules hingedly joined end to end at hinge joints, wherein each of the belt rows extends in width from a first side to a second side and in thickness from a top to a bottom and at least some of the belt rows comprise:
• a belt module that extends in width from a left side to a right side and includes:
• a slot extending through the thickness of the belt module along the width of the belt module;
• a carrier having:
• a follower extending through the slot and past the bottom of the belt module and having a follower body having an upper bearing surface and a pin extending downward from a bottom of the follower body;
• wherein the pin is narrower than the rest of the follower body and is disposed at a level lower than a lowermost level of the upper bearing surface;
• a slat attached to the follower at the top of the belt module to slide along the width of the belt row with the follower and having an upper article-supporting surface;
• wherein the slat extends along the width of the row;
• an actuator;
• a diverter switch in the carryway under the conveyor belt and including:
• an entry portion having two side walls defining an entry channel through which the carrier's follower is guided by contact between the follower's upper bearing surface and one of the side walls;
• a shuttle having a gap between two walls;
• a guide portion having:
• a first exit channel and a second exit channel oblique to the first exit channel;
• an upper diagonal exit guide wall bounding the second exit channel and a lower diagonal exit guide wall bounding the second exit channel closer to the shuttle's gap;
• wherein the actuator is coupled to the shuttle to translate the shuttle from a first position in which the gap is positioned to define a first path for the carrier's follower through the entry channel, the gap, and the first exit channel and in which shuttle structure blocks the second exit channel to a second position in which the gap is positioned to define a second path for the carrier's follower through the entry channel, the gap, and the second exit channel and in which shuttle structure blocks the first exit channel;
• wherein, when the shuttle is in the second position, the follower is guided through the entry channel by contact between the upper bearing surface and one of the entry portion's side walls and one of the shuttle's walls and, after exiting the gap, by contact between the pin and the lower diagonal exit guide wall to divert the follower into the second exit channel until the upper bearing surface of the follower engages the upper diagonal exit guide wall to guide the follower the rest of the way through the second exit channel along the second path.