Conveyor belt and method for closing a conveyor belt

A conveyor belt for foodstuffs comprising:

• a first end and a second end of a conveyor belt respectively defining first clips and second clips, the first clips and the second clips each defining a first series of holes and a second series of holes, wherein in a closed position of the conveyor belt, the first series of holes are aligned to form a first through hole extending over a whole width of the conveyor belt and the second series of holes are aligned to form a second through hole extending over the whole width of the conveyor belt, and the first clips and the second clips are arranged alternately;
• a first pin passing through the first series of holes to secure the first end and the second end, the first pin having a first diameter;
• a second pin passing through the second series of holes to secure the first end and the second end, the second pin having a second diameter;
• wherein the first pin and the second pin are removable with respect to the first end and the second end to form an openable conveyor belt, the second pin and the first pin being offset in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, the first clips, the second clips, the first pin and second pin forming a closing device configured to close the conveyor belt;
• wherein the first clips and the second clips have a mean thickness at least 10% greater than and less than twice a mean thickness of the conveyor belt outside the closing device, the mean thickness of the conveyor belt being calculated without taking account of any teeth designed for driving conveyor belt when the conveyor belt comprises the teeth;
• in that a separating distance between a central axis of the first pin and a central axis of the second pin is less than three times a mean diameter of the first pin and of the second pin to locally strengthen an area located between the first pin and the second pin, the first pin being separated from the second pin by a distance less than twice the mean diameter of the first pin and the second pin;
• in that both the first pin and the second pin are formed by means of a first part and a second part that each comprise an end-of travel stop defining a maximum depression of each of the first part and the second part in the first through hole and in the second through hole;
• wherein each end-of travel stop forms a button salient from a side wall of the conveyor belt;
• in that each button defines a continuous annular contact area with a lateral face of one of the first clips and the second clips around two ends of the first through hole and of the second through hole;
• in that the end-of travel stop of the first part of the first pin is monolithic with the end-of travel stop of the first part of the second pin to form a strengthener having a thickness that is greater than or equal to the mean diameter of the first pin and of the second pin and smaller than a thickness of the first clips and second clips at least between the first pin and the second pin;
• and in that, when the conveyor belt has a series of teeth arranged salient from an inner face and designed for driving the conveyor belt, the teeth being spaced apart with a repetition pitch, the first pin and the second pin are arranged between two consecutive teeth and the separating distance between the first pin and the second pin is at least twice smaller than the repetition pitch.

A method for closing an openable conveyor belt comprising:

• providing a conveyor belt provided with a first end defining first clips with at least a first series of holes having a first diameter and a second series of holes having a second diameter and with a second end defining the second clips with at least a first series of holes having the first diameter and a second series of holes having the second diameter;
• closing the conveyor belt, the first clips and the second clips forming an alternation wherein the first series of holes are aligned to form a first through hole extending over a whole width of the conveyor belt and the second series of holes are aligned to form a second through hole extending over the whole width of the conveyor belt;
• inserting a first part of a first pin passing through the first series of holes and a first part of a second pin passing through the second series of holes to secure the first end and the second end, the first part of the first pin and the first part of the second pin being removable with respect to the first end and the second end;
• inserting a second part of the first pin passing through the first series of holes and a second part of the second pin passing through the second series of holes to secure the first end and the second end, the second part of the first pin and the second part of the second pin being removable with respect to the first end and the second end, and wherein the second pin and the first pin are offset in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, the first clips, the second clips, the first pin and the second pin forming a closing device configured to close the conveyor belt;
• wherein the first clips and the second clips have a mean thickness at least 10% greater than and less than twice a mean thickness of the conveyor belt outside the closing device, the mean thickness of the conveyor belt being calculated without taking account of any teeth designed for driving conveyor belt when the conveyor belt comprises the teeth;
• wherein a separating distance between a central axis of the first pin and a central axis of the second pin is less than three times a mean diameter of the first pin and of the second pin to locally strengthen an area located between the first pin and the second pin, the first pin being separated from the second pin by a distance less than twice the mean diameter of the first pin and the second pin;
• wherein both the first pin and the second pin are formed by means of a first part and a second part that each comprise an end-of travel stop defining a maximum depression of each of the first part and the second part in the first through hole and in the second through hole;
• wherein each end-of travel stop forms a button salient from a side wall of the conveyor belt;
• wherein the end-of travel stop of the first part of the first pin is monolithic with the end-of travel stop of the first part of the second pin to form a strengthener having a thickness that is greater than or equal to the mean diameter of the first pin and of the second pin and smaller than the thickness of the first clips and the second clips at least between the first pin and the second pin;
• wherein when the conveyor belt has a series of teeth arranged salient from an inner face and designed for driving the conveyor belt, the teeth being spaced apart with a repetition pitch, the first pin and the second pin are arranged between two consecutive teeth and the separating distance between the first pin and the second pin is at least twice smaller than the repetition pitch.