CONVEYOR BELT APPARATUS AND METHOD INCLUDING MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED ROLLERS

摘要

A modular conveyor belt and method provides a conveyor belt having rollers with metallic or magnetic rotors (20). A magnet or metallic element next to the conveyor belt is positioned to rotate the rotor (20). A magnetic field (45) produced by the magnet or by the magnetic rotor rotates the rollers as they pass the magnetic field (45) or as the magnetic field (45) is changed. In one embodiment, the magnetic field (45) is in the form of one or more switched reluctance motors.