Power transmission belt and method of forming a power transmission belt

• US 20060154770A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsuboshi Belting Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsuboshi Belting Limited
• Inventors: Hineno, Yorifumi, Takaba, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 9,388,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 474/263
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 5/20 with a contact surface of special shape, e.g. toothed

Abstract

A power transmission belt having a body with a length, an inside, an outside, laterally spaced sides, and a plurality of ribs extending lengthwise at one of the inside and outside of the body. The body has a rubber layer at the other of the inside and outside of the body in which non-straight, short fibers are embedded.

Claims

1. A power transmission belt comprising:

a body having a length, an inside, outside, laterally spaced sides, and a plurality of ribs extending lengthwise at one of the inside and outside of the body,

the body comprising a rubber layer at the other of the inside and outside of the body in which non-straight, short fibers are embedded.

2. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the body further comprises at least one load carrying member extending lengthwise of the body between the inside and outside of the body.

3. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the mass ratio of non-straight, short fibers to rubber in the rubber layer is in a range of from 4:

100 to 35;

100.

4. The power transmission belt according to claim 2 wherein the mass ratio of non-straight, short fibers to rubber in the rubber layer is in a range of from 4:

100 to 35;

100.

5. The power transmission belt according to claim 4 wherein the non-straight, short fibers are randomly oriented in the rubber layer.

6. The power transmission belt according to claim 5 wherein the non-straight, short fibers comprise milled fibers.

7. The power transmission belt according to claim 3 wherein the non-straight, short fibers comprise polyamide.

8. The power transmission belt according to claim 6 wherein the non-straight, short fibers comprise polyamide.

9. The power transmission belt according to claim 3 wherein the rubber in the rubber layer comprises ethylene/α

-olefin as a main component.

10. The power transmission belt according to claim 8 wherein the rubber in the rubber layer comprises ethylene/α

-olefin as a main component.

11. The power transmission belt according to claim 9 wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin comprises an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer and an ethylene-butene copolymer.

12. The power transmission belt according to claim 10 wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin comprises an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer and an ethylene-butene copolymer.

13. The power transmission belt according to claim 11 wherein the mass ratio of the ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer to ethylene-butene copolymer is in a range of from 90:

10 to 30;

80.

14. The power transmission belt according to claim 12 wherein the mass ratio of the ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer to ethylene-butene copolymer is in a range of from 90:

10 to 30;

80.

15. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the rubber layer further comprises a plurality of ultra-short fibers having a length in a range of from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

16. The power transmission belt according to claim 13 wherein the rubber layer further comprises a plurality of ultra-short fibers having a length in a range of from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

17. The power transmission belt according to claim 14 wherein the rubber layer further comprises a plurality of ultra-short fibers having a length in a range of from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

18. The power transmission belt according to claim 15 wherein the ultra-short fibers comprise a cellulose.

19. The power transmission belt according to claim 16 wherein the ultra-short fibers comprise a cellulose.

20. The power transmission belt according to claim 17 wherein the ultra-short fibers comprise a cellulose.

21. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the rubber layer is directly exposed at the other of the inside and outside of the body.

22. The power transmission belt according to claim 18 wherein the rubber layer is directly exposed at the other of the inside and outside of the body.

23. The power transmission belt according to claim 19 wherein the rubber layer is directly exposed at the other of the inside and outside of the body.

24. The power transmission belt according to claim 20 wherein the rubber layer is directly exposed at the other of the inside and outside of the body.

25. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the power transmission belt has a compression section and a tension section and the plurality of ribs is defined in the compression section and the rubber layer is defined in the tension section.

26. The power transmission belt according to claim 1 wherein the non-straight short fibers have a length of 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

27. The power transmission belt according to claim 3 wherein the non-straight short fibers have a length of 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

28. A power transmission belt comprising:

a body having a length, an inside, an outside and laterally spaced sides,

the body comprising a rubber layer at one of the inside and outside of the body in which non-straight, short fibers are embedded.

29. The power transmission belt according to claim 28 wherein the body further comprises at least one load carrying member extending lengthwise of the body between the inside and outside of the body.

30. The power transmission belt according to claim 29 wherein the mass ratio of non-straight, short fibers to rubber in the rubber layer is in a range of from 4:

100 to 35;

100.

31. The power transmission belt according to claim 30 wherein the non-straight, short fibers are randomly oriented in the rubber layer.

32. The power transmission belt according to claim 31 wherein the rubber layer further comprises a plurality of ultra-short fibers having a length in a range of from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

33. The power transmission belt according to claim 31 wherein the rubber layer is directly exposed at one of the inside and outside of the body.

34. The power transmission belt according to claim 31 wherein the non-straight short fibers have a length of 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

35. A method of forming a power transmission belt, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a rubber layer by embedding non-straight, short fibers in a rubber defining the rubber layer so that the mass ratio of non-straight short fibers to rubber in the rubber layer is in a range of 4;

100 to 35;

100; and

joining the rubber layer to at least one other component to define a power transmission belt with a body having a length, an inside, an outside and laterally spaced sides.

36. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 35 wherein the step of forming a rubber layer comprises rolling the rubber in which the non-straight, short fibers are embedded into a sheet form.

37. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 35 wherein the step of forming a rubber layer comprises embedding ultra-short fibers having a length of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm in the rubber defining the rubber layer.

38. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 36 wherein the step of forming a rubber layer comprises embedding ultra-short fibers having a length of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm in the rubber defining the rubber layer.

39. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 35 wherein the step of joining the rubber layer to at least one other component comprises joining the rubber layer to at least one other component to define a body wherein the rubber layer is exposed at one of the inside and outside of the body.

40. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 39 further comprising the step of forming a plurality of ribs extending lengthwise of the body at the other of the inside and outside of the body.

41. The method of forming a power transmission belt according to claim 35 wherein the step of joining the rubber layer to at least one other component comprises joining the rubber layer to at least one load carrying member extending lengthwise of the body so that the at least one load carrying member resides between the inside and outside of the body.