V-Ribbed Belt and Method for Manufacturing Same

• US 20100173740A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gates Corporation (Gates Industrial Corp. Plc)
• Original Assignee: Gates Corporation (Gates Industrial Corp. Plc)
• Inventors: Mori, Masahiro, Gao, Min, Hall, Lance C., Wu, Shawn Xiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 474/252
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 29/08 Toothed driving belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 29/103 Multi-ribbed driving belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2029/00 Belts or bands conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0094 Belts D03D1/0005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/49 textured chenille D03D27/18; curled; crimped
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/56 elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 3/02 Tubular fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/225 Elongated tubular articles of small diameter, e.g. coverings or reinforcements for cables or hoses
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/02 Cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/04 Linen
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/06 Jute
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/02 polyamides D10B2331/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/10 polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0312 Bulk fabric, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/02 Reinforcing materials; Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 5/08 with textile reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 5/20 with a contact surface of special shape, e.g. toothed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/57 Processes of forming layered products
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/73 Processes of stretching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/77 Processes of molding urethanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1041 : Subsequent to lamination

Abstract

A V-ribbed belt that includes a ribbed surface covered with fabric is provided. The fabric is stretchable in two predetermined directions. A method for manufacturing the V-ribbed belt is also provided. The method includes placing a belt matrix about a mandrel, placing a fabric about the external circumference of the belt matrix which wraps around the mandrel, placing the mandrel inside a shell having a plurality of grooves on the internal circumference, expanding the belt matrix and the fabric toward the internal circumference of the shell and thus pressing the fabric onto the internal circumference having the multi-ribbed structure, and curing the belt matrix with the fabric. The fabric is stretchable to accommodate itself to the multi-ribbed structure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt, comprising steps of:

placing a belt matrix about a mandrel;

placing a fabric about the external circumference of said belt matrix which wraps around said mandrel;

placing said mandrel, which is wrapped by said belt matrix and said fabric, inside a shell having a plurality of grooves for molding a multi-ribbed structure on its internal circumference;

expanding said belt matrix and said fabric toward the internal circumference of said shell and thus pressing said fabric to said internal circumference to form said multi-ribbed structure; and

curing said belt matrix with said fabric and with the belt matrix penetrating into the mesh of said fabric;

wherein said fabric is stretchable to accommodate itself to said multi-ribbed structure.

2. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein the tension per unit width in the mandrel axis direction is less than or equal to a first value when the extension of said fabric along the axis of the mandrel has a value equal to the profile length of a rib in the belt lateral direction divided by the rib pitch, minus one.

3. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 2, wherein the tension per unit width in the mandrel circumferential direction is less than or equal to a second value when the extensibility of said fabric along the periphery of the mandrel has a value equal to the length of a rib tip in the belt longitudinal direction at said shell, minus the length of said fabric in the belt longitudinal direction at the beginning of the molding process, divided by the length of said fabric in the belt longitudinal direction at the beginning of the molding process.

4. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein said belt matrix'"'"'s penetration through the mesh of said fabric during the pressurization applied in the curing is controlled in order to control characteristics of said ribbed surface.

5. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 4, wherein said penetration of said belt matrix is controlled in part by the stretching of said fabric.

6. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein said fabric includes one of a seamless woven fabric or a seamless knitted fabric which has a predetermined stretchability in the belt longitudinal direction and in the belt lateral direction, respectively.

7. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a two-yarn construction including a cotton yarn and a polyurethane yarn.

8. The method for manufacturing a V-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a yarn construction of three or more fibers or yarns, including a cotton fiber or yarn, a polyurethane fiber or yarn, and another fiber or yarn.

9. A V-ribbed belt comprising a belt matrix and a ribbed surface covered with fabric, said fabric being stretchable in two predetermined directions;

wherein the belt matrix penetrates into the mesh of said fabric; and

wherein said V-ribbed belt is manufactured by molding, and during said molding, said ribbed surface is molded by expanding said belt matrix together with said fabric arranged around the external circumference of said belt matrix toward the inner circumference of a shell having a plurality of grooves for molding a multi-ribbed structure on its internal circumference, and curing said belt matrix with said fabric, said fabric being stretchable to accommodate itself to said multi-ribbed structure.

10. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said belt matrix is cured after the penetration of said belt matrix into said fabric.

11. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein the penetration of said belt matrix through the mesh of said fabric during the pressurization applied during molding is controlled in order to control characteristics of said ribbed surface.

12. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 11, wherein the penetration of said belt matrix is controlled in part by the stretching of said fabric.

13. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said belt matrix does not fully penetrate the mesh of said fabric during the pressurization applied during molding and curing.

14. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, the tension per unit width of the fabric in the belt lateral direction being less than or equal to a first value when the extension of said fabric in the belt lateral direction has a value equal to the profile length of one rib in the belt lateral direction divided by the rib pitch, minus one.

15. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein the tension per unit width in the belt longitudinal direction is less than or equal to a second value when the extension of said fabric in the belt longitudinal direction has a value equal to the length of a rib tip in the belt longitudinal direction at said shell minus the length of said fabric in the belt longitudinal direction at the beginning of the molding process, divided by the length of said fabric in the belt longitudinal direction at the beginning of the molding process.

16. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric is woven in a process that gives stretchability to both the warp and the weft of said woven fabric.

17. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 16, wherein the warp and the weft of said fabric on which said process is performed, extend in each of the predetermined directions.

18. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 17, wherein one of said two predetermined directions corresponds to the belt lateral direction and the other corresponds to the belt longitudinal direction.

19. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 16, wherein said process comprises one of curl-crimp finish, woolly finish, Taslan finish, interlace finish, and covering finish.

20. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric is knitted so as to allow stretchability in predetermined directions.

21. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 20, wherein said predetermined directions are the belt lateral direction and the belt longitudinal direction.

22. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric comprises one of a seamless woven fabric or a seamless knitted fabric which has a predetermined stretchability in the belt longitudinal direction and in the belt lateral direction, respectively.

23. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric comprises a two-yarn construction including a cotton yarn and a polyurethane yarn.

24. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric comprises a yarn construction of three or more fibers or yarns, including a cotton fiber or yarn, a polyurethane fiber or yarn, and another fiber or yarn.

25. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 9, wherein said fabric comprises elastic yarn and at least one type of non-elastic yarn.

26. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 25, wherein said elastic yarn comprises polyurethane.

27. The V-ribbed belt according to claim 25, wherein said non-elastic yarn comprises cellulose-based fiber or yarn.