Belt trap apparatuses
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorDharmendra Nagar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Belt traps for belt drive systems function to arrest a failed drive belt or otherwise absorb energy of the failed drive belt to avoid or reduce damage to components of the belt drive system or objects adjacent to the belt drive system. Belt traps may include a channel configured to receive a portion of a drive belt and one or more protrusions to pierce, grip, or otherwise engage the failed drive belt.
Claims19
A belt trap mountable in a belt drive system adjacent to a portion of a drive belt of the belt drive system, the belt trap comprising:
- a first wall;
- a second wall disposed opposite the first wall;
- and
- a third wall extending between the first wall and the second wall,
- wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall define a U-shaped structure,
- wherein the U-shaped structure is configured to straddle the drive belt such that the first wall is configured to be disposed proximate to a first lateral edge of the drive belt, the second wall is configured to be disposed proximate to a second lateral edge of the drive belt, opposite the first lateral edge, and the third wall is configured to be disposed adjacent an outer surface of the drive belt,
- a channel defined by the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall;
- and
- a protrusion extending from the third wall, the protrusion extending into the channel.
A belt trap mountable in a belt drive system adjacent to a portion of a drive belt of the belt drive system, the belt trap comprising:
- a first wall;
- a channel defined, at least in part, by the first wall;
- and
- a protrusion extending from the first wall, the protrusion extending into the channel,
- wherein the protrusion defines a spiked portion.
A belt drive system comprising:
- a pulley comprising:
- a first lateral side;
- a second lateral side, opposite the first lateral side;
- and
- a peripheral edge extending between the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
- and
- a groove formed in the peripheral edge, the pulley rotatable in a first rotational direction about an axis;
- an endless belt movable along a circuitous route, the endless belt received into at least a portion of the groove as the endless belt moves along the circuitous route;
- and
- a belt trap mountable at a location along a belt drive system, the belt trap comprising:
- a first wall;
- a second wall disposed opposite the first wall;
- and
- an end wall extending between the first wall and the second wall, the first wall, the second wall, and the end wall define a U-shaped structure;
- a channel sized and shaped to receive a portion of the peripheral edge of the pulley;
- and
- a protrusion extending into the channel from the end wall,
- wherein the belt trap is configured to straddle the pulley such that the first wall is disposed adjacent to the first lateral side of the pulley, the second wall is disposed adjacent to the second lateral side of the pulley, opposite the first lateral side, and the end wall is positioned adjacent the peripheral edge of the pulley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.