V-ribbed belt with spaced rib flank reinforcement
AssigneeDayco IP Holdings, LLC
InventorRichard J. Witt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
V-ribbed belts with spaced rib flank reinforcement and methods of making the same are disclosed. The V-ribbed belt comprises a compression section having at least one laterally spaced, longitudinally extending V-rib having first and second longitudinally extending flanks. The V-rib includes an elastomeric material having a dry coefficient of friction encapsulating a plurality of reinforcing bodies having a dry coefficient of friction that is less than that of the elastomeric material. The plurality of reinforcing bodies are arranged generally laterally within the V-rib such that at least a portion of the reinforcing bodies forms part of one or more of the first and second longitudinally extending flanks.
Claims20
A V-ribbed belt comprising:
- a compression section comprising a material having at least one laterally spaced, longitudinally extending V-rib having a first longitudinally extending flank and a second longitudinally extending flank, the V-rib comprising:
- an elastomeric material having a first dry coefficient of friction encapsulating a plurality of reinforcing bodies having a second dry coefficient of friction;
- wherein the plurality of reinforcing bodies are arranged generally laterally within the V-rib such that at least a portion of the reinforcing bodies form part of one or more of the first and second longitudinally extending flanks;
- wherein the first dry coefficient of friction is greater than the second dry coefficient of friction.
A V-ribbed belt comprising:
- a compression section having at least one laterally spaced, longitudinally extending V-rib, the V-rib having a first longitudinally extending flank and a second longitudinally extending flank;
- a plurality of elongate reinforcing bodies arranged between the first and second longitudinally extending flanks with at least a portion of the ends of the reinforcing bodies at the surface of the first longitudinally extending flank and a portion of the ends of the reinforcing bodies at the surface of the second longitudinally extending flank;
- wherein the compression section includes about 250 elongate reinforcing bodies per square inch to about 2500 elongate reinforcing bodies per square inch.
A method of manufacture of a V-ribbed belt comprising the steps of:
- forming a belt having a plurality of elongate reinforcing bodies within a compression section thereof, the elongate reinforcing bodies disposed therein generally transverse to the belt's longitudinal axis;
- cutting V-ribs into the compression section, thereby creating cut flank surfaces having cut ends of the reinforcing bodies at the surface thereof;
- wherein the effective coefficient of friction of the cut flank surfaces in dry conditions is substantially equal to the effective coefficient of friction of the cut flank surfaces in wet conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.