V-ribbed belt having protruding fibers

A power transmission belt comprising:

• a belt body defining laterally spaced, oppositely facing flank surfaces for engagement with a pulley for said power transmission belt;
• and
• at least one fiber within said belt body and extending in a lateral direction,
• said fiber having a cross-sectional area taken transversely of its length,
• said fiber having a surface exposed at at least one said flank surface,
• said exposed fiber surface being flared to have an exposed cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the fiber,
• said exposed fiber area reducing noise generation as the one flank surface engages and separated from a pulley during operation of the power transmission belt,
• wherein the fiber is melted to define the exposed flared fiber surface.

The power transmission belt comprising:

• a body defining a tension section and a compression section;
• a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs,
• each said rib having laterally spaced, oppositely facing flank surfaces for engagement with a pulley;
• and
• a plurality of elongate fibers within each said rib and extending generally in a lateral direction,
• each said plurality of fibers having a cross-sectional area taken transversely of its length,
• each said fiber having an exposed surface formed by melting said fiber at at least one of the rib flank surfaces,
• said exposed surfaces on each of the plurality of fibers having a combined area greater than the combined cross-sectional areas of each of the plurality of fibers.