Two-material conveyor belt module
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorsAngela L. Marshall, Christopher R. Ordeneaux
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two-material conveyor belt module and a method for making it. A conveyor belt module comprises a rigid thermoplastic link substrate topped with a high-friction layer made of a resilient material. A dense array of teeth protrudes upward from the link substrate. The resilient material is overmolded onto the link substrate at a temperature high enough to melt the ends of the teeth. The melted ends of the teeth mix with the resilient material to form a bond firmly retaining the high-friction layer atop the substrate.
Claims17
A conveyor belt module comprising:
- a rigid link substrate molded of a low-friction plastic material and having hinge elements at opposite ends of the rigid link substrate for connecting hingedly with hinge elements of adjacent rigid link substrates, a load-bearing surface between the opposite ends of the rigid link substrate, and an array of thin teeth upstanding from the load-bearing surface, wherein each tooth has a base proximate the load-bearing surface and a distal tip end;
- a high-friction layer made of a resilient material molded atop the load-bearing surface of the rigid link substrate at a temperature sufficiently high and applied long enough to melt the distal tip ends of the teeth in contact with the resilient material without melting the bases of the teeth during the molding of the high-friction layer onto the rigid link substrate and to cause the melted distal tip ends to mix with the resilient material to retain the high-friction layer atop the load-bearing surface.
A method for making a conveyor belt module with a resilient conveying surface layer, comprising:
- molding a conveyor belt module substrate with an array of teeth upstanding from a load-bearing surface out of a low-friction first material having a melting temperature;
- molding a resilient second material at a temperature above the melting temperature of the first material onto the array of teeth on the conveyor belt module substrate to melt tip ends of the teeth to mix with the second material forming a resilient conveying surface layer atop the conveyor belt module substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.