Closed-Surface Textile Overlay for Low-Noise Drive Belts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drive belts with textile overlays face issues of rubber mixture leakage through the mesh, leading to poor noise behavior and increased wear, particularly when using knit fabrics and hard heating sleeves in the manufacturing process.

Innovation Solution

A drive belt with a power transmission zone covered by a woven fabric featuring a closed surface structure, achieved through false twisting or plating/crimping of warp and weft threads, which reduces rubber penetration and enhances noise resistance and abrasion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a knit fabric overlay is used on the power transmission zone, then flexibility and stretchability are improved, but rubber mixture penetration through the mesh increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility and stretchabilityVSAvoidrubber mixture penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the surface structure parameter of the textile overlay from an open mesh (knit fabric) to a closed surface structure. This parameter change maintains flexibility while preventing rubber penetration by eliminating the open mesh pathways that allow mixture passage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining textile fibers arranged in a closed surface pattern. This composite configuration provides both the flexibility of textile materials and the barrier function needed to prevent rubber mixture penetration through the overlay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a textile overlay with open mesh structure is used, then noise reduction is improved, but wear of the textile overlay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise behaviorVSAvoidservice life of textile overlay
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the surface topology parameter from open mesh to closed surface structure. This modification reduces wear by preventing rubber mixture from contacting and degrading the textile fibers, while maintaining the noise reduction function through the textile's inherent damping properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If hard heating sleeves are used in the manufacturing process, then production efficiency is improved, but rubber penetration through the belt back increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidrubber penetration through belt back
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing a closed surface structure on the belt back before the vulcanization process. This pre-established barrier prevents rubber mixture from penetrating through during the heating process, allowing the use of hard heating sleeves without the harmful side effect of rubber leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentEP3502509B1Drive belt with textile overlay
Publication Date: 2021.12.08 CONTITECH ANTRIEBSSYSTEME GMBH
  • EP3502509B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a drive belt with an elastic base body based on at least one thermoplastic elastomer or on the basis of a vulcanizate, comprising a cover layer as the belt back and a substructure with a power transmission zone, wherein the power transmission zone is provided with a fabric, characterized in that the fabric has a closed surface structure.