Flexible Loop Abrasive Structure for Irregular Surface Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing abrasive products do not adequately address the need for increased abrading efficiency and quality without compromising the lifetime of the product.

Innovation Solution

An abrasive product with flexible loops protruding from a fabric, where the loops are interconnected at a distance from the fabric and coated with abrasive particles, allowing for a coherent abrasive area that adapts to surface irregularities while maintaining flexibility and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If loops are made flexible to adapt to surface irregularities, then abrading quality on irregular surfaces is improved, but coherence of the abrasive area deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to surface irregularitiesVSAvoidcoherence of abrasive area

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The abrasive product is segmented into multiple independent flexible loops, each capable of adapting to surface irregularities. The loops are distributed across the fabric substrate, allowing localized adaptation without affecting the entire abrasive area. This segmentation enables each loop to independently respond to surface variations while maintaining overall coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines flexible loops with a fabric substrate to create a unified abrasive structure. The loops are attached to and merged with the fabric, forming a coherent abrasive area that maintains structural integrity. This merging ensures that while individual loops flex independently, they remain part of a stable, cohesive abrasive surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If almost the entire abrasive area is kept in contact with the surface, then abrading efficiency is improved, but pressure distribution on irregular surfaces worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveabrading efficiencyVSAvoidpressure distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The abrasive product employs dynamic flexible loops that can adjust their position and contact pressure in response to surface irregularities. Unlike rigid abrasive surfaces, these loops can dynamically adapt to maintain contact across the entire abrasive area while automatically adjusting pressure distribution. The flexibility allows loops to conform to varying surface topographies, ensuring continuous contact without concentrating stress on specific points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4161734B1Abrasive product and method for manufacturing abrasive product

Publication Date: 2026.02.18 MIRKA OY

Figure 1A~1C
Figure 1D
Figure 2

AI summary

An abrasive product has a flexible abrasive area for abrading surfaces to be abraded and comprises: a fabric; a plurality of flexible loops protruding from the fabric towards the flexible abrasive area, wherein each loop is formed by a pair of bottom-half arcs, a pair of legs and a head, wherein the pair of legs connects the pair of bottom-half arcs with the head, the bottom-half arcs of the loops are interlaced in rows in the fabric and form rows of interlaced bottom-half arcs, wherein the legs and heads protrude from the fabric, the heads of the loops are interconnected with one another at a distance to the fabric such that the flexible abrasive area is at a distance to the fabric, and the heads of the loops are at least partially provided with abrasive particles and form the flexible abrasive area.