Hingeless Modular Belt With Thermal Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modular belts with hinges face challenges in maintaining cleanliness, especially in the food industry, due to spaces between modules that facilitate mold and bacteria growth, and existing hingeless designs made of monolithic materials are prone to damage, excessive friction, and reduced flexibility under load.
Innovation Solution
A hingeless belt composed of modules with a C-shaped cross-section made from hard thermoplastic materials, connected by adhesive or thermally bonded joining members without gaps, which enhances durability, ease of cleaning, and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If modular belts use hinges to connect modules, then the belt can be assembled and disassembled, but spaces between components create hygiene problems and accumulate debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the module and connector into a single integrated component. The C-shaped module body includes integrated joining members that thermally bond to adjacent modules, eliminating separate hinge components and the spaces between them. This integration maintains assembly capability while preventing debris accumulation in gaps between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the hinge component from the modular belt system entirely. By using thermal bonding to join modules directly without mechanical hinges, the design removes the source of hygiene problems (spaces between hinges and modules) while maintaining the modular assembly capability through the C-shaped module geometry.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a monolithic belt is used to eliminate hinges, then cleaning is easier, but the belt material must be highly flexible which increases friction and power requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the belt into modular C-shaped units that thermally bond together to form an integrated structure. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized for low friction while maintaining overall belt integrity, eliminating the need for highly flexible monolithic materials that generate excessive friction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction with C-shaped modules made from materials optimized for low friction coefficients. The modular design allows selection of materials that reduce frictional load while maintaining structural integrity, avoiding the need for highly flexible monolithic materials that increase energy consumption.
3Device complexity
If a monolithic belt is used to eliminate hinges, then the structure is simpler, but the belt surface is prone to scratches, cuts and mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the belt into modular C-shaped units with integrated joining members. This segmentation creates an interlocking structure where multiple modules work together to resist damage, providing superior strength and damage resistance compared to monolithic designs while maintaining structural simplicity through the repeating modular pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters from a continuous monolithic surface to a modular configuration with thermal bonding interfaces. This parameter change creates a structure that is more resistant to scratches, cuts, and mechanical damage while maintaining simplicity through the standardized modular design and bonding process.
4Ease of operation
If flexible belt material is used to bend around drums, then the belt can navigate sprockets, but longitudinal flexibility increases which is disadvantageous under load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the belt into rigid C-shaped modules that maintain their shape individually. The modular construction with thermal bonding creates controlled flexibility at the joints while maintaining rigidity and stability along the length of each module, allowing the belt to bend around sprockets without excessive longitudinal flexibility under load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the flexibility parameters by using rigid C-shaped modules instead of flexible monolithic material. The thermal bonding creates controlled articulation points that allow bending around sprockets while maintaining longitudinal stability and reducing unwanted flexibility under load conditions.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If modular belts are disassembled for thorough washing, then cleanliness is improved, but productivity decreases due to down time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the module and connector into a single integrated component with no separable joints. This integration creates a smooth continuous surface that can be thoroughly cleaned without disassembly, eliminating the need to stop production for maintenance washing while maintaining high cleanliness standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the hinge components that create cleanable joints from the design. By using direct thermal bonding between C-shaped modules, the design eliminates the need for disassembly during cleaning operations, allowing thorough washing to be performed while the belt remains assembled and operational.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a belt that is easy to clean, resistant to cutting and impacts, maintains low friction, and operates efficiently under load without the need for hinges, thereby improving durability and productivity.
Implementation Method 1
Positioned between each joining member and each module is a layer which is an adhesive layer for connecting the modules and joining members
Implementation Method 2
In addition to adhesives, the joining can also be accomplished by, for example, a weld or a thermal bonding process
Data Source
AI summary
A hingeless belt comprises modules having opposed leading and trailing sides, first and second bases and opposed outer sides. The modules are connected to joining members with layers that can be, for example, an adhesive. The joining members comprise an elastic material which allows the modular belt to bend and flex, and the modules are made of a hard thermoplastic material. The modules and joining members resists cuts and impacts, the modules and joining members are easy to clean and keep sanitary. The joining members are embodied with different shapes for enhancing the connection with the modules, and for enhancing the flexibility of the modular belt as it carries load and as it is driven around a sprocket. There is a molding machine having mold members for making the hingeless belt. There is also a method of making the hingeless belt in the molding machine.