Looped Power Transmission Belt with Reversible Serrated Junction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power transmission belts with endless sleeves require laborious and costly handling for installation and removal, and existing reversible junction solutions for conveyor belts are not suitable due to mechanical stress and tool wear issues when applied to power transmission belts.
Innovation Solution
A looped strip of material with reversible junction zones featuring serrations that extend only over part of the width, with asymmetrical tooth shapes and rounded edges to prevent sharp corners, allowing for continuous strands between pulleys and reducing tool wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional endless sleeve structure is used, then mechanical strength and fatigue life are preserved, but installation and removal require machine dismantling and cause production stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
The belt is divided into modular sections with junction zones that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The junction zone includes interlocking serrations and locking rods that allow the belt to be segmented into manageable parts for easy installation and removal without affecting the entire belt structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The junction zone is pre-formed with interlocking serrations and positioning features during belt manufacturing. This preliminary preparation allows for quick field assembly and disassembly operations without requiring complex on-site fabrication or machine dismantling.
2Ease of operation
If reversible junction zone with interlocking serrations is added, then assembly and disassembly become possible, but mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The serrations are designed with asymmetrical tooth profiles where the driving surface has a specific angle optimized for power transmission, while the return surface has different geometry. This asymmetry allows the junction to withstand high mechanical stresses in the driving direction while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The junction zone serrations are designed to replicate the tooth profile and geometric characteristics of the continuous belt sections. By copying the proven successful geometry of the endless belt teeth, the junction zone achieves comparable mechanical strength and fatigue resistance.
3Ease of operation
If junction zone is added to enable reversible assembly, then handling becomes easier, but fatigue life is reduced due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
All corners and edges of the serration teeth are rounded with specific radius values. This curvature eliminates stress concentration points that would otherwise initiate fatigue cracks. The rounded geometry distributes mechanical stresses uniformly across the tooth surfaces, significantly extending the fatigue life of the junction zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates generous fillet radii and rounded transitions in the serration geometry before stresses are applied. These pre-formed curved features act as stress distributors that cushion and redistribute loads, preventing the initiation of fatigue cracks at the junction zone.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional stamping tools are used for hard polyurethane, then serrations can be formed, but tools wear out quickly and deform
Solution Approach 1:
The serration design incorporates optimized tooth dimensions, spacing, and geometry that are specifically suited for stamping formation. The parameters include tooth height, width, spacing, and rounding radii that balance formability with mechanical strength, allowing conventional stamping tools to form precise serrations in hard polyurethane without excessive wear or deformation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a looped material strip (100) comprising at least one flat ribbon (2) having two reversible joining zones (3), in which said serrations (3a, 3b) extend over only a part of its width so that, when said material strip is assembled in a loop around two pulleys (10a, 10b), the strands of said material strip which extend respectively between the two pulleys are continuous and without joining over at least a portion (9) of their width regardless of the rotational position of said looped material strip.