Composite Process Belt Structure to Prevent Adhesion and Fiber Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process belts often cause adverse effects on treated goods due to fiber shifting and adhesion, leading to instability and product contamination.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating metal warp fibers with a smaller diameter than glass fibers in a woven fabric structure, where glass fibers form the outer contact surface and metal fibers are arranged to prevent slipping and adhesion, with a fluoropolymer coating to enhance non-adhesion properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If glass warp fibers are used on the outer surface of the process belt, then product adhesion is prevented due to smooth coated surface, but fiber shifting occurs during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines glass fibers and metal fibers into a composite woven fabric structure. The glass fibers (coated with fluoropolymer) form the outer surface to prevent product adhesion, while the metal fibers are integrated within the fabric to provide structural stability and prevent fiber shifting during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal fibers act as an intermediary structural support within the woven fabric, providing a stable framework that holds the glass fibers in place. This mediator element prevents the glass fibers from shifting while allowing them to maintain their adhesion-preventing function on the surface.
2Stability of the object's composition
If metal warp fibers are added to prevent fiber shifting, then belt stability is improved, but risk of leaving imprints on product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different properties to different parts of the fabric structure. The outer surface layer consists of smooth coated glass fibers that contact the product to prevent adhesion and imprints, while the inner structural layer contains metal fibers that provide stability without directly contacting the product.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal fibers are positioned in the transverse dimension within the woven fabric structure, not on the outer surface dimension. This spatial arrangement allows the metal fibers to provide structural stability in the internal architecture while the glass fiber outer surface maintains direct contact with the product without imprints.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If glass fibers are coated with fluoropolymer to prevent adhesion, then product safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surface parameter of the glass fibers by coating them with fluoropolymer material. This coating modifies the surface energy and chemical properties of the glass fibers to achieve non-adhesive properties, preventing product adhesion while maintaining the mechanical integrity of the fibers.
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 minimizes fiber shifting, maintains belt stability, prevents product adhesion, and ensures secure connections without leaving imprints, making the process belt suitable for applications like nonwoven drying where air permeability and product safety are critical.
Implementation Method 1
glass fibers that are preferably coated with a fluoropolymer such as PTFE prevent an adhesion of the product to be treated on the process belt
Implementation Method 2
The metal warp fibers arranged in the longitudinal direction of the exemplary process belt, reduce the risk that the glass fibers slip laterally
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus comprising a process belt includes a woven rectangular planar structure with opposed longitudinal ends that are joined together to form an endless belt. The exemplary woven planar structure includes metal and glass warp fibers that extend in the longitudinal direction, and metal and/or glass weft fibers which extend transversely of the warp fibers. The diameter of the glass warp fibers is substantially greater than the diameter of the metal warp fibers which causes the outer surfaces of the glass fibers to extend outwardly of the metal warp fibers on the outer surface. This configuration causes items engaged with the outer surface to be operatively engaged with only the glass warp fibers. In exemplary arrangements a coating comprised of fluoropolymer extends on the fiber surfaces which comprise the entire outer surface of the planar structure and the belt.