Profiled Drive Belt Rear Side for High-Torque Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive belts, particularly V-ribbed belts, face challenges in achieving high coefficients of friction on both the front and rear sides to effectively transmit high torques, especially when driving ancillary units like water pumps, due to the complexity and inefficiency of current manufacturing methods which often require specialized tools and result in non-optimized embossing patterns.
Innovation Solution
A drive belt with a rear surface featuring a large number of truncated pyramid-shaped projections, where the height is less than 1 mm and the base areas are ≤1.0 mm² and roof areas are ≤0.8 mm², is produced using a molding process during vulcanization, simplifying the manufacturing process and eliminating the need for additional tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If embossing is created by abrasive machining, then the coefficient of friction on the belt back is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and environmental harm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The embossing pattern is pre-formed on the mandrel surface before belt production. The mandrel with the pre-created embossing pattern is then used to mold the belt back surface during vulcanization, eliminating the need for subsequent abrasive machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical abrasive machining process is replaced by a molding process. Instead of removing material through abrasion, the embossing pattern is directly formed by pressing the uncured belt material against the patterned mandrel during vulcanization.
2Ease of manufacture
If embossing is created during vulcanization using an internal tool with fabric coating, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the embossing pattern becomes random and non-optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The precise embossing pattern is first created on the mandrel surface. This pattern is then copied onto the belt back surface through the molding process during vulcanization, ensuring the same optimized pattern is reproduced consistently without randomness.
Solution Approach 2:
The state of the belt material is changed from uncured to cured during the molding process. The uncured material is pliable and can be molded into the desired pattern, while the cured material maintains the pattern permanently. This parameter change enables precise pattern formation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the belt back is left smooth, then the manufacturing process is simplest, but the coefficient of friction and torque transmission capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The belt back surface is given a specific localized quality through embossing. Instead of making the entire belt complex, only the back surface has the raised pattern, while the rest of the belt structure remains conventional. This localized modification provides the needed friction without overall complexity.
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
This design significantly enhances the coefficient of friction, allowing for consistent high torque and force transmission over the belt's life, reducing the need for preload force and eliminating 'run-in' effects, while simplifying production and maintaining high friction from the start.
Implementation Method 1
the back of the belt is profiled, preferably provided with an embossed profile... not only the front side of the belt, i.e. the profile side, has a sufficiently high coefficient of friction but that this is also the case for the back side of the belt and the back bend and wrap around a back roller
Implementation Method 2
Embossing during vulcanization is carried out using an internal tool that has a fabric coating on its outside. This fabric coating is then pressed into the vulcanization blank and later appears on the back of the belt, i.e., after vulcanization, separation, and turning over
Data Source
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AI summary
Drive belt having a belt rear side which is provided for driving auxiliary units, in particular V-ribbed belt, wherein the belt rear side is profiled and is preferably provided with an embossed profile, wherein the profile of the rear-side surface of the drive belt has a multiplicity of projections in the shape of truncated pyramids, the height h of which is less than 1 mm, and is preferably in macroscopic orders of magnitude where h ≤ 0.2 mm, wherein the base areas AG of the projections in the shape of truncated pyramids have an area of ≤ 1.0 mm2 and the top surfaces AD have an area of ≤ 0.8 mm2.