Tapered False Teeth for Flexible Small-Diameter Toothed Belts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothed belts with false teeth experience stress on the bearing layer, leading to reduced flexibility and increased risk of breakage, especially when winding small diameters, due to the rigidity of false teeth which can compromise the integrity of the belt and limit its working life.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of tapered or profiled false teeth with convex flanks that engage grooves in the toothed belt, reducing stress on the bearing layer and allowing for flexible winding without the need for prior tooth milling, and the use of modular semi-finished workpieces for customizable false tooth lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If false teeth are applied to secure elements to the toothed belt base, then element attachment and adjustability are improved, but stress on the bearing layer increases and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The false tooth longitudinal bar is tapered with a larger section at the engagement side and a smaller section at the free end. This creates local quality variation where the broader base provides stable engagement with the toothed belt while the narrower free end reduces stress concentration on the bearing layer, allowing element attachment while preserving belt flexibility and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The false tooth geometry is modified by tapering the longitudinal bar section, changing the dimensional parameters from a uniform cross-section to a variable cross-section. This parameter change allows the false tooth to maintain secure engagement at the base while reducing the stress footprint on the bearing layer, resolving the contradiction between attachment strength and belt flexibility
2Stability of the object's composition
If false teeth with rigid structure are used to prevent rotation, then positioning stability is improved, but flexibility during winding is reduced and breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The false tooth employs local quality through tapering: the broader section at the engagement side provides sufficient stability and rotation prevention, while the narrower free end section reduces overall rigidity. This localized structural variation allows the false tooth to maintain positioning stability where needed while reducing breakage risk in the more flexible free end region
Solution Approach 2:
The false tooth longitudinal bar is effectively segmented into different functional zones through tapering: a stable engagement zone with larger cross-section that prevents rotation, and a flexible free end zone with smaller cross-section that reduces breakage risk. This functional segmentation resolves the contradiction between stability and strength
3Object-affected harmful factors
If false teeth are made smaller to prevent interference with pulleys, then noise and interference are reduced, but engagement stability with the base is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered false tooth structure concentrates the engagement function at the broader base section, ensuring stable attachment to the toothed belt base. The narrower free end section is specifically designed to be compact and non-interfering with pulleys, reducing noise and mechanical interference. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between engagement stability and harm reduction
Data Source
AI summary
Two embodiments of a false tooth limit the damage to a toothed belt and of a bearing layer of a base of the toothed belt, which in general comprises cables or textiles. The false tooth comprises a longitudinal bar and a bushing which extends transversally from the longitudinal bar. In the first embodiment the longitudinal bar is tapered towards a free end of the bushing while in the second embodiment the longitudinal bar is profiled, i.e., has a flank for contacting the toothed belt which is convex towards the outside when viewed in transversal section. The false teeth are advantageously applied on toothed belts comprising grooves which cut the teeth, enabling a reduction of the thickness of the tooth during the winding. A method and a semi-finished workpiece are also disclosed.