Reinforced food grade belts and manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12234097-B2
Application number	US-202117910397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2021
Priority date	Mar 20, 2020
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

A continuous loop reinforced food grade belt includes a plurality of extruded filaments comprising a meltable synthetic polymer, and at least one matrix material embedding the filaments. The matrix material includes a food grade polymer, and the matrix material and filaments form a length of belt having opposed first and second ends. The first and second ends are melted together to form a continuous loop belt with no filaments exposed to the belt environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a reinforced, food-grade belt, comprising:
providing a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic filaments;
providing a thermoplastic elastomeric belt body material;
embedding the filaments in the belt body material; and
forming the body material into a desired belt profile;
wherein the method is continuous resulting in open-ended belting; and
further comprising cutting the belting to a predetermined length, and fusing the ends together to form an endless belt; wherein the plurality of filaments are melted during said fusing step.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filaments are arranged in parallel and extend along a length dimension of the belt.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filaments include a meltable synthetic polymer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filaments have a melting point that is within 50° C. of a melting point of the belt body material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of filaments includes a monofilament or a multi-filament cord.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filaments are directed into the body material with a die during extrusion of the body material.

7. A continuous loop reinforced food grade belt comprising:
a plurality of extruded filaments comprising a meltable synthetic polymer;
at least one thermoplastic matrix material embedding the filaments, the matrix material comprising a food grade polymer, the matrix material and filaments forming a length of belt having opposed first and second ends, the first and second ends of both matrix material and filaments being melted together to form a continuous loop belt with no filaments exposed to the belt environment.

8. The belt of claim 7 , further comprising a second layer material extruded onto the first layer material, the filaments being embedded between the first and second layer materials.

9. The belt of claim 8 , wherein the first layer material and the second layer material comprise thermoplastic elastomer or thermoplastic polyurethane.

10. The belt of claim 8 , wherein the first layer material defines a smooth surface of the belt and the second layer material defines a surface having a plurality of ridges.

11. The belt of claim 7 , wherein the filaments are continuous along a loop shape of the belt.

12. The belt of claim 7 , wherein each of the filaments includes a monofilament or a multi-filament cord.

13. The belt of claim 7 , wherein the belt is a positive drive belt.

14. A method of manufacturing a continuous loop reinforced food grade belt, comprising:
providing a plurality of meltable synthetic filaments arranged in parallel;
extruding a layer material to form the belt with the filaments embedded therein, the belt having opposed free ends with the filaments exposed at the free ends;
positioning the free ends adjacent to each other;
melting the filaments and layer material at the free ends to connect the free ends together to form the continuous loop reinforced food grade belt.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the layer material includes food grade polymer materials.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein extruding the layer material includes:
extruding a first layer material onto the filaments; and
extruding a second layer material onto the layer material.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein extruding the layer material includes:
extruding a first layer, then placing the filaments onto the first layer, and extruding a second layer over the filaments.

Assignees

• Gates Corp

Inventors

• Scharr Mark William
• Fickenwirth Gerhard Hans

Classifications

• F16G3/10

  Joining belts by sewing, sticking, vulcanising, or the like; Constructional adaptations of the belt ends for this purpose · CPC title

• F16G1/28

  with a contact surface of special shape, e.g. toothed · CPC title

• F16G1/08

  with reinforcement bonded by the rubber · CPC title

• B65G2207/26

  Hygienic features, e.g. easy to sanitize · CPC title

• B65G15/42

  having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections · CPC title