METHOD FOR MAKING A SEAMLESS APERTURED BELT

WIPO Patent Application WO/2000/061357

A2

The present invention provides a method for making a seamless apertured belt comprising the steps of: (a) providing a strip of material having two opposing ends and having a length at least equal to a finished belt length; (b) providing an aperture pattern having a length substantially equal to the finished belt length, the pattern including a plurality of two-dimensional geometrical shapes, the pattern having opposing end edges which can be tiled together; (c) removing a pre-determined portion of each end of the pattern and joining the pre-determined portions to one another along the opposing end edges to form a re-etch pattern; (d) forming apertures in the strip corresponding to the two-dimensional geometrical shapes in the pattern, the strip remaining free of apertures in regions near each end comprising fusion zones; (e) fusing the ends of the strip to one another such that the fusion zones form a common fusion zones; and (f) forming apertures in the common fusion zone corresponding to the re-etch pattern. In a preferred embodiment, the two-dimensional pattern is an amorphous two-dimensional pattern of interlocking two-dimensional geometrical shapes. The strip of material may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, fabric, rubber, and combinations thereof.

Mcguire, Kenneth Stephen (15 Linden Drive, Wyoming, OH, 45215, US)
Hamilton, Peter Worthington (1107 Devils Backbone Road, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, US)

PCT/US2000/009100

October 19, 2000

April 06, 2000

Click for automatic bibliography generation  

THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY (One Procter & Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, OH, 45202, US)

B26F1/00; B29D28/00; B29D29/00; B44B5/02; F16G1/00; (IPC1-7): B29D29/00

Reed, David T. (The Procter & Gamble Company, 5299 Spring Grove Avenue Cincinnati, OH, 45217-1087, US)

View/Download PDF      PDF Help

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1.

A method for making a seamless apertured belt, said method comprising the steps of : (a) providing a strip of material having two opposing ends and having a length at least equal to a finished belt length; (b) providing an aperture pattern having a length substantially equal to said finished belt length, said pattern including a plurality of twodimensional geometrical shapes, said pattern having opposing end edges which can be tiled together; (c) removing a predetermined portion of each end of said pattern and joining said predetermined portions to one another along said opposing end edges to form a reetch pattern; (d) forming apertures in said strip corresponding to said twodimensional geometrical shapes in said pattern, said strip remaining free of apertures in regions near each end comprising fusion zones; (e) fusing said ends of said strip to one another such that said fusion zones form a common fusion zone; and forming apertures in said common fusion zone corresponding to said reetch pattern.

2.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said twodimensional pattern is an amorphous two dimensional pattern of interlocking twodimensional geometrical shapes.

3.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said strip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, fabric, rubber, and combinations thereof.

4.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said strip has an initial length which is longer than said finished belt length, and wherein said ends of said strip are trimmed to attain said finished belt length prior to said step of fusing said ends together.

5.	The method of Claim 4, wherein said ends of said strip are overlapped with one another and trimmed along a common line to said finished belt length.

6.	The method of Claim 1, wherein strip of material is metal and said ends are fused via a welding operation.

7.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said pattern comprises a photographic negative and said apertures are formed by a photoetching process.

8.

The method of Claim 1, further including the step of marking said strip with measurement marks a predetermined distance from each of said ends to define a fusion zone at each end prior to removing predetermined portions of said pattern, said pre determined portions corresponding to said fusion zones.

9.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said method results in a finished belt having no readily discernible seam or interruption in the pattern of apertures.

10.	The method of Claim 1, wherein said belt is secured to a supporting structure and formed into a cylinder of circular crosssection to form a drum.

INTERNATIONALSEARCH REPORT Internlai ApplicationNo PCT/US00/09100 C.(Continuation)DOCUMENTSCONSIDEREDTOBERELEVANT Category°Citationofdocument,withindication,whereappropnate, oftherelevantpassagesRelevanttoclaimNo. ADE2547850A(KAWABUCHITOSHINORI)1-3,7,9 29April1976(1976-04-29) page2,paragraph2-page5 AUS5487707A(SCHLUETERJREDWARDLET1,4,5 AL)30January1996(1996-01-30) figures AUS4061517A(STEWARTJRJOSEPHHETAL) 6December1977(1977-12-06) figures 1 INTERNATIONALSEARCHREPORT InternealApplicationNo , rmation on patent tamily members PCT/US 00/09100 PatentdocumentPublication Patent citedinsearchreportdate member(s)date DD234830A16-04-1986DE 3405985 A 28-03-1985 AT 397230 B 25-02-1994 AT 44885 A 15-07-1993 AT 398939 B 27-02-1995 AT 132690 A 15-07-1994 AT 400316 B 27-12-1995 AT 132790 A 15-04-1995 AT 397231 B 25-02-1994 AT 132890 A 15-07-1993 CA 1247821 A 03-01-1989 DD 239759 A 08-10-1986 DD 239758 A 08-10-1986 DD 239762 A 08-10-1986 EP 0144541 A 19-06-1985 EP 0307535 A 22-03-1989 EP 0300118 A 25-01-1989 ES 535830 D 16-12-1985 ES 8605718 A 16-09-1986 ES 545281 D 01-02-1986 ES 8605719 A 16-09-1986 HK 1006822 A 19-03-1999 KR 8902893 B 08-08-1989 KR 8903444 B 21-09-1989 KR 8903445 B 21-09-1989 PT 79038A,B 01-09-1984 US 4551297 A 05-11-1985 US4155693A22-05-1979BE 877858 A 16-11-1979 CA 1125980 A 22-06-1982 DE 2929086 A 07-02-1980 FR 2433403 A 14-03-1980 GB 2026388A,B 06-02-1980 US4116594A26-09-1978NONE DE2260651A14-06-1973NONE DE2547850A29-04-1976JP 51131704 A 16-11-1976 JP 52000504 A 05-01-1977 JP 51049804 A 30-04-1976 US5487707A30-01-1996JP 8072164 A 19-03-1996 US4061517A06-12-1977NONE

Previous Patent: INFLATION ELEMENT FOR A DOWNHOLE TOOL, METHOD AND SHAPING TOOL FOR PRE-DISPOSING THE BLADDER

Next Patent: BALING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS