Toothed drive belt

Claim 2

In a belt drive having a toothed pulley and a cooperating toothed belt, said pulley defining a circumferential array of pulley teeth separated by intermediate grooves each defining a bottom, each said pulley tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending inwardly from said tip into said pulley grooves, each said pulley flank having a height, said belt defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth separated by intermediate belt grooves, said belt teeth being adapted to be received selectively in said pulley grooves, each belt tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending outwardly from said belt tooth tip into said belt grooves, said belt tooth flanks each having a height and an arcuate configuration traced by an arc centered on a first axis transverse to the belt substantially the entire belt tooth flank height, said pulley tooth flanks being arcuate and traced by an arc centered on a second axis transverse to the belt over substantially the entire height of the pulley tooth flank, said second axis being spaced from the location of said first axis when the belt tooth is fully received in said pulley groove, said location of said second axis and the configuration of said belt teeth and pulley grooves being preselected to cause the flanks of the belt teeth to be juxtaposed to said pulley tooth flanks at the other end of the belt tooth flanks and become gradually increasingly spaced from the pulley tooth flanks inwardly from adjacent said outer end of the belt tooth flanks to adjacent the bottom of the pulley groove.

Claim 3

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said belt tooth tip is spaced outwardly of said bottom of the pulley groove when the belt tooth is fully received in said pulley groove.

Claim 4

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axis is spaced inwardly of said first axis.

Claim 5

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axis is spaced longitudinally of said first axis.

Claim 6

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axis is spaced inwardly and longitudinally of said first axis.

Claim 7

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said belt defines an outer surface and said first axis is at said outer surface.

Claim 8

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said belt defines an outer surface and said first axis is at said outer surface and said second axis is spaced inwardly thereof.

Claim 9

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axis is spaced inwardly of said first axis toward said outer end of the pulley groove.

Claim 10

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axis is spaced longitudinally of said first axis and is disposed outwardly of said pulley tooth tip.

Claim 11

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said first axes are outwardly aligned with said outer ends of the pulley groove flanks.

Claim 12

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said first axes are outwardly aligned with said pulley tooth tips.

Claim 13

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axes are outwardly aligned with said outer end of the pulley groove flanks.

Claim 14

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said second axes are outwardly aligned with said pulley tooth tips.

Claim 15

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said first and second axes are outwardly aligned with said outer end of the pulley groove flanks.

Claim 16

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said first and second axes are outwardly aligned with said pulley tooth tips.

Claim 17

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said first axes are outwardly aligned with said pulley tooth tips and said second axes are outwardly aligned with said pulley tooth tips.

Claim 18

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein the spacing between said belt tooth flanks and the pulley tooth flanks is approximately 0.04 mm. at the inner end of the groove.

Claim 19

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein the spacing between said belt tooth flanks and the pulley tooth flanks is approximately 0.04 mm. at the inner end of the groove and approximately 0.02 mm. at a midportion of said belt and pulley tooth flanks.

Claim 20

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein each belt tooth defines a root portion and the radius of the cylindrical belt tooth flanks is substantially equal to the width of the belt tooth at said root portion.

Claim 21

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said pulley tooth flanks are right circularly cylindrical.

Claim 22

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said belt teeth flanks are right circularly cylindrical.

Claim 23

The belt drive of claim 1 wherein said pulley and belt tooth flanks are right circularly cylindrical.

Claim 24

In a belt drive having a toothed pulley and a cooperating toothed belt, said pulley defining a circumferential array of pulley teeth separated by intermediate grooves each defining a bottom, each said pulley tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending inwardly from said tip into said pulley grooves, said belt defining a pitch line and a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth separated by intermediate belt grooves, said belt teeth being adapted to be received selectively in said pulley grooves, each belt tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending outwardly from said belt tooth tip into said belt grooves, said belt tooth flanks each having a height and an arcuate configuration traced by an arc centered on a first axis transverse to the belt over substantially the entire belt tooth flank height, said pulley tooth flanks each having a height and an arcuate configuration traced by an arc centered on a second axis transverse to the belt over substantially the entire pulley tooth flank height, said second axis being spaced from the location of said first axis when the belt tooth is fully received in said pulley groove, said location of said second axis and the configuration of said belt teeth and pulley grooves being preselected to cause the flanks of the belt teeth to be juxtaposed to said pulley tooth flanks at the outer end of the belt tooth flanks and become gradually increasingly spaced from the pulley tooth flanks inwardly from adjacent said outer end of the belt tooth flanks to adjacent the bottom of the pulley groove, at least one of said axes intersecting said pitch line.

Claim 25

In a belt drive having a toothed pulley and a cooperating toothed belt, said pulley defining a circumferential array of pulley teeth separated by intermediate grooves each defining a bottom, each said pulley tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending inwardly from said tip into said pulley grooves, said belt defining a pitch line and a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth separated by intermediate belt grooves, said belt teeth being adapted to be received selectively in said pulley grooves, each belt tooth defining a tooth tip and opposite side flanks extending outwardly from said belt tooth tip into said belt grooves, said belt tooth flanks each having a height and an arcuate configuration traced by an arc centered on a first axis transverse to the belt over substantially the entire belt tooth flank height, said pulley tooth flanks each having a height and an arcuate configuration traced by an arc centered on a second axis transverse to the belt over substantially the entire pulley tooth flank height, said second axis being spaced from the location of said first axis when the belt tooth is fully received in said pulley groove, said location of said second axis and the configuration of said belt teeth and pulley grooves being preselected to cause the flanks of the belt teeth to be juxtaposed to said pulley tooth flanks at the outer end of the belt tooth flanks and become gradually increasingly spaced from the pulley tooth flanks inwardly from adjacent said outer end of the belt tooth flanks to adjacent the bottom of the pulley groove, at least one of said axes intersecting said pitch line.

Claim 26

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein said first axes intersect said pitch line.

Claim 27

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein the spacing between said belt tooth flanks and the pulley tooth flanks is approximately 0.04 mm. at the inner end of the groove.

Claim 28

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein said second axes intersect said pitch line.

Claim 29

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein the spacing between said belt tooth flanks and the pulley tooth flanks is approximately 0.04 mm. at the inner end of the groove and approximately 0.02 mm. at a midportion of said belt and pulley tooth flanks.

Claim 30

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein both of said first and second axes intersect said pitch line.

Claim 31

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein each belt tooth defines a root portion and the radius of the cylindrical belt tooth flanks is substantially equal to the width of the belt tooth at said root portion.

Claim 32

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein said first axes are spaced outwardly of said pitch line.

Claim 33

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein said second axes are spaced inwardly of said pitch line.

Claim 34

The belt drive of claim 23 wherein said first axes are spaced outwardly of said pitch line and said second axes are spaced inwardly of said pitch line.