Surface Processing Tool and Surface Processing Machine Equipped Therewith

Abstract

A surface treatment tool comprising an annular carrier substrate and a plurality of abrasive lamellae connected to the carrier substrate by their narrow sides in a contacting side-by-side arrangement or juxtaposition of their flat sides, at least some of which are fiber fleece lamellae. The carrier substrate is a flexible belt, the ends of which pointing in the longitudinal extension of the belt are connected to one another to form an annular shape. The fiber fleece lamellae are connected to the outward-facing surface of the flexible belt by means of an adhesive connection with flexible material properties in a state in which the lamellae are elastically compressed with respect to their thickness.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A surface treatment tool, comprising:
 a flexible belt as an annular carrier substrate, wherein ends of the flexible belt, which face in the longitudinal extension of the belt, are connected to one another to form an annular shape, and   a plurality of abrasive lamellae comprising fiber fleece lamellae connected, with narrow sides thereof, to an outward-facing surface of the flexible belt, via an adhesive connection with flexible material properties, in a state in which the fiber fleece lamellae are elastically compressed with respect to their thickness, wherein flat sides of the fiber fleece lamellae are in a contacting side-by-side arrangement.   
     
     
         16 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein the degree of compression of the fiber fleece lamellae is provided such that, by utilizing a restoring force stored therein by the elastic compression in the direction of their thickness, adjacent fiber fleece lamellae contact each other with their flat sides over their entire radial extent when the surface treatment tool is used as intended with a curved belt path. 
     
     
         17 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein the degree of compression of the fiber fleece lamellae is between 20% and 85%. 
     
     
         18 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 17 , wherein the degree of compression of the fiber fleece lamellae is between 30% and 55%. 
     
     
         19 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein the flat sides of the fiber fleece lamellae are aligned transversely to a travel direction of the flexible belt. 
     
     
         20 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 19 , wherein the fiber fleece lamellae applied to the flexible belt have a linear or nonlinear extension transverse to the travel direction of the flexible belt. 
     
     
         21 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 20 , wherein the fiber fleece lamellae have a curved, wave-shaped extension, or an extension formed by individual sections which adjoin one another at an angle. 
     
     
         22 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein the fiber fleece lamellae are open nylon fiber fleece lamellae impregnated with a synthetic resin-abrasive grain mixture. 
     
     
         23 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein an abrasive layer is inserted between adjacent fiber fleece lamellae. 
     
     
         24 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 15 , wherein the ends pointing in the longitudinal extension of the flexible belt are connected to one another in an abutting manner. 
     
     
         25 . The surface treatment tool of  claim 24 , wherein the ends pointing in the longitudinal extension of the flexible belt are cut obliquely to the longitudinal extension with respective oblique cuts of the ends complementary to one another. 
     
     
         26 . A surface treatment machine comprising at least two deflection rollers arranged at a distance from one another, of which at least one is rotationally driven, and a surface treatment tool according to  claim 15  guided over the deflection rollers. 
     
     
         27 . A surface treatment machine comprising an expansion roller that is elastically flexible in a radial direction, and a surface treatment tool according to  claim 15  clamped on the expansion roller. 
     
     
         28 . The surface treatment machine of  claim 27 , wherein the expansion roller has an adjustable elasticity in the radial direction. 
     
     
         29 . The surface treatment machine of  claim 28 , wherein the expansion roller has a plurality of reinforcing element holders arranged distributed over a circumference of the expansion roller, and wherein one or more reinforcing elements can be inserted into one or more reinforcing element holders depending on the elasticity to be set for a specific treatment of a surface of a workpiece. 
     
     
         30 . The surface treatment machine of  claim 28 , wherein for clamping the surface treatment tool on the expansion roller and for adjusting the elasticity in the radial direction, the expansion roller is pneumatically or hydraulically actuated to enlarge a clamping section of the expansion roller provided for positioning the surface treatment tool.