JP2002054693A - Chain - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chain that can efficiently transmit power even in B transmission with a variable rotor diameter. SOLUTION: Engagement of the chain 31 efficiently transmits power. Each link member 31b has a curved portion 31f excluding the straight line that connects pivot points 31c of coupling pins 31a at both ends. When tensile force is applied to the chain 31, elastic bending deformation is generated about the curved portion 31f, and the bending deformation of each link member 31b absorbs an impact by sudden application of driving force to the chain 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chain used for various mechanical devices which need to transmit power, such as transportation machines such as automobiles and bicycles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-75167, for example, in a transmission in which an endless belt is wound around a pulley, the transmission is arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction. 2. Description of the Related Art It is known that a belt winding portion of a pulley is formed by a large number of movable members, and the diameter of the belt winding portion of the pulley is changed by moving each movable member in the radial direction.

[0003]

However, in a structure in which power is transmitted by contact between a belt and a pulley as in the above-described transmission, the power transmission efficiency is reduced due to slippage of the belt. Has the disadvantage that the entire transmission becomes large, and is difficult to put into practical use.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chain capable of efficiently transmitting power even in a transmission that changes the diameter of a rotating body. It is in.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a chain comprising a plurality of link members rotatably connected at both ends via connecting pins to each other. And a curved portion that does not include a straight line connecting the rotation fulcrum of the connecting pin.

Accordingly, the power is efficiently transmitted by the meshing of the chains, and when a tensile force is applied to each link member, each link member is elastically bent at a curved portion that does not include a straight line connecting each rotation fulcrum. Causes deformation.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The transmission shown in FIGS.
The pulley 10 comprises a rotating body, a winding member 20 attached to the pulley 10, an endless belt 30 as a transmission member wound around the pulley 10, and a variable mechanism 40 for changing the diameter of the pulley 10. The pulley 10 is attached to a pulley shaft 50.

The pulley 10 has a first side plate 11 that rotates integrally with the pulley shaft 50, a second side plate 12 that can rotate relative to the first side plate 11 about the pulley shaft 50, Each of the side plates 11 and 12 includes a number of movable members 13 supported movably in the radial direction of the pulley 10.
The first side plate 11 is formed as a pair of flanges having an interval in the axial direction, and a plurality of elongated holes 11a extending linearly in the radial direction are provided on the side surfaces thereof at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The second side plate 12 is formed as a pair of flanges having an interval in the axial direction, and has a plurality of elongated holes 1 extending in a curved shape on the side surfaces thereof.
2a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Further, the second side plate 12 is rotatably supported inside the first side plate 11, and each long hole 11a of the first side plate 11 and each long hole 12a of the second side plate 12 cross each other. Overlap. Each movable member 13 is disposed inside the second side plate 12, and has both ends at the long holes 11 a of the respective side plates 11, 12.
12a. In this case, the end of each movable member 13 is supported by the intersection of a pair of corresponding long holes 11a and 12a overlapping each other as shown in FIG.
When the side plates 11 and 12 rotate relative to each other, the movable member 13 supported at the intersection of the elongated holes 11a and 12a moves in the radial direction of the pulley 10, as shown in FIG. I have.

The winding member 20 is formed to be longer than the peripheral length of the belt winding portion of the pulley 10, and a plurality of grooves 20a as engaging portions are provided on the outer peripheral surface side at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. . That is, the winding member 20 has one end fixed to the movable member 13 ′ for fixing the belt, and
3 is wound around, and the other end is inserted in a non-fixed state into each movable member 13 from between the movable member 13 for fixing the belt and the movable member 13 adjacent thereto. In this case, the movable member 13 ′ for fixing the belt is formed integrally with one end of the winding member 20 as shown in FIG. 5, and is substantially U-shaped so that the other end of the winding member 20 is inserted therethrough. It is formed in a shape. In addition, a number of substantially V-shaped gaps 2 located between the respective grooves 20a are provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the winding member 20.
0b is provided. Further, on both side portions in the width direction of the winding member 20, side wall portions 20 extending higher than the upper ends of the grooves 20a are provided.
c is formed, and each side wall portion 20c is formed with each gap 20b.
It bends at a bending point 20d located slightly above.

The belt 30 is a well-known toothed belt having a large number of teeth 30a as engaging portions on the inner peripheral surface, and is wound around the pulley 1 and another pulley (not shown) (driving side or driven side). I have. In this case, namely, the belt 3
The zero tooth 30a meshes with the groove 20a of the winding member 20.

The variable mechanism 40 includes a rotating member 41 that rotates integrally with the second side plate 12, and the rotating member 41 is movably engaged with the second side plate 12 in the axial direction. Rotating member 4
Reference numeral 1 denotes a side of the second side plate 12 which is engaged with a plurality of concave portions 41a provided on the peripheral edge thereof and a plurality of protrusions 12b provided on the second side plate 12 and which is locked to the first side plate 11 side. Has been energized. A plurality of holes 11c are provided on one side surface of the first side plate 11 at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the rotating member 41 is provided with a projection 41a inserted into an arbitrary hole 11c. That is, the rotating member 41
Is moved in the axial direction of the pulley shaft 50 to
The side plates 11 and 12 are released from each other by pulling out from the hole 11c. In this state, the side plates 11 and 12 are rotated relative to each other, and an arbitrary hole 11c is aligned with the position of the protrusion 41a so that the protrusion 41a is removed. By inserting, each movable member 13
Changes the circumference of the winding member 20 for winding. in this case,
The circumferential distance between the holes 11c is set such that the circumferential length of the winding member 20 changes stepwise by a predetermined number of the grooves 20a. Note that L in the drawing indicates one interval between the grooves 20a.

In the transmission configured as described above, each movable member 13 of the pulley 10 is
Is moved in the radial direction, the diameter of the winding member 20 that winds each movable member 13 increases or decreases, and the reduction ratio with the other pulley (not shown) changes. That is, when the other end of the winding member 20 moves in and out from between the movable members 13, the circumference of the winding member 20 that winds each of the movable members 13 changes. At this time, the circumferential length of the winding member 20 is equal to the groove 2 of the winding member 20.
Since the number of rotations changes stepwise by a predetermined number of 0a, the teeth 30a of the belt 30 and the grooves 20a of the winding member 20 are always reliably engaged even when the gear is shifted. When the belt 30 is engaged with the winding member 20 as shown in FIGS.
0 are located on both sides of the belt 30, and each bending point 20 d of the winding member 20 and each bending point 3
0b is almost at the same position. As a result, when the winding member 20 and the belt 30 are bent as shown in FIG. 10, the positions of the bending points 20d and 30b of the winding member 20 and the belt 20 do not change from each other, so that the diameter of the pulley 10 changes. Also, the winding member 20 and the belt 30 can always be reliably engaged. At this time, the winding member 20 is bent at each gap 20.
absorbed by b.

According to the above-described transmission, in the structure in which the speed is changed by changing the diameter of the pulley 10, the belt winding portion of the pulley 10 is formed by a winding member 2 having a plurality of grooves 20a.
0, and the belt 30 having a number of teeth 30a meshing therewith transmits the rotational force, so that the power can be transmitted efficiently by the meshing of each groove 20a and each tooth 30a. In this case, the circumference of the winding member 20 is changed by fixing one end of the winding member 20 to the belt winding portion and inserting the other end side in an unfixed state inside the belt winding portion. At the same time, the circumferential length of the winding member 20 is changed stepwise by a predetermined number of the grooves 20a, so that the teeth 30a of the belt 30 and the grooves 20a of the winding member 20 are always reliably engaged even if the gear is shifted. Gear shifting operation can be reliably achieved. Further, since each elongated hole 11a of the first side plate 11 which rotates integrally with the pulley shaft 50 is formed linearly in the radial direction, when each movable member 13 moves in the radial direction, each movable member 13 and the pulley 10 are moved. No relative rotation difference is generated. Therefore, the speed of the belt 30 is not changed at the time of shifting, and a stable shifting operation can be always performed.

In the above embodiment, only one pulley 10 is shown. However, the other pulley (not shown) is configured in the same manner as described above, and the pulleys are changed in diameter in opposite directions to change gears. The ratio can be increased.

FIGS. 11 to 13 show another example of a transmission member and a winding member using the chain according to the present invention for the transmission.

That is, the chain 31 as a transmission member shown in FIG. 1 comprises a large number of link members 31b rotatably connected to each other via connection pins 31a, and is connected to both ends of each link member 31b. A substantially semicircular engaging portion 31 centered on the pivot 31c (bending point) of the pin 31a
d is formed. Further, a concave portion 31e continuous with each engaging portion 31d is provided between each engaging portion 31d, and each link member 31b is formed so that the upper end side in the figure is curved upward along the concave portion 31e. I have.

The winding member 21 shown in FIG. 1 has a large number of grooves 21a on the outer peripheral surface for engaging with the respective engaging portions 31d of the chain 31, and the center of each groove 21a on the inner peripheral surface. Are provided with a large number of substantially V-shaped gaps 21b, respectively. That is, each groove 21a is partially divided in the circumferential direction of the winding member 21 by the gap 21b. Side wall portions 21c are respectively formed on both side portions in the width direction of the winding member 21, and a portion between the grooves 21a is formed on each side wall portion 21c.
Is formed higher than the upper end of the. In this case, each side wall 21c is located at a bending point 21 slightly above each gap 21b.
It bends at d. That is, when the chain 31 is engaged with the winding member 21, as shown in FIG.
The portion between the respective grooves 21a is received, and the respective bending points 21d of the winding member 21 and the rotation supporting points 31c forming the respective bending points of the chain 31 are substantially at the same position. Therefore, as in the case where the winding member 20 and the belt 30 are used, the chain 31 is used.
The power can be transmitted efficiently by the meshing of. Further, when the winding member 21 and the belt 31 are bent,
Since the positions of the winding member 21 and the bending point of the chain 31 do not change from each other, even if the diameter of the pulley 10 changes, the winding member 2
1 and the chain 31 can always be reliably engaged.

Each link member 3 of the chain 31
In FIG. 1b, as shown in FIG. 13, a part of each concave portion 31e is formed so as to extend to a portion (a hatched portion in the drawing) beyond a straight line connecting each rotation fulcrum 31c of the link member 31b. Accordingly, when a tensile force is applied to the chain 31, each link member 31b undergoes elastic bending deformation in the direction of the solid line arrow in the drawing around the curved portion 31f that does not include a straight line connecting each rotation fulcrum 31c. The impact when a sudden driving force is applied to the
b can be absorbed by the bending deformation.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the chain, in which the chain 31 of the above embodiment is provided with a large number of rollers 32 as each engaging portion. That is, each roller 32 is rotatably attached to each connecting pin 31a of the chain 31, and is formed slightly larger than the peripheral edge of the link member 31b such that the outer peripheral surface thereof is in contact with the winding member side.

[0020]

As described above, according to the chain of the present invention, power can be efficiently transmitted even in a transmission that changes the diameter of a rotating body, for example, and a sudden pulling force is applied. In this case, the impact can be absorbed, so that the noise can be reduced and the durability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a transmission.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of a transmission.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the transmission.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of an operation of a movable member and each elongated hole.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a movable member for fixing the belt.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a winding member and a belt.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of a winding member and a belt.

8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of a winding member.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a winding member and a belt showing a bent state.

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view of a chain and a winding member showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view of the chain and the winding member showing an engaged state;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the link member.

FIG. 14 is a partial side view of a chain showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

31: chain, 31a: connecting pin, 31b: link member, 31c: rotation fulcrum, 31f: curved portion, 32: roller.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) F16G 13/02 F16G 13/02 Z 13/07 13/07

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A chain comprising a number of link members rotatably connected at both ends via connection pins, wherein each link member does not include a straight line connecting the rotation support points of the connection pins at both ends. A chain characterized by forming a. 2. The chain according to claim 1, wherein a rotatable roller is attached to each of said connecting pins.