JPH04221202A - Crawler traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a crawler traveling device which can increase the grounded area, avoiding the increase of the number of wheels. CONSTITUTION:A chain 5 is laid between a sprocket 3 and a driven wheel 4, and a covering body 8 is connected through a leaf spring member 8 on the outer peripheral side of the chain, and the covering body 8 travels on a road surface 7 by the revolution of the sprocket, and can be used for the drive of an unlevel ground traveling vehicle.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a crawler traveling device, and more particularly to a crawler traveling device which can be suitably used for vehicles traveling on rough terrain such as soft ground and uneven roads.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally known crawler traveling devices use wheels made of low-pressure tires, etc., and the wheels undergo a certain deformation under the load of the vehicle, thereby increasing the ground contact area. There is something I tried to do.

According to such a crawler traveling device,
Compared to those using ordinary tires, the ground contact area is expanded and greater frictional resistance is achieved, making it possible to run on soft ground to a certain extent.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the wheel-type crawler traveling device in the conventional example,
It is extremely difficult to demonstrate the desired driving performance in areas where road surface conditions are extremely poor.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to increase the number of rolling wheels to expand the ground contact area of the traveling device, thereby improving running performance. Not only are these constraints imposed, but the problem remains that the total weight increases.

[0006]

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the disadvantages of the conventional example, to reduce the overall weight while avoiding the expansion of space as much as possible, and to achieve an expansion of the ground contact area. An object of the present invention is to provide a crawler traveling device capable of sufficiently maintaining running performance even in extremely deteriorated locations.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, a crawler traveling device according to the present invention provides an endless system between a sprocket fixed to a drive shaft of a vehicle and a driven wheel fixed to a driven shaft. A chain that is hung around, an endless footwear body disposed on the outer circumferential side of the chain at a predetermined distance from the chain, and a leaf spring member that interconnects the chain and the footwear body at a plurality of locations. The leaf spring member is configured to be able to bend and deform under the load of the vehicle.

[0008]

[Function] When the crawler traveling device is applied to a vehicle traveling on rough terrain, each of the leaf spring members undergoes curving deformation under the load of the vehicle. As a result, the overall shape of the footwear becomes largely flat, and the footwear receives a larger ground contact area than in the unloaded state. Therefore, the ground contact area can be increased without increasing the number of rolling wheels unlike low-pressure tires, and an increase in weight can be avoided as much as possible.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the crawler traveling device according to the present embodiment when applied to an off-road vehicle (not shown), and FIG. 2 shows the state before application. . In these figures, a sprocket 3 and a driven wheel 4 are fixedly connected to a driving shaft 1 and a driven shaft 2 of the vehicle, respectively, and a chain 5 is endlessly wound between the sprocket 3 and the driven wheel 4. ing. This chain 5 is engaged with the sprocket 3, and is rotated in a predetermined direction by the rotation of the sprocket 3.

[0011] A shoe body 8 which is in contact with the road surface 7 at a predetermined distance from the chain is connected to the outer peripheral side of the chain 5 via a plurality of leaf spring members 9.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sprocket 3 includes a fixed barrel 10 fixed to the axle 1 and a pair of gear members 11 fixed to both ends of the fixed barrel 10. The chain 5 can rotate while being engaged between these gear members 11.

The chain 5 includes a plurality of plate-like pieces 13, and a connecting ring 14 provided at each end thereof and a connecting ring 1 provided at one end of the leaf spring member 9.
6 are arranged coaxially, and in this state are integrally connected via a pin 17. At this time, both ends of the pin 17 are relatively long, and these ends are engaged between the teeth of the gear member 11 (see FIG. 5).

The leaf spring member 9 has a narrow width at the side where it connects to the plate-like piece 13 of the chain 5, and gradually widens toward the other end, and a connecting ring for the footwear 8 is formed at the edge thereof. 18 are provided. The leaf spring member 9 is configured to have a spring constant that is appropriately curved and deformed in accordance with the weight of the vehicle to which it is applied.

The shoe body 8 is constructed by interconnecting a plurality of plate members 20, each of which can coaxially accommodate a connecting ring 18 of the plate spring member 9 at each end thereof. A connecting ring 21 is provided at a position that does not interfere with each other,
As a result, each connecting ring 21 of each shaped member 20 and the leaf spring member 9
and the connecting ring 18 are located coaxially and are connected to each other by a pin 23.

In the above configuration, when assembling the crawler traveling device according to this embodiment, one end of the leaf spring member 9 and the chain 5 are connected to each other, and then the other end of the leaf spring member 9 and the chain 5 are connected to each other. The shoe body 8 is connected to each plate member 20, and the whole is assembled as shown in FIG. Thereafter, by passing the chain 5 around the sprocket 5 and the driven wheel 4, installation to the vehicle or the like is completed. Incidentally, the part where the chain 5 is wound around the driven wheel 4 may be appropriately prevented from falling off. For example, although not shown, it is conceivable to attach a suitable disc with a larger diameter than the driven wheel 4 after winding the chain 5;
It may also be configured using sprockets.

Therefore, according to the above structure of this embodiment, a predetermined interval is provided between the chain 5 and the footwear 8, and a leaf spring member 9 is used to connect the two.
Because it is designed to bend and deform under the load of the vehicle,
The ground contact area of the shoe body 8 can be greatly expanded, and there is an effect that running performance can be effectively exhibited even in extremely poor road conditions.

Furthermore, since the deformation of each leaf spring member 9 can act to absorb the unevenness of the road surface, the whole has a suspension effect.
It is also possible to eliminate the need for a suspension that supports axes such as the drive shaft, making it possible to maintain ride comfort in a favorable state.

In addition, compared to a configuration in which multiple low-pressure tires or the like are used to obtain a desired ground contact area, the total weight can be reduced, and the entire area between the sprocket 3 and the driven wheel 4 can be covered by the footwear. 8, the grounding space can be used effectively and the effect of contributing to space saving can be obtained.

Furthermore, each leaf spring member 9 has pins 17, 23.
The chain 5 and the shoe body 8 are individually connected through the chain 5 and the shoe body 8, and since maintenance and inspection thereof can be performed independently, parts replacement work can be performed easily and quickly.

[0021] In the above embodiment, the sprocket 3
The engagement of the chain 5 with the chain 5 has been illustrated and described using the both ends of the pin 17 and the gear member 11. However, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, as shown in FIG. A hole 25 may be formed and the teeth of the gear member 11 may be engaged with the engagement hole 25. In this case, it is possible to add the effect that the sprocket 3 can be constituted by only one gear member 11.

Further, the leaf spring member 9 is not limited to the shape shown in the drawings, but can be modified in various shapes as long as it can withstand a predetermined load, and the number of leaf spring members 9 may vary depending on the weight or size of the vehicle to which it is applied. This can be determined accordingly.

Furthermore, although the pair of shoes 8 has a connecting structure using a plurality of plate-like members 20, it can also be constructed from a series of members, and a plurality of protrusions may be arranged at scattered points on the ground contact side. It may also be possible to provide even greater frictional resistance with the road surface.

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the overall weight, and to achieve effective ground contact without increasing the installation space much compared to wheel-type tires such as low-pressure tires. This has the effect of providing a crawler traveling device that can increase the area and thereby maintain good traveling performance.

[0025]

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a deformed state when a crawler traveling device according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle or the like.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the state of the crawler traveling device in the embodiment before it is installed on a vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view with some essential parts omitted in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partially omitted plan view showing the state of engagement between the sprocket and the chain in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a modification of the chain other than the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 Sprocket 4. Driven wheel 5 Chain 8 Footwear 9. Leaf spring member

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A chain extending endlessly between a sprocket fixed to a drive shaft of a vehicle and a driven wheel fixed to a driven shaft; The present invention includes an endless footwear body disposed at a plurality of locations, and a leaf spring member that interconnects the chain and the footwear body at a plurality of locations, and the leaf spring member is configured to be able to bend and deform under the load of the vehicle. A crawler traveling device featuring: