JPH11171062A - Crawler and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a wheel from mounting a protruding part of a crawler belt at the time of receiving lateral force during turning or traveling on an inclined face. SOLUTION: A triangular crawler is provided with four pairs of rolling wheels 4, 6, 7 and the like in a longitudinal direction below a driving wheel. A crawler belt 8 is wound in nearly triangular shape on the driving wheel 4 and the respective rolling wheels 6, 7 and the like, and the respective rolling wheels 4, 6, 7 and the like are arranged to hold a protruding part 8a of the crawler belt 8 in between. The front rolling wheel 4 and intermediate rolling wheels 6, 7 are formed of rubber tires 9 having guide plates 27, 28 on the inside. On the side of the triangular crawler being fitted to a vehicle body, a clearance C1 between the intermediate rolling wheels 6, 7 and the protruding part 8a is set to be larger than a clearance C2 and the like between the front and rear rolling wheels 4 and the like and the protruding part 8a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a crawler mounted on a vehicle and a vehicle for improving running performance on uneven terrain and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There has been conventionally known a technique in which a crawler is mounted on a drive shaft of a vehicle such as an automobile instead of a tire to improve running performance on a snowy road or off-road. In particular, as a crawler for an automobile, a structure is known in which a crawler belt is wound in a substantially triangular shape around a driving wheel (sprocket) that transmits driving force to the crawler belt and a plurality of rolling wheels that mainly receive a load ( For example, JP-A-49-19535 and JP-A-4-8.
682, JP-A-6-305456, etc.).

[0003] Such a crawler has, for example, a structure shown in FIG. The triangular crawler 71 includes a driving wheel 72 and front and rear rolling wheels 7 disposed at front and rear lower ends thereof.
3, 74, and between the front and rear wheels 73, 74
In a state in which two intermediate rollers 75, 75 disposed below the wheel 4 are rotatably supported by a frame 76, a crawler belt 77 is wound around a substantially triangular shape circumscribing each of the wheels 72 to 75. Is done. As shown in FIG.
5 are supported by both ends of a rotating shaft 78 supported by a frame 76 and provided in pairs in the width direction (left and right) so as to sandwich a plurality of protrusions 77 a formed in a line on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt 77. The crawler belt 77 is guided so that the wheels 73 to 75 do not come off by rotating with the protrusion 77a interposed therebetween.
Also, the purpose is to improve the cushioning of the crawler 71 in the vertical direction, and the two intermediate rolling wheels 7 that mainly support the load are provided.
5 uses rubber tires.

[0004]

By the way, the crawler 7
When the vehicle equipped with the vehicle 1 turns sharply, the rolling wheels 73 to 75 integrally mounted on the frame 76 are displaced outward relative to the crawler belt 77 by a lateral force F acting outward due to centrifugal force. I do.

As shown in FIG. 14, since the ground contact frictional force f is large at the portion of the intermediate rolling wheel 75 that mainly supports the vehicle weight, the intermediate rolling wheel 75 comes into contact with the projection 77a with a strong pressing force Fb. Become. On the other hand, at the front and rear ends where the ground friction force f is relatively small, when the rollers 73, 74 hit the protruding portion 77a, the deformation of the crawler belt 77 can follow the displacement of the rollers 73, 74. Is reduced when it hits the protrusion 77a. As a result, the two intermediate wheels 75 strongly hit the protrusion 77a, and the force pressing the protrusion 77a is concentrated on the intermediate wheel 75. Therefore, there is a problem in that abrasion due to the contact between the rubbers and the intermediate rolling wheel 75 easily ride on the projection 77a.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-246177 discloses FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the rubber tire 80 is coated with a friction reducing member 81 at a portion in contact with the protrusion of the crawler belt to prevent the rubbers from contacting each other, so as to suppress the wear of the rubber tire due to the contact with the protrusion. The disclosed crawler structure is disclosed. However, when a lateral force is applied during turning, the problem that the rubber tire 80 easily slips on the contact surface with the protrusion by the friction reducing member 81 and the rubber tire 80 easily climbs on the protrusion is inevitable. A lateral force is generated not only at the time of turning but also at the time of traveling on a road surface inclined left and right. Even in this case, the problem that the wheel rides on the protrusion is similarly caused.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to cause a crawler belt of a wheel to climb onto a projection when receiving a lateral force such as when turning or running on an inclined surface. An object of the present invention is to provide a crawler and a vehicle that can be made difficult.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there are provided three or more wheels in the front-rear direction and a crawler belt around which the wheels are wound. In a crawler having an intermediate wheel located at a rubber tire, a protrusion formed on an inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt for guiding the crawler belt by the wheel, and two clearances formed in a width direction between the crawler belt and the wheel. At least on one side, the clearance between the intermediate wheel and the protrusion is set wider than the clearance between the front and rear wheels and the protrusion.

In the invention described in claim 2, in the invention described in claim 1, the clearances between the front and rear wheels and the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion are set imbalanced. The gist of the invention is that, of the two clearances formed in the width direction between the protrusions and the protrusions, the clearance is narrower when the outer ring side is applied to receive an outward centrifugal force during turning.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the wheel comprises a front and rear rolling wheel and an intermediate rolling wheel provided in a pair in the width direction with the protrusion interposed therebetween. The clearances of the front and rear wheels and the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion are set imbalanced because the clearance between the wheel and the protrusion is provided in the vehicle in two clearances formed in the width direction. The point is to be the side.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the wheel having a rubber tire has a guide for guiding the protrusion. The clearance of the guide belonging to the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion is set wider than the clearance of the front and rear wheels or the front and rear wheels having the guide with respect to the protrusion.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the crawler belt is made of rubber, and the intermediate wheel is connected to a lower end of the front and rear wheels. Is located at the bottom.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the crawler according to any one of the first to fifth aspects is mounted on a vehicle. (Operation) Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, at least one of the three or more rings that are wound around the track surface of the crawler belt and arranged in the front-rear direction are at least one of the left and right sides in the width direction of the crawler belt. In the above, the clearance between the intermediate wheel and the projection is wider than the clearance between the front and rear wheels and the projection. For this reason, when a lateral force acts on the vehicle, the front and rear wheels hit the protruding portion to deform the crawler belt to some extent, and then the intermediate wheel hits the protruding portion. That is, since the front and rear wheels receive the reaction force that deforms the crawler belt more strongly, the lateral force is also distributed to the front and rear wheels, and the force in the direction of pressing the protrusion is not concentrated on the intermediate wheel. Therefore, it is unlikely that each wheel rides on the protrusion.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the centrifugal force acting outward of the crawler when the crawler is turned toward the outer ring at the time of turning makes the protrusion between the wheel and the protrusion narrower. The imbalance is set such that the clearance between the intermediate wheels is wider than that between the front and rear wheels. For this reason, in the crawler on the outer wheel side that supports a considerable amount of vehicle weight during turning, the lateral force due to the centrifugal force is distributed evenly to each wheel as the force of each wheel pressing the projection. Therefore, the problem that the outer crawler wheel rides on the protruding portion during turning is less likely to occur. In addition, in the crawler which becomes the inner wheel side when turning,
Since the frictional resistance with the ground contact surface acting on the crawler belt is relatively small and the force of the intermediate wheel pushing the projection is weak, there is little concern about getting on the track.

[0015] Further, even when the vehicle is traveling on an inclined surface inclined left and right, the lateral force is distributed to each wheel without extreme bias in the crawler located below the inclined surface and supporting a considerable amount of vehicle weight. The problem of riding on the protrusion is prevented.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, of the two clearances formed in the width direction between the pair of rolling wheels and the protrusion, the clearance on the side where the crawler is attached to the vehicle is the clearance of the front and rear rolling wheels. The imbalance is set so that the intermediate wheel is wider than the intermediate wheel. For this reason, in the crawler that is on the outer wheel side during turning, centrifugal force (outward lateral force) is evenly distributed to each wheel of the crawler, and a problem that the wheel rides on the protrusion during turning is less likely to occur. Also, when traveling on an inclined surface that is inclined left and right, the crawler that is located on the lower side of the inclination and supports a considerable amount of vehicle weight distributes the lateral force without uneven distribution to each wheel, so each wheel is Riding problems are prevented.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the wheels having a rubber tire has a guide for guiding the protrusion, and the clearance between the guide and the protrusion of the intermediate wheel is equal to that of the front and rear wheels. And the projections or the front and rear wheels having a guide are wider than the clearance between the guide and the projection. Therefore, when lateral force acts on the crawler (each wheel),
Since the lateral force is distributed to each wheel or each guide as a force for pushing the protrusion, the guide belonging to the intermediate wheel becomes difficult to ride on the protrusion.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the crawler belt is made of rubber, and the lower end of the intermediate wheel is disposed below the lower ends of the front and rear wheels. Although it is easy to distribute the ground friction force, the lateral force acting on the crawler (each wheel) is dispersed without being extremely biased to each wheel.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is equipped with the crawler according to any one of the first to fifth aspects. The same operation as that of the first aspect is obtained.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, an automobile 1 as a vehicle is provided with a triangular crawler 2 as a crawler instead of four tires.
The automobile 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle. The structure of the four triangular crawlers 2 is symmetric on both the left and right sides of the vehicle, but has the same structure except for that.

As shown in FIG. 1, a triangular crawler (hereinafter, referred to as a triangular crawler)
A crawler) 2 is a driving wheel (sprocket) 3
So as to circumscribe the front wheels 4, the rear wheels 5, two intermediate wheels 6, 7 disposed between the wheels 4, 5, the drive wheel 3, and the wheels 4 to 7. And a rubber crawler belt 8 wound in a substantially triangular shape. The front rolling wheels 4 and the rear rolling wheels 5 constitute front and rear wheels and front and rear rolling wheels, and the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 constitute intermediate wheels.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
Are provided one by one on the left and right sides so as to sandwich the protrusions 8 a formed at a constant pitch along the center of the inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt 8.
The front and rear wheels 4, 5 are arranged slightly higher than the intermediate wheels 6, 7, and the intermediate wheels 6, 7 mainly support the load.

The front three wheels 4, 6, 7 are formed of hollow (pneumatic) rubber tires 9 having the same diameter. The rear wheel 5 is made of a metal (steel or aluminum) guide roller 10 slightly smaller in diameter than the other wheels 4, 6, and 7.
Consists of In FIG. 1, the outer two rear wheels 5, 7 are omitted from the pair.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drive wheel 3 has a large number of teeth 3a formed at a constant pitch over the entire circumference so as to be meshable with the projection 8a. As shown in FIG. 2, the drive wheel 3 is provided with a plurality of adapters 12 (6 in this embodiment) that are integrally rotatably fixed to a hub 11 provided on the automobile 1.
) Can be fixed via bolts 13 and nuts 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drive wheel 3 is framed via a bearing 16 externally fitted to a cylindrical support 15 projecting outward (to the right in FIG. 2) at the center thereof. 1
7 is rotatably supported. Frame 1
Reference numeral 7 denotes a rectangular long cylindrical sub-frame portion 17a that supports the rolling wheels 4 to 7, a pair of front and rear support portions 17b and 17c welded to the upper surface of the sub-frame portion 17a, and supports the driving wheel 3. And a pair of arms 17e extending from the center boss portion 17d to the front and rear sides and fixed to the support portions 17b and 17c, respectively, and these portions 17a to 17e are integrally fixed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two guide shafts 18 are arranged on both sides in the upper width direction of the drive wheel 3 so as to extend along the arc of the drive wheel 3, and both end portions thereof are supported by respective support shafts. Part 1
It is attached to a support plate 19 fixed to the upper surfaces of 7b and 17c. The two guide shafts 18 have a function of restricting the movement of the protrusion 8a in the width direction and preventing the crawler belt 8 from coming off.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, three boss portions 17 welded to three longitudinal positions of the sub-frame portion 17a.
f, bearings 20, 21, 22 are fitted.
The three rotating shafts 23, 24, 25 are rotatably supported by 21, 22. Three rotating shafts 23, 24, 2
A pair of left and right metal rims 26 are attached to both ends of the rim 5. The rubber tires 9 constituting the three pairs (six in total) of the rolling wheels 4, 6, 7 are mounted on the rims 26, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rim 26
Disc-shaped guide plates 27 and 28 as guides having different outer diameters of the front wheel 4 and the intermediate wheels 6 and 7 are formed so as to cover the inner surface of the rubber tire 9. The guide plates 27 and 28 are provided to avoid contact between the rubber of the rubber tire 9 and the protrusion 8a.
Are guided by three pairs of guide plates 27 and 28 such that movement in the width direction is restricted. Guide plate 2
7, 28 have a smaller outer diameter than the rubber tire 9 and
The guide plate 27 is formed to have a larger diameter than the guide plate 28 of the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7.

The reason why the diameter of the guide plate 27 of the front wheel 4 is made large is to reduce the deflection of the rubber tire 9 of the front wheel 4 and to stabilize the tension of the crawler belt 8. The outer peripheral surfaces of the guide plates 27 and 28 are curved so as not to damage the inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt 8.

On the other hand, the rear wheel 5 has the following support structure. A collar 30 loosely inserted into a support shaft (bolt in the present embodiment) 29 fixed to the rear end of the sub-frame portion 17a.
The arm 31 is fixed at the base end. Arm 3
A boss portion 31a is fixed to the tip of the device 1 so that its axis can be held horizontally regardless of the swing angle of the arm 31. A bearing 32 is fitted to the boss portion 31a, and the rotating shaft 33 is rotatably supported by the bearing 32.
A pair of guide rollers 10 are attached to both ends of the rotating shaft 33.

Arm 3 extending obliquely upward from boss 31a
A support member 35 is in contact with the distal end of 4. One end of a rod 36 is screwed into a screw hole of the support member 35, and the other end of the rod 36 has a round bar shape.
7c is rotatably inserted into a round hole provided on the rear surface. The position of the support member 35 and the guide roller 10 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction by rotating the hexagonal portion of the rod 36 by engaging a wrench. By adjusting the position of the guide roller 10, the tension of the crawler belt 8 is adjusted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the crawler 2 is assembled to a vehicle, the crawler 2 is arranged in a row on the inner side facing the vehicle (in the traveling direction of the crawler 2 having the right wheel shown in FIG. 2). Each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7 is set such that the clearance between the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 is larger than that of the front and rear rolling wheels 4 and 5 between the protrusions 8a.

In the present embodiment, the mounting position of each of the rotating shafts 24, 25 supporting the intermediate rolling wheels 6, 7 with respect to the sub-frame 17a is determined in the direction of the mounting side to the vehicle (leftward in FIGS. 2 and 3). Are arranged unevenly in a long form. By adopting this assembly structure, as shown in FIG. 4, the clearance C between the guide plate 28 and the side surface of the projection 8a is increased.
1 is larger than the clearance C2 between the guide plate 27 and the side surface of the projection 8a. The clearance C3 between the guide roller 10 and the side surface of the projection 8a is substantially equal to the clearance C2 (C2ＣC3).

In this embodiment, C1 is 12.5 mm, C1
2 (≒ C3) is set to 1.5 mm, and the clearance C1 between the guide plate 28 and the projection 8a is changed to the clearance C2.
Approximately 10 mm larger than (≒ C3). In addition, the amount of the clearance C1, C2 (C3) is not limited to the above value, and the rigidity and the steering stability of the crawler belt 8 are controlled.
Find the optimal value in consideration of the degree of influence on (operability).

Next, the operation of the crawler 2 will be described. FIG.
As shown in (1), when the automobile 1 makes a sharp turn, an outward centrifugal force F orthogonal to the turning tangential direction acts on the vehicle body 1a.
At this time, the centrifugal force F is shared by the four crawlers 2. In the figure, the length of the arrow is proportional to the load that each crawler 2 shares. That is, when turning, the vehicle body 1a
Becomes slightly floating on the inner ring side and sinks slightly on the outer ring side, so that the two crawlers 2 on the outer ring mainly bear the load. The load here corresponds to the reaction force that the crawler belt 8 receives from the road surface.

On the crawler 2 serving as the outer wheel during turning, a lateral force based on centrifugal force acts on the frame 17 connected to the vehicle body 1a. The lateral force of the frame 17 to be displaced outward is received by the ground friction force acting on the crawler belt 8, so that the side slip of the crawler 2 is suppressed.

At this time, the lateral force is applied to each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7 and the projection 8a.
Is conveyed to the crawler belt 8 through the contact surface. Therefore, the lateral force is applied to the rolling wheels 4 to 7 as a pressing force when the rolling wheels 4 to 7 that are to be displaced outwardly integrally with the subframe 17 a press the side surface of the protrusion 8 a, Track 8
Is transmitted to

The ground friction force acting on the crawler belt 8 is relatively large mainly at the portion where the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 that support the load abut, and the front and rear rolling wheels 4 located slightly above the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7. , 5 are relatively small at the portions where they abut.

For this reason, when the sub-frame 17a makes a lateral displacement based on the lateral force, the front and rear rolling wheels 4, 5 push the side surfaces of the protruding portion 8a at a portion where the ground frictional force of the crawler belt 8 is small. The crawler belt 8 slightly deforms to follow the displacement of the front and rear wheels 4,5. At this time, the rolling wheels 4 and 5 press the side surfaces of the protrusion 8a with a force that balances the restoring force of the elastically deformed portion at the front and rear ends of the crawler belt 8.

Since the clearance C1 of the intermediate rollers 6, 7 with respect to the projection 8a is wider than the clearance C2 (≒ C3) of the front and rear rollers 4, 5 with respect to the projection 8a, the guide plate of the intermediate rollers 6, 7 is provided. By 28, the guide plate 27 and the guide roller 10 deform the front and rear ends of the crawler belt 8 more greatly than the deformation amount of the conventional structure in which the clearances are all equal before the protrusion 28a hits the protrusion 8a. For this reason, the pressing force when the guide plate 27 and the guide roller 10 hit the side surface of the projection 8a increases, and the ratio of load sharing between the front and rear wheels 4, 5 relatively increases (see FIG. 5). Force F2).

For this reason, the guide plate 28 has the projection 8a.
Is relatively weakened by the force of the front and rear wheels 4, 5 pressing the front and rear ends of the crawler belt 8 by the displacement (ΔC1) (force F1 in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 5, the lateral force is substantially evenly distributed to the four rolling wheels 4 to 7 (F1 ≒ F2). As a result, the load distribution of the lateral force is not concentrated only on the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7. Also, if the turning direction is the opposite side to FIG. 6 (turn right), lateral force is applied to the outer wheel side crawler 2 on the outer wheel side crawler 2 in the crawler 2 on the left side of the traveling direction in the same manner as described above. ~ 7.

Therefore, when the car 1 is turned sharply,
The guide plates 27 and 28 and the guide roller 10
Riding on a is unlikely to occur. Therefore, damage to the protruding portion 8a of the crawler 2 during a sharp turn and deterioration of steering stability (operability) are prevented. Also, track 8
Of the wheels 4 to 7 is also prevented.

When traveling on a road surface inclined left and right, the crawler 2 on the inclined lower side mainly supports the load. Also in this case, of the two clearances formed in the width direction between the pair of rolling wheels 4 to 7 and the protrusion 8a, the clearance C1 of the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 is set to the front and rear with respect to the clearance on the mounting side to the vehicle. Clearance C for wheels 4 and 5
2 and C3, the lateral force due to the inclination of the vehicle body 1a is substantially evenly distributed to the rolling wheels 4 to 7. Therefore, even when traveling on a road surface inclined left and right, damage to the protruding portion 8a and deterioration in steering stability (operability) are prevented.

As described in detail above, the present embodiment has the following advantages. (1) Of the two left and right clearances formed between each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7 provided on the crawler 2 in pairs and the projection 8a, the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 are provided on the mounting side of the vehicle body 1a.
Between the front and rear wheels 4,5
Are set to be larger than the clearances C2 and C3 for the projection 8a. Therefore, the lateral force generated on the crawler 2 during turning and running on a sloped road is substantially evenly distributed to the rolling wheels 4 to 7, and the guide plates 27,
28 and the guide roller 10 can be prevented from running on the protrusion 8a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the projection 8a from being damaged and the steering stability (operability) from deteriorating during turning and running on an inclined road surface.

(2) Projecting portions 8 of guide plates 27 and 28
a, the rubber tire 9
Can be prevented from coming into contact with rubber members having a large frictional force, and the crawler belt 8 can be prevented from coming off the rubber tire 9.

(3) Each of the clearances C1, C2, C3 is set to an appropriate value such that the lateral force is substantially evenly distributed to the four wheels 4 to 7.
Is set, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the protruding portion 8a, deterioration of steering stability (operability), and derailment of the crawler belt 8 during turning and running on an inclined road surface.

(4) Of the two left and right clearances formed between each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7 provided on the crawler 2 in pairs and the projection 8a, only the intermediate rolling wheel 6, which is on the mounting side of the vehicle body 1a, is provided. Since the clearance is imbalanced between the front wheel 7 and the front and rear rolling wheels 4 and 5, it is possible to prevent the guide plate 28 from lowering the guide function of the protrusion 8a.

(5) Clearance C of front and rear wheels 4 and 5
2 and C3, the clearance amount is 1.5 mm
Because it is a tight value, maneuverability is secured,
The displacement of the crawler belt 8 orthogonal to the traveling direction near the intermediate rolling wheels 6 and 7 is allowed.

(6) Since the rubber tires 9 are mounted on the front three pairs of wheels 4, 6, 7, the intermediate wheels 6, which mainly support the load, are provided.
The vibration of the vertical tire can be absorbed by the deflection of the rubber tire 9 of the front wheel 4 while the vertical vibration can be absorbed by the deflection of the rubber tire 9. Therefore, it is possible to improve the riding comfort when the automobile 1 runs.

(7) Since the rear wheel 5 is made of a rigid metal guide roller 10, when the automobile 1 starts running,
By applying a strong tension to the rear portion of the crawler belt 8, the transmission loss of the force can be suppressed to a sufficiently small value, and the driving force of the running of the crawler 2 can be increased.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, but may be implemented in the following manner. In the above-described embodiment, as a configuration for setting the clearance C1 to be wider than the clearances C2 and C3 of the front and rear wheels 4 and 5, instead of making the left and right arrangement of the rubber tire 9 uneven, the intermediate wheels 6 are used. , 7 body 1a
A tire having a small width may be used only for the rubber tire on the mounting side. With this configuration, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 8, the clearance between the rubber tire 9 and the projection 8a is the same in each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7, and only the clearance between the guide plates 27 and 28 and the projection 8a is imbalanced. You may implement with the structure which carried out. With this configuration, the projections 8 of the guide plates 27 and 28 are also provided.
a can be prevented. Therefore, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 9, protrusions 8 formed between the rollers 4 to 7 provided on the crawler 2 in pairs on the left and right sides.
a, the clearance C1 between the intermediate rollers 6, 7 and the clearance C between the front and rear rollers 4, 5 are set.
A structure set to be larger than 2 may be adopted. According to this configuration, the crawler 2 on the inner wheel side when turning and the crawler 2 on the upper side when traveling on an inclined surface also have a relatively small lateral force but are directed inward (toward the vehicle body 1a) of the crawler 2. The applied lateral force is substantially evenly distributed to each of the rolling wheels 4 to 7, so that the guide plates 27 and 28 can be prevented from riding on the protrusion 8a.

The structure is not limited to a structure in which a pair of left and right rolling wheels sandwiches and guides a protrusion of a crawler belt. For example, in a structure in which three or more rolling wheels are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 10, each rolling wheel is formed by using a rubber tire 43 having a concave groove 43a formed on an outer peripheral surface, and A structure in which the protrusion 43a of the crawler belt 44 is guided by the groove 43a may be employed. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a structure in which the crawler belt 46 is guided by sandwiching a rubber tire 47 between a pair of protrusions 46a provided at both ends in the width direction of the crawler belt 46 may be employed. In addition, in the structure shown in FIG.
As a means for changing only the width, for example, a tire having a small width is used only for the rubber tire of the intermediate wheel for the front and rear wheels. 10 and 11 show the rubber tires 43 and 47 of the intermediate rolling wheel, respectively. Of the two clearances formed in the width direction between the protrusions 44a and 46a and the rubber tires 43 and 47, the clearance becomes the outer wheel during turning. As for the clearance on the side that becomes narrower when an outward lateral force acts on the crawler, only the clearance C1 of the intermediate wheel is set wider than the clearance of the front and rear wheels.
Even with these structures, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained. 10 and 11, the left side of the rubber tires 43 and 47 is the vehicle body side.

The track may be a crawler having three (three pairs) wheels arranged before and after. In a substantially triangular crawler having three front and rear wheels, the crawler belt comes into contact with the road surface at a portion between the front and rear wheels and the intermediate wheel. Even in this case, since the intermediate rolling wheel receives mainly load, the frictional resistance of the crawler belt to the road surface is large near the intermediate rolling wheel. By making the clearance larger than the clearance of the front and rear wheels in the portion with respect to the protrusion, the lateral force can be dispersed to each wheel when a lateral force is applied.

The present invention is not limited to a substantially triangular crawler in which a plurality of rolling wheels are disposed before and after the driving wheels. The crawler may be any crawler in which three (or three pairs) or more wheels are arranged before and after at a portion where the crawler belt contacts the road surface. For example, the shape of the crawler may be oval or trapezoidal. Further, the drive wheels may be included in three or more wheels arranged in front and behind.

The front and rear wheels need not be rubber tires. It is sufficient that the intermediate rolling wheel disposed between the front and rear rolling wheels is a rubber tire. When the front and rear wheels (front and rear wheels) are both made of metal guide rollers, the clearance between the guide (guide plate) and the protrusion of the intermediate wheel is set wider than the clearance between the guide rollers and the protrusion. do it. Also,
The rubber tire is not limited to the hollow type, and may be a solid type rubber tire, for example.

The vehicle is not limited to an automobile, but may be applied to an industrial vehicle such as a forklift or a crawler mounted on a construction machine. The invention which is grasped from the embodiment and is not described in the claims will be described below together with its effects.

(A) In any one of claims 1 to 6, two or more intermediate wheels are provided in the front-rear direction. According to this configuration, the crawler belt always supports a large load at the intermediate rolling wheel portion, and the load at the front and rear wheel portions is always small. Therefore, a large distribution is provided in the ground friction force of the crawler belt at the front and rear wheel and the intermediate wheel portion. Since it is easy to perform, by applying the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent a problem that the load sharing of the lateral force is concentrated on the intermediate rolling wheel.

(B) In any one of claims 1 to 6, the plurality of wheels are rolling wheels arranged in the front-rear direction below the driving wheels. According to this configuration, the same effect as the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 6 can be obtained.

(C) In any one of claims 1 to 6, and any one of (a) and (b), the clearance of the intermediate wheel with respect to the projection and the clearance of the front and rear wheels with respect to the projection. The difference between the clearance and the clearance is set to an appropriate value that allows the lateral force to be substantially evenly distributed to each wheel. According to this configuration, the lateral force can be substantially evenly distributed to each wheel, and the wheels can be prevented from coming off the crawler belt.

(D) Claims 1 to 6 and (a)
In any one of (a) to (c), the clearance of the front and rear wheels with respect to the projection is set to a value appropriate for guiding the projection by each wheel. According to this configuration, even if the clearance between each wheel and the protrusion is set imbalanced, the clearance between the front and rear wheels is appropriately narrow, so that the crawler belt guiding performance by each wheel is not impaired.

[0063]

As described above in detail, according to the first and sixth aspects of the present invention, the clearance between at least one side in the width direction of the crawler belt formed between the wheel and the protrusion is reduced. Since the middle wheel is set wider than the middle wheel, the lateral force can be evenly distributed to each wheel when a lateral force acts on the vehicle,
It is possible to make it difficult for each wheel to ride on the protrusion.

According to the second and sixth aspects of the present invention, at the side where the clearance between the wheel and the projection is narrowed by centrifugal force when turning to the outer wheel at the time of turning, the intermediate wheel and the projection are connected to each other. Since the clearance is set to be unbalanced, the centrifugal force during turning can be evenly distributed to each wheel, and the problem that the crawler wheel rides on the protrusion during turning can be reduced.

According to the third and sixth aspects of the present invention, the crawler is attached to the vehicle in the widthwise two clearances formed between each of the rolling wheels and the projection provided in the widthwise pair. Since the clearance on the side of the intermediate wheel is set to be wider than that of the front and rear wheels, it is possible to prevent a problem that the wheel of the crawler rides on the protrusion during turning.

According to the fourth and sixth aspects of the present invention, the clearance between the guide and the projection of the intermediate wheel is reduced.
Because it was set wider than the clearance between the front and rear wheels and the protrusion,
When a lateral force acts on the crawler, the lateral force can be evenly distributed to each wheel to make it difficult for the guide of the intermediate wheel to ride on the protrusion.

According to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, the crawler belt is made of rubber, and the lower end of the intermediate wheel is disposed below the lower end of the rear wheel. Even when the crawler structure is such that the distribution of the ground friction force can be easily distributed, the lateral force acting on the crawler (each wheel) is dispersed without being extremely biased toward each wheel.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a triangular crawler according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of a triangular crawler.

FIG. 4 is a partial front sectional view of a crawler.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan sectional view of a crawler.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view when the vehicle turns.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an automobile equipped with a triangular crawler.

FIG. 8 is a partial plan sectional view showing another example of a crawler.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional plan view showing another example of a crawler different from FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a partial front sectional view showing another example of a crawler.

FIG. 11 is a partial front sectional view showing another example of the crawler different from FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a crawler according to the related art.

FIG. 13 is a partial front sectional view of the same.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan sectional view of the same.

FIG. 15 is a front sectional view of a crawler wheel according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automobile as a vehicle, 2 ... Triangle crawler as a crawler, 3 ... Drive wheel, 4 ... Construction of front and rear wheels and front and rear rolling wheels, and front rolling wheels as rolling wheels, 5 ... Constitution of front and rear wheels and front and rear rolling wheels Rear wheels as rolling wheels, 6, 7
... Intermediate rolling wheels as intermediate wheels, 8... Crawler tracks, 8a.
... rubber tires, 27, 28 ... guide plates as guides.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shigeo Awazu 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Shunichi Shibasaki 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Corporation

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A crawler comprising three or more wheels arranged in the front-rear direction and a crawler belt around which the wheels are wound, and an intermediate wheel located between the front and rear wheels having a rubber tire, wherein the crawler belt is guided by the wheels. In order to do so, a widthwise direction can be formed between the protrusion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt and the ring.
A crawler in which a clearance between the intermediate wheel and the protrusion is set to be wider than a clearance between the front and rear wheels and the protrusion on at least one of the two clearances. 2. The clearance between the front and rear wheels and the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion is set imbalanced because of the two clearances formed in the width direction between the wheel and the protrusion. The crawler according to claim 1, wherein the clearance is a side where the clearance becomes narrower when the outer wheel is on the outer wheel side and receives an outward centrifugal force during turning. 3. The wheel comprises a front-rear wheel and an intermediate wheel provided in pairs in the width direction with the protrusion interposed therebetween, and each clearance of the front-rear wheel and the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion is provided. The crawler according to claim 2, wherein the imbalance is set on a side of the two clearances formed in a width direction between the wheel and the protrusion, the side being attached to a vehicle. 4. A wheel having a rubber tire among the wheels has a guide for guiding the protrusion, and a clearance of the guide belonging to the intermediate wheel with respect to the protrusion is the front or rear wheel or the front and rear wheels having the guide. The crawler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a width of the crawler is set to be wider than a clearance of the guide with respect to the protrusion. 5. The crawler according to claim 1, wherein the crawler belt is made of rubber, and a lower end of the intermediate wheel is disposed below a lower end of the front and rear wheels. . 6. A vehicle equipped with the crawler according to any one of claims 1 to 5.