KR20160039345A - Device for adjusting tension of track - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for adjusting tension of a track comprises: a track spring assembly coupled to an idler supporting the track, and having a track spring to absorb a shock caused by an external force applied to the idler from the track and a cylinder supporting the track spring to pressurize the track spring when displacement of the track spring is generated by the external force; a piston fixated to a track frame, coupled to the cylinder to reciprocate inside the cylinder, and having a flow path interconnected to the inside of the cylinder; and a lubricant supply control unit installed in the piston, and having an injection unit to selectively inject a lubricant to the inside of the cylinder through a flow path and a discharge unit to selectively discharge the lubricant in the cylinder to the outside from the flow path.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a track tension adjusting device,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tension adjusting device for a track. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for adjusting the tension of a track in a vehicle equipped with an endless track.

In general, a track of an endless track vehicle is elastically supported by a track spring, and is expanded and contracted within a certain range, thereby relieving an impact in a running process. At this time, the tension of the track spring can be adjusted by injecting or discharging grease.

However, in order to discharge the grease, there is an inconvenience that the grease injection part must be removed. In this process, the injection part may be repelled by the pressure of the grease to cause a safety accident. In addition, in the process of recombining the grease injecting part, the O-ring for maintaining airtightness is broken, and the injected grease leaks to the outside.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tension adjusting device for a track capable of injecting or discharging a lubricant without removing the lubricant injecting portion and the discharging portion.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, an apparatus for adjusting a tension of a track according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes: an arm coupled to an idler for supporting a track and absorbing an impact due to an external force applied to the idler from the track; And a cylinder for supporting the track spring to press the track spring when a displacement of the track spring is generated by the external force, the track spring assembly being fixed to the track frame, A piston connected to the cylinder and having a flow path communicated with the inside of the cylinder; an injection unit installed in the piston and selectively injecting a lubricant into the cylinder through the flow path; And a discharge unit And a lubricant supply control unit.

In the exemplary embodiments, the injection unit may include an injection path communicated with the flow path, and an injection path provided in the injection path to selectively open the injection path to inject the lubricant into the cylinder and discharge the lubricant to the outside And may include a check valve to shut off.

In the exemplary embodiments, the check valve may include a blocking member for blocking the injection path and preventing the lubricant from being discharged to the outside, and an elastic member for selectively opening the injection path by pressing the blocking member .

In the exemplary embodiments, the discharge portion may include a first discharge flow passage communicated with the flow passage and spaced apart from the injection flow passage, and a second discharge flow passage provided in the first discharge flow passage to open and close the first discharge flow passage to control the discharge of the lubricant And a second opening / closing valve for opening / closing the second opening / closing valve.

In the exemplary embodiments, the discharge portion may include a second discharge flow path branched from the injection flow path and a second open / close valve provided in the second discharge flow path for controlling the discharge of the lubricant by opening / closing the second discharge flow path .

In exemplary embodiments, the track spring assembly may include a bracket coupled to the idler and supporting the track spring to press the track spring by an external force applied to the idler, and a shaft connecting the bracket and the cylinder, As shown in FIG.

In exemplary embodiments, the lubricant may be a grease.

The tensioning device of the track according to the exemplary embodiments can inject or discharge the lubricant without removing the injection part and the discharge part. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate inconvenience caused by the separation of the injection part and the discharge part, and to maintain the airtightness of the joint part.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and may be variously expanded without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic side view of a conventional endless track construction machine.
2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing a tension adjusting device for a track according to exemplary embodiments.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing the injection unit of Fig.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the discharging portion of Fig. 3;
6 is a cross-sectional view showing a tension adjusting device for a track according to exemplary embodiments.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the lubricant supply control portion of Fig.

For the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, specific structural and functional descriptions are set forth for the purpose of describing an embodiment of the invention only, and it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced in various forms, The present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in Figs.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various forms, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprise", "having", and the like are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, , Steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, as a matter of principle.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed as meaning consistent with meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal in meaning unless expressly defined in the present application .

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings and redundant explanations for the same constituent elements are omitted.

1 is a schematic side view of a conventional endless track construction machine. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the caterpillar construction machine 10 may include an upper revolving structure 20 and a lower traveling structure 30.

The upper revolving structure 20 may include a cab, an engine, a boom, an arm, a bucket, various hydraulic cylinders, a counterweight, and the like. The upper swing body 20 is mounted on the lower traveling body 30 and rotates in a plane parallel to the ground to set a working direction and operates the boom, the arm and the bucket by the hydraulic cylinder Can be performed. In this case, it is possible to balance the caterpillar construction machine 10 in operation using the counterweight.

The lower traveling body 30 supports the upper revolving structure 20 and can drive the caterpillar construction machine 10 using the power generated from the engine. Specifically, the power generated by the engine can be transmitted to the sprocket 34 located at the rear of the lower traveling body 30. The sprocket 34 can advance or retract the caterpillar construction machine 10 by rotating the track 36. One end of the track 36 surrounds the sprocket 34 and the other end of the track 36 is coupled so as to surround the idler 35 at the front of the vehicle and can rotate infinitely in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. At this time, the upper roller 37 can prevent the track 36 from being sagged down by its own weight.

The track frame 32 is engaged with the upper revolving structure 20 and can support the lower driving structure 30. The sprocket 34 and the idler 35 can be coupled to the track frame 32. The track frame 32 is formed to surround both sides of the lower traveling body 30 to protect the idler 35 and the tension adjusting device 40 of the track from external foreign substances.

An external force applied to the track 36 when traveling can be transmitted to the idler 35. [ The tension adjusting device 40 of the track is installed between the idler 35 and the track frame 32 to absorb the impact due to the external force applied to the idler 35. [ In addition, the level of tension acting on the track can be adjusted by the amount of lubricant injected into the tensioning device 40 of the track. Therefore, the operator can adjust the tension applied to the track by injecting the lubricant into the tension adjuster 40 of the track or discharging the lubricant inside the tension adjuster 40 of the track to the outside.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a tension adjusting device for a track according to exemplary embodiments. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the injection unit of Fig. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the discharging portion of Fig. 3;

3, the tension adjusting device 40 of the track includes a track spring 110 for absorbing an impact applied to the idler 35 from the track 32, A track spring assembly 100 having a cylinder 120 for supporting a track spring 110 to press the track spring 110 when the track spring 110 is generated, A piston 200 coupled to the cylinder 120 and having a flow path 210 communicated with the inside of the cylinder 120 and a piston 200 installed in the piston 200 and injecting a lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the flow path 210. [ Or a lubricant supply control part 300 for discharging the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside.

In the exemplary embodiments, the track spring assembly 100 is coupled to the idler 35 and includes a bracket (not shown) for supporting the track spring 110 to urge the track spring 110 by an external force applied to the idler 35 130, and a shaft 140 connecting the bracket 130 and the cylinder 120.

The cylinder 120 is connected to the shaft 140 and the shaft 140 can be connected to the idler 35 by the bracket 130. The track spring 110 is provided to surround the shaft 140 and a part of the cylinder 120. One end of the track spring 110 is supported by the bracket 130 and the other end of the track spring 110 is connected to the cylinder 120, respectively. Accordingly, an external force applied from the track 36 to the idler 35 during traveling can be transmitted to the track spring 110 through the bracket 130. The shaft 140 can maintain the gap between the cylinder 120 and the bracket 130 constant.

One side of the piston 200 is fixed to the track frame 32 and the other side thereof is inserted into the cylinder 120 to reciprocate within the cylinder 120. The piston 200 is provided with a passage 210 communicated with the inside of the cylinder 120. The piston 200 injects the lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the passage 210 or discharges the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside . For example, the lubricant may be a grease.

The cylinder 120 can receive the piston 200 and the lubricant therein. The lubricant inside the cylinder 120 forms a pressure and the pressure can be sequentially transmitted to the bracket 130, the idler 35 and the track 36 by pressing the track spring 110. Thus, the tension acting on the track 36 can be kept constant.

On the other hand, when traveling, an external force may act from the track 36 in the direction of the idler 35. The external force can be sequentially transmitted to the track spring 110 and the cylinder 120 through the bracket 130. At this time, the lubricant in the cylinder 120 performs the buffering action, so that the external force can be reduced by half.

The lubricant supply control unit 300 includes an injection unit 310 installed in the piston 200 for selectively injecting a lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the oil passage 210 and a lubricant supply unit And a discharge unit 320 for selectively discharging the lubricant of the lubricant to the outside. For example, the lubricant supply control portion may be coupled to the piston by a male screw machined on the outer surface, and may be kept airtight by an O-ring or the like.

When the lubricant is injected into the cylinder 120 through the injection part 310, the pressure inside the cylinder 120 increases, and the cylinder 120 can be moved in the direction of the idler 35. The track spring 110 having one end supported by the cylinder 120 is also urged in the direction of the idler 35 to increase the tension acting on the track 36 from the idler 35 through the bracket 130 .

In contrast, when the lubricant is discharged through the discharge part 320, the pressure inside the cylinder 120 is reduced and the cylinder 120 can be moved toward the track frame 32 by the restoring force of the track spring 110 have. At this time, since the track spring 110 receives the same pressure as the pressure formed inside the cylinder 120, the force acting in the direction of the idler 35 decreases as the pressure inside the cylinder 120 decreases. Therefore, the tension acting on the track 36 from the idler 35 can be reduced.

That is, as the lubricant is injected into the cylinder 120 or the lubricant in the cylinder 120 is discharged to the outside, the cylinder 120 moves, and the track spring 110 supported by the cylinder 120 is compressed The tension acting from the idler 35 to the track 36 can be adjusted.

4 and 5, in the exemplary embodiments, the injection unit 310 of the lubricant supply control unit 300 is installed in the injection path 312 and the injection path 312 communicating with the flow path 210, And a check valve 314 for blocking the lubricant from being discharged to the outside. The discharge part 320 of the lubricant supply control part 300 opens and closes the first discharge flow path 322 and the first discharge flow path 322 which are communicated with the flow path 210 and spaced apart from the injection flow path 312, Closing valve 324 for controlling the opening / closing valve 324. That is, the injection unit 310 and the discharge unit 330 may be formed in the piston 200 in the form of two separate valve assemblies.

As shown in FIG. 4, the injection path 312 can communicate with the outside of the flow path 210. The lubricant injected through the injection flow path 312 may be supplied into the cylinder 120 through the flow path 210. At this time, a check valve 314 may be installed in the injection path 312 to prevent the lubricant supplied to the injection path 312 from flowing back to the outside. The check valve 314 may selectively open the injection path 312 to inject the lubricant into the cylinder 120 and prevent the lubricant from being discharged to the outside.

For example, the check valve 314 blocks the injection flow path 312 to press the blocking member 316 and the blocking member 316 to prevent the lubricant from being discharged to the outside, (Not shown). The blocking member may include a ball-shaped metal member, and examples of the elastic member include a spring.

In the exemplary embodiments, the injection flow path 312 may be formed to have different diameters at the inlet and the outlet. At this time, one end of the injection part 310 into which the lubricant is injected is an inlet of the injection path 312, and the other end of the injected lubricant that flows into the flow path 210 may be defined as an outlet of the injection path 312 . For example, the outlet diameter D1 of the injection passage may be formed to be larger than the diameter of the blocking member, and the inlet diameter D2 of the injection passage may be smaller than the diameter of the blocking member. Thus, the blocking member 316 can completely close the injection channel 312, and the airtightness of the injection channel 312 can be maintained.

When the lubricant is injected into the injection part 310, the lubricant presses the blocking member 316. When the lubricant is continuously injected, the elastic member 318 is compressed so that the blocking member 316 moves in the direction of the outlet of the injection channel 312, and the injection channel 312 can be opened. The lubricant can be supplied into the cylinder 120 through the injection path 312 and the flow path 210 in sequence.

The lubricant injected into the injection path 312, the flow path 210, and the cylinder 120 can form a constant pressure. The restoring force of the pressure and elastic member 318 can prevent the injected lubricant from being discharged to the outside by pressing the blocking member 316 in the direction of the inlet of the injection path 312 to close the injection path 312. [

As shown in FIG. 5, the first discharge flow path 322 can communicate the flow path 210 with the outside. The lubricant in the cylinder 120 can be discharged to the outside through the flow path 210 and the first discharge flow path 322 in order.

The first on-off valve 324 is installed in the first discharge passage 322. The lubricant in the cylinder 120 can be selectively discharged to the outside by opening and closing the first discharge passage 322. [ For example, when the first on-off valve is in the locked position, the first discharge passage is closed and the lubricant can not be discharged to the outside. However, if the first on-off valve is in the open position, Can be discharged to the outside. At this time, the lubricant can be discharged to the outside through the first discharge passage by the pressure formed inside the cylinder.

As described above, the tensioning device 40 of the track according to the exemplary embodiments is configured to have the track spring assembly 100 coupled to the idler 35 and the interaction of the piston 200 fixed to the track frame 32 The impact applied to the idler 35 from the track 36 can be alleviated. The tension of the track 36 can be adjusted by supplying lubricant to the inside of the cylinder 120 through the lubricant supply control part 300 provided in the piston 200 or discharging the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside. The lubricant supply control unit 300 can inject the lubricant into the cylinder 120 or discharge the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside without separating the lubricant supply control unit 300 from the piston 200. Therefore, It is possible to prevent a safety accident that may occur during separation and to maintain the airtightness between the lubricant supply control unit 300 and the piston 200.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a tension adjusting device for a track according to exemplary embodiments. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the lubricant supply control portion of Fig. The tension adjusting device of the track is substantially the same as or similar to the tension adjusting device of the track described with reference to Fig. 3 except for the lubricant supply controlling portion. Accordingly, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repetitive description of the same constituent elements is omitted.

Referring to Figure 6, in the exemplary embodiments, the tensioning device 42 of the track is installed in the piston 200 and injects lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the oil passage 210, And a lubricant supply control unit 302 for discharging the lubricant in the lubricant supply unit 302 to the outside. For example, the lubricant supply control portion may be coupled to the piston by a male screw machined on the outer surface, and may be kept airtight by an O-ring or the like.

The lubricant supply control unit 302 selectively discharges the lubricant in the cylinder 120 to the outside through the injection unit 310 and the oil line 210 for selectively injecting the lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the oil line 210. [ (Not shown). That is, the injection unit 310 and the discharge unit 330 may be formed in the piston 200 in the form of a single valve assembly.

When the lubricant is supplied into the cylinder 120 through the lubricant supply control unit 302, the pressure inside the cylinder 120 increases, and the cylinder 120 can be moved in the direction of the idler 35. The track spring 110 having one end supported by the cylinder 120 is also urged in the direction of the idler 35 to increase the tension acting on the track 36 from the idler 35 through the bracket 130 .

On the contrary, when the lubricant is discharged through the lubricant supply control unit 302, the pressure inside the cylinder 120 is reduced and the cylinder 120 is moved in the direction of the track frame 32 by the restoring force of the track spring 110 . At this time, since the track spring 110 receives the same pressure as the pressure formed inside the cylinder 120, the force acting in the direction of the idler 35 decreases as the pressure inside the cylinder 120 decreases. Therefore, the tension acting on the track 36 from the idler 35 can be reduced.

That is, as the lubricant is injected into the cylinder 120 or the lubricant in the cylinder 120 is discharged to the outside, the cylinder 120 moves, and the track spring 110 supported by the cylinder 120 is compressed The tension acting from the idler 35 to the track 36 can be adjusted.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the exemplary embodiments, the discharge portion 330 opens and closes the second discharge flow passage 332 and the second discharge flow passage 332 branched from the injection flow passage 312 to control the lubricant discharge And a second on-off valve (334)

The second discharge flow path 332 branches from the injection flow path 312 to communicate the flow path 210 with the outside. Accordingly, the lubricant is injected through the check valve 314 and the injection passage 312, and the lubricant can be discharged through the injection passage 312 and the second discharge passage 332. [

The second on-off valve 334 is provided in the second discharge flow passage 332. The lubricant in the cylinder 120 can be selectively discharged to the outside by opening and closing the second discharge flow passage 332. [ For example, when the second on-off valve is in the locked position, the second discharge passage is closed and the lubricant can not be discharged to the outside. However, if the second on-off valve is placed in the open position, Can be discharged to the outside. At this time, the lubricant can be discharged to the outside sequentially through the injection path and the second discharge path by the pressure formed inside the cylinder.

As described above, the tensioning device 42 of the track according to the exemplary embodiments includes a track spring assembly 100 coupled to the idler 35, and a piston 200 fixed to the track frame 32, The impact applied to the idler 35 from the track 36 can be alleviated. The tension of the track 36 can be adjusted by supplying a lubricant into the cylinder 120 through the lubricant supply controller 302 provided in the piston 200 or discharging the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside. The lubricant supply control unit 302 can supply lubricant to the inside of the cylinder 120 or discharge the lubricant inside the cylinder 120 to the outside without separating the lubricant supply control unit 302 from the piston 200. [ It is possible to prevent a safety accident that may occur during separation and to maintain airtightness between the lubricant supply control unit 302 and the piston 200. [

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It can be understood that it is possible.

10: Infinite crawler construction machine 20: Upper revolving body
30: Lower traveling body 32: Track frame
34: Sprocket 35: Idler
36: Track 37: Upper roller
38: Lower roller 40, 42: Tension regulator of the track
100: track spring assembly 110: track spring
120: cylinder 130: bracket
140: shaft 200: piston
210: EURO 300, 302: Lubricant supply control unit
310: Injection section 312:
314: Check valve 316:
318: elastic member 320, 330:
322: first discharge flow path 324: first opening / closing valve
332: second discharge flow path 334: second open / close valve
D1: Diameter of the outlet of the injection channel D2: Diameter of the inlet of the injection channel

Claims (7)

A track spring coupled to an idler for supporting a track and absorbing an impact due to an external force applied to the idler from the track and a track spring for urging the track spring when a displacement of the track spring is generated by the external force, A track spring assembly having a cylinder for supporting the track spring;
A piston fixed to the track frame and coupled to the cylinder so as to be reciprocable within the cylinder, the piston having a flow passage communicated with the inside of the cylinder; And
And a lubricant supply control part installed in the piston and having an injection part for selectively injecting a lubricant into the cylinder through the flow path and a discharge part for selectively discharging the lubricant in the cylinder from the flow path to the outside, Track tensioning device. 2. The apparatus of claim 1,
An injection path communicating with the flow path; And
And a check valve installed in the injection path and selectively opening the injection path to inject the lubricant into the cylinder and to prevent the lubricant from being discharged to the outside. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the check valve
A blocking member for blocking the injection path to prevent the lubricant from being discharged to the outside; And
And an elastic member for selectively opening the injection path by pressing the blocking member. 3. The apparatus of claim 2,
A first discharge passage communicating with the flow passage and spaced apart from the injection passage; And
And a first on-off valve installed in the first discharge passage for opening and closing the first discharge passage to control the discharge of the lubricant. 3. The apparatus of claim 2,
A second exhaust passage branched from the injection passage; And
And a second on-off valve installed in the second discharge flow passage for controlling the discharge of the lubricant by opening and closing the second discharge flow passage. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the track spring assembly
A bracket coupled to the idler and supporting the track spring to press the track spring by an external force applied to the idler; And
Further comprising a shaft connecting the bracket and the cylinder. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lubricant is a grease.

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