Crawler vehicle drive system and crawler vehicle comprising such a drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144462-B2
Application number	US-201515123127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A crawler vehicle drive system, in particular for a crawler vehicle configured to groom ski slopes, having: a drive wheel rotating about a first rotation axis; an idle wheel rotating about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis); and a track looped around the drive wheel and the idle wheel, and comprising a plurality of belts made of an elastomeric material and a plurality of metal grousers fixed to the belt; wherein at least one belt has at least one continuous toothed strip extending along the inner face of the belt and configured to mesh with the drive wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crawler vehicle drive system comprising:
a drive wheel configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;
an idle wheel configured to rotate about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis; and
a track looped around the drive wheel and the idle wheel, said track including:
a first belt made of an elastomeric material and having:
at least one continuous toothed strip extending along an inner face of the first belt and configured to mesh with the drive wheel, and
at least one continuous smooth strip located along the inner face of the first belt and configured to contact the drive wheel and the idle wheel,

a plurality of second belts located on opposite sides of first belt, each of the second belts being made of the elastomeric material, and
a plurality of metal grousers fixed to the first belt and the plurality of second belts by a plurality of plates, wherein none of the metal grousers contact the drive wheel or the idle wheel, each of the plates is attached to one of the metal grousers to sandwich part of the first belt or part of one of the second belts between said plate and said metal grouser, and for each of the plates, said plate is attached to one of the metal grousers at a location spaced away from the drive wheel and the idle wheel such that none of the plates contact the drive wheel or the idle wheel.

2. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first belt defines a plurality of equally spaced teeth along the at least one continuous toothed strip, and
the drive wheel defines a plurality of openings each configured to receive a respective tooth of the first belt.

3. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 2 , wherein the drive wheel includes:
two tubular members spaced apart along the first rotation axis and located on opposite sides of the at least one continuous toothed strip, and
a plurality of bars parallel to the first rotation axis and configured to connect the tubular members to define said openings.

4. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 1 , wherein the idle wheel includes two tubular members spaced along the second rotation axis and configured to make contact with the first belt along two respective continuous smooth strips located on opposite sides of the continuous toothed strip.

5. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 1 , which includes at least one supporting device positioned in contact with the first belt along the at least one continuous smooth strip and configured to discharge part of a mass of a crawler vehicle to a ground via the track.

6. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 5 , wherein the supporting device includes:
a plurality of rollers, and
a structure configured to support the plurality of rollers and push the rollers against said first belt.

7. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 6 , wherein the rollers are arranged in two parallel rows, and each roller has a third rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis such that each row of rollers is configured to make contact with the first belt along a respective one of the at least one continuous smooth strip.

8. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 6 , wherein the structure includes an articulated mechanism configured to adjust a position of the rollers with respect to the drive wheel.

9. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 8 , wherein the articulated mechanism includes at least one actuator configured to adjust the position of the rollers with respect to the drive wheel.

10. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 9 , wherein the actuator includes a hydraulic actuator.

11. The crawler vehicle drive system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plates is bolted onto one of the metal grousers.

12. A crawler vehicle comprising:
at least two drive systems, each drive system including:
a drive wheel configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;
an idle wheel configured to rotate about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis; and
a track looped around the drive wheel and the idle wheel, said track including:
a first belt made of an elastomeric material and having:
at least one continuous toothed strip extending along an inner face of the first belt and configured to mesh with the drive wheel, and
at least one continuous smooth strip located along the inner face of the first belt and configured to contact the drive wheel and the idle wheel,

a plurality of second belts located on opposite sides of first belt, each of the second belts being made of the elastomeric material, and
a plurality of metal grousers fixed to the first belt and the plurality of second belts by a plurality of plates, wherein none of the metal grousers contact the drive wheel or the idle wheel, each of the plates is attached to one of the metal grousers to sandwich part of the first belt or part of one of the second belts between said plate and said metal grouser, and for each of the plates, said plate is attached to one of the metal grousers at a location spaced away from the drive wheel and the idle wheel such that none of the plates contact the drive wheel or the idle wheel.

13. The crawler vehicle of claim 12 , which is configured to groom ski slopes.

14. The crawler vehicle of claim 12 , wherein for each drive system:
the first belt defines a plurality of equally spaced teeth along the at least one continuous toothed strip, and
the drive wheel defines a plurality of openings each configured to receive a respective tooth of the first belt.

15. The crawler vehicle of claim 14 , wherein for each drive system, the drive wheel includes:
two tubular members spaced apart along the first rotation axis and located on opposite sides of the at least one continuous toothed strip, and
a plurality of bars parallel to the first rotation axis and configured to connect the tubular members to define said openings.

16. The crawler vehicle of claim 12 , wherein for each drive system, the idle wheel includes two tubular members spaced along the second rotation axis and configured to make contact with the first belt along two respective continuous smooth strips located on opposite sides of the continuous toothed strip.

17. The crawler vehicle of claim 12 , wherein each drive system includes at least one supporting device positioned in contact with the first belt along the at least one continuous smooth strip and configured to discharge part of a mass of a crawler vehicle to a ground via the track.

18. The crawler vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the supporting device includes:
a plurality of rollers, and
a structure configured to support the plurality of rollers and push the rollers against said first belt.

19. The crawler vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the rollers are arranged in two parallel rows, and each roller has a third rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis such that each row of rollers is configured to make contact with the first belt along a respective one of the at least one continuous smooth strip.

20. The crawler vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the structure includes an articulated mechanism configured to adjust a position of the rollers with respect to the drive wheel.

21. The crawler vehicle of claim 20 , wherein the articulated mechanism includes at least one actuator configured to adjust the position of the rollers with respect to the drive wheel.

22. The crawler vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the actuator includes a hydraulic actuator.

23. The c

Assignees

• Prinoth Spa

Inventors

• Kirchmair Martin
• Maurer Gregor
• Runggaldier Martin

Classifications

• B60Y2200/25

  Track vehicles · CPC title

• B62D55/26

  Ground engaging parts or elements {(tracks specially adapted for amphibious vehicles B60F3/0015)} · CPC title

• B62D55/305

  acting on pivotably mounted idlers · CPC title

• B62D55/12

  Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets · CPC title

• B62D55/112

  with fluid springs, e.g. hydraulic pneumatic · CPC title