Chain and chain transmission device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10871209-B2
Application number	US-201815879811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a chain and a chain transmission device capable of reducing sliding resistance of the chain to a guide lip portion and stably maintaining an oil film between the guide lip portion and an outer plate. Provided is a chain 20 wherein a plurality of link plates 40 and 60 include outer plates 60, each of the outer plates 60 has a pair of front and rear pin holes 61 into which connecting pins 50 are inserted, a guide-side end surface 62 that faces a traveling guide surface 81a side of a chain guide 80, and a contact convex portion 63 that protrudes from an outer surface of the outer plate 60, and the contact convex portion 63 is formed in an area between the pin holes 61 and the guide-side end surface 62 in a plate height direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chain comprising:
a plurality of link plates; and
connecting pins that pivotally connect the plurality of link plates,
wherein the plurality of link plates include outer plates disposed on both outer sides in a chain width direction,
wherein each of the outer plates has a pair of front and rear pin holes into which the connecting pins are inserted, a guide-side end surface that faces a traveling guide surface side of a chain guide, and a contact convex portion that protrudes from an outer surface of the outer plate,
wherein the contact convex portion is formed in an area between the pin holes and the guide-side end surface in a plate height direction, and
wherein the contact convex portion is formed into a belt-like shape that extends along a chain longitudinal direction of the chain.

2. The chain according to claim 1 , wherein an apex of the contact convex portion is formed into a curved shape.

3. The chain according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one end of the contact convex portion in the chain longitudinal direction is formed into a curved shape so as to approach the outer surface of the outer plate, toward a tip side of the contact convex portion in the chain longitudinal direction.

4. The chain according to claim 1 , wherein a concave portion is formed in an inner surface of the outer plate at a position corresponding to a position of the contact convex portion in the outer surface of the outer plate.

5. The chain according to claim 1 , wherein the contact convex portion is formed so as to be arranged in the plate height direction.

6. A chain transmission device comprising:
the chain according to claim 1 ; and
a chain guide that slidably guides the chain, wherein
the chain guide has a traveling guide surface that slidably guides the chain and a guide lip portion that protrudes upward at least at one end of the traveling guide surface in a guide width direction, and
the contact convex portion is formed at a height position such that the contact convex portion comes into contact with an inner surface of the guide lip portion when the chain is displaced to one side in the chain width direction.

Assignees

• Tsubakimoto Chain Co

Inventors

• Konno Masahiko

Classifications

• F16G15/12 Primary

  Chain links · CPC title

• F16G13/02

  Driving-chains (specially adapted to gearings with variable gear-ratio F16H9/00) · CPC title

• F16H7/08

  Means for varying tension of belts, ropes or chains  (pulleys of adjustable construction F16H55/52) · CPC title

• F16H7/18 Primary

  Means for guiding or supporting belts, ropes, or chains (construction of pulleys F16H55/36) · CPC title

• F16H2007/026

  with belts running in a mist of oil · CPC title