Crawler traveling device and elastic crawler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545964-B2
Application number	US-201214009375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2012
Priority date	Apr 5, 2011
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A crawler traveling device includes a sprocket and a rubber crawler. The sprocket is provided with a wheel portion that is mounted to a driving axle and tooth portions. The tooth portions are provided at side portions of the wheel portion, spaced apart in a sprocket circumferential direction. The rubber crawler is provided with a rubber body that is wrapped round the sprocket, a wheel portion support face that is provided at an inner periphery portion of the rubber body, and engaging recess portions. The engaging recess portions are provided, spaced apart in a crawler peripheral direction, at each of two crawler width direction side portions of the inner periphery portion to sandwich the wheel portion support face. The engaging recess portions are recessed toward the crawler outer side and the tooth portions can be inserted into and engaged with the engaging recess portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crawler traveling device comprising:
a driving wheel comprising:
a wheel portion mounted to a driving axle, and
tooth portions that are provided, spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the wheel portion, at side portions of the wheel portion, the tooth portions protruding in a radial direction from an outer periphery face of the wheel portion; and

an elastic crawler comprising:
an elastic body in an endless shape that is wrapped round the driving wheel,
a wheel portion support face that is provided at an inner periphery portion of the elastic body and supports the outer periphery face of the wheel portion, and
engaging recess portions that are provided, spaced apart in the circumferential direction, at both width direction sides of the inner periphery portion to sandwich the wheel portion support face, and that are recessed toward the outer periphery side with respect to the wheel portion support face, the tooth portions being inserted into and engaged with the engaging recess portions.

2. The crawler traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein tooth portion support faces that support the tooth portions are formed at the engaging recess portions.

3. The crawler traveling device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the tooth portion support faces are formed at width direction side walls structuring the engaging recess portions, and
supported faces to be supported at the tooth portion support faces formed at the side walls are formed at the tooth portions.

4. An elastic crawler comprising:
an elastic body in an endless shape adapted to be wrapped round a driving wheel;
cores that are embedded in the elastic body, spaced apart in an elastic body peripheral direction, and that extend in an elastic body width direction, a pair of protrusions that protrude to an elastic body inner side being formed at each core at both elastic body width direction sides sandwiching an elastic body width direction central portion of the core;
wheel portion support faces that are formed between the central portions of the cores that are mutually adjacent in the elastic body peripheral direction of the elastic body, the wheel portion support faces being disposed at the elastic body inner side relative to the central portions and supporting the driving wheel; and
engaging recess portions that are formed at both elastic body width direction sides, sandwiching the wheel portion support faces of the elastic body, between the protrusions of the cores that are mutually adjacent in the elastic body peripheral direction, the engaging recess portions being recessed toward the elastic body outer side with respect to the wheel portion support face, and disposed so as to receive tooth portions that are provided at an outer periphery of the driving wheel.

Assignees

• Shimozono Nobuo
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Shimozono Nobuo

Classifications

• B62D55/12 Primary

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

• B62D55/24 Primary

  of continuously flexible type, e.g. rubber belts · CPC title

• B62D55/135

  with dismountable driving crown · CPC title

• B62D55/244

  Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements · CPC title