Chain Inner Plate Height Configuration Reduces Pin Warping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increase in bushing diameter to enhance chain strength leads to reduced plate strength around bushing holes, necessitating thicker inner plates, which increases weight and susceptibility to pin warping and local wear, especially under tension.
Innovation Solution
The inner plate height is set larger than the chain pitch, allowing for reduced thickness and weight while maintaining strength, with a balanced width distribution to prevent warping and wear, and the outer plate height is kept within the chain pitch to ensure compact folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bushing diameter is increased to enhance chain strength, then the chain strength is improved, but the plate strength around bushing holes is reduced and the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the plate height requirements for inner plates versus outer plates. Inner plates have a height greater than the chain pitch to compensate for the weakened area around larger bushing holes, while outer plates maintain a height not greater than the chain pitch. This localized differentiation allows the chain to achieve overall strength enhancement without uniformly increasing weight across all components.
2Strength
If the plate thickness is increased to maintain plate strength around larger bushing holes, then the plate strength is improved, but the chain weight increases and the connecting pins become more susceptible to warping
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements local quality by specifying that only inner plates require a height greater than the chain pitch to maintain sufficient material around enlarged bushing holes. Outer plates maintain conventional dimensions (height not greater than chain pitch), avoiding unnecessary weight increase. This localized approach to plate strengthening prevents the compounding effect of uniformly thickening all plates while still addressing the strength concern in critical areas.
3Ease of manufacture
If the connecting pin length is increased to accommodate thicker plates, then the pin can engage through the plates, but the pin becomes more susceptible to warping under chain tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating an asymmetric configuration where inner plates have greater height than outer plates. This allows connecting pins to engage through the thicker inner plates while maintaining optimal pin length, preventing excessive pin exposure that would increase warping susceptibility. The localized thickness variation in inner plates provides sufficient engagement depth without requiring uniformly longer pins across the entire chain assembly.
4Strength
If the inner plate height is increased to maintain plate strength, then the plate strength is improved, but the chain cannot be compactly folded for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves this contradiction by applying local quality differentially: inner plates have height greater than the chain pitch to maintain strength, while outer plates have height not greater than the chain pitch to enable compact folding. This asymmetric configuration allows the chain to be strengthened where needed (inner plates) while maintaining compact storability through the outer plates' conventional dimensions, effectively decoupling the strength requirement from the folding requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a chain that reduces warping of connecting pins and prevents local wear in the bushings and connecting pins without causing an increase in the chain weight. Provided is a chain 10 including a plurality of inner links 20 formed by inner plates 30 and bushings 40, and a plurality of outer links 50 formed by outer plates 60 and connecting pins 70, wherein the plate height of each of the inner plates 30 as measured along an imaginary line L1 passing through the center of a bushing hole 31 and extending in a chain height direction is larger than a chain pitch P.