Rubber Crawler Metal Link Overlap Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rubber crawlers with metal links guided by toothed wheels are prone to detracking when encountering local elevations, leading to deformation and damage due to insufficient overlap of running surface elements.
Innovation Solution
Embedding the base of metal links in a first rubber composition and connecting adjacent protrusions with a second, more elastic rubber composition to maintain the overlap and prevent detracking by redirecting protrusions to their original position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the metal links are embedded in rubber with standard elasticity, then the rubber belt provides sufficient cushioning and comfort, but the overlap between adjacent running surface elements becomes insufficient when encountering local elevations, causing detracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different rubber compositions to different regions: a first rubber composition with lower elasticity for general cushioning and a second rubber composition with higher elasticity specifically at the overlap regions between adjacent metal links. This local differentiation ensures that the overlap stability is enhanced precisely where needed to prevent detracking, while maintaining overall cushioning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite rubber structure combining two different rubber compositions. The first rubber composition provides baseline cushioning properties, while the second rubber composition with higher elasticity is integrated at critical overlap zones to maintain the structural integrity and overlap stability of running surface elements when encountering elevations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rubber belt encounters local elevations such as stones or steps, then the running surface elements move apart reducing overlap, but this causes the first running surfaces to break out their mutual anchored configuration leading to detracking and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The second rubber composition is specifically positioned at the overlap regions between adjacent metal links to provide enhanced elasticity precisely where the mutual anchoring occurs. This local reinforcement ensures that when the rubber belt encounters terrain variations causing running surface elements to move apart, the enhanced elasticity at the overlap zones maintains the anchoring stability and prevents detracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The higher elasticity rubber composition is pre-installed at the overlap regions to provide a cushioning effect before detracking can occur. When the rubber belt encounters local elevations, this pre-positioned elastic material absorbs the stress and maintains the overlap between running surface elements, preventing the breakdown of mutual anchoring configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces the risk of detracking, enhances operational reliability, and allows the rubber belt to operate on a broader range of soils with reduced wear and damage.
Implementation Method 1
a second rubber composition which has a higher elasticity than the first rubber composition and which is connected with the first rubber composition forming a continuous layer of rubber
Data Source
AI summary
A rubber crawler (1) has a plurality of parallel metal links (11) embedded at regular distances from each other in circumferential direction of a rubber belt (22) and extending in the lateral direction of the rubber belt (22), each metal link (11) including a first (3) and second (13) protrusion at opposing sides (6, 16) of a sprocket (15) provided with an upper surface (7, 17) for guiding supporting rollers, extending in a height direction of the metal link (11) with respect to a base (5), each protrusion (3, 13) including a first (4) and a second (14) running surface element which extends in the longitudinal direction of the crawler (1), in which the second running surface element (14) is positioned shifted in longitudinal and the lateral direction of the belt (22) with respect to the first running surface element (4), in which the first (4) and the second (14) running surface of adjacent metal links (11) are positioned at least partially adjacent with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction, wherein the base (5) of the metal links (11) is at least partially embedded into a first rubber composition (20) and wherein the first (3) and second (13) protrusions of adjacent metal links (11) are at least partially embedded in and connected to each other by a second rubber composition (21) which has a higher elasticity than the first rubber composition (20) and which is connected with the first rubber composition (20) forming a continuous layer of rubber.