Tracked Vehicle Drive Sprocket Teeth With Dovetail Quick Replacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drive wheels for tracked vehicles experience significant wear, necessitating frequent maintenance, especially when exchange of drive sprocket members is required, which is cumbersome without access to a workstation.

Innovation Solution

A fastening arrangement for drive wheels featuring dovetail shaped recesses in the support member of the drive sprocket member, allowing for easy and efficient attachment and detachment of teeth, facilitating maintenance by enabling easy exchange and locking of teeth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If traditional fastening arrangements are used for drive wheel teeth, then the drive wheel can maintain structural integrity, but maintenance becomes cumbersome and time-consuming when teeth need to be exchanged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of tooth exchangeVSAvoidmaintenance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The drive sprocket member is segmented into a support member and separately attachable teeth. Each tooth can be independently removed and replaced by detaching from the support member, allowing maintenance without removing the entire drive wheel assembly. This segmentation enables quick tooth exchange by simply detaching and reattaching individual teeth to the support member's dovetail recesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The locking function is extracted into a separate dovetail shaped recess structure on the support member, which receives a locking portion of the tooth. This separate locking mechanism allows teeth to be quickly detached and reattached without complex fastening operations, significantly reducing maintenance time while maintaining secure attachment during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of repair

If drive wheels are designed for easy tooth exchange, then maintenance becomes simpler, but the locking mechanism must ensure sufficient strength to withstand operational loads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of tooth exchangeVSAvoidtooth attachment strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The dovetail shaped recess features an asymmetric geometry with tapered walls that are wider at the base and narrower at the opening. This asymmetric shape provides strong mechanical interlocking when the tooth is inserted, with the tapered walls preventing withdrawal while allowing easy insertion. The asymmetric geometry ensures sufficient attachment strength to withstand operational loads while maintaining ease of exchange.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The dovetail shaped recess incorporates curved or angled surfaces rather than straight vertical walls. The curved geometry of the dovetail shape distributes loads more effectively across the tooth-support member interface, enhancing the strength of the connection while maintaining the ability to easily insert and remove teeth through simple linear motion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP3980319B1Arrangement of a drive wheel for an endless track of a tracked vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 BAE SYSTEMS HAGGLUNDS AKTIEBOLAG
  • EP3980319B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3980319B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3980319B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a fastening arrangement of a drive wheel (DW) for an endless track (E) of a tracked vehicle (V) the drive wheel (DW) comprising a hub member (H) and a drive sprocket member (S1, S2). Said drive sprocket member comprises a set of teeth (10) arranged around the circumference of said drive sprocket member (S1, S2), said teeth (10) being configured to engage with said endless track (E). Said drive sprocket member (S1, S2) further comprises a support member (20) for teeth (10) of said drive sprocket member. Said teeth (10) are configured to be removably attached to said support member (20). Said fastening arrangement is configured for fastening one or more teeth (10) of the set of teeth (10) to the support member (20). Said fastening arrangement comprises a set of dovetail shaped recesses (22) of said support member (20). Each dovetail shaped recess (22) is configured to receive a locking portion (12) of one or more teeth (10) so as to provide a locking function for said one or more teeth (10). The present invention also relates a tracked vehicle.