Elastic Crawler with Nested Concavities for Bending Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elastic crawlers face challenges in suppressing bending rigidity while maintaining durability, leading to inefficiencies in power consumption and fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The elastic crawler design incorporates an endless belt-like main body with embedded cores and lugs featuring outer and inner circumferential concavities, where the inner concavity is wider and deeper than the outer one, and a tension member positioned equidistant from the bottom of both concavities, to reduce bending resistance and enhance durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If outer circumferential concavity is formed on lugs to suppress bending rigidity, then flexibility and fuel efficiency are improved, but durability of the lug is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by forming an inner circumferential concavity within the main body at a position overlapping the outer circumferential concavity of the lugs in the thickness direction. This nested concavity structure further suppresses bending rigidity while the outer circumferential concavity maintains lug durability through proper geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of analysis by considering concavities in both the outer circumferential direction and the inner circumferential direction (thickness direction). This multi-dimensional approach allows simultaneous optimization of bending rigidity suppression and durability maintenance through coordinated design of both concavities.
2Strength
If lugs are designed with high rigidity, then structural strength is improved, but vibration occurrence increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating localized concavities at specific positions on the lugs and main body. The outer circumferential concavity is positioned at the lug's outer surface while the inner circumferential concavity is positioned at the corresponding inner surface, creating localized flexibility zones that reduce vibration while maintaining overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the lugs by introducing concavities with specific depth and circumferential width ratios. The inner circumferential concavity has a larger circumferential width and depth than the outer circumferential concavity, creating optimized parameter relationships that balance rigidity and vibration suppression.
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
This design effectively suppresses bending rigidity and improves durability, resulting in reduced power loss and enhanced fuel efficiency during operation.
Implementation Method 1
an endless belt-like main body (2) having elasticity
Data Source
AI summary
The elastic crawler (1) according to this disclosure comprises: an endless belt-like main body (2) having elasticity; a plurality of cores (3) embedded in a circumferential direction of the main body (2); a plurality of lugs (5) each being arranged in a manner protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the main body (2) and extending between the plurality of cores (3) adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body (2); and an inner circumferential concavity (G1) formed at a position on an inner circumferential surface of the main body (2) overlapping, in a thickness direction of the main body (2), an outer circumferential concavity (G2) of each of the lugs (5). The elastic crawler device comprises: the elastic crawler (1); and a drive wheel, an idle wheel and a rolling wheel.