Elastomer Spring Body for Crawler Chassis Tensioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crawler undercarriages in construction machines face challenges in achieving high tensioning and damping performance while minimizing size, especially under sudden loads during slow working and high transport speeds, with existing solutions being inefficient in space utilization and noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
The use of an extremely powerful elastomer spring body as a clamping device, designed with a cylindrical shape and high-strength natural or synthetic rubber, offering a flat damping curve and significant deformation stroke, which is installed axially to bulge outwards and connected in series or parallel for enhanced performance, along with a stable linear guide system to minimize tilting moments and optimize space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If traditional mechanical springs (spiral or coil springs) are used as tensioning means, then high tensioning force can be achieved, but the device occupies large space and has complex structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical springs (spiral or coil springs) with an elastomeric body that utilizes elastic deformation of elastomeric material to provide tensioning force. This substitution reduces the space required while maintaining the necessary tensioning capability through the elastomeric material's inherent elasticity and compressibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid metal springs to flexible elastomeric material, allowing the tensioning device to achieve the required force with significantly reduced volume. The elastomeric body's ability to undergo large elastic deformations enables compact design while maintaining high tensioning force capability.
2Reliability
If traditional mechanical springs are used, then tensioning function is provided, but damping performance is insufficient and noise transmission is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting elastomeric materials with specific viscoelastic properties that provide both tensioning force and damping capability. The material's loss modulus and damping characteristics are optimized to reduce vibrations and noise while maintaining reliability under varying load conditions and temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs elastomeric materials that combine elastic and viscous properties, creating a composite behavior that simultaneously provides tensioning force and damping performance. This composite material approach allows the single elastomeric body to fulfill multiple functions that traditionally required separate mechanical components.
3Volume of moving object
If elastomeric spring elements are used to reduce size, then space is saved, but pretensioning forces and block loads are too low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the elastomeric material parameters including selecting materials with high modulus of elasticity and appropriate hardness (Shore A 60-90), and designing the elastomeric body with optimized geometry (cylindrical or conical shapes with specific height-to-diameter ratios) to maximize force output while maintaining compact size. The material composition and curing characteristics are also optimized to achieve high pretensioning forces.
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 configuration provides improved structural and load-oriented performance, efficient damping, and reduced noise transmission, allowing for high power density and uniform damping independent of deformation stroke, while saving space and maintaining low noise levels.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one elastomeric spring body as a clamping device of the clamping device results in a significant structural and load-oriented improvement
Implementation Method 2
The material of the sleeve is rubber or a suitable elastomeric material which, thanks to high preload, offers a high and progressively increasing resistance to deformation
Implementation Method 3
with a desirable flat damping curve, i.e. relatively uniform damping independent of the deformation stroke
Implementation Method 4
The shaped body can also be used for crawler chain bandages and is constructed in such a way that hard-elastic bodies of small dimensions of metallic or metal-like or stone-like properties are statistically distributed by chemical binders or also precisely positioned in a rubber-elastic functional layer
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
In a crawler chassis (R) with a frame (1) having a guide wheel linear guide (L1), in which at least one guide element (4) supporting the guide wheel axle (3) is displaceable, which can be acted upon in the guide direction (F) by a clamping means (20) of a clamping device (V) supported in the frame (1), at least one mechanically guided and centered elastomer spring body (25) made of an elastomer material which is largely incompressible as a spring is provided as clamping means (20).