Engagement Chain Buckling Strength via Surface Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional engagement chains suffer from reduced buckling strength due to spaces between buckling limiting flat surfaces, which affects rigidity and stability, especially in suspended or cantilever forms, and results in increased working load and potential drive noise.

Innovation Solution

The engagement chain design features inner and outer tooth plates with buckling limiting flat surfaces that come into surface contact when engaged, suppressing relative shifts and compression forces, and uses a half-pitch shifted configuration to maintain chain engagement position without spaces, enhancing rigidity and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If spaces are formed between buckling limiting flat surfaces in conventional engagement chains, then engagement operations between tooth plates are facilitated, but buckling strength and rigidity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengagement operationVSAvoidbuckling strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the buckling limiting flat surfaces by providing protrusions that extend from these surfaces. This modification allows the surfaces to contact each other when engaged, eliminating spaces while maintaining engagement operability through the designed protrusion geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusions act as intermediary elements between the buckling limiting flat surfaces of opposing chains. These protrusions facilitate surface-to-surface contact when chains are engaged, transmitting forces and maintaining rigidity without preventing engagement operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If spaces are formed between buckling limiting flat surfaces, then chain flexibility is improved, but relative shift and compression forces occur reducing stability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechain stabilityVSAvoidchain configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the geometric parameters by adding protrusions to the buckling limiting flat surfaces. This change eliminates spaces between engaged chains, preventing relative shifts and compression forces while maintaining a relatively simple chain configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If buckling limiting flat surfaces are modified to eliminate spaces, then buckling strength is improved, but working load on molding increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebuckling strengthVSAvoidmolding load

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by providing protrusions only at specific locations on the buckling limiting flat surfaces rather than modifying the entire chain structure. This localized modification improves buckling strength while minimizing the additional working load on molding operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8328670B2Engagement chain

Publication Date: 2012.12.11 TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO

AI summary

An engagement chain in which a buckling strength of a pair of engagement chains engaged with each other is improved without blocking engagement operations between inner tooth plates and between outer tooth plate. The chain includes inner tooth plates, bushes, outer tooth plates and connecting pins. Buckling limiting flat surfaces of adjoining plates are brought into surface contact with each other when opposing segments of the chain are integrated together by driving sockets.