Segmented Link Design for Earth Discharge in Tracked Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing track systems for tracked vehicles, such as hydraulic excavators, face difficulties in effectively discharging earth and sand that accumulate between links, leading to maintenance challenges and potential wear on vehicle components.
Innovation Solution
A link design featuring a rotating member with a hole portion for earth removal, formed by cutting out a side portion to divide the installation surface into multiple parts, allowing for effective discharge of earth and sand. Additionally, bolt hole portions facilitate easy mounting of the rotating member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If openings are provided in links to discharge earth and sand, then earth and sand can be discharged through the openings, but the height from the shoe plate mounting surface to the opening causes earth and sand and water to remain between the links
Solution Approach 1:
The installation surface of the link is divided into multiple segments by the hole portion that cuts out the side portion. This segmentation creates multiple discharge paths at different locations, allowing earth and sand to be effectively removed from various areas between the links and shoe plates, solving the problem of incomplete discharge caused by a single opening location.
Solution Approach 2:
The hole portion extracts material from the link body to create an opening that directly communicates with the space between the link and shoe plate. This extracted opening eliminates the height barrier that prevented effective discharge, allowing earth and sand to be directly removed from the accumulation area without being blocked by the distance to a remote opening.
2Reliability
If attachments such as rubber pads are attached to block the earth removal hole in the shoe plate, then the attachment can be protected, but earth and sand can only be discharged through the opening on the link side and may not be discharged effectively
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the installation surface into multiple parts through the hole portion, the invention creates multiple discharge pathways. Even when the shoe plate opening is blocked by an attachment like a rubber pad, the segmented structure ensures that earth and sand can still be discharged through the hole portion in the link, maintaining discharge effectiveness while allowing the attachment to remain protected.
3Ease of manufacture
If no openings are provided in the links, then the link structure is simpler and manufacturing is easier, but it becomes difficult to remove earth and sand, causing wear or damage to the lower traveling body or track detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The hole portion segments the link structure by cutting out the side portion to create discharge openings. This segmentation approach provides an effective earth and sand removal solution while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the hole portion can be formed during the link manufacturing process without requiring complex additional operations.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If a hole portion is formed by cutting out the side portion to divide the installation surface, then earth and sand can be effectively discharged, but the link structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hole portion creates a segmented structure in the link by cutting out the side portion. While this does increase structural complexity compared to a solid link, the segmentation is achieved through a straightforward cutting operation that divides the installation surface into manageable parts, providing effective earth and sand discharge with minimal additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Problems: Provided is a link capable of effectively discharging earth and sand and a track including the same. Solutions: A link is mounted on a shoe and used in a link device. The link has a hole portion for earth removal formed by cutting out a side portion facing the shoe so as to divide an installation surface to the shoe into a plurality of parts in a rotating direction of the shoe.