Tilting Roller Suspension for Tracked Work Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tracked work vehicles face challenges in maintaining traction and reducing track wear when encountering uneven terrain with hard obstacles, as existing suspension systems struggle to find a balance between stiffness and kinematic compliance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of tilting supports connected by elastic or visco-elastic connections between roller and idler wheels, allowing for controlled motion and tension distribution, which helps in overcoming obstacles while minimizing wear by transferring motion between leading and trailing wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the suspension is made stiffer to provide proper support to the track on soft ground, then traction performance is improved, but the track undergoes excessive wear when encountering hard obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the roller supports movable rather than fixed. Each roller is mounted on a support that can tilt or pivot, allowing the roller to dynamically adjust its position and orientation in response to terrain variations. This dynamic capability enables the suspension to provide firm support on soft ground while allowing rollers to lift or tilt away from hard obstacles, reducing track wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the suspension system into multiple independent roller supports, each capable of individual movement. Rather than a single rigid suspension structure, each roller support can independently tilt or pivot, allowing localized adaptation to terrain features. This segmentation enables different parts of the track to respond differently to varying ground conditions, optimizing both traction and wear prevention.
2Reliability
If the rollers are made more mobile to retract from hard bodies on the ground, then track wear is reduced, but traction performance deteriorates on uniformly soft ground
Solution Approach 1:
The roller supports are designed with dynamic tilt or pivot capabilities that allow them to adapt their mobility based on terrain conditions. On soft ground, the rollers maintain a stable, constrained position providing firm support for traction. When encountering hard obstacles, the rollers can tilt or pivot to lift or retract from the obstacle surface, reducing wear while maintaining overall suspension effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the roller supports by allowing them to alter their position and orientation. The tilt angle or pivot position of each roller support can change based on the terrain, effectively adjusting the contact characteristics between the track and ground. This parameter change enables the system to optimize for either maximum support (on soft ground) or minimum wear (on hard obstacles).
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 solution enhances the vehicle's ability to navigate uneven terrain by reducing peak tensions in the track and maintaining effective traction, thereby extending the lifespan of the rubber track.
Implementation Method 1
with an elastic or visco-elastic connection to join first and second adjacent tilting supports one to the other such that, when a leading wheel moves down, a trailing wheel is pushed up, and vice-versa
Implementation Method 2
with an elastic or visco-elastic connection to join first and second adjacent tilting supports one to the other
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
A rubber track system (3) comprises a driving wheel (7), an undercarriage beam (14) hinged to a frame (2) of the vehicle, at least one idler wheel (9), at least a first and a second roller wheel (11, 12) attached to the undercarriage beam (14). The vehicle further comprises a first and a second tilting support (20, 21 ) to attach a relative roller wheel (11, 12) to the undercarriage beam (14) and an elastic or visco-elastic connection (23) to join first and second adjacent tilting supports (20, 21) one to the other such that, when a leading roller wheel (11) moves down, a trailing roller wheel (12) is pushed up, and vice-versa, via the elastic or visco-elastic connection (23).