Track Pad Assembly with Mesh Arrays for Shear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing track pad assemblies for continuous track vehicles wear out quickly due to heavy vehicle weight and operating conditions, leading to undesirable wear and potential shear separation.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle track pad assembly featuring a track plate with a plate body and a polymer pad attached to the tread surface, along with protruding attachment means such as mesh arrays or spines that increase the contact surface area between the track plate and the polymer pad.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If track pads are made thick to support vehicle weight on paved roads, then road damage is reduced, but the track pads wear out quickly and may shear off due to heavy vehicle weight and torsional stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The track plate is segmented with multiple protruding attachment means (mesh arrays, spines, or ribs) that divide the contact interface into multiple discrete attachment zones. This segmentation distributes the torsional and shear stresses across numerous separate attachment points rather than a single continuous interface, preventing stress concentration and reducing the likelihood of complete pad shear-off while maintaining thick pad construction for road protection.
2Reliability
If protruding attachment means are added to increase contact surface area, then pad shear separation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding attachment means serve multiple functions simultaneously: they increase the contact surface area between the polymer pad and track plate, provide stress distribution points to prevent shear separation, and create mechanical interlocking features. This multi-functionality achieves enhanced reliability without proportionally increasing complexity, as a single structural feature accomplishes multiple protective and attachment objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The track pad assembly utilizes composite construction with a polymer pad material bonded to a metal track plate featuring protruding attachment means. This composite structure combines the advantages of polymer (cushioning, road protection) with metal (strength, durability) and uses the protruding features to enhance the bond interface between the two dissimilar materials, achieving superior attachment strength through material combination rather than complex mechanical fastening systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A track pad assembly for a continuous track vehicle includes a track plate and a polymer pad. The track plate includes a plate body having a tread surface, and one or more mesh arrays attached to the tread surface of the plate body. The polymer pad is attached to the mesh array(s) and to interstitial areas of the tread surface defined by cells of the mesh array(s), e.g., by press bonding in conjunction with an adhesive. The polymer pad may be made of an elastomer such as hardened rubber.