Rubber crawler, method for making rubber crawler, lug for rubber crawler and vehicle provided with rubber crawler

Abstract

Rubber crawler, method for making rubber crawler, lug for rubber crawler and vehicle provided with rubber crawler A rubber crawler ( 1 ) for a tracked vehicle comprising an endless rubber belt body ( 5 ) which is provided to revolve around a first and second member which are spaced from each other, the rubber crawler ( 1 ) being subject to bending when revolving around the members and being provided at its outer peripheral face ( 49 ) with a plurality of lugs ( 2 ) which protrude from the belt body ( 5 ), at least one lug ( 2 ) comprising a tread surface ( 4 ) and at least one upright sidewall ( 3 ) extending from the tread surface ( 4 ) to the rubber belt body ( 5 ) along a first direction ( 8 ) which transverses the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ), the tread surface ( 4 ) of subsequent lugs ( 2 ) being provided to create a running surface ( 6 ) for the crawler ( 1 ), characterised in that the upright sidewall ( 3 ) comprises at least one groove ( 10, 20, 30 ) which extends along at least part of the upright sidewall ( 3 ) along a second direction ( 9 ) which transverses the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ) and in that the lug ( 2 ) is at least partly made of a material ( 40 ) which is deformable at the position of the groove ( 10, 20, 30 ) when subjected to the bending to facilitate removal of soil material contained in the groove ( 10, 20, 30 ).

1 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) for a tracked vehicle comprising an endless rubber belt body ( 5 ) which is provided to revolve around a first and second member which are spaced from each other, the rubber crawler ( 1 ) being subject to bending when revolving around the members and being provided at its outer peripheral face ( 49 ) with a plurality of lugs ( 2 ) which protrude from the belt body ( 5 ), at least one lug ( 2 ) comprising a tread surface ( 4 ) and at least one upright sidewall ( 3 ) extending from the tread surface ( 4 ) to the rubber belt body ( 5 ) along a first direction ( 8 ) which transverses the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ), the tread surface ( 4 ) of subsequent lugs ( 2 ) being provided to create a running surface ( 6 ) for the crawler ( 1 ), characterised in that the upright sidewall ( 3 ) comprises at least one groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) which extends along at least part of the upright sidewall ( 3 ) along a second direction ( 9 ) which transverses the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ) and in that the lug ( 2 ) is at least partly made of a material ( 40 ) which is deformable at the position of the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) when subjected to the bending to facilitate removal of soil material contained in the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ). 
     
     
         2 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , characterised in that the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) has a cross-section which widens from the interior of the lug ( 2 ) towards the exterior of the lug ( 2 ). 
     
     
         3 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first ( 8 ) and the second ( 9 ) direction run parallel. 
     
     
         4 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) has a cross-section comprising an arcuate part ( 12 ,  22 ,  32 ). 
     
     
         5 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 4 , characterised in that the cross-section comprises a linear part ( 14 ,  24 ,  34 ) extending from the tread surface ( 4 ) towards the belt body ( 5 ) and in that the arcuate part ( 12 ,  22 ,  32 ) is consecutive to the linear part ( 14 ,  24 ,  34 ). 
     
     
         6 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 5 , characterised in that the linear part ( 14 ,  24 ,  34 ) is a tangent to the arcuate part ( 12 ,  22 ,  32 ) at the intersection ( 17 ,  27 ,  37 ) of the linear part ( 14 ,  24 ,  34 ) with the arcuate part ( 12 ,  22 ,  32 ). 
     
     
         7 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upright sidewall ( 3 ) of the lug ( 2 ) faces the first member when moving from the first member to the second member in a revolving movement. 
     
     
         8 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upright sidewall ( 3 ) comprises at least a first ( 10 ) and a second ( 20 ) groove, the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) being shifted in height direction with respect to each other. 
     
     
         9 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to  claim 8 , characterised in that the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) are adjacent to each other, and are delimited from each other by a discontinuity ( 42 ) having at least one transversely extending edge ( 44 ) protruding from the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) towards an adjacent lug ( 2 ). 
     
     
         10 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to  claim 8  or  9 , characterised in that the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) have a height ( 11 ,  21 ) and the upright sidewall ( 3 ) has a height ( 41 ), the height ( 11 ,  21 ) of the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) being substantially equal and together spanning substantially the height ( 41 ) of the upright sidewall ( 3 ). 
     
     
         11 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 8 - 10  and  claim 4 , characterised in that the arcuate part ( 12 ,  22 ) of each of the grooves ( 10 ,  20 ) has a mean radius ( 13 ,  23 ) and in that the mean radius ( 13 ) of a groove ( 10 ) proximal to the tread surface ( 4 ) is smaller than the mean radius ( 23 ) of a groove ( 20 ) distal from the tread surface ( 4 ). 
     
     
         12 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lug ( 2 ) comprises a first ( 3 ) and a second ( 47 ) upright sidewall on opposing sides of the lug ( 2 ), each of the first ( 3 ) and second ( 47 ) upright sidewall comprising at least one groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  50 ). 
     
     
         13 . A rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the material ( 40 ) at the position of the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) for deforming the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) when subjected to the bending has a hardness of 30-80 durometer shore A. 
     
     
         14 . Method for making a rubber crawler ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, the rubber crawler ( 1 ) comprising an endless rubber belt body ( 5 ) which is provided to revolve around a first and second member which are spaced from each other, being subject to bending when revolving around the members and being provided at its outer peripheral face ( 49 ) with a plurality of lugs ( 2 ) which protrude from the belt body ( 5 ), at least one lug ( 2 ) comprising a tread surface ( 4 ) and at least one upright sidewall ( 48 ) extending from the tread surface ( 4 ) to the rubber belt body ( 5 ) along a first direction ( 8 ) which transverses the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ), the tread surface ( 4 ) of subsequent lugs ( 2 ) being provided to create a running surface ( 6 ) for the crawler ( 1 ), characterised in that at least one groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) is formed on the upright sidewall ( 48 ) of the lug ( 2 ) in material ( 40 ) so that the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) extends along a second direction ( 9 ) onto the upright sidewall ( 48 ), the second direction ( 9 ) transversing the length direction ( 7 ) of the rubber belt body ( 5 ), the material ( 40 ) deforming the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) when subjected to the bending to facilitate removal of soil material contained in the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ). 
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 14 , characterised in that the material ( 40 ) is superposed onto the upright sidewall ( 48 ) of the lug ( 2 ) to form the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ). 
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 14  or  15 ; characterised in that an upper part ( 15 ,  25 ,  35 ) of the groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) is substantially closest to the tread surface ( 4 ) of the lug ( 2 ) and forms an angle ( 16 ,  26 ,  36 ) of between 5°-30° with the upright sidewall ( 48 ). 
     
     
         17 . Method according to  claim 16 , characterised in that the angle ( 16 ,  26 ,  36 ) is 12°-18°. 
     
     
         18 . Method according to  claim 17 , characterised in that the angle ( 16 ,  26 ,  36 ) is 15°. 
     
     
         19 . Method according to any one of  claims 14 - 18 , characterised in that the material ( 40 ) is superposed onto the upright sidewall ( 48 ) of the lug ( 2 ) to form at least a first ( 10 ) and a second groove ( 20 ), a first upper part ( 15 ) of the first groove ( 10 ) being substantially closest to the tread surface ( 4 ) of the lug ( 2 ) and forming a first angle ( 16 ) with the upright sidewall ( 48 ), a second upper part ( 25 ) of the second groove ( 20 ) being substantially closest to the tread surface ( 4 ) of the lug ( 2 ) and forming a second angle ( 26 ) with the upright sidewall ( 48 ), the first ( 16 ) and the second ( 26 ) angle being substantially equal. 
     
     
         20 . A lug ( 2 ) provided with a groove ( 10 ,  20 ,  30 ) for a rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in any one of  claims 1 - 13 . 
     
     
         21 . A vehicle provided with a rubber crawler ( 1 ) as claimed in any one of  claims 1 - 13 .