Crawler device and crawler robot

• US 9,205,885 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Independent Administrative Institution, Japan Agency For Marine-Earth Science And Technology, Topy Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Independent Administrative Institution, Japan Agency For Marine-Earth Science And Technology, Topy Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inoue, Tomoya, Tsukui, Shingo, Fujimoto, Katsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/822,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20130199859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 305/107, 305/108, 305/109, 305/116, 305/136, 305/137, 305/157, 180/9.1, 180/9.32, 226/83
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 7/24 characterised by means for securing tyres on rim or wheel body
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0015 comprising tracks specially adapted therefor articulated tracks for vehicles, in general B62D55/20
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/00 Endless track vehicles steering aspects B62D11/00; characterised by the driver not being seated B62D51/007
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/04 with tracks and alternative ground wheels, e.g. changeable from endless track vehicle into wheeled vehicle and vice versa for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/084 Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units B62D55/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/088 with means to exclude or remove foreign matter, e.g. sealing means, self-cleaning track links or sprockets, deflector plates or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/12 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/205 Connections between track links
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/24 of continuously flexible type, e.g. rubber belts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A crawler device includes a wheel support, wheels respectively rotatably supported thereto, and a crawler belt run around the wheels. Each of the wheels includes a rigid wheel body and an elastic material exterior part fixed to an outer periphery of the wheel body. Raised portions are formed in an outer periphery of the exterior part to continuously extend in a width direction and be arranged in a circumferential direction spaced from each other. Drain grooves extending through the exterior part in the width direction are formed between the raised portions. Top surfaces of the raised portions of the exterior part surface contact an inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt with a frictional force working therebetween. Restriction members stopping opposite side edges of the crawler belt are provided in the wheel support to restrict the crawler belt from being displaced with respect to the wheels in the width direction.

Claims

1. A crawler device comprising:

a wheel support extending in a front-rear direction;

wheels respectively rotatably supported at a front portion and a rear portion of the wheel support; and

a crawler belt made of an endless elastic material, the crawler belt run around the wheels at the front and rear portions of the wheel support;

wherein each of the wheels comprises a rigid wheel body and an exterior part made of an elastic material, the exterior part fixed to an outer periphery of the wheel body;

the exterior part comprises a base portion and raised portions, the base portion fixed to the outer periphery of the wheel body, the raised portions formed in an outer periphery of the base portion such that the raised portions continuously extend in a width direction and are arranged in a circumferential direction spaced from each other;

drain grooves extending through the exterior part in the width direction are formed between the raised portions;

top surfaces of the raised portions of the exterior part of the wheel having a surface-to-surface contact with an inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt with a frictional force working therebetween;

restriction projections are provided in opposite side edges of the crawler belt over an entire circumference of the crawler belt to restrict the crawler belt from being displaced with respect to the wheels in the width direction, the restriction projections protruded from the inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt, the restriction projections stopped by opposite side surfaces of the exterior part; and

,

a height of the restriction projections of the crawler belt protruded from an inner periphery of the crawler belt is smaller than a height of the raised portions of the exterior part protruded from the outer periphery of the base portion, causing the restriction projections to only partially cover openings at opposite ends of the drain grooves, thereby allowing the drain grooves to communicate with outside through opposite end openings thereof.

2. The crawler device according to claim 1, wherein the crawler belt comprises a base part made of elastic material and a friction layer formed in an entire inner periphery of the base part, the friction layer having a higher coefficient of friction than the base part, and the friction layer having the surface-to-surface contact with the top surfaces of the raised portions of the exterior part.

3. The crawler device according to claim 2, wherein the friction layer includes abrasive grains.

4. The crawler device according to claim 1, wherein the raised portions of the exterior part continuously extend over an entire width of the base portion of the exterior part.

5. A robot comprising a robot body and first and second crawler devices according to claim 1, wherein the first and second crawler devices are disposed to the left and right of the robot body respectively.