초록 ▼

A chain to be used on vehicle wheels is provided to improve the tire grip in rugged ground and protect the tire against ground roughness. The chain is formed of special links. Each link has a U-shaped profile with a crossbar and lateral pillars. Top inner portion of each of the lateral pillars have

A chain to be used on vehicle wheels is provided to improve the tire grip in rugged ground and protect the tire against ground roughness. The chain is formed of special links. Each link has a U-shaped profile with a crossbar and lateral pillars. Top inner portion of each of the lateral pillars have a projection facing the central axis of the link which provides a male plug and defines a gap that provides a female cavity between the crossbar and the projection. A link at a position of 0° has a U-shaped flat profile. A link at a position of 180° has an inverted flat U-shaped profile.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A chain to be used on a vehicle wheel to improve a tire grip in rugged ground, either due to microtopography and/or to the cohesion of aggregates that form a driving surface, additionally protecting a tire against roughness of the rugged ground, said chain being formed by a plurality of links (1)

1. A chain to be used on a vehicle wheel to improve a tire grip in rugged ground, either due to microtopography and/or to the cohesion of aggregates that form a driving surface, additionally protecting a tire against roughness of the rugged ground, said chain being formed by a plurality of links (1), CHARACTERIZED in that each of the plurality of links (1) has a profile with basic shape of a flat “U”, having a crossbar (2), a first lateral pillar (3) and a second lateral pillar (4); wherein the first lateral pillar (3) has a first upper inner portion with a first projection (5) facing towards a central axis of the link (1), as a first extension male plug, creating between the crossbar (2) and said first projection (5) a first gap (7) by way of a female cavity;wherein the second lateral pillar (4) has a second upper inner portion with a second projection (6) also oriented toward the central axis of the link (1), as a second male extension plug, creating between the crossbar (2) and said second projection (6) a second gap (8) by way of a female cavity, andwherein each of the plurality of links (1), takes two alternate positions;in a first alternate position the link takes a position at 0°, whose profile is a flat U-shaped link, and in a second alternate position the link takes a position at 180°, whose profile is an inverted U-shaped link. 2. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said links are manufactured from rubber. 3. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said links are manufactured from polymers. 4. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said first and second projections (5, 6) are formed by a rectangular cross-section protrusion and said first and second gaps (7, 8) have the shape of a rectangular cavity. 5. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that said first and second projections (5, 6) each have a convex curved edge. 6. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said first and second projections (5, 6) are formed by a dovetail-shaped protrusion and said first and second gaps (7, 8) have the shape of a cavity homologous to the dovetail shape of the first and second projections (5, 6). 7. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said first and second projections (5, 6) are formed by a trapezoidal cross-section protrusion and said first and second gaps (7, 8) have the shape of a trapezoidal cavity. 8. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 1 CHARACTERIZED in that between an upper face (9) and a lower face (10) of said links there is a plurality of fretworks (25). 9. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 8 CHARACTERIZED in that said fretworks (25) have a rectangular cross section. 10. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 8 CHARACTERIZED in that said fretworks (25) have a circle-shaped cross section. 11. The chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 8 CHARACTERIZED in that said fretworks (25) have an oblique rectangle-shaped cross-section. 12. A method for assembling the links of the chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the method comprises the following steps: (a) providing a single elongated profile, made from rubber, polymer or other elastomeric material having a basic flat “U” shape, which has the crossbar (2), the first lateral pillar (3) and the second lateral pillar (4), wherein above the upper inner portion, the first lateral pillar (3) has the first projection (5) facing towards the central axis of said “U”, creating between the crossbar (2) and said first projection (5) the first gap (7), wherein above the upper inner portion, the second lateral pillar (4) has the second projection (6) also oriented toward the central axis of said “U” creating between the crossbar (2) and the second projection (6) the second gap (8), and(b) cutting each link (1) according to a desired width. 13. A method for manufacturing the chain according to claim 12, CHARACTERIZED in that the desired width from said step (b) is a width of the vehicle wheel on which the chain will be used. 14. A method for assembling the links of the chain to be used on the vehicle wheel as described in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said method comprises the following steps: (a) placing a link in position at 0°, taking the shape of a flattened “U”;(b) placing the next link in a position at 180°, taking the shape of an inverted flat “U” next to the link of step (a);(c) introducing the first side pillar (3) of said link in a position at 180°, in-between the first and second side pillars (3, 4) of the link positioned at 0°;(d) introducing the first projection (5) of the link in position at 180° into the first gap (7) of the link positioned at 0°, leaving both links matched as in a female-male connection;(e) placing a new link in a position at 0°, taking the shape of a flat “U” next to the link placed on step (b);(f) introducing the second side pillar (4) of the link in a position at 0° of step (e), in-between the first and second side pillars (3, 4) of the link positioned at 180° of step (b);(g) introducing the second projection (6) of the link in position at 0° of step (e), into the second gap (8) of the link positioned at 180° of step (b), leaving the last two links, matched as in a female-male connection, and(h) repeating steps (a) to (g) several times, by adding links until achieving the desired length to wrap around the total contour of the tread of the wheel (14) of the vehicle. 15. The method for assembling the links of the chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED in that the method further comprises the steps of: (i) placing the fitted joined links on the ground in front of the wheel (14) of the vehicle on which the chain will be installed, and(j) driving forward the wheel of the vehicle until the wheel is placed on the chain (13), leaving the ends free (15, 16) so that the chain (13) can be wrapped around the wheel (14), and thus the end links (15, 16) can be assembled and linked. 16. A method for assembling the links of the chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 15, CHARACTERIZED in that the links that are positioned at 180°, take the shape of the inverted U-shaped link which provides a curvature comprising a concave curve that matches a convex curved surface of a tread of the vehicle wheel (14). 17. A method for assembling the links of the chain to be used on the vehicle wheel according to claim 15, CHARACTERIZED in that the links that are positioned at 0°, each take the shape of the flat U-shaped link and provide a curvature which is a concave curve and provide tips oriented towards the rugged ground helping the chain to insert itself into the rugged ground covered with snow and/or mud or gravel.