Endless track for traction of an off-road vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B62D-055/24
B62D-055/04
B62D-055/12
B62D-055/14
출원번호
US-0649312
(2012-10-11)
등록번호
US-9505451
(2016-11-29)
발명자
/ 주소
Zuchoski, Jeremie
Jean, Bernard
출원인 / 주소
Camso Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Fish & Richardson P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
36
초록▼
An endless track for traction of an off-road vehicle, such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile. The endless track comprises an inner side for facing track-contacting wheels around which it is mountable and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground. The ground-engaging outer si
An endless track for traction of an off-road vehicle, such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a snowmobile. The endless track comprises an inner side for facing track-contacting wheels around which it is mountable and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground. The ground-engaging outer side comprises a plurality of traction projections distributed along a longitudinal direction of the endless track. The traction projections may be designed to control rigidity characteristics, such as a longitudinal rigidity and a widthwise rigidity, of the endless track, while maintaining a weight of the endless track relatively low.
대표청구항▼
1. An endless track for traction of an off-road vehicle, the endless track being mountable around a plurality of track-contacting wheels which includes a drive wheel for driving the endless track, the endless track comprising elastomeric material allowing the endless track to flex around the track-c
1. An endless track for traction of an off-road vehicle, the endless track being mountable around a plurality of track-contacting wheels which includes a drive wheel for driving the endless track, the endless track comprising elastomeric material allowing the endless track to flex around the track-contacting wheels, the endless track comprising: an inner side for facing the track-contacting wheels; anda ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the ground-engaging outer side comprising a plurality of traction projections distributed along a longitudinal direction of the endless track, each traction projection of the plurality of traction projections comprising:a transversal protrusion extending transversally to the longitudinal direction of the endless track;a first enlarged protrusion larger in the longitudinal direction of the endless track than the transversal protrusion of the traction projection; anda second enlarged protrusion larger in the longitudinal direction of the endless track than the transversal protrusion of the traction projection, the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection being spaced apart in a widthwise direction of the endless track, the first enlarged protrusion of the traction projection being larger in the longitudinal direction of the endless track than the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection. 2. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection is elongated such that a longitudinal axis of the given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection extends transversally to a longitudinal axis of the traction projection. 3. The endless track claimed in claim 2, wherein the longitudinal axis of the given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the endless track. 4. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections which succeeds the first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track are aligned with one another in the widthwise direction of the endless track. 5. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the first enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections are aligned with one another in the widthwise direction of the endless track. 6. The endless track claimed in claim 5, wherein the second enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections are aligned with one another in the widthwise direction of the endless track. 7. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the first enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections overlap in the longitudinal direction of the endless track. 8. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the transversal protrusion of the traction projection comprises a first lateral portion between a first lateral edge of the endless track and the first enlarged protrusion of the traction projection, a central portion between the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection, and a second lateral portion between a second lateral edge of the endless track and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection. 9. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the transversal protrusion has a width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track, the first enlarged protrusion has a width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track, and a ratio of the width of the first enlarged protrusion over the width of the transversal protrusion is at least 2. 10. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction projection has a maximum width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track and a minimum width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track, and a ratio of the maximum width of the traction projection over the minimum width of the traction projection is at least 2. 11. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of (i) a width of the first enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track over (ii) a longitudinal spacing of the first one of the traction projections and a second one of the traction projections which succeeds the first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track is at least 0.8. 12. The endless track claimed in claim 11, wherein the ratio of (i) the width of the first enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections over (ii) the longitudinal spacing of the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections is at least 0.9. 13. The endless track claimed in claim 12, wherein the ratio of (i) the width of the first enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections over (ii) the longitudinal spacing of the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections is at least 1. 14. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of (i) a dimension of a longitudinal gap between a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections which succeeds the first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track over (ii) a dimension of a largest longitudinal gap between the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections is no more than 0.4. 15. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of (i) a dimension of a smallest longitudinal gap between a first one of the traction projections and a second one of the traction projections which succeed one another in the longitudinal direction of the endless track over (ii) a dimension of a largest longitudinal gap between the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections is no more than 0.4. 16. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging outer side comprises a plurality of traction-projection-free areas between respective ones of the traction projections which succeed one another in the longitudinal direction of the endless track, the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections imparting a deviation of a flex zone of the traction-projection-free area between the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections such that a centerline of the flex zone is not parallel to a widthwise direction of the endless track. 17. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a longitudinal gap between the first enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections which succeeds the first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track and a longitudinal gap between the second enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections are nonaligned in the longitudinal direction of the endless track such that there is a longitudinal offset between a center of the longitudinal gap between the first enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the second enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections and a center of the longitudinal gap between the second enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections. 18. The endless track claimed in claim 17, wherein a ratio of (i) the longitudinal offset between the center of the longitudinal gap between the first enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the second enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections and the center of the longitudinal gap between the second enlarged protrusion of the first one of the traction projections and the first enlarged protrusion of the second one of the traction projections over (ii) a dimension of a largest longitudinal gap between the first one of the traction projections and the second one of the traction projections is at least 0.1. 19. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of track-contacting wheels includes a plurality of roller wheels for rolling on the bottom run of the endless track along a rolling path of the inner side of the endless track, and a given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection is aligned with the rolling path in a widthwise direction of the endless track. 20. The endless track claimed in claim 19, wherein the given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection has a width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track, a given one of the roller wheels positioned to roll along the rolling path has a diameter, and a ratio of the width of the given one of the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection over the diameter of the given one of the roller wheels is at least 0.3. 21. The endless track claimed in claim 19, wherein a ratio of (i) a dimension of a longitudinal gap between the first enlarged protrusion of a first one of the traction projections and the second enlarged protrusion of a second one of the traction projections which succeeds the first one of the traction projections in the longitudinal direction of the endless track over (ii) a diameter of a given one of the roller wheels positioned to roll along the rolling path is no more than 0.15. 22. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of track-contacting wheels includes a first plurality of roller wheels for rolling on the bottom run of the endless track along a first rolling path of the inner side of the endless track and a second plurality of roller wheels for rolling on the bottom run of the endless track along a second rolling path of the inner side of the endless track, the first rolling path and the second rolling path being spaced apart in the widthwise direction of the endless track, the first enlarged protrusion of the traction projection being aligned with the first rolling path in the widthwise direction of the endless track and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection being aligned with the second rolling path in the widthwise direction of the endless track. 23. The endless track claimed in claim 22, wherein the first enlarged protrusion and the second enlarged protrusion of the traction projection are offset in the widthwise direction of the endless track towards a lateral edge of the endless track. 24. The endless track claimed in claim 23, wherein the lateral edge of the endless track is an inboard lateral edge of the endless track. 25. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the traction projection tapers in a thickness direction of the endless track. 26. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the traction projection has a width in the longitudinal direction of the endless track and a minimal dimension in the longitudinal direction of the endless track that is less than the width of the cross-section of the traction projection. 27. The endless track claimed in claim 26, wherein a ratio of the width of the cross-section of the traction projection over the minimal dimension of the cross-section of the traction projection in the longitudinal direction of the endless track is at least 4. 28. The endless track claimed in claim 26, wherein the cross-section of the traction projection has a height, and a ratio of the height of the cross-section of the traction projection over the minimal dimension of the cross-section of the traction projection in the longitudinal direction of the endless track is at least 6. 29. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of (i) a bending stiffness of the traction projection in a widthwise direction of the endless track over (ii) a cross-sectional weight per unit length of the traction projection at a cross-section of the traction projection is at least 5000 in3. 30. The endless track claimed in claim 29, wherein the ratio of (i) the bending stiffness of the traction projection in the widthwise direction of the endless track over (ii) the cross-sectional weight per unit length of the traction projection at the cross-section of the traction projection is at least 5200 in3. 31. The endless track claimed in claim 30, wherein the ratio of (i) the bending stiffness of the traction projection in the widthwise direction of the endless track over (ii) the cross-sectional weight per unit length of the traction projection at the cross-section of the traction projection is at least 5400 in3. 32. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the transversal protrusion of the traction projection is generally straight. 33. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction projection extends across at least a majority of a width of the endless track. 34. The endless track claimed in claim 33, wherein the traction projection extends across substantially an entirety of the width of the endless track. 35. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the endless track is free of transversal stiffening rods extending transversally to the longitudinal direction of the endless track. 36. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction projection comprises a recess extending from an outer end of the traction projection. 37. The endless track claimed in claim 36, wherein the recess of a first one of the traction projections is located such that a second one of the traction projections has no recess aligned with the recess of the first one of the traction projections in the widthwise direction of the endless track. 38. The endless track claimed in claim 36, wherein a ratio of a depth of the recess of the traction projection over an overall height of the traction projection is at least 0.15. 39. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the traction projection engages snow, an outer end portion of the transversal protrusion flexes relative to a base portion of the transversal protrusion. 40. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of track-contacting wheels includes a plurality of roller wheels for rolling on the bottom run of the endless track along a rolling path of the inner side of the endless track, and a rigidity of the bottom run of the endless track in the longitudinal direction of the endless track tending to prevent the bottom run of the endless track from flexing inwardly in a gap between adjacent ones of the roller wheels. 41. The endless track claimed in claim 1, wherein the endless track is a snowmobile track or an ATV track.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (36)
Cartwright Richard D. (Washington County OR), Crawler-track attachment for an all-terrain vehicle.
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