# US 10,479,426 B2 · Crawler

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- Number: US 10,479,426 B2
- Document ID: US10479426B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/769,457
- Filed: 2014-02-25
- Published: 2016-01-07
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-02-25
- Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation
- Applicants: Bridgestone Corporation
- Inventors: Shuichi Matsuo; Kiyoshi Ikehara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479426B2

## CPC

- B62D 55/244: {Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements}
- B62D 55/253: having elements interconnected by one or more cables or like elements
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)

## Abstract

A rubber crawler including: an endless belt shaped rubber belt; a main cord layer that is disposed within the rubber belt, that is configured by plural main cords extending along a crawler peripheral direction and arranged side-by-side in a crawler width direction, and that is formed with an overlapping portion where both end, sides in the crawler peripheral direction overlap one another in a crawler thickness direction; and a stretching and contracting portion that is formed at the overlapping portion of the main cords, and is capable of stretching and contracting more in the crawler peripheral direction than other portions of the main cords, wherein the stretching and contracting portion includes a curved portion where the main cords are curved with an amplitude in the crawler width direction as viewed along the crawler thickness direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A crawler comprising:
an endless belt-shaped elastic body;
a main cord layer that is disposed within the elastic body, that is configured by a plurality of main cords extending along an elastic body peripheral direction and arranged side-by-side in an elastic body width direction, and that is formed with an overlapping portion where both end sides of the main cord layer in the elastic body peripheral direction overlap one another in an elastic body thickness direction; and
a stretching and contracting portion that is formed at the overlapping portion of the main cords, and is capable of stretching and contracting more in the elastic body peripheral direction than other portions of the main cords, wherein:
the stretching and contracting portion includes a curved portion where the main cords are curved with an amplitude in the elastic body width direction as viewed along the elastic body thickness direction,
one end side of each main cord is superimposed on another end side of the main cord from an elastic body outer peripheral side,
stretching and contracting portions are formed on the one end side and the other end side of each main cord,
an amplitude and a wavelength of the stretching and contracting portions on the one end side are different from an amplitude and a wavelength of the stretching and contracting portions on the other end side, and
the stretching and contracting portions formed on the one end side stretch in the elastic body peripheral direction, and the stretching and contracting portions formed on the other end side contract in the elastic body peripheral direction when the overlapping portion of the main cords are entrained around a drive wheel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The crawler of claim 1, wherein:
the stretching and contracting portion includes a plurality of the curved portions; and
as viewed along the elastic body thickness direction, adjacent curved portions in the elastic body peripheral direction curve in mutually opposite directions to each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The crawler of claim 1, wherein, as viewed along the elastic body thickness direction, curved portions of stretching and contracting portions that are adjacent in the elastic body width direction curve in a same direction as each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The crawler of claim 3, wherein, as viewed along the elastic body thickness direction, adjacent curved portions in the elastic body peripheral direction are contiguous to each other.