# US 11,999,422 B2 · Track system for a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,422 B2 - Document ID: US11999422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/962,723 - Filed: 2019-01-15 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-16 - Assignees: Camso Inc. - Applicants: Camso Inc. - Inventors: Frederic Couture; David Gingras; Martin Tremblay - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999422B2 ## CPC - B62D 55/244: {Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements} - B62D 55/08: Endless track units; Parts thereof - B62D 55/125: Final drives - B62D 55/14: Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers - B62D 55/15: Mounting devices, e.g. bushings, axles, bearings, sealings {(with lubrication means B62D55/092)} - E02F 9/26: Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)} - 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) - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) ## Abstract A resistance to wear, “edge-cutting” or other deterioration of a track for a vehicle and/or other aspects of the track may be enhanced, including by enhancing internal reinforcements (e.g., cores) of the track, such as by providing certain flexibility characteristics to these internal reinforcements of the track, and/or by monitoring the track and controlling the vehicle, notifying a user, etc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A track for a vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track comprising: a ground-engaging outer side; an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side and comprising a plurality of wheel-contacting projections for contacting the wheels; elastomeric material allowing the track to flex around the track-engaging assembly; and a plurality of cores disposed in the elastomeric material, extending transversally to a longitudinal direction of the track, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the track, each core comprising: a wheel engager for engaging the wheels; and a pair of wings extending from the wheel engager in a longitudinal direction of the core, the wheel engager being disposed between the wings in the longitudinal direction of the core, each wing being configured to flex in the longitudinal direction of the core to allow the wing to deflect in a thicknesswise direction of the track; wherein each core comprises a material that is flexible and makes up at least most of the wheel engager of the core and each of its wings of the core and wherein the material of the core is anisotropic and has mechanical properties that are different in the longitudinal direction of the core than in a widthwise direction of the core. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal stiffness of a given one of the wings of the core is no more than 106 N/m. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein the core includes a plurality of materials that are different and enable flexion of the wings of the core in the longitudinal direction of the core. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein the wheel engager of the core is at least mainly made of a first material and each of the wings of the core is at least mainly made of a second material less stiff than the first material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a modulus of elasticity of a material of the wings of the core over a modulus of elasticity of a material of the wheel engager of the core is no more than 0.7. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a ratio of an elongation at break of a material of the wings of the core over an elongation at break of a material of the wheel engager of the core is at least 2. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein the wheel engager of the core includes carbon steel and each of the wings of the core includes spring steel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein the wheel engager of the core and each of the wings of the core are interconnected by overmolding. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The track of claim 8, wherein the wings of the core are overmolded onto the wheel engager of the core. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein: the inner side of the track comprises an inner surface from which project the wheel-contacting projections; the ground-engaging outer side of the track comprises a ground-engaging outer surface and a plurality of traction projections projecting from the ground-engaging outer surface; and a ratio of a thickness of each of the wings of the core over a thickness of the track from the inner surface to the ground-engaging outer surface is no more than 0.6. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a thickness of each of the wings of the core over a height of the wheel engager of the core is no more than 0.6. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of a given one of the wings of the core is at least 10. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein the materials of the core include a metallic material and a non-metallic material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The track of claim 13, wherein the non-metallic material is a polymeric material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The track of claim 14, wherein the polymeric material is a composite material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a modulus of elasticity of the material of the core is no more than 100 GPa. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein an elongation at break of the material of the core is at least 50%. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal stiffness of the core is variable during use of the track. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The track of claim 18, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core decreases in response to a lateral part of the track contacting an object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The track of claim 1, wherein: the wheels include a drive wheel configured to drive the track and roller wheels configured to roll on the inner side of the track; and the wheel engager comprises a drive portion for engaging the drive wheel to drive the track and a wheel guide that projects on the inner side of the track for contacting the roller wheels. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The track of claim 20, wherein the wheel guide comprises a pair of guide projections that project on the inner side of the track. ### Claim 22 A track for a vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track comprising: a ground-engaging outer side; an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side and comprising a plurality of wheel-contacting projections for contacting the wheels; elastomeric material allowing the track to flex around the track-engaging assembly; and a plurality of cores disposed in the elastomeric material, extending transversally to a longitudinal direction of the track, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the track, each core comprising: a wheel engager for engaging the wheels; and a pair of wings extending from the wheel engager in a longitudinal direction of the core, the wheel engager being disposed between the wings in the longitudinal direction of the core, each wing being configured to flex in the longitudinal direction of the core to allow the wing to deflect in a thicknesswise direction of the track; wherein a longitudinal stiffness of the core is variable during use of the track and wherein the core comprises a mechanical joint movable to allow flexion of a given one of the wings of the core in response to a lateral part of the track contacting an object. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The track of claim 22, wherein the mechanical joint comprises a pivot pivotable to allow flexion of the given one of the wings of the core in response to the lateral part of the track contacting the object. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The track of claim 22, wherein the mechanical joint is changeable between a locked state in which the mechanical joint prevents the given one of the wings from flexing relative to the wheel engager of the core and an unlocked state in which the mechanical joint allows the given one of the wings to flex relative to the wheel engager of the core. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The track of claim 24, wherein the core comprises an actuator operable to change the mechanical joint of the core between the locked state and the unlocked state. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The track of claim 25, wherein the actuator is operable to change the mechanical joint of the core between the locked state and the unlocked state in response to a command. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The track of claim 26, wherein the command is generated automatically by a processing entity. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The track of claim 26, wherein the command is provided to a processing entity by an individual. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The track of claim 22, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core decreases in response to a lateral part of the track contacting an object. ### Claim 30 A track for a vehicle, the track being mountable around a track-engaging assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, the track comprising: a ground-engaging outer side; an inner side opposite to the ground-engaging outer side and comprising a plurality of wheel-contacting projections for contacting the wheels; elastomeric material allowing the track to flex around the track-engaging assembly; and a plurality of cores disposed in the elastomeric material, extending transversally to a longitudinal direction of the track, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the track, each core comprising: a wheel engager for engaging the wheels; and a pair of wings extending from the wheel engager in a longitudinal direction of the core, the wheel engager being disposed between the wings in the longitudinal direction of the core, each wing being configured to flex in the longitudinal direction of the core to allow the wing to deflect in a thicknesswise direction of the track; wherein a longitudinal stiffness of the core is variable during use of the track and wherein the track further comprises a sensor, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core is variable based on an output of the sensor. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The track of claim 30, wherein the sensor is configured to sense contact of the track with an object. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The track of claim 31, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core is decreased when the sensor senses the contact of the track with the object. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The track of claim 31, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core is increased when the sensor senses that the track cleared the object. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The track of claim 30, wherein the longitudinal stiffness of the core decreases in response to a lateral part of the track contacting an object.