US 6,951,373 B2Granted

Crawler belt and seal for use therein

AssigneeHitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

InventorsHideki Akita, Yoshiaki Sekiguchi

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Abstract

A seal (21) is constituted by an outer lip portion (22) to be held in abutting engagement with an outer link portion (9) of a crawler belt (7), an inner lip portion (23) to be held in abutting engagement with a bush (11), and an interconnecting bridge portion (24) bridged and connected between the outer and inner lip portions (22, 23). The outer lip portion (22) on the side of track link, the inner lip portion (23) on the side of bush, and outer bridge portion (24A) and inner bridge portion (24B) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) are formed in thicknesses (T1, T2, T1′ and T2′), respectively, which are in the relations of (T2≈T2′>T1≈T1′). A maximum outside diameter portion (24C) of the interconnecting bridge portion (24) is located radially outward of a median point between inner and outer peripheral ends of the lip portion (23) on the side of bush. The inner lip portion (23) as a whole is uniformly pressed against an end face (11A) of the bush (11) by the interconnecting bridge portion (24).

Claims12

Dependent claims

A crawler belt having endlessly connected right and left track links each formed with an outer link portion and an inner link portion at opposite longitudinal ends thereof, respectively, bushes located transversely between inner link portions of said track links and having opposite axial ends in face to face relation with said outer link portions, connecting pins placed in said bushes and having opposite axial end portions fitted in and connected to said outer link portions, and a seal fitted around an outer periphery of each one of said connecting pins and between an outer link portion of said track links and an opposing end of said bush, wherein:

said seal is comprised of an outer lip portion provided on the side of said track link and held in abutting engagement with an inner end face of said outer link portion, an inner lip portion provided on the side of said bush and held in abutting engagement with an end face of said bush, and an interconnecting bridge portion of V-shape in cross-section interconnecting said outer and inner lip portions integrally with each other;
said interconnecting bridge portion of V-shape in comprised of an outer bridge portion obliquely connected to an inner peripheral end of said outer lip portion on the side of said track link, and an inner bridge portion obliquely connected to an inner peripheral end of said inner lip portion on the side of said bush;
said inner bridge portion has a thickness at its thinnest portion that is of a greater thickness than a thickness of said outer bridge portion at its thinnest portion;
said inner lip portion has a thickness which is substantially the same as said thickness of said inner bridge portion;
said outer lip portion has a thickness which is substantially the same as said thickness of said outer bridge portion;
and
a maximum outside diameter portion in a boundary region between said outer bridge portion and said inner bridge portion of said interconnecting bridge portion is located radially outward of a median position between inner and outer peripheral ends of said inner lip portion on the side of said bush.

4 more elements

A crawler belt seal, comprising;

an outer lip portion provided on the side of a track link and held in abutting engagement with an inner end face of an outer link portion, an inner lip portion provided on the side of a bush and held in abutting engagement with an end face of said bush, and an interconnecting bridge portion of V-shape in cross-section interconnecting said outer and inner lip portions and integrally with each other;
said interconnecting bridge portion of V-shape having an outer bridge portion obliquely connected to an inner peripheral end of said outer lip portion on the side of track link, and an inner bridge portion obliquely connected to an inner peripheral end of said inner lip portion on the side of said bush;
said inner bridge portion having a thickness at its thinnest portion that is of a greater thickness than a thickness of said outer bridge portion at its thinnest portion;
said inner lip portion having a thickness which is substantially the same as the thickness of said inner bridge portion on the side of said bush;
said outer lip portion having a thickness which is substantially the same as the thickness of said outer bridge portion on the side of said track link;
and
a maximum outside diameter portion in a boundary region between said outer bridge portion and said inner bridge portion of said interconnecting bridge portion is located radially outward of a median position between inner and outer peripheral ends of said inner lip portion on the side of said bush.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/168,100Filed 13 Feb 2002
Priority: JP 2000-3361272 Nov 2000
Published: US 2003/0153424 A114 Aug 2003
Granted: 4 Oct 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B62D 55/0887
With means to exclude or remove foreign matter, e.g. sealing means, self-cleaning track links or sprockets, deflector plates or scrapers:…
B62D 55/21
Connections between track links: links connected by transverse pivot pins
B62D 55/211
Links connected by transverse pivot pins: bitubular chain links assembled by pins and double connectors
Y10S 474/901
Endless belt power transmission systems or components: pulley or guide roll for track of endless track vehicle