A chain drive mechanism includes a chain extending around a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket for transmitting torque therebetween. The chain drive mechanism also includes a snubber including one or more guide shoes, each having an engagement surface that contacts a side of the chain between the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. The engagement surface of the guide shoe defines a recess with an opening therein, with the recess configured to convey lubricant fluid, such as oil, from the chain and through the opening by motion of the chain along the engagement surface. The recess has a wedge shape including two side walls converging toward the opening, and a floor that slopes downwardly away from the engagement surface and toward the opening. The snubber includes one or more guide shoes that are inside, outside, or some combination of inside and outside of the chain.

A chain drive mechanism includes a chain extending around a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket for transmitting torque therebetween. The chain drive mechanism also includes a snubber including one or more guide shoes, each having an engagement surface that contacts a side of the chain between the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. The engagement surface of the guide shoe defines a recess with an opening therein, with the recess configured to convey lubricant fluid, such as oil, from the chain and through the opening by motion of the chain along the engagement surface. The recess has a wedge shape including two side walls converging toward the opening, and a floor that slopes downwardly away from the engagement surface and toward the opening. The snubber includes one or more guide shoes that are inside, outside, or some combination of inside and outside of the chain.

To provide a chain guide that can improve transportability and assembly operation efficiency, while also ensuring stable running of a timing chain and enhancing durability, with a simple structure. The chain guide has a guide shoe that slidably guides a chain, and a chain guide body that supports the guide shoe. A compression limiter having an attachment hole through which a mounting bolt for attaching the chain guide to an attachment target member passes is fitted in a fixing through hole extending through the chain guide body in a width direction thereof. A compression limiter holding mechanism is provided either to the compression limiter or to a hole rim part including the fixing through hole of the chain guide body in order to hold the compression limiter.

To provide a chain guide that can improve transportability and assembly operation efficiency, while also ensuring stable running of a timing chain and enhancing durability, with a simple structure. The chain guide has a guide shoe that slidably guides a chain, and a chain guide body that supports the guide shoe. A compression limiter having an attachment hole through which a mounting bolt for attaching the chain guide to an attachment target member passes is fitted in a fixing through hole extending through the chain guide body in a width direction thereof. A compression limiter holding mechanism is provided either to the compression limiter or to a hole rim part including the fixing through hole of the chain guide body in order to hold the compression limiter.

A belt drive system comprising a belt having a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth, the belt further comprising a longitudinal groove extending in the endless direction of the belt through the belt teeth, a sprocket comprising a plurality of sprocket teeth on an outer circumference of the sprocket, each of the sprocket teeth extending parallel to the rotation axis, and each sprocket tooth configured to be received between adjacent belt teeth, and a first planar fin extending from at least one side of a sprocket tooth, the first planar fin configured to cooperatively engage the longitudinal groove, the first planar fin extending in a direction normal to a sprocket axis of rotation, the first planar fin having a width no greater than 20% of a sprocket groove width (W).

A belt drive system comprising a belt having a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt teeth, the belt further comprising a longitudinal groove extending in the endless direction of the belt through the belt teeth, a sprocket comprising a plurality of sprocket teeth on an outer circumference of the sprocket, each of the sprocket teeth extending parallel to the rotation axis, and each sprocket tooth configured to be received between adjacent belt teeth, and a first planar fin extending from at least one side of a sprocket tooth, the first planar fin configured to cooperatively engage the longitudinal groove, the first planar fin extending in a direction normal to a sprocket axis of rotation, the first planar fin having a width no greater than 20% of a sprocket groove width (W).

A pulley and a structure having the pulley connected with a driven unit are provided. The pulley includes a wheel portion and a lug portion. The wheel portion includes two circular end surfaces opposing each other and a side surface connecting the two end surfaces. The side surface includes a main arc face and a branch arc face. The branch arc face has a head end connected to the main arc face and a tail end configured to connect a strap. The branch arc face has a width in an axial direction of the wheel portion smaller than a width of the main arc face. The lug portion is fixed to the wheel portion, disposed at a position adjacent to the branch arc face along the width of the main arc face and extends to protrude beyond the branch arc face in a radial direction of the wheel portion.

A strap connector, a robotic arm and a robot are provided. The strap connector includes a core, a strap and a pulley. The core includes a belly portion and a neck portion fixed to the belly portion. The neck portion has a width tapering in a direction away from the belly portion. The pulley defines a core chamber in which the core is received, the core chamber is accessible through an opening. The strap is connected to the core and extending out of the core chamber through the opening. The core chamber has two inner side walls opposing each other and extending from the opening. The neck portion is disposed closer to the opening than the belly portion. The two inner walls of the core chamber clamp the neck portion and the strap when the strap is tensioned.

A single-sprocket system for integration into a bicycle trainer, the system including a sprocket having teeth about a perimeter of the sprocket, a first planar side, and a second planar side, wherein the teeth of the sprocket are configured to engage a chain of a bicycle mounted to the bicycle trainer. The system further includes a first chain guide adjacent the first planar side of the sprocket, wherein the first chain guide is configured to re-engage the teeth of the sprocket with the chain when the chain has become disengaged from the teeth of the sprocket towards the first planar side, and a second chain guide adjacent the second planar side of the sprocket, wherein the second chain guide is configured to re-engage the teeth of the sprocket with the chain when the chain has become disengaged from the teeth of the sprocket towards the second planar side.

A single-sprocket system for integration into a bicycle trainer, the system including a sprocket having teeth about a perimeter of the sprocket, a first planar side, and a second planar side, wherein the teeth of the sprocket are configured to engage a chain of a bicycle mounted to the bicycle trainer. The system further includes a first chain guide adjacent the first planar side of the sprocket, wherein the first chain guide is configured to re-engage the teeth of the sprocket with the chain when the chain has become disengaged from the teeth of the sprocket towards the first planar side, and a second chain guide adjacent the second planar side of the sprocket, wherein the second chain guide is configured to re-engage the teeth of the sprocket with the chain when the chain has become disengaged from the teeth of the sprocket towards the second planar side.