Chain

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a chain that employs simple structures so as to establish contact surface pressures in accordance with various conditions of use, for the purpose of reducing frictional loss and preventing wear or damage to a chain guide member, as well as reducing order-related noise. The chain 100 is formed by inner links 101 and outer links 102 alternately and pivotably coupled together in a longitudinal direction of the chain. The plurality of inner plates 110 include an asymmetrical inner plate 110x having different edge shapes on upper and lower sides in a height direction of the chain.

Claims

1. A chain comprising: a plurality of inner links having a plurality of inner plates in a width direction of the chain, and a plurality of outer links having a plurality of outer plates in the width direction of the chain, the plurality of inner links and the plurality of outer links being alternately and pivotably coupled together in a longitudinal direction of the chain, wherein the plurality of inner plates include a plurality of asymmetrical inner plates having different edge shapes on upper and lower sides in a height direction of the chain, the plurality of asymmetrical inner plates include plates that have two different edge shapes on upper and lower sides that are selected from three or more different edge shapes, the inner links include asymmetrical inner plates having different edge shapes in a width direction of the chain, and the different edge shapes are arranged randomly at least in one of a width direction of the chain, a longitudinal direction of the chain, and a vertical direction.

2. A chain comprising: a plurality of inner links having a plurality of inner plates in a width direction of the chain, and a plurality of outer links having a plurality of outer plates in the width direction of the chain, the plurality of inner links and the plurality of outer links being alternately and pivotably coupled together in a longitudinal direction of the chain, wherein the plurality of inner plates include an asymmetrical inner plate having different edge shapes on upper and lower sides in a height direction of the chain, and the different edge shapes are arranged randomly at least in one of a width direction of the chain, a longitudinal direction of the chain, and a vertical direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the edge shapes of the inner plates in the chain according to the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of the chain according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of the chain according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 4 is a side view of the inner link of the chain according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the chain according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) The chain according to the present invention may be embodied in any specific form as long as it includes a plurality of inner links having a plurality of inner plates in a width direction of the chain, and a plurality of outer links having a plurality of outer plates in the width direction of the chain, these inner and outer links being alternately and pivotably coupled together in the longitudinal direction of the chain, wherein the plurality of inner plates include an asymmetrical inner plate having different edge shapes on upper and lower sides in a height direction of the chain, whereby the object of the present invention is to provide a chain that employs simple structures so as to establish contact surface pressures in accordance with various conditions of use, for the purpose of reducing frictional loss and preventing wear or damage to a chain guide member, as well as reducing order-related noise.

(7) There can be five types of edge shapes on upper and lower sides in the height direction of the chain such as those shown in FIG. 1, for example.

(8) The upper edge 111a in the chain height direction of the asymmetrical inner plate 110ax is curved inward in a center part in the longitudinal direction with a radius of curvature Ra in side view. The upper edge 111b in the chain height direction of the asymmetrical inner plate 110bx is curved inward in a center part in the longitudinal direction with a radius of curvature Rb in side view.

(9) The radius of curvature Ra is larger than Rb (Ra>Rb). The upper edge 111c in the chain height direction of the asymmetrical inner plate 110cx is curved outward in a center part in the longitudinal direction with a radius of curvature Rc in side view. The upper edge 111d in the chain height direction of the asymmetrical inner plate 110dx is curved outward in a center part in the longitudinal direction with a radius of curvature Rd in side view.

(10) The radius of curvature Rc is larger than Rd (Rc>Rd).

(11) The upper edge 111f in the chain height direction of the asymmetrical inner plate 110fx is straight in a center part in the longitudinal direction (with the radius of curvature R being infinite) in side view.

(12) Two of these edge shapes 111 may be selected so that the asymmetrical inner plates 110yx have different edge shapes on upper and lower sides.

(13) (The asymmetrical inner plate is denoted by 110ac, for example, when it has an edge 111a on the upper side and an edge 111c on the lower side).

Embodiment 1

(14) The chain 100a according to a first embodiment of the present invention is formed by inner links 101 and outer links 102 alternately and pivotably coupled together in the longitudinal direction of the chain by bushings 130 and pins 140 as shown in FIG. 2.

(15) Asymmetrical inner plates 110dc are used for all the inner links 101, and these asymmetrical inner plates 110dc are oriented the same in the up and down direction so that they have the edge 111d on the upper side and the edge 111c on the lower side.

(16) When this chain 100a is mounted to a chain transmission mechanism upside down, the chain can have different contact area and contact surface pressure between the chain and the chain guide member, and this way the chain offers a better option in regard to frictional loss and the wear or damage of the chain guide member in accordance with the condition of use.

Embodiment 2

(17) The chain 100b according to a second embodiment of the present invention uses asymmetrical inner plates 110dc in all of the inner links 101 as shown in FIG. 3. The asymmetrical inner plates 110dc and 110cd are arranged such that they have the edge 111d and edge 111c on the upper and lower sides in a random order in the running direction of the chain 100b.

(18) This chain 100b can be mounted to a chain transmission mechanism upside down so that the contact area and contact surface pressure between the chain and the chain guide member vary randomly, whereby the order-related noise can be reduced.

(19) The plates can be arranged such that the ratio of the edge 111d to the edge 111c differs between the upper side and the lower side. By mounting the chain upside down, different contact area and contact surface pressure between the chain and the chain guide member can be selected, and this way, the chain offers a better option in regard to the frictional loss and the wear or damage of the chain guide member in accordance with the condition of use.

(20) While one example was shown in both first and second embodiments in which asymmetrical inner plates 110dc and 110c that have the edge 111d and edge 111c either on the upper side or lower side are used, the asymmetrical inner plates each having edges of different shapes including those of the edges 111a, 111b, and 111f shown in FIG. 1 may also be used, or, asymmetrical inner plates each having edges other than those shown in FIG. 1 can also be used.

Embodiment 3

(21) The chain 100c according to a third embodiment of the present invention is formed by various types of inner links 101x connected such that they are arranged randomly in the longitudinal direction of the chain not only in terms of type but also in their up-and-down orientation.

(22) The inner links 101x are formed by multiple types of asymmetrical inner plates 110yx having two different edge shapes selected from various edge shapes, and they are aligned in a randomly selected order in randomly selected up-and-down orientation.

(23) The inner link 101x may be an inner link 101a, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, which is formed by a combination of an asymmetrical inner plate 110ab and an asymmetrical inner plate 110da, or an inner link 101b that is formed by a combination of an asymmetrical inner plate 110ba and an asymmetrical inner plate 110fd, or an inner link 101c that is formed by a combination of an asymmetrical inner plate 110ac and an asymmetrical inner plate 110cd.

(24) Many other types of inner links 101x can be prepared in accordance with available edge shapes.

(25) The chain 100c constituted as thus explained has asymmetrical inner plates 110 with different edge shapes randomly arranged in all of the chain running direction, width direction, and up and down direction as shown in FIG. 5, so that the overall timing of contact between the chain components and the chain guide member is made random, whereby the order-related noise can be reduced further.

(26) While specific examples of chains according to the present invention have been shown in the embodiments described above, the invention is not limited to these. As long as the chain includes an asymmetrical inner plate having different edge shapes on the upper and lower sides in the chain height direction, the chain may include inner plates that are not asymmetrical. For instance, the specific shapes, positions, dimensions, and arrangement relative to each other of various components such as the inner plates, outer plates, bushings, pins and others can be variously modified.

(27) The chain may have other constituent elements than the inner plates, outer plates, bushings, and pins.