CRAWLER DEVICE AND CRAWLER ROBOT

• Main Authors: FUJIMOTO, Katsuki, INOUE, Tomoya, TSUKUI, Shingo
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 05.04.2017
• Subjects: LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING

A crawler device (2) having an improved travel performance on the soft ground such as sandy soil and muddy soil includes a wheel support (10) extending in a front-rear direction, wheels (20) respectively rotatably supported at a front portion and a rear portion of the wheel support (10) and a crawler belt (30) made of an endless elastic material. The crawler belt (30) is run around the front and rear wheels (20). Each of the wheels (20) includes a rigid wheel body (21) and an exterior part (22) made of an elastic material. The exterior part (22) is fixed to an outer periphery of the wheel body (21). Raised portions (22x, 22y) are formed in an outer periphery of the exterior part (22) such that the raised portions (22x, 22y) continuously extend in a width direction and are arranged in a circumferential direction spaced from each other. Drain grooves (25) extending through the exterior part (22) in the width direction are formed between the raised portions (22x, 22y). Top surfaces of the raised portions (22x, 22y) of the exterior part (22) surface contact an inner peripheral surface of the crawler belt (30) with a frictional force working therebetween. Restriction members (41, 42, 43, 44) stopping opposite side edges of the crawler belt (30) are provided in the wheel support (10) to restrict the crawler belt (30) from being displaced with respect to the wheels (20) in the width direction.