Patent ID: 9261166
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: F16G

Claim Text:
1. A plate-link chain comprising: a plurality of hingedly connected link plates including longitudinally adjacent link plates and laterally adjacent link plates, wherein the laterally adjacent link plates are offset in a longitudinal direction of the chain relative to neighboring longitudinally adjacent link plates and are hingedly connected by pairs of rocker members that each include two rocker members, wherein the rocker members extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain and are situated in rocker-member-receiving openings in the link plates with a predetermined play value between an outer transversely-extending surface of the rocker members and inner surfaces of ones of the rocker-member-receiving openings, wherein the predetermined play value is a clearance that exists between facing surfaces of ones of the rocker members that face a link plate opening surface and opposed surfaces of the rocker-member-receiving openings in the link plates in a longitudinal direction of the chain when the chain is in an extended condition and is in operation and under tension to transmit force, wherein the rocker-member-receiving openings of the link plates include at least three peripherally-spaced inner surface regions that extend inwardly and that are convexly curved, wherein the rocker members are shaped asymmetrically in a height direction of the rocker members relative to a cross section plane running in the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain and passing through a center region of the respective rocker members, the rocker members and link plates including respective curved contact surfaces along which the rocker members and link plates bear against each other to transmit force, the rocker members including curved rolling surfaces along which adjacent rocker members of a rocker member pair roll against each other to transmit force, wherein for a first link plate a forward rocker member pair relative to a chain movement direction includes a leading rocker member and a trailing rocker member that are in contact with each other at their respective rolling surfaces, wherein the leading rocker member of the forward rocker member pair is in contact with a longitudinally forward surface of a forward link plate opening of the first link plate and is spaced by the predetermined play value from a longitudinally forward surface of a rearward rocker-member-receiving opening of a second, longitudinally offset and laterally adjacent link plate and wherein the trailing rocker member of the forward rocker member pair is spaced by the predetermined play value from a longitudinally rearward surface of the forward rocker-member-receiving opening of the first link plate and is in contact with a longitudinally rearward surface of a rearward rocker-member-receiving opening of a laterally adjacent and longitudinally offset second link plate, wherein for the first link plate a rearward rocker member pair relative to a chain movement direction includes a leading rocker member and a trailing rocker member that are in contact with each other at their respective rolling surfaces, wherein the trailing rocker member of the rearward rocker member pair is in contact with a longitudinally rearward surface of the rearward rocker-member-receiving opening of the first link plate and is spaced by the predetermined play value from a longitudinally rearward surface of the forward rocker-member-receiving opening of the second, longitudinally offset and laterally adjacent link plate and wherein the leading rocker member of the rearward rocker member pair is spaced by the predetermined play value from a longitudinally forward surface of the rearward rocker-member-receiving opening of the first link plate and is in contact with a longitudinally forward surface of a forward rocker member-receiving opening of the laterally adjacent and longitudinally offset second link plate, wherein the predetermined play value in the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain between a rocker member contact surface and a surface of a rocker-member-receiving opening is smaller than 0.2 mm to reduce tilt angles of rocker members relative to a transverse axis of the plate-link chain and to reduce chain strand lateral vibration amplitude during chain operation to avoid chain contact with an adjacent housing surface and thereby avoid resulting chain-vibration-induced noise.