A cutter head for a tunneling equipment and a tunneling equipment having the same
By designing a cutterhead with an adapted arc structure, the problem of cutting operations in mechanical tunneling is solved, which is a challenge for traditional tunneling equipment in mechanical tunnel construction. This achieves the effects of uniform force on the cutter head, extended service life, and reduced maintenance costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NINGBO YONGGONG TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-09-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Traditional tunneling equipment is ill-suited for cutting main tunnel segments during mechanical tunnel construction, especially in curved structures where it can easily lead to the collapse of the middle section.
Design a cutter head including a base and multiple cutter groups mounted on the base. The cutters in each cutter group are rotatable about a cutter rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis and retract a predetermined distance relative to the adjacent cutters on the radially inner side to form a fitted arc. Combined with components such as a tearing cutter, a scraper, and a center cutter, it can adapt to the cutting of arc-shaped structures.
It achieves uniform force distribution on the cutter, extends its service life, improves maintenance efficiency, reduces maintenance costs, and can effectively adapt to the arc-shaped structure of the main tunnel segments to achieve good cutting results.
Smart Images
Figure CN115584988B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of underground engineering technology, and more specifically, to a cutterhead for tunneling equipment and tunneling equipment having the same. Background Technology
[0002] According to the "Metro Design Code," a connecting passage should be constructed between two single-track tunnel sections when the continuous length of the tunnels exceeds 600 meters. Connecting passages for metro tunnels and municipal road tunnels mostly employ the mining method. For example, in areas with abundant groundwater, freezing reinforcement is typically used, followed by mining excavation of the connecting passage. However, freezing construction easily leads to adverse consequences such as frost heave and thaw settlement, usually causing some ground subsidence. Significant ground subsidence can even pose a risk of collapse, making it particularly unsuitable for urban core areas with complex geological conditions and high environmental protection requirements. Furthermore, this construction method has a long construction period, typically requiring more than 100 days of freezing before excavation can begin, often extending the construction period to 4-6 months. Additionally, freezing is not effective in strata with sand layers or confined water, easily leading to accidents, significant environmental impact, and high risks.
[0003] In recent years, the use of prefabricated connecting tunnel structures and mechanical construction methods has been proposed. This necessitates the use of tunneling equipment to cut the segments of the main tunnel. During cutting, the ideal scenario is for the tunneling equipment to first contact the segments roughly at the center of the connecting tunnel, allowing the cutting trajectory to extend outwards from the center, with the segments corresponding to the radially outer edges of the connecting tunnel being cut last. However, traditional tunneling equipment is mostly suitable for cutting flat working faces. When using traditional tunneling equipment, due to the arc-shaped structure of the main tunnel segments, the portions corresponding to the radially outer edges of the connecting tunnel contact the tunneling equipment first and are therefore cut first, leading to the collapse of the central sections.
[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved tunneling equipment that can be used for cutting main tunnel segments during the construction of mechanical connecting passages. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cutterhead for tunneling equipment to adapt to the cutting operation of main tunnel segments during the construction of mechanical connecting passages.
[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, the cutter head comprises:
[0007] A base, the base being rotatable about a rotation axis along the tunneling direction of the tunneling equipment; and
[0008] The cutting tool, mounted on the base, includes a plurality of hob groups arranged at circumferential intervals relative to the axis of rotation, each hob group including a plurality of hobs arranged radially relative to the axis of rotation starting from the axis of rotation;
[0009] In each cutter group, each cutter is rotatably arranged about a cutter rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis, and each cutter is retracted a predetermined distance relative to its adjacent cutter located radially inward along the digging direction, such that the front ends of all cutters in each cutter group can be located on the same fitted circular arc.
[0010] In some embodiments, each hob is mounted in a separate cutter box and protrudes forward relative to the front end of the cutter box, wherein the cutter also includes a tearing blade located at the radially outer edge of the cutter box and protruding forward relative to the cutter box.
[0011] In some embodiments, the protrusion distance of the tearing blade relative to the front end face of the blade box is smaller than the protrusion distance of the rolling blade.
[0012] In some embodiments, the tearing blade protrudes forward parallel to the axis of rotation.
[0013] In some embodiments, an additional tearing blade is provided on the radially outer side of the cutter assembly, the additional tearing blade protruding forward in a manner that is inclined outward relative to the axis of rotation.
[0014] In some embodiments, the cutting tool further includes a scraper assembly disposed on the rear side of the roller cutter assembly along the rotation direction of the base, and includes a plurality of scrapers arranged radially.
[0015] In some embodiments, the scraper assembly is provided on both radial sides of the roller cutter assembly.
[0016] In some embodiments, the protrusion distance of the scraper relative to the front end face of the blade box is smaller than the protrusion distance of the roller cutter.
[0017] In some embodiments, the cutting tool further includes a central blade disposed at the rotation center of the base and extending along the radial direction. The central blade is constructed as a sandwich structure formed by multiple blade layers, the arrangement direction of the multiple blade layers being perpendicular to the extension direction of the central blade.
[0018] In some embodiments, the central blade comprises two sets arranged in a cross shape.
[0019] In some embodiments, the leading edge of the central blade is formed as an inwardly concave arc-shaped structure.
[0020] In some embodiments, the cutting tool further includes a protective blade disposed on the periphery of the base and protruding relative to the periphery surface.
[0021] In some embodiments, each hob set has opposing hob sets arranged at 180° relative to the axis of rotation.
[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, a tunneling apparatus is also provided, the tunneling apparatus having a cutterhead as described above.
[0023] The cutterhead and tunneling equipment according to the present invention have the following beneficial technical effects:
[0024] 1. Setting the rotation axis of the hob perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutter head ensures that the hob shaft is subjected to uniform force during cutting, avoids uneven wear, and helps extend the service life of the hob. This is especially true for hobs that are farther away from the rotation axis of the cutter head.
[0025] 2. The hobs in different positions are interchangeable, which improves maintenance efficiency and reduces maintenance costs.
[0026] 3. The cutters are arranged in a step-down manner from the center to the periphery. In this way, the front ends of multiple cutters in the cutter group can form a circular arc fitting curve, which can well adapt to the arc structure of the main tunnel segment and is suitable for cutting operations on the main tunnel segment during the construction of mechanical connecting passages. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To better understand the above and other objects, features, advantages, and functions of the present invention, reference can be made to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are intended to schematically illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way; the parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.
[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the cutter head according to the present invention;
[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The side view of the cutter head shown;
[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The front view of the cutter head shown;
[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the sandwich structure of the central cutter of the cutter head is shown; and
[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the fit between the cutter head and the tube segment. Detailed Implementation
[0033] Now, with reference to the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The embodiments described herein are merely preferred embodiments of the invention; those skilled in the art can conceive of other ways to implement the invention based on these preferred embodiments, and such other ways also fall within the scope of the invention.
[0034] To achieve interconnectivity in underground space networks, numerous T-shaped connecting tunnels are required. Examples include: subway and highway connecting passages, subway entrances and ventilation shafts, municipal utility tunnel maintenance shafts, intermediate ventilation shafts in long tunnels, and waterworks tunnel connections. Recently, a method for constructing T-shaped connecting passages within tunnel groups using mechanical methods has been proposed. For this construction method, this invention provides a cutterhead for tunneling equipment that can mechanically excavate existing main tunnels without dismantling them, exhibiting good adaptability to main tunnel segments with spatially curved surfaces. An example of such tunneling equipment could be a tunnel boring machine (TBM).
[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the cutterhead 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a base 10 that is generally circular in shape. When mounted to a tunneling machine, the base 10 is capable of rotating about a mounting axis under the drive of the tunneling machine. The mounting axis defines the axis of rotation AX1 of the base 10 (see...). Figure 2 A cutting tool 20 is mounted on the base 10. During cutting operations, the cutterhead 1 contacts the working surface (e.g., the cross-section of a connecting passage) through the cutting tool 20, and under the action of the jacking force on the tunneling equipment, the working surface is compressed, and the cutting tool 20 destroys the working surface to achieve cutting and tunneling. The cutting tool 20 generally includes a hobbing cutter 21, a tearing cutter 22, a scraper 23, a center cutter 24, and a peripheral protective cutter 25. A detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0036] The cutter head 21 is mounted on the base 10 and can rotate around its own cutter rotation axis AX2. The cutter rotation axis AX2 extends approximately along the radial direction of the base 10 (defined by the rotation axis AX1), that is, perpendicular to the rotation direction of the base 10. During the cutting and tunneling process, the tunneling equipment is subjected to a jacking force along the tunneling direction F, causing the cutter head 21 to press against the working surface. As the base 10 rotates around the rotation axis AX1, the cutter head 21, driven by the base 10, rotates around its own cutter rotation axis AX2 and travels on the working surface, forming a cutting trajectory. In this way, the edge of the cutter head 21 is pressed into the working surface, causing the rock or soil layers to break and collapse, thus achieving cutting and tunneling. To simultaneously cut the entire working surface, the cutter head 1 is equipped with multiple cutter head groups. Each cutter head group includes multiple cutters 21 arranged approximately along the radial direction of the base 10. Preferably, the multiple cutter head groups are evenly spaced along the circumference of the base 10 (defined by the rotation axis AX1). Preferably, to avoid the hobs becoming stuck during cutting (due to excessive spacing), which could clog the screw conveyor for conveying cutting chips and result in poor cutting performance, and to ensure better and more even force distribution on the hob assembly, reduce tool damage rate, and achieve better cutting results, each hob assembly has opposing hob groups arranged at 180° relative to the rotation axis AX1. Depending on the hob arrangement, the number of hobs on the two opposing hob groups can be the same or different.
[0037] To achieve cutting across the entire working surface, in one arrangement, the hobs 21 are arranged on the base 10 in a roughly helical trajectory. For example, the cutter head 1 has N hob groups, and one group can be pre-determined as the starting hob group. For each hob group, the hob 21 closest to the rotation axis AX1 can be called the first-order hob, and the hobs radially outward are the second-order hobs, the third-order hobs, and so on, up to the Mth-order hobs. It can be understood that the number of hobs M can be the same or different for different hob groups. Specifically, in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction, starting from the next hob group after the starting hob group, the radial distance between each hob of the downstream hob group and the rotation axis AX1 is greater than the radial distance between the same hob of the adjacent upstream hob group and the rotation axis AX1, up to the Nth hob group. Furthermore, the radial distance between the (M+1)th hob of the starting hob group and the rotation axis AX1 is greater than the radial distance between the Mth hob of the adjacent upstream hob group and the rotation axis AX1. Starting with the first-order cutter of the initial cutter group, and sequentially connecting the same-order cutters in different cutter groups in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction, and connecting the M+1-order cutter of the initial cutter group with the M-order cutter of the adjacent upstream cutter group, the resulting line roughly forms a spiral trajectory. Depending on the size of the working surface, the hardness of the soil layer (which affects the wear rate of the cutters), and the required number of cutters, the cutters can be arranged in a single spiral or a double spiral pattern.
[0038] In another arrangement, hobs of the same order in different hob groups can be set to have the same radial distance from the rotation axis AX1. This means connecting hobs of the same order with lines, so that the lines connecting hobs of different orders roughly form concentric circles. The number of hobs in different hob groups can be the same or different.
[0039] According to the present invention, in each cutter group, the rotation axis AX2 of each cutter 21 is set perpendicular to the rotation axis AX1 of the base 10. It can be understood that the thrust F acting on the tunneling equipment determines its tunneling direction, and the rotation axis AX1 is defined along the tunneling direction. Therefore, the direction of the thrust F is also the direction of the rotation axis AX1. Similarly, the compressive force between the tunneling equipment and the working surface acting on the cutter 21 is along the rotation axis AX1. Since the rotation axis AX2 of the cutter is set perpendicular to the rotation axis AX1, the pressure on the cutter shaft of the cutter 21 (which defines the rotation axis AX2) is basically perpendicular to its length direction, with few components in other directions. This arrangement allows the cutter 21 to be subjected to uniform force during cutting, avoiding uneven wear and extending the service life of the cutter 21, especially for cutters 21 farther from the rotation axis AX1, where the beneficial effect is more pronounced.
[0040] Furthermore, in order to better fit the segments of the main tunnel during initial excavation, the cutterheads 21 are arranged as follows: in each cutterhead group, each cutterhead 21 is retracted a predetermined distance in the excavation direction relative to its adjacent cutterhead 21 located radially inward, such that the front ends of all cutterheads 21 in the cutterhead group are located on the same fitting arc (see reference). Figure 5 (See example). Figure 2 As shown, hob 21b is retracted by a predetermined distance relative to its adjacent hob 21a located radially inward, while hob 21c is retracted by another predetermined distance relative to its adjacent hob 21b located radially inward. Preferably, the farther the hob 21 is from the rotation axis AX1 in the radial direction, the greater the distance it retracts relative to its adjacent hob 21 located radially inward, thus better fitting the shape of the arc.
[0041] This arrangement, ensuring that the rotation axis AX2 of the hob 21 is perpendicular to the rotation axis AX1 of the base 10, allows the hobs 21 to be arranged in a step-down pattern from the center to the periphery. In this way, the leading edges of multiple hobs 21 in the hob group can form an arc-shaped contour fitting curve, enabling multiple hobs 21 to simultaneously contact the main tunnel segment 2, ensuring synchronous cutting at different positions. Furthermore, this arrangement improves the interchangeability of the hobs 21 at different positions (especially different radial positions). Because all hobs 21 are arranged with their rotation axis AX2 perpendicular to the rotation axis AX1 of the base 10, there is no need to consider the skew angle of the hob axis relative to the rotation axis AX1 of the base 10; therefore, hobs 21 at different positions can have the same specifications. When a hob 21 is damaged, any spare hob 21 can be quickly used for replacement.
[0042] In actual production, each hob 21 is mounted in a separate tool box 211 via a hob shaft and protrudes outward relative to the front end of the tool box 211. The tool box 211 is fixed to a predetermined position on the base 10, forming a hob assembly. It can be understood that the more fitting points and the closer the distance between them, the smoother the resulting fitting curve and the higher the fitting degree. Therefore, to fit the tube segment curvature using the above arrangement of hobs 21, as many hobs 21 as possible need to be arranged radially, and the distance between adjacent hobs 21 needs to be very compact. In this case, adjacent tool boxes 211 are placed side-by-side radially, leaving little space for other components. However, because the tool boxes 211 located radially outward are positioned further back than those radially inward, the front end of the radially inward tool box 211 is exposed. During the cutting of the curved surface, the outer front end of this tool box 211 is prone to contact with the working surface, causing wear, and may even damage the tool box 211, leading to hob 21 failure. It is understandable that this problem is caused by cutting curved surfaces; such a problem does not occur when cutting flat surfaces.
[0043] Preferably, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a tearing blade 22 is positioned at the radially outer edge of the tool box 211. This tearing blade 22 protrudes forward relative to the front end face of the tool box 211, meaning its highest point is higher than the front end face of the tool box 211. In this manner, the tearing blade 22 contacts the working surface before the outer front end of the tool box 211 and can damage the working surface through cutting, thereby avoiding wear caused by contact between the tool box 211 and the working surface, providing good protection. Preferably, the tearing blade 22 protrudes forward parallel to the rotation axis AX1 (i.e., approximately perpendicular to the front end face of the tool box 211). More preferably, the forward protrusion distance of the tearing blade 22 is less than the forward protrusion distance of the hob 21, such that the hob 21 contacts the working surface before its radially outer tearing blade 22. (Reference) Figure 1 An additional tearing blade 22a is provided on the radially outer side of a portion of the hobbing cutter assembly. Unlike the tearing blade 22 located on the outer edge of the cutter box 211, the additional tearing blade 22a extends outward at an angle relative to the rotation axis AX1.
[0044] In addition, scrapers 23 are provided on both sides of the cutter box 211 of the roller cutter 21 in the radial direction, protruding forward relative to the front end face of the cutter box 211. Multiple scrapers 23 are arranged radially to form a scraper group. After the roller cutter 21 crushes and breaks down the rock or soil layer on the working surface as the base 10 rotates, the scrapers 23 can scrape off the loose rock or soil, exposing a new working surface to be cut, facilitating subsequent cutting work. Therefore, in practice, only the scrapers 23 located behind the roller cutter 21 along the rotation direction of the base 10 are effective. Preferably, the distance by which the scrapers 23 protrude forward relative to the front end face of the cutter box 211 is less than the distance by which the roller cutter 21 protrudes forward. Preferably, scraper groups are provided on both radial sides of the roller cutter group. In this way, when the cutter head 1 operates in both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation directions, there is always a corresponding scraper group on the rear side of the roller cutter group that can scrape off the loose rock or soil.
[0045] refer to Figures 1 to 3 A central blade 24 is provided in the region of the rotation center of the base 10. This central blade 24 is formed as a strip-shaped structure extending generally in the radial direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the central blade 24 comprises two sets, and the two sets of central blades 24 are arranged in a cross shape. Preferably, as shown... Figure 4As shown, the central cutter 24 is constructed with a sandwich structure. For example, it can be formed by sandwiching together cutter layers (e.g., different alloy inserts) with different strengths and toughnesses. This improves its cutting ability while also increasing wear resistance and extending its service life. More preferably, the arrangement direction of the cutter layers is set perpendicular to the extension direction of the central cutter 24. In other words, the central cutter 24 contacts the working surface, and when the base 10 rotates, the force exerted by the working surface on the central cutter 24 is along the rotation direction R of the central cutter 24, which is consistent with the arrangement direction of each cutter layer. Therefore, the arrangement direction of the cutter layers can effectively resist the force exerted by the working surface on the central cutter 24, reducing its damage rate.
[0046] Preferably, refer to Figure 1 The leading edge of the center cutter 24 is a concave arc-shaped structure. Compared to a structure with a forward-protruding leading edge, the inward concavity of the leading edge of the center cutter 24 allows it to better "grip" the working surface when it initially contacts the working surface at two points at either end of the concave arc-shaped structure, thus fixing it relative to the working surface and preventing it from shifting. This is particularly advantageous when the receiving end of the center cutter 24 initially cuts towards the protruding main tunnel segment of the tunneling equipment.
[0047] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, protective blades 25 are also provided on the periphery of the base 10. Specifically, multiple protective blades 25 are spaced apart circumferentially and protrude outward relative to the periphery surface. In this way, when the cutterhead 1 rotates, the protective blades 25 contact the surrounding soil or rock layer before the base 10, avoiding wear caused by direct contact and friction between the base 10 and the soil or rock layer.
[0048] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the invention, a tunneling machine is also provided, which may have the aforementioned cutterhead. Specifically, the tunneling machine may be, for example, a tunnel boring machine (TBM).
[0049] The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes to a person skilled in the art. It is not intended to limit the invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As described above, those skilled in the art will understand that various alternatives and variations of the invention are possible. Therefore, although some alternative embodiments have been specifically described, those skilled in the art will understand or relatively easily develop other embodiments. The present invention is intended to include all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the invention described herein, as well as other embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the invention described above.
Claims
1. A cutterhead for tunneling equipment, characterized in that, The cutter head includes: Base (10), the base (10) being rotatable about a rotation axis (AX1) along the tunneling direction of the tunneling equipment; and The cutting tool is mounted on the base (10) and includes a plurality of hob groups arranged at circumferential intervals relative to the axis of rotation (AX1), each hob group including a plurality of hobs (21) arranged radially relative to the axis of rotation (AX1) starting from the axis of rotation (AX1). In each cutter group, each cutter (21) is rotatably arranged around a cutter rotation axis (AX2) perpendicular to the rotation axis (AX1), and each cutter (21) is retracted a predetermined distance relative to the adjacent cutter (21) located radially inward along the tunneling direction, forming a step-down arrangement from the center to the periphery, so that the front ends of all cutters (21) in each cutter group can be located on the same fitted circular arc.
2. The cutter head according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each hob (21) is mounted in a separate cutter box (211) and protrudes forward relative to the front end of the cutter box (211), wherein the cutter also includes a tearing cutter (22) located at the radially outer edge of the cutter box (211) and protruding forward relative to the cutter box (211).
3. The cutter head according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protrusion distance of the tearing blade (22) relative to the front end face of the blade box is smaller than the protrusion distance of the rolling blade (21).
4. The cutter head according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tearing blade (22) protrudes forward parallel to the axis of rotation (AX1).
5. The cutter head according to claim 4, characterized in that, An additional tearing blade (22a) is provided on the radially outer side of the hobbing cutter assembly, the additional tearing blade (22a) protruding forward in a manner that is inclined outward relative to the rotation axis (AX1).
6. The cutter head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting tool also includes a scraper assembly, which is arranged on the rear side of the roller assembly along the rotation direction of the base (10) and includes a plurality of scrapers (23) arranged radially.
7. The cutter head according to claim 6, characterized in that, The scraper assembly is provided on both radial sides of the roller cutter assembly.
8. The cutter head according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each hob (21) is mounted in a separate cutter box (211) and protrudes forward relative to the front end of the cutter box (211), and the scraper (23) protrudes forward relative to the front end of the cutter box (211) by a distance less than that of the hob (21).
9. The cutter head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting tool also includes a central blade (24) disposed at the rotation center of the base (10) and extending along the radial direction. The central blade (24) is constructed as a sandwich structure formed by multiple blade layers, the arrangement direction of the multiple blade layers being perpendicular to the extension direction of the central blade.
10. The cutter head according to claim 9, characterized in that, The central blade (24) comprises two sets arranged in a cross shape.
11. The cutter head according to claim 9, characterized in that, The leading edge of the central blade (24) is formed into an inwardly concave arc-shaped structure.
12. The cutter head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting tool also includes a protective blade (25) disposed on the periphery of the base (10) and protruding relative to the periphery surface.
13. The cutter head according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each hob set has opposing hob sets arranged at 180° relative to the axis of rotation (AX1).
14. A tunneling equipment, characterized in that, The tunneling equipment has a cutterhead according to any one of claims 1 to 13.