Wheel bucket excavator wheel bucket mechanism material falling point blockage detection device

Abstract

A kind of wheel bucket excavator bucket wheel mechanism material falling point blockage detection device, including receiving arm, the bucket wheel mechanism being assembled in the end of receiving arm, receiving belt being assembled on receiving arm, guide chute mechanism being installed in the side of receiving belt, its technical key points are as follows: the blockage detection device is installed on the material falling point of guide chute mechanism, it includes the bucket wheel side material sliding plate and the bucket wheel opposite side guide chute baffle being equipped with mutually perpendicular and intersecting vertical chute and horizontal chute, operating lever being floatingly limited between the bucket wheel side material sliding plate and the bucket wheel opposite side guide chute baffle, first spring being arranged in vertical chute, first pressure detection switch, second pressure detection switch, second spring, controller being located in driver's room.It fundamentally solves the problem of high artificial dependence, cannot detect blockage in real time, it has the advantages of high environmental adaptability, not affected by high dust or adverse weather conditions, low false alarm rate etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to mining equipment, specifically a material blockage detection device for the material drop point of a bucket wheel mechanism in a bucket excavator. It is mainly applicable to the real-time detection and control of the material conveying process of the bucket wheel mechanism in open-pit mining operations. Background Technology

[0002] The bucket wheel mechanism of a bucket excavator uses a continuously rotating bucket to dig up materials and then transports them to downstream equipment via a feed chute. During operation, the material drop point of the feed chute often becomes clogged due to high material moisture content, high viscosity, or excessive instantaneous flow rate.

[0003] The invention patent application CN103910150A, which discloses a "hopper blockage clearing device," includes at least one set of through-beam photoelectric sensors, each set comprising a light emitting sensor and a light receiving sensor; a control circuit that determines whether the hopper is blocked based on the light signal received by the light receiving sensor from the light emitting sensor, thereby determining the output control signal to start or stop the unblocking unit; and an unblocking unit comprising a motor, at least one transmission chain, at least one pair of sprockets mounted on the bottom and top of the inner sidewall of the hopper, at least one working chain mounted around the inner and outer sides of the hopper on the pair of sprockets, and multiple scrapers mounted on the at least one working chain. The scrapers and the working chain have an acute angle greater than 0° along the direction of movement, and the working chain rotates from top to bottom inside the hopper during operation. This invention automatically detects and clears hopper blockages without human intervention.

[0004] Currently, in the scenario of material blockage detection in bucket wheel excavators, the mainstream technical solutions still rely primarily on manual inspection and photoelectric sensor detection. However, due to limitations in technical principles and application environment characteristics, these solutions have all revealed significant limitations in actual operation.

[0005] Manual inspection: There is a significant detection lag, which can easily lead to equipment operation risks.

[0006] In mining operations, bucket wheel excavators are typically widely distributed and scattered across various work sites, making it difficult for manual inspection to achieve real-time, synchronous monitoring of material blockages on multiple machines. This method relies on periodic inspections by personnel, which not only fails to cover the monitoring needs of all equipment at all times but also often results in a significant time lag between the occurrence of a blockage and its discovery by personnel. By the time the fault is detected, the blockage has usually persisted for some time, easily leading to unplanned equipment downtime and even secondary damage such as conveyor belt jamming and component wear and deformation, severely impacting the continuity of mining production and the economic efficiency of equipment operation and maintenance.

[0007] Photoelectric sensors: are severely affected by environmental interference, resulting in insufficient detection reliability.

[0008] Bucket wheel excavators typically operate in environments with high concentrations of dust, and the equipment experiences continuous vibration during operation. Irregular obstructions during material transport can also occur. Since photoelectric sensors rely on the transmission and reception of light signals, these environmental factors significantly interfere with their signal transmission: dust weakens the light signal intensity, vibration can cause sensor positioning misalignment, and temporary material obstructions can be misinterpreted as blockages. This combination of interferences results in a generally high false alarm rate for photoelectric sensors in practical applications. This increases the workload of maintenance personnel and may reduce the efficiency of responding to genuine blockages due to frequent false alarms, ultimately failing to provide reliable monitoring for stable equipment operation. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a real-time, highly reliable method for detecting material blockage, which fundamentally solves the problems of high reliance on manual methods and the inability to detect blockage in real time. It has the advantages of high environmental adaptability, being unaffected by high dust or severe weather conditions, and low false alarm rate.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a material blockage detection device for the material drop point of the bucket wheel mechanism of a bucket excavator, comprising a receiving arm, a bucket wheel mechanism assembled at the end of the receiving arm, a receiving belt assembled on the receiving arm, and a guide trough mechanism installed on the side of the receiving belt. The key technical points are: the material blockage detection device is installed at the material drop point of the guide trough mechanism, and includes a bucket wheel side chute plate and a bucket wheel opposite side guide trough baffle plate with mutually perpendicular and intersecting vertical and horizontal chutes, an operating rod with both ends floating and limited between the bucket wheel side chute plate and the bucket wheel opposite side guide trough baffle plate, a first spring disposed in the vertical chutes, a first pressure detection switch linked with the first spring, a second pressure detection switch disposed in the horizontal chutes, a second spring linked with the second pressure detection switch, and a controller located in the driver's cab; The controller includes a DC power supply, CPU, I / O module, and touch screen display unit. It supports Ethernet interface communication protocol. The controller and touch screen display unit are connected via a Category 5e shielded network cable, and are respectively connected to the first pressure detection switch and the second pressure detection switch via flame-retardant shielded BVR× control flexible cable. Under normal operating conditions, the midpoints of both ends of the operating lever are respectively embedded at the intersection of the vertical slide groove and the horizontal slide groove; The material blockage detection device at the material drop point of the bucket wheel mechanism of this bucket excavator adopts the following detection method, including the following steps: Step S1: When the material drop point starts to block, the material gradually accumulates upwards. The material pushes the operating rod to slide along the vertical slide to compress the first spring. The first spring squeezes the first pressure detection switch, and the first pressure detection switch sends a detection signal H1 back to the controller. In step S2, since the receiving belt is running continuously, if the material accumulation height does not decrease, the material moves along the running direction of the receiving belt, and the material pushes the operating rod to compress the second spring along the horizontal slide, the second spring squeezes the second pressure detection switch, and the second pressure detection switch feeds back the detection signal H2 to the controller. Step S3: If the detection signal H1 or the detection signal H2 exceeds the set threshold of 200N for 5 seconds, the controller will trigger a material blockage warning and automatically reduce the rotation speed of the bucket wheel and the receiving arm to 50% of the original speed. If the speed continues to exceed the set threshold of 200N after the speed reduction, the system will automatically send a stop command for 30 seconds.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: In terms of overall technical solution, this invention focuses on adaptability to extreme environments and detection reliability. Addressing the interference of extreme operating environments such as high dust, high vibration, and frequent material impacts in open-pit mines on the accuracy of material blockage detection, a material blockage detection system with both anti-interference capabilities and stability has been constructed. In terms of core detection logic, the shortcomings of traditional photoelectric sensors, which are easily obstructed by dust and affected by vibration offset, have been eliminated. Instead, pressure sensing detection technology is innovatively adopted as the core basis for judging material blockage. By capturing the pressure change characteristics during material conveying in real time through a pressure detection switch, when material accumulates and blocks key parts such as the receiving arm and conveyor belt, the pressure exerted by the material on the detection component will exceed a preset threshold, triggering a switch signal, thereby accurately identifying the blockage state. This fundamentally solves the industry pain points of high false alarm rate and insufficient reliability in high-dust environments.

[0012] The pressure detection switch is integrated into a customized protective cover made of high-strength wear-resistant alloy material. This cover not only provides protection against material impact and dust intrusion but also does not affect the effective transmission of pressure signals. This ensures that the detection element can maintain stable operation under long-term extreme conditions, significantly reducing equipment maintenance costs and downtime frequency.

[0013] At the data processing and control logic level, the solution constructs a closed-loop control system of "detection-acquisition-judgment-execution": the blockage signal captured by the pressure detection switch and the equipment operation data are transmitted to the controller in real time; the controller performs logical operations and comprehensive judgments on the collected multi-dimensional data through a preset algorithm model, quickly distinguishes between "normal material conveying pressure" and "abnormal blockage pressure", accurately identifies the location and severity of the blockage fault, avoids equipment misoperation due to misjudgment of a single data, and ensures the accuracy of detection and control.

[0014] In terms of specific structure, it achieves efficient control and visualized management. To ensure rapid response and accurate execution of control commands, the invention has optimized the mechanical layout: the core control element, the controller, is integrated and installed inside the driver's cab, facilitating routine maintenance and parameter debugging by operation and maintenance personnel. Furthermore, the controller allows for close-range acquisition of real-time operating data (including operating speed, load intensity, drive current, etc.) of the receiving arm and bucket wheel mechanism, as well as the status signals of various pressure detection switches. By shortening the data transmission distance, signal attenuation and interference are reduced, improving the real-time performance and accuracy of data acquisition.

[0015] Based on the collected multi-dimensional data, the controller performs real-time analysis, calculation, and logical judgment through its built-in intelligent decision-making algorithm: when a precursor to material blockage is detected in a certain part (pressure value approaching the threshold), it will output an early warning signal; when a material blockage fault is confirmed (pressure value exceeding the threshold), it will immediately generate targeted control commands based on the location and severity of the blockage, precisely adjusting the lifting angle of the receiving arm, the conveying speed, and the digging speed of the bucket wheel mechanism. Through the continuous action of "slowing down - adjusting posture - clearing blockage", the blockage problem is quickly resolved, preventing further aggravation of the blockage and serious consequences such as equipment jamming and component damage.

[0016] To achieve visualized management of equipment operation status and convenient manual intervention, the solution is equipped with a touch screen display unit. This unit synchronizes data with the controller in real time and dynamically displays two core pieces of information: first, equipment control information, including the current posture parameters of the receiving arm (lifting height, swing angle), operating speed, and control command execution data such as the digging speed and load status of the bucket wheel mechanism; second, detection status information, including the real-time pressure values ​​and working status (normal / warning / alarm) of each pressure detection switch. Simultaneously, the touch screen display unit supports manual interactive operation. When maintenance personnel need to adjust the control strategy according to the actual situation on site, they can manually modify the controller parameters through the touch screen and flexibly switch between "automatic control" and "manual control" modes, balancing intelligent and user-friendly operation needs.

[0017] Furthermore, the core components used in this invention, such as pressure sensing and intelligent controllers, are all mature industrial-grade devices, resulting in relatively low procurement and maintenance costs. Compared to traditional solutions relying on manual inspection or high-precision photoelectric sensors, this invention effectively controls costs while ensuring detection effectiveness. Based on these advantages, this invention can be widely applied to various scenarios involving bucket wheel excavators in mining operations, providing a reliable solution for upgrading and optimizing the intelligent control system of bucket wheel excavators, and possesses extremely high value for widespread application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the driver's cab in this invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the present invention in use.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The side view structural principle block diagram.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the working principle of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-5 The invention will be further described in detail with reference to the embodiments. The material blockage detection device at the material drop point of the bucket wheel mechanism of the bucket excavator includes a receiving arm 13, a bucket wheel mechanism 10 assembled at the end of the receiving arm 13, a receiving belt 12 assembled on the receiving arm 13, and a guide trough mechanism 11 installed on the side of the receiving belt 12. The material blockage detection device is installed at the material drop point of the guide trough mechanism 11. It includes a bucket wheel side chute 20 and a bucket wheel opposite side guide trough baffle 21 with mutually perpendicular and intersecting vertical chute 201 and horizontal chute 202, an operating rod 41 with both ends floating and limited between the bucket wheel side chute 20 and the bucket wheel opposite side guide trough baffle 21, a first spring 45 disposed in the vertical chute 201, a first pressure detection switch 43 linked with the first spring 45, a second pressure detection switch 44 disposed in the horizontal chute 202, a second spring 46 linked with the second pressure detection switch 44, and a controller 47 located in the driver's cab 22. The controller 47 is preferably a programmable controller, including a DC power supply, CPU, I / O modules, and a touch screen display unit 48. It supports Ethernet interface communication protocol. The controller 47 and the touch screen display unit 48 are connected via a Cat5e shielded network cable, and are respectively connected to the first pressure detection switch 43 and the second pressure detection switch 44 via flame-retardant shielded BVR10×1.5 control flexible cables. Under normal operating conditions, the midpoints of both ends of the operating lever 41 are respectively embedded at the intersection of the vertical slide groove 201 and the horizontal slide groove 202.

[0024] The operating lever 41 is made of 316L stainless steel; the springs 45 and 46 are made of 316L stainless steel with an elastic coefficient of 80~150N / mm and a stroke range of 80~120mm; the pressure detection switch preferably uses a high-precision load cell from the German HBM C2 series. The material blockage detection device at the material drop point of the bucket wheel mechanism of this bucket excavator adopts the following detection method, including the following steps: Step S1: When the material drop point starts to block, the material gradually accumulates upwards. The material pushes the operating rod 41 to slide along the vertical slide groove 201 to compress the first spring 45. The first spring 45 squeezes the first pressure detection switch 43. The first pressure detection switch 43 sends a detection signal H1 back to the controller 47. In step S2, since the receiving belt 12 is running continuously, if the material accumulation height does not decrease, the material moves along the running direction of the receiving belt 12. The material pushes the operating rod 41 to compress the second spring 46 along the horizontal slide 202. The second spring 46 squeezes the second pressure detection switch 44, and the second pressure detection switch 44 feeds back the detection signal H2 to the controller 47. Step S3: If the detection signal H1 or the detection signal H2 exceeds the set threshold of 200N for 5 seconds, the controller 47 will trigger a material blockage warning and automatically reduce the rotation speed of the bucket wheel and the receiving arm to 50% of the original speed. If the speed continues to exceed the set threshold of 200N after the speed reduction, the system will automatically send a stop command for 30 seconds.

[0025] 10 Bucket wheel mechanism, 11 Material guide chute mechanism, 12 Receiving belt, 13 Receiving arm; 20 Bucket wheel side chute, 201 Vertical chute, 202 Horizontal chute, 21 Bucket wheel opposite side guide chute baffle, 22 Driver's cab; 41 Operating lever, 42 Slide groove, 43 First pressure detection switch, 44 Second pressure detection switch, 45 First spring, 46 Second spring, 47 Controller, 48 Touch screen display unit.

Claims

1. A material blockage detection device for the bucket wheel mechanism of a bucket excavator, comprising a receiving arm (13), a bucket wheel mechanism (10) assembled at the end of the receiving arm (13), a receiving belt (12) assembled on the receiving arm (13), and a guide trough mechanism (11) installed on the side of the receiving belt (12), characterized in that: The material blockage detection device is installed at the material drop point of the guide chute mechanism (11). It includes a bucket wheel side chute plate (20) and a bucket wheel opposite side guide chute baffle (21) with vertical chute (201) and horizontal chute (202) that are perpendicular to each other and intersecting, an operating rod (41) with both ends floating and limited between the bucket wheel side chute plate (20) and the bucket wheel opposite side guide chute baffle (21), a first spring (45) set in the vertical chute (201), a first pressure detection switch (43) that is linked with the first spring (45), a second pressure detection switch (44) set in the horizontal chute (202), a second spring (46) that is linked with the second pressure detection switch (44), and a controller (47) located in the driver's cab (22). The controller (47) includes a DC power supply, CPU, I / O module, and touch screen display unit (48). It supports Ethernet interface communication protocol. The controller (47) and the touch screen display unit (48) are connected through a Category 5e shielded network cable, and are respectively connected to the first pressure detection switch (43) and the second pressure detection switch (44) through flame-retardant shielded BVR10×1.5 control flexible cable. Under normal operating conditions, the midpoints of both ends of the operating lever (41) are respectively embedded at the intersection of the vertical slide groove (201) and the horizontal slide groove (202); The material blockage detection device at the material drop point of the bucket wheel mechanism of this bucket excavator adopts the following detection method, including the following steps: Step S1: When the material drop point starts to block, the material gradually accumulates upwards. The material pushes the operating rod (41) to slide along the vertical slide groove (201) to compress the first spring (45). The first spring (45) squeezes the first pressure detection switch (43). The first pressure detection switch (43) sends a detection signal H1 to the controller (47). In step S2, since the receiving belt (12) is running continuously, if the material accumulation height does not decrease, the material moves along the running direction of the receiving belt (12), and the material pushes the operating rod (41) to compress the second spring (46) along the horizontal slide (202). The second spring (46) squeezes the second pressure detection switch (44), and the second pressure detection switch (44) feeds back the detection signal H2 to the controller (47). Step S3: If the detection signal H1 or the detection signal H2 exceeds the set threshold of 200N for 5 seconds, the controller (47) will trigger a material blockage warning and automatically reduce the rotation speed of the bucket wheel and the receiving arm to 50% of the original speed. If the speed continues to exceed the set threshold of 200N for 30 seconds after the speed reduction, the system will automatically send a shutdown command.

Images