A remote control micro excavator for cleaning material under a conveyor belt

Abstract

The application discloses a remote control type micro excavator for cleaning materials under a conveying belt. The conveying belt is used for transporting materials including ore raw materials to a concentrator when mining. The micro excavator comprises a movable arm arranged horizontally relative to a machine body, so that a bucket is arranged laterally relative to the micro excavator. Therefore, the arm and the bucket can be moved under the conveying belt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of excavator equipment technology, and more particularly to a mini excavator for cleaning materials under a conveyor belt. Background Technology

[0002] In the mining industry, it is frequently necessary to clean up material accumulated under conveyor belts. These conveyor belts transport ore-bearing raw materials to processing plants, where they are processed into concentrates and / or metal products. During transport, material may fall under the conveyor belt due to vibration and the large volume of material being transported. Because conveyor belts are typically low to the ground, cleaning up the accumulated material is not only difficult but also poses significant safety risks. Furthermore, when conveyor belts are installed in tunnels within mines, the narrowness and low ceiling of these tunnels further complicate the task of cleaning up the accumulated material.

[0003] Therefore, when cleaning up material accumulated under a conveyor belt, operational safety is paramount, and strict safety measures must be taken to prevent accidents. Standard operating procedures should be followed during the operation, including wearing close-fitting protective clothing, avoiding walking or stepping on the conveyor belt (even when it is stopped), and using lockout and interlock systems to ensure the conveyor belt operates only under safe conditions. Furthermore, the conveyor belt should be inspected regularly to promptly identify potential problems such as material buildup, belt wear, or component malfunctions, and appropriate corrective measures should be taken in a timely manner.

[0004] In the mining industry, skid-steer loaders and mini excavators are used to clear material under conveyor belts. These devices have a low overall height, allowing them to access or approach the area beneath the conveyor belt. For example, equipment for clearing material under conveyor belts is disclosed on the website https: / / www.robotika.cl / aseo / aseo.html. A low-profile, remote-controlled skid-steer loader is disclosed on the website https: / / www.induambiente.com / actualidad / economia-circular / revolucion-en-limpieza.

[0005] Chilean patent document CL70066 discloses a method and system for clearing accumulated material on the ground in tunnels or confined spaces during mining or similar operations. The method first uses a mini excavator to break the accumulated material into smaller pieces, then uses a skid steer loader to collect the broken material, which is then loaded onto a mobile stacker, which transports the material from the hopper to the main conveyor belt of the tunnel operation system. However, the document points out that material not only falls under the conveyor belt but also scatters in the vicinity of it.

[0006] US Patent 4049139 discloses an excavator including a support member connected to a frame via a drive mechanism and capable of horizontal rotation relative to the frame. A boom is pivotally mounted on the support member and achieves horizontal rotation relative to the support member via a first hydraulic swing motor. A digging arm assembly is pivotally mounted on the boom and achieves vertical swing relative to the boom via a hydraulic cylinder connected between the two. The digging arm assembly includes a bracket. A digging arm is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and a bucket is mounted at the lower end of the digging arm. A second hydraulic swing motor is connected between the bracket and the digging arm. The second hydraulic swing motor is used to selectively drive the digging arm to rotate.

[0007] US Patent 4808061 discloses an excavator structure in which a single-arm bucket boom is operably and detachably connected to a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is mounted on the boom assembly of a cantilever loader mounted on a tractor. Because the boom assembly pivots from the rear of the tractor, while the single-arm excavator extends forward toward the tractor, the tractor can support the cantilever load. This excavator structure significantly reduces equipment weight and structural complexity, allowing the tractor to travel during excavation operations. The single-arm bucket boom can also rotate to a position nearly perpendicular to the tractor's direction of travel.

[0008] British Patent GB2243141 discloses an excavator comprising a slewing platform located on the side of the cab and a boom assembly connected to the slewing platform. The boom assembly includes a boom connected to the slewing platform, a horizontal movement mechanism connected to the boom, a stick connected to the horizontal movement mechanism, and a bucket connected to the front end of the stick. The excavator is equipped with multiple angle sensors used to detect the angular relationships between the components of the boom assembly, thereby determining the overall posture of the boom assembly. Based on the detection signals output by each angle sensor, the control system can control the boom assembly to retract to prevent it from colliding with the cab and can effectively guide the boom assembly into the range of the slewing platform. The control system will restrict the movement of the bucket, boom, and movement mechanism when any of the following conditions are met: (i) the bucket is located in a lateral danger zone and the stick is located in a forward danger zone; (ii) both the bucket and the stick are located within a restricted area to prevent digging operations; and (iii) when both the boom and the stick are located within the restricted area and the bucket is located in front of the cab, upward movement of the boom is prevented.

[0009] Various low-profile excavators and loaders capable of remote control operation have been disclosed in the prior art. However, none of the aforementioned prior art discloses a mini excavator with the same structural configuration as this application, which is capable of operating under a conveyor belt at an extremely low height.

[0010] Application content The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a low-profile mini excavator capable of clearing materials accumulated under the conveyor belt during mining operations. The mini excavator is characterized by safety, reliability, and robust structure, and ensures the personal safety of operators performing material clearing, avoiding the need for operators to enter under the conveyor belt for manual clearing.

[0011] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a low-profile remote-controlled mini excavator, including a boom that is horizontally positioned relative to the machine body, such that the bucket is arranged laterally relative to the mini excavator.

[0012] The above-mentioned technical solution does not exist in the existing technology. It not only significantly improves the cleaning efficiency of materials under the conveyor belt, but also enables operators to complete the cleaning operation through remote control, thereby further improving the safety of the operation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is installed horizontally and the bucket is arranged laterally.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in a raised state and kept horizontal.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in a lowered state and kept horizontal so as to enter under the conveyor belt.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the robotic arm that constitutes the boom, wherein the robotic arm is in a horizontally extended state.

[0017] Figure 5 A perspective view of the robotic arm constituting the boom, wherein the robotic arm is in a horizontally bent state to facilitate operation under the conveyor belt and to allow the bucket to enter the work area from the side.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the boom of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in an extended state and the bucket is clearing material from under the conveyor belt.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the boom of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in an extended and raised state.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the boom of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in the retracted and lowered position.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the boom of the mini excavator described in this application, wherein the boom is in an extended state and is located at a low position nearly parallel to the ground. Detailed Implementation

[0022] This embodiment provides a remote-controlled mini excavator for clearing materials accumulated under a conveyor belt. Exemplarily, the conveyor belt is used in the mining industry to transport materials, including ore raw materials, to a processing plant.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the mini excavator 1 includes a body 2, inside which a drive motor is installed. The drive motor drives the walking mechanism, i.e., the tracks 4, and provides power to the hydraulic system 5. A mechanical arm forming the boom 6 is provided at the front end of the body 2.

[0024] The boom 6 is horizontally and pivotally connected to the lower front part 7 of the machine body 2 via a connecting structure 8. The connecting structure 8 includes a central structure 9. A first rod 10 with a circular cross-section is provided in the middle of the central structure 9. The connecting structure 8 also includes a second rod 11 with a circular cross-section, which allows the boom 6 to pivot upward or downward relative to the lower front part 7 of the machine body 2. A bucket 14 is provided at the front end of the boom 6, and the bucket 14 is arranged laterally relative to the machine body 2.

[0025] A support structure 12 is provided on the surface of the lower part 7 at the front end of the body 2. The support structure 12 is composed of two parallel plates. The two plates are connected by a third rod. The cross-section of the third rod is circular, and the front end of the lifting plunger 13 of the boom 6 is connected to the third rod of the connecting structure 8. Therefore, when the lifting plunger 13 is activated, the entire boom 6 can be raised or lowered relative to the body 2 of the mini excavator 1. When the boom 6 is lowered, it can be lowered to the ground position. At this time, by swinging the boom 6, the bucket 14 can be extended under the conveyor belt 15.

[0026] Figure 1 The lifting plunger 13 shown is in the retracted state, and the boom 6 is in the raised position. Figure 2 The lifting plunger 13 shown is in the extended position, at which time the boom 6 is lowered to a position close to the ground.

[0027] The robotic arm constituting the boom 6 is basically similar to the structure in the prior art, including three parts: rear section 16, middle section 17 and front section 19.

[0028] A middle structure 20 is provided in the middle of the front section 19, and a front plunger 21 and a rear plunger 22 are respectively provided in the middle structure 20 extending forward and backward.

[0029] When the front plunger 21 is working, the entire boom 6 can move in a direction that is basically parallel to the ground, that is, the boom 6 can swing in an arc parallel to the ground relative to the fuselage 2.

[0030] The rear plunger 22 is used to drive the front section 19 to rotate about the middle section 17 relative to the rear section 16, the middle section 17 being used to connect the rear section 16 and the front section 19 of the boom 6.

[0031] Figure 3 The rear plunger 22 shown is in the retracted state, and the boom 6 is in the extended state, that is, the front section 19 and the rear section 16 are basically aligned. Figure 5 The rear plunger 22 is in the extended state, and the boom 6 is in the bent state, that is, the front section 19 rotates relative to the rear section 16.

[0032] Both of the aforementioned movements enable the bucket 14 to extend under the conveyor belt 15 for operation. In other words, the boom 6 in this application primarily drives the bucket 14 to move laterally, unlike the conventional excavator where the bucket primarily moves vertically.

[0033] The bucket 14 is rotatably connected to the front end 23 of the front section 19 of the boom 6 via a hinge structure 24. A drive plunger 25 is provided on the front section 19 of the boom 6, which drives the hinge structure 24 to rotate the bucket 14. Since the bucket 14 is mounted on the side of the boom 6, when the bucket 14 swings, it can drag material located below the conveyor belt 15, thereby completing the cleaning of the material below the conveyor belt 15.

[0034] A radio signal receiver 26 is located near the hydraulic system 5. The radio signal receiver 26 is used to receive control signals sent by the remote control transmitter, thereby enabling remote control of the mini excavator.

Claims

1. A remote-controlled mini excavator for cleaning materials under a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being used to transport materials, including ore raw materials, to a mineral processing plant during mining, the mini excavator being able to clean materials under the conveyor belt to provide safe working conditions for personnel remotely operating the mini excavator (1), the mini excavator including a body (2), the body (2) having a drive motor inside, the drive motor being used to drive tracks (4) to move and provide power to a hydraulic device (5); characterized in that: The front end of the fuselage (2) is provided with a mechanical arm that constitutes a boom (6). The boom (6) is horizontally and pivotally connected to the lower part (7) of the front end of the fuselage (2) through a connecting structure (8). The connecting structure (8) includes a central structure (9). A first rod (10) is provided in the middle of the central structure (9). The cross-section of the first rod (10) is circular. The connecting structure (8) also includes a second rod (11), the second rod (11) has a circular cross-section, and the second rod (11) enables the boom (6) to pivot upward or downward relative to the lower part (7) of the front end of the fuselage (2); The boom (6) is provided with a bucket (14) at its front end, and the bucket (14) is arranged laterally relative to the machine body (2); The lower part (7) at the front end of the fuselage (2) is provided with a support structure (12). The support structure (12) is composed of two parallel plates connected by a third rod. The cross-section of the third rod is circular, and the lifting plunger (13) of the boom (6) is installed on the third rod.

2. The remote-controlled mini excavator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the lifting plunger (13) is connected to the first rod (10) of the connecting structure (8). When the lifting plunger (13) moves, the boom (6) rises or falls relative to the body (2) of the mini excavator (1), so that the boom (6) can fall to the ground position when it falls.

3. The remote-controlled mini excavator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robotic arm constituting the boom (6) includes a rear section (16), a middle section (17), and a front section (19).

4. The remote-controlled mini excavator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The middle section of the front segment (19) is provided with an intermediate structure (20), and the intermediate structure (20) extends forward and backward respectively to provide a front plunger (21) and a rear plunger (22).

5. The remote-controlled or remotely operated mini excavator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bucket (14) is rotatably connected to the front end (23) of the front section (19) of the boom (6) via a hinge structure (24).

6. The remote-controlled mini excavator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front section (19) of the boom (6) is provided with a drive plunger (25), which is used to drive the articulated structure (24) to rotate the bucket (14). Since the bucket (14) is installed on the side of the boom (6), the bucket (14) can swing to drag the material located below the conveyor belt (15), thereby cleaning the material located below the conveyor belt (15).

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