Quick-change system and adapter for such a quick-change system

Abstract

The invention relates to a quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, comprising a quick coupler (1) and an adapter (2) that can be coupled to the quick coupler (1), wherein the adapter (2) includes coupling elements (5, 6) arranged at a predetermined distance from each other between two side walls (4), and the quick coupler (1) includes a carrier (10), first receptacles (14) arranged on one side of the carrier (10) for receiving the first coupling element (5), second receptacles (15) arranged on the other side of the carrier (10) for receiving the second coupling element (6), and a locking device (16) with at least one locking element (17) movable by means of a drive (18, 21) between a release position and a locking position for locking the second bolt-shaped coupling element (6) on the second receptacles (15).The quick-change system includes a mechanical locking device (9) that interacts with the locking device (16) of the quick-changer (1) and has at least one locking element (25) that can be moved into a locking position to block the at least one locking element (17) in the locking position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a quick-change system according to the preamble of patent claim 1. The invention also relates to an adapter for such a quick-change system.

[0002] Such quick-change systems are used for the simple and convenient changing of different attachments on construction machinery. They allow, for example, swivel buckets, grapples, shears, compactors, magnets, hydraulic hammers or other attachments to be coupled and uncoupled from, for example, the boom of an excavator in just a few seconds and with a high level of safety from a driver's cab. They usually contain an adapter on the attachment side and a quick coupler arranged on the construction machine, which has, for example, claw-shaped first receptacles on one side for holding a first coupling element arranged on the adapter and, on the other side, second receptacles with at least one locking element that can be moved between a release position and a locking position for releasably holding a second coupling element arranged on the adapter.

[0003] A generic quick-change system is known from DE 10 2018 128 479 A1. This comprises a quick-change system that has claw-shaped first receptacles for a first coupling element on one side of a carrier and second receptacles on the other side of the carrier with at least one locking element movable between a release position and a locking position for releasably holding a second coupling element. An adapter belonging to the quick-change system has two bolt-shaped coupling elements arranged between parallel sidecars at a predetermined distance from each other for connecting the adapter to the quick-change system.

[0004] With such quick-change systems, it is necessary to prevent, as far as possible, any unintentional detachment of the adapter from the quick-change system due to operating errors or a technical defect in order to prevent the attachments from falling and thus potentially endangering people.

[0005] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a quick-change system and an adapter for such a quick-change system, in which an unintentional release of the adapter from a quick changer can be avoided and thus safety can be increased.

[0006] This object is achieved by a quick-change system having the features of claim 1 and by an adapter having the features of claim 6. Appropriate embodiments and advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0007] The quick-change system according to the invention for changing attachments on a construction machine comprises a quick-change device and an adapter which can be coupled to the quick-change device, the adapter comprising coupling elements arranged between two side walls at a predetermined distance from one another, and the quick-change device comprising a carrier, first receptacles arranged on one side of the carrier for receiving the first coupling element, second receptacles arranged on the other side of the carrier for receiving the second coupling element, and a locking device with at least one locking element which can be moved by means of a drive between a release position and a locking position for lockingly holding the second bolt-shaped coupling element on the second receptacles.The quick-change system is characterized by a mechanical safety device which interacts with the locking device of the quick-change system and which contains at least one locking element which can be moved into a locking position for blocking the at least one locking element in the locking position.

[0008] The additional safety feature locks the locking mechanism in the locked position, reliably preventing unintentional movement of the locking mechanism due to incorrect operation or a malfunction. This provides mechanical security for the locking mechanism in the locked position, independent of separate drives. This prevents an attachment correctly connected to the quick coupler via the adapter from accidentally detaching. This prevents endangering people or damaging objects, significantly improving occupational safety.

[0009] In a practical embodiment, the at least one locking element can have a U-shaped cross-section for engaging over a piston rod of the drive of the locking device, which is preferably designed as a piston-cylinder drive. This allows the locking element to engage over a piston rod and be pushed between the carrier and a housing to prevent movement of the locking elements into a release position and opening of the quick coupler.

[0010] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the mechanical safety device can contain two locking elements connected to one another, which can be moved between the locking position for blocking two bolt-shaped locking elements in an extended locking position and a release position enabling the displacement of the two bolt-shaped locking elements between the extended locking position and a retracted release position.

[0011] For joint operation of the two locking elements, they can be conveniently connected to each other by a connecting rod.

[0012] The mechanical safety device is preferably integrated into the adapter. However, it could also be located in the quick coupler or be designed as a separate, deployable unit.

[0013] The invention also relates to an adapter for a quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, which adapter contains coupling elements arranged between two side walls at a predetermined distance from one another for coupling to a quick coupler provided with a locking device and a mechanical safety device which has at least one locking element movable on the inside of a side wall between a lowered release position and a raised locking position for blocking at least one locking element of the locking device.

[0014] In a particularly stable and safe design, the mechanical safety device contains two locking elements, preferably with a U-shaped cross-section, arranged on the inside of the two side cheeks and connected to each other, which can be moved by hand between the lowered release position and the raised locking position.

[0015] The two locking elements are conveniently located on actuating elements that protrude outward from the side walls through slot-shaped openings. This allows the locking elements to be manually moved from the release to the locked position even if the adapter is not accessible from below due to a base plate or an attachment attached to the adapter. The actuating elements that protrude outward from the side walls also make the position of the locking elements easily recognizable from the outside.

[0016] A locking device for securing the two locking elements in both the lowered release position and the raised locking position can also be arranged on at least one side panel. The locking device can include a locking pin that can be inserted through through holes in at least one retaining web on the side panel and a through hole in the actuating element. The locking pin can be secured by a locking pin.

[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. They show: Figure 1 a quick-change system with a quick coupler and an adapter in an unlocked position; Figure 2 a cross-section of the quick-change system in the unlocked position of Figure 1 ; Figure 3a quick-change system with a quick coupler and an adapter in a secured position; Figure 4 a cross-section of the quick-change system in the secured position of Figure 3 ; Figure 5 an adapter with a safety catch in a lowered release position; Figure 6 a detailed view A of the adapter from Figure 5 ; Figure 7 an adapter with a safety device in a raised safety position and Figure 8 a detailed view B of the adapter from Figure 7 .

[0018] In Figure 1An embodiment of a quick-change system with a quick-change system 1 and an adapter 2 that can be coupled to the quick-change system 1 for easily changing attachments on vehicles, in particular construction machinery, is shown in a coupled position. With such a quick-change system, tilting buckets, grapples, shears, magnets, compactors, hydraulic hammers, or other attachments can be easily and conveniently coupled to or uncoupled from a boom or other attachment of a construction vehicle from a driver's cab.

[0019] The adapter 2, which can be attached to an attachment or integrated into the attachment, contains a support body consisting of a base plate 3 and two side parts 4 with two coupling elements 5 and 6 spaced apart from one another. The coupling elements 5 and 6, which serve for the connection to the quick coupler 1, are arranged between the two side parts 4 which are parallel to one another, arranged at right angles to the base plate 3 and spaced apart from one another. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a bolt-shaped first coupling element 5 and a bolt-shaped second coupling element 6, arranged at a predetermined distance therefrom, are provided between the two cheek-shaped side parts 4 of the support body for the detachable connection to the quick coupler 1. The two bolt-shaped coupling elements 5 and 6 are inserted with their respective ends into corresponding bores 7 and 8 in the two side parts 4 of the adapter 2 and fixed there.The adapter 2 is also provided with a mechanical safety device 9, which will be explained in more detail below, to prevent accidental opening of the quick coupler 1.

[0020] The quick coupler 1, which can be mounted, for example, on a boom of an excavator, contains a carrier 10 with two parallel side parts 11, in which continuous receiving openings 12 for fastening bolts 13 are provided for fastening the quick coupler 1 to a boom of an excavator or a connecting part of another construction vehicle.

[0021] As from Figure 2As can be seen, the quick coupler 1 has, on one side of the carrier 10, claw-shaped or fork-shaped first receptacles 14, which are open towards the front, for receiving and holding the first bolt-shaped coupling element 5, and, on the other side, second receptacles 15, which are open towards the rear and downwards, for receiving the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6. Also provided on the quick coupler 1 is a locking device 16 with two locking elements 17, which can be moved by means of a drive between a release position and a locking position, for lockingly holding the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6.

[0022] In the embodiment shown, the locking elements 17 consist of two locking bolts parallel to one another, which are guided displaceably in guide holes within the carrier 10 and can be moved by a drive between a retracted release position and a Figure 2In the extended locking position shown in Figure 2 In the extended locking position shown, the downwardly open second receptacles 15 are closed by the bolt-shaped locking elements 16 on the underside, so that the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 is engaged by the bolt-shaped locking elements 16 and the adapter 2 can be held on the quick coupler 1. Instead of two bolt-shaped locking elements 17, only one locking element could be provided.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, the drive, designated as the H-cylinder, for displacing the locking element 17 of the locking device is designed as a hydraulic cylinder-piston drive with two hydraulic pistons arranged within an H-shaped housing 18. The H-shaped housing 18 contains two parallel outer parts 20 connected to one another via a central part 19, in which pressure chambers are arranged for accommodating two parallel hydraulic pistons with outwardly projecting piston rods 21. Figure 2one of the piston rods 21 of the hydraulic pistons arranged in the two outer parts 20 of the housing 10 is shown. On the two mutually parallel outer parts 20 of the H-shaped housing 18, on the side opposite the two piston rods 21, a bolt-shaped locking element 17 is arranged for lockingly holding the second coupling element 6. The piston rods 21 are fixed with their free outer ends to the carrier 10, so that the H-shaped housing 18 with the bolt-shaped locking elements 16 arranged thereon can be locked by appropriate pressure application to the pressure chambers arranged within the two outer parts 20 of the housing 18 between the Figure 2 shown locking position and a retracted release or change position. In the locking position of Figure 2the bolt-shaped locking elements 16 are extended and engage under the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 to lock the adapter 2.

[0024] To couple the adapter 2 to the quick coupler 1, the quick coupler 1, which is usually arranged on the boom of an excavator, is first moved such that the first bolt-shaped coupling element 5 on the adapter 2 is retracted into the claw-shaped first receptacles 14 on one side of the quick coupler 1. Then, with the locking elements 16 still retracted, the quick coupler 1 is pivoted about the first bolt-shaped coupling element 5 such that the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 on the adapter 2 comes to rest on the contact surfaces of the downwardly open receptacles 15 on the other side of the quick coupler 1.Subsequently, the locking elements 16 arranged displaceably in the carrier 10 of the quick coupler 1 can be extended by the actuator 17, so that the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 on the adapter 2 is engaged under by the two bolt-shaped locking elements 16 on the quick coupler 1 and the adapter 2 is thus held on the quick coupler 1.

[0025] To prevent an attachment connected to the quick coupler 1 via the adapter 2 from detaching from the quick coupler 1 in the event of an unintentional release of the locking elements 16 due to incorrect operation or malfunctions of the actuator 17 and then possibly falling down in a raised position of the quick coupler 1, a mechanical fall protection device is provided on the adapter 2. The fall protection device is designed to engage around the coupling element 5 arranged on the adapter 2 or the attachment and engaging with the first receptacles 14.

[0026] In the embodiment shown, the fall protection device comprises two separate catch hooks 22, which are not rigidly arranged on the carrier 10 of the quick coupler 1, but are pivotally connected to the carrier 10 via a type of hinge about a transverse axis 23. The two catch hooks 22 are arranged on the two receptacles 14 and are designed such that they engage around a coupling element 5 on the adapter 2 or an attachment and can catch the attachment in a catch position in the event of an unintentional movement of the locking elements 16 into a release position by engagement of the coupling element 5 on the catch hook 22. Due to the pivoting arrangement, the catch hooks 22 can be moved between a Figure 2 shown, the holder 14 completely enclosing the folded-up safety position and a folded-down change and catch position enabling the change process.

[0027] A nose-shaped control element 24 is arranged on the catch hook 22, which interacts with the coupling element 5 on the adapter 2 and pivots the catch hook 22 between the folded-down change and catch position and the folded-up safety position, independent of the locking device. A reset device arranged on the carrier pushes the catch hook 22 into its folded-down change and catch position. This ensures that the catch hook 22 is securely in its folded-down change and catch position when the attachment is not yet coupled, regardless of the position of the quick coupler 1.In the folded-down change and catch position of the catch hooks 22, an attachment can be changed by placing it on the ground accordingly and, if necessary, can be caught in a catch position by engagement of the coupling element 5 on the catch hooks 22 and thus held on the quick coupler 1, while the catch hooks 22 completely enclose the receptacles 14 for the coupling element 5 in the folded-up securing position.

[0028] In the Figures 5 to 8 The adapter 2 is shown with the mechanical safety device 9 in a lowered release position and a raised locking position. The mechanical safety device 9 contains two parallel clamp-shaped locking elements 25, which are arranged on the inside of the two side walls 4 between a Figures 5 and 6 shown lowered release position and one in the Figures 7 and 8shown raised locking position. The two locking elements 25, which are U-shaped in cross-section, are designed such that in the raised locking position they engage over the two piston rods 21 and can be pushed between the carrier 10 and the housing 18 of the drive. This prevents displacement of the housing 18 with the bolt-shaped locking elements 17 arranged thereon into a retracted release or change position. In the raised securing position, the two locking elements 25 thus block the housing 18 with the locking elements 17 arranged thereon in the locking position. This prevents unintentional opening of the quick coupler 1 and ensures that a properly coupled adapter 2 is securely held on the quick coupler 1.

[0029] As is particularly evident from the Figures 7 and 8As can be seen, the two clamp-shaped locking elements 25 are arranged on angular actuating elements 27 which protrude through slot-shaped openings 26 in the side walls 4 of the adapter 2 and project outwards relative to the side walls 4. The two actuating elements 27 have angular outer parts 28 which project outwards relative to the side walls 4 and are connected to one another by a connecting rod 29. The locking elements 25 can be manually removed from the Figure 8 shown raised locking position against the force of a spring arrangement 30 into the Figure 6 shown lowered release position must be pressed.

[0030] In order to be able to secure the locking elements 25 both in the raised securing position and in the lowered release position, a Figure 1A visible through-hole 31 is provided for the insertion of a locking pin 32. To the right and left of the outer part 28, on the outside of the two side cheeks 4, there are outwardly projecting retaining webs 33 and 34 with upper and lower through-holes 35 and 36 for the insertion of the locking pin 32. The locking pin 32 and the retaining webs 33 and 34 form a locking device for securing the two locking elements 25 both in the lowered release position and in the raised locking position. The locking pin 32 can be secured by a locking pin 37 designed as a spring pin. The locking pin 32 and the locking pin 37 can be secured against loss with a wire rope on the adapter 2. List of reference symbols

[0031] 1 Quick coupler 2 Adapter 3 Base plate 4 Side cheek 5 First coupling element 6 Second coupling element 7 Bore 8 Bore 9 Locking device 10 Support 11 Side part 12 Receptacle opening 13 Fastening bolt 14 First receptacle 15 Second receptacle 16 Locking element 17 Actuator 18 Housing 19 Middle part 20 Outer part 21 Piston rod 22 Catch hook 23 Cross axis 24 Control element 25 Locking element 26 Opening 27 Actuating element 28 Outer part 29 Connecting rod 30 Spring arrangement 31 Through hole 32 Locking pin 33 Retaining web 34 Retaining web 35 Upper through hole 36 Lower through hole 37 Locking pin

Claims

1. A quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, comprising a quick-change system (1) and an adapter (2) that can be coupled to the quick-change system (1), wherein the adapter (2) comprises coupling elements (5, 6) arranged between two side walls (4) at a predetermined distance from one another, and the quick-change system (1) comprises a carrier (10), first receptacles (14) arranged on one side of the carrier (10) for receiving the first coupling element (5), second receptacles (15) arranged on the other side of the carrier (10) for receiving the second coupling element (6), and a locking device (16) with at least one locking element (17) that can be moved by means of a drive (18, 21) between a release position and a locking position for lockingly holding the second bolt-shaped coupling element (6) on the second receptacles (15), characterized bya mechanical safety device (9) which interacts with the locking device (16) of the quick changer (1) and which contains at least one locking element (25) which can be moved into a locking position for blocking the at least one locking element (17) in the locking position.

2. Quick-change system according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one locking element (25) has a U-shaped cross-section for engaging over a piston rod (21) of the drive (18, 21) of the locking device.

3. Quick-change system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thatthe mechanical safety device (9) contains two interconnected locking elements (25) which are movable between the locking position for blocking two bolt-shaped locking elements (16) in an extended locking position and a release position enabling the displacement of the two bolt-shaped locking elements (16) between the extended locking position and a retracted release position.

4. Quick-change system according to claim 3, characterized in that the two locking elements (25) are connected to each other by a connecting rod (29).

5. Quick-change system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mechanical safety device (9) is integrated into the adapter (2).

6. Adapter (2) for a quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, which contains coupling elements (5, 6) arranged between two side walls (4) at a predetermined distance from one another for coupling to a quick-change device (1) provided with a locking device (16), characterized by a mechanical safety device (9) which contains at least one locking element (25) which is movable on the inside of a side cheek (4) between a lowered release position and a raised locking position for blocking at least one locking element (17) of the locking device (16).

7. Adapter (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking element (25) has a U-shaped cross-section.

8. Adapter (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in thatthe mechanical safety device (9) contains two locking elements (25) arranged on the inner sides of the two side cheeks (4) and connected to one another, which can be moved between the lowered release position and the raised locking position.

9. Adapter (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that the two locking elements (25) are arranged on actuating elements (27) which project through slot-shaped openings (26) in the side cheeks (4) and project outwards relative to the side cheeks (4).

10. Adapter (2) according to claim 9, characterized in that a locking device (32, 33, 34) for securing the two locking elements (25) in both the lowered release position and the raised locking position is arranged on at least one side cheek (4).

11. Adapter (2) according to claim 10, characterized in thatthe locking device (32, 33, 34) contains a locking bolt (32) which can be inserted through through holes (35, 36) in at least one holding web (33, 34) on the side cheek (4) and a through hole (28) in the actuating element (27).

12. Adapter (2) according to claim 11, characterized in that the locking bolt (32) is secured by a locking pin (37).

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