Quick coupler and quick coupler system having such a quick coupler

Abstract

To provide a quick coupler system having a quick coupler for exchanging an attachment on a construction machine, with high precision and improved handling.SOLUTION: A quick coupler 1 for exchanging an attachment on a construction machine comprises: a carrier 7; first receptacles 8 arranged on one side of the carrier 7 for a first coupling element 5; second receptacles 9 arranged on the other side of the carrier 7 for a second coupling element 6; a locking device 11 movable between a release position and a locking position; a catch device 16 arranged on the carrier 7 with at least one catch hook 17 arranged pivotably on the carrier 7; and a control element 21 arranged on the catch hook 17 for pivoting the catch hook 17 independently of the locking device 11 between a folded-down exchange and catch position and a folded-up safety position of the catch hook 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a quick coupler according to the preamble of claim 1. The present invention also relates to a quick coupler system comprising such a quick coupler and an associated adapter. Such quick couplers are used for easy and convenient exchange of different attachments of construction machines, with which e.g. swing buckets, grabs, shears, compactors, magnets, hydraulic hammers or other attachments can be coupled or decoupled from e.g. the boom of an excavator in a matter of seconds from the operator's cab with high safety standards. [Background technology]

[0002] A generic quick coupler is known from DE 10 200 03 133 A1. The generic quick coupler comprises a carrier that can be mounted on the boom of an excavator, which has on one side a first receptacle with a locking device that can be moved between a release position and a locking position for holding a first coupling element provided on the attachment, and on the other side a second receptacle for holding a second coupling element spaced apart from the first coupling element. In order to prevent the attachment from falling and possibly endangering persons if the locking device is unintentionally moved to the release position, a capture device with two spaced apart capture hooks is provided on the carrier. The capture hooks are completely independent of the locking device and make it possible to safely capture the attachment and prevent it from falling even in the event of an operating error of the locking device. The capture hooks can be pivoted between a folded-down exchange and capture position and a folded-up safety position by one of the two coupling elements via a control element of the capture hook. In this way, a movement of the capture hook initiated by the attachment can be effected via the control element. No separate drive is required. In known quick couplers, the movement of the catch hook into the folded-down replacement and catch position is carried out by gravity alone, due to its own weight. However, in certain positions of the quick coupler, this can cause problems during the replacement process under certain circumstances. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] DE 10 2018 128 479 A1 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to create a compactly constructed quick coupler of the above-mentioned type and a quick coupler system comprising such a quick coupler, which allows a safe replacement process with high precision, improved maneuverability, regardless of the position of the quick coupler.

[0005] This problem is solved by a quick coupler having the features of claim 1 and by a quick coupler system having the features of claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the invention and advantageous further developments are set out in the dependent claims.

[0006] In the quick coupler according to the invention, the catch device has at least one catch hook pivotally arranged on the carrier, on which a control element is arranged for pivoting the catch hook between a folded-down exchange and catch position and a folded-up safety position independently of the locking device. The catch hook is pushed into its folded-down exchange and catch position by a reset device arranged on the carrier. This ensures that the catch hook is in its folded-down exchange and catch position, regardless of the position of the quick coupler, when an attachment is not yet coupled. In the folded-down exchange and catch position of the catch hook, the attachment can be replaced by being appropriately placed on the ground and, if necessary, the attachment can be captured in the capture position by engaging a coupling element with the catch hook and holding it on the quick coupler, while in the folded-up safety position the catch hook surrounds a receptacle for the coupling element. By folding the catch hook inwards, a particularly compact design can be achieved and the risk of collision occurrence with the attachment can be significantly reduced. The pivoting movement of the catch hook is controlled independently of the actuation of the locking device by the coupling element of the attachment coupled to the quick coupler. No additional control or actuation device is required. A catch hook damaged by improper use can also be easily replaced without the need to replace the entire carrier. There is no need to dismantle and replace the entire carrier.

[0007] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the reset device is designed as a spring assembly, which can include a bolt-shaped pressure element associated with the capturing hook and preloaded by a pressure spring, which is arranged in a bore of the carrier and can press with its upper end against the underside of the control element of the capturing hook.

[0008] The control element for moving the catch hook between the folded-down exchange and catch position and the folded-up safety position can preferably be designed as a nose-shaped drive device protruding from the catch hook and arranged in the area of ​​the second receptacle.

[0009] The capture device may include one or more capture hooks, which may be separate from each other or connected to each other. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the capture device may have two capture hooks arranged on the carrier at a distance from each other. The capture hooks are preferably arranged in a second receptacle of the carrier. The capture hooks may be actuated together or independently of each other.

[0010] In a stable design, the capture hook can be disposed in a central slot of two connecting bars protruding rearward from the carrier, allowing the capture hook to pivot about a lateral axis.

[0011] A particularly secure hold can be achieved if the catch hook surrounds the coupling element in a semicircular manner.The catch hook can have an abutment surface on its underside for contact with a front contact surface of the carrier.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a quick coupler device including the above-mentioned quick coupler and an adapter connectable to the quick coupler.

[0013] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a quick coupler system having a quick coupler and an adapter. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the quick coupler of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the quick coupler of FIG. 2 with the capture device in an open exchange position. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the quick coupler of FIG. 2 with the capture device in a closed, captured position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a quick coupler system, consisting of a quick coupler 1 and associated adapter 2, for easily and conveniently changing various attachments on a construction machine, particularly an excavator. Such a quick coupler system may be used, for example, to easily and conveniently couple or uncouple a swing bucket, grab, shear, magnet, compactor, hydraulic hammer or other mechanical or hydraulic attachment to a boom or other mounting of an excavator or other construction vehicle from the operator's cab.

[0016] The adapter 2, which can be mounted on an attachment, comprises a base plate 3 and two side plates 4 parallel to one another, between which a first bolt-shaped coupling element 5 and a second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 are arranged at a distance for releasable connection to the quick coupler 1. The two bolt-shaped coupling elements 5 and 6 may be inserted into corresponding bores in the side plates 4 and fixed therein.

[0017] The quick coupler 1, which is also shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2, comprises a carrier 7 designed as a welded structure or cast part and has a first receptacle 8 opening downwards on one side for receiving and holding a first bolt-shaped connecting element 5 and a second receptacle 9 opening towards the front on the other side for receiving and holding a second bolt-shaped connecting element 6.

[0018] In the embodiment shown, the quick coupler 1 comprises two spaced apart receptacles 8 for the first coupling elements 5 on one side of the carrier 7 and two receptacles 9 for the second coupling elements 6 on the other side. The downwardly opening first receptacles 8 have a curved lower contact surface 10 for contact with the first bolt-shaped coupling elements 5. The forward opening second receptacles 9 are claw- or fork-shaped.

[0019] To lockably hold the first coupling element 5 on the carrier 7, a locking device 11, shown in Fig. 1, is provided in the two first receptacles 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking device 11, movable between a release position and a lock position, comprises two bolt-shaped locking elements 12, which are displaceably guided in the carrier 7 and which are movable by cylinders 13 between an extended locking position, shown in Fig. 1, and a retracted release position, shown in Fig. 3, in order to release or couple the adapter 2 or the attachment. In the extended locking position, the downwardly open first receptacles 8 are closed at the bottom by the locking elements 12, which are displaceably arranged in guide bores of the carrier 7, so that the first bolt-shaped coupling element 5 is engaged below by the bolt-shaped locking elements 12.

[0020] The upper side of the carrier 7 has two parallel sides 14 with continuous openings 15 for fastening bolts (not shown) for fastening the quick coupler 1 to the connection part of an excavator boom or other construction vehicle.

[0021] To couple an attachment with the help of the quick coupler 1, which is usually arranged on the boom of an excavator, the quick coupler 1 is first moved so that the second coupling element 6 arranged on the adapter 2 or directly on the attachment is retracted into a claw- or fork-shaped receptacle 9 on one side of the quick coupler 1. Then, with the locking element 12 still retracted, the quick coupler 1 pivots about the second bolt-shaped coupling element 6 so that the first coupling element 5 of the adapter or attachment comes into contact with the contact surface 10 of the downwardly opening receptacle 8 on the other side of the quick coupler 1. The locking element 12, which is displaceably arranged in a guide bore in the carrier 7 of the quick coupler 1, can then be hydraulically extended so that the first bolt-shaped coupling element 5 is gripped downwards by the two bolt-shaped locking elements 12 of the quick coupler 1 and thus the attachment is held on the quick coupler 1.

[0022] In order to prevent an attachment coupled to the quick coupler 1 from being released from the quick coupler in case the locking element is unintentionally released due to incorrect operation or malfunction and may subsequently fall in the raised position of the quick coupler 1, an additional catch device 16 is provided on the carrier 7. The catch device 16 is designed to grip around a coupling element 6 arranged on the adapter 2 or on the attachment or to engage in the first receptacle 8. The catch device 16 is designed such that in the event of unintentional release from the coupled position, the attachment is caught in the captured position by engagement of the coupling element 6 in the catch device 16 and is thereby held in the quick coupler.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, the capture device 16 comprises two separate capture hooks 17 that are not rigidly arranged on the carrier 7 of the quick coupler 1, but are hinged to the carrier 7 via a kind of hinge so as to pivot about a transverse axis 18. The two capture hooks 17 are arranged on the two receptacles 9 and are designed so that, in case of unintentional movement of the locking element 12 to the release position, the capture hooks 17 can grip around the coupling element 6 of the adapter 2 or the attachment and capture the attachment in the capture position by the engagement of the coupling element 6 with the capture hooks 17. The pivoting arrangement allows the capture hooks 17 to move between a folded-down exchange and capture position in FIG. 3, which allows an exchange operation, and a folded-up safety position in FIG. 4, which encloses the receptacle 8. In the raised safety position shown in FIG. 4, the two receptacles 8 are completely closed by the capture hooks 17.

[0024] As can be seen particularly in Figure 2, the carrier 7 includes two rearwardly projecting, spaced apart connection bars 19 to which two capture hooks 17 are each hinged for pivotal movement about a transverse axis 18. The rearwardly projecting connection bars 19 are disposed on the carrier 7 below the receptacles 9 and each include a central slot 20 in which a capture hook 17 is each pivotally disposed.

[0025] In figures 3 and 4 it can be seen particularly well that the catch hook 17 is further provided with a control element 21 designed to be actuated by the coupling element 6. The control element 21, designed as a nose-shaped drive, is designed in such a way that in the folded-down position of the catch hook 17 it projects inwards beyond the inner contour of the receptacle 9 and in the folded-up safety position of the catch hook 17 it engages in a groove-like recess 22 of the receptacle 9 shown in figure 2, the inner contour of the receptacle 9 terminating therein. The control element 21 enables the catch hook 17 to be moved by the coupling element 6 from the folded-down exchange and catch position shown in figure 3 to the folded-up safety position shown in figure 4 when the coupling element 6 engages in the receptacle 9. The control element 21 also enables the catch hook 17 to be moved to the exchange and catch position, which allows the exchange operation, only when the coupling element 6 is correctly positioned in the catch hook 17. The two catch hooks 17 are also pushed into the folded-down exchange and catch position by a reset device.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the reset device is designed as a spring assembly. It has a bolt-shaped pressure element 24 associated with each capturing hook 17 and pretensioned by a pressure spring 23, by which the capturing hook 17 is pressed into the folded-down exchange and capturing position. The bolt-shaped pressure element 24 is arranged in a corresponding inclined bore 25 of the carrier 7 and presses with its upper end against the underside of the nose-shaped control element 21. However, the reset device can also be designed differently.

[0027] The capturing hook 17 is designed to surround the coupling element 6 in a semicircle of approximately 180°. This makes it possible to achieve a particularly secure retention in any position of the quick coupler 1. In the folded-up safety position of the capturing hook 17, the receptacle 9 is completely surrounded by the capturing hook 17 all the way to the rear. In this folded-up safety position, the capturing hook 17 also does not protrude particularly far from the carrier 7, resulting in a compact design and a significantly reduced risk of collisions occurring with attachments. The shape of the capturing hook 17 ensures a secure retention even if the coupling element 6 comes off the receptacle 9 and is captured by the capturing hook 17.

[0028] 1, the capture hook 17 has on its underside an abutment surface 26 for contact with a front contact surface 27 of the carrier 7 below the receptacle 9. In its downwardly pivoted deployed position, the capture hook 17 abuts with its abutment surface 26 against the contact surface 27 of the carrier 7, so that the capture hook 17 is held in this downward exchange and capture position. In its upwardly raised safety position, the capture hook 17 abuts with an upper contact surface 28 against a corresponding opposing surface 29 of the carrier 7.

[0029] The above-mentioned catch device 16 represents an additional safety device that can safely catch and hold the attachment even if the locking device is unintentionally released. The catch device 16 is independent of the locking device 11 and is not coupled to the locking device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Quick Coupler 2 Adapter 3 Base plate 4 Side Plate 5 First coupling element 6 Secondary Coupling Element 7. Career 8 First Receptacle 9 Second Receptacle 10 Contact surface 11 Locking device 12 Rock Elements 13 Cylinder 14 Side 15 Opening 16 Capture device 17 Grabbing Hook 18 Horizontal axis 19 Connection Bar 20 Slots 21 Control Elements 22 Recess 23 Pressure Spring 24 Pressure Elements 24 Control Elements 25 Bore 26 Contact surface 27 Contact surface 28 Upper contact surface 29 Opposite Surface

Claims

1. A quick coupler (1) for exchanging an attachment of a construction machine, comprising a carrier (7), a first receptacle (8) arranged on one side of the carrier (7) for a first coupling element (5), a second receptacle (9) arranged on the other side of the carrier (7) for a second coupling element (6), a locking device (11) associated with the first receptacle (8) and movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, and a capture device (16) arranged on the carrier (7) for capturing the attachment. a catch device (16) having at least one catch hook (17) pivotally arranged on the carrier (7) for catching the catch, and a control element (21) is arranged on the catch hook (17) for pivoting the catch hook (17) independently of the locking device (11) between a folded-down exchange and catch position and a folded-up safety position, the catch hook (17) is forced into its folded-down exchange and catch position by a reset device (23, 24), The reset device (23, 24) comprises a bolt-shaped pressure element (24) associated with the catch hook (17) and biased by a pressure spring (23), The quick coupler (1), characterized in that the bolt-shaped pressure element (24) is arranged in a bore (25) of the carrier (7) and presses with its upper end against the underside of the control element (21) of the capturing hook (17).

2. 2. The quick coupler (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the reset device (23, 24) is designed as a spring assembly.

3. 3. A quick coupler (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control element (21) is designed as a nose-shaped drive device protruding from the capturing hook (17) and arranged in the area of ​​the second receptacle (9).

4. 3. A quick coupler (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the capturing device (16) comprises two capturing hooks (17) arranged on the carrier (7) at a distance from each other.

5. 5. A quick coupler (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the capturing hook (17) is arranged in the second receptacle (9) of the carrier (7).

6. The quick coupler (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the capturing hook (17) is arranged pivotally about a transverse axis (18) of a central slot (20) of two connecting bars (19) protruding rearward from the carrier (7).

7. 5. The quick coupler (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that in the folded-up safety position of the capturing hook (17), a groove-like recess (22) is provided in the second receptacle (9) for receiving the control element (21).

8. 3. A quick coupler (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the capturing hook (17) is designed to surround the coupling element (6) in a semicircular manner.

9. 3. A quick coupler (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the capturing hook (17) has on its underside an abutment surface (26) for contact with a contact surface (27) of the carrier (7).

10. A quick coupler device comprising a quick coupler (1) and an adapter (2) which can be coupled to the quick coupler (1), characterized in that the quick coupler is designed according to claim 1 or 2.

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