Locking head

Abstract

The present invention relates to a locking head for extending and retracting a cylinder of a telescopic boom, comprising a housing (1) with a plurality of telescopic boom sections and at least one bolt-like cylinder locking body (2) that can be moved in and out of the housing to fix the locking head to the telescopic boom sections, and at least one bolt-like telescopic locking body (2) that can be moved in and out of the housing to release the telescopic boom sections for telescopic movement. The locking head comprises at least one electric actuator (3) designed to drive the at least one cylinder locking body and / or the at least one telescopic locking body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking head for extending and retracting a telescopic boom inside and outside, and the present invention can be used, for example, in a telescopic boom crane. Such a locking head typically has a yoke that releases a locking bolt in the telescopic boom by hydraulic drive, so that the telescopic boom or the telescopic boom portion of the telescopic boom can be unlocked and thus moved.

Background Art

[0002] Individual telescopic portions of a mobile boom are alternately extended with the assistance of telescopic cylinders and fixed to each other in the extended position. This requires a locking mechanism that can be locked and unlocked at each position.

[0003] Before the telescopic part can be moved, the telescopic part must be coupled to the locking head. For this purpose, two corresponding locks (so-called cylinder locking bodies) are moved and the two corresponding locks engage with the telescopic part. The telescopic part still coupled to the adjacent telescopic part is then unlocked by activating the corresponding unlocking mechanism. It is known from the prior art that a spring-loaded bolt is pulled by the hydraulic drive of the telescopic locking body so that the telescopic part engaging with the locking head can be extended. As a result, the locking head can move the telescopic part by means of the telescopic cylinder so that the internal telescopic part can be extended. In the extended position, the telescopic part should first be fixed again to the adjacent telescopic part. To do this, the corresponding unlocking claws driven by at least one telescopic locking body should be returned to their starting position so that the telescopic part just extended is firmly connected to the adjacent telescopic part. The cylinder lock between the locking head and the (currently extended) telescopic part can only be released again when the two adjacent telescopic parts are locked to each other. Thus, in order to move another telescopic part that has not yet been extended in the method described above, this telescopic cylinder contracts again.

[0004] The cylinder locking body or the telescopic locking body is driven using a hydraulic system that moves the corresponding body to the desired position. When the hydraulic pressure decreases, the spring element can also be used to extend or contract so that each body is retracted into or extended from the locking head.

[0005] German Utility Model No. 202015101045 describes a locking head known from the prior art, the locking body of which can be moved to the appropriate position using a hydraulic machine.

[0006] The drawback of such a locking head known from the prior art is that the locking head arranged at the movable end of the telescopic cylinder has to have various hydraulic lines that must be able to drive the telescopic locking body or the cylinder locking body as appropriate. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking head that is lighter and enables more economical operation than the realization examples known from the prior art.

[0008] This is achieved with a locking head having all the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the locking head according to the present invention are found in the dependent claims.

[0009] The locking head according to the present invention for telescoping a cylinder of a telescopic boom having a plurality of telescopic boom parts comprises a housing with at least one bolt-shaped cylinder locking body that can be inserted into and removed from the housing to fix the locking head to the telescopic boom part, and at least one bolt-shaped telescopic locking body that can be inserted into and removed from the housing to release the telescopic boom part for telescoping operation. The locking head is characterized by at least one electric actuator designed to drive at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body.

[0010] By providing an electric actuator, it is not necessary to arrange hydraulic lines required to drive the cylinder locking body or the telescopic locking body in the locking head. Thereby, the entire system becomes less expensive and lighter, which is advantageous especially in view of the continuous efforts made to use lighter parts.

[0011] According to a further development of the present invention, electric actuators can be provided for both at least one cylinder locking body and at least one telescopic locking body, respectively.

[0012] The cylinder locking body and the telescopic locking body are not necessarily driven by the same electric actuator, for example, an electric motor. Since the two locking bodies are moved alternately, only a certain type of clutch can transmit the force generated by the motor to the telescopic locking body in the first case and the cylinder locking body in the second case, which is considered here. As described above, since each of at least one cylinder locking body and at least one telescopic locking body can have its own electric actuator, it is also possible for the two respective locking bodies to be moved alternately.

[0013] According to an optional modification of the present invention, the locking head may further be provided with a spring element that biases at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body in the extending direction or the retracting direction.

[0014] Therefore, the electric actuator can be used only for storing the cylinder locking body or the telescopic locking body. As a result, the state where at least one cylinder locking body is stored (i.e., not coupled to the telescopic portion) occurs only when actively realized by energizing the electric actuator. This situation is the same for at least one telescopic locking body, and the state where the telescopic locking body is stored (the state where the coupling between a certain telescopic portion and the adjacent telescopic portion no longer exists) can also be actively changed only by energizing the electric actuator. If a malfunction occurs in the electric actuator, the spring element ensures that the telescopic locking body or the cylinder locking body remains permanently in its position with the least potential risk.

[0015] The locking head may further be provided with a magnet element, particularly an electromagnetic element, that biases at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body in the extending direction or the retracting direction.

[0016] Therefore, the magnet element can be designed to bias the cylinder locking body or the telescopic locking body in the extending direction or the retracting direction.

[0017] Alternatively, or in addition, according to the present invention, at least one electric actuator can be designed to move at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body in the retracting direction or the extending direction. Typically, if a spring element or a magnet element is provided, the electric actuator can move the telescopic locking body or the cylinder locking body only in a direction opposite to the force exerted by the spring element or the magnet element.

[0018] In addition, therefore, the element for biasing in the extending direction can be designed to move the locking body outward even when the electric actuator fails and / or when power is not supplied to the electric actuator.

[0019] This ensures that the telescopic locking body remains in its extended position so that, for example, the telescopic part is not unlocked by the adjacent telescopic part even if a malfunction occurs in the electric actuator.

[0020] Furthermore, therefore, the element for biasing in the retracting direction can be designed to move the locking body outward even when the electric actuator fails and / or when power is not supplied to the electric actuator.

[0021] This ensures that the cylinder locking body remains in its retracted position so that, for example, the locking head does not come off the telescopic part even in the case of a malfunction of the electric actuator.

[0022] According to a further variant of the present invention, hydraulic drive may not be used to move at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body.

[0023] Only the force generated by the electric actuator is used to drive the cylinder locking body or the telescopic locking body, where the operation in the opposite direction can, of course, also be generated by a spring element or a magnetic element. What is important here is that since a hydraulic device is not required for the operation, the previous techniques used in the prior art are no longer used, and the related drawbacks are overcome.

[0024] According to an optional further development of the present invention, at least one cylinder locking body and at least one telescopic locking body may have threads that engage with a spindle drive by an electric actuator. The threads extend along the outer periphery of the locking body, but are also provided on the inner periphery of the blind hole. The electric actuator can rotate the output shaft (for example, a spindle) via a gearbox or directly, and the output shaft ensures the translational movement of the locking body by engaging with the threads of the locking body.

[0025] According to the present invention, furthermore, both at least one cylinder locking body and at least one telescopic locking body can be provided, the respective axes of operation of which are not parallel to each other, preferably perpendicular to each other.

[0026] In the locking head, since the angle between the axis of operation of the cylinder locking body and the axis of operation of the telescopic locking body is typically 90°, each locking body has axes of operation that are perpendicular to each other.

[0027] Furthermore, at least two cylinder locking bodies can be provided, the respective axes of operation of which are parallel to each other, preferably coinciding with each other.

[0028] Typically, these at least two cylinder locking bodies are arranged on opposite side surfaces of the housing of the locking head. If these two cylinder locking bodies are extended, the two cylinder locking bodies move away from each other. Therefore, the directions of movement of the two cylinder locking bodies are parallel and opposite, but may be located on a common axis.

[0029] Furthermore, according to an optional variant of the present invention, at least two telescopic locking bodies whose respective axes of movement are parallel to each other may be provided.

[0030] The at least two telescopic locking bodies are arranged on a common side surface of the housing of the locking head and have parallel axes of movement. Typically, when the two telescopic locking bodies are retracted and the adjacent telescopic parts are separated from each other, a certain kind of clamp is attached between the two telescopic locking bodies so that the unlocking mechanism is released, and the movements of the two telescopic locking bodies are generally synchronized.

[0031] The present invention also relates to a telescopic cylinder having a locking head according to one of the above-described variants.

[0032] In the locking head, only an electric actuator needs to be activated to drive at least one cylinder locking body and / or at least one telescopic locking body, and preferably no hydraulic pressure is required.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] Further features, details and advantages of the present invention can be understood from the following description of the drawings.

Figure 1

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0034] FIG. 1 does not show the entire locking head, but rather shows the scope including only the locking body 2 and the mechanism for moving the locking body 2. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that both the cylinder locking body and the telescopic locking body can be driven in the same manner.

[0035] Accordingly, the locking body 2 is provided within the housing 1 and can be moved either into or out of the housing 1.

[0036] The basic structure will be described below using the cylinder locking body 2 as an example.

[0037] It can be understood that the bolt-shaped cylinder body 2 is slidably provided in the housing 1. The spring element 4 is designed such that the spring element 4 biases the cylinder locking body 2 to an extended position outward. For movement in the opposite direction, i.e., inward, an electric actuator 3 is provided that interacts with the cylinder locking body 2 by rotating a shaft 6, for example a spindle, and the actuator 3 moves the cylinder locking body 2 inward into the interior of the housing 1. For example, the cylinder locking body 2 may have a blind hole directed towards the electric actuator 3, and the blind hole has a threaded region on the inner circumference that engages a corresponding region of the shaft driven by the electric actuator 3.

[0038] The threaded region may also be provided on the outer circumference of the cylinder locking body, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the threaded region interacts with the corresponding spindle of the electric actuator 3.

[0039] Reference numeral 5 represents wiring for activating the electric actuator 3 and supplying power to the electric actuator 3, and the wiring has dimensions that are even smaller and a significantly lighter weight than the hydraulic lines used conventionally. When using hydraulic drive, it is not absolutely necessary to place the electric actuator within the locking head, but the innovative miniaturization of the electrical components and the electric actuator makes it possible to place them within the locking head, so the advantage of weight savings by eliminating the hydraulic lines more than compensates for the disadvantages of eliminating the hydraulic lines.

[0040] By having the cylinder locking body 2, the spring element 4 is designed to bias the cylinder locking body 2 outward so that, even in the case of a failure or other defect of the electric actuator 3, the cylinder locking body 2 remains in the extended position.

Claims

1. A locking head for telescoping a cylinder of a telescopic boom having a plurality of telescoping boom sections, wherein the locking head comprises a housing (1), at least one bolt-shaped cylinder locking body (2) that can be inserted into and removed from the housing (1) for fixing the locking head to the telescoping boom section, at least one bolt-shaped telescoping locking body (2) that can be inserted into and removed from the housing (1) for releasing the telescoping boom section for telescoping movement, at least one electric actuator (3) designed to drive at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2), and a magnet element that biases at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2) in an extending direction or a retracting direction. A locking head comprising the above.

2. An electric actuator (3) is provided for each of at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2). The locking head according to Claim 1.

3. The locking head according to Claim 1 or 2, further comprising a spring element (4) that biases at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2) in an extending direction or a retracting direction. The locking head according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. At least one of the electric actuators (3) is designed to move at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2) in a retracting direction or an extending direction. The locking head according to Claim 1.

5. The element for biasing in the extending direction is designed to move the cylinder locking body (2) or the telescoping locking body (2) outward even when the electric actuator (3) fails and / or when power is not supplied to the electric actuator (3). The locking head according to Claim 1.

6. Hydraulic drive is not used to move at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescoping locking bodies (2). The locking head according to Claim 1.

7. At least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and at least one of the telescopic locking bodies (2) have threads that engage a spindle drive by the electric actuator (3). The locking head according to claim 1.

8. Both at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and at least one of the telescopic locking bodies (2) are provided, each of whose operating axes is not parallel to each other. The locking head according to claim 1.

9. At least two of the cylinder locking bodies (2) are provided, each of whose operating axes is parallel to each other. The locking head according to claim 1.

10. At least two of the telescopic locking bodies (2) are provided, each of whose operating axes is parallel to each other. The locking head according to claim 1.

11. A telescopic cylinder having the locking head according to claim 1. Telescopic cylinder.

12. In the locking head, only the electric actuator (3) needs to be activated to drive at least one of the cylinder locking bodies (2) and / or at least one of the telescopic locking bodies (2). Hydraulic pressure is not required. The telescopic cylinder according to claim 11.

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