Adapter Guide Area Design for Construction Machine Quick Couplers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing quick-change systems for construction machines lack effective guidance and positioning between the adapter and the quick coupler, leading to potential damage from operational vibrations and inefficiencies in power transmission.

Innovation Solution

The adapter features cylindrical coupling elements with slimmer areas for engagement and an enlarged guide area, providing additional guidance and positioning, while the quick coupler includes recessed areas and lateral guide surfaces for precise alignment, along with form-fitting elements for secure coupling, ensuring improved safety and power transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If coupling elements have uniform diameter throughout their length, then manufacturing is simple, but guidance and positioning between adapter and quick coupler is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance and positioning precisionVSAvoidcoupling element structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling element features a localized guide area with enlarged cross-section between the coupling areas, creating different structural properties in different zones. This local quality change provides improved guidance and positioning functionality without requiring the entire coupling element to be complex, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and positioning precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If coupling elements have enlarged guide area, then guidance and power transmission are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance and power transmissionVSAvoidcoupling element fabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling element's cross-sectional parameter (diameter) is changed locally in the guide area to create an enlarged section. This parameter change provides the necessary guidance and power transmission improvement while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using conventional processes, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If coupling elements are simple cylindrical shapes, then manufacturing is easy, but operational vibrations cause damage and power transmission is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling element productionVSAvoidvibration damage and power transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By introducing a localized guide area with enlarged cross-section in the coupling element, the structure gains improved vibration resistance and power transmission capability in the critical guide area, while the rest of the coupling element maintains its simple cylindrical shape for easy manufacture. This resolves the contradiction between manufacturing ease and resistance to harmful vibration effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3502355B1Adapter, quick coupling and quick coupling system
Publication Date: 2023.02.08 OILQUICK DEUT KG
  • EP3502355B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3502355B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3502355B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to an adapter (1) for a quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, which includes coupling elements (5, 6) arranged at a predetermined distance from each other between two side plates (4) for connecting the adapter (1) to a quick coupler (2). According to the invention, at least one of the two coupling elements (5, 6) includes two spaced-apart, slimmer coupling areas (16, 21) for engaging with corresponding receptacles (9, 11) of the quick coupler (2) and an intermediate guide area (17, 22) with a cross-section larger than that of the coupling areas (16, 21). The invention also relates to a quick coupler belonging to the adapter and a quick-change system with such an adapter and quick coupler.