Asymmetric Excavator Blade Design for Efficient Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bulldozer blades face inefficiencies in excavation due to the need for frequent tilting to retain material, inferior cutting ability, and uneven loading capacity, leading to increased fuel consumption and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A blade design with a central penetration edge and angled side edges that allows for efficient use of both tracks, reducing loading time and increasing fill capacity, featuring a concave front face and gusseted side walls to direct material outward and enhance cutting performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the blade uses a straight front edge perpendicular to the direction of movement, then the blade structure is simple, but the cutting ability is inferior and loading efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The blade front edge is segmented into a central section and two side sections, each with different geometries optimized for specific functions. The central section has a pointed configuration for penetration, while the side sections are angled for material guidance, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and loading efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the blade front edge are given different local qualities: the central section has a pointed geometry for cutting penetration, while the side sections have angled geometries for material guidance. This local differentiation improves loading efficiency without significantly complicating the overall blade structure.
2Reliability
If the blade is tilted upwardly to retain material, then material retention is improved, but the blade cannot effectively engage the ground surface
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed to dynamically change its tilt angle during operation. It tilts downward for ground engagement during penetration, then tilts upward for material retention during loading. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between material retention and ground engagement ability.
3Force
If the blade uses corner tips for penetration, then penetration is achieved, but the dozer turns towards the corner tip and requires steering clutch intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The blade front edge uses asymmetric geometry with a central pointed section for penetration rather than symmetric corner tips. This asymmetric design concentrates penetration force at the center, preventing dozer turning and eliminating the need for steering clutch intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between penetration capability and steering control.
4Speed
If the blade moves forward without tilting upward, then continuous movement is maintained, but material escapes beyond each edge of the blade
Solution Approach 1:
The blade operation uses periodic action with alternating phases: moving forward for excavation, then tilting upward for material retention. This periodic cycle maintains continuous movement while preventing material escape, resolving the contradiction between speed and material retention.
Data Source
AI summary
An alternative blade assembly for an excavating apparatus comprising a front face, side walls, a centre forward edge portion, side forward edge portions on either side of the centre forward edge and end forward edges at each distal side of the side forward edges, wherein the end forward edges have bottom edges which are lower than the bottom edge of the centre forward edge.