Axially Separating Drill Bucket for Efficient Material Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foundation drilling technologies lack an efficient means to drill holes, clean them out, move excavated material to the surface, separate the drill bucket from the drill head, and push the material out in a single operation, often causing machinery stress, material sticking issues, and requiring costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
The Axially Separating Drill Bucket mechanism, which includes a drill head and bucket assembly that can be raised to the surface, allows the bucket to be moved up or down to empty excavated material, using a scissor action, hydraulic, or latch mechanism to separate the drill head from the bucket, enabling simultaneous drilling and material removal with reduced stress and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate digging and cleanout buckets are used, then digging and cleaning functions are provided, but material cannot be moved to the surface efficiently and multiple operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the digging bucket and cleanout bucket into a single integrated drill bucket assembly that performs both digging and material removal functions. The bucket includes a bottom opening that can be selectively opened or closed, allowing it to both excavate material and discharge it to the surface through the same structure, eliminating the need for separate buckets and operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bucket is designed as a multi-functional device that can dig, clean, and transport material through a single unit. The bottom opening mechanism allows the same bucket to perform both excavation and discharge functions, making it a universal tool that replaces multiple specialized buckets.
2Reliability
If the drill bucket is fixed to the drill head, then structural stability is maintained, but stress and shock loads damage the machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drill bucket into separable components - the bucket body can be detached from the drill head. This segmentation allows the bucket to be removed and replaced without damaging the drill head or hydraulic equipment, reducing stress and shock loads on the machinery while maintaining structural stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bucket system transitions from a fixed connection to a dynamic, selectively separable connection. The bucket can be quickly attached and detached from the drill head based on operational needs, allowing the system to adapt between stable operation mode and maintenance mode, thereby protecting the machinery from damage.
3Productivity
If material is removed from the bucket in the hole, then the bucket can be reused, but the operation is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the material discharge function from the location inside the hole and moves it to the surface. The bucket can be raised to the surface with material, then the bottom opening is opened to discharge material at the surface level, eliminating the time-consuming process of removing material from the bucket while it is still in the hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom opening acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables rapid material discharge. By providing a controlled opening at the bottom of the bucket, material can be quickly expelled when the bucket is at the surface, facilitating faster operation cycles without requiring manual intervention inside the hole.
4Ease of operation
If the drill bucket has a hinged bottom for material removal, then material can be discharged, but the hinged mechanism gets stuck and breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex hinged mechanism entirely and replaces it with a simpler bottom opening structure. The bottom of the bucket can be opened or closed without requiring hinges, eliminating the stuck and broken hinge problems while maintaining the ability to discharge material efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom opening structure is designed to be simple and replaceable rather than complex and durable. Instead of investing in a complex hinged mechanism that requires maintenance and repair, the design uses a simpler structure that can be easily replaced if needed, reducing repair costs and operational downtime.
Data Source
AI summary
The current application provides an Axially Separating Drill Bucket for drilling large holes in the earth by which a drilling operator can perform the drilling operation with the Axially Separating Drill Bucket and remove the excavated material in one operation. The unit can be raised to the surface where the bucket portion is separated from the drill head to empty the excavated material.