Backhoe Coupler Safety Lock Prevents Accidental Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing couplers for construction equipment lack sufficient safety features to prevent accidental decoupling, which can lead to equipment failure and operator errors.
Innovation Solution
A coupler design featuring a frame with upper and lower portions, including movable safety locks and lock arms that engage and disengage with attachment pins, utilizing a hydraulic actuator to control the locking mechanism, allowing for secure attachment and detachment by pivoting the coupler relative to the equipment arm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple hook design is used for attachment connection, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability is insufficient due to lack of safety locks
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is divided into separate functional components: hooks for attachment, safety locks for securing, lock arms for engagement, and actuators for control. Each component performs a specific function, allowing the system to achieve high reliability through modular design while maintaining manageable complexity through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety locks and lock arms are designed as movable components that can transition between engaged and disengaged states. The actuators enable dynamic control of these components, allowing the coupler to adapt its locking state based on operational requirements, thereby enhancing reliability without requiring a permanently complex structure.
2Reliability
If safety locks and lock arms are added to prevent accidental decoupling, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety locks are designed to automatically engage with the attachment pins as the first preliminary action during the coupling process. This preliminary engagement occurs before the lock arms are actuated, ensuring that the attachment is secured early in the sequence and reducing the need for complex multi-stage locking procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock arms are spring-biased toward the engaged position, providing a cushioning force that ensures positive engagement with the safety locks. This spring bias acts as a preliminary protective measure, ensuring that even if hydraulic pressure fluctuates, the locking mechanism maintains its engaged state and prevents accidental decoupling.
3Ease of operation
If a hydraulic actuator is used to control the locking mechanism, then the ease of operation is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic actuator operates in periodic cycles, extending to engage the lock arms and retracting to disengage them when needed. This periodic operation allows the system to maintain readiness without continuous energy input, as the springs provide holding force during idle periods and the actuator only consumes energy during state transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-biased lock arms automatically return to the engaged position after actuation, and the safety locks automatically engage with attachment pins during the coupling process. This self-service behavior reduces the energy burden on the hydraulic system, as the springs and mechanical design handle the majority of the work rather than requiring continuous hydraulic power.
4Ease of operation
If the lock arm is designed to be movable for selective engagement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the stability of the composition is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lock arms are designed with mechanical feedback through the spring bias and engagement geometry. When the actuator moves the lock arm to the engaged position, the spring provides tactile and mechanical feedback confirming positive engagement with the safety lock. This feedback mechanism ensures operational stability by providing clear positional information without requiring complex sensors or control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A coupler for a backhoe or other excavator includes a frame with a lock system including a first safety lock that moves relative to a first hook between an engaged position for capturing the first associated attachment pin in the first hook and a disengaged position for releasing the first associated attachment pin from the first hook. An actuator moves the first safety lock between its engaged and disengaged positions. At least a first lock arm is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The first lock arm engages and retains the first safety lock in its engaged position when the first lock arm is in its locked position. The first lock arm is movable to its unlocked position by contact with the associated backhoe or excavator arm when the frame is moved to a curled position relative to the associated backhoe or excavator arm.