Excavator Bucket Damping Element for Ground-Level Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing damping elements for excavator shovel booms are difficult to replace safely due to their location at height, leading to operational risks and increased repair costs when they wear out, as the process requires working at height with a suspended load, making maintenance challenging and potentially hazardous.
Innovation Solution
A damping element installed on the bucket door supports of cable excavator shovels, featuring a metal base with arch guard-type rubber bumpers, allowing for easier replacement from ground level, reducing the risk of accidents and providing comprehensive protection to the boom and drive mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the damping element is installed on the boom at height, then it provides protection against impacts, but it becomes difficult and hazardous to replace
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is extracted from the boom structure and relocated to the bucket assembly. Specifically, it is mounted on the bucket door supports, separating the protective function from the boom and transferring it to the bucket side, thereby making replacement accessible from ground level
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element is repositioned from a vertical installation on the boom to a horizontal/accessible installation on the bucket door supports. This dimensional relocation allows operators to service the element from ground level rather than requiring work at height
2Reliability
If the damping element is replaced at height with suspended load, then protection is maintained, but operator safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element and its replacement operation are extracted from the high-risk boom area and relocated to the bucket assembly, which can be serviced from ground level. This eliminates the need for operators to work at height with suspended loads while maintaining continuous protection through easy replaceability
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket assembly with the damping element can be positioned and serviced independently at ground level, allowing maintenance without requiring operators to access hazardous elevated positions. The system enables safe self-service replacement by the operating crew
3Device complexity
If the damping element is difficult to replace, then installation location is fixed, but maintenance costs and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is extracted from the difficult-to-access boom location and relocated to the bucket door supports, which are accessible from ground level. This extraction enables straightforward maintenance operations while preserving the protective function, directly reducing maintenance difficulty and downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element is pre-installed on the bucket door supports in a maintainable location, allowing operators to perform routine inspections and replacements during normal operations without requiring specialized high-altitude equipment or procedures, thereby reducing overall maintenance complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safe and efficient replacement of the damping element, reducing operator risk and repair costs by allowing installation from ground level, ensuring continuous protection against impacts and damage to the boom and cables.
Implementation Method 1
arch guard-type rubber bumpers in which said damping element is welded to the bucket door supports
Implementation Method 2
damping element for a bucket (2) of cable excavator shovels, which cushions the eventual impacts or blows
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to excavating equipment and, more particularly, to a damping element for excavator shovel buckets that improves the protection of its components.