Bucket Pin Bearing Structure With Centralized Grease Equalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing bearing structure for construction machines requires excessive grease due to increased volume of grease chambers and results in uneven grease supply to bushes, leading to potential over-supply on one side and under-supply on the other.
Innovation Solution
A modified bearing structure with a grease supply pipe disposed between side plates, allowing even distribution of grease to both bushes by filling both chambers simultaneously through a central grease passage, reducing the overall amount of grease needed and ensuring balanced lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the lid plate is disposed away from the inner surface of each boss part to accommodate mounting of nipple or bolt, then the grease chamber volume increases, but the amount of grease to be supplied increases
Solution Approach 1:
A grease supply pipe is introduced as an intermediary component to connect the external grease supply source to the grease chamber. This eliminates the need to position the nipple or bolt at the end of the boss pipe, allowing the lid plate to be disposed close to the inner surface of the boss part, thereby reducing grease chamber volume and the amount of grease required.
2Ease of manufacture
If the nipple is provided in one grease chamber only, then the mounting is simplified, but the grease supply to right and left bushes becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The grease supply system is segmented into two separate grease supply pipes, with each pipe connected to one of the two grease chambers (right and left). This segmentation allows independent control and uniform distribution of grease to both bushes, eliminating the uneven supply problem that occurs when a single nipple serves both chambers.
3Ease of operation
If the nipple is mounted on one side for ease of operation, then the operation is simplified, but the grease supply to the other side becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The grease supply operation is divided into two independent channels through separate grease supply pipes. Each pipe delivers grease directly to its corresponding grease chamber, ensuring that both right and left bushes receive adequate lubrication simultaneously, thereby maintaining reliability while simplifying the operation.
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
The modified structure reduces the total amount of grease required and ensures even distribution to both bushes, preventing over-supply or under-supply, thus enhancing lubrication efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a grease supply operation from the nipple is performed while avoiding obstacles such as buckets, and hence, the nipple is mounted onto a side selected for ease of operation. Then, one grease chamber is filled with grease supplied from the nipple. Afterward, the other grease chamber is filled with the grease supplied through the grease passage
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided is a construction machine in which a pair of boss parts (17L, 17R) coupled via a boss pipe (18) are welded to a tip end of an arm (7), a coupling pin (16) is rotatably supported in bushes (20L, 20R) of the respective boss parts (17L, 17R), and brackets (8b) of a bucket (8) are coupled to opposite ends of the coupling pin (16). An inner pipe (25) is fitted onto the coupling pin (16) on an inner circumferential side of the boss pipe (18), and defines a grease passage (26) between the coupling pin (16) and the inner pipe (25). Left and right gaps between the boss pipe (18) and the inner pipe (25) are closed with side plates (27L, 27R), and a pair of grease chambers (28L, 28R) communicating with each other via the grease passage (26) are defined. A grease supply pipe (29, 30) has a base end welded to a center of an outer circumferential surface of the inner pipe (25) in an axis (C) direction, and a tip end opened in a left side plate (7L) of the arm (7), so that a nipple (33) is mounted to the tip end.