Collared Shroud Lock Assembly for Vibration-Resistant Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening mechanisms for securing wear members on excavating equipment, such as shrouds, are prone to wear, require complex construction, and can inadvertently loosen due to vibration and cyclic loading, posing safety hazards and reducing the useful life of the fastening mechanism and shroud.
Innovation Solution
A lock assembly with a collar and pin system featuring an asymmetrical circumferential profile and snap-in detent mechanisms, which provides secure attachment and resistance to inadvertent loosening, using mechanical interference to withstand vibration and high-impact loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wedge fastening mechanisms are used to secure shrouds, then the shrouds can be mounted to the bucket lip, but the mechanism requires pounding wedges into and out of the bucket lip which creates safety hazards and removes material from the forward lip portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful pounding action from the fastening process by replacing wedge fastening with a collar-and-pin locking mechanism. The pin inserts through the collar into the bucket lip without requiring forceful pounding, eliminating safety hazards and material removal while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fastening mechanism from a wedge-based system requiring high insertion force to a collar-and-pin system using rotational locking and detent engagement. This parameter change in the fastening approach eliminates the harmful effects of pounding while achieving reliable shroud attachment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If alternative fastening mechanisms are used to eliminate pounding, then safety hazards are reduced, but the fastening mechanism becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into distinct functional components: the collar providing structural support and alignment, the pin providing the locking element, and detent mechanisms providing automatic locking. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function simply, avoiding the need for a single complex fastening element.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanisms automatically engage when the pin is inserted, providing self-locking functionality without requiring additional complex operations. The system serves itself by automatically securing the shroud once the basic components are in place, reducing overall system complexity.
3Device complexity
If simple fastening mechanisms are used, then construction complexity is reduced, but the mechanism may inadvertently loosen due to vibration and cyclic loading
Solution Approach 1:
The collar features an asymmetrical outer circumferential profile with a flat portion that engages a corresponding flat surface in the bucket lip. This asymmetric geometry prevents rotational movement and inadvertent loosening under vibration and cyclic loading, while the overall mechanism remains relatively simple in construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanisms are pre-configured to engage automatically when the pin is inserted, creating preliminary anti-action against loosening forces before vibration or cyclic loading occurs. This preventive locking action ensures the fastening remains secure under subsequent operational stresses.
4Ease of manufacture
If the collar has a symmetrical profile, then manufacturing is simplified, but the fastening mechanism may rotate inadvertently under vibration and impact loads
Solution Approach 1:
The collar incorporates a flat portion on its outer circumferential profile, creating asymmetric geometry that engages a corresponding flat surface in the bucket lip. This asymmetric feature prevents rotational movement under vibration and impact loads while adding minimal manufacturing complexity compared to a fully symmetrical design.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock assembly for securing a wear member to a support structure includes a collar and a pin. The collar includes a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, an outer circumferential profile including at least eight planar surfaces extending around a perimeter of the collar between the top and bottom surfaces, and a bore extending along a central axis from the top surface to the bottom surface. The pin is configured for receipt in the bore of the collar.