Crane Boom Connecting Unit with Moveable Supporting Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connecting units for crane booms often require large tolerances and laborious shim adjustments to fit properly, leading to troublesome movements during crane operation due to manufacturing variations and mismatches between the insertion part and the crane boom section.
Innovation Solution
A connecting unit with moveable supporting elements and an actuating device, such as a rotatable actuating rod and link system, allows for quick adjustment to take up play between the insertion part and the crane boom section, enabling precise fitting without the need for shims.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If large tolerances are used in manufacturing the insertion part and crane boom section, then ease of manufacture is improved, but play between the components increases causing troublesome movements during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting elements are designed to be moveable relative to the insertion part, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position to take up play between the insertion part and the crane boom section. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational stability through automatic adaptation to manufacturing tolerances without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances themselves.
2Reliability
If shims are used to reduce play between the insertion part and crane boom section, then stability during operation is improved, but mounting time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting elements automatically adjust themselves to take up play between the insertion part and the crane boom section through their moveable mounting arrangement. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for manual shim insertion and adjustment, thereby resolving the contradiction by achieving precise fitting without the time-consuming shim application process.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple shims are assembled to fit large gaps, then fitting precision is improved, but device complexity and labor required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the function of gap compensation from the traditional shim system and integrates it into the supporting elements that are already part of the connecting unit. By making these supporting elements moveably mounted, the system automatically compensates for gaps without requiring separate shim components, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining fitting precision.
4Reliability
If the insertion part is made to fit precisely without play, then stability during operation is improved, but ease of insertion and adaptability to various crane boom sizes decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The moveably mounted supporting elements provide a dynamic solution that allows the connecting unit to adapt to various crane boom sizes during insertion while maintaining operational stability once in place. The supporting elements can be positioned to accommodate different gap sizes during the insertion phase, then stabilize the connection during operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A connecting unit (1) for detachable mounting to the tip of a crane boom in order to form a connection between the crane boom and an associated crane implement (4). The connecting unit comprises: - an insertion part (10) to be inserted into a hollow crane boom section; - a holding part (11), which is fixed to the insertion part and forms a support for the crane implement; - one or more supporting elements (12a, 12b), each of which being moveable transversely to the longitudinal axis of the insertion part in order to allow the supporting element to be pushed outwards in relation to the longitudinal axis of the insertion part and against an inner surface of said crane boom section and thereby take up a play between the insertion part and the crane boom section; and - an actuating device for moving the supporting elements transversely to the longitudinal axis of the insertion part.