Excavator Bucket Mudguard Labyrinth for Bearing Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screening, crushing, or mixing buckets for excavating machines suffer from wear issues in the slot between the rotating shaft and frame, caused by continuous material pressure on the bearings, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A mudguard made of wear-resistant steel is integrated with the end flanges of the working drums to form a labyrinthine structure, preventing direct material pressure on the slot and reducing stress to the sealed section to dust only.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bucket uses a conventional structure without a mudguard, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of the bearings deteriorates due to continuous material pressure on the slot
Solution Approach 1:
The mudguard acts as an intermediary element between the material flow and the bearing slot. It intercepts the material pressure and redirects it through a labyrinthine path, preventing direct contact with the bearing area while maintaining structural integrity and protecting the bearings from wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The mudguard is integrated within the existing bucket structure, nesting around the shaft and frame assembly. It forms a protective enclosure that contains the material flow away from the critical bearing area, effectively protecting internal components without requiring a complete structural redesign.
2Reliability
If a mudguard is added to protect the slot, then the reliability improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The mudguard is designed as a separate, modular component that can be manufactured independently and then assembled onto the existing bucket structure. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual parts while maintaining the protective function, reducing the overall manufacturing complexity compared to an integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The mudguard provides localized protection specifically at the bearing slot area where material pressure is most problematic. By concentrating the protective measure only where needed rather than reinforcing the entire bucket structure, the manufacturing complexity is minimized while maintaining effective bearing protection.
3Strength
If the mudguard forms a labyrinthine structure with the end flange, then the wear resistance improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mudguard extends in multiple dimensions around the shaft and frame assembly, creating a three-dimensional labyrinthine structure. This multi-dimensional configuration effectively channels material flow away from the bearing slot through complex paths, providing superior wear resistance while the modular design keeps the overall structural complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a screening, crushing or mixing bucket, which is formed into a bucket of an excavating machine or bucket loader. The bucket comprises a bottom plate (1), side walls (2), and at the back of the bucket working drums (3) rotatable about their shafts, which screen, crush or mix the material in the bucket as they rotate and at the same time deliver screened, crushed or mixed material out of the bucket, between or through the working drums (3). In the bucket are casings (4) for the power transmission and bearings of the working drums (3). The casings (4) are limited by frame plates (5) to which the bearing housings (6) of the drums (3) are attachable. On the frame plate (5) and/or on the inner side of the inner wall (2) is fixed a mudguard (10), which extends between the shafts of the working drums (3), next to the lead-throughs of the shafts, and the mudguard (10) comprises cut-outs (11) for receiving the shafts of the working drums (3).