Excavator Quick Coupler Hydraulic Line Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for attaching attachments to excavator booms with quick-change devices and attachment plates often require complex hydraulic line connections, leading to sealing issues and additional measures for operation, particularly when attaching hydraulic-driven attachments like hydraulic hammers or slope buckets.
Innovation Solution
A device with a quick-change mechanism and mounting plate that automatically connects hydraulic lines by using hydraulic couplings actuated by clutch cylinders, eliminating the need for plunger housings and ensuring secure hydraulic medium routing directly from the excavator to the attachment, utilizing blocks with coupling plugs and sleeves, and a 6/2-way valve for circuit diversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydraulic lines are connected through a plunger housing as in prior art, then the attachment can be connected to the excavator boom, but sealing problems occur and the construction becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the plunger housing from the hydraulic connection system. Instead of routing hydraulic lines through a plunger housing as in prior art, the patent directly connects hydraulic couplings on the mounting plate to corresponding couplings on the quick-change device, removing the intermediate plunger housing component that caused sealing problems and construction complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic connection system is segmented into separate coupling points: coupling plugs are integrated into the quick-change device while coupling sleeves are integrated into the mounting plate. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each coupling point and eliminates the need for a unified plunger housing structure, thereby improving sealing reliability and reducing complexity.
2Ease of operation
If manual connection of hydraulic lines is required after attaching the mounting plate, then hydraulic connections can be established, but additional measures and operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic couplings are preliminarily positioned and prepared in advance: coupling plugs are pre-installed on the quick-change device and coupling sleeves are pre-installed on the mounting plate. When the mounting plate is attached to the quick-change device, the hydraulic connections are automatically established without requiring additional manual connection operations, thereby improving ease of operation and automation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the block with coupling plugs is led out of a plunger housing as in prior art, then hydraulic connections can be made, but sealing problems and construction complexity arise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the block with coupling plugs from the plunger housing structure. The coupling plugs are directly integrated into the quick-change device body, and coupling sleeves are directly integrated into the mounting plate, eliminating the plunger housing intermediate structure that caused both manufacturing complexity and sealing reliability issues.
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
Simplifies the attachment process by automatically connecting hydraulic lines, preventing sealing problems and ensuring hydraulic drive operation without additional measures, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of attaching hydraulic hammers and slope buckets to excavator booms.
Implementation Method 1
a locking cylinder (10) which has been pressurized with pressure medium (hydraulic oil), acts on locking bolts (7)
Implementation Method 2
clutch cylinders (17, 45) which can be acted upon with pressure medium (hydraulic oil)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device (1) for connecting attachments to an excavator boom, consisting of a quick-change device (3) attached to the excavator boom and a mounting plate (5) attached to the attachment, has at least one coupling (20, 40) for connecting hydraulic lines (15) coming from the excavator to hydraulic lines 16 leading to a drive motor (hydraulic cylinder) in the attachment. The at least one hydraulic coupling (20, 40) is actuated by a coupling cylinder (17, 45) after the locking cylinder (10) has advanced the latches (7) into their operating position. Thus, without additionally connecting hydraulic lines, when attaching an attachment to an excavator boom using the device (1) according to the invention, it is ensured that at least one hydraulic motor (hydraulic cylinder) used in an attachment can be supplied with hydraulic fluid.