Hydraulic Coupler Assembly with Geared Locking Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing couplers for detachably connecting work tools to arms are prone to accidental disengagement under compressive forces and add weight, reducing the working capacity of tools like buckets and grapples, while being heavy and not adequately resistant to compressive forces.
Innovation Solution
A coupler assembly featuring a first and second linkage with a shaft, a gear, and a rotatable piston with a geared section that securely engages and disengages the work tool by providing a mechanical advantage, resisting accidental decoupling and potentially reducing weight through a smaller hydraulic cylinder requirement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional locking pins are used in couplers, then the work tool can be detachably connected to the arm, but the compressive forces during use may result in accidental disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler employs a dynamic locking mechanism where locking pins are actively driven by a hydraulic cylinder to engage and disengage from the work tool. The pins are moved between extended (locked) and retracted (unlocked) positions, providing active control over the connection state. This dynamic system allows the locking pins to maintain positive engagement under compressive loads while enabling controlled detachment when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic cylinder is integrated into the coupler assembly to provide the force necessary for actuating the locking pins. The hydraulic system delivers high force in a compact package, enabling the locking pins to resist significant compressive forces during work operations. The hydraulic actuator ensures reliable engagement and disengagement of the locking pins without adding excessive mechanical complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional couplers are designed to resist compressive forces, then safety is improved, but the weight of the arm and work tool increases, reducing working capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the primary load-bearing function from the coupler body and transfers it to the locking pins that directly engage with the work tool. By isolating the locking mechanism as the primary structural element for resisting compressive forces, the coupler body can be designed with minimal weight while maintaining safety. The locking pins bear the compressive loads, allowing the coupler housing to be lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupler design concentrates strength where it is most needed - at the locking pins and their engagement points with the work tool. The local geometry of the locking pins and their receptacles is optimized to handle compressive forces, while the rest of the coupler body uses lighter materials and thinner sections. This localized strengthening approach maintains safety without adding overall weight.
3Ease of operation
If the hydraulic cylinder is positioned to provide mechanical advantage, then the geared section rotates in the opposite direction, but this may cause interference with the work tool
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic cylinder is positioned and oriented to produce rotational motion in the opposite direction from what might be intuitively expected. By inverting the conventional arrangement, the piston rod extension causes the geared section to rotate in a direction that moves the locking pins into engagement rather than away from it. This inverted configuration achieves mechanical advantage while avoiding interference with the work tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The geared section acts as an intermediary mechanism that converts the linear motion of the hydraulic piston into the rotational motion required to position the locking pins. The gear geometry and mounting arrangement are designed so that the rotation direction produced by the hydraulic cylinder correctly orients the locking pins for engagement. This intermediary mechanism resolves the conflict between hydraulic actuation direction and locking pin orientation.
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 coupler assembly securely resists compressive forces, reducing the risk of accidental disengagement and potentially lowering the overall weight, thus enhancing the working capacity and safety of the work tool while maintaining a secure connection.
Implementation Method 1
The piston includes a geared section that is meshed with the pinion gear
Implementation Method 2
A hydraulic ram is provided between the gripping pins on the arm and the gripping pins on the power link
Data Source
AI summary
A coupler assembly for detachably coupling an arm to a work tool. The coupler assembly comprises a first linkage having an idle link and a power link, a first pin provided on the arm, and a second pin provided on the power link. The first and second pins are receivable in openings on the work tool. The coupling assembly is characterized by a second linkage provided between the first and second pins comprising a first link and a second link joined at a shaft. The first link is fixed to the shaft to prevent rotation therebetween. A portion of the shaft comprises a gear. The second link comprises a body mounted on the shaft so as to be rotatable thereabout, the body comprising a chamber in which a piston is received, the piston including a geared section that is meshed with the gear.