Ground Engaging Tool Lock Cavity Wear Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground engaging tool retainer systems face issues such as material lodgment and wear due to abrasion and impacts, making it difficult to remove and replace shrouds, and the locking mechanisms are prone to wear.
Innovation Solution
A ground engaging tool assembly featuring a lock and compressible component positioned in a lock cavity, where rotation of the lock compresses the compressible component to secure the tool, minimizing exposure to wear and facilitating easy removal by adjusting cam surfaces and tool interfaces for secure and reliable attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lock is exposed to secure the tool, then the attachment is secure, but the lock is subjected to wear from abrasion and impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The lock is extracted from direct exposure to the work environment and placed inside a lock cavity. The cavity opening is positioned away from the engagement end, so the lock remains protected from abrasion and impacts while still performing its securing function through the compressible component mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock is nested within the lock cavity structure, which provides protective enclosure. The cavity acts as a protective shell that shields the lock from external harmful factors while allowing the lock to function internally through controlled compression and translation movements.
2Reliability
If the locking mechanism uses material between surfaces, then the attachment is secure, but material becomes lodged making removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of material lodgment is eliminated by removing the traditional surface-to-surface contact interface. Instead, the lock engages through compression of the compressible component, which prevents material from becoming lodged between surfaces while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism changes from a rigid surface-contact interface to a compressible interface. The compressible component allows for parameter changes in density and volume during compression, enabling secure attachment without creating lodgment zones where material could become trapped.
3Ease of repair
If the lock cavity is fully accessible, then maintenance is easy, but the lock is exposed to wear and material lodgment
Solution Approach 1:
The lock cavity has differentiated accessibility: the opening is positioned to allow maintenance access to the lock, while the majority of the cavity structure remains enclosed and protected. This local quality approach provides selective accessibility - easy maintenance access where needed, but protected enclosure where harmful factors are present.
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 solution provides secure attachment and detachment of ground engaging tools, protects against wear by isolating the lock from abrasion, and eases removal by decompressing the compressible component, thus extending the life of earth-working machine implements.
Implementation Method 1
rotation of the lock compresses the compressible component to secure the tool
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various exemplary embodiments of a ground engaging tool. The tool may have an engagement end. The tool may also have a mounting end opposite the engagement end along a longitudinal axis of the tool. The mounting end may have a first mounting leg. The mounting end may also have a second mounting leg, which may have a mounting surface facing the first mounting leg. The second mounting leg may define a cavity in the tool accessible only through an opening in the mounting surface.