Hybrid Load Bucket Assembly Skeleton Shell Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional load buckets in construction and agricultural applications are heavy-duty and prone to damage and wear, leading to high maintenance costs and operational downtime due to their heavy steel construction and susceptibility to impact and stress concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid load bucket assembly featuring a lightweight bucket shell supported by a structural skeleton, which distributes force loading and provides perimetric support to reduce wear and allow for rapid replacement of the bucket shell without dismounting the assembly from the loader arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy steel plate construction is used for the bucket, then durability and wear resistance are improved, but weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket is divided into two functional segments: a lightweight shell that defines the carry volume and a separate skeleton framework that provides structural strength and wear resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the shell for weight reduction and the skeleton for durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a shell (which can be made from lightweight materials like plastic or thin metal) with a skeleton framework (made from high-strength steel). This composite approach allows the lightweight shell to carry the load while the skeleton provides the necessary strength and wear resistance, resolving the contradiction between weight and durability.
2Strength
If heavy steel plate construction is used for the bucket, then strength to handle heavy material is improved, but maintenance costs and operational downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the bucket into a replaceable shell and a durable skeleton, the design allows the shell to be replaced when worn or damaged without replacing the entire bucket assembly. The skeleton remains in place and continues to provide structural support, significantly reducing maintenance costs and downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is designed as a consumable component that can be discarded when worn and replaced with a new one, while the expensive skeleton framework is recovered and reused. This approach reduces maintenance costs by replacing only the worn shell rather than the entire bucket assembly.
3Volume of stationary object
If heavy steel plate construction is used for the bucket, then capacity to carry large volumes of material is improved, but weight and hydraulic system requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separation of the shell (which defines the carry volume) from the skeleton (which provides structural support) allows the shell to be made lightweight while maintaining the required volume. The skeleton is optimized purely for strength, not volume definition, allowing greater volume capacity without proportional weight increase.
4Power
If robust hydraulic system with large-capacity pumps is used, then power to move heavy bucket is improved, but energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy structural requirements are extracted from the bucket shell and placed in the skeleton framework. This allows the shell to be lightweight, which directly reduces the weight that the hydraulic system must move, thereby reducing energy consumption and allowing for a less complex hydraulic system while maintaining the required power for lifting.
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid bucket assembly for a work vehicle having movable loader arms includes a structural skeleton having a frame, one or more support struts mounted to the frame, and one or more brackets coupled to the support struts configured to interface with a carrier at distal ends of the loader arms. A bucket shell is mounted to the skeleton that defines a carry volume for materials. Force loading on the bucket shell is carried by the skeleton through the struts.