Hydraulic Connector Assembly With Protected Quick Couplings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic connection systems for work vehicles require costly installations on all auxiliary equipment, and exposed couplings are vulnerable to environmental damage when disconnected, leading to malfunctions and high repair costs.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic connection arrangement featuring a movable connector part with an electrical connection and a holding means for protection, combined with a fixed connector part using standard quick couplings and a protective cover to safeguard both parts from environmental exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If carrier plates with quick couplings are installed on all auxiliary equipment, then hydraulic connections can be easily and quickly exchanged, but investment costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two segments: a fixed carrier plate installed on the work vehicle and a movable carrier plate on the auxiliary equipment. This segmentation allows the expensive fixed infrastructure to be installed only once on the vehicle, while the movable plate can be attached to different equipment as needed, reducing overall investment costs while maintaining ease of exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed carrier plate on the work vehicle serves as a universal interface that can connect to multiple different auxiliary equipments. By making the fixed plate universal and multi-functional, the system eliminates the need to install specialized carrier plates on each piece of equipment, thereby reducing investment costs while maintaining operational flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If carrier plates are disconnected from each other, then equipment can be exchanged, but the couplings are exposed to environmental harm such as dirt, debris, snow, rain and ice
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is nested within a protective housing or cover structure. When the carrier plates are disconnected, the couplings remain enclosed within the housing rather than being fully exposed to the environment. This nested design allows equipment exchange while continuously protecting the couplings from harmful environmental factors.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective cover or housing acts as an intermediary element between the couplings and the environment. This intermediary structure allows the couplings to perform their function while shielding them from dirt, debris, snow, rain and ice, thus preventing environmental harm without interfering with the equipment exchange process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard quick couplings are used, then the system is adaptable and easy to operate, but the couplings are vulnerable to environmental damage when disconnected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the standard quick coupling mechanism with a protective housing structure. By combining these two elements into an integrated assembly, the system maintains the adaptability and ease of operation of standard quick couplings while simultaneously providing continuous environmental protection, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
Fixed connector part (10), adapted to constitute an end part of a hydraulic system of a work vehicle (1) and intended to be fixedly arranged on the work vehicle (1), the fixed connector part (10) comprising: at least two hydraulic couplings (14a-d); a first locking means (13, 16), which is intended to interact with a second locking means (23, 26) on a movable connector part (20), which constitutes an end part of a hydraulic system of a work equipment (2), wherein the first and second locking means are inter-connectable such that the hydraulic couplings of the fixed connector part (10) and the movable connector part (20), respectively, may be simultaneously interconnected through the interaction of the first and second locking means. Further each hydraulic coupling (14a-d) of the fixed connector part (10) comprises individual couplings, such that each hydraulic coupling (14a-d) of the fixed connector part (10) may be individually connected to a separate hydraulic coupling (24a-d). The invention also involves an arrangement including such a fixed connector part.