Movable Flushing Head Mounting for Rock Drill Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rock drilling machines experience significant wear between the shank adapter and its bearing bushings, leading to radial movements and leakage issues with the flushing medium, which complicates the design and requires specialized components.
Innovation Solution
The flushing head and machine housing feature co-operating fastening means and elements arranged in line with the force direction of the flushing medium hose, allowing for movability perpendicular to the symmetry axis, reducing wear and eliminating the need for complex hose attachment mechanisms, and incorporating a resilient bushing for flexible movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the flushing head is fixed mounted in the machine housing, then the structure is simple, but wear between the shank adapter and bearing bushings causes radial movements leading to leakage at flushing sealing devices
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing head is designed to be movable relative to the machine housing through co-operating fastening means and fastening elements that allow radial movement. This dynamic configuration enables the flushing head to follow the radial movements of the shank adapter caused by bushing wear, maintaining sealing contact and preventing leakage while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
2Reliability
If the flushing head is allowed to move together with the shank adapter, then leakage is reduced, but the device becomes more complicated and requires specially manufactured components
Solution Approach 1:
The co-operating fastening means and fastening elements serve multiple functions: they secure the flushing head to the machine housing, allow radial movement to follow shank adapter displacement, and maintain sealing contact. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specially manufactured components while achieving reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system is designed with controlled movability, allowing the flushing head to move radially with the shank adapter while maintaining its functional relationship with the machine housing. This dynamic design avoids the complexity of completely floating or rigidly fixed configurations.
3Strength
If fastening means are arranged to receive tensile forces from the flushing medium hose, then the hose connection is strengthened, but the position and alignment of the flushing head may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening means are arranged to receive tensile forces from the flushing medium hose while allowing the flushing head to move radially. The movability of the fastening system decouples the hose tension forces from the flushing head alignment, enabling the head to maintain proper positioning despite the loads from the hose connection.
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
This solution provides a reliable, space-efficient, and cost-effective means to manage the radial movements of the shank adapter, minimizing wear and leakage, while allowing greater freedom of movement for the flushing hose, thus reducing uneven loads and maintaining effective sealing.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a resilient bushing for flexible movement
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for a flushing head (3) of a rock drilling machine (1), which includes a machine housing (3) and, inside a cylinder (18), a to and fro moveable percussive piston (17) arranged to exert percussive action against a shank adapter (15), wherein the shank adapter has symmetry axis (19) and a flushing medium channel (22,23) for co-operation with a flushing medium chamber (24) in the flushing head (3) surrounding the shank adapter (15), said flushing head (3) being provided with a connection unit (7) for the connection to a flushing hose (10). The flushing head (3) and the machine housing (2) exhibit co-operating fastening means and fastening elements (6) in line with a force direction of tensile forces (F) being exerted by the flushing medium hose (10) on the connection unit (7) for movability of the flushing head (3) in respect of the machine housing (2) in directions perpendicular to said symmetry axis (19). The device also concerns a rock drilling machine including such a device.