Pivoting Processing Device Coupling for Easier Plant Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile mineral material processing plants face challenges in balancing operational capabilities with ease of maintenance, as dissembling parts for maintenance requires heavy lifting and time-consuming operations, often necessitating the use of jacks or multiple personnel.

Innovation Solution

A system for coupling a hanging processing device to a mobile mineral material processing plant, comprising a fixing part with lower and upper couplings, an interlink connector, and an adjustment actuator, allowing for adjustable angles and remote engagement/disengagement of joints, enabling easy attachment and detachment of processing devices without manual ladder use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the mobile mineral material processing plant uses a compact structure, then mobility and site efficiency are improved, but maintenance becomes more difficult requiring disassembly and heavy lifting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility and site efficiencyVSAvoidease of maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The processing device is divided into separate modular components (screen deck, conveyor, etc.) that can be independently detached from the mobile platform. Each component has standardized coupling interfaces that allow quick separation without disassembling the entire structure, enabling maintenance personnel to access and service individual parts easily while maintaining compact plant structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling system incorporates movable and adjustable elements including telescopic support rods with locking mechanisms and pivotable attachments. These dynamic features allow the processing device to be quickly positioned, angled, and secured at various configurations, then easily released for maintenance without permanent installation commitments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the processing device uses adjustable support rods with telescopic features, then angle adjustment capability is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangle adjustment capabilityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support rod system uses telescopic sections with incremental locking positions that allow continuous adjustment of rod length and processing device angle. The locking mechanism provides discrete stable positions while maintaining the ability to achieve various angular configurations, changing the structural parameter (length/angle) without requiring complex continuous control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of repair

If maintenance requires disassembly of processing devices, then access to internal components is improved, but maintenance time and labor requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to internal componentsVSAvoidmaintenance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling interfaces are pre-configured with alignment features, guide rails, and interlocking mechanisms that automatically engage when components are brought together. Conversely, release mechanisms allow rapid disengagement without requiring sequential disassembly steps, having the coupling system prepared in advance to facilitate quick connection and separation during maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4457036B1Hanging processing device coupling to mobile mineral material processing plant
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 METSO OUTOTEC FINLAND OY
  • EP4457036B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP4457036B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8
  • EP4457036B1 patent drawingFigure 9~11

AI summary

A method and apparatus for coupling a hanging processing device to a mobile platform, including: supporting (1300) the processing device by a moving part; pivotably supporting (1301) the moving part to a fixing part with a pivot residing closer to a bottom than top of the moving part; supporting (1302) at a first time the moving part to a given operating angle of the processing device by an interlink that together with at least one of the moving part or the fixing part provides a plurality of effective lengths with selectable latching, until a second time; at the second time, (1303) releasing the interlink using an interlink movement mechanism and pivoting the moving part with relation to the fixing part using an adjustment actuator that is functionally coupled between the mobile platform and the processing device.