Tooth Adapter with Induction-Hardened Insertion Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tooth adapters in buckets for hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders experience wear and looseness, leading to cracking, and existing solutions either increase production costs or compromise toughness.
Innovation Solution
A tooth adapter with a high-hardness portion and a base, where the high-hardness portion is induction-hardened and has a hardness of 47 HRC to 65 HRC, and the base has a hardness of 25 HRC to 40 HRC, providing improved wear resistance and toughness to prevent cracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hardness of the tooth adapter is increased to improve wear resistance, then wear resistance is improved, but toughness decreases making the tooth adapter more susceptible to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth adapter employs local quality by creating a high-hardness portion through induction hardening in the insertion portion that contacts sand and materials, while the connection portion maintains lower hardness for toughness. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows the insertion portion to resist wear from abrasive materials while the connection portion retains sufficient toughness to prevent cracking under stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooth adapter effectively becomes a composite structure with two distinct material zones: a hardened martensitic structure in the insertion portion providing wear resistance, and a softer, more ductile structure in the connection portion providing toughness. This composite approach combines the benefits of hard and soft materials within a single component.
2Reliability
If a clearance adjuster is inserted between the tooth and tooth adapter to address wear, then wear is addressed, but the number of parts increases and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the tooth adapter and clearance adjustment functions into a single integrated component. The tooth adapter itself is designed with differential hardness zones that simultaneously provide structural support and wear resistance, eliminating the need for separate clearance adjusters and reducing the total part count while maintaining or improving wear performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooth adapter is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides structural connection between the bucket and tooth, accommodates clearance requirements through its hardened insertion portion, and resists wear from abrasive materials. This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require multiple separate components into a single universal part.
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 tooth adapter effectively suppresses wear and cracking, achieving a balance between wear resistance and toughness, resulting in a more durable bucket system.
Implementation Method 1
a high-hardness portion formed in a region including a surface of the insertion portion, the high-hardness portion being higher in hardness than the base
Data Source
AI summary
The tooth adapter partly inserted into a cavity formed in a tooth to hold the tooth with respect to a bucket body includes a connection portion including a proximal end, which is an end of the tooth adapter connected to the bucket body, and an insertion portion including a distal end, which is an end of the tooth adapter inserted into the cavity. The insertion portion includes a base, and a high-hardness portion formed in a region including a surface of the insertion portion, the high-hardness portion being higher in hardness than the base.