Quick Disconnect Wear Plate Assembly with Retainer Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wear plate assemblies with bolt-on solutions face difficulties in field removal due to exposed counter-sunk bolt heads, leading to increased downtime in severe wear applications.
Innovation Solution
A quick disconnect wear plate assembly featuring a support plate with a wear plate affixed to it, a shaft with a groove, and a retainer spring with compressible tabs that securely attach to a substrate, allowing for easy installation, use, and removal without holes in the wear plate, providing a continuous surface for enhanced wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bolt-on wear plates with counter-sunk bolt heads are used, then wear protection is provided, but the exposed bolt heads become difficult to remove in the field after wear plate life
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into modular components: a shaft with groove, retainer spring, and compressible tabs. This segmentation allows the wear plate to be quickly disconnected by compressing the tabs and removing the retainer spring, eliminating the difficulty of removing exposed bolt heads while maintaining secure attachment during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer spring provides dynamic fastening capability, allowing the wear plate to be securely attached during operation but easily removed when needed. The compressible tabs enable the system to transition from a locked state (during operation) to an unlocked state (for removal), resolving the contradiction between secure wear protection and ease of field removal.
2Strength
If holes are drilled in the wear plate for bolt attachment, then secure mounting is achieved, but the wear surface becomes interrupted and wear resistance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting holes and fastening features are extracted from the wear plate itself and relocated to the support plate. The shaft with groove and retainer spring assembly provides secure mounting without requiring holes in the wear plate, thus maintaining the continuous wear surface and its associated wear resistance while achieving secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate acts as an intermediary between the wear plate and the substrate. It provides the mounting features (shaft with groove, retainer spring) needed for secure attachment, while the wear plate remains intact with its continuous wear surface. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction between mounting security and wear surface integrity.
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
Enables quick installation and removal of wear plates, reducing downtime and maintaining continuous wear resistance without compromising the uninterrupted surface, thus improving wear protection and ease of maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a retainer spring adapted to be received in the groove on the shaft, wherein the retainer spring includes a plurality of compressible tabs configured for cooperating with the substrate to releasably attach the quick disconnect wear plate assembly to the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A wear plate assembly for mounting on a substrate to be protected includes a support plate having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a wear plate having a wear surface and an opposing attachment surface affixed to the first surface of the support plate, wherein the wear surface is a continuous, uninterrupted surface. The assembly also includes a shaft having a base portion attached to the second surface of the support plate, a head portion distal from the base portion and a groove formed between the base portion and the head portion. The assembly also includes a retainer spring adapted to be received in the groove on the shaft, wherein the retainer spring includes a plurality of compressible tabs configured for cooperating with the substrate to releasably attach the wear plate assembly to the substrate.