Patent Application
20150233087
The invention relates to a device for coupling an attachment, in particular a dozer blade, mine roller or mine-clearing plow, to a vehicle with a bolt, a bolt receptacle receiving the bolt and an explosive device for emergency decoupling. An attachment for a vehicle and a vehicle for receiving an attachment form further subject matter. The invention furthermore relates to a method for the coupling and emergency decoupling of an attachment, in particular a dozer blade, mine roller or mine-clearing plow, from a vehicle.
Devices for the coupling of such heavy attachments to vehicles are known. The attachments generally serve to extend the functions of the vehicles.
From the military sector, devices for the coupling of dozer blades or mine-clearing plows are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,542 A describes a coupling device which, on the vehicle side, has a ring with an upper section which is mounted in an articulated manner and via which the ring can be opened and closed. For the coupling of an attachment, eyes provided on the attachment are inserted into the ring and the latter is closed.
Furthermore, EP 2 196 763 B1 describes a coupling device in which tabs are arranged on the vehicle. Bolts arranged on the attachment engage in said tabs and couple the attachment to the vehicle.
In particular in the military sector, it is found that the attachment becomes damaged or gets stuck during use. In these situations, the mobility of the vehicle carrying the attachment is considerably impaired, or the vehicle cannot move. In order to protect crew and vehicle, it is then necessary to uncouple the attachment as speedily as possible from the vehicle in the emergency situation in order to restore the mobility of the vehicle.
For this purpose, EP 2 196 763 B1, which has already been mentioned, proposes pulling the bolt out of the vehicle-side tab by means of hydraulic pressure in order to decouple the attachment. However, in the case of an attachment which has got stuck, there are undefinable states of force and tension. It is therefore not possible to reliably configure hydraulic systems which permit safe emergency decoupling. It is also disadvantageous that hydraulic couplings are relatively complicated, intensive in terms of maintenance and expensive. For the emergency decoupling, it is furthermore proposed to separate the bolt of the attachment by means of a cutting charge in the bolt between attachment and vehicle-side tabs and to thereby decouple the attachment in the event of an emergency.
Said explosive bolts are generally hollowed out and have a pyrotechnic charge in the interior. They are generally not producible in a completely gas-tight manner, with the consequence that, over time, moisture diffuses into the hollow bolts and the pyrotechnic effect of the charge is reduced. This then leads to a reduction in the vapor volume which can be generated, and therefore in the explosion energy, and therefore the bolt is not neatly severed by the cutting charge or, in the worst case, the cutting charge is not even ignited. In both cases, emergency decoupling of the attachment is not ensured over the long term.
The invention is therefore based on the object of ensuring reliable emergency decoupling of an attachment from a vehicle.
This object is achieved in the case of a device of the type mentioned at the beginning in that the bolt is pushable out of the bolt receptacle via the explosive device in order to release the coupling.
For the emergency decoupling, the bolt is no longer blown open and thereby destroyed, but rather is pushed out of the bolt receptacle. This fundamental change makes it possible to provide the explosive separately from the bolt and to thereby ensure better protection of the explosive in the explosive device from environmental influences, and therefore the device is ready for use even over relatively great periods of time. Altogether, reliable emergency decoupling is achieved by the device according to the invention. The bolt is preferably free of explosives. The explosive device can be arranged next to the bolt.
The bolt can be pushable out of the bolt receptacle by a pressure surge via the explosive device. The pushing of the bolt with a pressure surge permits an abrupt acceleration of the bolt, as a result of which even high clamping stresses of the bolt in the bolt receptacle are reliably overcome.
Furthermore, the bolt can be pushable as a whole out of the bolt receptacle via the explosive device. In this connection, the bolt is therefore not severed, but rather is pushed as a whole out of the device.
According to the invention, the bolt does not necessarily have to be pushed completely out of the bolt receptacle by the explosive device. On the contrary, it suffices if the bolt is moved out of the bolt receptacle to such an extent that vehicle and attachment are decoupled. In order to carry out the function, the bolt is therefore pressable out of the bolt receptacle by the explosive device in such a manner that the coupling is released, or said bolt is pushable at least out of a coupling region of the bolt receptacle.
It is also advantageous in terms of safety if the bolt is designed to be free of explosives. In particular in the case of manual coupling and decoupling of vehicle and attachment, a hollow bolt with a cutting charge poses a considerable risk of injury to the personnel, in particular if the personnel drive the bolt in or out with a hammer.
In addition, since a cutting charge no longer has to be accommodated in the bolt interior, the bolt can be designed as a full caliber bolt. A full caliber bolt made of solid material is not weakened by a cavity for receiving a cutting charge and therefore, with the same diameter, can transmit greater forces than a hollow bolt.
According to a preferred embodiment, the bolt is positionally fixed in the device. As a result, the bolt cannot be slowly released by vibrations occurring during the operation of the vehicle and attachment and thereby endanger the secure coupling.
For the positional fixing, it is proposed, in a development of the invention, that the bolt has a stop for positioning the bolt in the bolt receptacle. The stop is preferably arranged at one end of the bolt; the stop is particularly preferably designed as a collar at the end of the bolt.
The bolt customarily engages in a holding eye, for example a towing eye, in order to couple vehicle and attachment. As a rule, the bolt receptacle is arranged on the attachment and the holding eye on the vehicle. However, the bolt receptacle can also be provided on the vehicle and the holding eye on the attachment.
For the coupling, the bolt can be plugged by the stop-free end into the bolt receptacle and through a holding eye. When the bolt has been entirely introduced into the bolt receptacle, the bolt strikes by means of the stop against the receptacle and is therefore positionally fixed in this direction. If the connection is to be severed again, the bolt can be removed again in the opposite direction.
However, it is advantageous for the emergency decoupling if the bolt is pushable out of the bolt receptacle in the plug-in direction of the bolt via the explosive device. For the emergency decoupling, the bolt is therefore pushed out of the bolt receptacle counter to the customary release direction. In the process, the stop on the bolt is sheared off or deformed and the bolt is pushed out of the bolt receptacle in the plug-in direction by the explosive device.
In a structural respect, it has proven advantageous that the bolt receptacle has two spaced-apart cheeks. This configuration ensures a uniform and symmetrical introduction of force or force flux between attachment and vehicle. The cheeks are preferably arranged substantially parallel to each other, in particular in the manner of a double cheek. Each cheek has a recess for receiving the bolt. The bolt-receptacle recesses which are provided for receiving the bolt particularly preferably have coaxial center lines.
In addition, it has proven advantageous for the force flux between vehicle and attachment if the bolt receptacle is of plane-symmetrical design. The plane of symmetry preferably runs centrally between the cheeks.
In a development of the invention, a collecting container for collecting the bolt is proposed. By this means, it is ensured that, after the explosion, the bolt does not fly around in an uncontrolled manner and endanger the surroundings. The collecting container is preferably arranged releasably, in particular on an outer side of the cheek. It is furthermore of advantage here if the collecting container has application points for a release and fastening tool.
In addition, a collecting container of cage-shaped design has proven advantageous. As the bolt is pushed out of the receptacle into the collecting container, air can escape out of the collecting container through holes in the latter. The air then does not form any resistance during the pushing of the bolt. As an alternative, the collecting container can also be designed to be hole-free. A hole-free design of the collecting container ensures protection from dirt.
The device can have a cover for protecting the explosive device or the explosive. The detonator and the explosive are protected from environmental influences by the cover. The cover is particularly preferably designed to be releasable. The cover can also have application points for a releasing and fastening tool.
Furthermore, the bolt receptacle can have an in particular cylindrical cavity which is preferably open with respect to an outer side of a cheek and into which the explosive device is fitted. The cavity is preferably closed with a cover. The space between the bolt receptacle and the cover then forms an explosion space, wherein the cover can also provide part of the explosion space.
According to a further teaching of the invention, the cover is arranged on a cheek of the bolt receptacle. In this case, a space remains between the cover and the bolt receptacle, preferably on an outer side of a cheek of the bolt receptacle. The space can be partially or completely provided by the cover. In this case too, the cover and the bolt receptacle form an explosion space in which the explosive is arranged.
After the detonator has been ignited, as a consequence of the explosion of the explosive, the pressure in the explosion space builds up for pushing out the bolt. The cover can close the explosion space in a water-tight manner, preferably in a gas-tight manner, in particular by means of a seal.
The explosive device will be described in more detail below:
Customarily, the explosive device has explosive and a detonator. The detonator can be arranged together with the explosive in an explosive capsule. However, the explosive device may additionally also have further explosives. For the emergency decoupling, the detonator, and therefore the explosive, is ignited. The pressure surge generated in the process is transmitted in a pulsed manner to the bolt. As a consequence, the bolt is pushed out of the bolt receptacle.
The detonator is preferably designed as an explosive capsule, in particular as an exploding-bridgewire (EBW) detonator. Use is particularly preferably made of an EBW detonator which complies with the highest safety standards according to the prior art. In addition, the front end of the explosive device can have a plate for receiving additional explosive. The plate is preferably fastened to an aluminum sleeve.
It has proven advantageous if, after the coupling of attachment and vehicle, the explosive device is introducible into the device. By this means, significantly greater safety in the handling of the coupling device during the coupling and regular decoupling can be achieved.
The explosive device is preferably insertable, in particular screwable, into the cover from the outside. By this means, after the coupling of vehicle and attachment with the bolt, the explosive device can be inserted into the device, in particular even only after the explosion space has been formed by the cover being screwed on.
In a further refinement of the explosive device, the detonator and/or the explosive are accommodated in the cover. The explosive device with explosive, detonator and/or socket and cover is then connectable and releasable as a whole to and from the bolt receptacle.
By contrast, during the release of the coupling, the explosive device can be removed first from the device, in particular with or without the cover. After the removal of the explosive device, coupling and release are possible without risk, since there is no explosive in the device during the manual introduction or knocking out of the bolt.
According to a further refinement of the invention, the explosive device or the detonator is removable from the device and/or storable with the coupling being maintained. The detonator can preferably be stored separately from the cover and, for safety reasons, can be screwed last into the cover.
The explosive device is preferably in particular ignitable remotely from the vehicle. By this means, the attachment can be decoupled in an emergency from the vehicle, and therefore the crew can remain protected in the vehicle. A remote trigger device with the detonator is preferably connected here via a socket to the explosive device and/or in the cover. For safety reasons, the detonator is connected to the remote trigger device preferably in the final coupling step. The remote igniting trigger is preferably connected to the explosive device after the explosive device has been installed.
It is advantageous structurally if the bolt is held in position via the cover or the explosive device. By this means, the bolt is fixed in the bolt receptacle in a simple manner.
In a development of the invention, it is furthermore proposed that the explosive device is arranged spaced apart from the bolt. In particular for the positional fixing, an in particular annular thrust piece and/or an in particular annular seal are/is preferably arranged in the explosion space. The bolt is thereby fixed in position between the bolt receptacle and the cover. The thrust piece can serve for spacing the bolt apart from the explosive.
Alternatively or in addition, the volume of the explosion space can be adapted with an in particular annular reducing piece. For this purpose, the latter is arranged in the explosion space. The volume can be adapted by selecting the width and the inside diameter of the reducing piece. The generation of pressure after the explosion, and therefore the pressure applied to the bolt during pushing of the latter out of the bolt receptacle, can be adjusted via the volume of the explosion space.
Additionally or alternatively to the thrust piece and/or the reducing piece, a seal can be provided between the explosive device and the bolt in order to seal off the explosion space. The seal is particularly preferably provided between the bolt and/or the bolt receptacle and the thrust piece and/or reducing piece.
According to a particularly preferred refinement, the thrust piece and the reducing piece are a component, in particular a ring with a polygonal cross section.
It has also proven advantageous if the explosive device is arranged on an outer side of the one cheek, and/or the collecting container is arranged on the outer side of the other cheek. Preferably, both the explosive device and the connecting container can be unscrewed and, consequently, can be replaced in a simple manner. In order to be able to fasten the explosive device and/or the collecting container to the cheeks, the outer sides of the cheeks in each case have a threaded section. Correspondingly, the explosive device and/or the collecting container can have a thread.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the device, in particular the collecting container, has a return guard for the bolt. This prevents the bolt, after being pushed out of the receptacle and in particular after striking against the collecting container, from moving back into the receptacle, which would possibly make the decoupling more difficult. The return guard can be designed as a deflecting guide via which the direction of movement of the bolt is deflected, and therefore the bolt is guided. The deflecting guide can be configured, for example, by means of a slope on the base of the collecting container.
In addition, it is advantageous if the bolt receptacle is designed in such a manner that the explosive device and the collecting container are fastenable interchangeably to the two cheeks. The explosive device or the collecting container can therefore be optionally arranged on the one side of the bolt receptacle and/or on the other side.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, an attachment and/or vehicle of the type mentioned at the beginning is proposed, which has a device of the type already described, and therefore the advantages which have already been described are produced.
In a further refinement of the attachment and/or vehicle, it has proven advantageous if the attachment or vehicle has two devices and the devices are arranged in such a manner that the center axis of the bolt to be received in the devices lies on a straight line.
Customarily, in the case of an attachment with a device of the type already described, the bolt of the device engages in holding eyes of the vehicle. Analogously, in the case of a vehicle with a device of the type already described, the bolt of the device engages in holding eyes of the attachment. Vehicle and attachment are thereby coupled simply and securely to each other. Vehicle and attachment are particularly preferably connected by an articulated coupling.
The attachment and/or the vehicle can have an interface for the hydraulic and/or electric supply of the attachment by the vehicle. During the emergency decoupling, said interfaces or connections can be released in the manner known from the prior art. Interfaces can also be provided for controlling the attachment from the vehicle.
In the case of a method of the type mentioned at the beginning, the above object is achieved in that the bolt is pushed out of the bolt receptacle via an explosive device in order to release the coupling. In this connection, a device of the type already described can consequently be used, with the advantages which have already been described arising.
In a development of the invention, it is proposed that, for the coupling, the bolt is plugged into the bolt receptacle and through the holding eye and then the cover and/or the collecting container is fastened to the device.
In addition, it has proven advantageous if the vehicle is coupled to the attachment before the explosive device is inserted. Similarly, it is of advantage if the explosive device is removed before the manual decoupling of vehicle and attachment. The manual coupling and/or decoupling without the explosive device is considerably safer since the latter no longer poses any risk to the personnel.
The explosive device is preferably connected to the release unit only after said explosive device has been inserted into the device. For this purpose, a plug can be provided on the explosive device. The explosive device and the release unit are particularly preferably connected to each other only immediately before the vehicle and the attachment are used.
In addition, the method can have all of the method steps, which have been described previously in terms of the device, individually or in combination.
Further details of a device according to the invention, and also of an attachment and/or vehicle according to the invention and also of a method according to the invention are explained below with reference to the attached drawings of exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:
Customarily, the attachments 2 are arranged on the vehicle 3 at the front. However, the coupling points and therefore the attachments 2 can also be arranged at different points on the vehicle 3, for example at the rear or on the roof of the vehicle 3.
Preferably, standard coupling points on the vehicle 3 are used for the various attachments 2. In addition to purely mechanical coupling points, the attachments 2 and/or the vehicle 3 can also have additional interfaces for the hydraulic and/or electric supply of the attachment 2 by the vehicle 3. Furthermore, a control interface can also be provided between the attachment 2 and the vehicle 3 such that the attachment 2 can be controlled from the vehicle 3.
In order to fasten the bolt receptacle 4 to the attachment 2 or vehicle 3, said bolt receptacle has a flange surface 26, as shown in
When attachments 2 which work on the ground, such as, for example, dozer blades, mine rollers or mine-clearing plows are used, it has been found that they get stuck. A stuck attachment 2 considerably restricts the mobility of the vehicle 3 or even entirely prevents said mobility.
In particular in the case of military vehicles 3, in order to protect the crew, the mobility of the vehicle 3 carrying the attachment 2 therefore has to be restored as speedily as possible. This is achieved by uncoupling the attachment 2 from the vehicle 3. In general, an emergency decoupling is referred to in this case.
According to
The bolt 6 is accommodated in the recesses 10. As can be seen in
During the coupling, the bolt is plugged into the bolt receptacle from the side on which the explosive device is arranged. The bolt is driven out of the bolt receptacle by the explosive device in the same direction, namely the plug-in direction, S, during the emergency decoupling.
The explosive device 5 is arranged on an outer side of the bolt receptacle 4, the cheek 8 in the exemplary embodiment. The explosive device 5 has a detonator 12, explosive 13, and a socket 14. The explosive device 5 is inserted into the cover 11 via the thread 29. For the installation of the explosive device, the latter has engagement points 30. The cover is fastened to the bolt receptacle 4 via the thread 16. An explosive device with an explosive capsule is accommodated in the cover 11. A detonator 12 and the explosive 13 arranged in the explosive capsule. According to a further exemplary embodiment, the explosive device can contain additional explosive (not shown).
For screwing the cover 11 onto the bolt receptacle 4, the cover 11 has engagement points 24 for a tool. An explosion space 15, in which the detonator 12 and the explosive 13 are accommodated, is formed by the cover 11 and the bolt receptacle 4. The detonator 12 which is arranged in the explosion space 15 is connected via the socket 14 to igniting electronics (not shown) for triggering the emergency decoupling.
For the positional fixing of the bolt 6, the device 1 has a thrust piece 17 which is arranged between the bolt receptacle 4 and the cover 11. By this means, the bolt 6 is clamped via the stop 21 thereof between the thrust piece 17 and the cheek 8 and is thereby positionally fixed. In addition, the bolt is spaced apart from the explosive by the thrust piece. The seal 19 is also arranged between the thrust piece 17 and the stop. The seal 19 seals off the explosion space 15 toward the bolt 6 and toward the cheek 8.
The volume of the explosion space 15 can be adapted with the aid of the reducing piece 18 by the inside diameter of same or the width thereof being varied. By this means, the pressure with which the bolt 6 is driven out of the bolt receptacle 4 can be adjusted.
In the exemplary embodiment, a ring 17, 18 is designed both as a thrust piece 17 and a reducing piece 18.
A collecting container 20 for the bolt 6 is arranged on the cheek 9 opposite the explosive device. Said collecting container, like the cover 11, can be fitted on the bolt receptacle via a thread 23. In the exemplary embodiment, the threads 16 and 23 are identical. As a result, both the cover 11 and the collecting container 20 can be fitted on both sides of the bolt receptacle 4. In order to facilitate the installation, the collecting container 20 has engagement points 25 for a tool. However, the collecting container 20 does not necessarily have to be arranged on the bolt receptacle 4. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the collecting container 20 can also be arranged on the holding eye 7. For example, in particular if the bolt receptacle 4 has just one cheek 8, 9, the explosive device 5 can be arranged on the bolt receptacle 4 and the collecting container 20 can be arranged on the holding eye 8, 9, or vice versa.
The bolt receptacle 4, the bolt 6, the holding eye 7, the cover 10 and/or the collecting container 20 are/is made of metal, in particular steel.
The method for the coupling, decoupling and emergency decoupling is described below.
For the coupling of the vehicle 3 and attachment 2, the bolt is removed from the bolt receptacle. The vehicle 3 and the attachment 2 are subsequently arranged in such a manner that the recesses 10 of the bolt receptacle 4 and the holding eye 7 are aligned. The bolt 6 is then plugged again into the bolt receptacle 4 and through the holding eye 7. By means of the plugging-in, the plug-in direction is defined. The bolt 6 strikes by means of the stop 21 thereof against the bolt receptacle 4. The seal 19 is subsequently arranged in front of the bolt 6 in the explosion space 15. The thrust piece 17 or reducing piece 18 is then placed in front of the seal 19. The cover 11 is then screwed onto the bolt receptacle 4. The bolt 6 is positionally fixed in the bolt receptacle 4 by the installation of the cover 11. In this respect, the coupling can take place without risk to the personnel, since there is no explosive in the bolt. Finally, the explosive device 5 is screwed into the device. The explosive device 5 is connected to a remote triggering device (not shown) only shortly before use in order to avoid inadvertent triggering. The regular release of the coupling takes place in the reverse sequence. Since, during the manual coupling or decoupling, both the insertion and the moving out of the bolt take place without the explosive device, coupling and decoupling without risk are possible.
The emergency release will be described below with reference to the sectional illustrations of
The igniting puts the explosive 13 into action. The detonator and the explosive immediately produce reaction products in the form of trails of smoke. A pressure is thereby built up in the explosion space 15. By this means, the stop which is in the form of the bolt head is deformed. The bolt is pushed out of the bolt receptacle 4 counter to the plug-in direction. In the process, the stop 21 is deformed and/or tears off. The bolt 6 is driven by the pressure in the explosion chamber 15, as shown in
The device 1 described above and also the attachment 2 described above and also the vehicle 2 described above and the method described above for the emergency decoupling of an attachment 2 from a vehicle 3 are distinguished in particular in that a permanently functionally reliable emergency decoupling is ensured by the principle of the bolt 6 being pushed out of the bolt receptacle 4 by means of an explosive device 5, in particular even in the case of high unknown states of stress because of an attachment 2 which has got stuck.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2012 107 580.8 | Aug 2012 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE2013/100291 | 8/13/2013 | WO | 00 |
