The present disclosure relates generally to construction machines. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a lubricant collecting assembly for construction machines.
Various construction machines, such as industrial shovels, are employed to perform several operations such as, excavation, demolition, digging, and the like. These construction machines generally include a pivotable lift arm assembled with a machine frame via a pin joint. The pin joint is lubricated at regular intervals to minimize metal-to-metal wear that would occur without such lubrication.
In certain situations, to ensure that the pin joint is completely filled with lubricant or grease, the service person may continue to add grease until it extrudes from the periphery of the joint. Often the excess grease may fall from the pin joint and onto the ground and/or various parts of the construction machines. Such unmanaged disposal of grease is unsightly, subject to causing slippery surfaces and environmentally undesirable. It is known to install a lubricant collecting assembly within a construction machine to collect the dripping lubricant. However, the structure of these collecting assemblies make it difficult to service and clean, especially when the collecting structure is full of grease.
Japanese patent, JP2005200970A discloses a shovel, in which a boom is connected with a frame via a pin joint. A container for collecting grease drippings is provided at the bottom of the frame. Such assembly includes the container positioned, which is difficult to access and cumbersome to install and remove for re-usage. Moreover, the container is placed at the bottom of the frame and therefore lubricant must travel a long way to be collected inside the container, which may still cause some lubricant to fall on surrounding surfaces of the machine or the ground.
Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a lubricant collecting assembly for a construction machine. The construction machine has a pivotable lift arm assembled to a machine frame via a pin joint. The lubricant collecting assembly collects lubricant that drips from the pin joint. The lubricant collecting assembly includes a mount assembly and a tray assembly.
The mount assembly is attached to the machine frame and includes a base portion, a first longitudinal wall, a second longitudinal wall, a transverse wall, and a lip portion. The base portion has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first longitudinal wall and the second longitudinal wall are both extended from the base portion. At least one of the first longitudinal wall and the second longitudinal wall has a mounting portion for attaching the mount assembly to the machine frame. The transverse wall extends from the first end portion of the base portion and is positioned between the first longitudinal wall and the second longitudinal wall. The transverse wall includes a tab portion and defines a first height. Further, the lip portion is extended from the second end portion of the base portion between the first longitudinal wall and the second longitudinal wall. The lip portion defines a height. The height of the lip portion is lesser than the height of the transverse wall.
Further, the tray assembly is structured and arranged to be removably positioned within the mount assembly and retained by the tab portion of the transverse wall of the mount assembly. The tray assembly includes a first longitudinal side wall and a second longitudinal side wall. Both the first longitudinal side wall and the second longitudinal side wall define wing portions extended outwardly relative to the first and second longitudinal side walls.
Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Referring to
The construction machine 100 may include a machine frame 102, a pivotable lift arm 104, a stick 106, and a bucket 108. The machine frame 102 provides a base structure to mount various parts of the construction machine 100. The machine frame 102 has two flanged portions 110, 112, extending from the machine frame 102 and serve as the primary mounting structure for the pivotable lift arm 104.
The pivotable lift arm 104 includes a first end 114 and a second end 116. The first end 114 of the pivotable lift arm 104 is configured to fit within and be assembled with the flanged portions 110, 112 of the machine frame 102, via a pin joint 118. The second end 116 of the pivotable lift arm 104 is rotatably connected to the stick 106 and, in turn, the stick 106 is attached to the bucket 108. The specific arrangement of the pivotable lift arm 104, the stick 106, and the bucket 108, enables the construction machine 100 to perform excavation.
The pin joint 118 will now be described. The pin joint 118, is positioned between the pivotable lift arm 104 and the machine frame 102. A pin 120 extends through the pair of flanged portions 110, 112 and retains a cylindrical portion 122 of the pivotable lift arm 104. The pin joint 118 is lubricated at regular intervals of time to keep a significant layer of lubrication between friction members to avoid wear and tear between related parts that would otherwise be metal-to-metal without adequate lubrication. In certain situations, such as excess lubrication, the lubricant may drip or fall from the pin joint 118. A lubricant collecting assembly 200 (
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The base portion 302 may be a rectangular plate, which provides a generally planar surface to support the tray assembly 208 (
Further, the first and second longitudinal walls 304, 306 extend generally perpendicularly from the base portion 302, between the first end portion 316 and the second end portion 318. The first longitudinal wall 304 includes spaced tabs or mounting portions 320, which are used to attach the mount assembly 206 to at least one of the flanged portion 110 or flanged portion 112 of the machine frame 102. The mounting portions 320 of the first longitudinal wall 304 are each structured to receive a fastener 322 (
The mount assembly 206 further includes a back or transverse wall 308 extended generally perpendicular from the first end portion 316 of the base portion 302, and connects with the first and second longitudinal walls 304, 306. The transverse wall 308 includes a tab portion 324 which is angled towards the tray assembly 208 (
The mount assembly 206 includes a front wall or the lip portion 310 which extends generally perpendicularly from the second end portion 318 of the base portion 302 and connects the first and second longitudinal walls 304, 306. The lip portion 310 is shorter in height relative to the transverse wall 308. Therefore, the mount assembly 206 forms a generally wedge and/or rectangular shaped box structure. In an exemplary embodiment, the base portion 302 is angled with respect to a horizontal plane thereby the mount assembly 206 forms a generally wedge shaped box structure. In another exemplary embodiment, the base portion 302 is parallel to the horizontal plane thereby the mount assembly 206 forms a generally rectangular shaped box structure. Each of the base portion 302, the first longitudinal wall 304, the second longitudinal wall 306, the transverse wall 308 and the lip portion 310 may be manufactured and assembled using a die-cut metal sheet pattern which is accordingly bent to form this box with adjacent and unconnected walls being welded for example. Alternatively, the mount assembly 206 may be constructed of individual pieces which may be continuous or spot welded together at intersections, as is customary.
Referring to
In the assembled position as is best shown in
Further, it will be understood that the tray assembly 208 is by design retained within the mount assembly 206 during normal operation of the construction machine 100. This is due to the tray assembly 208 being of complimentary configuration relative to the mount assembly 206 however sized slightly smaller to keep the tray assembly 208 from tipping. Moreover, the tab portion 324 of the mount assembly 206 acts to retain the tray assembly 208 yet allows for the tray assembly 208 to be expediently removed by a slight pull of the handle 340 of the tray assembly 208. The tab portion 324 may be angled such that the tab portion 324 is substantially parallel to the base portion 302 and the bottom 326, for efficiently securing of the tray assembly 208 within the mount assembly 206. However, it may be contemplated that the tab portion 324 may be angled at any angle towards the tray assembly 208 to secure the tray assembly 208 within the mount assembly 206.
Referring to
During normal operation of the construction machine 100, some lubricant may drip off from the pin joint 118. The lubricant that drips from the pin joint 118 flows along the flanged portion 110 of the machine frame 102, towards the lubricant collecting assembly 200. The lubricant dripping from the pin joint 118 may either collect in the tray assembly 208 or in a plastic bag positioned inside the tray assembly 208.
The wing portions 336, 338 of respective first and second longitudinal side walls 328, 330 of tray assembly 208 create a large envelope to catch falling lubricant that drips along the inner side 202 of flanged portion 110. The dripping lubricant is caught due to the wing portion 336 of the first longitudinal side wall 328 being in abutment with the flanged portion 110 of the machine frame 102 and therefore the construction of the tray assembly 208 directs the lubricant into the tray assembly 208 by flowing along the wing portion 336.
After a certain period of time, the tray assembly 208 may be required to be emptied. During such a service event, the tray assembly 208 is pulled by the handle 340, to disengage the tray assembly 208 from the tab portion 324, and the bottom 326 of the tray assembly 208 rides along the lip portion 310 of the mount assembly 206. While sliding, the first and second longitudinal walls 304, 306 of the mount assembly 206 guide the tray assembly 208 to reduce the occurrence of side-to-side tipping, thereby facilitating quick and efficient removal of the tray assembly 208. Further, the tray assembly 208 may be re-installed on the mount assembly 206, once the tray assembly 208 is cleaned, in the same manner. The tray assembly 208 is re-installed by pushing the tray assembly 208, and the bottom 326 of the tray assembly 208 rides along the lip portion 310 of the mount assembly 206. While sliding, the first and second longitudinal walls 304, 306 of the mount assembly 206 guide the tray assembly 208 to reduce the occurrence of side-to-side tipping. The tray assembly 208 slides above the lip portion 310 to be installed in the mount assembly 206, and the tray assembly 208 engages with the tab portion 324, which acts to retain the tray assembly 208. Since the tray assembly 208 is removably positioned inside the mount assembly 206, the tray assembly 208 is efficiently installed and removed.