Patent Application
20250116081
The invention relates to a quick-change system and an adapter for such a quick-change system.
Such quick-change systems are used for simple and convenient changing of different attachments on construction machines. For example, this enables tilt buckets, grapples, shears, compactors, magnets, hydraulic hammers or other attachments to be coupled to or decoupled from a boom of an excavator from the driver's cab in a few seconds and at a high standard of safety. They generally contain an adapter on the attachment side and a quick changer arranged on a construction machine, which has, for example, claw-like first receptacles on one side for holding a first coupling element arranged on the adapter and second receptacles on other side, with at least one locking element movable between a release position and a locking position for releasably securing a second coupling element arranged on the adapter.
A generic quick-change system is known from DE 10 2018 128 479 A1. It includes a quick changer, which contains claw-like first receptacles on one side of a support for a first coupling element and second receptacles on the other side of the support with at least one locking element movable between a release position and a locking position for releasably securing a second coupling element. An adapter belonging to the quick changer has two pin-like coupling elements arranged between parallel side walls at a predetermined spacing from each other for connecting the adapter to the quick changer.
There is a requirement that such quick-change systems prevent unintentional loosening of the adapter from the quick changer due to operating errors or a technical defect in order to prevent the attachment from falling off and thereby potentially endangering people.
One aspect of the invention therefore relates to a quick-change system and an adapter for such a quick-change system in which unintentional loosening of the adapter from a quick changer can be avoided and safety thereby increased.
A quick-change system and an adapter for a quick-change system are disclosed herein. Practical embodiments and advantageous modifications of the invention are also disclosed.
The quick-change system according to the invention for changing attachments on a construction machine includes a quick changer and an adapter connectable to the quick changer in which the adapter contains coupling elements arranged at a predetermined spacing from each other between two side walls and the quick changer, a support, first receptacles arranged on one side of the support for receiving the first coupling element and second receptacles arranged on the other side of the support for receiving second coupling elements, and a locking device with at least one locking element, which can be moved by means of a drive between a release position and a locking position for securely locking the second pin-like coupling element on the second receptacles. The quick-change system is characterized by a mechanical safety device cooperating with the locking device of the quick changer, which contains at least one locking element movable into a locking position for locking the at least one locking element in the locking position.
The additional safety device enables the locking device to be locked in the locking position and reliably prevents unintentional movement of the locking device due to incorrect operation or a malfunction. In this way, mechanical securing of the locking device in the locking position can be achieved independently of separate drives. It is thus possible to prevent unintentional loosening of an attachment that is correctly coupled to the quick changer by the adapter. Danger to persons or damage to objects can therefore be prevented and a significant improvement in work safety achieved.
In one practical embodiment, the at least one locking element can have a U-shaped cross section for engaging above a piston rod of the drive of the locking device, which is preferably designed as a piston-cylinder drive. The locking element can therefore engage above a piston rod and be pushed between the support and a housing in order to prevent the locking elements from moving into a release position and opening the quick changer.
In a particularly advantageous variant, the mechanical locking device can contain two locking elements connected to each other, which are movable between the locking position for locking two pin-like locking elements in an extended locking position and a release position that enables the two pin-like locking elements to be moved between the extended locking position and a retracted release position.
For joint actuation of the two locking elements, they can be conveniently connected to each other by a connecting rod.
The mechanical locking device is preferably integrated into the adapter. However, it can also be arranged in the quick changer or designed as a separate assembly to be used as required.
The invention also relates to an adapter for a quick-change system for changing attachments on a construction machine, which contains coupling elements arranged at a predetermined spacing from each other between two side walls for coupling to a quick changer provided with a locking device and a mechanical safety device, which has at least one locking element on the inside of the side wall movable between a lowered release position and a raised locking position for locking at least one locking element of the locking device.
In a particularly stable and safe design, the mechanical locking device contains two locking elements preferably provided with a U-shaped cross section arranged on the insides of the two side walls and connected to each other, which can be moved manually between the lowered release position and the raised locking position.
The two locking elements are conveniently arranged on actuation elements extending through slit-like openings in the side walls and protruding outwardly relative to the side walls. The locking elements can therefore also be moved manually from the release position into the locking position if the adapter is not accessible from below through a base plate or an attachment fastened to the adapter. The position of the locking elements is also readily apparent from the outside via the actuation element protruding outwardly from the side walls.
A retaining device can also be arranged on at least one side wall to secure the two locking elements in both the lowered release position and the raised locking position. The retaining device can contain a retaining pin, which can be inserted through through-holes in at least one brace on the side wall and a through-hole in the actuation element. The retaining pin can be secured via a locking pin.
Additional details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred practical embodiment with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:
A practical embodiment of a quick-change system in a coupled position is shown in
The adapter 2, which can be fastened to the attachment or integrated into the attachment, contains a support element consisting of a base plate 3 and two side parts 4 with two coupling elements 5 and 6 spaced apart from each other. The coupling elements 5 and 6 used for connection to the quick changer 1 are arranged between the two parallel side parts 4 spaced apart from each other and arranged at right angles to the base plate 3. In the practical embodiment shown, a pin-like first coupling element 5 and a second pin-like coupling element 6 arranged at a predetermined spacing therefrom are provided between the two cheek-like side parts 4 of the support element for releasable connection to the quick changer 1. The two pin-like coupling elements 5 and 6 are inserted with their corresponding ends into corresponding holes 7 and 8 in the two side parts 4 of adapter 2 and fastened thereto. A mechanical safety device 9, which is explained in greater detail below, is also provided on the adapter 2 to prevent unintentional opening of the quick changer 1.
The quick changer 1, which is mountable, for example, on a boom of an excavator, contains a support 10 with two parallel side parts 11 in which continuous receiving openings 12 for fastening pins 13 are provided fastening the quick changer 1 to a boom of an excavator or a connection part of another construction vehicle.
As can be seen from
In the embodiment shown, the locking elements 17 consist of two parallel locking pins, which are guided to move in guide holes within support 10 and are movable via a drive between a retracted release position and an extended locking position shown in
In the embodiments shown, the drive designed as an H-cylinder for moving the locking element 17 of the locking device is designed as a hydraulic cylinder-piston drive with two hydraulic pistons arranged inside an H-shaped housing 18. The H-shaped housing 18 contains two parallel outer parts 20 connected to each other via a center part 19, in which pressure chambers are arranged to accommodate two parallel hydraulic pistons with outward protruding piston rods 21. One of the piston rods 21 of the hydraulic pistons arranged in the two outer parts 20 of housing 10 is shown in
To couple the adapter 2 to the quick changer 1, the quick changer 1, which is generally arranged on a boom of an excavator, is initially moved so that the first pin-like coupling element 5 on adapter 2 is retracted into the claw-like first receptacles 14 on one side of the quick changer 1. The quick changer 1 with the still retracted locking elements 16 is then pivoted around the first pin-like coupling element 5 so that the second pin-like coupling element 6 on adapter 2 stops against the contact surfaces of the downwardly open receptacles 15 on the other side of the quick changer 1. The locking elements 16 arranged movable in the support 10 of the quick changer 1 can then be extended by the servo drive 17 so that the second pin-like coupling element 6 on adapter 2 is engaged by the two pin-like locking elements 16 on the quick changer 1 and the adapter 2 is thus held on the quick changer 1.
A mechanical drop safety device is provided on the adapter 2 to prevent an attachment coupled via adapter 2 to quick changer 1 from being loosening in the event of an unintentional release movement of locking elements 16 from the quick changer 1 due to incorrect operation or malfunctions of the servo drive 17, and from then possibly falling down in the raised position of the quick changer 1. The drop safety device is designed to enclose the coupling element 5 arranged on the adapter 2 or attachment and engaging with the first receptacles 14.
In the embodiment shown, drop safety device includes two separate catch hooks 22, which are not rigidly arranged on the support 10 of the quick changer 1, but rather pivotably connected to support 10 via a type of hinge so as to be pivotable around a transverse axis 23. Two catch hooks 22 are arranged on the two receptacles 14 and designed so that they enclose a coupling element 5 on adapter 2 or an attachment and can trap the attachment during unintentional movement of the locking element 16 into a release position by engagement of the coupling element 5 on the catch hooks 22 in a catch position. Owing to this pivotable arrangement, the catch hooks 22 can be moved between a tilted-up secure position fully enclosing the receptacle 14 shown in
A tab-like control element 24 cooperating with the coupling element 5 on adapter 2 is arranged on the catch hook 22 for pivoting of catch hook 22 independently of the locking device, between the tilted-down change-and-catch position and the tilted-up secure position. The catch hook 22 is forced into its tilted-down change-and-catch position by a reset device arranged on the support. This ensures that the catch hook 22 is situated securely in its tilted-down change-and-catch position independently of the position of the quick changer 1 when the attachment is still unconnected. In the tilted-down change-and-catch position of the catch hook 22, an attachment can be changed by setting it on the ground and, if necessary, secured in a catch position by engagement of the coupling element 5 on the catch hook 22 and thereby secured on the quick changer 1, while the catch hook 22 in the tilted-up secure position fully encloses the receptacles 14 for the coupling element 5.
The adapter 2 is shown in
As follows especially from
A through-hole 31, which can be seen in in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 127 568.2 | Oct 2023 | DE | national |
