DOUBLE SAFETY DEVICE FOR QUICK COUPLER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a double safety device for a quick coupler, which, in a coupling process of a quick coupler for connecting a heavy equipment attachment and an excavator, automatically prevents unintentional separation between an attachment pin and a fixed hook, and enables a locking device to be automatically operated in association with a cylinder operation for slidably moving a hitch and elastic force of first and second compression springs. The double safety device for a quick coupler according to the present invention comprises: a quick coupler body mounted to an end of an excavator arm and a push link; a fixed hook disposed on one side of the quick coupler body and coupled to a first attachment pin; a hitch disposed on the other side of the quick coupler body and engaged with or disengaged from a second attachment pin according to an operation of a hydraulic cylinder; and a locking means which is operated in association with a cylinder operation for operating the hitch, and prevents unintentional release of a coupling state between the fixed hook and the first attachment pin by compressive elastic force of first and second compression springs.

Claims

1. A double safety device for a quick coupler, the device comprising: a quick coupler body 100 being connected to an arm of an excavator; a fixed hook 110 being provided on one side of the quick coupler body 100 and being coupled with a first attachment pin; a hitch 120 being provided on other side of the quick coupler body 100, being connected to a cylinder load 220 of a cylinder 200 and being coupled with a second attachment pin during forward motion of the cylinder load 220; and a locking means 300 for preventing an arbitrary release of coupled state of the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin; wherein the locking means 300 comprises: a fastening block 310 being positioned outside a cylinder tube 210 of the cylinder 200 and being fixed on the quick coupler body 100 a first compression spring 320 being provided on between the fasting block 310 and the hitch 120 and assigning an elastic compression force, a second compression spring 330 having an elastic compression force to push the cylinder tube 210 toward a body stanchion 150 and having one end supported on other side of the fastening block 310 and other end supported on the cylinder tube 210, a blocking block 340 being coupled with one side of the cylinder tube 210, being interlocked when the cylinder tube 210 moves and being positioned on upper side of the fastening block 110 to block a detachment of the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin 21 and a stopper member 380 being formed to protrude at one side or the other side of the fastening block 310, and limiting a backward motion of the hitch 120 or the blocking block 340 by contacting during the backward motion of the hitch 120 or the blocking block 340.

2. The double safety device for quick coupler according to claim 1, wherein the locking means 300 further comprises: a guide groove portion 350 being formed on both outer sides of the hitch 120 in a groove shape and a guide projection 360 being formed to protrude from inner side surfaces of the quick coupler body 100 facing each other and being slid inserted in the guide groove portion 350.

3. The double safety device for quick coupler according to claim 1, wherein an elastic force of the first compression spring 320 is greater than an elastic force of the second compression spring 330.

4. The double safety device for quick coupler according to claim 1, wherein an elastic force of the second compression spring 330 is greater than an elastic force of the first compression spring 320.

5. The double safety device for quick coupler according to claim 1, wherein the fixed hook 110 is being formed that a locking protuberance 112 protrudes in a direction to reduce width of entry which is entered by the first attachment pin 21 at an end of the entry.

6. The double safety device for quick coupler according to claim 1, wherein the blocking block 340 comprises: a connection block 342 being fixed to one side of the cylinder tube 210 and being interlocked with motion of the cylinder tube 210 and an anti-breakaway plate 344 for preventing the first attachment pin 21 from being broken away from the fixed hook 110, being coupled detachably to lower side of the connection block 342 and being positioned on upper side of the first attachment pin 21 when the connection block 342 moves forward.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view showing a double safety device of a quick coupler according to an embodiment of a present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a locking means and a quick coupler body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main portion of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a locking means and a cylinder according to the present invention.

[0026] FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c are use state views sequentially showing a locking state of a fixed hook according to the present invention, and

[0027] FIGS. 6a, 6b, and 6c are use state views showing a detachment operation of unlocking the locking means according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view showing a double safety device of a quick coupler according to an another embodiment of a present invention.

[0029] FIGS. 8a and 8b are use state views sequentially showing a locking state of a fixed hook according to another embodiments of the present invention, and

[0030] FIGS. 9a and 9b are use state views showing a detachment operation of unlocking the locking means according to another embodiments of the present invention.

BEST MODE

[0031] The present invention relates to a double safety device for a quick coupler which includes a quick coupler body mounted to an end portion of an excavator arm and a push link, a fixed hook disposed on one side of the quick coupler body and coupled to a first attachment pin, a hitch disposed on the other side of the quick coupler body and coupled with or separated from a second attachment pin according to operation of a hydraulic cylinder, and a locking means which is interworked with a cylinder operation for operating the hitch and prevents unintentional release of a coupling state between the fixed hook and the first attachment pin by a compressive elastic force of the first and second compression springs.

MODE FOR INVENTION

[0032] The double safety device for a quick coupler, which, in a coupling process of a quick coupler for connecting a heavy equipment attachment and an excavator, automatically prevents unintentional separation between an attachment pin and a fixed hook and enables a locking device to be automatically operated in association with a cylinder operation for slidably moving a hitch and an elastic force of first and second compression springs.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a double safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a quick coupler body 100 mounted on an end portion of an excavator arm and a push link, a fixed hook 110 provided on one side of the quick coupler body 100 and coupled to a first attachment pin 21, a hitch 120 provided on the other side of the quick coupler body 100 and coupled to or separated from a second attachment pin 22 according to operation of a hydraulic cylinder 200, and a locking means 300 which is operated in association with the cylinder 200 operating the hitch 120 and prevents a coupling state of the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin 21 from being arbitrarily released by an elastic compression force of the first and second compression springs 320 and 330.

[0034] More specifically, the quick coupler body 100 has a structure in which both plates symmetrical to and separated from each other are connected through a connection rod 110.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the locking means 300 includes a fastening block 310 disposed outside the cylinder tube 210 of the cylinder 200 and fixed to the quick coupler body 100, a first compression spring 320 which has one end portion supported on the hitch 120 and the other end portion supported on the fastening block 310 and provides an elastic compression force toward the hitch 120, a second compression spring 330 which has one end portion supported on the other side of the fastening block 310 and the other end portion supported on a protruding part 215 protruding from an outer side of the cylinder tube 210 and provides an elastic compression force pushing the cylinder tube 210 toward the body stanchion 150, a blocking block 340 which is coupled to one side of the cylinder tube 210 and is disposed above the fixed hook 110 in association with movement of the cylinder tube 210 to block the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin 21 from being separated, and a stopper member 380 protruding from the other side of the fastening block 310 and stopping the blocking block 340 from moving backward.

[0036] The fastening block 310 is fixed to an outer side of the middle portion of the quick coupler body 100 by a coupling member, such as a bolt and the like, and has a structure in which the first compression spring 320 is supported on one side thereof and one end portion of the second compression spring 330 is supported on the other side thereof.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first compression spring 320 has one end portion supported on the hitch 120 and the other end portion supported on the fastening block 310 fixed to the quick coupler body 100 to provide elastic force pushing the hitch 120 outward.

[0038] Therefore, the first compression spring 320 is disposed between the hitch 120 and the fastening block 310 to provide elastic force pushing the hitch 120 and the fastening block 310, and thus, although a hydraulic pressure is not transmitted to the cylinder 200 due to oil leakage, the first compression spring 320 performs a safety function of preventing the second attachment pin 22 from being arbitrarily separated from the hitch 120 by pushing the hitch 120 outward so as not to be pushed in a reverse direction.

[0039] The second compression spring 330 has one end portion supported on the other side of the fastening block 310 and the other end portion supported on a protruding part 215 fixed to an outer side of the cylinder tube 210 and providing an elastic force to push the cylinder tube 210 toward the body stanchion 150.

[0040] In this case, an elastic force E1 of the first compression spring 320 is greater than an elastic force E2 of the second compression spring 330 (E1>E2).

[0041] Further, the second compression spring 330 is interposed between the fastening block 310 and the protruding part 215 of the cylinder tube 210, and thus, although a hydraulic pressure is not transmitted to the cylinder 200 due to oil leakage, the second compression spring 330 pushes the cylinder tube 210 and the blocking block 340 toward the body stanchion 150 so that the anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned above the first attachment pin 21 coupled to the fixed hook 110, thereby performing a safety function of preventing the first attachment pin 21 from being arbitrarily separated.

[0042] The fixed hook 110 has a structure in which a locking protuberance 112 protrudes upward from an end portion thereof at an inlet side to which the first attachment pin 21 approaches in a direction in which a width of an inlet is decreased in the drawing.

[0043] The locking protuberance 112 has a function of preventing the first attachment pin 21 from being separated in a lateral direction when the first attachment pin 21 is separated through the inlet in a state in which the first attachment pin 21 is coupled in the fixed hook 110.

[0044] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the locking means 300 further includes guide groove portions 350 formed in both outer surfaces of the hitch 120 in a concave groove form to slidably move forward and backward and a guide projection 360 protruding from inner surfaces of the quick coupler body 100 facing each other and inserted into the guide groove portions 350 to slidably move, and the hitch 120 has a structure of slidably moving in a lateral direction according to forward and backward movement of the cylinder rod 220.

[0045] The blocking block 340 includes a connection block 342 fixed to one side of the cylinder tube 210, operated in association with the movement of the cylinder tube 210, and connected with the hydraulic hose 250 so that an external hydraulic pressure is transmitted to the inside of the hydraulic hose 250 so as to transmit a hydraulic pressure to the cylinder tube 210 and includes an anti-breakaway plate 344 which is coupled to a lower side of the connection block 342 to be attached or detached by a fastening member, such as a bolt, and is disposed above the first attachment pin 21 when the connection block 342 moves forward so as to prevent the first attachment pin 21 from being separated from the fixed hook 110.

[0046] In the present invention, the quick coupler body 100 is connected to an end portion of an excavator arm (not shown) and a push link, and the fixed hook 110 is coupled to the first attachment pin 21 by operating the excavator arm as shown in FIG. 5a.

[0047] In this case, a hydraulic cylinder is used as the cylinder 200, and when a hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 200 in one direction in which the cylinder rod 220 moves forward, as shown in FIG. 5b, the cylinder rod 220 moves forward to move the hitch 120 toward the second attachment pin 22, and thus the hitch 120 is coupled to the second attachment pin 22.

[0048] When the guide projections 360 protruding from both outer sides of the hitch 120 and formed on both inner surfaces of the quick coupler body 100 facing each other slidably move in the guide groove portions 350 formed in both outer sides of the hitch 120, the hitch 120 slides in a lateral direction.

[0049] In this case, the blocking block 340 is positioned at a position separated from the body stanchion 150, and thus a state in which the first attachment pin 21 may be separated from the fixed hook 110 is maintained.

[0050] When a hydraulic pressure is continuously transmitted to the cylinder 200 in one direction even when the hitch 120 is coupled to the second attachment pin 22, as shown in FIG. 5C, forward repulsive force F1 is generated in the cylinder rod 220, and the cylinder tube 210 is moved by the forward repulsive force F1 toward the body stanchion 150 (the right side in the drawings), which is a direction opposite to a forward direction of the hitch 120.

[0051] In this case, when the cylinder tube 210 is moved by the forward repulsive force F1, an elastic force of the second compression spring 330 supported on the fastening block 310 is applied as force pushing the cylinder tube 210 toward the body stanchion 150 so as to be applied as force assisting to a double movement force of the cylinder tube 210.

[0052] When the cylinder tube 210 is moved toward the body stanchion 150, the blocking block 340 coupled to an end portion of the cylinder tube 210 is interworked with the cylinder tube 210, and thus the anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned above the first attachment pin 21.

[0053] Therefore, the anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned above the first attachment pin 21 when the first attachment pin 21 is coupled to the fixed hook 110 so as to prevent the first attachment pin 21 from being separated from the inlet together with the locking protuberance 112 of the fixed hook 110.

[0054] Meanwhile, when the quick coupler body 100 is detached from attachment equipment, as shown in FIG. 6a, the elastic force E1 of the first compression spring 320 is greater than the elastic force E2 of the second compression spring 330 (E1>E2) when a hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 200 in the other direction in which the hitch 120 moves backward, and thus, as shown in FIG. 6b, backward repulsive force F2 for force in which the hitch 120 allows the first compression spring 320 to contract is transmitted to the cylinder tube 210, and the cylinder tube 210 and the blocking block 340 connected to the cylinder tube 210 are moved in a left direction of the drawings (toward the hitch 120).

[0055] When the blocking block 340 comes into contact with the stopper member 380 to stop, as shown in FIG. 6c, the hitch 120 is moved backward by contraction of the cylinder rod 220 so as to release a coupling state with the second attachment pin 22.

[0056] Then, the quick coupler body 100 is rotated so that the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin 21 are separated from each other.

[0057] Therefore, when the cylinder rod 220 moves forward and backward, the hitch 120 slidably moves forward and backward along an inner surface of the quick coupler body 100, and the cylinder tube 210 is moved by forward and backward repulsive force F1 and F2 generated when the hitch 120 moves forward and backward in left and right directions of the cylinder tube 210. The blocking block 340 connected to an end portion of the cylinder tube 210 is interworked with the movement of the cylinder tube 210 and selectively prevents the first attachment pin 21 coupled to the fixed hook 110 from being separated so as to prevent the first attachment pin 21 coupled to the fixed hook 110 from being separated, and thus an accident can be prevented.

[0058] Further, since the hitch 120 slidably moves in the quick coupler body 100 due to the operation of the rod 220 of the cylinder 200, the hitch 120 and the second attachment pin 22 can be conveniently coupled to or separated from each other.

[0059] Further, even in an emergency situation in which a hydraulic pressure is not transmitted to the cylinder 200 due to oil leakage, the elastic force of the first compression spring 320 pushes the hitch 120 outward to prevent the second attachment pin 22 and the hitch 120 from being separated, and the elastic force of the second compression spring 330 pushes the cylinder tube 210 and the blocking block 340 toward the body stanchion 150 so that the anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned above the first attachment pin 21. Thus, a separation direction of the first attachment pin 21 is limited to a diagonal direction based on structural properties of the fixed hook 110 having the locking protuberance 112, and the anti-breakaway plate 344 interferes with the first attachment pin 21 to prevent the first attachment pin 21 from being separated.

[0060] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in another embodiment of the double safety device for a quick coupler according to the present invention, unlike the previous embodiment, locking means 300 comprises a fastening block being positioned outside a cylinder tube of the cylinder and being fixed on the quick coupler body, a first compression spring 320 being supported at one end by the hitch 120 and the other end by the fastening block 310 to apply an elastic compression force to the hitch 120, a second compression spring 330 having an elastic compression force to push the cylinder tube 210 toward a body stanchion 150 and having one end supported on the other side of the fastening block 310 and the other end supported on a protruding part 215 protruding outside the cylinder tube 210, a blocking block 340 being coupled with one side of the cylinder tube 210, being interlocked when the cylinder tube 210 moves and being positioned on upper side of the fastening block 110 to block a detachment of the fixed hook 110 and the first attachment pin 21 and a stopper member 380 being formed to protrude at one side or the other side of the fastening block 310, and limiting a backward motion of the hitch 120.

[0061] In this case, an elastic force E2 of the second compression spring 330 is greater than an elastic force E1 of the first compression spring 330 (E2>E1).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8a, the fixing process of fixing the quick coupler of the other embodiment to the first and second attachment pins may be performed by after attaching the fixed hook 110 to the first attachment pin 21, the cylinder tube 210 and the blocking block 340 are moved toward the body stanchion by the elastic force of the second compression spring 330 supported on the fastening block 310, an anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned on the upper side of the first attachment pin 21.

[0063] Therefore, the anti-breakaway plate 344 is positioned above the first attachment pin 21 when the first attachment pin 21 is coupled to the fixed hook 110 so as to prevent the first attachment pin 21 from being separated from the inlet together with the locking protuberance 112 of the fixed hook 110.

[0064] Thereafter, when the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 200 in one direction (outer direction) for advancing the cylinder rod 220, as shown in the FIG. 8b, the cylinder rod 220 is advanced to move the hitch 120 to the second attachment pin 22 side so that the hitch 120 is coupled to the second attachment pin 22.

[0065] When the guide projections 360 protruding from both outer sides of the hitch 120 and formed on both inner surfaces of the quick coupler body 100 facing each other slidably move in the guide groove portions 350 formed in both outer sides of the hitch 120, the hitch 120 slides in a lateral direction.

[0066] As shown in the FIG. 9a, the quick coupler detaching process of another embodiment of the present invention cause the hitch 120 is slidably guided by the guide projection 360 and the guide portions 350 by guiding the backward movement of the cylinder rod 210 and one side of the hitch 120 is contacted with the stopper member 380 formed on one side of the fastening block 310 so that the backward movement of the hitch 120 is restricted.

[0067] When a hydraulic pressure for contracting the cylinder rod 220 is transmitted even after the hitch 120 contacts the stopper member 380 and the movement of the cylinder rod 220 is blocked, the stopper repulsive force F3 for moving the cylinder tube 210 in the left direction is generated as shown in FIG. 9b.

[0068] The anti-breakaway plate 344 which is blocking detachment the upper side of the first attachment pin 21 coupled to the fixed hook 110 is moved to a position (the left fastening block 310) where the first attachment pin 21 is not interfered when the first attachment pin 21 is detached from the fixing hook 110 like the connection block 342, since the blocking block 340 connected to the cylinder tube 210 moves toward the fastening block 310 while the cylinder tube 210 is moved toward the hitch 120 by the stopper repulsive force F3.

[0069] Then, the quick coupler can be rotated to release the engagement between the fixing hook and the first attachment pin 21.

[0070] Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited by the disclosed embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it will be understood that modified examples and changed examples are included in the scope of the embodiments.