Articulated operating arm with swivel joint mechanism

Abstract

Articulated operating arm (100) on which one or more implements are or can be mounted, comprising substantially three articulations (101,102,103) which are pivotally connected to each other, which substantially three articulations comprise a first articulation, a second articulation and a third articulation which is intended for connection to the one or more implements, which second articulation is pivotally connected at a first end to the first articulation an at a second end to the third articulation, wherein the substantially three articulations are rotatable adjacently of each other in order to form a shortened arm, this such that during the rotation a mechanical locking of the third articulation occurs between the second and the first articulations.

Claims

1. An articulated operating arm on which one or more implements are or can be mounted, the articulated operating arm comprising: at least three articulations which are horizontally pivotally connected to each other; a number of control members for controlling the movements of the at least three articulations; and a number of conduits for powering the number of control members and, optionally, the one or more implements; wherein the at least three articulations comprise a first articulation, a second articulation and a third articulation which are configured to connect to the one or more implements, said second articulation being pivotally connected at a first end to the first articulation and at a second end to the third articulation; wherein the first and the second articulation are connected by a hollow horizontal shaft, said hollow horizontal shaft extending from an outer side of the first articulation to an outer side of the second articulation; wherein at least one of the number of conduits runs through said hollow horizontal shaft; wherein the at least one conduit of the number of conduits comprises a swivel joint mechanism; wherein said hollow horizontal shaft has outer ends on both sides of the at least three articulations, said outer ends being provided with at least one coupling connected to the at least one conduit of said number of conduits.

2. The articulated operating arm of claim 1, wherein the first and the second articulations are arranged adjacently of each other along the hollow shaft.

3. The articulated operating arm of claim 1, wherein the second articulation is provided with a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side, wherein the first articulation extends on the first longitudinal side of the second articulation and the swivel joint mechanism protrudes on the second longitudinal side of the second articulation.

4. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third articulation of the operating arm has a greater length than the second, such that when the third, second and first articulations are folded against each other a single operating arm can be realized and the attached implement can be freely used at the free end of the third articulation.

5. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more protective parts are present to protect the swivel joint mechanism of the at least one conduit of the number of conduits.

6. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 5, wherein the one or more protective parts for the swivel joint mechanism of the at least one conduit of the number of conduits are mounted on at least one of: the one or more of the first, second and third articulations; and on the hollow shaft.

7. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 5, wherein the one or more protective parts comprises a channel on its underside for guiding at least one conduit of the number of conduits.

8. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft comprises at its respective outer ends couplings which are adapted for coupling to conduits and wherein the hollow shaft is further adapted to internally connect to each other predetermined pairs of couplings present on opposite outer ends of the hollow shaft.

9. The articulated operating arm of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third articulations are rotatable adjacently of each other in order to form a shortened arm, such that during the rotation a mechanical locking of the third articulation occurs between the second and the first articulations.

10. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 9, wherein the third articulation and the second articulation each comprise respectively a third and a second coupling means that are arranged such that when the third and the second articulation rotate adjacently of each other a mechanical locking of the third articulation occurs relative to the second articulation by coupling between the third coupling means and the second coupling means.

11. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third articulation has a first end configured for connection to an implement, wherein the third coupling means is located at the first end of the third articulation, and that the second coupling means is located at the first end of the second articulation.

12. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third coupling means comprises one or more pin structures and the second coupling means comprises receiving parts for receiving the one or more pin structures.

13. The articulated operating arm as claimed claim 10, wherein the first articulation comprises a first coupling means which is arranged for the purpose, after further rotation of the second articulation together with the third articulation to the first articulation, of coupling to the third coupling means.

14. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first articulation has a first end configured for connection to a sub-frame of a mobile device and a second end connected to the second articulation, wherein the first coupling means is located at the second end of the first articulation.

15. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and the second coupling means comprise recesses which are tapering, and the coupling means of the third articulation comprises one or more pin structures, wherein the tapering recesses are adapted to receive the one or more pin structures.

16. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second coupling means comprise recesses and the coupling means of the third articulation comprises one or more pin structures, wherein the recesses are adapted to clampingly receive the one or more pin structures.

17. An articulated operating arm on which one or more implements are or can be mounted, the articulate arm comprising: at least three articulations which are horizontally pivotally connected to each other; a number of control members for controlling the movements of the at least three articulations; and a number of conduits for powering the number of control members and, optionally the one or more implements; said at least three articulations comprising a first articulation, a second articulation and a third articulation which is configured for connection to the one or more implements; said second articulation being pivotally connected at a first end to the first articulation and at a second end to the third articulation; wherein the first and the second articulations are connected by a hollow shaft; wherein at least one conduit of the number of conduits runs through the hollow shaft; wherein the at least one conduit comprises a swivel joint mechanism; wherein the first and the second articulation are arranged adjacently of each other along the hollow shaft, wherein the second articulation is provided with a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side, wherein the first articulation extends on the first longitudinal side of the second articulation and the swivel joint mechanism protrudes on the second longitudinal side of the second articulation; said hollow horizontal shaft extending from the second longitudinal side of the second articulation to the first longitudinal side of the second articulation into the first articulation; said hollow horizontal shaft having a first outer end provided with at least one coupling connected to the at least one conduit of said number of conduits, said first outer end being located between a plane through a first longitudinal side of the first articulation and a plane through a second longitudinal side of the first articulation; and said hollow horizontal shaft having a second outer end provided with at least one coupling at said swivel joint mechanism which protrudes on the second longitudinal side of the second articulation.

18. The articulated operating arm as claimed in claim 17, wherein the third articulation of the operating arm has a greater length than the second, such that when the third, second and first articulations are folded against each other a single operating arm can be realized and the attached implement can be freely used at the free end of the third articulation.

Description

(1) FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate different views of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates a 3-D view, while FIG. 1B illustrates a bottom view, FIG. 1C a top view and FIG. 1D a side view of the same device.

(2) FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the aspect of the mechanical locking mechanism relative to the first and second articulations according to aspects of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the present invention, wherein a swivel joint mechanism is arranged in a substantially hollow shaft which functions as pivot shaft between the first and the second articulation. FIG. 3 also illustrates the principle of the protective parts for these swivel joint mechanisms.

(4) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show a further illustration of a swivel joint mechanism and of a mechanical locking system according to embodiments of the present invention from different viewpoints.

(5) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a swivel joint which can be used between two articulations.

(6) FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

(7) FIGS. 1A-1D show a possible embodiment of an articulated operating arm according to the invention. Such an operating arm is typically intended for use in a construction machine such as an excavator, a tractor with articulated operating arm and the like. In the shown embodiment the articulated operating arm comprises three articulations: a first articulation 101, a second articulation 102 and a third articulation 103. The outer end of first articulation 101 is provided with means 104 for attachment to a chassis of for instance an excavator. The outer end of third articulation 103 is provided in the shown embodiment with a quick change system 105 on which an implement can be mounted. The skilled person will appreciate that numerous other coupling systems are possible for mounting an implement.

(8) Articulations 101, 102, 103 are connected pivotally to each other: second articulation 102 is pivotally connected to first articulation 101 via a pivoting connection to a pivot shaft 125; third articulation 103 is pivotally connected to second articulation 102 via a pivoting connection to pivot shaft 126. In the shown embodiment the articulated operating arm can be connected to a chassis, wherein the connection is such that the articulated operating arm can pivot around a lying shaft 127. Connections with more or fewer degrees of freedom are of course also possible, depending on the chassis and the application for which the operating arm is intended.

(9) Control of the movements of articulations 101, 102, 103 takes place on the basis of control members, here in the form of cylinders 107, 108, 109. Cylinder 107 controls the movement of the second articulation relative to the first articulation; cylinder 108 controls the movement of the third articulation relative to the second articulation; and cylinder 109 controls the movement of a parallelogram linkage 129, and thus the movement of the implement coupled to quick change system 105. The skilled person will once again appreciate that many variants are possible and that the control members do not necessarily have to be provided between adjacent articulations, but can also be provided between non-adjacent articulations. The skilled person will further appreciate that the articulated operating arm can be embodied according to a variant with more than three articulations.

(10) The control members are typically hydraulic cylinders, although according to a variant the control members can also be mechanical, electromagnetic or a combination of mechanical, electromagnetic and hydraulic control members. Such control members must be provided with energy, typically a fluid under pressure, by means of conduits. For the shown embodiment the control members are hydraulic cylinders and the conduits are hydraulic hoses.

(11) The shown operating arm is of the foldable type: third articulation 103 can here rotate round shaft 126 toward second articulation 102 until they come to lie adjacently and/or against each other. The third and the second articulation together can then be further rotated around shaft 125, defined by the hinge between first articulation 101 and second articulation 102, through an angle a so as to thus come to lie adjacently of first articulation 101 in a shortened arm configuration. Note that with the above described rotation movements the quick change system 105 once again comes to lie at the free outer ends of the operating arm. FIGS. 1A-1D further illustrate the aspects of the mechanical locking of the third articulation relative to the first and second articulations by means of coupling devices 1C and 1D on second articulation 102 and coupling means 1A and 1B (not shown) on the first articulation, which can receive coupling means 2 of the third articulation or can couple thereto when the operating arm is folded together. FIGS. 1A-1B further illustrate the aspect of the present invention in which a swivel joint mechanism (3, 4) is arranged in the hollow shaft which pivotally connects first articulation 101 to second articulation 102.

(12) FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate in detail the mechanical locking mechanism for third articulation 103 relative to the first and second articulations. Third articulation 103 comprises a coupling device 2 which can for instance comprise one or more pins 2A and 2B. When third articulation 103 is rotated around shaft 126 toward and against second articulation 102, these pins 2A and 2B are preferably received in tapering recesses 1C and 1D which are arranged at a suitable position along second articulation 102. When the third and second articulations rotate further around shaft 125 in their folded position toward and against articulation 101, pins 2A and 2B are further received by recesses 1A and 1B arranged at a suitable location on the first articulation. In this way pins 2A and 2B are mechanically locked by recesses 1A and 1B, 1C and 1D. Such a locking requires no activation via hydraulics and/or electronics, whereby it can take a simpler and less expensive form and is moreover safer, since the locking mechanism has no need of pressure or electricity.

(13) Recesses 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D can be embodied partially from an elastic material such as for instance rubber or plastic. 1A, 1B and/or 1C, 1D can also be spring-mounted by means of one or more for instance steel springs.

(14) The locking mechanism is further elucidated in FIG. 3, wherein recesses 1A and 1C mechanically lock pin 2A in a folded-together position of the operating arm. The same occurs (not shown) for pin 2B, which is mechanically locked by recesses 1B and 1D on the other side of the operating arm. FIG. 3 further shows a connection between the first articulation and the second articulation, which comprises a substantially hollow shaft and in which a swivel joint (3, 4) is further arranged. The skilled person will appreciate that different variants of swivel joints and swivel joint mechanisms exist and can be applied. Several embodiments are outlined below. FIG. 3 shows a swivel joint which comprises at one outer end different coupling means for conduits 4A which are connected in predetermined manner to similar coupling means of conduits 3A close to the opposite outer end of the hollow shaft at the opposite outer end 3 of the swivel joint (3, 4). As a result conduits can comprise channels at the swivel joint. In other words, a first conduit part can be coupled to coupling means 4A on the one hand, while another conduit part can be coupled to coupling means 3A on the other in a manner such that the swivel joint provides for a continuity of the conduit comprising the two conduit parts in predetermined manner. The advantage of such a construction is that the conduits which should normally be able to accommodate a full rotation of the operating arm must now be able to do so to only a limited extent or in a better balanced manner. This is the case because part of the compensation of the rotation of the different articulations can be accommodated by the swivel joint. FIG. 3 further illustrates the aspect of a protective cover 4 which can protect the swivel joint and associated conduit(s).

(15) FIG. 4 once again illustrates, from a different viewpoint, the aspects of a mechanical locking and of the swivel joint which is arranged in the substantially hollow shaft. The is also the case for FIG. 5. Also note that guide means 6 can be provided to guide conduits along one or more articulations of the operating arm. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the first articulation and other parts. A protruding part of swivel joint 3, which comprises coupling means 3A for conduits, is here also further protected by a protective cover 3.

(16) An embodiment of a swivel joint is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. Swivel joint 200 comprises a first element 201, for instance for connection to a first articulation, and a second element 202, for instance for connection to a second articulation.

(17) As can best be seen in the cross-section of FIG. 8, swivel joint 200 comprises a flexible suspension 212 and 212 of a shaft 209 and associated outer sleeve 205 of the swivel joint. Note that this shaft 209 does not absorb any forces. A hollow support shaft 208 supports the swivel joint with outer sleeve 205 and a shaft 209 via flexible suspensions 212 and 212. First element 201 is connected to this support shaft 208. Second element 202 is mounted rotatably relative to support shaft 208 via bearings 207 and 207. Hose coupling 204 is provided at the outer end of shaft 209. A hose coupling 203 through first element 201 further runs through support shaft 208 and hose coupling 203 is attached here to outer sleeve 205 so that the fluid can flow via outer sleeve 205 into a fluid channel 210 in shaft 209. At the outer end of shaft 209 the fluid arrives here at hose coupling 204. A plurality of fluid conduits are typically fed through rotatably in the different fluid channels and hose couplings in FIG. 8. Flow in two directions to the sides of each channel is possible here.

(18) The present invention is of course not limited to the above described exemplary embodiments, and the person with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many other variants can be envisaged which fall within the scope of the invention, this scope being defined solely by the following claims.