Excavator arm, excavator cantilever member including such an excavator arm and excavator including such an excavator cantilever member

• US 10,519,622 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Caillieret, Roger, Iarussi, Yvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tighe, Brendan P
• Application Number:
  US15/536,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20170335541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 414687
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/38 Cantilever beams , i.e. booms;, e.g. manufacturing processes, forms, geometry or materials used for booms for booms with cable suspension arrangements E02F9/14 takes precedence; Dipper-arms , e.g. manufacturing processes, forms, geometry or materials used for dipper-arms; Bucket-arms E02F3/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/425 Drive systems for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like

Abstract

An excavator arm includes at least: a frame including i) a boom linkage part to swingably link excavator arm to an excavator boom about a boom axis, and ii) a tool linkage part to swingably link the excavator arm to a tool about a tool axis, the boom axis and the tool axis extending in a frame plane, an arm linear actuator extending along a longitudinal axis, the arm linear actuator having i) a proximal linkage pan linked to the frame about a proximal linkage axis and ii) a distal linkage part linked to the frame about a distal linkage axis, the proximal linkage axis and the distal linkage axis extending in an actuator plane, and an electric motor configured to drive the arm linear actuator. Electric motor is arranged between the frame plane and the actuator plane.

Claims

1. An excavator arm, configured to equip an excavator, the excavator arm including at least:

a frame comprising i) a boom linkage part configured to swingably link the excavator arm to an excavator boom about a boom axis, and ii) a tool linkage part configured to swingably link the excavator arm to a tool about a tool axis, the boom axis and the tool axis substantially extending in a frame plane,

an arm linear actuator extending substantially along a longitudinal axis, the arm linear actuator having i) a proximal linkage part linked to the frame about a proximal linkage axis and ii) a distal linkage part linked to the frame about a distal linkage axis, the proximal linkage axis and the distal linkage axis extending substantially in an actuator plane, and

an electric motor configured to drive the arm linear actuator, wherein the electric motor is arranged on the side of the frame plane with respect to the actuator plane.

2. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is substantially arranged between the frame plane and the actuator plane.

3. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the proximal linkage part is located at a first end portion of the arm linear actuator, and wherein the distal linkage part is located at second end portion of the arm linear actuator.

4. The excavator arm according to claim 1, further comprising a gearbox configured to transmit power from the electric motor to the arm linear actuator, the gearbox being located at the proximal linkage part.

5. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor extends along a motor axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the gearbox is located at the proximal linkage part.

6. The excavator arm according to claim 5, wherein the motor axis and the longitudinal axis extend on both sides of a median plane which contains the longitudinal axis and which is perpendicular to the actuator plane.

7. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the proximal linkage axis is transversal to the longitudinal axis, wherein the distal linkage axis is transversal to the longitudinal axis.

8. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the frame defines a cavity which opens on at least one side, the electric motor being at least partly received in the at least one cavity.

9. The excavator arm according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least:

a first side plate and a second side plate located respectively on each side of the electric motor, the first side plate and the second side plate extending at least from the boom linkage part to the tool linkage part, and

a proximal stiffener transversally joining the first side plate and the second side plate, the proximal stiffener extending from a boom connection part which is configured for connecting a boom linear actuator fastened to the excavator boom, and

a distal stiffener transversally joining the first side plate and the second side plate, the distal stiffener extending substantially from the tool axis and substantially parallel to the arm linear actuator.

10. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the proximal stiffener extends along a direction parallel to a line connecting the proximal linkage axis to the boom axis.

11. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the proximal stiffener transversally joins the first side plate and the second side plate, at least a part of the proximal stiffener forming a substantially closed hollow box.

12. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the frame further comprises a lower plate extending between the first side plate and the second side plate, for instance from the first side plate to the second side plate, such that the electric motor is located between the lower plate and the arm linear actuator.

13. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the distal stiffener joins the first side plate and the second side plate, the distal stiffener substantially defining a closed hollow structure with the lower plate.

14. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the first side plate and the second side plate have symmetrical shapes with respect to a median plane which contains the longitudinal axis and which is perpendicular to the actuator plane.

15. The excavator arm according to claim 9, wherein the first side plate and the second side plate have:

respective proximal portions extending relatively close to the boom axis,

respective distal portions extending relatively close to the tool axis, and

respective intermediate portions extending between the respective proximal portions and the respective distal portions,

wherein a distal width measured between the respective distal portions is smaller than a proximal width measured between the respective proximal portions, the respective intermediate portions forming a narrowing, preferably tapered, cross-section of the frame.

16. An excavator cantilever member including at least an excavator boom and an excavator arm according to claim 9, the excavator boom and the excavator arm being swingably linked about the boom axis, the excavator boom being configured such that a tip portion of the excavator boom is arranged, along the boom axis, between the first side plate and the second side plate.

17. An excavator cantilever member according to claim 16, wherein the tool is a bucket, the bucket being linked to the excavator arm.

18. An excavator including a lower driving unit, an upper swing unit turnably mounted on the lower driving unit and an excavator cantilever member, wherein the excavator cantilever member includes at least an excavator boom and an excavator arm according to claim 1, the excavator boom being swingably mounted to the upper swing unit.