Patent Publication Number: US-10329742-B2

Title: Bucket tooth of excavator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0100911, filed on Aug. 9, 2017, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a bucket tooth of an excavator, which has an improved coupling structure between a tooth adapter fixed and coupled to a bucket of an excavator and a tooth point connected to the tooth adapter, and more particularly, to a bucket tooth of an excavator which is capable of raising a fastening force between a tooth adapter and a tooth point, and facilitating assembling and disassembling operations. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Patent reference 1 (published on Feb. 3, 2006 and hereafter referred to as ‘related art’) discloses ‘bucket tooth of excavator’. 
     The related art discloses a bucket tooth of an excavator, including a tooth adapter and a tooth point. The tooth adapter has a mounting part fixed and coupled to a bucket of the excavator through bolting or welding and an insert part protruding from the mounting part so as to be exposed to the outside of the bucket. The tooth point is coupled to the tooth adapter so as to be used for excavation, and has a side-opened insert groove into which the insert part of the tooth adapter is inserted. The tooth adapter has fitting holes formed in the insert part thereof, such that a coupling pin is fitted into the fitting holes, the fitting holes being vertically formed through the top and bottom surfaces of the insert part, respectively. The tooth point has an insertion hole into which the coupling pin is inserted, the insertion hole vertically formed through the top and bottom surfaces of the tooth point while coinciding with the fitting holes of the tooth adapter. The tooth adapter has a locking groove formed at the entrance of one fitting hole thereof, such that a snap ring is inserted into the locking groove, the locking groove communicating with the insertion hole while having a level different from the insertion hole. The coupling pin has a ring groove to which the snap ring inserted into the locking groove of the tooth adapter is elastically fitted and fixed, when the coupling pin is fitted into the fitting holes of the tooth adapter and the insertion hole of the tooth point, which are matched with each other. 
     The related art has been filed by the present applicant, and the present applicant has developed a bucket tooth of an excavator, which has an improved coupling structure between a tooth adapter and a tooth point, and is capable of raising a fastening force through the coupling structure, and facilitating assembling and disassembling operations. 
     RELATED ART REFERENCE 
     (Patent Reference 1) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0011366 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a bucket tooth of an excavator, which has an improved coupling structure between a tooth adapter and a tooth point, and is capable of raising a fastening force through the coupling structure and facilitating assembling and disassembling operations. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a bucket tooth of an excavator, including: 
     a tooth adapter including an adapter body having an insert integrally protruding from a front end thereof and a mounting part formed at a rear end thereof, the mounting part being mounted on a bucket of the excavator; and 
     a tooth point including an excavation part integrally protruding from a front end of a point body and used for excavating a ground surface, the point body having an insert groove into which the insert of the tooth adapter is inserted, 
     wherein the insert of the tooth adapter and the point body of the tooth point, which are coupled to each other, have a coupling hole and a fitting hole formed therethrough in the side-to-side direction, respectively, such that the coupling hole and the fitting hole coincide with each other during coupling of the tooth adapter with the tooth point, and a fixing pin is inserted into the coupling hole and the fitting hole so as to couple the tooth adapter and the tooth point, 
     the fixing pin has a locking key protruding from one side of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a surface part formed at the outer circumferential surface thereof around the locking key, 
     the point body has an entrance groove formed at a front side of the fitting hole and communicating with the fitting hole, such that the locking key of the fixing pin is passed through the entrance groove when the fixing pin is inserted into the fitting hole, and 
     the point body has a rotation groove formed at a bottom side of the fitting hole and communicating with the fitting hole, such that the locking key of the fixing pin is locked to or released from the rotation groove while rotating after being passed through the entrance groove. 
     Preferably, in the bucket tooth according to the embodiment of the invention, the point body has a housing groove formed at a rear side of the fitting hole, the housing groove communicating with the fitting hole and being opened to an inner surface of the insert groove, and a locking rubber for fixing the rotated state of the locking key is inserted into the housing groove. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an overall configuration view illustrating a bucket tooth of an excavator according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the bucket tooth of the excavator according to the embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a state where a fixing pin and a locking rubber according to the embodiment of the invention are coupled to and separated from a point body; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are conceptual views illustrating a state where the fixing pin and the locking rubber according to the embodiment of the invention are used; 
         FIGS. 5A to 5C  are side cross-sectional views illustrating the state where the fixing pin and the locking rubber according to the embodiment of the invention are used; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating that the bucket tooth according to the embodiment of the invention is mounted on a bucket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be limited to typical or dictionary meanings, but interpreted as meanings and concepts which coincide with the technical idea of the invention, based on the principle that the present inventor can properly define the concepts of the terms in order to describe the invention in the best way. 
     Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and illustrated in the drawings are only preferred embodiments of the invention, and do not fully represent the technical idea of the invention. Thus, various equivalents and modifications capable of replacing the embodiments and configurations may be provided at the point of time that the present application is filed. 
     In this specification, the direction of a tooth point  2  is set to the front side, and the direction of a tooth adapter  1  is set to the rear side, based on  FIG. 2 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a bucket tooth of an excavator according to an embodiment of the invention includes a tooth adapter  1 , a tooth point  2 , a fixing pin  3  and a locking rubber  4 . 
     The components will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The tooth adapter  1  is coupled to a bucket  5  of the excavator (refer to  FIG. 6 ) with the tooth point  2  connected thereto, and then used for excavation. The tooth adapter  1  includes an insert  12  protruding from the front end of an adapter body  11  and a mounting part  13  formed at the rear end of the adapter body  11 , the mounting part  13  being mounted on the bucket  5  of the excavator. 
     The insert  12  has a shape of which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the front side, and the adapter body  11  has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. At this time, the insert  12  has a coupling hole  121  formed at the middle portion thereof, the coupling hole  121  passing through the insert  12  in the side-to-side direction. 
     The mounting part  13  includes two parts which are connected to the top and bottom of the rear end of the adapter body  11 , respectively, extended toward the rear side, and spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the top-to-bottom direction. An end of the bucket  5  of the excavator is inserted between the two parts, and fixed and coupled through bolting or welding (refer to  FIG. 6 ). 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the tooth point  2  is connected to the tooth adapter  1  and used for excavation. The tooth point  2  includes a point body  21  having an insert groove  211  into which the insert  12  of the tooth adapter  1  is inserted, and an excavation part  22  integrally protruding from the front end of the point body  21  and used for excavating the ground surface. The excavation part  22  has a shape of which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the front side. That is, the excavation part  22  has a sharp shape toward the front side. The insert groove  211  has an internal space corresponding to the insert  12 . 
     The point body  21  has a fitting hole  212  formed therein, and the fitting hole  212  is divided into first and second fitting holes  212   a  and  212   b  connected to the insert groove  211  from the left and right sides of the point body  21 , respectively, (refer to  FIG. 3 ). At this time, when the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2  are coupled to each other, the coupling hole  121  of the tooth adapter  1  and the fitting hole  212  of the tooth point  2  are aligned at positions coinciding with each other. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 to 4B , the fixing pin  3  is inserted into the coupling hole  121  and the fitting hole  212  so as to couple the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2 . The fixing pin  3  includes a locking key  32  protruding from one side of the outer circumferential surface of a main body  31  formed in a rod shape, and a surface part  33  formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body  31  around the locking key  32 . 
     The surface part of the fixing pin  3  includes first and second surface parts  331  and  332  and a stopper part  333  formed between the first and second surface parts  331  and  332 , and the first and second surface parts  331  and  332  are formed adjacent to each other while crossing each other at a right angle (refer to a portion B of  FIG. 2 ). 
     More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the first surface part  331  and the second surface part  332  are formed to be perpendicular to each other. 
     At this time, since the first and second surface parts  331  and  332  cross each other at a right angle, the stopper part  333  is naturally formed between the first and second surface parts  331  and  332 . 
     As illustrated in a portion A of  FIG. 2 , the point body  21  has an entrance groove  213  formed at the front side of the first fitting hole  212   a  and communicating with the fitting hole  212 , such that the locking key  32  of the fixing pin  3  is passed through the entrance groove  213  when the fixing pin  3  is inserted into the first fitting hole  212   a.    
     As illustrated in the portion A of  FIG. 2  and a portion D of  FIG. 3 , the point body  21  has a rotation groove  214  formed at the bottom side of the first fitting hole  212   a  and communicating with the first fitting hole  212   a , such that the locking key  32  of the fixing pin  3 , passed through the entrance groove  213 , is rotated to be locked to or released from the rotation groove  214 . 
     As illustrated in portions C and D of  FIG. 3 , the point body  21  has a housing groove  215  formed at the rear side of the first fitting hole  212   a  and communicating with the first fitting hole  212   a , such that the housing groove  215  is opened to the inner surface of the insert groove  211 . 
     That is, the front side of the housing groove  215  communicates with the first fitting hole  212   a , and the right side of the housing groove  215  communicates with the insert groove  211 . 
     The fixing pin  3  has a wrench fitting groove  34  formed at one side thereof. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the locking rubber  4  is fitted and fixed to the housing groove  215 , in order to fix the rotated locking key  32  (the portion C of  FIG. 3 ). 
     At this time, the locking rubber  4  includes a body part  41  formed at the front end thereof and corresponding to the surface part  33  of the fixing pin  3 ; and a rubber part  42  being in contact with the rear end of the body part  41 . The rubber part  42  is inserted into the housing groove  215 , and elastically deformed when the body part  41  presses the rubber part  42 . Therefore, the rubber part  42  is formed of a material having an elastic force, such as rubber and a synthetic resin. 
     When the stopper part  333  of the fixing pin  3  presses the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , the body part  41  is moved to the rear side while pressing the rubber part  42 . When the pressing is removed, the body part  41  is returned to the original state by the elastic force of the rubber part  42 . 
     Therefore, direct friction between the body part  41  and the stopper part  333  formed of a metallic material can be reduced, which makes it possible to prevent mutual abrasion between the stopper part  333  and the body part  41 . 
     The operation of the bucket tooth of the excavator according to the embodiment of the invention is performed as follows. First, with the locking rubber  4  inserted and fixed to the housing groove  215 , the fixing pin  3  is inserted into the second fitting hole  212   b  of the tooth point  2  through the coupling hole  121  of the tooth adapter  1  via the first fitting hole  212   a  of the tooth point  2 . 
     That is, the other side of the fixing pin  3  is fitted to the second fitting hole  212   b , and one side of the fixing pin  3  is fitted to the first fitting hole  212   a.    
     At this time, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the locking key  32  formed on the fixing pin  3  is passed through the entrance groove  213  and positioned above the rotation groove  214 . The first surface part  331  of the fixing pin  3  is brought in contact with the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  inserted and fixed to the housing groove  215 , while facing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 . 
     In this state, a user fits a wrench into the wrench fitting groove  34  of the fixing pin  3 , and then rotates the wrench in the counterclockwise direction as illustrated in  FIGS. 4B and 5B . Then, the fixing pin  3  is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and the surface part  33  and the locking key  32  of the fixing pin  3  are also rotated in the counterclockwise direction at the same time. 
     Therefore, the stopper part  333  formed between the first and second surface parts  331  and  332  is rotated upward in the counterclockwise direction while the first surface part  331  is rotated. At this time, the radius of rotation of the stopper part  333  causes the stopper part  333  to rotate while gradually pressing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  ( FIG. 5B ). 
     Then, the body part  41  is moved to the rear while pressing the rubber part  42 , due to the elastic force of the rubber part  42 . 
     At this time, when the stopper part  333  is positioned at the middle portion of the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , the pressure of the stopper part  333  for the locking rubber  4  is maximized. Then, as the stopper part  333  faces upward past the middle portion of the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , the pressure decreases. 
     Then, when the stopper part  333  is continuously rotated until the stopper part  333  is separated from the body part  41  past the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , the pressure of the stopper part  333  for the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  is removed. Simultaneously, the body part  41  is returned to the original state, and the second surface part  332  of the fixing pin  3  is brought in contact with the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , while facing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  ( FIG. 5C ). 
     When the fixing pin  3  is rotated, the locking key  32  formed on the fixing pin  3  is rotated downward at the same time, and disposed in the rotation groove  214  of the tooth point  2  (refer to  FIG. 5B ). 
     That is, when the stopper part  333  of the fixing pin  3  is rotated while pressing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 , the locking key  32  is rotated to enter the rotation groove  214  formed in the tooth point  2  at the same time. 
     Then, when the pressure of the stopper part  333  for the locking rubber  4  is removed, the locking key  32  is positioned at the rear end of the rotation groove  214 . Simultaneously, the rotation of the locking key  32  is stopped at the rear end of the rotation groove  214 . 
     At this time, as described above, the second surface part  332  of the fixing pin  3  is brought in contact with the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  while facing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 . Thus, as long as the user does not rotate the fixing pin  3  in the clockwise direction, the fixing pin  3  is not rotated, and the locking key  32  of the fixing pin  3  is locked to the wall surface of the rear end of the rotation groove  214 , thereby preventing the fixing pin  3  from separating from the fitting hole  212  and the coupling hole  121 . 
     Therefore, the locking key  32  of the fixing pin  3  is locked to the rotation groove  214  of the tooth point  2  through the above-described process, such that the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2  are reliably fixed and coupled to each other. 
     The coupling between the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2  is released as follows. The fixing pin  3  is rotated in the clockwise direction such that the first surface part  331  of the fixing pin  3  is brought in contact with the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4  while facing the body part  41  of the locking rubber  4 . Then, the fixing pin  3  is separated from the fitting hole  212  and the coupling hole  121 . 
     That is, the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2  may be separated according to the reverse sequence of the method for coupling the tooth adapter  1  and the tooth point  2 . 
     So far, the bucket tooth of the excavator, which has a specific shape and structure, has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be modified and changed in various manners by those skilled in the art, and the modification and changes may belong to the scope of the invention. 
     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the bucket tooth of the excavator can raise a fastening force through the improved coupling structure between the tooth adapter and the tooth point, and facilitate the assembling and disassembling operations.