Patent ID: 12188210

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The drawings show an embodiment of a capsule1for protecting an electronic device2inside a wear element3of an earth moving machine. It can be seen inFIG.1that the capsule1has a central axis4, represented by a discontinuous line. Said central axis4defines an axial direction. The capsule also has a front end8and a rear end9opposite said front end8in the axial direction. As indicated above, the terms “front” and “rear” are used only as a naming convention for describing the coordinates relative to the capsule1itself, given that it can be in different positions during use, storage, and transport.

The capsule1with the electronic device2is shown inFIGS.4,5, and6.FIG.5shows an exploded view of the capsule1,FIG.6shows the capsule1not yet closed but with the electronic device2already introduced therein.FIG.4shows a sectional view of the capsule1assembled with the electronic device2inserted therein. Moreover,FIGS.11and12show the capsule1inside a wear element3of an earth moving machine. These wear elements3are also known as GETs.

The capsule1of the drawings comprises a container5shown separately inFIGS.7to10. As shown inFIG.7, said container5extends in the axial direction from said front end8of the capsule1, such that the front end of the container5corresponds to the front end8of the capsule. The container5is provided with an inner chamber53configured for housing said electronic device2.FIGS.5,6, and10show that said container5has a front part51and a rear part52, the front part51being provided with a flange7. For the example, both front part51and rear part52are integrally attached forming single body, particularly they are manufactured as a single part.

For the example of the drawings, the container5is open at its rear end such that the electronic device2can be introduced into said container5through its rear end. In other embodiments, the rear end of the container5is not open.

The capsule also comprises a cover6that can be removably coupled to said container5and configured for covering said rear part52of said container5. For the example, the rear part52of the container5has an annular recess54in the area where it is attached with the front part51. In turn, the cover6has an annular protuberance64at its front end. Said annular recess54and said annular protuberance64cooperate with one another as coupling means, allowing the cover6to be removably coupled to the container5. Other embodiments have several of said annular recesses in the rear part52and several corresponding annular protuberances in the cover6, thereby achieving a stronger coupling. Other embodiments have other types of coupling between the cover6and the container5.

Therefore, in the examples of the drawings, the cover6covers the container5right up to the rear end of the flange7: the container5can be inserted into the cover6and said cover6acts like a cap, tightly covering the container5. A section view showing the interaction and the relative positions between the container5and the cover6can be seen inFIG.4. It is seen in the sameFIG.4, and separately inFIG.10, that the rear part52of the container5has a cylindrical tubular shape, whereas the cover6has a frustum shape, particularly a frustoconical shape which facilitates the extraction of the capsule from inside the wear element3. This embodiment allows the capsule1to have a diameter with respect to the central axis4that decreases between the front end8and the rear end9. Other embodiments have other profile types, for example, partially staggered profiles, profiles having a frustum shape but without circumferential symmetry, etc.

For the embodiment of the drawings, said flange7has extraction means10configured for extracting said container5from said wear element3. Other embodiments do not have extraction means10.

For the example of the drawings, the extraction means10comprise three threaded through holes in the axial direction located at regular intervals of 120° and at the same distance from the central axis4, all of them being parallel to said central axis4, as shown inFIG.9. Once the capsule1is inserted in the wear element3, said through holes are arranged facing the wear element3on the support surface for the flange7. In this manner, extraction from inside the wear element3comprises introducing screws into said through holes and screwing them in. When the screws contact the wear element3, an axial push which allows extracting said container5from the wear element3is produced. Indeed, for this example, as each screw is being screwed in for the extraction operation, said screw first contacts the support surface for the flange of the wear element3, and as the screwing in continues the axial push which starts to separate the container5from the wear element3is initiated. As each screw continues to be screwed into the threaded hole, the extraction continues until said container5is completely extracted. In the case where the cover6has been fixed to the wear element3, this extraction also separates the container5from the cover6.

For some embodiments such as the one shown in the drawings, the capsule1further comprises first positioning means11configured for cooperating with respective positioning means of said wear element3for positioning said capsule1inside said wear element3.FIG.11shows the capsule1inserted into the wear element3. The way in which said first positioning means11are provided on said flange7and comprise the shape of the flange7can be seen in said figure, for the case of the example. In particular, the flange7of the example is in the form of a circumference with a substantially straight arch on the periphery thereof acting as first positioning means11. It can be seen inFIGS.2,3,8, and9that said arch is arranged between two of the through holes. Therefore, given that the wear element3has a complementary shape, the capsule1can only be inserted into the wear element3in a specific position. Other preferred shapes have other positioning means such as recesses, notches, or even combinations thereof.

In some embodiments like the one shown inFIGS.8,9, and10, the capsule1further comprises second positioning means12configured for cooperating with respective positioning means of said electronic device2for positioning said electronic device2inside said capsule1.FIG.8shows a perspective view in which the inner chamber53of the container5can be seen. For the example, the chamber53has an annular rim14on which the electronic device2is supported when it is arranged inside the capsule1. The same drawing also shows an axial rib acting as second positioning means12, cooperating with an axial groove provided in the electronic device2. Other embodiments have other types of positioning means12, for example, based on the geometry of the electronic device2or on elements expressly provided for such purpose.

FIGS.8,9, and10also show how, for the embodiment of the example, the inner chamber53has reinforcement ribs15. For the sake of clarity, only some of said reinforcement ribs15have been marked with reference numbers in the drawings.

In some advantageous embodiments like the one shown in the drawings, the capsule1further comprises capsule fixing means13configured for fixing said capsule1to said wear element3. In particular, for the example said capsule fixing means13comprise scores provided on the perimeter of said flange7, arranged perpendicular to said perimeter. In the example, given that the flange has a slightly frustoconical profile, the scores extend axially, not completely parallel to the central axis4, but rather slightly oblique thereto.

In some embodiments, the capsule1is manufactured in a polymer material such as polyamide. In other embodiments, the capsule is manufactured in polyamide with glass fiber filler, particularly PA6.6+30% GF. In other embodiments, the material is biodegradable.

In the embodiments shown in theFIGS.1to18, the capsule1is made of PPS+30% GF. This material has an 0.02% water absorption and a negligible moisture absorption, both measured according to the norm ISO 62:2008. Dielectric constant is 4 and dielectric loss coefficient is 0.004.

In other embodiments, the capsule1is made of PA6, PA6.6 or PEEK. In some of the embodiments, the material also includes a glass fiber filler. Some of the latter include a 30% by weight of glass fiber filler.

FIGS.13and14show two alternative embodiments of the capsule1. In the embodiment shown in theFIG.13, the container5and the cover6are configured so that, when the cover6is coupled to the container5, the cover6covers the container5up to the rear end of said flange7. The same feature is present in the embodiments shown inFIGS.1to12.

By contrast,FIG.14shows an embodiment where the cover6is spaced from said flange7when the cover6is coupled to the container5. In this embodiment, the container5comprises a wall part100provided in the spacing between the rear end of the flange7and the cover6. The wall part100is considered to belong to the front part51of the container5in the embodiment shown in this figure.

FIGS.15and16show another embodiment of the capsule1according to the invention wherein the rear part52of the container5is an oval base frustum, thus having a slim and flattened shape compared to that of the frustoconical capsule of the first embodiment. The cover6has a shape complementary to the container5, therefore, it also has a part having an oval base frustum shape, and a rounded end part at its rear end9. In the embodiment, the flange7is an oval base frustum. In this embodiment, the flange7is also an oval base frustum.

TheFIGS.17A,17B and17Cshow another embodiment of the capsule1according to the invention, further comprising a metal washer101arranged at the rear end of said flange7. When the capsule1is inserted in the wear element3, said metal washer101is interposed between the flange7and the wear element3. In the case of the embodiment, the washer101has two threaded through holes102at opposite ends of the washer along the longitudinal axis represented by a dashed line inFIG.17C. In this embodiment, the flange7extends over the two threaded through holes102, but the flange7is provided with corresponding access holes103for accessing said threaded through holes102from the front end of said flange7.

TheFIGS.18A,18B and18Cshow an alternative embodiment to the one shown in theFIGS.17A,17B and17C. In the case of this embodiment, the metal washer is wider than in the previous embodiment and the flange7does not extend over said threaded through holes102, instead, the shape of the flange7is truncated in its ends in order to avoid covering the threaded through holes102.