Dipper door and dipper door trip assembly

Abstract

A mining machine includes a boom, a handle coupled to the boom, a dipper coupled to the handle, and a dipper door pivotally coupled to the dipper. The mining shovel also includes a dipper door trip assembly including a trip motor coupled to the boom, a trip drum coupled to the handle, a linkage assembly coupled to the dipper door, a first actuation element extending directly from the trip motor to the trip drum, and a second actuation element extending directly from the trip drum to the linkage assembly.

1 . A dipper door for a mining machine, the dipper door comprising:
 a bottom panel;   a top panel spaced from the bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel and the top panel define an interior cavity therebetween;   a first rib positioned within the interior cavity;   a second rib positioned within the interior cavity;   a first dipper door arm extending away from the interior cavity and configured to pivotally couple to a dipper; and   a second dipper door arm extending away from the interior cavity and configured to pivotally couple to the dipper.   
     
     
         2 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first rib extends from the first arm and the second rib extends from the second arm. 
     
     
         3 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first rib and the second rib are angled relative to one another at a non-zero angle. 
     
     
         4 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first rib includes a first opening sized and shaped to receive and guide a latch lever bar. 
     
     
         5 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first rib extends directly from the bottom panel to the top panel. 
     
     
         6 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , further comprising a latch bar housing forming a channel that extends from the interior cavity to an exterior surface of the dipper door. 
     
     
         7 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes an opening configured to receive a portion of a latch lever arm. 
     
     
         8 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes a rectangular frame defining an interior channel that extends toward the interior cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , further comprising a third rib positioned within a channel in the first arm, and a fourth rib positioned within the channel in the first arm, wherein the third rib and the fourth rib are configured to guide a rod of a dipper door trip assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The dipper door of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel includes a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the bottom panel includes openings positioned between the front edge and the rear edge that open to the interior cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The dipper door of  claim 10 , wherein the openings are positioned closer to the rear edge than the front edge. 
     
     
         12 . The dipper door of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom panel includes webs extending between the openings. 
     
     
         13 . The dipper door of  claim 10 , wherein each of the openings is elongate, and includes a first end and a second end. 
     
     
         14 . The dipper door of  claim 13 , wherein the second ends of the openings are aligned along a curved axis that extends along the bottom panel. 
     
     
         15 . The dipper door of  claim 14 , wherein the curved axis is a first curved axis, wherein the first ends of the openings are aligned along a second curved axis that extends along the bottom panel. 
     
     
         16 . A dipper door for a mining machine, the dipper door comprising:
 a bottom panel;   a top panel spaced from the bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel and the top panel define an interior cavity therebetween;   wherein the bottom panel includes openings that open to the interior cavity, and wherein the bottom panel includes webs extending between the openings;   a first dipper door arm extending away from the interior cavity and configured to pivotally couple to a dipper; and   a second dipper door arm extending away from the interior cavity and configured to pivotally couple to the dipper.   
     
     
         17 . The dipper door of  claim 16 , wherein the webs include a first web extending form the first arm, and a second web extending from the second arm, wherein the first web and the second web converge toward one another moving in a direction away from the first and second arms. 
     
     
         18 . The dipper door of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom panel includes an end region, wherein the webs converge toward the end region, and wherein the end region extends to and couples to an end of the top panel. 
     
     
         19 . The dipper door of  claim 16 , further comprising ribs positioned within the interior cavity, wherein at least one of the ribs includes an opening. 
     
     
         20 . The dipper door of  claim 19 , wherein the ribs include a first rib and a second rib, wherein the webs include a first web and a second web, wherein the first rib extends from the first web to the top panel, and wherein the second rib extends from the second web to the top panel.