Adjustable Chassis Height and Track Width for Agricultural Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural vehicles face challenges in navigating between crop rows due to fixed wheel widths and ground clearance limitations, which restrict their ability to handle both tall and short crops efficiently, and complicate transportation due to height restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A mobile machine with a chassis that can be adjusted in height using support assemblies with attachment components, suspension components, and actuators, allowing for remote operation to raise or lower the chassis relative to the ground surface, enabling adaptable operation across varying crop heights and facilitating easier transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If high clearance vehicles are used to process taller crops, then ground clearance is improved, but overall vehicle height exceeds highway restrictions making transport difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle employs a telescopic boom structure that can dynamically extend and retract. During field operations, the boom extends to provide high ground clearance for tall crops. During transport, the boom retracts to reduce overall vehicle height and comply with highway restrictions. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing high clearance for crops and low height for transport.
2Length of moving object
If standard height agricultural vehicles are used, then transport is easier, but ground clearance is insufficient for taller crops
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic boom provides dynamic height adjustment capability, allowing the vehicle to maintain a compact profile during transport while achieving high ground clearance during field operations. The boom can be extended to clear tall crops and retracted for easy transport, eliminating the need to choose between standard height limitations and high clearance requirements.
3Device complexity
If fixed wheel width is used, then vehicle structure is simpler, but ability to navigate between crop rows of different spacing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle incorporates adjustable wheel assemblies that can change their lateral position and orientation. This allows the wheels to be repositioned to match different crop row spacings, enabling the vehicle to navigate between rows of various widths. The adjustable mechanism maintains relatively simple structure while providing versatility for different field conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine includes a chassis, a plurality of ground-engaging elements supporting the chassis above a ground surface, a motor for driving at least one of the ground-engaging elements and a plurality of assemblies supporting the chassis on the ground-engaging elements. Each of the assemblies is configured to selectively raise and lower the chassis relative to the ground surface and includes a first attachment component for attaching the assembly to one of the ground-engaging elements, a second attachment component for attaching the assembly to the chassis, an adjustment component for shifting the first attachment component between a plurality of operating positions relative to the second attachment component. A control system allows an operator to remotely control the adjustment components of each of the assemblies.