Adjustable Chopper Outlet for Variable Crop Residue Spread Width

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing crop residue spreader arrangements on combine harvesters face challenges in achieving consistent and adjustable spread width across the field, particularly due to terrain and wind direction variations, while maintaining even distribution and speed of counter-rotating spreader wheels.

Innovation Solution

A crop residue spreader arrangement featuring counter-rotating spreader wheels mounted at a downwardly inclined angle with an adjustable outlet from the residue chopper, allowing independent adjustment of the feeding point to each wheel, enabling variable spread width without altering the speed of the spreader wheels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the spreader wheels rotate at high speed to maintain productivity, then the spreading operation continues efficiently, but the spread width becomes difficult to adjust and distribution uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespreading operation efficiencyVSAvoidspread width adjustability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The outlet of the residue chopper is made adjustable between lowered and raised positions, allowing dynamic adaptation of the feeding point to the counter rotating spreader wheels. This enables spread width adjustment without changing wheel rotation speed, resolving the contradiction between productivity and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The position of the chopper outlet is changed as a variable parameter to control spread width. By adjusting the outlet between lowered and raised positions, the system modifies the geometric parameters of residue delivery while keeping the spreader wheel speed constant, achieving both high productivity and adjustable spread width

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If the outlet position is fixed to maintain simple structure, then manufacturing is easier, but the ability to adjust spread width independently deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidindependent spread width adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The outlet position is made dynamically adjustable between fixed positions (lowered and raised) rather than completely variable. This provides independent left-to-right spread width adjustment while maintaining relatively simple structure, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the spreader wheels rotate faster to cover more ground, then productivity increases, but the even distribution of residue across the field deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveground coverage speedVSAvoidresidue distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustable chopper outlet acts as an intermediary element between the residue source and the spreader wheels. By modifying the outlet position, it mediates the residue delivery to the wheels, ensuring even distribution while allowing the wheels to rotate at speeds that maintain high productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240196790A1Residue Chopper and Spreader Arrangement

Publication Date: 2024.06.20 AGCO INT GMBH

AI summary

A crop residue spreader arrangement is disclosed comprising a frame, a pair of counter rotating residue spreader wheels carried from the frame, a residue chopper comprising an inlet, an outlet and a plurality of chopping blades between the inlet and the outlet. The pair of counter rotating residue spreader wheels are arranged inclined to the with respect to the outlet of the residue chopper and the outlet of the residue chopper comprises an adjustable portion to set a feeding point of the crop residue from the residue chopper to the counter rotating residue spreader wheels.