Adjustable Harvester Row Dividers for Turn Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Harvesters often lose crops due to misalignment of row dividers during turns, causing them to flatten and not be collected, especially in autonomous operations where manual adjustments are not possible.
Innovation Solution
A harvester system with adjustable row dividers that utilize a turn angle sensor and actuators to adjust divider angles differently based on their location relative to the harvester's center, ensuring proper alignment during turns and minimizing crop loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If row dividers are kept fixed during turns, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the dividers become misaligned with crop rows causing crop flattening and loss
Solution Approach 1:
The row dividers are made dynamically adjustable during harvester operation. Each divider is coupled to an actuator that can change the divider angle relative to the travel axis based on detected turn conditions, allowing the system to adapt to changing operational states while maintaining structural functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses turn angle sensors to detect when the harvester is turning and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback triggers the actuators to adjust the row divider angles appropriately, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains alignment with crop rows during turns
2Manufacturing precision
If all row dividers are adjusted by the same amount during turns, then the adjustment system is simple, but outer dividers remain misaligned due to different turning arcs
Solution Approach 1:
Each row divider is given a unique adjustment characteristic based on its position. Outer dividers receive different adjustment amounts compared to inner dividers, with each divider's actuator controlled independently to achieve optimal alignment for its specific location on the header
Solution Approach 2:
The row divider system is segmented into multiple independently controllable units. Each divider has its own actuator and can be adjusted individually, allowing precise control of each segment to compensate for the different turning arcs experienced at different positions on the header
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a harvester (100) and associated method (1100) for adjusting a first row divider (221A, 221B, 221C, 221D, 300, 700) and a second row divider (221A, 221B, 221C, 221D, 300, 700) of the harvester (100), the first row divider (221A, 221B, 221C, 221D, 300, 700) having a first adjustable divider tip (222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, 702) defining a first divider angle (Dα1, Dα2, Dα3, Dα4) relative to a travel axis (TA) of the harvester (100) and the second row divider (221A, 221B, 221C, 221D, 300, 700) having a second adjustable divider tip (222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, 702) defining a second divider angle (Dα1, Dα2, Dα3, Dα4) relative to the travel axis (TA). The method (1100) includes detecting (1101) a turn of the harvester (100) and activating (1102) at least one actuator (250A, 250B, 250C, 250D, 710) to adjust the first divider angle (Dα1, Dα2, Dα3, Dα4) by a first amount and the second divider angle (Dα1, Dα2, Dα3, Dα4) by a second amount that is different from the first amount responsively to the detecting (1101) the turn.