Adjustable Infeed Vanes for Crop Flow Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The flow of crop material from a transition cone to a rotor cage in combine harvesters is hindered by the infeed ramp, leading to reduced throughput and potential clogs in the threshing system, as the crop may recirculate back into the transition cone instead of flowing directly into the rotor cage.
Innovation Solution
An infeed ramp with guide vanes is positioned between the transition cone and the rotor cage, allowing for controlled alignment adjustments via an actuator, ensuring smooth crop flow into the rotor cage, and the height of the infeed ramp is controllable based on crop type and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an infeed ramp is provided between the transition cone and rotor cage, then crop flow guidance is improved, but crop recirculation back to the transition cone occurs reducing throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The infeed ramp is made adjustable relative to the transition cone, allowing the operator to dynamically change the alignment and angle of the ramp. This dynamic adjustment capability enables optimization of crop flow paths for different crop types and operating conditions, preventing recirculation while maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The infeed ramp acts as an intermediary component between the transition cone and rotor cage, providing a controlled transition zone with guide vanes that direct crop flow. This intermediate structure mediates the crop flow path, preventing direct recirculation while ensuring smooth feeding into the rotor cage.
2Device complexity
If the infeed ramp alignment is fixed, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different crop types and conditions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The infeed ramp is designed with adjustable alignment capabilities through actuators that can change its position and angle relative to the transition cone and rotor cage. This transforms a static structure into a dynamic one, enabling adaptation to various crop types, moisture contents, and throughput requirements without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing of geometric parameters of the infeed ramp configuration, including its angle and position relative to other components. By adjusting these parameters, the system can optimize performance for different crop conditions while maintaining a relatively simple base structure.
Data Source
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Figure 2B
AI summary
The invention includes a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10). The threshing system (24) including a rotor cage (42) surrounding a rotor (40) defining a threshing space there between, where the rotor cage (42) has a cut crop entrance, a transition cone (211) defining an infeed to said rotor cage (42), where the transition cone (211) is positioned to direct crop flow toward the cut crop entrance of the rotor cage (42), and an infeed ramp (210) positioned between the rotor cage (42) and the transition cone (211), where the infeed ramp (210) includes guide vanes (212) for guiding the crop flow from the transition cone (211) into the cut crop entrance of the rotor cage (42).