Adjustable Roller Conditioning Device for Forage Harvesters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Forage harvesters face challenges in efficiently conditioning crops like corn, as existing conditioning devices struggle to uniformly accept and deliver the crop to the post-accelerator, leading to inefficiencies and increased wear due to uneven crop distribution and deflection.
Innovation Solution
The conditioning device features translationally and pivotally adjustable rollers, allowing for optimal alignment and speed adjustment to ensure uniform crop acceptance and delivery, reducing deflection and energy imbalance, and optimizing the conveying effect of the post-accelerator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the conditioning device uses fixed rollers with fixed positioning, then the device structure is simple, but the crop intake and discharge efficiency is reduced due to inability to adjust to different crop conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements translational displacement of the first and second rollers along the straight line on which their rotation axes lie, enabling dynamic adjustment of roller positions to adapt to varying crop conditions. This dynamic positioning allows optimization of crop intake and discharge efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables change in the position parameters of the rollers by allowing translational displacement along the rotation axis line. This parameter adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to different crop thicknesses and conditions, improving productivity without requiring complex reconfiguration mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rollers are positioned to receive crop centrally, then crop intake is improved, but the device cannot adapt to varying crop flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The translational displacement mechanism allows the rollers to dynamically adjust their positions along the rotation axis line in response to varying crop flow conditions. This dynamic adaptability is achieved through a simple translation mechanism rather than complex adjustment systems, maintaining ease of operation while improving versatility.
3Productivity
If the conditioning device delivers crop directly into the post-accelerator gap, then conveying effect is maximized, but crop deflection and turbulence increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of the crop discharge direction by translating the rollers along the rotation axis line. This allows optimization of the discharge angle to align with the post-accelerator gap while minimizing crop deflection and turbulence, achieving both high conveying effect and reduced harmful factors.
4Productivity
If the first and second rollers are driven at the same speed, then the mechanism is simple, but uneven crop distribution and deflection occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements differential speed control by allowing the first and second rollers to be driven at different speeds. This parameter change enables uniform crop distribution and reduces deflection by compensating for position differences between rollers, while the control mechanism remains relatively simple.
Data Source
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Figure 3a
AI summary
Conditioning device (7) for a forage harvester for conditioning harvested crops, in particular a corn cracker for cracking harvested maize, comprising a first roller (10) which can be driven about a first axis of rotation (11), comprising a second roller (12) which can be driven about a second axis of rotation (13), wherein the first axis of rotation (11) and the second axis of rotation (13) lie on a straight line (16), wherein the first axis of rotation (11) and the second axis of rotation (13) are spaced a distance (a) apart in the direction of the straight line (16) on which they lie, and wherein the straight line (16) on which the first axis of rotation (11) and the second axis of rotation (13) lie forms an angle (α) with a horizontal line (17).The first roller (10) and the second roller (12) can be jointly displaced translationally along the line (16) on which the first axis of rotation (11) and the second axis of rotation (13) lie, or parallel to this line (16), while maintaining the distance (a) between their axes of rotation (11, 13). Alternatively or additionally, the first roller (10) and/or the second roller (12) can be displaced about a pivot axis (19) such that, while maintaining the distance (a) between their axes of rotation (11, 13), the angle (α) formed by the line (16) on which the first axis of rotation (11) and the second axis of rotation (13) lie with the horizontal (17) changes.