Aerator Variable Delay Mechanism for Tine Verticality

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Aerators for turf surfaces face issues with hole quality due to tines making shallow or oblong holes and causing tufted turf, especially when entering or exiting a green, as they do not maintain vertical orientation under varying ground resistance, leading to the need for a variable delay mechanism for the coring head to improve hole consistency.

Innovation Solution

An aerator with a controller featuring a timer for adjustable delays in lowering and raising the coring head, allowing operators to set entry and exit delays to maintain tine verticality and reduce engine speed, ensuring consistent hole depth and minimizing tufted turf.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the coring head is lowered and the crankshaft is started immediately, then the aerator can quickly start operating, but the tines make shallow holes and cause tufted turf due to lack of ground resistance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaerator operation speedVSAvoidhole depth consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system delays starting the crankshaft rotation until after the coring head has been lowered to the ground. This preliminary action ensures the tines encounter ground resistance before rotation begins, allowing them to achieve full coring depth and maintain vertical orientation, thus preventing shallow holes and tufted turf.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the coring head crankshaft rotates at high speed, then the aerator is more productive, but the tines make oblong holes when encountering varying ground resistance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoring head rotation speedVSAvoidhole shape consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system delays crankshaft rotation until the coring head is fully lowered, ensuring tines are properly positioned and encounter ground resistance before high-speed rotation begins. This preliminary positioning action maintains tine verticality and prevents oblong holes even at high rotation speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the link arms are used to compensate for forward motion, then the aerator can maintain movement compensation, but the tines still do not remain vertical when ground resistance varies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforward motion compensationVSAvoidtine vertical orientation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system delays crankshaft rotation until after the coring head is lowered, ensuring tines are in the correct vertical position before rotation begins. This preliminary positioning action works in conjunction with the link arms to maintain tine verticality even when ground resistance varies during operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10206321B2Aerator with variable delay of coring head

Publication Date: 2019.02.19 DEERE & CO

AI summary

An aerator with variable delay of the coring head includes a lift/lower control on an aerator control panel that raises and lowers a coring head and starts or discontinues rotation of a coring head crankshaft that reciprocates a plurality of coring tines. A delay timer provides a variable time period between starting to raise or lower the coring head and the rotation of the crankshaft. A switch is provided on the control panel to preset the time period.