Aggressive Grate for Combine Harvester Threshing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing crop harvesting systems face challenges in disrupting the smooth flow of crop materials over threshing and separating grates, which limits the time available for threshing and separation processes.

Innovation Solution

A tubular rotor housing with concave and separator grate assemblies featuring laterally spaced side rails, axial bars with fingers, and disrupter walls that project above the fingers to disrupt the axial flow of crop materials, allowing more time for threshing and separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If smooth flow of crop materials over concaves and separator grates is maintained, then processing system operates efficiently, but threshing and separation time is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethreshing and separation timeVSAvoidprocessing throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The separator grate is divided into multiple axial bars with fingers, creating segmented structures that disrupt crop flow. This segmentation allows the crop material to be processed in smaller sections, increasing the time available for threshing and separation while maintaining overall processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Disrupter walls are introduced as intermediary elements between the axial bars and crop material. These disrupter walls actively interfere with the smooth flow of crop materials, forcing them to follow a more tortuous path that increases residence time in the threshing and separation zone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If disrupter walls are added to axial bars, then crop material flow is disrupted for better threshing, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethreshing and separation effectivenessVSAvoidgrate assembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The disrupter walls are merged with the axial bars to form an integrated grate assembly structure. By combining these functions into a single unified component, the patent reduces the number of separate parts that would need to be manufactured, assembled, and maintained, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining threshing effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The axial bars serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the grate assembly, create the finger structures for separation, and support the disrupter walls for flow disruption. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying the overall device structure while achieving the desired threshing and separation effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9215845B2Aggressive grate for combine harvester

Publication Date: 2015.12.22 AGCO CORP

AI summary

A processing system for a combine harvester has a tubular rotor housing that concentrically receives a rotor used for threshing and separating crop materials. Concave and separator grate assemblies are arranged side-by-side axially along the processing system. Each grate assembly has laterally spaced apart side rails and a plurality of axial bars spanning the side rails. Each axial bar has a plurality of fingers extending therefrom toward an adjacent axial bar, the fingers defining apertures through which grain may pass. Each axial bar additionally has a plurality of disrupter walls placed between adjacent fingers, wherein an upper edge of each disrupter wall projects above the fingers on the same axial bar such that it is closer to the rotor to disrupt the axial flow of the crop material through the rotor housing.