Agricultural Machine Depth Control Roller

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural working machines with parallelogram suspensions face challenges in adjusting working depth without altering the angle of attack, leading to undesirable soil cultivation conditions and sowing errors.

Innovation Solution

The design includes a movable depth control roller relative to the parallelogram suspension, allowing precise adjustment of working depth without changing the angle of attack, utilizing a pivoting lever and actuating elements like tension or pressure elements for easy and reliable depth adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the working depth is adjusted by tilting the parallelogram suspension, then the working depth can be adjusted simultaneously for all share units in a time-saving manner, but the angle of attack of the coulters changes relative to the working area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustment timeVSAvoidangle of attack consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the depth control function into two independent parts: (1) the parallelogram suspension handles ground unevenness compensation, and (2) the depth control roller handles working depth adjustment. This segmentation allows the depth control roller to adjust working depth independently without affecting the parallelogram suspension orientation, thus maintaining constant angle of attack while enabling time-saving adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The depth control roller acts as an intermediary element between the share unit and the ground. It provides a dedicated mechanism for depth adjustment that is kinematically decoupled from the parallelogram suspension, serving as a mediator that enables depth control without transmitting tilting movements to the share unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual adjustment of working depth is performed for each coulter unit, then the working depth can be adjusted for individual units, but the adjustment process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual depth controlVSAvoidadjustment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The depth control roller is designed as a universal component that can be applied to all share units through the parallelogram suspension system. Each share unit has its own depth control roller, but they all follow the same design pattern, providing individual adjustability with standardized, simple mechanisms rather than complex individual adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If the depth control roller is fixed relative to the parallelogram suspension, then the structure is simpler, but the working depth cannot be adjusted without changing the angle of attack

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoiddepth adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The depth control roller is designed to be movable relative to the parallelogram suspension through a pivot connection. This dynamic arrangement allows the roller to pivot independently to adjust working depth while the parallelogram suspension maintains its orientation for angle of attack control, achieving both simplicity and adjustability through controlled movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4461113A1Agricultural machine
Publication Date: 2024.11.13 AMAZONEN WERKE H DREYER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4461113A1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP4461113A1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP4461113A1 patent drawingFigure 1c

AI summary

The invention relates to an agricultural machine with several share units (2) arranged parallel to each other and movable along an agricultural area (N), each of which has at least one share (3) for engaging the agricultural area (N) and a depth control roller (4) for adjusting the working depth (T) of the share (3), wherein the share units (2) are connected to a machine frame (6) via a parallelogram suspension (5) to compensate for unevenness of the agricultural area (N) and wherein the depth control roller (4) is arranged to be movable relative to the parallelogram suspension (5).