Agricultural Tine Assembly with Hooked Steel Teeth and Rubber Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art tines used in agricultural equipment are prone to dislocations and breakages due to stress, shear, and pressure, despite redesigns such as embedding teeth in rubber bases, which fail to provide sufficient reliability and wear resistance.
Innovation Solution
An improved tine assembly featuring a pair of steel teeth with hooked ends embedded within a rubber base, secured by a steel base plate with lateral tabs that mechanically engage with the hooked ends, enhancing stability and resistance to wear and breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If teeth are embedded in rubber base, then flexibility is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to dislocations and breakages under stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines rubber material with steel material to create a composite tine assembly. The rubber base provides flexibility and shock absorption, while the steel base plate and lateral tabs provide structural strength and resistance to dislocation. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties - the rubber maintains adaptability while the steel reinforcement ensures reliability under stress and shear forces
Solution Approach 2:
The tine assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: the rubber base for flexibility and shock absorption, the steel base plate for structural support, and the lateral tabs for mechanical engagement and positioning. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its strength area - the rubber handles dynamic loading while the steel components prevent dislocation and breakage
2Stability of the object's composition
If lateral tabs are added to base plate, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral tabs are integrated directly into the steel base plate as a unified structure rather than being separate components. This merging approach provides the stability benefits of additional engagement points while avoiding the complexity of separate assembly steps. The tabs are formed as part of the base plate structure, simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining enhanced stability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The improved tine assembly significantly reduces the likelihood of dislocations and breakages by distributing stress more effectively, providing enhanced reliability and wear resistance, thus improving the durability of tines in agricultural applications.
Implementation Method 1
embedding a pair of tine teeth with hooked ends within a rubber base
Implementation Method 2
a steel base plate which is attached to the underside of the rubber base. The steel base plate may include a first lateral tab which connects to the base plate and mechanically engages with a first hooked end of a first tooth
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an improved tine assembly for use with conventional agricultural equipment and systems. According to a first preferred embodiment, the tine assembly of the present invention may preferably include a pair of tine teeth with hooked ends embedded within a rubber base. According to a further preferred embodiment, the improved tine assembly includes a steel base plate attached to the underside of the rubber base. Additionally, the steel base plate preferably includes lateral tabs which connect to the base plate and mechanically engage with the hooked ends of each tooth.