Agricultural Tool Pressing Force Adjustment via Dual Spring Torque
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural implements are unable to adjust the pressing force of the working tool on the soil, limiting their suitability for both rough tilling with high force and gentle tillage with low force, as the pressing force is typically determined by the tool's weight and cannot be adjusted.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a pivotable carrier element with first and second tension spring elements that can be adjusted using a single actuator, allowing for variable torque application to achieve desired pressing forces, enabling both high and low contact pressures by altering the tension of the spring elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pressing force is determined by the tool's weight, then the structure is simple, but the pressing force cannot be adjusted for different tillage requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pressing force adjustable through a tension spring system with variable pretension. The carrier element can dynamically change its pressing force on the soil by adjusting the pretension of the tension spring, allowing the same tool to adapt between rough tilling (high pressing force) and gentle tillage (low pressing force) conditions, transforming a static weight-based system into a dynamic adjustable system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the pretension parameter of the tension spring to control the pressing force. By changing the pretension parameter of the single tension spring, the system can achieve different pressing forces without changing the tool's weight or structure, enabling versatile operation for different soil working requirements while maintaining relatively simple device complexity.
2Weight of moving object
If a single actuator is used to adjust both spring elements, then the number of components and weight are reduced, but the control mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the merging principle by combining the adjustment function for both the first and second tension spring elements into a single actuator. This single actuator simultaneously controls the pretension of both spring elements, reducing the total number of actuators and associated components, thereby decreasing the weight of the moving object while integrating multiple control functions into one mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The single actuator serves multiple functions by adjusting both the first and second tension spring elements. This multi-functional actuator design allows one component to perform what would traditionally require separate actuators, reducing overall system weight and component count while maintaining the capability to independently control the pressing and lifting forces through a unified control mechanism.
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
This solution allows for adjustable pressing forces, enabling the agricultural implement to perform both rough tilling with increased contact pressure and gentle tillage with reduced pressure, surpassing the limitations of constant pressing force based on tool weight, and reduces the number of components and weight by using a single actuator for both spring elements.
Implementation Method 1
At least one first tension spring element acts on a first point of application of the carrier element in such a way that the working tool can be pretensioned about the pivot point in the direction of the ground
Implementation Method 2
At least one second tension spring element acts on a second point of application of the carrier element in such a way that the working tool can be pretensioned about the pivot point in the direction away from the ground
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2
AI summary
An agricultural implement is described, comprising at least one support element (2) that carries an agricultural tool (3) for cultivating soil, wherein the support element (2) is pivotably arranged about a pivot point (4), and at least one first tension spring element (5) that engages a first point of application (6) of the support element (2) such that the tool (3) can be pre-tensioned about the pivot point (4) in the direction of the soil. This implement is further developed such that the contact force of the tool against the soil is adjustable to allow for coarse cultivation with high contact force as well as gentle fine cultivation with low contact force.To solve this problem, it is proposed to provide at least a second tension spring element (7) which acts on a second point of application (8) of the support element (2) in such a way that the working tool (3) can be pre-tensioned about the pivot point (4) in the direction away from the ground, and an adjusting device (9) for adjusting a contact force of the working tool (3) on the ground, by means of which the pre-tensions of the first and the second tension spring element (5, 7) can be adjusted.