Autonomous Work Vehicle Retractable Wheel System for Road Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous work vehicles face challenges in efficiently transporting between fields due to local regulations and increased costs associated with using trailers, which hinder their productivity in agricultural operations.

Innovation Solution

The design of an autonomous work vehicle with a retractable wheel system and hitch assembly allows it to switch between field operation and road transport modes, enabling towing by a lead vehicle without a trailer, ensuring compliance with public road regulations and reducing transportation time and costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the autonomous work vehicle uses a trailer for transport between fields, then it can be moved on public roads, but transportation time, equipment costs, and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with public road regulationsVSAvoidtransportation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the transportation function from the field operation system by providing a dedicated transportation wheel system that can be deployed when needed. The transportation wheels are separable from the field wheels, allowing the vehicle to switch between field operation mode and road transport mode without requiring an external trailer, thus reducing transportation time and eliminating trailer equipment costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The vehicle employs dynamic reconfiguration of its wheel system through a wheel exchange mechanism that allows switching between field wheels and transportation wheels based on operational mode. This dynamic adaptation enables the vehicle to comply with road regulations during transport while maintaining field operation capabilities, without the time loss associated with trailer attachment and detachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the autonomous work vehicle uses a trailer for transport, then it can be moved between fields, but equipment costs and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with public road regulationsVSAvoidtransportation equipment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the transportation capability directly into the autonomous work vehicle by integrating a transportation wheel system and wheel exchange mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate trailer equipment, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to transport the vehicle on public roads in compliance with regulations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous work vehicle is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a field operation vehicle and a self-transportable unit. The transportation wheel system enables the vehicle to perform its own transportation without requiring external trailers, making the system more versatile and reducing the number of separate equipment pieces needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If the autonomous work vehicle operates in numerous fields, then productivity increases, but transport time and costs between fields increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability for agricultural operationsVSAvoidtransport time between fields

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By extracting the transportation function and integrating it directly into the vehicle through the transportation wheel system, the patent eliminates the time-consuming process of attaching and detaching trailers between fields. This allows the vehicle to transition quickly between field locations, increasing availability for agricultural operations and overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Reliability

If the autonomous work vehicle uses a trailer for transport, then it can be moved on public roads, but operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with public road regulationsVSAvoidtransportation costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous work vehicle provides self-service transportation capability through its integrated transportation wheel system. By eliminating the need for trailers and reducing the number of attachment/detachment operations required between fields, the system reduces fuel consumption and operational costs associated with transportation, while maintaining compliance with public road regulations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11254379B2Transport system and method for autonomous work vehicles

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 CNH IND CANADA

AI summary

An autonomous work vehicle having a chassis, a power system disposed on the chassis, a field wheel system coupled to the chassis and the power system, and a hitch assembly. The power system is configured to power the autonomous work vehicle in an autonomous control mode. The field wheel system is configured to drive the autonomous work vehicle in a field in the autonomous control mode. The hitch assembly is configured to couple to a lead vehicle in a transport mode. The autonomous work vehicle may engage wheels of a transportation wheel system with a road to support the autonomous work vehicle on the road. The autonomous work vehicle may be coupled via the hitch assembly to the lead vehicle, then transported on a road. A brake system of the transportation wheel system may be coupled to the lead vehicle.