Baler Combination Automated Unloading via Adjustable Drawbar Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baler combinations struggle to unload bales in specified directions or angles without manual labor and positioning, leading to inefficiencies and potential bale roll-away issues, especially when traveling along swaths.
Innovation Solution
A baler combination featuring a towing vehicle and a baler with a control unit and actuator system that allows for adjustable angles between the drawbar and baler, enabling precise unloading positions and angles through automated movement and ejection mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the baler unloads bales only along the longitudinal central axis, then the ejection mechanism is simple, but the unloading position and direction cannot be specified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the baler body movable relative to the towing vehicle through an actuator system. The angle between the baler and towing vehicle is dynamically adjustable, allowing the baler to be positioned at different angles (including perpendicular to the direction of travel) to unload bales in various directions along the swath, rather than being fixed in a single ejection direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into independently controllable components: the towing vehicle, the drawbar, and the baler body. The actuator system separates the control of the towing vehicle position from the baler orientation, allowing independent adjustment of each component to achieve precise unloading positions and angles.
2Measurement precision
If the combination stops and maneuvers to unload bales in desired directions, then unloading precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning actions automatically through the control unit and actuator system. Before bale ejection, the baler is pre-positioned at the desired angle and location along the swath based on pre-calculated positions, eliminating the need for stopping and manual maneuvering after bale formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination performs self-positioning and self-alignment operations through automated control. The control unit calculates required positions and angles, and the actuator system automatically adjusts the baler orientation and towing vehicle position, reducing reliance on operator intervention and manual maneuvering.
3Productivity
If the bale is ejected without controlled positioning, then the ejection process is fast, but the bale may roll away after ejection
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from position sensors and angle sensors to monitor the actual position and orientation of the baler relative to the calculated target position. The control unit continuously compares measured values with desired values and adjusts actuator commands to achieve precise positioning before ejection, ensuring reliable bale placement while maintaining efficient operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A baler combination includes a towing vehicle and a baler pulled by the towing vehicle by means of a drawbar. A control unit is connected to a drive system of the towing vehicle, the baler and an actuator. An angle between the drawbar and the baler is able to be set and/or adjusted by the actuator. The control unit is operable to control the drive system and/or the actuator such that the baler combination is moved from a first position to an unloading position, to actuate the baler such that a bale is unloaded at the unloading position, and to actuate the drive system and/or the actuator such that the baler combination is moved back from the unloading position to the first position.