Round Baler Holding Roller Ejection Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing round balers face issues with damage to wrapping material during unloading due to the bale being pressed against the housing, and their complex design leads to stress on components and complicated guidance of holding rollers.

Innovation Solution

A round baler design featuring a holding roller that is adjustable between a rest and working position, positioned on the housing part rather than the ejection flap, which reduces stress and simplifies the design by not requiring coordination with the ejection flap's movement, and includes a second adjusting device for precise control, allowing the holding roller to limit the ejection opening and prevent contact with the bale.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the round bale is held and/or braked during unloading with the ejection flap, then the round bale can be controlled during ejection, but the wrapping material of the round bale is damaged by the housing part and pressing means

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol of round bale during ejectionVSAvoiddamage to wrapping material
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A holding roller is introduced as an intermediary element between the round bale and the housing part/pressing means. The holding roller holds and guides the round bale during ejection, preventing direct contact between the bale and the pressing means, thereby avoiding damage to the wrapping material while maintaining control during the ejection process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the holding roller is mounted on the ejection flap, then it can directly control the round bale during ejection, but the components of the ejection flap are heavily stressed and the guidance becomes very complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol of round bale during ejectionVSAvoidcomplexity of guidance and stress on components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding roller is extracted from the ejection flap assembly and mounted on the housing part instead. This separation removes the holding function from the ejection flap, reducing the stress and complexity on the ejection flap components while maintaining the holding and guidance function through the independently mounted holding roller

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3760031B1Agricultural baler and method for operating same
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 DEERE & CO
  • EP3760031B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3760031B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3760031B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a round baler (10) with a housing (12) comprising a housing part (14) and a discharge flap (26) pivotably mounted on this housing part (14) about a bearing axis, and driven pressing means (28, 32) distributed on the housing part (14) and the discharge flap (26), which circumferentially delimit a pressing chamber (24), wherein the discharge flap (26) is adjustable by means of a first adjusting device such that, when the discharge flap (26) is opened, a discharge opening (36) can be formed between the housing part (14) and the discharge flap (26), and a dimension (40) of the discharge opening (36) is adjustable. The housing part (14) includes a retaining roller (60). The retaining roller (60) is adjustably arranged between a rest position and a working position in which the retaining roller (60) assumes a position delimiting the discharge opening (36). The invention further relates to a method for operating an agricultural round baler (10).