Bubble Up Auger Rectangular Inlet Baffle Grain Throughput

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bubble up augers in agricultural combines have a small inlet opening, leading to reduced conveying efficiency due to void spaces when in an inclined position, without options to increase speed or diameter without causing grain damage and increased maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

A bubble up auger design featuring a tubular housing with a rectangular shaped inlet opening and a baffle that extends outwardly from the central axis, allowing for increased grain throughput by deflecting grain into void spaces and enhancing efficiency at a fixed auger speed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the auger speed is increased to improve conveying efficiency, then the throughput increases, but grain damage increases and maintenance costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconveying efficiencyVSAvoidgrain damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the auger system by increasing the diameter from conventional sizes to 24 inches or larger, and by modifying the flight spacing and flight angle parameters. These parameter changes allow the auger to achieve higher conveying capacity and efficiency without needing to increase rotational speed, thereby avoiding grain damage and reduced maintenance costs that would result from higher speeds

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the auger diameter is increased to improve conveying efficiency, then the throughput increases, but weight increases and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconveying efficiencyVSAvoidauger weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a telescoping auger design where the auger diameter can be dynamically adjusted between retracted and extended positions. This allows the system to use a larger diameter (24 inches or more) only when high conveying efficiency is needed, while reducing to a smaller diameter for normal operations, thereby avoiding the continuous weight and cost penalty of a permanently large-diameter auger

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the inlet opening size is increased to improve grain flow, then the throughput increases, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrain throughputVSAvoidhousing structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent addresses the inlet opening challenge by utilizing the vertical dimension through the telescoping mechanism. The large-diameter configuration provides a larger inlet opening area when needed, while the telescoping action allows this large opening to be collapsed into a compact form when not required, thereby achieving large grain flow capability without permanent structural complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9775297B2Bubble up auger for agricultural combines

Publication Date: 2017.10.03 BLUE LEAF I P INC

AI summary

A bubble up auger includes a tubular housing, a screw auger and a baffle. The tubular housing includes an inlet opening having a first width end adjacent a first end of the tubular housing and a second width end opposite the first width end. The baffle extends from the inlet opening, outwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the tubular housing and towards the first end of the tubular housing.