C-Shaped Tine Guard Mounting for Agricultural Harvesters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural pickup tine guard mounting arrangements are time-consuming and costly to service due to complex disassembly requirements and prone to damage from operational stresses, necessitating a more efficient and robust mounting solution.
Innovation Solution
A tine guard mounting arrangement using C-shaped guards with a planar tine guide featuring a slot-like hook at the lower end that interlocks with a slot on the guard, secured by a single bolt at the upper end, providing improved stability and reduced assembly/disassembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional mounting arrangements with multiple bolts are used to secure tine guards, then the structural strength and stability are improved, but the time and cost for service and disassembly increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement is segmented into modular components: C-shaped tine guards, mounting brackets with slots, and bolt assemblies. This segmentation allows individual guards to be quickly removed by loosening bolts without requiring disassembly of the entire structure, reducing service time while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed bolt configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system incorporates dynamic fastening elements (bolts) that can be quickly adjusted and removed. The slots in the mounting brackets allow for positional adjustment and rapid detachment, enabling the structure to transition from a tightly secured state during operation to an easily disassembled state during service, resolving the contradiction between strength and serviceability.
2Reliability
If multiple bolts are used to secure each tine guard, then the reliability of the mounting is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting brackets serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, accommodate multiple bolts for reliable securing, incorporate slots for rapid disassembly, and allow positional adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining mounting reliability through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system uses standardized slots and bolt configurations that create equivalent mounting positions across different tine guards. This standardization allows for interchangeable parts and simplified manufacturing processes, reducing device complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining consistent reliability across all mounting points through uniform design criteria.
3Force
If traditional four-bolt mounting is used at each end of tine guards, then the resistance to bending forces is improved, but the ease of manufacture and assembly is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system segments the fastening function into standardized bolt-and-slot assemblies that can be manufactured independently and assembled through simple alignment. The C-shaped guards and mounting brackets are separate components that join through pre-drilled holes and slots, allowing for easier manufacturing of individual parts and simpler assembly procedures while maintaining the four-bolt configuration for adequate resistance to bending forces.
4Stability of the object's composition
If tine guards are individually secured with multiple bolts, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of repair and access to reel is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the tine guard assembly into independently removable units secured by standardized bolt-and-slot connections. This segmentation allows individual guards to be quickly removed to access the reel for repair work, while the remaining guards maintain structural stability through their own mounting connections, resolving the contradiction between overall structural stability and ease of repair access.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting design allows for the extraction and removal of individual tine guards from the assembly by simply loosening their mounting bolts. This extraction capability enables repair personnel to access the reel and internal components without disassembling the entire pickup structure, significantly improving ease of repair while the remaining mounted guards continue to provide structural stability to the overall assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A pickup for an agricultural harvester that employees C-shaped tine guards with a generally planar tine guide, the tine guide having a slot-like hook at the lower end thereof that fits into a slot on the tine guard and held in place by bolts in the upper end of the hook and the upper end of the tine guide.