Combine Harvester Concave Sections With Arcuate Sliding Rollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current combine harvester concaves are heavy, difficult to handle, and require complete removal for crop type changes, with debris accumulation complicating maintenance and setup.
Innovation Solution
A concave arrangement with slidable concave sections supported by rollers and a frame, allowing easy installation and removal along an arcuate path, and featuring rollers that transfer load to the frame during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire concave is removed to change crop type, then the concave can be swapped for different grain types, but the handling effort and time required increase significantly due to the heavy weight and debris accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The concave is divided into multiple detachable sections (first concave section, second concave section, etc.) that can be independently removed and replaced. Each section is supported by its own support arms and can be individually accessed, allowing operators to quickly swap only the necessary sections rather than removing the entire concave assembly. This segmentation directly reduces replacement time while maintaining adaptability for different crop types.
2Strength
If the concave is made heavy to support threshing loads, then the structural strength is sufficient, but the ease of handling and removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy concave structure is segmented into multiple lighter sections, each supported by dedicated support arms. This allows the overall strength requirement to be distributed across multiple components rather than requiring one massive piece, making each individual section easier to handle and remove while maintaining the necessary structural strength for threshing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms are designed to be adjustable and movable, allowing the concave sections to be dynamically positioned and removed. The support arms can be detached from the frame, enabling easy removal of concave sections without requiring the removal of the entire concave assembly, thus improving handling ease while maintaining structural integrity during operation.
3Ease of repair
If the feederhouse is disassembled to access the concaves for maintenance, then the concaves can be accessed from the frontal area, but the device complexity and time required for maintenance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The concave is segmented into multiple sections that can be independently accessed and removed. The support arms for each section are separately mounted on the frame, allowing operators to access and remove specific concave sections without disassembling the entire feederhouse. This reduces maintenance complexity by enabling localized access to individual concave sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave sections are extracted as independent removable components from the main concave assembly. Each section can be individually removed from its support arms, allowing maintenance personnel to access and service specific sections without disrupting the entire feederhouse structure, thereby simplifying the maintenance procedure.
4Productivity
If the concave sections are made detachable for easy swapping, then the replacement speed improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional support arms and fixing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The concave is divided into multiple sections, each with its own support arms and fixing mechanisms. This segmentation enables rapid replacement of individual sections without affecting the entire concave assembly, significantly improving replacement speed. The modular design allows operators to quickly detach and replace only the necessary sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms are designed with adjustable and detachable features that allow dynamic configuration. The support arms can be easily attached and detached from the frame, and the concave sections can be quickly secured to the support arms using simple fixing mechanisms, enabling fast replacement while keeping the added complexity manageable through standardized, reusable components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates easy swapping and maintenance of concaves in sections, reducing handling effort and debris accumulation, enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a roller arrangement between each concave section and each of the adjacent pair of support arms such that each concave section is slidable around the frame along an arcuate path between installed and retracted positions
Data Source
AI summary
A concave arrangement for a combine harvester has a frame which supports a set of side-by-side concave sections, each supported by a pair of support arms of the frame. A roller arrangement is provided between each concave section and each of the pair of support arms such that each concave section is slidable around the frame along an arcuate path between installed and retracted positions. The concave sections can be fixed to the frame in their installed positions.