Combine Harvester Sampling Device for Representative Crop Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for collecting laboratory samples from agricultural crops often result in either large quantities or poor representativeness, leading to increased user workload and inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

A two-stage sampling process using an agricultural harvesting machine with a coarse dividing device to take a raw sample, a comminution device to reduce particle size, and a fine dividing device to produce a representative laboratory sample for time-decoupled analysis, allowing for efficient and representative sampling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large quantity of crop material is collected as a sample, then the representativeness of the sample is improved, but the user workload increases due to further processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepresentativeness of sampleVSAvoiduser workload

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sampling process is divided into two stages: first a coarse dividing device takes a raw sample from the harvested crop stream, then a fine dividing device takes the final laboratory sample from the comminuted raw sample. This segmentation allows representative sampling without requiring the user to process large quantities of material manually.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The comminution device is positioned between the coarse and fine dividing devices to pre-process the raw sample by reducing particle size before the fine dividing operation. This preliminary action ensures that the final laboratory sample is fully prepared and ready for analysis without additional user processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If a small quantity of crop material is collected as a sample, then the user workload is reduced, but the representativeness of the sample deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser workloadVSAvoidrepresentativeness of sample

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The two-stage sampling process with coarse and fine dividing devices enables the system to work with small sample quantities at each stage while maintaining overall representativeness. The coarse stage captures variability from the full stream, and the fine stage produces a manageable laboratory sample that retains this representativeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If a two-stage sampling process with comminution is implemented, then sample representativeness and preparation quality are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample representativenessVSAvoidsampling device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coarse dividing device, comminution device, and fine dividing device are integrated into a single sampling unit that processes the harvested crop stream in one continuous operation. This merging of functions achieves high sample quality without requiring separate processing steps that would increase overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If samples are collected for time-decoupled analysis, then flexibility in measurement timing is improved, but the requirement for sample isolation from the crop stream increases processing steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement timing flexibilityVSAvoidsample isolation process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sampling device performs all necessary sample preparation actions (coarse division, comminution, fine division) while the material is still moving through the harvest stream. This preliminary action allows the sample to be isolated and stored for later analysis without requiring complex post-processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4014712B1Method for collecting a crop laboratory sample in a combine harvester

Publication Date: 2024.12.18 CLAAS SELBSTFAHRENDE ERNTEMASCHINEN GMBH

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Figure 3a~3b

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for collecting a laboratory sample (1) from a lot of harvested crop (2) by means of an agricultural harvesting machine (3) with at least one working unit (4) for taking up a harvested field crop (5) as harvested crop (6) and/or for processing the harvested crop (6), wherein the harvested crop (6) is transported in a crop flow (7) along a crop transport path (8) through the agricultural harvesting machine (3) during operation.It is proposed that the agricultural harvesting machine (3) has an automatic sampling device (9), that the sampling device (9) has a coarse dividing device (10), a comminution device (11) and a fine dividing device (12) arranged on the harvested crop transport path (8), that the coarse dividing device (10) takes a raw sample (13) from the harvested crop stream (7) of the lot (2), that the comminution device (11) commins the raw sample (13) and that the fine dividing device (12) takes the laboratory sample (1) from the comminutioned raw sample (13) for time-decoupled analysis.