Agricultural Combine Slat With Trident Web For Crop Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural combine slats face structural integrity issues due to foreign objects and inefficiencies in material throughput, leading to potential deformation and 'boiling' or churning of crop material at the transition between the header and material moving system.
Innovation Solution
The slat configuration includes a connector web with outer and inner ribs, along with textured surfaces and gripping features to enhance structural integrity and improve material handling, featuring a trident-like shape with ribs extending between the front and rear sides to reduce bending stresses and improve crop gripping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the slats are made structurally robust to resist foreign objects, then the strength and reliability improve, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The slat is divided into multiple functional segments: connector web for attachment, front wall for material engagement, rear wall for structural support, and ribs for reinforcement. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The slat employs a composite structural design combining flat web elements with protruding wall and rib structures. This composite configuration provides enhanced strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to deformation from foreign objects without requiring excessive material or complexity.
2Productivity
If the slats are designed for high material throughput, then the productivity improves, but the material handling efficiency may deteriorate due to bottlenecks at the header transition
Solution Approach 1:
The front wall extends forward beyond the connector web to make preliminary contact with crop material before the main slat body arrives. This preliminary action allows the slat to begin engaging and guiding material early in the transition zone, preventing bottlenecks and ensuring smooth flow into the material moving system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the slat have specialized geometries optimized for local functions: the front wall for material engagement and guidance, the connector web for structural attachment, and the rear wall for support. This local quality optimization ensures efficient material handling at each critical location while maintaining high overall throughput.
3Strength
If the slats have extended walls and ribs for structural support, then the strength improves, but the weight of the slat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structural reinforcement is segmented into discrete elements (front wall, rear wall, and ribs) positioned at specific locations where strength is most needed. This targeted segmentation provides maximum load resistance while minimizing unnecessary material and weight throughout the slat structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The slat design adds vertical dimensionality with protruding walls and ribs extending from the flat connector web. This dimensional transformation creates a three-dimensional structural framework that provides enhanced strength and stiffness without proportionally increasing weight, as the reinforcement is distributed through space rather than requiring uniform thickness throughout.
Data Source
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AI summary
A slat (100) for use within a material moving system (34) of an agricultural combine (10) may include a connector web (106) extending in a lengthwise direction (108) of the slat between a first end (102) and a second end (104) and in a widthwise direction (110) of the slat between a front side (112) and a rear side (114) of the slat. The connector web may also define an outer surface (118) and an inner surface (120). The slat may also include a front wall (122) extending outwardly from the outer surface of the connector web along the front side of the slat and a rear wall (124) extending outwardly from the outer surface of the connector web along the rear side of the slat. Additionally, the slat may include one or more additional features for increasing the structural integrity of the slat and/or for enhancing the crop grabbing/gripping capabilities of the slat.