Commodity Cart Transfer Arm Guidance for Faster Fill Vehicle Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural operations, such as loading and unloading agricultural materials from commodity carts, are time-consuming and inefficient, with existing technologies only partially addressing the need to reduce interaction time with these carts.
Innovation Solution
A commodity cart system that includes a transfer arm with a hydraulic system and a controller to determine a desired fill vehicle position, providing visual, audio, or wireless indications to operators for precise positioning, potentially assisted by unmanned aerial vehicles, to facilitate quick and efficient commodity transfer operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual positioning methods are used for fill vehicles relative to commodity carts, then operators have flexibility in positioning, but the time spent positioning is excessive and efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated optical guidance system. The system uses cameras mounted on the fill vehicle to capture images of the commodity cart, processes these images to determine precise positioning, and provides visual feedback to the operator. This substitution of manual positioning with automated image processing and visual guidance directly reduces positioning time while maintaining accuracy, thereby improving commodity transfer efficiency.
2Loss of time
If automated positioning systems are implemented, then positioning time is reduced and efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional positioning system that performs multiple tasks: capturing images of the commodity cart, processing images to determine position and orientation, providing visual guidance feedback, and enabling automated positioning control. By consolidating these functions into an integrated system rather than separate components, the patent reduces overall system complexity while achieving automated positioning that significantly reduces positioning time.
3Measurement precision
If visual guidance systems are used to indicate desired fill vehicle position, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual guidance systems that use color-coded indicators to communicate positioning information to the operator. The system displays visual cues such as colored zones or markers that indicate the desired fill vehicle position and orientation relative to the commodity cart. This use of color changes and visual indicators provides precise positioning guidance in an intuitive manner, improving measurement precision while avoiding excessive system complexity by leveraging human visual perception capabilities.
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
The system significantly reduces the time spent positioning filling vehicles relative to commodity carts, enhancing overall agricultural efficiency by ensuring accurate and rapid material transfer.
Implementation Method 1
A hydraulic system is coupled to the transfer arm and configured to move the transfer arm to a product loading position wherein the product chute is positioned at a location on or near the ground
Data Source
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AI summary
A commodity cart (100) is disclosed. The commodity cart (100) comprising: at least one storage tank (102, 104, 106); a transfer arm (110) having a product chute (113), a tube portion (114) coupled to the product chute (113), the tube portion (114) ending in a product outlet (116); a hydraulic system (112) coupled to the transfer arm (110) and configured to move the transfer arm (110) to a product loading position wherein the product chute (113) is positioned at a location on or near the ground; characterized in that a controller (202) is configured to determine a desired fill vehicle position and generate an indication of the desired fill vehicle position. Furthermore, a method of transferring agricultural product between a fill vehicle and a commodity cart (100) is disclosed.