Composite Harvester Spout Reducing Deflection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional spout extensions for forage harvesters become excessively heavy and prone to deflection when lengthened, leading to inconsistent crop material delivery and premature failure due to increased weight and bending, especially when traversing uneven terrain.

Innovation Solution

A composite spout extension using a celled structure core with a lightweight meta-aramid material and a fiber-reinforced plastic outer skin, combined with edge reinforcement, which reduces overall weight by approximately one-third compared to steel while maintaining strength, and includes a sacrificial liner for protection against abrasion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the spout extension is lengthened to extend reach, then the delivery distance is improved, but the weight increases causing excessive deflection and premature failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespout extension lengthVSAvoidspout extension weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The spout extension uses a composite structure combining a celled core (providing structural rigidity) with a plastic outer skin (providing protection and smooth flow). This composite construction achieves the required strength and stiffness for extended lengths while significantly reducing weight compared to solid metal construction, thereby resolving the contradiction between length and weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The celled structure provides localized structural support where needed most (in the core), while the thin plastic skin provides surface quality for material flow. This distributed functional quality allows the spout to be both lightweight and structurally sound at extended lengths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Length of moving object

If the spout extension is lengthened to extend reach, then the delivery distance is improved, but deflection increases causing inconsistent crop material delivery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespout extension lengthVSAvoidspout deflection

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The composite construction with celled core and plastic skin provides optimal stiffness-to-weight ratio. The celled structure acts as internal reinforcement that resists bending and deflection, while keeping the overall weight low. This allows the spout to maintain structural stability and consistent crop material delivery over extended lengths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If conventional materials are used to maintain strength, then the structural integrity is improved, but the weight increases causing premature failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespout structural strengthVSAvoidspout extension weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite material system where the celled core provides structural strength and rigidity, while the plastic skin provides protective coverage and material flow characteristics. This composite approach achieves the required structural strength for withstanding crop material forces and environmental conditions while maintaining significantly lower weight than conventional solid metal construction, preventing premature failure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The celled structure is a porous configuration that provides high structural strength-to-weight ratio. The cellular geometry distributes stresses effectively throughout the structure, maintaining strength while minimizing material usage and overall weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

4Length of moving object

If the spout extension is lengthened to extend reach, then the delivery distance is improved, but the stress concentration increases leading to premature failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespout extension lengthVSAvoidspout lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The composite construction with celled core and plastic skin creates a structurally robust spout extension that distributes mechanical stresses uniformly throughout its length. The celled structure acts as an internal framework that prevents stress concentration at critical points, while the plastic skin provides a smooth, continuous surface that reduces stress from crop material flow. This enhances reliability and prevents premature failure even at extended lengths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The spout design incorporates localized reinforcement through the celled structure at critical stress areas, while maintaining optimized wall thickness and material distribution throughout. This local quality enhancement ensures uniform stress distribution and prevents premature failure without adding excessive weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9198350B1Composite harvester spout

Publication Date: 2015.12.01 KOOIMA AG INC

AI summary

A composite discharge spout portion for a discharge spout for a forage harvester defines at least a portion of a path for crop materials. The spout portion may include a proximal end, a distal end, an upper wall and a pair of side walls extending between the proximal end and distal end. The side walls depend from the upper wall, and the top and side walls have opposite major faces and edges. At least one of the top and side walls may comprise a celled structure forming a core of the wall and an outer skin over the cells of the celled structure to form the major faces of the wall. The skin comprises a plastic.