Convex Belt Guide Runners for Crop Conveyor Build-up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crop conveyor systems in agricultural machines suffer from crop material build-up on the runner surfaces, leading to increased friction, reduced reliability, and shortened service life due to the formation of on-runner crop deposits, especially in high-moisture conditions.
Innovation Solution
The crop conveyor system incorporates elongated runners with strategically contoured belt guide surfaces featuring convex and flat geometries to enhance conformity with the conveyor belt, reducing crop material adhesion and promoting early removal of deposits, thereby maintaining low friction and optimizing system performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flat belt guide surfaces are used on runners, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but crop material build-up occurs on the runner surfaces leading to increased friction and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by providing convex surface regions on the belt guide surfaces of the runners. These convex regions have a radius of curvature that substantially matches the radius of curvature of the conveyor belt run, creating a conformal interface that reduces crop material build-up and maintains low friction operation, thereby improving reliability without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by providing convex surface regions at specific locations on the belt guide surfaces rather than making the entire surface convex. The convex regions are positioned where they best match the belt curvature to prevent crop build-up, while other portions of the runner surface can remain flat or have different geometries, optimizing performance while controlling manufacturing complexity
2Reliability
If convex surface regions are added to belt guide surfaces to reduce crop build-up, then reliability and performance are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The convex surface regions are designed with a radius of curvature that substantially matches the radius of curvature of the conveyor belt run. This geometric matching creates a conformal interface that prevents crop material from adhering to the runner surfaces, maintaining low friction operation and extending service life. The curvature can be achieved through standard manufacturing processes such as roller forming or machining, balancing performance improvement with manufacturing feasibility
3Productivity
If the belt guide surfaces conform closely to the conveyor belt run, then friction is reduced and crop deposits are minimized, but the runner design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The convex surface regions on the belt guide surfaces are designed with a radius of curvature that substantially matches the radius of curvature of the conveyor belt run. This geometric conformity creates close contact between the runner and belt surfaces, minimizing the gap where crop material could accumulate and reducing friction-generated heat. The curvature is implemented in a controlled manner that maintains productivity while managing design complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Crop conveyor systems having an enhanced resistance to crop material build-up and suitable for usage in agricultural machines, such as round balers, include a conveyor belt run extending along a primary direction of belt travel, as well as a runner assembly adjacent the conveyor belt run. The runner assembly includes, in turn, elongated runners extending substantially parallel to the primary direction of belt travel and spaced along a lateral axis perpendicular to the primary direction of belt travel. Belt guide surfaces are provided on the elongated runners and face the conveyor belt run. The belt guide surfaces have convex surface regions in a first section plane parallel to the lateral axis and perpendicular to the primary direction of belt travel. The convex surface regions increase conformity between the belt guide surfaces and the conveyor belt run to reduce crop build-up on the elongated runners during usage of the build-up resistant crop conveyor system.