Inclined Conveyor Flexible Floor for Crop Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transfer of harvested crop from the header to the feederhouse assembly in combine harvesters is problematic due to large pivoting angles, resulting in crop jams and uneven distribution, leading to unsatisfactory threshing and cleaning results.
Innovation Solution
A feederhouse assembly with a flexible floor element extending between the pendulum shield and the housing, coupled to the endless conveyor, ensures a constant spatial relationship between the header and the lower feederhouse roller, facilitating smooth crop transfer and maintaining a homogeneous crop distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid lower feederhouse roller is used in a conventional feederhouse assembly, then the structure is simple and stable, but crop transfer problems occur at large pivoting angles due to the angle between the header discharge opening and the roller
Solution Approach 1:
The lower feederhouse roller is made movable relative to the housing, allowing it to follow the pendulum movement of the header. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the angle problem at large pivoting angles while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The feederhouse assembly is divided into separate functional components: the housing, the pendulum shield with header attachment, and the movable lower roller. This segmentation allows the lower roller to move independently to accommodate header pivoting while keeping the housing structure simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the header pivots at large angles about the pendulum axis, then the combine can operate on side slopes, but crop jams occur and crop distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The lower feederhouse roller is designed to move dynamically with the header pivoting motion, maintaining optimal alignment between the header discharge opening and the roller. This prevents crop jams and ensures reliable crop transfer even at large pivoting angles required for side slope operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The position parameter of the lower feederhouse roller is changed dynamically to follow the header's pivoting motion. This parameter adjustment ensures that the spatial relationship between the header discharge and roller remains optimal, preventing crop jams and maintaining uniform crop distribution.
3Reliability
If a separate adapter device is added between the header and housing to facilitate crop transition, then crop transfer is improved, but the device complexity increases and the adapter is relatively short
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter device is merged with the lower feederhouse roller and its support structure. Instead of being a separate short component, the roller assembly itself provides the adaptive connection, eliminating the need for additional adapter components and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower feederhouse roller assembly serves multiple functions: it conveys crop, adapts to header pivoting motion, and provides the necessary spatial adjustment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate adapter devices, reducing complexity while maintaining reliable crop transfer.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The inclined conveyor assembly has carriers (84) which are fixed to an endless conveyor unit (82). A pendulum plate (78) is hinged on the front end of the housing (62) such that it can swivel around a pendulum axle (76), on which a harvesting attachment (18) can be affixed. A flexible bottom unit is located below the endless conveyor unit, and is coupled to the pendulum plate on its front end, and is coupled to the housing of an inclined conveyor assembly (20) on its rear end.