Crop Pick-Up Mechanism with Articulation Levers for Ground Contour Following
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crop pick-up mechanisms for agricultural working implements are complex and expensive due to their numerous parts, requiring support wheels for following ground contours, which complicates their design and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A crop pick-up mechanism with a housing, articulation levers, and a pick-up device that allows vertical and swinging movements, supported by guide elements and a conveying rotor, enabling it to follow ground contours without a fixed swing axis, simplifying the design and reducing the need for additional support wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional crop pick-up means are supported by multiple support wheels and control arms, then they can follow ground contours, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up device is made dynamically movable vertically within the articulation levers, allowing it to adapt to ground contours without fixed support wheels. This dynamic movement capability enables the system to follow ground variations while reducing the number of static support components needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for multiple fixed support wheels and complex control arm mechanisms by using a simplified support structure with articulation levers that allow vertical movement. This reduces the number of individual parts while maintaining ground-following capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed swing axis is used for the pick-up device, then the structure is simplified, but the ability to compensate for transverse ground changes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a fixed swing axis, the invention uses a dynamic vertical movement mechanism within the articulation levers. This allows the pick-up device to swing and move vertically in response to ground contours, providing adaptability to both longitudinal and transverse ground changes without requiring a complex fixed swing axis structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If numerous individual parts are used in the pick-up mechanism, then the functionality is comprehensive, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of multiple individual parts (support wheels, control arms, swing mechanisms) into a integrated structure with articulation levers and a vertically movable pick-up device. This consolidation reduces the total number of components while maintaining comprehensive ground-following functionality, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation levers serve multiple functions: they support the pick-up device, allow vertical movement, enable swinging motion, and provide ground contour following capability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A crop pick-up for an agricultural working implement includes a housing, having a pick-up device which is supported on the ground via at least one support wheel, and at least two horizontally spaced articulation levers which receive and support the pick-up device therebetween. The pick-up device is coupled to the articulation levers so as to be at least substantially vertically movable relative to the articulation levers.