Curved Radiating Webs for Soil-Resistant Depth Control Disc

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing disc coulter's depth control disc lacks sufficient load-bearing capacity and self-cleaning ability, especially in damp and wet conditions, leading to excessive soil adherence.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates radiating, strip-like supporting webs with a curved configuration, angled tangents, and widening gaps between webs to enhance load-bearing capacity and self-cleaning, allowing for better soil release and even depth control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the depth control disc is made of flexible material, then it can adapt to ground conditions, but it lacks sufficient load-bearing capacity and self-cleaning ability causing excessive soil adherence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to ground conditionsVSAvoidload-bearing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The depth control disc is segmented into multiple radiating supporting webs (5 to 12 webs) that divide the disc surface into separate regions. This segmentation provides both structural strength through the distributed web framework and self-cleaning capability by preventing soil from adhering to large continuous surfaces, while still maintaining adaptability to ground conditions through the flexible material construction of each individual web.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the depth control disc is made of flexible material, then it can adapt to ground conditions, but it results in too much soil adhering to the disc especially in damp and wet conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to ground conditionsVSAvoidsoil adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The disc surface is divided into multiple radiating supporting webs with gaps between them, preventing soil from forming continuous adhesive layers. The segmented structure allows soil to fall through the gaps rather than adhering to the entire disc surface, reducing harmful soil accumulation while maintaining ground adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting webs are designed with a specific curvature where a tangent applied to the outer radial end area forms an angle of 5° to 35° to the radial line. This curved geometry promotes soil release by creating a rolling action that prevents soil from adhering to the disc surface, while the flexible material allows the curved webs to adapt to varying ground conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Strength

If the supporting webs are designed with curved configuration angled 5°-35°, then load-bearing capacity and self-cleaning are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting webs are constructed from flexible material that can be formed into curved shapes during manufacturing. This allows the complex curved geometry (with 5°-35° tangent angles) to be achieved through material flexibility rather than complex rigid structural components, maintaining load-bearing capacity while avoiding excessive device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP2210463B1Depth control disc with stripes curved opposing the direction of rotation
Publication Date: 2011.06.22 AMAZONEN WERKE H DREYER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2210463B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2210463B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP2210463B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The seeding disk coulter has a blade holder, at which a blade disk and a depth guiding disk (7) are arranged with depth guiding elements (9) projecting from the outer disk plane (8). The depth guiding disk is made of a flexible material. Radiant, strip-shaped support rods are arranged distant to each other at the outer side of the depth guiding disk in the outer ring area (10). The support rods are aligned in their outer radial area against the rotating direction (13) in curved manner.