Curved Spreading Element for Seed Furrow Pressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural seed drills face issues with the sweeping element deforming under mechanical loads, leading to unreliable seed placement and potential damage due to its elongation and bending during sowing operations.
Innovation Solution
The sweeping element is designed with an arcuate central area that protrudes forward, combined with a T-shaped upper area for enhanced rigidity and attachment, ensuring it remains dimensionally stable and resistant to deformation, guiding seeds effectively into the furrow while preventing lengthening and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spreading element is pressed against the furrow bottom by working pressure to ensure seed placement, then seed deposition reliability is improved, but the spreading element undergoes permanent deformation and elongation
Solution Approach 1:
The spreading element is designed with a curved profile where the third lower section is convex towards the furrow bottom and the second middle section is flexible and curved to guide the seed. This curvature allows the element to conform to the furrow shape while distributing mechanical stresses, preventing permanent deformation and maintaining functional integrity under working pressure
2Ease of operation
If the spreading element is made flexible to guide seed through the furrow, then seed guidance function is improved, but the element bends and deforms under mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The spreading element is divided into three distinct sections: a first upper section for attachment, a second middle section that is flexible and curved for seed guidance, and a third lower section that is convex and made of smooth abrasion-resistant material for furrow engagement. This segmentation allows each section to have optimized properties - flexibility where needed for guidance and rigidity where needed for structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the spreading element have different material properties and geometries tailored to their specific functions. The second middle section is made flexible to conform to the furrow and guide seed, while the third lower section uses smooth abrasion-resistant material to prevent seed damage and maintain shape under pressure, and the first upper section provides rigid attachment points
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
Agricultural seed drill comprising at least a furrow opening device (4), at least a seed delivery device (7) for depositing seed into the opened seed furrow, at least a closing (10) and/or pressing element for closing the opened seed furrow, wherein the seed delivery device (7) is associated with a spreading element (12) having a first upper, a second middle and a third lower section (13, 14, 15), and the spreading element is attached in its first upper section (13) to the rear side of the seed delivery device (7) as viewed in the direction of travel (F), the second middle section (14) of the spreading element is flexibly designed and curved to guide the seed into the seed furrow, the third lower section (15) of the spreading element is convexly shaped towards the bottom of the seed furrow, is made of smooth, abrasion-resistant material and projects rearward into the seed furrow as viewed in the direction of travel (F),wherein the spreading element (12) sweeps across the furrow bottom and deposited seed in the seed furrow and is subjected to pressure against the furrow bottom by the working pressure of the furrow opening device (4) such that the deposited seed is pressed into the furrow bottom to a suitable depth. In order to provide a spreading element that ensures the seed guidance into the seed furrow and/or the pressing of the seed onto the furrow bottom and is insensitive to length variations, it is provided that the spreading element (12) is curved in the second middle section (14) and that the curve points forward in the direction of travel and projects beyond the first upper section (13) in the direction of travel.