Cutter Blade Concave Contour Reduces Grinding Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing cutting mechanisms in agricultural harvesting machines face increased wear and tear due to higher throughput demands, leading to longer grinding times and increased costs when sharpening cutting blades with wavy or serrated edges, as the regrinding surface width increases with wear, significantly prolonging the grinding process.

Innovation Solution

The cutting mechanism features a concave contour on the smooth side of the cutting blades, maintaining a constant material thickness and regrinding surface width over the wear area, reducing the grinding time and maintaining blade resilience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cutting blades with wavy or serrated edges are used to improve cutting force and quality, then cutting performance is improved, but the regrinding surface width increases with wear, significantly prolonging grinding time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting performanceVSAvoidgrinding time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting blade features a wavy or serrated edge geometry localized to the cutting edge area to improve cutting performance, while the opposite surface maintains a smooth contour without waves. This local differentiation allows the cutting edge to have enhanced cutting qualities while the regrinding surface remains uniform, preventing increased grinding time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The blade design separates the functional zones: the cutting edge area has wavy/serrated geometry for cutting performance, while the opposite surface has a smooth contour for consistent regrinding. This segmentation allows each area to optimize its function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If continuous harvesting is performed to improve throughput and economic use, then productivity increases, but wear and tear on cutting blades increases, requiring frequent regrinding or replacement

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidblade service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is designed with a smooth contour on the opposite surface from the outset, anticipating future regrinding operations. This preliminary design feature ensures that when wear occurs during continuous harvesting, the regrinding process will maintain consistent dimensions and quality, extending blade service life and reducing downtime.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The blade geometry is optimized with a smooth contour that maintains consistent material thickness and regrinding surface width throughout the wear area. This parameter optimization ensures uniform wear characteristics during continuous operation, allowing extended service life without compromising cutting performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If the width of the regrinding surface increases with wear to maintain cutting edge sharpness, then cutting quality is maintained, but grinding time more than doubles, increasing machine downtime

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting edge sharpnessVSAvoidgrinding time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The smooth contour on the opposite surface creates a localized uniform regrinding zone with consistent width throughout the wear area. This local quality control ensures that grinding removes material at a constant rate, maintaining cutting edge sharpness without requiring progressively longer grinding times as the blade wears.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the wavy geometry on the surface to be ground (which would increase grinding width), the wave form is placed on the cutting edge side, and the opposite surface is kept smooth. This inversion of the typical geometry placement solves the grinding time problem while preserving cutting performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3092889B1Cutter unit for agricultural harvesters
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 MASCHINENFABRIK BERNARD KRONE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3092889B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3092889B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3092889B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Cutting unit for agricultural harvesting machines such as forage wagons or balers for harvesting agricultural straw or leaves, comprising a conveying channel (5) in which a plurality of plate-shaped cutting knives (11) arranged at least in a row and projecting into the conveying channel (5) in a cutting position, with an upper (14) and a lower flat surface (15) having at least one preferably sickle-shaped cutting edge (17) circumferentially, cooperate with a conveying element (7) provided with conveying tines (8) for shredding the straw, wherein the cutting knives (11) have a wave-shaped surface contour on one side in the area of ​​the cutting edge (17) such that the material thickness in this area is reduced radially outwards towards the cutting edge (17) in a wedge shape, wherein the,The area opposite the wavy surface contour (16) on the opposite side of the cutting blades (11) is shaped in such a way as to at least approximately eliminate the wedge shape in this area following an edge-side grinding surface (18).