Disc Mower Cutter Bar with Stamped Transmission Pan
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Disc mowers with spur gears experience high frictional forces and dirt accumulation in the gusset area, leading to uneven mowing patterns and streaking due to the large contact surface with the ground and inability of dirt to detach from the cutter bar.
Innovation Solution
A cutter bar design featuring a stamped transmission pan with wave-shaped bulges and embossed elevations, allowing for a free tunnel passage below the mower discs, minimizing bearing points and maximizing the overlap of cutting circles, which reduces friction and dirt accumulation by optimizing the drive train and skid geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If skids are arranged below the mower discs to protect the transmission pan floor from ground contact, then the transmission pan is protected from wear, but the large contact surface causes high frictional forces with the ground and dirt accumulation in the gusset area
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a third dimension by creating a tunnel passage beneath the cutter bar that extends vertically downward. This allows dirt accumulations to pass through the transmission pan floor area in the vertical direction, preventing horizontal accumulation in the gusset area while maintaining ground protection through the skids.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission pan floor is segmented into solid portions (for structural support and ground protection) and a tunnel passage portion (for dirt removal). This segmentation allows different functional zones within the same component to serve conflicting purposes simultaneously.
2Device complexity
If the drive train is designed with bearing points for intermediate gears within the tunnel passage, then the gear train can be compactly arranged, but dirt accumulations cannot pass freely through the tunnel
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing points for intermediate gears are extracted from the tunnel passage area and relocated to the transmission pan cover. This removes the obstruction from the tunnel passage, allowing dirt accumulations to pass freely while the gear train remains functional through the cover-mounted bearing points.
3Ease of manufacture
If the pinion gears are positioned further back in the transmission pan, then the gear train is simpler to design, but the overlap of cutting circles is reduced causing poor mowing properties
Solution Approach 1:
The wave-shaped bulges are pre-formed on the transmission pan cover to create predetermined positioning zones for the pinion gears. This preliminary structural feature guides the pinion gears to the optimal position that maximizes cutting circle overlap, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during assembly.
4Ease of manufacture
If a flat transmission pan design is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but dirt builds up in the gusset area because it cannot detach from the cutter bar
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission pan cover features wave-shaped bulges that introduce curved surfaces and varying slopes in the gusset area. These curved geometries prevent dirt from settling in flat accumulation zones by creating continuous slopes that guide debris toward the tunnel passage opening.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~4
AI summary
The disc mower mechanism has two pairs of disc structures (19) that are arranged in cutter bar (1). The disc structure includes rotatable cutting discs (7) which are arranged in opposite directions to each other. The rotary circles of blades provided in front region of cutter bar are overlapped with mower blades. The skid plate intermediate pieces are arranged in gusset region (10) between skid plates which are supported at cutter bar housing. The geometries of skid plate intermediate pieces in region of respective mower blades are different.