Electro-permanent Magnet Drop Pan for Combine Harvester Grain Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drop pan systems for combine harvesters require manual placement or are incompatible with all combine harvesters due to power supply limitations, necessitating improved designs for efficient grain loss monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A drop pan system featuring a support housing with electro-permanent magnets and a wireless remote control for magnetic attachment and release, allowing for easy installation on any combine harvester without additional power sources, and including interchangeable drop pans for varying crop conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual placement of drop pan is used, then no additional power source is needed, but increased personnel are required and placement precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drop pan system automatically attaches and detaches itself through electromagnetic forces without requiring manual intervention. The electro-permanent magnets on the support housing automatically engage with the ferromagnetic pieces on the drop pan, eliminating the need for personnel to manually place or remove the pan while maintaining precise positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical placement system is replaced with an electromagnetic attachment system. Electro-permanent magnets provide automatic magnetic attachment and release mechanisms, substituting manual labor with automated electromagnetic forces to achieve precise and reliable drop pan placement.
2Extent of automation
If electromagnets with external power source are used, then automated release is achieved, but compatibility with all combine harvesters is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply unit is extracted from the external environment and integrated into the support housing itself. This self-contained power source eliminates the need for external power cables or connections to the combine harvester, allowing the system to operate independently on any combine harvester without requiring specific power supply interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The support housing with integrated power supply serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, houses the electromagnetic components, and contains the power source. This universal design allows the same support housing to work with all combine harvesters regardless of their specific power supply configurations or models.
3Productivity
If drop pan is always attached to housing, then continuous availability is improved, but ability to adjust for different crop conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system transitions from a static permanent attachment to a dynamic controllable attachment. The electro-permanent magnets can be selectively energized to release the drop pan when needed, allowing the system to adapt between continuous availability and adjustment modes based on crop conditions while maintaining ease of attachment when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The drop pan is pre-positioned within the support housing in a ready state, continuously available for immediate deployment. When crop conditions require adjustment, the system can quickly release and reposition the pan without requiring complete disassembly or manual handling, maintaining both continuous availability and adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables efficient and automated collection of grain loss samples, reducing manual labor and ensuring compatibility with all combine harvesters, while allowing for adjustments based on different crop conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A support housing (12) magnetically mountable to the undercarriage of a combine harvester to releasably carry a drop pan thereunder
Implementation Method 2
The drop pan (14A, 14B) features a bottom floor (40) of ferromagnetic pieces (38) magnetically attachable to electro-permanent magnets (34)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A drop pan system for collecting discharge samples from combine harvesters or other conveyed machines or implements features a support housing attachable to the machine, a drop pan receivable in a nested position within said housing, and a magnetic hold/release mechanism with electro-permanent magnets responsive to selective energization to switch from a holding state emitting an external magnetic field for holding the drop pan in the nested position, to a release state cancelling said external magnetic field to thereby release the drop pan from the housing. A power supply is positioned on the housing at an area that resides within a footprint of the drop pan's nested position. Differently sized drop pans are included, and the housing features alignment guides for self-aligning the selected pan during magnetically aided placement thereof. Electrical components of the housing are contained in an enclosure that doubles as a support for the electro-permanent magnets.