Extruded-Side Harvester Sieve With Polymeric Strips for Longer Wire Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rotation of wires in conventional sieves, which are attached to plate steel sides, leads to wear and tear over time, necessitating frequent adjustments and reducing the operational life of agricultural harvesters' cleaning systems.
Innovation Solution
The use of extruded metal side members with polymeric strips and aligned holes to carry the sieve wires, providing increased surface area and reduced friction, thereby enhancing the operational life of the wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If wires are rotated in holes of plate steel sides, then the sieve structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the wires wear out quickly and operational life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining plate steel sides with polymeric strips. The polymeric strips are attached to the plate steel and provide low-friction surfaces for wire rotation. This composite material approach reduces wear on the wires while maintaining the overall structural integrity and simplicity of the sieve design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only the specific areas where wires rotate through the sides. Polymeric strips are attached at the wire passage locations to provide low-friction surfaces, while the rest of the plate steel sides maintain their original simple structure. This localized modification extends wire life without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If wires are rotated in holes of plate steel sides, then the sieve structure is simple, but friction and wear increase over time
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric strips act as intermediary elements between the wires and the plate steel sides. These strips provide a low-friction surface that mediates the interaction between the rotating wires and the rigid plate steel, thereby reducing wear and improving wire durability while maintaining structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the friction parameter at the wire-sieve interface by introducing polymeric strips with inherently lower friction coefficients compared to plate steel. This parameter change reduces wear on the wires and improves their operational reliability without affecting the overall sieve structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional plate steel sides are used, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sieve side structure into two independent parts: the plate steel sides providing structural support and the polymeric strips providing wear-reducing surfaces. The polymeric strips can be separately replaced when worn, without needing to replace the entire sieve or the plate steel sides, thereby reducing maintenance frequency and effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymeric strips are designed as replaceable components that can be easily replaced when worn. These strips are relatively inexpensive compared to the overall sieve structure, allowing for easy maintenance by simply replacing the worn strips rather than the entire sieve assembly, thereby reducing maintenance frequency.
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 solution increases the operational life of the wires by reducing friction and wear, leading to improved durability and reduced maintenance needs in agricultural harvesters' cleaning systems.
Implementation Method 1
providing increased surface area and reduced friction, thereby enhancing the operational life of the wires
Data Source
AI summary
A sieve for use in an agricultural harvester includes a framework with a pair of opposed side members. A plurality of overlapped louvres extend between the pair of opposed side members and are overlapped relative to each other. The opposed side members are each comprised of an extruded metal side member with a partially open elongate channel having a predefined cross section, and a polymeric strip having a mating cross section carried within the elongate channel.