Fertilizer Opener Boot Recess for Trench Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fertilizer openers face challenges in efficiently placing and sealing gaseous fertilizers like anhydrous ammonia, due to excessive soil disturbance, lack of depth control, and inability to close trenches quickly, while also requiring different attachments for various fertilizer types, leading to increased labor and costs.
Innovation Solution
A fertilizer opener design featuring a boot with a recess surrounding the fertilizer tube, positioned behind the opener disc, which includes a thermal barrier plate and a scraper for effective soil scraping and trench sealing, allowing for use with dry, liquid, and gaseous fertilizers without the need for multiple attachments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a boot/scraper is entirely within the profile of the opener disc, then a narrow trench is created, but the boot/scraper is not pressed against the opener disc sufficiently to prevent soil, mud and/or residue from entering therebetween, causing the opener disc to quit turning and push the boot far out thus creating an excessive trench
Solution Approach 1:
The boot is divided into functional segments: a front portion that contacts the opener disc to prevent soil entry, and a rear portion with a recess for fertilizer placement. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The single boot structure serves multiple functions: it prevents soil entry between the opener disc and boot, maintains trench width control, and provides a recess for fertilizer tube placement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components while achieving all required objectives.
2Ease of operation
If boots and scrapers protrude significantly from the trench cut by the opener disc, then fertilizer placement is facilitated, but too much soil is displaced from the trench and it becomes difficult to close and seal the trench
Solution Approach 1:
The boot features localized structural variations: the front portion remains within the opener disc profile for minimal soil disturbance, while the rear portion extends with a recess to facilitate fertilizer placement. This local quality differentiation allows the boot to perform both functions without compromising trench sealing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different types of attachments are used for different fertilizer types, then each fertilizer type can be applied effectively, but labor and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The boot with its recess structure serves as a universal mounting platform that can accommodate different fertilizer tube configurations for various fertilizer types (dry, liquid, gaseous). This eliminates the need for multiple specialized attachments while maintaining effectiveness for all fertilizer applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess in the boot provides a flexible mounting structure that can be configured dynamically to suit different fertilizer tube requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows a single boot design to serve multiple fertilizer application needs without requiring structural changes to the boot itself.
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 design enables efficient and precise placement and sealing of fertilizers, minimizing soil disturbance and evaporation, while allowing for easy switching between fertilizer types, reducing labor and costs.
Implementation Method 1
a rearwardly extending plate, having a width less than said rearward face, said rearward face and said plate defining said recess
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Fertilizer opener (18) and agricultural machine (10) with said fertilizer opener (18). The agricultural machine (10) includes a frame (16) and at least one fertilizer opener (18) carried by the frame (16) for opening a trench in soil. Each fertilizer opener (18) includes an opener disc (20) positioned at an angle relative to a working direction (34), a boot (22) positioned behind the opener disc (20) relative to the working direction (34), and at least one fertilizer tube (24) positioned behind the boot (22) relative to the working direction (34). The boot (22) includes a recess (44) at a trailing edge thereof. The recess (44) at least partially surrounds at least one fertilizer tube (24).