Foldable Header With Segmented Frame Pivots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable corn or sunflower headers with multiple row elements cannot be compactly folded within the 3.5 m width required by homologation limits, limiting their size and convenience for transportation and use.
Innovation Solution
A foldable header design featuring four segments interconnected with a central pivot and two distal pivots, allowing distinct rotations to achieve a compact folded state while maintaining a low center of gravity and sightline clearance, enabling up to 12 row elements to be folded within the 3.5 m width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the header is designed with more row elements to increase combine capacity, then the harvesting productivity is improved, but the folded width exceeds the 3.5 m homologation limit
Solution Approach 1:
The header frame is divided into multiple segments (first and second segments, each with outer and inner portions) that can rotate relative to each other around a pivot axis. This segmentation allows the header to be folded into a compact configuration that meets the 3.5 m width limit while maintaining the capability to support multiple row elements for high productivity harvesting.
2Device complexity
If simple folding mechanisms are used to reduce device complexity, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to fold large headers within 3.5 m width is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The header frame is divided into multiple segments (first and second segments, each with outer and inner portions) that can rotate relative to each other around a pivot axis. This segmentation allows the header to be folded into a compact configuration that meets the 3.5 m width limit while maintaining the capability to support multiple row elements for high productivity harvesting.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~3B
AI summary
Header (12) comprising multiple row elements (3) along the width of the header, the multiple row elements being connected to a frame which is segmented into two peripheral segments (15, 16) and two central segments (13, 14), each peripheral segment being connected to an adjacent one of the central segments via a respective distal pivot (17, 18) and the central segments being interconnected via a central pivot (19), wherein the distal pivots are arranged to allow a rotation (20) of the peripheral segments (15, 16) with respect to the central segments (13, 14), and the central pivot (19) being arranged to allow a central rotation (21) of the central segments (13, 14) with respect to each other, such that the segments are movable with respect to each other between a folded state and an operating state.