Folding Spray Implement Wing-to-Wing Fold Joint Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a folding spray implement with a broad wingspan while maintaining a limited peak fold height poses challenges due to increased part count, complexity, and manufacturing costs, as well as higher moment forces at fold joints, which are difficult to optimize for stringent peak fold height restrictions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of wing-to-wing fold joints and an actuation system that alters the orientation of these joints between horizontal and vertical orientations as the spray implement transitions between stowed and deployed positions, allowing the boom assemblies to fold or unfold in a plane more closely aligned with a horizontal plane, thereby minimizing peak fold height and reducing the number of fold joints and associated hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the spray implement is designed with a broad wingspan to cover large crop fields, then the productivity and coverage area are improved, but the peak fold height increases making it difficult to satisfy stringent peak fold height restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The spray implement is divided into multiple boom assemblies, each further segmented into wings connected by fold joints. This segmentation allows the structure to fold into a compact configuration with reduced peak fold height while maintaining a broad wingspan when deployed, directly resolving the contradiction between coverage area and peak fold height restrictions
Solution Approach 2:
The fold joints are designed to orient fold axes principally in vertical directions during the folding transition, changing the dimensional characteristics of the folding motion. This vertical orientation of fold axes during transition enables the wings to fold downward rather than outward, significantly reducing peak fold height while preserving the horizontal wingspan when deployed
2Shape
If additional fold joints and actuators are added to achieve low peak fold height, then the peak fold height restriction is satisfied, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and utilizes the vertical dimension for folding motion by orienting fold axes vertically during transition. This extraction of the vertical folding dimension allows the system to achieve low peak fold height without adding multiple complex actuators, as the vertical orientation itself enables compact folding with fewer components
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation system dynamically transitions the fold axes orientation from horizontal in the deployed position to vertical during the folding transition, and back to horizontal in the stowed position. This dynamic reorientation of fold axes enables the same fold joints to serve multiple functions, reducing the need for additional hardware while achieving low peak fold height
3Shape
If more fold joints are provided along the boom assemblies, then the peak fold height is reduced, but the moment forces at each fold joint increase requiring reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting fold axes principally in vertical directions during folding transition, the invention changes the dimensional plane of folding motion. This vertical orientation distributes the folding moment forces more effectively along the vertical axis rather than concentrating them at lateral fold joints, reducing the reinforcement needed at each joint while achieving low peak fold height
Data Source
AI summary
Folding spray implements and agricultural work vehicle equipped with folding spray implements are provided. In embodiments, the folding spray implement includes a centerframe assembly, boom assemblies mounted to opposing sides of the centerframe assembly, and an actuation system coupled to the centerframe and boom assemblies. The boom assemblies include, in turn, inner wings pivotally joined to the centerframe assembly for rotation about frame-to-wing fold joints, as well as outer wings pivotally joined to the inner wings for rotation about wing-to-wing fold joints. The actuation system selectively transitions the folding spray implement: (i) from a stowed position in which axes of wing-to-wing fold joints extend principally in horizontal directions; (ii) through an intermediate unfolded position in which the axes of the wing-to-wing fold joints extend principally in vertical directions; and (iii) to a deployed position in which the axes of the wing-to-wing fold joints extend principally in horizontal directions.