Four-Bar Suspension Relief for Constant Ground Contact Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural implements with vertical mobility for working assemblies experience varying ground contact force, leading to inefficiencies in ground adaptation and traction, especially in hilly terrain, due to the inconsistent relief provided by conventional suspension systems.
Innovation Solution
A suspension system with a four-bar linkage and a variable-length force transmitter, such as a pressure medium cylinder or suspension strut, is configured to compensate for changes in lever arm and actuating force, maintaining a constant ground contact force across the height adjustment region by matching the geometry of the four-bar linkage with the actuating force characteristic of the force transmitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional suspension system with fixed-length force transmitter is used, then the working assembly can be vertically movable for ground adaptation, but the ground contact force varies during height adjustment, leading to inefficiencies in hilly terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The force transmitter is made variable in length to dynamically adjust its lever arm during height adjustment. As the first steering assembly moves through its range of motion, the force transmitter changes length to compensate for geometric changes in the four-bar linkage, maintaining constant ground contact force throughout the vertical movement of the working assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the force transmitter (its length) as a function of the steering assembly position. By coordinating the length change of the force transmitter with the positional change of the first steering assembly, the system maintains optimal force transmission and constant ground contact force across the entire height adjustment region
2Device complexity
If the force transmitter is installed on the first steering assembly without variable length, then the structure is simpler, but the lever arm changes during height adjustment causing varying actuating force and ground contact force
Solution Approach 1:
The force transmitter transitions from a fixed-length component to a variable-length component that actively adjusts during operation. This dynamic adjustment compensates for the changing lever arm geometry of the four-bar linkage, ensuring consistent actuating force without requiring complex additional mechanisms
3Productivity
If the working assembly maintains constant ground contact force through variable-length force transmitter, then traction and ground adaptation improve, but the device complexity increases due to the variable-length mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The variable-length force transmitter serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides weight relief, maintains constant ground contact force, compensates for lever arm changes, and enables smooth ground adaptation. By integrating these functions into a single component rather than using separate mechanisms, the patent reduces overall system complexity while achieving superior operational efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural implement including a working assembly to be guided over the ground and a suspension for suspending the working assembly so as to be vertically movable during work operation. The suspension has a headstock attachable to a tractor or a frame connected to a tractor and a first steering assembly that protrudes from the headstock and forms a four-bar linkage that is pivotably mounted on the headstock by two joints and carries a second steering assembly, to which the working assembly is attached. The suspension has a relief device for weight relief of the working assembly, which includes a variable-length force transmitter in the form of a suspension strut and/or a pressure medium cylinder, wherein the force transmitter is installed on the first steering assembly under pressure.