Harrow tine group segmentation for soil adaptability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural tillage machines, such as harrows, face challenges in adjusting the pre-tension of harrow tines uniformly across the working width, especially in varying soil conditions and crop spacings, leading to inefficient weed control and soil cultivation.

Innovation Solution

A soil cultivation machine with pivotable harrow tines divided into groups, each connected to a work setting device, allowing for flexible adjustment of pre-tension, working depth, and angular position, enabling sections of harrow tines to share common work settings, which can be adjusted based on real-time conditions using sensors and a control unit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a centralized uniform adjustment system is used for all harrow tines, then the structure is simple and easy to operate, but the adaptability to varying soil conditions and crop spacings is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to varying soil conditions and crop spacingsVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The harrow tines are divided into multiple independently controllable groups, with each group having its own work setting device. This segmentation allows different sections of the harrow to be adjusted independently according to varying soil conditions and crop spacings, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static uniform adjustment mechanism to a dynamic adjustable system where each group can be independently controlled. The work setting devices enable real-time adjustment of pre-tension, working depth, and angular position for each group, providing adaptability while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If individual adjustment devices are provided for each harrow tine, then the adaptability to different working conditions is maximized, but the device complexity and number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility in adjusting pre-tension and working depthVSAvoidnumber of work setting devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple individual adjustment devices are merged into grouped control units. Instead of providing independent adjustment mechanisms for each tine, the system combines adjacent tines into groups that share common work setting devices, reducing the total number of components while maintaining the ability to adjust pre-tension and working depth flexibly across different working conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Each work setting device serves multiple tines within its group, providing universal adjustment capability. The same adjustment mechanism can control pre-tension, working depth, and angular position for multiple tines simultaneously, reducing component count while maintaining adaptability through multi-functional control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If uniform adjustment is applied across the entire working width, then the operation is simplified, but the productivity in varying agricultural conditions decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveefficiency of soil cultivation and weed controlVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The working width is segmented into multiple groups, each capable of independent adjustment. This allows the system to optimize productivity in varying agricultural conditions by adjusting each segment according to local soil and crop requirements, while the control system maintains operational simplicity through automated or semi-automated control of each group.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates sensors and control units that provide feedback on working conditions and automatically adjust the pre-tension, working depth, and angular position of each group. This feedback mechanism maintains high productivity in varying conditions while simplifying operation by reducing the need for manual adjustment and ensuring optimal performance across the entire working width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4066608B1Soil cultivation device
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 HORSCH MASCHEN
  • EP4066608B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4066608B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4066608B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Soil cultivation machine, preferably an agricultural harrow, with a frame structure and with a plurality of spaced-apart harrow tines arranged in several rows and one behind the other, wherein the harrow tines are pivotable relative to the frame structure and each harrow tine is connected to a working adjustment device, wherein the harrow tines are divided into n groups, wherein an nth group is connected to an nth working adjustment device, wherein the nth working adjustment device is provided and configured to change a working setting of the harrow tines of the nth group, wherein the n groups can be divided into k sections, wherein each section comprises m groups with associated m working adjustment devices.wherein all groups of a section have a common adjustable working setting and all groups of a section experience the same working setting change through actuation of the associated working setting devices.