Harvester Elevator Weight Sensor Static Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crop weight measurement techniques, such as impact-based methods, introduce errors due to dynamic movements and unpredictable forces, leading to inaccurate assessments of crop weight during harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that measure crop weight statically relative to a weight sensor within a harvester elevator, using multiple weight sensors distributed across paddles to continuously monitor the weight of the crop as it ascends, minimizing errors by maintaining the crop and sensor as a stationary unit during movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If impact-based measurement is used to measure crop weight dynamically, then continuous weight measurement during harvesting is achieved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to unpredictable dynamic forces and impact errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary platform on the elevator paddle that provides a stable, stationary surface for weight measurement. This platform acts as a mediator between the moving crop flow and the weight sensor, allowing the sensor to remain stationary relative to the crop during measurement, thereby eliminating dynamic impact errors while maintaining continuous measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving the sensor to track the crop (dynamic measurement), the patent inverts the approach by making the sensor stationary on the paddle while the paddle itself moves with the crop flow. This inversion transforms the measurement from a dynamic impact-based system to a static weight-based system, resolving the precision problem
2Measurement precision
If multiple weight sensors are distributed across paddles, then measurement precision improves through multiple measurement points, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the measurement system into multiple independent sensor units distributed across different paddles. Each paddle with its sensor operates as an independent measurement segment, allowing the system to capture weight data from multiple locations simultaneously. This segmentation improves overall measurement precision by averaging out local variations while keeping each individual sensor unit simple
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
This approach significantly reduces measurement errors by ensuring the crop is static relative to the sensor, providing more accurate and reliable weight measurements, which are then extrapolated for overall crop weight calculations.
Implementation Method 1
measure a property corresponding to crop weight of the harvested crop, such as pressure on a weight sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A system for measuring crop weight in a harvester elevator includes a receiver and processing node and one or more weight sensing instruments coupled to one or more paddles of the harvested elevator, respectively. The weight sensing instruments each include a weight sensor and a transmitter in communication with a receiver and processing node. The weight sensor is configured to dynamically measure the weight of a static harvested crop, relative to the sensor and corresponding paddle, as it ascends in the harvester elevator.