Harvester Header Ground-Pressure Adjustment for Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesters face challenges in maintaining a consistent height and efficiency when traversing uneven or varying ground conditions, leading to ineffective crop collection and potential damage to the pickup mechanism due to bouncing or sinking of the header.
Innovation Solution
A header assembly with a sensor to detect ground surface composition behind the pickup mechanism, coupled with a control system to adjust the pressure exerted by lift cylinders on the wheels, ensuring optimal height and pressure based on detected ground conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the header is supported on the ground by wheels to maintain pickup height, then the pickup assembly can gather crop, but the wheels and frame may bounce on uneven ground causing unacceptable crop gathering and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the header support system adaptable rather than fixed. The lift cylinders dynamically adjust the header's position and pressure on the ground in response to varying terrain conditions, allowing the system to maintain stability despite external disturbances from uneven ground surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through sensors that detect ground surface composition and provide information to the control system. This feedback loop enables the system to sense ground conditions and automatically adjust the header's position and pressure to maintain optimal crop gathering performance while preventing frame bouncing.
2Ease of operation
If the header exerts constant pressure on the ground through fixed lift cylinders, then the pickup mechanism can operate steadily, but the header sinks into soft ground or bounces on hard ground reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The lift cylinder pressure is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control system continuously adjusts the pressure exerted by the lift cylinders based on real-time ground condition data from sensors, enabling the header to adapt to both soft and hard ground surfaces for optimal crop collection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter of the lift cylinders dynamically. By adjusting the pressure that the header exerts on the ground based on detected ground surface composition, the system optimizes contact between the pickup mechanism and crop while preventing sinking into soft ground or bouncing on hard ground.
3Productivity
If the pickup drum tines contact the ground to collect crop, then crop can be gathered, but the tines may dig into the ground causing damage to the pickup mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively adjusting the header's position and pressure based on detected ground conditions before the pickup drum tines can dig into the ground. The control system uses sensor data to anticipate problematic ground surfaces and modifies the header's contact with the ground to prevent tine damage while maintaining crop gathering productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural harvester (1) comprising a header (2) with a pickup mechanism (110) for picking up crop from a field and a feeder for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester (1) for further processing. The feeder is pivotably connected to a chassis of the agricultural harvester (1) via at least one lift cylinder (600). The header (2) is connected to the feeder for pivoting therewith and comprises a pickup mechanism supported by a frame (100). The header (2) further comprises at least one wheel (165A, 165B) for supporting the frame (100) on the ground. A sensor (50) is configured to detect a ground surface composition in an area behind the pickup mechanism (110), while a control system (500) is operably coupled to the at least one lift cylinder (600) and the sensor (50), and configured to operate the at least one lift cylinder (600) to adjust a pressure that the header (2) exerts on the ground in dependence of the detected ground surface composition.