Hydraulic Position Memory Circuit for Folding Farm Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic systems in agricultural machinery fail to efficiently and precisely memorize and retrieve the position of hydraulic cylinders, leading to repeated adjustment maneuvers and loss of settings during folding or unfolding, especially when repositioning is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic circuit with a separate hydraulic storage cylinder and a memory pilot/distribution unit that transfers and stores the oil volume corresponding to a specific position, allowing for precise retrieval of the cylinder position, even after repositioning, using the principle of volume conservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional hydraulic circuit is used without a memory function, then the device complexity is low, but the position setting is lost during folding or unfolding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The memory cylinder is integrated into the existing hydraulic circuit as a nested component. The memory cylinder receives and stores hydraulic fluid from the main cylinder during folding/unfolding operations, then returns the fluid to restore the original position. This nesting approach adds memory functionality without requiring a completely separate hydraulic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory cylinder is pre-configured with the capability to store hydraulic fluid at specific volumes corresponding to desired positions. During folding or unfolding, the system automatically transfers fluid to the memory cylinder to preserve the position setting before the main cylinder retracts, ensuring the position information is preserved in advance.
2Loss of information
If a master-slave cylinder system with memory chamber is used, then the position can be memorized, but the memory function becomes non-operational when the entire rod must be retracted
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into two independent but interconnected cylinders: the main cylinder for position adjustment and the memory cylinder for position preservation. This segmentation allows the memory cylinder to independently store hydraulic fluid volume corresponding to the main cylinder position, enabling memory functionality to operate even when the main cylinder is fully retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory cylinder acts as an intermediary between the main cylinder and the hydraulic fluid reservoir. It temporarily holds the hydraulic fluid that represents the position setting, mediating the transfer of fluid during folding/unfolding operations to preserve position information even when the main cylinder cannot maintain its position.
3Length of moving object
If hydraulic cylinders are fully retracted during folding, then the transport dimensions are reduced, but the working depth setting is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The position setting information is extracted from the physical position of the main cylinder and stored as a volume of hydraulic fluid in the memory cylinder. This extraction allows the main cylinder to be fully retracted for compact transport while the position information remains preserved in the memory cylinder as a stored fluid volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation of the position setting from a spatial parameter (cylinder extension length) to a volumetric parameter (hydraulic fluid volume in memory cylinder). This parameter transformation enables the position to be preserved independently of the main cylinder's physical position during folding operations.
4Loss of information
If adjustment maneuvers are repeated after folding, then the position can be restored, but time is lost due to repeated adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The memory cylinder provides self-service functionality by automatically storing the hydraulic fluid volume corresponding to the main cylinder position during folding operations. When unfolding, the system automatically retrieves the stored fluid volume to restore the position, eliminating the need for manual adjustment maneuvers and associated time losses.
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
Enables easy, quick, and precise retrieval of hydraulic cylinder positions, minimizing time loss and ensuring consistent settings across multiple machine elements without the need for additional components like flow dividers.
Implementation Method 1
a memory circuit hydraulically connected to said main hydraulic circuit, said memory circuit comprising a storage cylinder comprising a piston dividing the storage cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, said first chamber being hydraulically connected to said first chamber of said main hydraulic cylinder
Implementation Method 2
allowing for precise retrieval of the cylinder position, even after repositioning, using the principle of volume conservation
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a hydraulic circuit for an agricultural machine, comprising a machine element actuated by a main hydraulic cylinder 1, comprising: - a main hydraulic circuit comprising: said main hydraulic cylinder (1) having at least one cylinder (2) comprising a first chamber (3) and a second chamber (4), which are separated from each other by a piston (5), and, said piston (5) being movable between an initial position (P1) to be memorized for which the first chamber (3) is capable of containing a volume of oil to be memorized (V1) and an intermediate position (P2) for which the first chamber (3) is capable of containing any volume of oil (V2) different from the volume of oil to be memorized (V1), - a memory hydraulic circuit hydraulically connected to said main hydraulic circuit comprising: a storage cylinder (8) comprising at least one first storage chamber (9),characterized in that said storage cylinder (8) is a separate entity from cylinder (2), and the first storage chamber (9) is hydraulically connected to said first chamber (3), such that said volume of oil to be stored (V1) contained in the first chamber (3) corresponding to the initial position (P1) of piston (5) is transferred into the first storage chamber (9) of said storage cylinder (8) to store the initial position (P1) during the movement of said piston (5) from the initial position (P1) to the intermediate position (P2) of said piston (5).