Movable Bale Ejection Arm for Sloped Terrain Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural balers face inefficiencies when ejecting bales on uneven terrain, leading to increased operating time, fuel consumption, and reduced efficiency due to bales rolling away unpredictably.
Innovation Solution
The agricultural crop baler incorporates a frame with wheels, a tailgate, a baling chamber, a ramp, and movable arms with actuators to control the bale's ejection path and orientation, ensuring controlled bale placement even on slopes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the baler operates on sloped terrain, then productivity is improved by avoiding flat area relocation, but bale placement precision deteriorates due to unpredictable rolling behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The arm assembly is made movable relative to the baler frame, allowing dynamic adjustment of arm position and angle during bale ejection. The actuator enables the arm to adapt its configuration based on terrain conditions, transitioning from a static structure to a dynamic control system that can respond to slope variations and control bale trajectory in real-time
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting arm position, arm angle, and actuator activation timing based on detected slope conditions. The control system modifies these parameters to compensate for gravitational effects on sloped terrain, ensuring consistent bale placement accuracy across varying ground conditions without requiring relocation to flat areas
2Manufacturing precision
If the arm assembly is made movable with actuators, then bale placement control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The arm assembly incorporates self-aligning features where the arm pivotally connects to the frame through a pivot pin that automatically orients the arm perpendicular to the frame plane during operation. This self-alignment mechanism eliminates the need for complex positioning systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining placement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The control function is extracted from the mechanical structure itself and placed in a separate, dedicated actuator system. This allows the mechanical arm assembly to remain relatively simple while the intelligent control logic is contained in the actuator and control system, separating complexity into a modular, controllable component rather than distributing it throughout the entire mechanical structure
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural crop baler having a frame, wheels, tailgate, baling chamber, ramp, and an arm attached to the frame and movable between a first position in which the arm extends along a first lateral side of the bale ejection path and does not intersect the bale ejection path, and a second position in which the arm extends along the first lateral side of the bale ejection path and intersects the bale ejection path. The baler also includes an actuator operatively connected between the frame and the arm and configured to move the arm between the first and second positions, and a control system configured to operate the actuator. A method is also provided, in which a baler arm contacts a side of the bale to generate a force on the bale in a direction transverse to the forward direction.