Movable Cover for Combine Harvester Separator Grate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current grain processing systems in combine harvesters face challenges in efficiently separating grain from material other than grain (MOG) due to the need for multiple concave sets and cumbersome adjustments, leading to inefficiencies and increased downtime.
Innovation Solution
A grain processing apparatus with a removable cover that slides into place and locks against the separator grate, allowing operators to control the flow of material to the cleaning system, reducing MOG reaching the cleaning system when needed, and easily adjusting settings for different harvesting conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interchangeable concave segments are provided to cater for different harvest conditions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to the need to transport, store, and interchange multiple heavy sets
Solution Approach 1:
The concave is made dynamically adjustable through a movable cover that can be shifted between different positions (first position for first harvest condition, second position for second harvest condition). This allows a single concave structure to adapt to different harvesting conditions without requiring multiple interchangeable sets, thereby improving adaptability while reducing device complexity and ease of operation deterioration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the distance between concaves and rotors is made adjustable for different crop types, then adaptability is improved, but time loss increases due to significant downtime required for interchanging heavy concave sets
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with movable elements that can be quickly repositioned between different harvest conditions. The movable cover can be shifted from a first position to a second position without requiring complete removal and reinstallation of heavy concave sets, thereby maintaining adaptability for different crop types while significantly reducing the time loss associated with adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave structure is segmented into a fixed portion and a movable cover portion. This segmentation allows the movable cover to be independently adjusted between different positions to accommodate different harvest conditions, eliminating the need to interchange entire heavy concave sets and thereby reducing downtime while preserving configurability.
3Productivity
If the separator grate is fully open to allow crop to filter out with large quantities, then productivity is improved for low MOG crops, but grain loss increases when harvesting crops with large amounts of MOG
Solution Approach 1:
The cover position is dynamically adjusted based on the type of crop being harvested. For low MOG crops, the cover is positioned to allow full filtering efficiency. For high MOG crops, the cover is repositioned to reduce the open area of the separator grate, thereby controlling the flow of material and preventing grain loss while maintaining optimal productivity for each specific crop type.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover can be selectively positioned to modify different local areas of the separator grate opening. By adjusting the cover position, the open area is locally modified to match the specific requirements of different crop types, allowing optimal separation performance for low MOG crops while preventing grain loss for high MOG crops.
Data Source
AI summary
A grain processing apparatus for a combine harvester has a threshing system and a separating system downstream of the threshing system. The separating system includes a rotor and a separator grate. A cover is provided against the separator grate, at a side of the separator grate opposite to the rotor. The cover is a slide fit at one end and has a locking arrangement at the other end, such that the cover can be slid into place then locked in a closed position against the separator grate, or unlocked and removed. When closed, the cover blocks the flow of material to a cleaning system of the combine harvester in order to reduce the loss suffered at the cleaning system.