Offset Hitch Device with Telescopic Transmission Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing towed machines face challenges with conventional hitching devices that limit their ability to operate with significant offset positions relative to the tractor, leading to issues such as cumbersome hydraulic cables, difficulty in crossing difficult terrain, and high maintenance costs due to the need for extensive and expensive hydraulic systems.
Innovation Solution
A towed straddle machine with a coupling device featuring a mechanical drawbar and a single homokinetic telescopic transmission shaft with universal joints, allowing for up to 90 degrees of angular variation, and an electronic management system to control the inclination of the transmission arm based on the drawbar's angle and power usage, ensuring efficient operation and reduced wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional hitching device arranged in alignment with the axes of the tractor and machine is used, then the machine can be positioned in line with the tractor for road travel, but the machine cannot operate with significant offset position relative to the tractor during cultivation work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the transmission arm movable and adjustable in length rather than fixed. The transmission arm can pivot and extend/retract to accommodate varying offset positions between the tractor and towed machine during cultivation work, while maintaining proper alignment during road travel. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between fixed alignment requirements and variable offset operation needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling device is segmented into separate functional components: a drawbar for mechanical connection, a transmission arm for power transfer, and a telescopic mechanism for length adjustment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the drawbar handles positioning while the transmission arm handles power transmission with adjustable geometry, enabling both aligned road travel and offset cultivation operations.
2Device complexity
If the hydraulic unit is installed on a separate frame at the rear of the tractor, then the power transmission can be simplified, but the hydraulic cables and pipes become cumbersome and risk damage during offset operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hydraulic unit from the tractor and relocates it to the towed machine itself. This eliminates the need for long hydraulic cables and pipes connecting the tractor to the machine, removing the source of the reliability problem. The hydraulic unit becomes an integrated part of the towed machine, powering all hydraulic actuators locally without vulnerable external connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical drawbar serves as an intermediary element that transmits both mechanical牵引 forces and rotational motion from the tractor to the towed machine. By using the drawbar as the primary power transmission medium instead of hydraulic cables, the system eliminates the vulnerable hydraulic connections while maintaining effective power transfer during offset operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If the drawbar is fixed in the low position of the hydraulic unit on the side of the tractor, then the hydraulic connection is simplified, but the machine cannot cross difficult terrain such as streams without generating significant efforts that may damage the hydraulic power plant
Solution Approach 1:
The drawbar is made dynamically adjustable in position and angle rather than fixed. During terrain crossing operations such as crossing streams, the drawbar can be raised or repositioned to reduce the lever arm and minimize forces on the hydraulic power plant. This dynamic adjustment allows the machine to adapt to varying terrain conditions while maintaining proper operational alignment during normal cultivation work.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the transmission shaft is designed to accommodate large angular variations for offset operations, then the offset capability is improved, but the transmission arm inclination increases leading to reduced transmission efficiency and increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission arm incorporates a telescopic mechanism that dynamically adjusts its length based on the required offset position. When operating at maximum offset, the arm extends to maintain a more favorable angle with the drawbar, reducing inclination angles and minimizing wear on universal joints. This dynamic length adjustment allows the system to achieve large offset capabilities while maintaining transmission efficiency and reducing mechanical stress on transmission components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the transmission arm - specifically its length - to optimize performance across different operating conditions. By varying the arm length parameter, the system maintains acceptable inclination angles even at large offset positions, thereby preserving transmission efficiency and reducing wear on moving parts while achieving the required adaptability for various offset operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Towed machine consisting of a work unit (1) mounted on one or more wheels (2), it being possible for one or more of these wheels to be driven, and comprising equipment devoted to accomplishing a specific task, and a source of power (4) supplying the power required to operate the active members of said equipment, said machine further comprising a hitching device comprising a drawbar (5) intended to be connected to the rear of a tractor vehicle (T) and a transmission (6) connected to said power source (4) and the front end of which is intended to be coupled to the power take-off of said tractor vehicle, characterized in that said transmission (6) consists of a single constant velocity telescopic transmission arm with universal joints, the shaft (26) connecting the rear end (15) of said transmission shaft (6) to the input shaft of the power source (4) is mounted at an angle or with the possibility of variable angular movements of limited amplitude.