Olive Harvester Detachable Drive Assembly for Branch Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing olive harvesters suffer from increased probability of equipment faults, reduced efficiency, and shortened lifespan due to complex component interactions and exposure to branches, which are not suitable for large-scale olive picking.
Innovation Solution
An olive harvester design featuring a drive component with a gearbox, swing axles, and detachable components that facilitate stable force transmission and easy maintenance, minimizing component interaction and branch jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple parts such as push rod, connectors, and sector gears are used to drive the swinging arm, then the swinging function is achieved, but the probability of equipment faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drive components (push rod, connectors, sector gears) into a single integrated drive component that directly drives the swinging arm. This merging reduces the number of parts and connection points, thereby lowering the probability of equipment faults while maintaining the swinging function.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive component is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides both the driving force and the swinging motion in a single integrated unit, eliminating the need for separate connectors and transmission mechanisms. This multi-functionality reduces complexity and improves reliability.
2Reliability
If sector gears and racks are exposed on the outside of the housing, then the drive mechanism is accessible, but the swinging arm easily gets stuck in branches causing internal circuit faults
Solution Approach 1:
The drive component is nested inside the housing, with only the necessary external interface exposed. This protects the drive mechanism from branch interference while maintaining functionality. The swinging arm moves in a controlled path that avoids entanglement with branches.
Solution Approach 2:
The vulnerable sector gears and racks are extracted from the external environment and enclosed within the housing. The drive mechanism is repositioned to eliminate exposure to branches, preventing jamming and internal circuit faults.
3Reliability
If the push rod maintains stability during telescopic movement, then the drive function is reliable, but wear between push rod and axle sleeve increases shortening device lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the telescopic push rod mechanism with a direct-drive component that eliminates the sliding contact between push rod and axle sleeve. This substitution removes the wear mechanism while maintaining drive stability, thereby extending device lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive component is designed as a segmented structure with isolated moving parts that reduce friction and wear. The connection between drive component and swinging arm uses low-friction joints that maintain stability without the severe wear of traditional telescopic mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the movable frame is arranged outside the connector housing, then the risk of jamming is reduced, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable frame is designed with dynamic positioning that allows it to move freely outside the connector housing during operation. This dynamic arrangement reduces jamming risk by preventing contact with branches, while the movement path is constrained to minimize structural complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an olive harvester, wherein a gearbox is used to individually install a drive component, facilitating the separation of the drive component from a connector housing; and subsequently, a movable frame is movably connected to the connector housing through a bearing by swing axles, and also connected with the swing axles through swivel lockout screws, which facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the movable frame with the connector housing, thus achieving the detachable connection of main components of the olive harvester, facilitating maintenance and replacement during equipment faults, and shortening maintenance time. Furthermore, in terms of a force transmission structure, force is transmitted through a linkage structure, ensuring stable transmission and improving force transmission efficiency, and meanwhile, the structural optimization of moving parts in terms of design eliminates jamming with branches, resolving the problem of traditional equipment prone to malfunction and low olive picking efficiency during operation.