Pivotable Bale Chute Rear Portion for Accurate Weighing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural square balers face challenges in accurately weighing bales due to a narrow time window for measurement and interference from uneven ground, as well as difficulties in isolating the bale from surrounding structures during discharge.
Innovation Solution
The bale chute is designed with a pivotable rear portion and a weighing table, where the pivot axis is positioned below the bale slide plane and offset rearwards, allowing for a longer measurement window and decoupling from the baler's horizontal movements, incorporating a damper and accelerometer for compensation, and load beams for asymmetry detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a weighing mechanism is incorporated in the bale chute to measure bale weight, then weight measurement capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to narrow time window and ground unevenness interference
Solution Approach 1:
The bale chute is divided into a fixed front portion and a movable rear portion that can be lowered independently. This segmentation allows the weighing mechanism to be isolated on the movable portion, separating the measurement function from the rest of the chute structure and reducing interference from ground unevenness and bale pushing forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear portion of the bale chute is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be dynamically lowered to a lower position during bale discharge. This dynamic adjustment creates a more favorable measurement position where the bale is better isolated and the weighing mechanism is less affected by external disturbances.
2Ease of operation
If the rear portion of the bale chute is lowered closer to the ground to allow gentle bale discharge, then bale damage is reduced, but the time window for accurate weight measurement becomes even narrower
Solution Approach 1:
The rear portion of the bale chute is lowered to the discharge position before the bale actually reaches the weighing point. This preliminary action ensures that when the bale arrives at the measurement location, the chute is already in the optimal position, maximizing the time window for measurement while still enabling gentle discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to extend the measurement time window horizontally, the solution uses vertical dimension by lowering the rear portion of the chute. This dimensional change allows the bale to be in a stable measurement position for a longer duration while maintaining the gentle discharge capability.
3Device complexity
If the pivot axis is positioned at the leading edge of the rear portion, then the structure is simpler, but the bale cannot be properly isolated from the front portion during weighing
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis is repositioned from the leading edge to a location below the bale slide plane and offset rearwards. This spatial repositioning in a different dimension allows the rear portion to pivot in a way that better isolates the bale from the front portion during weighing, while the offset position provides mechanical advantage for the lowering mechanism.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the bale chute is towed over uneven ground, then the baler can operate in field conditions, but ground unevenness causes errors in weight measurements
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the weighing mechanism onto the movable rear portion, the system isolates the measurement function from the disturbances caused by towing over uneven ground. The segmented design allows the weighing portion to be better stabilized or compensated independently from the rest of the baler.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable rear portion acts as an intermediary between the bale and the ground, providing a stable platform for weighing that can be adjusted to compensate for ground unevenness. This intermediary element isolates the measurement process from direct ground disturbances.
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
This design provides a more reliable and accurate bale weight measurement by extending the time window for weighing and minimizing errors from ground unevenness and bale interference, ensuring precise weight determination even on uneven terrain.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a damper and accelerometer for compensation
Implementation Method 2
load beams for asymmetry detection
Implementation Method 3
incorporating a damper and accelerometer for compensation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~4b
AI summary
A square baler (10) has a baling chamber (16) and a bale chute (20) arranged at the discharge end of the baling chamber (16). The bale chute (20) comprises a rear portion (26) that is pivotable about a horizontal axis to allow each bale to be lowered onto the ground without the bale toppling onto its end as it leaves the chute. In the invention, the rear portion (26) comprises a pivot frame (26a) that is pivotable about an axis (128) located below the plane on which the bale (18) slides and offset rearwards from the leading edge of the rear portion (26).