Pivotable Marker Assembly With Breakaway Joint

Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural seeders face damage and increased weight due to heavy, bulky marker frames designed to withstand collisions with field obstructions, which negatively impact the seeder's performance and cost.

Innovation Solution

A pivotable marker assembly connected to the central frame via a two-part joint assembly with a vertical pivot pin and tension bolt, allowing the marker assembly to pivot rearwardly when encountering obstructions, reducing damage to both the marker and central frames.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the marker frame is built with heavy, bulky materials to withstand collision impacts, then the strength and reliability of the marker frame is improved, but the overall weight and cost of the seeder increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarker frame strengthVSAvoidseeder weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The marker assembly is divided into separable components: a main body portion and a marker frame portion that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the lighter marker frame to be used without compromising the overall strength of the seeder, as the main body can absorb impact forces independently when the marker frame is removed or damaged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker frame is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be easily replaced after damage rather than requiring a heavy-duty permanent construction. This approach reduces the weight and cost of the overall seeder while maintaining operational reliability, as the lightweight marker frame can be quickly swapped out if damaged during field operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If the marker frame is made heavy and bulky to resist collision damage, then the reliability of the marker frame is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarker frame reliabilityVSAvoidmarker assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The marker assembly is divided into separable components: a main body portion and a marker frame portion that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the lighter marker frame to be used without compromising the overall strength of the seeder, as the main body can absorb impact forces independently when the marker frame is removed or damaged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker frame is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be easily replaced after damage rather than requiring a heavy-duty permanent construction. This approach reduces the weight and cost of the overall seeder while maintaining operational reliability, as the lightweight marker frame can be quickly swapped out if damaged during field operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the marker frame is constructed to withstand collision impacts, then the protection of the central frame is improved, but the weight and size of the marker assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision damage protectionVSAvoidmarker assembly volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The marker assembly is divided into separable components: a main body portion and a marker frame portion that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the lighter marker frame to be used without compromising the overall strength of the seeder, as the main body can absorb impact forces independently when the marker frame is removed or damaged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker frame is extracted as a separate, removable component from the main body of the marker assembly. This extraction allows the marker frame to be optimized for lightness and simplicity while the main body can be designed to provide the necessary structural strength and collision resistance, reducing the overall volume and weight of the marker assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8016043B2Marker assembly having breakaway feature

Publication Date: 2011.09.13 CNH IND CANADA

AI summary

An agricultural implement has a marker assembly that is pivotable in a generally rearward direction when the marker assembly collides with a relatively massive field obstruction. The interconnection of the marker assembly to a central frame of the implement allows the aforementioned pivoting to reduce damage to the central frame and/or the marker assembly during such collisions.