Pivoting Auxiliary Auger for Unobstructed Operator Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesters face inefficiencies and operational issues when dealing with bushy or fluffy crops due to the need for an auxiliary cross auger, which can obstruct the operator's line of sight and reduce the auger's operational life when not needed.
Innovation Solution
An auxiliary auger that is pivotally connected to the header and can be easily switched between operating and stored positions, allowing for unobstructed crop flow and operator visibility, and reducing inefficiencies and wear on the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the auxiliary cross auger is left in the operating position, then crop material transport is facilitated, but the auger continues to run which elevates oil temperature and reduces operational life
Solution Approach 1:
The auger is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be moved between an operating position (where it facilitates crop material transport) and a stored position (where it does not obstruct the operator's view). This dynamic repositioning enables the system to adapt to different operational needs, improving both productivity and reliability by allowing the auger to be stored when not needed for harvesting specific crop types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spatial parameter of the auger's position relative to the header. By adjusting the auger's position between operating and stored configurations, the system optimizes both crop flow facilitation and operator visibility, while also enabling the auger to be idle (not running) when in the stored position, thereby reducing oil temperature elevation and extending operational life.
2Illumination intensity
If the auxiliary cross auger is moved upward to a storage position, then operator line of sight is improved, but the process of moving the cross auger is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The auger assembly is designed to be dynamically repositionable between operating and stored positions. The pivotal connection allows smooth transition between positions, making the repositioning process straightforward rather than cumbersome, while ensuring the auger clears the operator's line of sight when in the stored position.
3Productivity
If the auxiliary cross auger is used for bushy or fluffy crop material, then transportation of crop material is enhanced, but the auger may cause operational issues and inefficiencies when not needed for other crop types
Solution Approach 1:
The auger's dynamic positioning capability allows the system to adapt to different crop types. For bushy or fluffy crops, the auger is positioned in the operating configuration to enhance material transport. For other crop types where the auger is not needed, it can be moved to the stored position, eliminating operational inefficiencies and demonstrating the system's adaptability across various harvesting scenarios.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An agricultural vehicle including a chassis, a feeder housing supported by the chassis, and an attachment. The attachment includes a header coupled to the feeder housing. The header has a top support beam and a pair of lateral ends. The attachment also includes an auger that has an axis of rotation and is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation. The auger is pivotally connected to the header and is pivotable about a pivot axis. The auger is selectively pivotable between a stored position and an operating position such that in the stored position the auger does not obstruct a line of sight of an operator.