Pivoting Crop Processing Device for Combine Harvester Threshing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current threshing concaves in combine harvesters face challenges with crop flow issues due to complex replacement parts and position-dependent operation, leading to inefficient crop processing and potential blockages.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting crop processing device with a circular-cylindrical body having projections and a smooth guide surface, adjustable between positions to engage or disengage with the crop, ensuring consistent crop flow and gentle processing regardless of position, allowing for deawning or handling sensitive crops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a replacement part is used in the concave assembly, then the concave can be adapted to different crops, but the replacement process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The concave assembly incorporates a pivoting body that can be dynamically adjusted between positions to change its function. The body pivots about a pivot axis to transition between a first position for deawning crops and a second position for sensitive crops, eliminating the need for time-consuming replacement parts while maintaining adaptability to different crop types
Solution Approach 2:
The single concave assembly with the pivoting body serves multiple functions by adjusting the body position. The same concave structure can handle deawning crops when the body is in the first position and sensitive crops when in the second position, making the system universal and eliminating the need for multiple specialized parts
2Adaptability or versatility
If the concave extension is pivoted downwards to an inactive position, then it can act as a stone trap, but crop flow becomes problematic due to depression
Solution Approach 1:
The body pivots about a pivot axis to dynamically change its interaction with the crop. In the first position, projections engage the crop for deawning; in the second position, the smooth guide surface allows gentle passage. This dynamic adjustment maintains consistent crop flow regardless of position, avoiding the depression problem of previous designs
Solution Approach 2:
Different areas of the body have different properties: projections for deawning and a smooth guide surface for gentle guidance. The local quality of each area is optimized for its specific function while the overall structure maintains consistent crop flow through proper geometric design with equal distance from the pivot axis
3Ease of operation
If the body has different shapes in different positions, then it can engage or disengage with the crop, but crop flow becomes position-dependent
Solution Approach 1:
The body pivots about a pivot axis to dynamically adjust its configuration. Despite the change in position, the geometric design ensures that the interacting areas maintain the same shape and distance from the pivot axis, resulting in consistent crop flow while allowing engagement or disengagement as needed
Solution Approach 2:
The body has asymmetric features (projections vs. smooth guide surface) that provide different crop interactions, but the overall symmetric arrangement around the pivot axis ensures that the crop flow characteristics remain consistent. The asymmetric local features provide functional variety while the symmetric global structure maintains flow consistency
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a threshing concave arrangement for a combine harvester (10, 10'), comprising a threshing concave (21, 96) and a crop processing device (56) located upstream of the threshing concave (21, 96), which includes a body (70) with projections (72, 74) arranged on the surface of the body (70), wherein the body (70) is movable about a pivot axis (78) extending along the inlet side of the threshing concave (21, 96) between a first position (A), in which the projections (72) interact with the crop, and a second position (B), in which a smooth guide surface (76) interacts with the crop. It is proposed that the body (70) has a congruent shape at least in the area of the smooth guide surface (76) and the projections (72), and that it is equidistant from the pivot axis (78) in the area of the smooth guide surface (76) and the projections (72).