Pivoting Tractor Hood Panel for Easy Cooling Package Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing size and weight of engine compartments in agricultural machines, such as farm tractors, pose maintenance challenges due to the difficulty in opening the conventional hinged hood, which requires hydraulic assistance or multiple operators to lift.

Innovation Solution

A hood assembly with a pivotably attached second hood panel that can be moved from a closed to an open position without structural bracing or hydraulic support, featuring a lightweight design and mesh material to reduce weight and facilitate single-user operation, along with sealing and air guidance features for maintenance access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a conventional hinged hood is used to cover the engine compartment, then the engine bay is enclosed and protected, but the hood becomes too heavy for a single operator to raise without hydraulic assistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strength of hoodVSAvoidease of opening hood
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hood assembly is divided into two separate panels: a first hood panel that remains fixed and provides structural support, and a second hood panel that is movable and provides maintenance access. This segmentation allows the movable second panel to be lightweight while the fixed first panel maintains the required structural strength for enclosure and protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the hood is made lightweight to enable easy opening, then single-user operation becomes feasible, but the structural integrity and enclosure security are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of opening hoodVSAvoidstructural strength of hood
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The hood assembly is divided into two separate panels: a first hood panel that remains fixed and provides structural support, and a second hood panel that is movable and provides maintenance access. This segmentation allows the movable second panel to be lightweight while the fixed first panel maintains the required structural strength for enclosure and protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If hydraulic cylinders or raising mechanisms are added to assist hood opening, then the hood can be opened easily, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of opening hoodVSAvoidcomplexity of raising mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hood assembly is divided into two separate panels: a first hood panel that remains fixed and provides structural support, and a second hood panel that is movable and provides maintenance access. This segmentation allows the movable second panel to be lightweight while the fixed first panel maintains the required structural strength for enclosure and protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and removes the complex hydraulic raising mechanisms from the system. Instead, it uses a simple pivot connection between the two panels that allows the lightweight second panel to be easily opened by hand, eliminating the need for hydraulic cylinders or other complex raising mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Strength

If the second hood panel includes structural bracing to support the hood assembly, then the hood maintains structural integrity, but the weight increases making it difficult to open

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrity of hoodVSAvoidweight of second hood panel
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hood assembly is divided into two separate panels: a first hood panel that remains fixed and provides structural support, and a second hood panel that is movable and provides maintenance access. This segmentation allows the movable second panel to be lightweight while the fixed first panel maintains the required structural strength for enclosure and protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The structural support function is merged into the fixed first hood panel, while the movable second hood panel focuses solely on providing maintenance access. The pivot connection between the panels combines to create a system where the fixed panel bears the structural load and the movable panel remains lightweight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11858556B2Engine enclosure for an agricultural machine
Publication Date: 2024.01.02 AGCO INT GMBH
  • US11858556B2 patent drawing
  • US11858556B2 patent drawing
  • US11858556B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A hood assembly for an agricultural vehicle such as a farm tractor has a first hood panel and a second hood panel pivotably attached to the first hood panel and movable from a first closed position to a second open position relative to the first hood panel. The first hood panel is an elongate body mounted above an engine of the vehicle and having a front end and a rear end joined by two side portions. The second hood panel wraps around the front end of the first hood panel and extends along the two sides thereof to respective pivotal attachments. The attachments have a common pivot axis which traverses the first hood panel in spaced-apart relation to the first hood panel front end. Opening the second hood panel provides maintenance access to a cooling package of the vehicle without opening or disassembling the remainder of the hood assembly.