PTO Shaft Safety via Sensor-Based Extraction

Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural implements often have covers that are unnecessary for operation, increasing weight and manufacturing costs, and pose safety risks as operators attempt to clear blockages while the device is running, leading to potential accidents.

Innovation Solution

A combination of an agricultural implement and a towing vehicle with an electronic control unit connected to a sensor that detects living beings in a danger zone, communicating via a bus connection to automatically stop the power take-off shaft and prevent accidents, allowing for safer operation without covers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If covers are attached to protect moving parts, then safety is improved, but weight and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidweight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the covers from the agricultural implement, extracting the protective element that was causing weight and cost issues. Instead of using physical covers, the system uses a sensor-based detection and control system to provide safety, thereby eliminating the need for heavy protective covers while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical cover system with an electronic control system consisting of sensors, control units, and actuators. This substitution eliminates the need for physical covers and uses electronic detection to monitor safety conditions, thereby reducing weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining or improving safety through automated detection and response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If covers are attached to protect moving parts, then safety is improved, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidmanufacturing costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the covers from the agricultural implement, extracting the protective element that was causing weight and cost issues. Instead of using physical covers, the system uses a sensor-based detection and control system to provide safety, thereby eliminating the need for heavy protective covers while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical cover system with an electronic control system consisting of sensors, control units, and actuators. This substitution eliminates the need for physical covers and uses electronic detection to monitor safety conditions, thereby reducing weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining or improving safety through automated detection and response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If covers are removed to facilitate work, then ease of operation is improved, but safety risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of workVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary detection of dangerous situations using sensors before any harm can occur. The sensor system continuously monitors the operating environment and detects potential hazards (such as persons approaching moving parts) in advance, allowing the control system to preemptively stop the implement before a safety incident occurs, thus enabling safe operation without covers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a feedback control system where sensors continuously monitor safety conditions and provide real-time information to the control unit. When a hazardous situation is detected (such as a person entering the danger zone), the system immediately responds by stopping the implement, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism that enables operators to work without covers while maintaining safety through continuous monitoring and automatic response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Reliability

If sensor detection is added to automatically stop PTO shaft, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the safety functions into existing multi-functional components. The sensor system serves multiple purposes: detecting hazardous situations, triggering safety stops, and providing operator awareness. The control units leverage existing communication buses and control architectures, allowing the safety system to perform multiple safety-related functions without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces control units and communication buses as intermediary elements between the sensor system and the PTO shaft control. These intermediaries manage the complexity by providing structured signal processing, decision-making logic, and coordinated control, thereby organizing the increased system complexity into manageable functional modules rather than direct complex wiring and control logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution reduces the likelihood of accidents by automatically stopping the power take-off shaft when a person or obstacle is detected, enabling safer operation and reducing the need for covers, thus enhancing safety and ease of work on the device.

Implementation Method 1

a sensor (72) assigned to the device (12), by which a danger zone (74) is monitored to detect whether a person or an animal or another obstacle is located therein

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared radiation detection: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP2301322B1Combination of an agricultural device and a carrier or trailer vehicle with a sensor for recording a hazardous situation and an automatic deactivation of the p.t.o. shaft

Publication Date: 2017.01.04 DEERE & CO

AI summary

The invention relates to a combination of an agricultural implement (12) and a carrier or towing vehicle (10). The carrier or towing vehicle (10) has a power take-off (PTO) shaft (32) that can be selectively engaged and disengaged by means of a clutch (26). The implement (12) comprises driven elements (50, 52, 56, 58, 60) that can be connected to the PTO shaft (32). An electronic control unit (76) of the implement (12) is connected via a bus (78) to an electronic control unit (34) of the carrier or towing vehicle (10). The electronic control unit (76) of the implement (12) is connected to a sensor (72) for detecting a living being present in a danger zone (74) of the machine (10).The electronic control unit (76) of the device (12) causes the electronic control unit (34) of the carrier or towing vehicle (10) to instruct an actuator (38) to disconnect the coupling (26) of the power take-off shaft (32) in the event of the detection of a living being in the danger zone and/or to prevent the actuator (38) from closing the coupling (26).