Radiator Basket Suction Arms for Sealed Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing radiator baskets with cleaning devices face challenges in sealing and maintaining air flow efficiency due to relative movement between rotating parts, leading to increased pressure drop and reduced cooling performance, especially in high contamination environments like grain harvesting.

Innovation Solution

A radiator basket with a cleaning device featuring two pivotally mounted suction arms with diagonal bearing points, which eliminates relative movement and wear, ensuring a sealed and efficient air flow by using a crank mechanism and drive coupling for synchronized movement, and a cuboid design for increased air intake.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rotating radiator basket with a fixed suction nozzle is used, then the cleaning device can remove particles from the surface, but the pressure drop increases significantly and fan power requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidfan power
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the suction nozzle movable by mounting it on the rotating radiator basket itself, allowing the nozzle to rotate together with the basket. This dynamic configuration enables the suction opening to continuously face the direction of particle deposition without requiring the entire basket to rotate, thereby reducing the active grid area and associated pressure drop while maintaining effective particle removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a rotating radiator basket is used, then cleaning can be achieved, but a seal is required between the rotating basket and stationary radiator box

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning functionVSAvoidsealing mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of rotating the entire radiator basket and requiring a seal between rotating and stationary parts, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the radiator basket stationary and rotating only the suction nozzle assembly. This eliminates the need for complex sealing mechanisms between rotating and stationary components, as the rotation now occurs within the stationary basket structure where sealing is simplified.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Productivity

If the suction area is increased to handle more air flow, then cooling performance improves, but the pressure drop and required fan power increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flowVSAvoidpressure drop
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the suction function at the specific location where particles are deposited on the radiator surface, rather than increasing the overall suction area. The suction nozzle is positioned and oriented to target the contamination zone locally, maintaining effective particle removal without requiring a large suction area that would increase pressure drop and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

The solution provides a sealed and efficient air flow system that maintains cooling performance even in high contamination conditions, reducing the need for frequent manual cleaning and enhancing the durability of the sealing mechanism.

Implementation Method 1

the cleaning device is designed as a suction device which moves cyclically over the surface of the radiator basket and which picks up particles deposited on the surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP3597026B1Cooling device
Publication Date: 2021.03.10 CLAAS SELBSTFAHRENDE ERNTEMASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP3597026B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3597026B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3597026B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a radiator basket (1) with a cleaning device (2), wherein the radiator basket (1) has a frame component (3) within which a sieve-like surface (4) is formed, and the cleaning device (2) is designed as a suction device moving cyclically over the surface (4) of the radiator basket (1), which collects particles deposited on the surface (4), wherein the suction device comprises two suction arms (5a, 5b) which are pivotably mounted about an axis (19) oriented vertically to the surface (4) by means of bearing points (20) positioned diagonally opposite each other within the radiator basket (1).