Ramped Hub Drive Roller for Inclined Conveyor Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inclined conveyors in self-propelled harvesting machines are prone to clogging with harvested crops and soil components, leading to reduced crop throughput and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A drive roller with a ramp-shaped outer surface and support webs is designed to guide and remove crop and soil components, preventing them from becoming stuck and ensuring self-cleaning, while also providing structural stability and efficient conveyor belt guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drive rollers with uniform spacing are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but crop and soil components become lodged between drive lugs causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The hub features a ramped outer surface that creates non-uniform spacing between drive lugs and the hub surface. This local geometric variation provides a self-cleaning ramp that guides crop and soil components away from the drive lugs, preventing clogging while maintaining the overall simple roller structure
Solution Approach 2:
The ramped surface converts the potentially harmful accumulation of crop and soil material into a beneficial self-cleaning mechanism. Material that would normally lodge between drive lugs is instead guided along the ramp and discharged, transforming the clogging problem into an automatic cleaning solution
2Productivity
If drive lugs are designed with uniform spacing, then manufacturing is simplified, but crop material accumulates and interferes with positive transport
Solution Approach 1:
The drive lugs maintain uniform spacing for simple manufacturing, while the ramped hub surface provides the functional variation needed to prevent material accumulation. This separation of geometric uniformity (for manufacturing) and functional variation (for performance) resolves the contradiction
3Reliability
If the hub outer surface is flat, then manufacturing is easier, but crop and soil components become trapped between drive lugs and the hub
Solution Approach 1:
The hub outer surface is ramped only in the specific region where drive lugs are positioned, creating a localized self-cleaning feature. This partial ramping provides the necessary functional improvement while minimizing manufacturing complexity compared to a fully complex surface
Data Source
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Figure 2b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drive roller (4) for an inclined conveyor (2) for conveying crops (8) into a self-propelled harvesting machine (1), wherein the drive roller (4) can be fixed to a drive shaft (90) in a rotationally fixed manner by means of a hub (46) extending concentrically around a drive axis (9), wherein the drive roller (4) has drivers (41) which are arranged evenly distributed on the hub (46) and extend from the hub to an open end, and are provided for the positive and/or non-positive transport of a conveyor belt (5), wherein an outer surface (42) of the hub (46) facing the drivers (41) is at least partially ramp-shaped, so that the hub (46) tapers towards the open end in or against an axial direction of the axis.The present invention further relates to an inclined conveyor (2) with such a drive roller (4) and to an arrangement consisting of a self-propelled harvesting machine (1) and such an inclined conveyor (2).