Rotary Rake Rotor Height Control via Tine Vibration

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rotary swathers face challenges in maintaining optimal rotor height during operation, leading to crop contamination or missed harvesting due to uneven ground, varying crop mass, and speed, which existing adjustment methods fail to address effectively.

Innovation Solution

A control device that automatically adjusts the rotor height of rotary swather rotors based on harvested mass, forward speed, and tine vibrations, using sensors to determine swath dimensions and moisture content, and a characteristic map to optimize rotor height settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If rotor height is reduced to prevent crop contamination, then crop purity is improved, but harvesting completeness deteriorates due to missed crop

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop contaminationVSAvoidharvesting completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor height is made dynamically adjustable during operation through an automatic control system that modifies the height based on detected operating conditions such as ground unevenness, crop mass, and forward speed, allowing the system to optimize between preventing contamination and ensuring complete harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A control system with sensors detects operating parameters (ground conditions, crop mass, speed) and provides feedback to automatically adjust rotor height, creating a closed-loop control that responds to actual field conditions to prevent both contamination and missed harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If rotor height is increased to ensure complete harvesting, then harvesting completeness is improved, but crop purity deteriorates due to soil contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharvesting completenessVSAvoidcrop contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor height is made dynamically adjustable during operation through an automatic control system that modifies the height based on detected operating conditions such as ground unevenness, crop mass, and forward speed, allowing the system to optimize between preventing contamination and ensuring complete harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A control system with sensors detects operating parameters (ground conditions, crop mass, speed) and provides feedback to automatically adjust rotor height, creating a closed-loop control that responds to actual field conditions to prevent both contamination and missed harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If rotor height is manually adjusted for ground unevenness, then ground adaptation is improved, but operational complexity increases and responsiveness to varying conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveground adaptationVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control system automatically detects ground conditions and adjusts rotor height without operator intervention, allowing the machine to self-adjust to varying terrain and crop conditions throughout the field

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A control system with sensors detects operating parameters (ground conditions, crop mass, speed) and provides feedback to automatically adjust rotor height, creating a closed-loop control that responds to actual field conditions to prevent both contamination and missed harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Device complexity

If rotor height is fixed during operation, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to varying crop mass and speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system simplicityVSAvoidoperating condition adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor height is made dynamically adjustable during operation through an automatic control system that modifies the height based on detected operating conditions such as ground unevenness, crop mass, and forward speed, allowing the system to optimize between preventing contamination and ensuring complete harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control system changes the rotor height parameter in response to varying operating conditions including crop mass and forward speed, optimizing performance across different field conditions without requiring complex manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Ensures optimal rotor height adaptation to operating conditions, preventing crop contamination and ensuring complete harvesting by dynamically adjusting rotor height in real-time, thereby improving working quality and efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

depending on vibrations of the rake tines of the rotary swather

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentEP3066912B1Rotary rake

Publication Date: 2018.06.06 CLAAS SAULGAU GMBH

Figure 1

AI summary

Rotary rake (2), with at least one rake rotor (3) having a raking rotor (4) with raking tines (6) mounted on tine arms (5), and with a control device (10) with which a rotor height of the or each rake rotor (3) can be automatically adjusted during operation depending on at least one measured parameter, wherein the control device (10) automatically adjusts the rotor height of the or each rake rotor depending on vibrations of the raking tines (6) during operation, wherein a sensor (15) is installed in the area of each rake rotor (3) with the aid of which the vibrations of the raking tines (6) of the respective rake rotor (3) can be measured during operation.