Rotatable Frame for Agricultural Planter Width Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural devices, such as planters, pose safety hazards when traveling on roads due to their wide, rigid frames that do not fit within the narrower lanes designed for opposing vehicle traffic.
Innovation Solution
The device features a first frame portion that rotatably carries a second frame portion, allowing it to switch between working and travel positions by rotating and adjusting rolling elements, enabling a reduced width profile for safe road travel while maintaining a positive hitch weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a wide, rigid frame is used to maximize the number of rows that can be planted in a single pass, then the productivity is improved, but the device creates safety hazards when traveling on roads with narrower lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed with a rotatable second frame portion that can change its orientation relative to the direction of travel. In working position, the second frame portion is perpendicular to travel direction to maximize planting width. In road travel position, it rotates to become parallel to travel direction, reducing the lateral width to fit within road lanes. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction between wide-frame productivity and road safety.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the frame is made rotatable to reduce width for road travel, then the safety on roads is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into a first frame portion and a second frame portion that can rotate independently relative to each other. The second frame portion carries the agricultural modules and can be rotated separately from the main first frame portion. This segmentation allows the width-reducing rotation to be isolated to a specific section, simplifying the overall mechanism compared to rotating an entire rigid frame, while still achieving the safety benefit.
3Length of moving object
If the second frame portion is rotated from perpendicular to parallel position, then the width is reduced for road travel, but the stability of the device may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its configuration based on operational mode. The second frame portion rotates to parallel position only during road travel when stability requirements are different from field operations. During planting operations, the frame maintains its stable perpendicular configuration. The rolling elements are designed to support the frame in both configurations, ensuring stability is maintained appropriate to each operational state.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural device including a first frame portion rotatably carrying a second frame portion for carrying at least one agricultural module, the second frame portion being rotatable relative to the first frame portion between a first position generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the device and a second position generally parallel to the direction of travel of the device, the first frame portion having a pair of rolling elements for supporting the first frame along a support surface. The pair of rolling elements is laterally movable relative to the first frame portion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the device. The pair of rolling elements continuously laterally surrounds the second frame when viewed from behind a forward direction of travel of the device.