Rotatable Sensor Support Arm for Agricultural Harvester Topography Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor support systems for agricultural harvesters do not effectively adapt to varying field topography, and they are not optimized for road transportation due to their width.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable sensor support arm system that adjusts its position to provide a field of view for detecting topography changes while allowing the harvesting implement to be narrower for road transportation by rotating the sensor relative to the implement frame between two positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor support arm is positioned forward to detect field topography changes, then the field of view is improved, but the overall width of the harvesting implement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is made rotatable relative to the implement frame, allowing it to dynamically change position between a first position for detection and a second position for transportation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to optimize for different operational modes rather than being fixed in a single configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor support system is separated from the main implement frame as a独立的 rotatable component. This segmentation allows the support arm to be independently positioned and rotated without affecting the main structure, enabling optimal positioning for detection while maintaining a compact profile for transportation.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor is positioned forward of the cutter bar, then topography detection capability is improved, but the harvesting implement cannot be easily transported on roads
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable support arm enables the sensor to be dynamically repositioned. During harvesting operations, the arm rotates to the first position forward of the cutter bar for optimal topography detection. During road transportation, the arm rotates to the second position to reduce the overall width and clearances required, thus resolving the contradiction between detection capability and transportation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the sensor during operations, enables the sensor to be positioned forward of the cutter bar for detection, and allows the implement to be narrowed for road transportation. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making a single component responsible for both detection optimization and transportation accommodation.
Data Source
AI summary
A harvesting implement for an agricultural harvester includes an implement frame defining a plane extending in a longitudinal direction between forward and aft ends of the frame and in a lateral direction between first and second sides of the implement frame. Additionally, the harvesting implement includes a support arm coupled to the implement frame and a sensor coupled to the support arm. The support arm is, in turn, configured to rotate relative to the implement frame about an axis, intersecting the plane, between a first position at which the sensor has a field of view directed at a portion of the field forward of the harvesting implement and a second position at which a distance between the sensor and the aft end of the implement frame in the longitudinal direction is less than when in the first position.